So my Ep finally bit the dust...
I have recently joined the site and was amazed at how much information was available here. But unfortunately, today, my Ep3 bites the dust at 356k Kms.
I was driving normally, just gradually accelerating when suddenly, the engine lost all power, all the dash lights went on... then it stalled. Pulled over using my remaining momentum and tried to start it again but no luck. I can hear the starter trying hard to turn over.. maybe 2-3 times, then it gave up. Tried it again a few hours later, still the same results. I know it is not a battery problem, everything is on, and the fan was working fine.
Now, I am aware of the following issues before this happened:
-Very noisy engine, probably needed a valve adjustment pretty bad
-Serpentine belt is a bit worn and noisy as well
-Experienced ONE time of the "supercharger" like whine from the belt area, possibly a tensioner telling me it might be dying soon
-It's got 356k kms (obvious)
Now, I am wondering, if the tensioner, or the pulleys for the accessories seized up, would that kill the engine on the spot? possibly making my car unable to start as well? The belt is fine, the tension on the belt is fine as well. I am just not sure what may have caused this, it just seemed to sudden to me.
I am not too sure what I can do at this point, but I have been calling around for replacement A3 (I am not really into performance, and I think the stock A3 is good enough for my daily needs). That is most likely the route I will go but for the time being, what do you guys think could have caused this?
Thanks!