What is the purpose of this list?

[Rick Cone]

Although I haven't been on here long, I agree with DeWitt.  This is not a technical list like the turboford list I used to be on (hey, it's a long road, we all got here on a different path).  It's an enthusiast list.  They can generally tell you where to go (I didn't mean that like it sounded) but aren't going give you a step by step.  And truly, who starts a project car without a manual for the wiring and vacuum diagrams?  You wouldn't start without your ratchet set, would you?


----- Original Message ----
From: DeWitt Harrison <six-rs at comcast.net>
To: tigran at tigran.com
Cc: Quattro List <quattro at audifans.com>
Sent: Sunday, February 10, 2008 7:50:43 PM
Subject: Re: What is the purpose of this list?

On Sun, 10 Feb 2008 01:29:45 -0500
        Huw Powell <audi at humanspeakers.com> wrote:

> Tyson Varosyan wrote:
>
> > Hi guys,
> >
> > I am a bit frustrated and want to vent. As I am sure many here, I
> > work 80-90 hours per week, but I also belong to this and some other
> > online car lists. I take time to help people when I can and if it
> > takes 20-30 minutes to type something up that will be helpful, I very
> > often do it - if not for the questioner's sake, then to have it in
> > the archive. I really need some help here guys. Can someone PLEASE
> > scan a few pages from a manual or take a camera to the garage, or
> > something! I want my diff lock to work! [ ... ]
>
> Wow, did it ever occur to you that none of us have the info you want -
> in the format you want it?
>
> As I recall, we *tried* to help!
>
> -- 
> Huw Powell
>

Congratulations on taking on a true and interesting automotive
challenge with the acquisition of your 4k. The car was an
important milestone in the evolution of the marque.

However, I am sorry to be somewhat less than completely sympathetic
with your lack of sufficient Audi maintenance time. We all have our
reasons for not being "on duty" in order to make your life better.

And, goodness gracious, your tone is so similar to that of my kids
when they have had homework assignments they needed help with.
Said kids typically had -- so they said at the time --  zero interest
in anything like how to locate and access resources and to learn
how to dig for information. (To Hell with "teach a man to fish" and
so on.) They just wanted the answer to the problem and they
wanted it immediately. Otherwise they would become very angry.

Sometimes a question to the qlist does result in instant gratification but
answering technical questions is not necessarily, for a variety of reasons,
the list's true and only mission. Audifans is not really an on-demand
database in my opinion although, theoretically, you can search the
archives on your subject. (Personally, over the last 10 years or so,
I've never found the "archives," in whatever form, particular useful
compared to using my own resources and the factory books. Over
the years of being subscribed to this list, I have cataloged a large
volume of information into my own text file data-base which has been
very useful.) These days, at least, the qlist is more of a conversation
about owning Audis of "a certain age" and shared observations
and wisdom relative to the cars.

But I digress. As some have already pointed out, the qlist, as other such
lists, surely must be, is a "hit or miss" deal in terms of getting a
detailed
solution to a particular problem. This depends on many things including
which experienced subscribers may bother to read a particular post and
whether they, themselves, have time or sufficient interest to devote to the
problem for another lister's sake. Many here have given advice many,
many times on a particular issue and, frankly, are likely bored with or no
longer interested in the subject matter. (I suppose that is an argument
for a better archive or the like.) Many other experienced owners have
long since moved well beyond the 80's cars and are no longer paying
attention here. The "dust bin of history," etc.

So anyway, if you are actually serious about maintaining an Audi that
old, then you darn well better obtain full factory documentation and not
consider the qlist as a low cost substitute. And I hope it won't bother
you too much that Audi itself is no longer a reliable parts source for
your 4k which, I presume, cost you nothing. If you would
like to hear some thoughts on how to obtain such info, I think this list
could help you. There must be some Bentleys for the 4k floating around
somewhere nearby. Best luck; imho the older cars are the "better"
ones because they opened up the North American market for
Audi and the whole "quattro" thing was so brilliant at the time.

If you dislike automotive mysteries of this kind, perhaps you should
consider buying an older American brand car. Cheaper, cheaper,
cheaper in every way.

DeWitt Harrison
'88 5kcs


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