Oil Lite / Car Text/ Consumer Deports

["Al Powell" <APOWELL@agcom.tamu.edu>]

> Subject: Oil Warning Light Comes On
> 
> I appreciate any advise someone can give on this topic.  As reported by my
> wife about an hour ago, my 89 200TQ oil warning light came on this morning,
> of course, she tells me now after another day of driving around town.  The
> light in question is the little oil can which illuminates along with the
> other icons.  It happened just once today, for the first time since I have
> owned the car, about one year.

I suspect you're having a problem of "Sensor Dementia" if your oil 
pressure gauge shows pressure is OK.  My 1990 200T is having the same 
problem - every few days the oil warning lite/can shows up, but the 
pressure gauge never shows a problem.  Since I'm dealing with other 
issues right now, I've told my wife to disregard UNLESS the pressure 
gauge drops - in which case, park it and find a phone.  (Don't think 
this is about to happen - these engines are nearly bulletproof.)  I 
anticipate that you and I will soon replace the sensor which serves 
the little oil can light.  Haven't dug into the Bentley to find which 
one.  Often the Bentley is not helpful at ALL about where the actual 
sensors are located, and finding one requires a visit to s shop or 
other place where someone with more knowledge can point it out.  In 
this case, there should be two sensors (figures...)

IMHO, one of Audi's Achilles Heels is all these silly sensors - they 
get old after a few years and start giving false or erratic readings, 
and there's not much choice except to replace them.  don't buy one 
from a dealer - use an aftermarket source and you'll pay a LOT less.

> From: Kevin Kraus <krausk@gwis2.circ.gwu.edu>
> I love this list, but I would like to supplement what I gain with a basic 
> reference book or two.
> 
> Do you have a recommendation of a book which provides a beginner with a 
> basic understanding of how an automobile functions?  I would love to 
> learn a lot more about my vehicles, but I need to start at the beginning.

Kevin - if you have a community college or high school with an auto 
shop class nearby, call them and find out what text they use.  Most 
start with the basics of how the mechanics work.  Once you know that, 
there's no substitute for grabbing a wrench and getting dirty.  The 
trick in most repairs is DIAGNOSING the proglem correctly - replacing 
the parts is not usually that challenging, usually just rather time-
consuming and sometimes frustrating.  Some parts of Audis tend to be 
hard to reach and it takes patience.  There are learned skills 
required that only come with experience.

> > If I'm not mistaken, CR gets its data from people who own and use those 
> > cars. Well, I'm really suspecious here -- where ARE these people? Where 
> > does CR get them? Does CR have a "selectively random" data collecting there 
> > or what?

One more comment - then I'm done.  I think that CR tends to have a 
readership with a slight favoritism to imports.  They EXPECT their 
import to run a long time, and they EXPECT their US car to be a piece 
of #%^*.  Therefore, I think they regard a repair on their "fine 
Audi" as a reasonable investment in a long-lived car, while the might 
feel the same repair on a US car is "evidence of poor quality".  I 
even wonder if they report both kinds of repairs as dependably, 
because of their belief set.

How's THAT for a GROSS over-generalization with ABsolutely no data to 
back it up?????????  Shux, I should have a commentary show on talk 
radio...


********** A Washington State Cougar in Aggieland (aTm) ************

Al Powell                           Voice:  409/845-2807
Ag Communications                   Fax:    409/862-1202
107 Reed McDonald Bldg.             Email:  a-powell1@tamu.edu 
College Station, TX  77843-2112
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            "The doctors X-rayed my head and found nothing."  
        Dizzy Dean, after a beanball in the 1934 World Series. 
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