[BiturboS4] Blown Turbos (Non-Chipped S4) - Update

[j y]

Carter & the list,

My early model (11/99 build) 2000 Imola S4 has had the
following problems:

* torn TBB (replaced by Audi @ 7k mi)
* leaking valve cover gasket (replaced by Audi @ 48k
mi)
* warped rotors (replaced by Audi @ 32k mi)
* blown turbo (??? will know OFFICIALLY on 4/16/03)

I am the original owner and the car has NEVER been
CHIPPED. The only aftermkt mods are a pair of
Stratmosphere DVs (7k mi ago) and a SAMCO TBB (last
week).

The car has been sitting in my driveway and will
continue to sit in my driveway until it's driven to
the dealer on 4/16/03.

Please note that the aforementioned problems are WELL
KNOWN and DOCUMENTED (check AudiWorld guys) for early
S4s (model yr Y2k, early 2001). So, I would NOT be so
glib in my ownership of an S4.

I DID purchase an aftermkt warranty - I guess I will
find out how good it is - if there is a remaining
balance after I settle with Audi.

My reason for NOT BACKING DOWN as some of you have
inferred that I should do (essentially because a
"warranty deadline" is the end game in their
interpretation), is because the problem with TURBOS on
Y2k and early 2001 S4s is WELL DOCUMENTED.

Audi has ALREADY settled claims. Settlements have been
ALL ACROSS THE BOARD - which means some folks were
tougher negotiators with Audi USA than others.

The FACT that Audi Dealer was willing to settle for
50/50 w/o having my car in for diagnosis - means that
Audi is WELL AWARE of the S4 Turbo problem - or else
they would have told me to POUND SAND - GAME OVER
!!!!!

They DID NOT  - for you Legal Eagles on the Board !!!!


They (the dealer) were willing to address and
negotiate a KNOWN customer issue with early model S4s.

Otherwise, I would NOT have a leg to stand on - if
they had not already addressed claims for this very
problem.

So for those who infer that a warranty expiration is
final - case closed (Ian, Uncle Wally/Walter), I beg
to differ - if u and the manufacturer are dealing with
KNOWN and documented (thru prior claims settlements -
some after the "official warranty expiration period")
defects in a product line.

If I had a CHIPPED Car - I could see Audi taking a
HARD LINE - because by running the turbos at a PSI
outside of Audi recommended tolerances - I would be
inducing turbo failure - I DID NOT.

Those with chipped cars - I wish you luck- if you
don't have your stock ECU to "swap back" when your
turbos fail due to excessive boost levels.

Then again, like Ian told me - You might get "lucky"
(like I did with my Porsche) and not have turbo or
head gasket failure during the life of your S4
ownership.

jy



--- California Fields <cfields72 at hotmail.com> wrote:
> [ Converted text/html to text/plain ]
>
> Ian, the guy's car was having signs of failure
> BEFORE 50k miles...so Audi
> should warranty it if they're any good at
> business/customer service. Anything
> less and they're, in effect, "weasling out of it."
> To have a strict deadline
> on something that is gradual doesn't make sense to
> me.
> ------------------------------
> Carter Fields, San Francisco
> 2001.5, GIAC-X, Miltek 3" cat-back, Strat. shifter,
> Strat. DVs, A-pillar boost
> gauge
> ------------------------------
> >From: Ian McCloghrie
> >Reply-To: ian at codrus.com
> >To: j y
> >CC: Bruce Mendel ,biturbos4
> >Subject: Re: [BiturboS4] Blown Turbos (Non-Chipped
> S4) - Update
> >Date: Thu, 10 Apr 2003 16:34:06 -0700
> >
> >On Apr 10, 2003 j y wrote:
> > > So, that being said - in my opinion - it's is
> > > unreasonable for a manufacturer to try and
> weasle out
> > > of a claim when the machine is just 2k mi over
> the
> > > warranty expiration - that is just TOO close -
> like
> >
> >What "weaseling"? They promised you warranty
> coverage until 3 years/50K
> >miles, whichever came first (or 4 years if you have
> an '01). If there
> >are 50,001 miles on the car, well, that's more than
> 50K, they are under
> >no obligation whatsoever to cover repairs to your
> car. This isn't a case
> >of denying a warranty based upon some unrelated
> trivial modification,
> >it's open and shut. Anything Audi covers for you
> comes out of the
> >"good customer relations" budget.
> >
> >As for the lemon law -- there are very specific
> guidlines for which the
> >lemon law can be invoked. These guidelines vary
> from state to state,
> >but as far as I know, a single expensive failure
> outside of the warranty
> >period generally isn't one of them.
> >
> >--Ian
> >_______________________________________________
> >BiturboS4 mailing list
> >BiturboS4 at audifans.com
> >http://www.audifans.com/mailman/listinfo/biturbos4
>
>
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