[s-cars] Re: S-car head repair

[David Molk]

Hello Neil:

Oh yes, they ran it. When I came in the second day and they still did
not have the car ready, I got annoyed and asked what was happening.
They service consultant said when they ran the car, it made some "funny
noises" but they were sure it was just a matter of resetting the timing
and it would be ready next day at noon. I was suspicious that the S6
had an interference fit, and asked them, but the consultant said no, it
did not. That was when I first contacted the S listers, and Chad Tobin
assured me it was indeed an interference fit.

So the long and short of it is that they did run the engine with the
valve timing off and some quite distinctive noises from the valve
train. I gave them permission to remove the head and saw two obviously
destroyed valves in one cylinder, and a score mark on the eyebrows cut
into the corresponding piston.

The listers have been most helpful and I am truly grateful. Certainly
is a fount of information. Hoffman does not feel any compunction to do
it right, and to my huge surprise, Audi doesn't care at all.

In contradistinction, I owned a Mercedes 4matic bought new in 93. When
it had about 40k miles, the transfer case developed a problem. Dealer
replaced it free on warrantee. At about 120k, it developed another
transfer case problem. Dealer quoted $10,000 and obviously it was off
warrantee. I called the Mercedes rep, who immediately warranteed the
case and the dealer replaced it for free. What a huge difference from
Audi of America, who refused to put me in touch with the zone rep, and
refused to send me a factory recommendation on what should be done with
a motor run without a timing belt, or with the valve timing off
significantly. There response was"your lawyer will know how to get that
information." Guess MB cares more about repeat sales than Audi.

thanks for your help.
Rich Molk