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Re: Higher idle (And other stuff...)
ramesh@guru.b17a.ingr.com (V. Ramesh Sharma) writes:
My 1990 Coupe Quattro (16500 miles) also idles at 1000rpm, and I
thought that was normal! I would be interested to hear if it isn't the
case. On some days, when I start the car, the rpm goes down a lot and
then it jumps up to 1100-1200 and then stabilizes at 1000.
My 1991 Coupe Quattro (22K) idles a bit higher at first, and then settles
at about 1200 in cold weather, < 1000 in hot weather.
I have had this baby for about two months, [...]
Handling is quite good. I wish I could say it is great, but - damn!-
I wish I hadn't test driven that Corrado SLC :-)
I haven't tried the SLC yet, but I hear it's a faster, due to less weight
(and that extra cylinder helps too! ). How would you compare it to the Coupe?
BTW, even if the SLC was a bit "better", I wouldn't trade my quattro for
any FWD in the rain & snow :-) Now if they made an SLC quattro...
that's another story!
[...] Audi recommends oil changes at 7000 miles or
so (under the Audi Advantage program), the previous owner changed at
3000 miles, and I intend to do so, too. In fact, given the above
symptoms, I might do so even earlier. Comments?
The dealer changes it every 7.5K, and I change it myself once in-between,
so it gets changed about every 3.5K (don't forget the filter!).
I find that I need to add about an extra quart of oil in-between changes...
Audi's seem to burn more oil than others in general. I use either Quaker State
or Castrol 10W-40, and the OEM filter, which I can purchase from a VW dealer
(VW uses the same filter) for less! I don't deal with the oil plug-gasket,
since the delaer changes it every 7.5K.
Since I will be making
that first trip to the dealer since I got the car, any tips on what to
look for and what to emphasize on, would be greatly appreciated.
The only other servie I've needed was to fix a leak in the rear hatch,
and I've has the tires rotated. Otherwise, nothing but the scheduled
maintenance.
Also, I would like to mention some of the "small problems" I have
observed.
1) When the Automatic Climate Control is turned on, (especially in
this hot weather), the engine noticeably gets rougher, and some
vibrations get transmitted through the pedals. Is that reasonable?
Well, the engine does lose some power under the "auto" setting as the A/C
comes on, but I've never had any "vibration". Does it also get rough if
you use the "economy" setting? If not, then something may be wrong with
the A/C condensor.
2) The radio works great, but the cassette player is quirky.
Sometimes, even though I can see the tape moving, there is no
sound. So I need to turn it off/on a couple of times before it
starts playing (and "sounding" :-) ). Or, I use the tape scan
button and it solves the problem....
That reminds me: sometimes my tape deck will play in "fast forward" mode,
like I'm pressing both "FF" and "play" at the same time! I plan
on mentioning it at my next pit stop. Anyways, have them fix it or replace
it (it's free).
Also, the front speakers are
hardly audible when the rear speakers are on. I know that the rear
speakers are amplified, but it seems like they drown out the front
speakers. I have to use the fader sometimes just to make sure the
front speakers are working! :-)
The car has 6 speakers, 2x5.25" bass and 2x2" tweeters in the rear,
and 2x3.5" "general purpose" in the front dash. Naturally, the front speakers
are no match for the rear's combination. Since there will not be much of a
difference in replacing the 3.5" speakers, the only thing you could do is
install 2 bigger speakers (in the front doors), or replace the entire system.
While I'm not an audio fanactic, I'm happy with the system.
3) On a more serious note, of late I can hear a shaking/rattling sound
coming from under the right front (or so I imagine) of the car when I
am driving in 1st, 2nd and even 3rd gears AND I am either not applying
the gas pedal or doing so very lightly. The moment I start
accelerating fast, the sound goes off. Any clues as to what may be
wrong? I'll mention this to the service guys, but I'd like to know more
before I talk to them.
I don't know about this one. It may be the engine running rough and causing
something else to "shake" when it's under a certain RPM level. Perhaps
you need a tune up or timing adjustment?
4) The front windshield washer fluid ran out, and I refilled it, and
now the windshield washer does not spray! Sigh... Also, the
headlight washer sprays on the hood. Is that a feature or a bug?
:-)
This is a BUG! The dealer has a special tool to fix the headlight washer
sprays, tell them to do so. As far as the windshield washers not working,
perhaps when it ran out of fluid, some dirt got into the tubing, and
it's now clogged. The dealer can fix this too, but you may be able
to trace the tubing to find if this is the problem. Could also be that the
tubing got kinked somewhere (perhaps near the hood).
5) I could check, but are fog lights covered under the Audi Advantage?
One of the rear fog lights has conked out.
(You know that there's only *one* rear fog light on the driver's side, correct?)
If it's a bad bulb or electrical problem, it's free. Otherwise (like you
backed into something), it's not covered.
6) I do a lot of city driving (stop and go), and I am getting only
about 20.3 to 20.5mpg. What is the typical mpg people have
observed? I use BP Super Unleaded. Any ways of improving fuel
economy? I could of course slow down (the max I have done is 110mph
and that too on a reasonably winding road! ;-))
I get around 20 MPG as well, others I know also get the same.
Once I tried driving a long trip (mostly highway) at 55-60 MPH
(just to see how the other half lives :-) and I got about 25MPG.
Good luck with your new toy, and happy driving.
- dave t.