Igntion repair

[Brian Link]

Let me add to what Charlie and others wrote

>> Bentley just published; -"forwarded" the Audi factory
>> instructions for these manuals - they did not actually create
>> their own documentation as they do with BMWs, etc.

>Yeah, that's been mentioned somewhere, besides which I (usually)
>try not to beat up on them since Chris Miller is on payroll!
>The job is what really drove me crazy, not so much the books;
>but you know... Kill the messenger!  That one little sentence
>in the Bentley now just makes me laugh....(sick, eh?)

>> That said, the referenced pages seem to show a pre-airbag
>> car, since they printed documents infer that the two ignition
>> switch screws can be accessed from the top after removing the
>> instrument cluster - they cannot since there is a magnesium?
>> support now in the way.

>The mismatch is obvious as soon as the IC is out of the way,
>very different from the drawings.  There are little holes in the
>structural bar that goes across the drivers knees, of course I
>couldn't tell until I had taken the column out with the switch
>still attached.  Even if I'd found the holes, I think the glue
>on top of the screws would have confounded my deductive process
>in trying to pull the switch.

The screws are accessible through the magnesium plate from the top.
With the IC removed I was able to scrape off the glue and loosen the
screws with the use of an inspection mirror and a small flat blade screw
driver..

>The problem comes from pulling the hunk of aluminum past the
>HVAC ducting ( at least on my sedan ) and I had to crush it
>a bit to rotate the housing past it.  The plastic was very
>resilient and the duct seemed undamaged by the process, even
>after 4 abuses since I reassembled and drove the car while
>waiting for parts.  The column tube and front of the block
>"just" tip down while you play around with getting the other
>end of the column clear of the pedals.  My fore(five)head was
>dripping with sweat after each attempt.

Charlie, it sounds as if you took out the steering column and steering
column support.  The Bentley shows the wrong diagram for this.  On my
car, the steering column slides into the support via a dove tail tongue
and grove.  I had to "knock" the steering column down with a plastic
mallet.  Zero screws to remove except the ones at the knuckle near the
fire wall.

> >There is a TSB for the V8 - number 93-01, dated Aug 1993,
> >that shows a method of drilling holes into the steel bar to
> >remove the lock cylinder ...
> >this TSB may show a way of avoiding having to pull and rotate
> >the column to access the cylinder housing.

You do need to drill one 3mm hole per the Bentley to remove the lock
cylinder.  Must be a VW/Audi thing.  Did same thing on a Corrado once.
You still need to remove the steering column.

>As in many repairs, this one was full of mystery here and there
>until something was actually removed or opened.  The security
>torx screw that clamps the cylinder post into the steering
>column block was invisible beneath felt tape.  The tape was
>pinched in between the block and that lateral structure beam,
>so it obviously had been installed all in one piece.  At that
>point, I chose to plan the final reassembly to include similar
>padded tape to prevent any rattling contact between the two
>chunks of alumiuminnuminum; so it all went back in fully assembled.

Same here, A security Torx????...T35 $3.00 at Mcguckins, Bummer to have
to cut the tape with an x-acto knife to remove the security torx stop
work to buy a tool.  It does go out and back on in one piece just fine
as Charlie reported.  Torx screw can be removed in the comfort of your
living room

> >being that this is a known failure mode, i would dare
> >recommend carrying a spare ignition switch which can prevent
> >you from getting stranded.
> >If the switch fails, remove the knee bar, reach underneath
> >and pull the harness out of the ignition switch, twist it to
> >start the engine and drive home...

>Drove around that way for weeks while I was trying to track
>down all the correct parts for the rekeying job.  It has crossed
>my mind to buy each quattro a spare for the glovebox...

I thought about adding a "Push to start" button and do away with the
switch.

>Oh yeah, I lied, I you also have to pull that big knee plate, but
>the console still doesn't have to come out.

>What WOULD we do for entertainment without our quattros???

And all that spare change!