Re: Syn Oil

["Tony McNamara" <tonym@BVU.SCSCOM.COM>]

> From:          randrews@post.cis.smu.edu (Robert Paul Andrews)
> Subject:       Re: Syn Oil
> > On another point-of-reference, my Ford Escort is 10 years old, and 
> > was driven hard and fast during that time.  It still is at 
> ... 
> > longer.  On the flip side, I also don't expect to keep the car for 
> > ten years - too many gadgets that will break in that time (sunroof, 
> > electric motors, vacuum locks, temperature sensors, etc.)  IF I were 

> Wait a sec, are you implying that a Ford doesn't break as much
> as an Audi?  Ford's are designed to go broke at a 100,000 miles.
> The odometer on em doesn't even roll over in the 100Ks. 
> I guarantee you'll get more life from your Audi than any stinking 
> Ford.  

I wasn't meaning to imply quite that.  The Audi is certainly better 
built than the Ford.  Some details though:

1) The Ford has fewer things TO break.  No electric or vacuum locks.  
Pop up, not sliding, sunroof.  No sunroof motor.  No temperature 
sensors for the climate control or the trip computer.  No power 
seats, no seat heaters, no cruise control, no trip 
computer.  I have been through four after-market alarms in it - the 
Audi has a more expensive integrated alarm.  

With so many more things to break and/or wear out, I'm certain they 
will.

2) The Ford HAS required repairs.  I doubt the Audi will need as 
many.  They have been things such as the CVT valve, short circuits, 
clutch, and coolant sensors.  Nothing major, but all inconvenient.  I 
hope the Audi is more reliable, but it doesn't have a reputation for 
it.  More to the point, I don't have to put up with a car when things 
start going.  I've got a new A4Q right now - when it gets to the 
point that Audi is afraid to warranty it (i.e. 3 years full service, 
I'm not sure what the rest of the coverage is), I don't want it 
anymore.

3) You're talking about life in the engine.  I'm comfortably over 
100K in the Ford.  That's not the reliability problem.  I don't 
expect the Audi engine to be the reliability problem either.  Hence 
the low value I place on synthetic oil.  Other parts will die first.

My philosophy is this: I want a highly reliable car.  If it's 
comfortable, fun, safe, and sporty, great, but mostly it has to not 
strand me, always be ready to go, and seldom need repairs.  So far, 
the Ford is better than the Audi - nothing broke on the Ford in the 
first six months.  Five months into the Audi, two light switches are 
unreliable (Sunset ordered new ones) and the damned thing rattles at 
60mph (Sunset tried to fixed it, but missed.)  In three years, I 
expect I'll still want reliability first... and be willing to pay for 
it.  

Fringe
'97 A4Q, black/black leather, std tranny.
'87 Ford Escort, oodles of miles.