Audi A1 TDI Stalling: Idle Control Valve Mystery Fixed

I had a similar issue with my Audi A3 2.0 TDI from 2014, and after some trial and error, it turned out to be serious contamination in the intake system affecting the throttle body and IAC valve operation. With some experience working on diesel engines, I first suspected a simple throttle body cleaning would fix it. However, the engine stalling symptoms persisted despite basic maintenance attempts. The idle speed would fluctuate wildly before the engine died completely at stops. The workshop discovered heavy carbon buildup throughout the intake manifold that was disrupting proper idle control. They performed a thorough intake cleaning service, replaced the IAC valve, and recalibrated the throttle body. Total cost came to 425 Euro including parts and labor. Since then, idle speed has been perfectly stable with no more stalling issues. Before suggesting specific solutions, could you share: Current mileage on your A1? Any recent maintenance history? Are there any other warning lights besides the engine light? Does the stalling happen more frequently when the AC is running? This information would help determine if your issue matches what I experienced or if other components might be involved.

I had a similar issue with my Audi A3 2.0 TDI from 2014, and after some trial and error, it turned out to be serious contamination in the intake system affecting the throttle body and IAC valve operation. With some experience working on diesel engines, I first suspected a simple throttle body cleaning would fix it. However, the engine stalling symptoms persisted despite basic maintenance attempts. The idle speed would fluctuate wildly before the engine died completely at stops. The workshop discovered heavy carbon buildup throughout the intake manifold that was disrupting proper idle control. They performed a thorough intake cleaning service, replaced the IAC valve, and recalibrated the throttle body. Total cost came to 425 Euro including parts and labor. Since then, idle speed has been perfectly stable with no more stalling issues. Before suggesting specific solutions, could you share: Current mileage on your A1? Any recent maintenance history? Are there any other warning lights besides the engine light? Does the stalling happen more frequently when the AC is running? This information would help determine if your issue matches what I experienced or if other components might be involved.

I had a similar issue with my Audi A3 2.0 TDI from 2014, and after some trial and error, it turned out to be serious contamination in the intake system affecting the throttle body and IAC valve operation. With some experience working on diesel engines, I first suspected a simple throttle body cleaning would fix it. However, the engine stalling symptoms persisted despite basic maintenance attempts. The idle speed would fluctuate wildly before the engine died completely at stops. The workshop discovered heavy carbon buildup throughout the intake manifold that was disrupting proper idle control. They performed a thorough intake cleaning service, replaced the IAC valve, and recalibrated the throttle body. Total cost came to 425 Euro including parts and labor. Since then, idle speed has been perfectly stable with no more stalling issues. Before suggesting specific solutions, could you share: Current mileage on your A1? Any recent maintenance history? Are there any other warning lights besides the engine light? Does the stalling happen more frequently when the AC is running? This information would help determine if your issue matches what I experienced or if other components might be involved.

Current mileage is 91254 KM and I just had the regular service done last month. The car idle problems started happening shortly after. Thanks for sharing your experience, the symptoms sound identical to what I am seeing. The engine stalling occurs regardless of AC status, and only the engine light is on. The unstable idle speed is particularly noticeable when the engine is warm. Based on your repair costs, it seems the IAC valve replacement might be a reasonable next step before exploring more complex intake system issues. My main concern is whether cleaning alone might fix it or if I should expect to replace components given the age of the car.

Current mileage is 91254 KM and I just had the regular service done last month. The car idle problems started happening shortly after. Thanks for sharing your experience, the symptoms sound identical to what I am seeing. The engine stalling occurs regardless of AC status, and only the engine light is on. The unstable idle speed is particularly noticeable when the engine is warm. Based on your repair costs, it seems the IAC valve replacement might be a reasonable next step before exploring more complex intake system issues. My main concern is whether cleaning alone might fix it or if I should expect to replace components given the age of the car.

Current mileage is 91254 KM and I just had the regular service done last month. The car idle problems started happening shortly after. Thanks for sharing your experience, the symptoms sound identical to what I am seeing. The engine stalling occurs regardless of AC status, and only the engine light is on. The unstable idle speed is particularly noticeable when the engine is warm. Based on your repair costs, it seems the IAC valve replacement might be a reasonable next step before exploring more complex intake system issues. My main concern is whether cleaning alone might fix it or if I should expect to replace components given the age of the car.

Thanks for those additional details, I know exactly what you are going through since I faced nearly identical symptoms. In my case, just cleaning the idle air control valve provided only temporary relief before the stalling issues returned. Since your problems began after regular service, have them check if the air intake components were properly reassembled. A loose connection or damaged gasket could cause similar engine stalling symptoms. However, given the age and mileage, I would strongly consider replacing the IAC valve rather than just cleaning it. When my car was stalling, I noticed the idle would stabilize briefly after cleaning but deteriorate again within a few weeks. The complete IAC valve replacement was ultimately needed for a permanent fix. The labor cost should be lower than what I paid since they will not need to do the full intake cleaning service if that is still clean from your recent maintenance. If you decide to replace the IAC valve, make sure they perform the proper idle speed relearn procedure afterward. An improperly calibrated idle control system can lead to continued stalling even with new parts. Based on the identical symptoms and similar engine variants, I would estimate around 250-300 Euro for the IAC valve replacement alone. This assumes no additional intake system issues are found during the repair.

