Checklist for Reliability of Older Audis

[Marc Boucher]

Hi Gordon,

Thanks for sharing your Audi story.  I guess I've been lucky in that I 
haven't had nearly as much work as you.  I've had the brakes of course, 
radiator, blower fan,  tranny leak, struts, and of course the fuel pump.

Thats one thing I wanted to mention.  The fuel pump is one of those items 
that WILL give you warning before it fails.  And it sounds like yours might 
be giving you warning.  There's multiple sites discussed on this list where 
you can get a new pump for a reasonable price.  Noting also that you live in 
Minesota, and they tend to fail when the weather is the coldest, just my 
2cents that this would be a great item to pro-actively change, or at least 
perform the Bentley tests to confirm its state.

Best,

MC

--------------------------------------------------
From: "gbs2" <gschesel at q.com>
Sent: Monday, August 15, 2011 9:40 PM
To: "'Marc Boucher'" <mboucher70 at hotmail.com>; <quattro at audifans.com>
Subject: RE: Checklist for Reliability of Older Audis

> I have a '91 100 quattro (5 spd manual) that I acquired in '97 from the
> local Audi dealer when it had 119k miles.  It has served me well, and now
> has 251k miles.  It has not been without relatively high maintenance 
> costs,
> however. It all adds up eventually, even when the work is done by 
> non-dealer
> repair shops. Brakes, timing belt, a/c conversion following the original
> compressor failure, hydraulic high pressure hose for ps & pb.
>
> It has an infrequent fuel pump failure, but only when left in the driveway
> overnight on very cold nights.  It always starts after the weather warms 
> up
> in the late morning. So, it still has the same fuel pump. It also has
> starting problems after multiple days of high humidity.
>
> I record all expenses in a computer worksheet, but try not to dwell on the
> costs of all the maintenance items.  I love Audi cars and love driving 
> this
> car so I don't get upset about the cost of ownership.  Plus, for me, 
> Toyota
> cars are not enjoyable to own and drive.
>
> Gordon
> St Paul, MN
> '91 100 quattro
> '91 200 Turbo quattro
> '95 allroad
> '96 Ford van
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: quattro-bounces at audifans.com
>> [mailto:quattro-bounces at audifans.com] On Behalf Of Marc Boucher
>> Sent: Monday, August 15, 2011 8:09 PM
>> To: quattro at audifans.com
>> Subject: Checklist for Reliability of Older Audis
>>
>> As we'd discussed, my Audi 100 just died with no warning last
>> Friday.  I feared the worst in terms of repair bill but today
>> I got a call that the part (ignition booster) is $61 and very
>> little labor.  Let's assume that they got the diagnosis
>> correct and this chapter will shortly be closed.
>>
>>
>>
>> I'd like to open a different subject: what could have been
>> done to prevent this?
>>
>>
>>
>> The car is well maintained, both by me and by a garage
>> specialized in Audis.
>>
>>
>>
>> I'll pull the codes from time to time, but they've never
>> really revealed anything of consequence.  Plugs, wires,
>> distributor cap and rotor were done less than 10,000 miles
>> ago.  Same for fuel pump, which is a well-known weakness in
>> these cars.
>>
>>
>>
>> I realize that the car is old, but I'm hoping to put together
>> a basic checklist of items to verify to help ensure reliability.
>>
>>
>>
>> This one threw me for a loop.  Even a failing fuel pump will
>> usually give some signs.  A broken belt or hose will at least
>> give you a chance to get the car somewhere.   But in this
>> case, the car shut down just as I was exiting the freeway,
>> with not even enough chance to get it onto the right shoulder.
>>
>>
>>
>> Was this just a freak occurrence or does this part belong to
>> a list of parts that are known to fail, or should be checked
>> routinely to avoid being stranded on the street?  Would some
>> kind of advanced diagnostic have spotted this, even without
>> any symptoms?  If not, at least what could be done to
>> minimize the risks of being caught in a similar situation in future?
>>
>>
>>
>> Thanks for any suggestions.
>>
>>
>>
>> MC
>>
>>
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>
>