A4 Timing Belt Change (Was: Big freaking vent against Audi)

[Bhatti, Mohammed]

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DUMMY ALERT

Javad politely corrected me on this....

see his comments below

	-----Original Message-----
	From: JShadzi at aol.com [mailto:JShadzi at aol.com]
	Sent: Tue 9/16/2003 12:54 PM
	To: Bhatti, Mohammed
	Cc:
	Subject: Re: A4 Timing Belt Change (Was: Big freaking vent against Audi)



	Mo, the one you refer to below is for a diesel, if you look at the engine =
compartment in the pictures it looks nothing like your engine compartment, =
you shouldn't have to touch the timing on your Motronic equipped A4

	HTH,
	Javad

	>Thanks Javad,
	>
	>I did a little googling and came up with these links on t-belt procedures=
:
	>
	>http://www.audiworld.com/tech/eng31.shtml
	>http://www.audiworld.com/tech/eng35.shtml
	>
	>The following are the same but the second downloads faster.
	>http://www.tdiclub.com/articles/pdf/a4timingbelt.pdf
	>http://www.cst.cmich.edu/users/willi1gl/VW/DBW%20TBelt%20page/DBW%20Illus=
trated%20A4%20Timing%20Belt%20Change%20Procedure.htm
	>
	>I'm quoting from the second set of links:
	>
	>"Once the cam & crank timing have been set and the Injection pump is posi=
tioned you will need to adjust the injection timing utilizing the Vag-Com h=
ttp://www.ross-tech.com/ If you do not have this then get it before attempt=
ing to perform this procedure."
	>
	>Is the Vag-Com really neccassary or is the "mark and pray" method suffici=
ent?  The first two articles didn't mention the Vag-Com tool so I'm wonderi=
ng can I get by without this.
	>
	>Thanks again all.
	>
	>mohammed
	>97 A4 1.8tq
	>
	>
	>    -----Original Message-----
	>    From: JShadzi at aol.com [mailto:JShadzi at aol.com]
	>    Sent: Tue 9/16/2003 11:12 AM
	>    To: Bhatti, Mohammed; quattro at audifans.com
	>    Cc:
	>    Subject: Re:Big freaking vent against Audi
	>
	>
	>
	>    Do the timing belt in your A4, ASAP, its much cheaper than the altern=
ative, these have been known to go with under $50k miles.
	>
	>    Javad
	>
	>    >This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
	>    >--
	>    >Wow, I don't like the sounds of this especially since I bought a 97 =
A4 1.8tq with 72k miles just a week or so ago.  Already I've determined tha=
t I need to replace the ignition switch and the oil warning light comes on =
when I start the car even though I have plenty of oil in the car.  I can't =
figure out why put in a rubber t-belt and not a timing chain if these thing=
s are so prone to failure.  Replacing a t-belt in itself is not trivial, ri=
ght?  And you know that a local wrench or dealer is going to rip you off.
	>    >
	>    >Already having second thoughts about my purchase.  I was hoping that=
 what I have is somewhat reliable and backed by a good dealer network but w=
hat I've read over the years on this forum is contrary to what I expected.
	>    >
	>    >Also was checking www.rb.com  (?) (Bentley Publishing) and they have=
 a Audi forum.  Lot of issues with t-belt, control arms, ignition switches =
etc.  Would'nt mind hearing some feel good stories about the A4 to restore =
my confidence in this beast.
	>    >
	>    >mohammed
	>    >97 A4 1.8tq
	>    >
	>    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
	>    >Andrew,
	>    >Sorry to hear about the car - that sucks.
	>    >If you check on Audiworld and the alt.autos.audi newsgroup you'll fi=
nd all
	>    >sorts of folks whose t-belts snapped resulting in major engine damag=
e=2E
	>    >Someone noted that Audi was not permitted to sell their cars in Cali=
fornia
	>    >(?) with a short t-belt change interval - thus, they re-engineered t=
he
	>    >owner's manual instead. 100k+ miles is WAY too much to expect from s=
uch a
	>    >vital part of the engine - and that has been oft-repeated here and i=
n the
	>    >other forums.  The timing belt is not like a wheel bearing - it give=
s little
	>    >warning (if at all - visually, almost none) before failure, fails
	>    >catastrophically and almost always results in major engine damage.  =
AoA
	>    >appears to be handling this like they did the BOSE rear speaker bonf=
ires
	>    >(replace, with hassle, one by one until a recall is called after the
	>    >grumbling on the web becomes a roar) - they should have a recall - i=
f only
	>    >to change the handbooks to admit that the page with service interval=
s was "a
	>    >typo" (=3D "OOPS!!!, Sorry! Fired the proofreaders.....") and deal w=
ith the
	>    >fallout in Cali.  It shouldn't be the rule that only those closely f=
ollowing
	>    >the traffic on the enthusiast web sites are saved from a major repai=
r bill.
	>    >Maybe you should do a search on the usenet and Audiworld, contact ow=
ners who
	>    >have had difficulty, get their names together for a class-action sui=
t - if
	>    >not only to pressure AoA to cover your expenses (you did get receipt=
s for
	>    >the towing and cab, right?) as well as the repair.
	>    >In the meantime - to all Audi owners who think their timing belt can=
 go 60k
	>    >miles or more before replacement - CHANGE YOUR TIMING BELT EARLY AND
	>    >OFTEN!!! (pass it on...please)
	>    >Cheers!
	>    >Steve Sears
	>    >1987 Audi 5kTQ - 10k km on t-belt
	>    >1980 Audi 5k - due for t-belt replacement (from age)
	>    >1962 and '64 Auto Union DKW Junior deLuxes - t-belt?.....camshaft???
	>    >(SPAM Blocker NOTE: Remove SHOES to reply)
	>    >BTW - as an aside, I learned to drive in an '81 Honka C!v!c wagon - =
yeah, it
	>    >was a cheap, plastic laden tin can of a car, but when it was 13 year=
s old,
	>    >Honka replaced the rear springs and the gas tank under a recall - he=
ll, the
	>    >car was sold for $40 at a yard sale a couple of years later, new
	>    >springs/tank and all.  My wife bought a CRV last year - it's already=
 had a
	>    >couple of things done under recall - the latest being today when the=
y
	>    >replaced the shift cable because it "may become hard to shift in are=
as where
	>    >deicing salt is used" - oh, if only Audi cared as much about our e-b=
rake
	>    >levers.....
	>    ><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
	>    >--
	>    >[ winmail.dat of type application/ms-tnef deleted ]
	>    >
	>
	>
	>
	>



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