[s-cars] Lucky

[Mark Turczyn]

The Audi gods were kind to me.  A few days back I was backing into my 
garage when the Avant stalled out.  I thought it was strange but the 
driveway is steep and I figured I was ham fisted with the clutch.  It 
was hard to restart but I while it bothered me I let it pass and got 
the Avant into the garage.

Well yesterday morning- no start.  After the third attempt with the 
oil pressure light coming on and the engine check light finally 
blinking on I gave up and assume it is either the dreaded CPS failure 
or the fuel pump.  I did not what to consider a destroyed timing belt 
or sheared pulley key.

Last night I got as far as pulling the codes and getting the front 
end removed.  Both belts were still on.    Timing marks at TDC still 
at correct cam gear location and pulley location.  Seem to see a 
drilled hole in flywheel that aligns with bell housing flat but could 
be coincidence.


The codes were 561-fuel mixture, 515 CPS short, and 513 RPM sensor. 
My guess is CPS short.

So on to order parts from Fap and do my second belt job since owning 
the Avant from '97 and going on to do my first CPS.

One sign that these cars are old-- all of the air deflection rubber 
around the radiator is breaking apart in chucks.  Buy the time I get 
through with the repairs most of them will be in pieces on the 
ground.  I bet the dealer has a whole raft of these in stock-- right.

So the lucky part is that my Audi broke down in my garage.  My Audi's 
seem to been kind to me all these years by breaking near the house 
and not on some trip.  A month before it could have broke down on the 
way to my new home in NC.  I had debated with my friend Mark P about 
just doing the belt, CPS, and other breakables before the trip.  I 
took the gamble and got Lucky.
-- 
Mark Turczyn