Re: Audi's Blowing up

[Alexei M Voloshin <Alexei.M.Voloshin-1@tc.umn.edu>]

I had a an AC condenser and a tranny "blow up" in by '90 Taurus. AC 
literally blew up while my mom was in the one-car-per-green line. A big 
bang with liguid boiling freon squirting from under the hood! 
Have never had anything blown up in Audies though. Yes, I did run a 5k 
SCT with almost no oil for 200 miles. Drove for half year with leaking 
system and the overheating light on all the time while the gage was 
showing hot hot hot. Never have I been left on the shoulder.. 
Audi being unreliable in terms of thing breaking, yes. Audi being 
unreliable and leaving you on the shoulder, no! 

>From all the cars that I see on the shoulder here in Twin Cities where 
conditions/roads are HARSH for both people and cars, I have 
only seen ONE '85 5000S. And belive me, when the humidity is pushing 90% 
and the temp in the shade is 90C, during rush our, you'll see array of cars 
lined up on the shoulder with steam gushing out from under the hood and 
other problems. Never have I see an Audi.

I don't think that Audi's being "bad/unreliable" has anything to do with 
every one that you have owned being "bad". I would attribute it to bad 
luck, hey that happens, or something having to do with your's 
driving/mechanism-handling characteristics (no offence intended).

And about dealers, I absolutely agree. Hey, most everybody on this list 
could act a "certified mechanic". It doesn't take much to be an 
average grease monkey who can use a diagram and an impact 
wrench, but it takes love of cars and knowledge to be a great 
mechanic! That is what I think this list has a lot of - people 
who love digging in their cars and seeing how it all works.


Alex



On 6 Sep 1996, Joe Yakubik wrote:

> That depends on what you mean by "blown-up". 
> 
> My unabused, driven-fast-but-not-hard tranny "blew up".  I've got a box o'parts
> to prove it.  Is this typical for Audis?  Apparently not.  Is this typical for
> every Audi I've owned (all one of them)?  Yes.  Does this make me think Audis
> are bad/unreliable cars?  No, but it certainly pushes me in that direction.
> 
> Considering the volume of traffic on the list, the average subscriber is right
> to be concerned.  But, as you start following threads you see things like:  "I'm
> only getting 1.5 boost.  I've checked ..... "  My question is:  how many
> "average" drivers even notice these things?  I get into other people's cars
> (from Mercedes' to Fiat Pandas to Porsches) and notice all sorts of things that
> aren't right:  switches that fall off/don't work, poor drivability, clouds of
> smoke, leaks, etc.  The people on this list notice them and try to fix them.
> 
> You don't see a Ford list (maybe there's a SHO list):  Hmmm, my '90 Taurus auto
> tranny shifts too early.  I'm getting blown away at stoplights by kids on Big
> Wheels.  Is there a software update?  I heard about a guy who supercharged his
> Fairmont.  I want one, too.
> 
> Audi's have the same propensity to "blow-up" when abused as any other car.  Some
> cars lend themselves to abuse more (used Porsches, Mustangs, Trans Ams, etc)
> than others (Mercedes,  any diesel, etc).
> 
> I DRIVE my car, and I expect things to wear out/break.  I also expect to be able
> to fix them/have them fixed.  Some dealers are unable/unwilling to help you out
> here.  Not just Audi, though.  I've had bad experiences with GM, Ford, and
> Toyota.
> 
> Joe Yakubik
> still peeved about my tranny, but liking my car.
>