[V8] Why I hate Audis

[Dave Saad]

I just finished tearing off the timing belt covers - AGAIN - (this  
must be the 15th time now)  to try to find out why coolant was  
leaking out from under the oil pump pulley cover.  This is the small  
leak that caused my belt tensioner to seize up a while back.  It was  
so hard to trace, I tried using that fluorescent dye to track it.   
After very carefully inspecting the area around the only logical leak  
spot, the thermostat housing/lower rad hose and upper rad hoses, I  
had to conclude the head gasket was leaking somehow.  Well - no.  It  
is fine.  It was the O ring for the thermostat gasket that was  
intermittently leaking, and when it did leak, it dripped immediately  
down behind the right timing cover, not to be spotted by my black  
light until it came out over by the alternator.  Good news is that  
the fix is just an o-ring.  Bad news is that I am sick of fixing this  
thing.  My wife is getting tired of the "this is the last thing I  
have to do for a long time" refrain.

As for the o-ring?  It is not that old. I can't remember when I  
replaced it - maybe 5 years ago, but it is hard and brittle now.   
What is it with German seals anyway?

The 1998 Explorer with 140K on the odo (about the same as the V8)  
just got back from a 1300 mile (very fun :-) trip down to the Utah  
canyon lands and Moab, loaded with as much stuff as I could cram in  
it plus 4 bikes on the roof.  Mileage sucked - but that was mostly  
because I was going 70 to 80 MPH all the time and the wind resistance  
was huge because of the bikes.  Otherwise it performed flawlessly as  
usual, and this even included four-wheeling through some serious  
desert clay mud. It has never had a breakdown more serious than a  
stuck thermostat.  And when that failed, I still was able to drive it  
200 miles home - again fully loaded with bikes and kids and a trailer.

Makes me wonder why I put up with this thing.....


Dave