hot start--wont start

[Wally Choate]

I had these exact symtoms 3 years ago on my 1989 200TQ and a fellow lister strongly suggested that it was the fuel accumulator (located just ahead of the right rear wheel on the bottom of the car under its own sheet metal guard).  The $75 part from Aplusparts took less than 1 hour to install and the problem is gone.
   
   
   
  Date: Tue, 01 Aug 2006 12:22:25 -0400
From: "James Miller" <threadlessclimber at hotmail.com>
Subject: hot start--wont start
To: quattro at audifans.com
Message-ID: <BAY104-F85365100368DAE930FC65B65D0 at phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

Hello,

I'm having issues with the car starting once it is warm.
this is what is happening
1.the car starts fine after sitting since the day before
2. I drive 5 miles and stop and eat lunch
3. when I return after 45 min. the car didn't start on the first try 
but 
fired up on the second try (it was about 80 degrees and the car was in 
the 
sun)
4. I then stop next door to get gas and it wont start--the starter 
cranks 
and the engine almost catches but then dies.
5. with the car rolling-I pop the clutch and it hesitantly started
6. I then drove 15 miles and parked it in the shade. I tried to start 
it 
initially after parking it and it wouldn't go.
7. The car sat for more then an hour in the shade and started right up 
on 
the first try.
8. The car started with no problems this morning.
9. Then I stopped and parked in the sun at the bank after the car had 
been 
running for a 1/2 hour or so and it wont start. It's in a busy parking 
lot 
with little room so it is still sitting there. I plan to go back in a 
few 
hours when the engine has had time to cool down completely

A few years back the idle stabilizer valve was replaced--when that went 
it 
would catch but wouldn't stay at idle--this time the idle doesn't 
catch. A 
year and a 1/2 ago the starter brushes where dirty and it had trouble 
starting but after a little cleaning I've had no problems.

The car recently had a brass distributor gear installed. Could 
something 
have happened then? Am I silly to think that it might have something to 
do 
with sitting in the direct sun light?

I'm not in a position to do much until I get it home and so I put this 
out 
to the Audi minds--to get it off my mind as I wait in bewilder 
anticipation.

Thanks for time,
James Miller
91 200 tqa