Re: Driveline clunk

[John Greenstreet <jgreenst@motown.ge.com>]

> From quattro-owner@swiss.ans.net Wed Jan 18 13:43:42 1995
> Date: Wed, 18 Jan 1995 13:02:41 -0500
> From: newbold@banshee.camb.inmet.com (Chris Newbold)
> 
> I've recently noticed that the driveline on my '93 90CS (no quattro :-( )
> makes a solid "clunk" when I let out the clutch to move off from rest. The
> clunk only happens when I have the front wheels turned between 1/3 and 2/3 of
> the way towards the left-hand side; the noise seems to originate from the
> front-left corner of the car. I cannot alays reproduce it, but it happens more
> often than not when I'm pulling out of a parallel parking space or making a
> left-hand turn at a light. It seems to happen right at the moment when the
> clutch first catches and takes up the drive.
> 
> The car has just under 22k miles on it, so I would not expect and problems
> with CV joints, but... Is this type of noise characteristing of any problem?
> Or is it more likely that there is just "extra slack" or something in the
> left CV joints? Any suggestions appriciated.
> 

I had that same symptom on my '82 4000S, and it turned out to be a bad
ball joint.  All one has to do to check this is to jack up the car
enough to get a front wheel off the ground and check for play in the
suspension by pushing and pulling the wheel.  If that's the problem, it
will be very obvious and the car should be towed to the dealer ASAP,
because a car is not safe to drive in this condition.

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John Greenstreet, Senior Engineer           (jgreenst@motown.ge.com)
Martin Marietta Government Electronic Systems    Moorestown NJ 08057
WPI Class of '75, Temple Class of '94

My new car history:
  1975    1978    1982       1986        1989      1992      1995
   VW ->  Audi -> Audi  -> Mercedes -> Mercedes -> Audi -> Mercedes
Scirocco Fox GTI  4000S    190E 2.3    190E 2.6    100CS     S320

POSSLQ's* new car history:
         1978       1981       1985      1988        1990     1993
       Triumph ->  Toyota ->  Toyota  ->  VW    ->   Audi  -> Audi
       Spitfire    Tercel     Corolla   Jetta GL      80      90S

*POSSLQ = Person of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters
Note: All Audis and Mercedes above were sold to friends or family.
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