BigBump - Engine Dies - Midly Amuzing

[robert_a_dupree at bankone.com]

I thought I would share this with everyone since we're all a little over
sensative to the maladies commonly attributed to our older cars...  7hr
drive home from a weekend at the cottage, lots of food, booze and
grand-kids.  1hr away from destination.  Car has been running great (1988
5000CS Quattro), recently stiffened up the KONIs which gives the big joints
in pavement a LOT more energy, very annoying.  Merging from I94 to I90 hit
something that must have been the size of a normal speed bump going
somewhere around 50mph.

BAMM!
Coasting...

My mechanic-type mind goes instantly into over-drive to determine what the
root cause of the problem is, all while coasting to a stop.
Batt cable off?
Broken iginition / distributor wire?
Air-boot, hoses off?
...
I sit there for a minute before I actually notice the radio and lights are
all still on, but the headlights are in parking mode.  It takes probably
another minute for me to figure out the low tech answer.  Turns out the
spring mechanism in my key switch is not what it used to be.  All the
jouncing action from the bumps had evidently caused the key to turn off.
All I had to do was go back to start and VOILA!  Running quattro,
embarassed owner.  My dog was somewhat annoyed as she though we had
arrived.  Sometimes it's the stupid stuff that really gets you.

Rob Dupree
     '99 LT-1Q (For Sale)
     '84 UrQ
     '88 5kTQ



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