Loose Cruise Linkage #2

[james accordino]

> Brett Dikeman said:
> 
> Problem:  The bar that connects the vacuum plunger
> of the Cruise
> Control to the trottle body came off of the ball
> joint and jammed itself

--- Al Powell <powellae at home.com> wrote:

> Interesting.  The linkage also fell off the cruise
> in my 200 during a trip
> and caused the throttle to hang open slightly - not
> as drastic as Brett's
> experience.  Perhaps this is something to cast the
> odd look at now and
> then??  

This seems very odd to me.  I'm NOT saying it didn't
happen to you.  What I mean is I think Audi did a real
good job to ensure the ball end won't fall off.  There
is a locking spring wire in each ball end that acts as
a safety wire.  This safety wire is wound so that the
tab that retains it is "loaded" into the ball end.  It
is literally impossible for this thing to fall off.  I
wonder if in your cases they were either buggered
(ripped off without removing the safety wires-common)
or missing completely.  The ball ends will still stay
on and function without them, but obviously then they
are liable to fall off.  Same with a buggered one.  I
once tried to remove a ball end with a known good
safety wire, and it is ALMOST impossible to GET it
off, let alone have it fall off.

My $.02
Jim Accordino

p.s.-Many of Audis' "problems" are caused by "repairs"

     made by others ignorant of their special 
     requirements.