Hello,

I don't have a code reader, but my check engine light came on, and I'm 99% sure my A4 started misfiring (shaky, underpowered acceleration) pretty bad. I got her home, opened the hood, and pulled the coils to inspect them for any obvious damage/wear. Nothing obvious, but when I put them back in, the car wouldn't start at all.

Also, I'm not sure if this happened when I pulled the coils, or what but the wire connecting one of them to the block broke. Here's a picture:


(Yes, I found a mouse nest under my engine cover. Thought maybe he chewed something, but no evidence of that. He couldn't have been there for very long, I drive every day, and had just had teh cover off a few days earlier)

Can someone tell me what this is? Looks like a ground-type thing to me, but I'm not that car-savvy. Is this preventing the engine from starting?

How can I check my coils/plugs and determine what I need and how many? Any suggestions as to cheap(er)/good ones?

Thanks!