Are 4kq speedo heads repairable?

[urquattro]

> I searched the archives and saw that some later electronic speedo are
> repairable to some degree.  I have a intermitent working speedo  ( mostly
> not working now ) on my 1986 4kq.  Any help available for those?
>
... is it really the speedo that is bad or is it the odo?  IME the odometer
on these is the more likely failure, and this is usually due to some issue
with the drive mechanism for the odo ... many times a cracked gear, but
usually a problem with the drive gears slipping on the shaft ...

Assuming that you really did mean the speedo is not working, my first
suspect would be the crazy bayonet connector that attaches the speedo cable
at the back of the instrument cluster.  This connector is broken on my '85
4kSQ ... with the cable being held in place primarily from the friction
where the cable goes through the firewall.  I'm sure that  VDO sold Audi on
how much easier assembly would be with the 1/4 turn fastener on the new
clusters ... but I like the positive connection you get with a real metal to
metal threaded connection (like the US urq and even my '78 Fox have).  If
the bayonet is intact then I guess the next culprits would be a problem in
the cable itself or at the drive gear in the transaxle ...

HTH!
Steve Buchholz
San Jose, CA (USA)