200 20v strange multiple hyd failures. (Acceptable solution)

[David Glubrecht]

Well I think I have the only possible explanation.

Overboost was ruled out as it doesn't explain the ABS wiring or the clutch 
hose.  And the car was off.
Vandalism was ruled out as none of the lines were cut with a sharp object, 
I'll send pic's.
The car was also parked inside a fenced yard next to my bedroom window.
There was a pool of fluid under where the car was parked, no trail except 
the point where I first applied brakes, but the car was parked on grass.

Cops are worthless!  Since crime doesn't pay, they are only interested in 
something they can easily fine you for (speeding/seatbelt).
I have personally done everything right to get someone caught with stuff 
from my burglarized house, including listing them as a suspect on the police 
report and calling the police to their house when cornered with my stuff. 
And a confession that it was my stuff. No arrest, no nothing.  The cops 
wouldn't even allow me to get any of my stuff that filled the neighbors yard 
as I had no proof that it was mine, no SN# on a clawfoot tub.
 I am NOT whining, I have gotten over worse and I have had enough fortunate 
things in my life to offset the bad.

I am told that rockchuck's/marmot's will bite through hoses with a dull 
scissor action without chewing.  Add to this that my dog (a Scotty) was 
paying unusual attention to the car during the parked time, but these dogs 
are goofy anyway.  There also seems to be some light claw marks in the 
undercoating behind the Pass wheel, but this could be my dog chasing a 
mouse.

I guess I am lucky that no serious wiring damage or other (that I have found 
yet).

    Dave G





---- Original Message ----- 
From: "Brett Dikeman" <brett at cloud9.net>
To: "Kent McLean" <kentmclean at mindspring.com>
Cc: "David Glubrecht" <daveglu at hotmail.com>; <quattro at audifans.com>
Sent: Sunday, August 28, 2005 7:48 AM
Subject: Re: 200 20v strange multiple hyd failures.


>
> On Aug 28, 2005, at 9:22 AM, Kent McLean wrote:
>
>> The burst lines could be due to old age, but it is possible the
>> hydraulic pump is putting out too much pressure (I don't know
>> how or why it would)
>
> ...or how it could affect the brake system, which is only linked to  the 
> pump's output by mechanical linkage.  The booster just amplifies  force 
> put on the MC, so the booster would have to fail as well.  I've  never 
> heard of a booster failing.
>
>> . Just speculation on my part. But that doesn't explain
>> the ABS wires being cut/broken.
>
> Nope, it doesn't, particularly since the lines generally show signs  of 
> aging before they burst- they look dried out, they crack, they  bulge out, 
> they feel soft-ish.  Granted stock lines on a 200q20v are  well past when 
> they should have been replaced outright (I replaced  mine), but they 
> should still show signs.
>
>   Vandalism does explain things, however.  Cars don't just  spontaneously 
> burst multiple brake lines on different ends of the  car, ABS sensor 
> wires, etc sitting in the driveway. If the bursts had  happened while the 
> car was being driven, David probably wouldn't be  talking to us right now- 
> or would have a 200q20v-sized hole in his  garage door, at the least.
>
> Talk to the cops, and let them decide if the lines were tampered  with; 
> tell them it was too coincidental, and you're not sure, but you  can't 
> think of any other valid explanation for simultaneous failure  of multiple 
> brake lines, including that of components you just  inspected recently, 
> that if they had failed while being driven the  car wouldn't have 
> stopped...and given the potential, you wanted to  report it and given how 
> serious this would be if they were tampered  with, you'd like to have 
> someone take a look- someone who could judge  whether the lines were 
> tampered with or not.
>
> Even the simplest signs will be telling- are there pools of fluid by 
> where the wheels are, or a trail of brake fluid off the street?   It'll 
> stain the concrete/pavement, even if you've had some rain  recently; at 
> the least you'll see a different look to the driveway  when it is wet.  Is 
> there brake fluid all over the wheels, the wheel  well liner, etc?(any 
> leaking brake fluid will make a complete mess of  the undercarriage 'down 
> stream' if the car was being driven, as the  fluid will get blown all over 
> everything).
>
> That said, you'd have to be fairly determined (and thin) to get to  the 
> clutch hose from under the car...or open the hood, obviously not  possible 
> with the car alarmed (yes, there's a hood switch for the  alarm).  Still, 
> I have no explanation for how you could have these  failures in your 
> driveway; if the car was being driven when all this  happened, obviously 
> you would have, um...noticed.
>
> Brett
> -- 
> "They that give up essential liberty to obtain temporary
> safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Ben Franklin
> http://www.users.cloud9.net/~brett/
>
>