My beloved Audi A3 3.0L with automatic transmission has developed a problem when upshifting. I seems to have a problem getting into gear and almost lunges and stutters then the check engine light comes on. It only seems to happen when I give it extra gas from a lower gear. My dealer characterized it as a piston misfiring and has changed two valves, but after three visits it is still not fixed. I can reproduce the problem pretty easily, but don’t know enough about cars to diagnose it. Any ideas would be appreciated.
There may be some misinterpretation going on between you and the dealer as it is impossible for a piston to misfire.
There’s not enough info provided to be in the ballpark about what’s going on.
Replacing 2 valves denotes engine damage and short of a prior broken timing belt problem or extremely high mileage valve/cylinder head damage is rare.
I would advise getting a local parts house (AutoZone, O’Reillys, Advance, Checkers, etc.) to scan the car for codes. It only takes a few minutes and they will do this for you free. Post the results back here for discussion.
I think you should get a second opinion from another dealer.
Try some more specialized forums .
Audiworld
or
VWvortex
Vortex covers every VW vehicle .