Re: Bentley 80/90 book

[JGOEKE.UNIX11@mailsrv2.eldec.com (JGOEKE)]

To: AUDI

>I purchased the Bentley book covering the {80|90} {coupe|quattro} for
>1988-91.  There have been numerous criticisms from the net

I have the 4000 Q book for 84-87

>It is the official factory repair manual.  Every part of the
>car is covered, along with procedural instructions....

Weakest manual I have every had, and most expensive.  Turn to the
Transmission section for the Q and it says "This section is blank due to
information not available at time of publication".  This book didn't come
out until mid 86.  Over two years after the car had been out.  The info was
available for over two years!

>With this book, you have all the information that the shop has, sans
>updates of course....

The "sans" must be the ticket (what are they anyway).  They had no manual
from 84 to 86.

>Being the factory manual, it assumes that you are a competent mechanic,
>and gives you just the information you need to know to accomplish
>repairs, rather than handholding you through operations like some
>other books (Chilton et al) do.  It also assumes that you have a full
>complement of specialized tools and testers from Audi/VW, Snap-On and
>Bosch.

That's the problem.  It assumes to much, and even the dealers don't have
half the specialized tools and testers.  Any good mechanic can fix
something with a little general help and generic tools.  But the rest of us
need a good, well thought out manual for certain tasks.  Bentley drops the
ball here.

>My guess is that the price tag is $90 because they don't sell a lot of
>these.  There just aren't that many of these cars on the road!

That's the ticket.  Low volume high cost.  If you ask me, every new car
should come with a manual.  Some japanese cars are now doing this I hear.
---JCG.