various hissing/air flow type noises in '88 5kcstq

[The Balakrishnans]

I hear a high frequency noise in my 87 5kcstq, almost like something rubbing
against something from the gear shift area.  I can make it louder or softer
by moving the shift. This noise has been around for nearly as long as I can
remember but seems to have become a bit louder recently. In any event, it
has started to bother me.

No such noise from my 90 200 tqw.  Is the noise common in the 5000 series or
is something wrong that can/should be fixed ?
----- Original Message -----
From: "Brett Dikeman" <quattro at brettd.dsl.speakeasy.net>
To: <auditude at neta.com>; <quattro at audifans.com>
Sent: Saturday, December 02, 2000 12:40 PM
Subject: Re: various hissing/air flow type noises in '88 5kcstq


> At 9:57 AM -0700 12/2/00, auditude at neta.com wrote:
> >Someone was mentioning noises.  I was wondering if the noises I
> >hear when I am driving my 5kcstq are normal.  They seem to come
> >from the ECU area, and sound like there is air flowing, perhaps
> >relative to engine speed or manifold pressure.
>
> Sounds like a popped off or broken vacuum hose somewhere in the CC
> system, if it isn't tranny noise(see below.)
>
> The programmer is the unit that has multicolored vacuum lines going
> into it; it contains a servo for the heater core valve and electric
> vacuum valves.
>
> Try this.. stop the engine and turn on the ignition again.  Put the
> fan on low, and wait until various beeping stops from the cluster.
>
> Now, switch modes...Econ, Bilev, defroster...you should hear little
> "pssshh" bursts and clunks from the actuators moving various flaps
> open or closed.
>
> If you don't, then you've got a vacuum leak that is larger than the
> system's capacity to evacuate the reservoir; the reservoir was empty
> when you shut off the car.
>
> If you hear this psssss noise after turning off the car, then you've
> got a leak that is smaller.
>
> If you only hear the pssss in certain modes, then it's a leak to one
> of the servos.
>
>
> If it changes noticeably with varying power levels and decel/accel,
> it's probably tranny noise that's just louder because you don't have
> a boot installed.
>
>
> >I just wanted to see if this is something I should be worried about.
>
> any time your car starts making a noise it wasn't making before, then
> yep, you should be curious.
>
> >Do cars with shifter boots in place exhibit these types of noises?
>
> Well, I've heard from folks who have had the boot off and noticed
> more transmission noise.  If you look down the front, there's that
> tube and rubber boot that the rod travels down, looks like a pretty
> good "speaker" to me.
>
>
> >Otherwise, maybe
> >I'll elevate the shifter boot replacement task to isolate it.  I took the
> >boot off because the leather had shrunk and would tend to want to
> >pull the stick out of certain gears.
>
> Blau(www.audiquattroparts.com) has universal leather boot
> replacements that fit lots of cars(all those with leather boots,
> probably.)  No experience with these replacements. If you want to go
> high-budget, there's a company called Alga(sp?) that sells
> top-quality leather replacements.  Good call on removing the boot
> though; even the manual tells you not to pressure the stick in any
> direction, as it would wear the tranny.
>
> Interesting that Audi's choices in leather has changed drastically.
> The 5000 had paper-thin leather that immediately wore; the boot
> collar also has weird little "guides" that resulted in cracked lines
> around their curved edges; the 200q20v has very thick, rubber backed
> leather that's far stiffer...but overall texture is worse.  The sides
> look+feel different from the front/back pieces of leather.  I've
> noticed the same thing with my bolsters; the inside bolsters are very
> rough, like they're completely different leather than the rest of the
> seat.  The outside bolsters look just like the rest of the seat.  How
> odd.
>
>
> Brett
> --
> ----
> Brett Dikeman Systems Engineer
> ProAct Technologies Corporation 914-872-8043
> (formerly CFN[formerly iClick, Inc]) 914-872-8100(fax)
> 120 Bloomingdale Rd. http://www.proacttechnologies.com
> White Plains, NY 10605
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