RE: Distributor noises

[Glen Powell <gpowell@acacianet.com>]

I had the same type of 'distributor rattle' in the Ur-Q at around 150,000 miles on starup and only when dead cold. I just replaced the entire dist and tossed the ol one into the 'spares' box. I plan to investigate the ol one some time. Perhaps it can be re-bushed to fix the excess clearance that causes the rattle.....

-glen

----------
From: 	Joe Yakubik[SMTP:75363.2524@CompuServe.COM]
Sent: 	Saturday, May 04, 1996 4:49 PM
To: 	quattro
Subject: 	Distributor noises

I've got an odd noise that appears to be coming from my distributor.  It sounds
like a sort of rotational rattle.  It is relatively quiet, I only noticed it
because I was standing in front of the car as it was idling.  It is not
noticeable from inside the car.  There is a sort of vibratory plastic sound that
is difficult to pinpoint, but when I hold onto the distributor I can feel a
vibration that appears to correspond to the noise.  It would appear from this
that it's my ditributor making noise, but that seems way too easy to
troubleshoot.  When I advance the throttle off idle the noise goes away.

Car:  91 20v 200tqw w/58k mi.

Any experience with the warning signs of impending distributor failure?  Any
other ideas, or ways to check the distributor?  Pull it off off and look inside,
I'm guessing.

Joe Yakubik