Re: Dying quattros

[QSHIPQ@aol.com]

In a message dated 97-02-19 12:11:29 EST, you write:

<< go, no tach action either. I popped the clutch and she started right up,
so definite prollum with no spark when cranking. Parked on a hill when I got
to my destination, UNH in Durham NH and she started just fine when I returned
about 1.5 hours later. After 5 mins of driving she again would not start with
the key but fired up right fine by poppin' the clutch while in motion. Back
to the shop, this time nice and hot and there wuz no prollum reproducing the
failure this time! In 5 minutes they had diagnosed and solved the prollum.
The new cam belt altered the crank-to-distributor timing enough when hot that
the distributor was out of the allowable window when cranking. A minor tweak
to the dist was all it took. Makes me wonder how long it would have taken
'Joe's Garage and Video Rentals' to find this one...... 
  >>
Glen...  You could have gotten that diagnosis yourself with the following
procedure:
*  Crank car for 5 seconds (no start) - leave ignition on
*  Put spare fuse in FP relay for 4 seconds/remove -  Get first code (ck eng
lite flash)
*  Code 2312 (no signal from distributor)
*   Insert spare fuse again for next code - repeat until end of code (0000 =
15sec between first ck eng lite and last)
*  Turn car off, restart after correction should read 4444

This is a common problem....  TDC to the dist window is +/- only 2 degrees
from tdc, outside that (5 degree dist) window the car will run once started
but might not restart.  Warping of the head during warmup is more common to
the Urq's, but the 5k's have this problem too....  Given the +/- accuracy of
tdc on the flywheel, it's no wonder this doesn't happen more often.  I have
done several 5k's that are off almost a full 8 degrees when set to tdc.....  

If this happens again, use those channel locks (AT1) and turn the dist one
way then the other until it starts....  You can, but don't have to (in
emergency) remove the 13mm hold down bolt cover....  

HTH

Scott