Risk of ordering outside fiche

["Doyt W. Echelberger" <Doyt@poboxes.com>]

>Date: Fri, 13 Dec 1996 11:05:46 -0500
>To: malcom@wedoit.ENET.dec.com
>From: "Doyt W. Echelberger" <Doyt@poboxes.com>
>Subject: Risk of ordering outside fiche


Tried to email to scott...got a bounce. Maybe he will read it here. BW
apologies.Maybe list readership has had similar experience in ordering parts.

.....................................bounced message
follows.........................

>Scott....Have the parts man at the dealer look up the part on his fiche
before you order it, if at all possible.
>Relacement parts sometimes get issued different part numbers than the ones
originally stamped on the part. To further complicate: The original
(stamped) part number gets assigned to a replacement part for some other
model. Mind boggling and totally unexpected behavior in the real world.
Untidy number keeping.But they do it.
>
>So unless you pre-check the part on the fiche, your friend can look at the
part number on his car, relay it to you, and you order it... it comes in and
the parts guy sez     " Oh, that part number was reissued to...(X) and here
is (X)," (but it sure isn't what you had in mind.)
>
>The extra step of having the man at the parts counter check the latest
fiche before you hand over up-front cash is a safer move.
>
>Yes, it happened to me.  Two months ago.... Read the part number off the
broken parking light lens,called the dealer parts counter, gave the parts
man the number and ordered by that number. Week went by, part came in,
turned out to be a re-issued number on a turn signal assembly replacement.
Nice unit but not what I thought I had ordered. Parts man explained the
re-issue process and its consequences.
>
>I had some trouble believing it, but the week of waiting for the
fiche-identified part was the price of my education.  The parts guy was
right. And he said it isn't all that unusual. But maybe thats all you can do.
>
>
>Doyt
>.........................................................clip..............
...........
>
>At 01:18 AM 12/13/96 -0500, you wrote:
>
>>
>>Hi all
>>
>>I have a '90 CQ that I think I am missing some parts on. The mechanic
>>had to remove the grill and support piece to do the timing belt.
>>
>>I just noticed that some parts appear to be missing.
>>The local Audi dealer can't find the number or the parts.
>>
>>I believe that the parts that I don't have should attach/interlock to the
grill
>>and go across the top of the headlights. They should be plastic, with a hook 
>>into the fender, and a screw through them near the middle. I believe that
>>they  should also interlock into the grill.
>>
>>Could someone check their coupe and verify that the parts are there,
>>and if possible provide a part number????
>>
>>
>>Thanks
>>
>>Scott Malcolm
>>
>>1990 Coupe Quattro  Blk/Gray 
>>              
>>
>