[s-cars] [V8] The end of the Black Mariah?

[Taka Mizutani]

Igor-
You're welcome. The article on Audiworld that talks about the coilover swap
was mentioned
in my other post.

I would do an Audiworld search on RMcQ's user ID- 2021. He seems to be the
pioneer on
this conversion, at least on Audiworld. Very interesting info listed there.

Now as for your mention about keys going bad, I think this is incorrect-
your keys are the
1st gen switchblade keys, which I think are just fine apart from the plastic
covering the
buttons wearing out.

The 2nd gen switchblade keys (the ones that aren't rectangular but have a
weird contour to them-
B7 and C6 keys) seem to be very prone to stop working. You don't understand
the frustration involved
in this until you try to delivery a brand-new $44k A4 Avant to an attorney
with inoperative keys- it
is very embarassing and frustrating- CSI scores go way down when the keys
are FUBAR.

Is the SKC related to the immobilizer system? Do you know if all allroads
use this system, even 2001s?

I'm wondering if you could swap ECUs with a '01 and hack the system to make
it think it doesn't have an
immobilizer.

You might have the same issue with other brands, unless you already know
that this is not the case-
I know that Subaru uses an immobilizer system from 2005 onwards. I don't
know if Volvo or other European
brands have the same issue as Audi. Heck, I don't even know if our Volvo has
an immobilizer.

Maybe Stefan and some other Audi owners with a legal background could
institute a lawsuit against
Audi of America to force them to concede? Obviously you would need some
interested attorneys with
enough time and resources to make Audi's life difficult, then a class could
be created and really get their
attention.

Personally I think that's not really the worst of it- every Audi dealership
I've been to has exhibited a horrible
attitude toward customer service and it is very difficult to get them to
warranty stuff properly. VW is even
worse (although we managed to get a replacement engine out of them, while
still getting ripped off to the tune
of over $600 in rental car fees).

Taka

On 9/27/06, Igor Kessel <KBATPO at comcast.net> wrote:
>
>
>
> Thank you, Taka! I appreciate you copying the S-list. I will be
> following this thread attentively. My wife's 2004 Allroad is still under
> warranty but from what I hear its air suspension is prone to expensive
> breaking.
>
> There is yet another issue that is even more important. I have just
> learned from Eric over @ Rosen that the keys "eventually go bad".
> //
> I personally can't figure out why, cuz the key fob houses a completely
> passive element comprised of a coil and prolly a capacitor. There is no
> power supply in it and as such how can it possibly go bad?.
> //
> Anyway, this means that one may get stuck with inoperable car in the
> middle of nowhere and will have to spend a lot of money to get to the
> nearest Audi dealer and have it reprogram the new key into the IMMO.
> Meanwhile Audi is _still_ in violation of the US antitrust laws by
> refusing to give out SKC to the car owners so that the owners could do
> it themselves.
>
> Any news on that front by any chance? Did anyone manage to successfully
> hack the SKC yet? If I fail to obtain the SKC before the warranty is up
> I will get rid of the Allroad and will leave the Audi brand for good,
> 'cuz its ridiculous attitude to its loyal customers is pissing me off.
>
> --
> Igor Kessel
> two turbo quattros
>