Thanks for those additional details, I know exactly what you are going through since I faced nearly identical symptoms. In my case, just cleaning the idle air control valve provided only temporary relief before the stalling issues returned. Since your problems began after regular service, have them check if the air intake components were properly reassembled. A loose connection or damaged gasket could cause similar engine stalling symptoms. However, given the age and mileage, I would strongly consider replacing the IAC valve rather than just cleaning it. When my car was stalling, I noticed the idle would stabilize briefly after cleaning but deteriorate again within a few weeks. The complete IAC valve replacement was ultimately needed for a permanent fix. The labor cost should be lower than what I paid since they will not need to do the full intake cleaning service if that is still clean from your recent maintenance. If you decide to replace the IAC valve, make sure they perform the proper idle speed relearn procedure afterward. An improperly calibrated idle control system can lead to continued stalling even with new parts. Based on the identical symptoms and similar engine variants, I would estimate around 250-300 Euro for the IAC valve replacement alone. This assumes no additional intake system issues are found during the repair.

Thanks for those additional details, I know exactly what you are going through since I faced nearly identical symptoms. In my case, just cleaning the idle air control valve provided only temporary relief before the stalling issues returned. Since your problems began after regular service, have them check if the air intake components were properly reassembled. A loose connection or damaged gasket could cause similar engine stalling symptoms. However, given the age and mileage, I would strongly consider replacing the IAC valve rather than just cleaning it. When my car was stalling, I noticed the idle would stabilize briefly after cleaning but deteriorate again within a few weeks. The complete IAC valve replacement was ultimately needed for a permanent fix. The labor cost should be lower than what I paid since they will not need to do the full intake cleaning service if that is still clean from your recent maintenance. If you decide to replace the IAC valve, make sure they perform the proper idle speed relearn procedure afterward. An improperly calibrated idle control system can lead to continued stalling even with new parts. Based on the identical symptoms and similar engine variants, I would estimate around 250-300 Euro for the IAC valve replacement alone. This assumes no additional intake system issues are found during the repair.

Today I got an update quote from a local workshop, they can do the IAC valve replacement for 275 Euro including parts and labor. This matches what you mentioned about the repair costs. They also recommended checking the intake manifold while they have everything apart, which makes sense given your experience with carbon buildup issues. The engine stalling has gotten more frequent this week, especially during morning commutes when the engine is warming up. The unstable idle speed and complete engine stalling at stops is becoming a real safety concern. Given that cleaning attempts havent helped and the idle control problems persist, I will probably schedule the repair for next week. Thanks for sharing your experience with similar symptoms, it really helped confirm my suspicions about the IAC valve being the core issue. I will make sure they perform the idle speed relearn procedure you mentioned after installing the new valve. Hope this helps others who might run into similar engine idle problems with these engines. Will update on the results after getting it fixed.

Today I got an update quote from a local workshop, they can do the IAC valve replacement for 275 Euro including parts and labor. This matches what you mentioned about the repair costs. They also recommended checking the intake manifold while they have everything apart, which makes sense given your experience with carbon buildup issues. The engine stalling has gotten more frequent this week, especially during morning commutes when the engine is warming up. The unstable idle speed and complete engine stalling at stops is becoming a real safety concern. Given that cleaning attempts havent helped and the idle control problems persist, I will probably schedule the repair for next week. Thanks for sharing your experience with similar symptoms, it really helped confirm my suspicions about the IAC valve being the core issue. I will make sure they perform the idle speed relearn procedure you mentioned after installing the new valve. Hope this helps others who might run into similar engine idle problems with these engines. Will update on the results after getting it fixed.

Today I got an update quote from a local workshop, they can do the IAC valve replacement for 275 Euro including parts and labor. This matches what you mentioned about the repair costs. They also recommended checking the intake manifold while they have everything apart, which makes sense given your experience with carbon buildup issues. The engine stalling has gotten more frequent this week, especially during morning commutes when the engine is warming up. The unstable idle speed and complete engine stalling at stops is becoming a real safety concern. Given that cleaning attempts havent helped and the idle control problems persist, I will probably schedule the repair for next week. Thanks for sharing your experience with similar symptoms, it really helped confirm my suspicions about the IAC valve being the core issue. I will make sure they perform the idle speed relearn procedure you mentioned after installing the new valve. Hope this helps others who might run into similar engine idle problems with these engines. Will update on the results after getting it fixed.