4000 new owner questions (lots!)

["Luke D. Vinogradov" <Luke.VINOGRADOV@ENG.monash.edu.au>]

Hi All,

Now that I've finally got my recently purchased '81 5+5 back from the
mechanic, complete with new windscreen, new tyres, valve grind, new
engine mount, new battery, fixed exhaust manifold with new studs,
new head gasket (do these count as good sacrifices?) and actually
had a chance to drive the thing for more than one day at a time
without having to call the mechanic to come and pick it up again
while drive the Peugeot to work wondering what the hell I've got
myself into, a few questions have arisen.

=> Poor starting

Starts perfectly cold (esp. with the 15 plate battery!). Run it hot
then leave it for 10 mins, fine.  One hour, fine.  Four-ish hours and
it seems to flood itself like crazy.  Doesn't even cough.  Have to
disconnect the cold start valve to finally get it working.  I do all
the right things (only crank for a few seconds at a time, don't use
the pedal etc).  Leaky cold start valve?  Faulty thermo switch?  Dud 
ignition coil?  Ideas?

=> Vibrations

Is it absolutely necessary for cars with auto trans's to vibrate
uncomfortably while idling at standstill in gear?  The mechanics all
seem to think so (and they give me a look that says "you fussy
bastard") but I don't understand why.  I replaced one of the fluid
filled mounts with a new part (A$295!) but while that helps at speed
(the engine nearly jumped out of the car before, better now but
vibrates a lot thru the steering wheel at speeds over 4000 RPM) it
hasn't smoothed out the idling.  Do I need to replace both mounts?
Is the car not tuned properly?  Not getting a big enough spark? 
something wrong with the trans itself?  If it's relevant, at idle the
'wobble-rate' is around half the indicated RPM.  What can I do?

=> Windscreen wipers

Apart from the fact that they're still set up for left hand drive
(very annoying), they're slow.  Very slow.  Slow enough that if it
rains too hard, I think I'll have to pull over.  Does anyone have
any clues?  Rewiring? Rewinding?

=> Brakes

Brakes are lousy!  For this country, as with the wipers, the engine
bay was not rearranged, meaning the brake master cylinder is still on 
the passenger side, which results in the loss of any good feel it 
might have had through the linkages.  While you guys all seem to have 
aftermarket stuff available to you over there, the closest I can get 
here (easily) is rotors etc for MkI Golf/Rabbit (there's lots here), 
or MkII Golf (fewer).  What parts are interchangeable?  Any advice?

That's enough for now.  Sorry about the length of the post, but
there's so little Audi wisdom available here for this model.  Take 
pity on an Audi newbie!

Luke

<>--luke vinogradov------accident-research-centre---------<>
<>-----------------------monash-university----------------<>
<>-----------------------lukev@its-menz.cc.monash.edu.au--<>