[200q20v] Re Dist:

[Derek Pulvino]

Why should a distributor be considered a replace at 100-130k miles part?  I know the fact of the matter is that it basically is, but lord have mercy!  The reaction from this question makes it almost seem like I've violated the ten commandments of 200 ownership.  Sure, the seal might have seemed like a "no-brainer," but when the issue of a leaky seal came up, nobody came volunteering info about the possibility of changing the seal, if you can figure the gear dilemma.  And sure, maybe you have to "pay to play," but how many people would rather replace their whole center drive-line than retrofit the MB or BMW bearing?  

I'm sure everybody that's replaced the dist. has been more or less down this same road, but no harm in asking/investigating the issue is there?

As far as the gear goes, yes or no; the only other distributor with a similar pitched drive gear in the Audi line is on the 90-20v, which unfortunately is also plastic, and not listed in the Audi fiche?  And do or don't people think that oil w/in the distributor might cause a hall sender to errantly malfunction? 

Any ideas there?

Derek P