[BiturboS4] Greetings and looking for TSB's

[Ian McCloghrie]

On Jan 23, 2003 "John M. Harrison" wrote:
> I have not received the Engine Cooling Fan Shield recall letter.
> Perhaps this doesn't apply to later build date cars.  The other items
> are not "recalls" in my view precisely because they are "silent."
> Common maintenance items, perhaps.

They are not recalls at all, they are TSBs.

A recall is a situation in which the manufacturer decides (or is
forced by the government) to fix a problem in EVERY car.  They send
out letters to registered owners, and flag it in the computer system
so that whenever a car comes in for service that recall will be done.
This is usually done for safety or emissions-type problems -- the
kinds of things that the government cares about.  It's rarely done for
mechanical failures.  A recall is fixed at the manufacturer's expense,
regardless of how many miles are on the car.

The fan shroud issue is a recall because it is a safety issue --
Audi is worried about their mechanics getting hands/fingers/etc caught
in the fan, so they designed a new part to better protect that area.

A TSB is not a recall, it is simply a notification to the dealership
mechanics of a problem that seems to be common, and a recommended
solution.  It doesn't admit fault or imply any coverage other than
that given by the standard warranty.

> My question is - exactly what action do you propose to take based on
> these common maintenance items.  Do you recommend complaining about all
> of them to your dealer even if there are no symptoms?  Do you propose
> replacing all maintenance-prone parts with aftermarket and risk voiding
> factory warranty provisions?

Keep an eye on them.  If they manifest on your car within the warranty
period, mention them on your next service visit and they'll almost
certainly be fixed without question or charge.  If they occur after the
warranty period, then you have to decide if you're going to pay for
factory parts or aftermarket ones.

Just got my S4 back from the dealer today -- they replaced valve cover
gaskets (leaking), replaced driver's seat heaters (broken) and installed a
new clutch.  Apparantly my battery case cracked (!) and the drain tube got
dislodged and it dripped battery acid (!) onto the bellhousing, through
a drain hole, and onto the clutch friction surface, thus messing it up.

--Ian