New Audi (90 Q) owner and many old problems

[vjokic@iaw.on.ca (V. Jokic - Push)]

I've just bought a 88 90 Q. This is the first Audi in my life, very little
experience with this car. The clock says 140k km (85k miles). There is
several various problems with the car, but I even did not get any
instruction manual with it. So, I kindly ask well informed members on the
list to help me out with various dilemmas I have now.   

Lets start with the simple ones:

On the instrument panel there is 9 indication lamps (grouped 3x3). When I
turn my ignition key ON, some of these lamps come ON, but some are dead all
the time. There are more details:

First row: 
left lamp comes ON, Battery     middle lamp is dead, don't know purpose.
right lamp comes ON, engine symbol
but don't know what it means


Second row
left lamp (comes ON, this symbol !, don't know meaning)     middle lamp is
dead, I suspect that this one is for ABS               right lamp is dead,
do not know the purpose


Third row

left lamp is dead, don't know purpose      middle lamp comes ON, it is
parking brake  
right lamp is also OK, it is seat belt

All live lamps go OFF when I start the engine. Do I have problem with 4
broken bulbs or it is something else?
 


Second question:
The engine  makes the noise all the time. That is well known clicking noise,
sometimes very  loud, like somebody is hitting my valve cover by a hammer,
tack, tack, tack... When the engine is cold, the noise is permanent and the
frequency is maybe 1/2 or 1/4 of RPM. Once the engine is warmed up, it
becomes random and unpredictable. Sometimes it is very quiet and suddenly
starts to racket, or vice versa. I tried with Mobil 1 and the only
improvement seems to be it is more quiet while the warm engine is idling. If
I vary RPM from idle speed to 2000 or more, it is always loud, tack, tack,
tack, even in area over 3000 RPM. I do not need to open windows to hear it,
sounds very scarry sometimes. It is interesting, if the engine is loaded
with the airconditioning, it is more quiet.

Do I have a problem with lifters, vacuum pump, broken stud of the exhaust
manifold or something else?


Third question:

It seems that my ABS does not work. If I press the pedal suddenly, weels
block. Internal ABS switch, does not make any difference, although I haer
that a relay (or solenoid) picks up somewhere under the hud when I press it.
Indication lamp is not working as I explained above. The scarry part of this
problem (?) is that occasionaly brake pedal gets stuck in the higest
position, and does not work at all! I need to apply unusual force to move it
in normal position, but after that it works fine. Sometimes it helps just to
release and re-apply the brake and it starts to work fine. This problem
happens only when I just start the car on a parking lot, drive a very short
distance and apply the brake first time. But again, it does not happen more
than once in 20 starts. This problem may or may not be related to ABS, but
usualy it happens during the first car start when ABS makes some noise, like
an electrical motor inside it is turning what takes 20 -30 seconds in
several intervals.
I even cannot guess on this one, so any sugestion would be very helpfull for me.

This is not a complete list of problems, but it is enough for now.
Does a Bently manual for 90 Q exist at all? I checked with local Audi dealer
here, but they may get those manuals for  series 4000, 5000, 100 and 200 but
not for 90 or 80?

Thank you for your patience.


Vlajko Jokic - Push
St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada

A brave brand new owner of a 88 90Q with a lot of bugs.  

The Push