[urq] This week's issues: Cold start, Spedo, Radio

[Brandon Rogers]

Andrew-
Having just cleaned up my inst. cluster, I think I know which plug you're
talking about.  Mine was unused, too.  The clock gets power from the thin
blue filament sheet - whatever it's called.

Can't think of why it would have stopped except for coincidental failure...?
These clocks seem to work forever tho...

Brandon

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Andrew B" <andrew.sb at gmail.com>
To: <urq at audifans.com>
Sent: Tuesday, December 28, 2004 4:10 PM
Subject: Re: [urq] This week's issues: Cold start, Spedo, Radio


> Update:
> Silly as it is, the radio had a wire that went directly to the
> battery.  Firestone had unplugged it.  My bad.
>
> However, my clock is still not working. The radio seems fine, but the
> clock doesn't do anything.  On the back of the dash, there is a plug
> behind the clock with nothing running to it.  Should there be
> something there?  It sure seems like it, but the clock has always
> worked fine, and nothing has changed back there except for the spedo.
>
>
> Stumped-
> Andrew
>
>
> On Tue, 21 Dec 2004 16:34:03 -0500, W. Bremer <wbremer at maine.rr.com>
wrote:
> > Hi, Andrew:
> >
> > Sorry to hear of your run-in with Firestone.  Aside from the Better
Business
> > Bureau and so forth, you could also file a complaint with the Consumer
> > Protection Division of the State of New York (I've not used it, but in
most
> > "regulatory" states (like NY) you should find something either
freestanding
> > or on the State of NY's website, often under the link to the NY Attorney
> > General's page..
> >
> > Although you were inconvenienced a lot, it doesn't sound like you
succumbed
> > to their demand for money, so the Consumer Division might not do a lot
for
> > you, but a complaint would put that shop on their radar.  If they got a
lot
> > of complaints on that shop, they might even seriously investigate.  Your
> > email pretty much sums it up for the Consumer Protection Division and
send a
> > copy of the complaint to the BBB, too.   If they were an AAA shop, let
the
> > AAA know as well.
> >
> > With regard to the speedo, it's possible that the cable has a broken
> > strand--then it can wind up and when it unwinds, you think you're going
way
> > too fast.  It's also possible that the cable itself "wound up" from the
lack
> > of lubrication due to the cold weather and then unwound and gave you
that
> > false reading.  While it's uncommon for that to happen several times
(the
> > speedo cable will usually break) ya never know.  Check out the least
costly
> > problem (the speedo wire or wires if you have the little box at the
upper
> > end of the speedo cable under the hood) before you dig into the sppedo
(IMO,
> > that's a professional shop job, unless you are really careful, patient,
and
> > good with small tools).
> >
> > Those old fuses go with an antiquated fusebox, unfortunately.  The
internal
> > workings can get corroded or even "fried" and there goes the circuitry.
> > It's not all that likely (since everything else works), but it's
possible.
> > Before you tackle the big stuff, take some sandpaper and clean the
"prongs"
> > that hold the affected fuse.  It's possible that you pulled the wrong
fuse.
> > (I know, I know, you didn't do that, but it's been done by others.)  If
> > those old fuses are blown, it's obvious.  It sounds like a fuse problem,
so
> > clean off the support prongs, pinch them together slightly so that they
hold
> > a good fuse carefully, and clean off the contact sides of the prongs and
of
> > the fuse itself.  A little corrosion on these contacts, and the voltage
> > won't flow (and the fuse will look/be OK).  At some point, you'll want
to
> > clean all of the fuse contact points and the "prong" areas and also coat
> > them with "bulb grease or somesuch to help ensure a good contact.  Those
> > fuses live in a damp place anyway, and the electrical things, including
the
> > fusebox, get corroded easily.  That fusebox is problematic: it was
designed
> > for a VW and, for the urq, must carry about 30% more power than it was
> > designed for, so there's lots of heat and corrosion.
> >
> > As much as we all love these cars, you have to remember that they are
20+
> > years old, and many 20-year-old cars will have all sorts of probems when
it
> > gets cold--see Louis-Alain's post!--even when the owners know better.  I
> > have to admit to storing my urq during the Maine winters.
> >
> > Not that it wll make you feel a lot better, but you WERE VERY LUCKY that
the
> > car ultimately started and got you home....
> >
> > And...welcome to the wonderful world of urquattro ownership....
> > Bill
> >
> > PS: if you car is reasonably stock and you're on 205/60x15 tiresw, the
> > speedo will be turning 3,000 rpm at 69.0 - 70.5 mph in 5th gear (the OEM
5th
> > gear speed per 1,000 rpm is 23.3 mph or 23.5 mph (the two sources differ
> > slightly).
> > Usually the speedo reads about 6% high around 70 mph.  If your car is
stock
> > (i.e., the original diffs, not the 4000Q higher diff gearing), and your
> > tires are the OEM size, 3,000 rpm will be 70 mph +/-   It will probably
read
> > 75 mph, and each 100 rpm will add about 2.3-2.5 mph; so 3100 rpm will be
an
> > actual speed of around 72.5, and will probably read around 78 mph.   But
> > that's what was reported for an 83 US-spec urq when new, and darn few
urqs
> > have the OEM drive train and tire size.
> >
> >
> _______________________________________________
> Audifans urq mailing list
> Send posts to: mailto:urq at audifans.com
> Manage your list connection: http://www.audifans.com/mailman/listinfo/urq
> Have an urq question?  Check the Audifans Knowledgebase!
> http://www.audi-quattro.org/cgi-bin/twiki/view/Audi/UrQuattro
> Have an urq answer? ... Please help others by adding to the KB ... all
contributions welcome!