Re: 200 Questions / Rather legnthy

["Sean Ford" <sean@nwh.org>]

Brian,
  Sorry to hear of your problems. Write a letter, no write three, one to
your District Attorney, one to your lawyer, and one to the Insurance
Commisioner of your state. Make copies and distribute them to the auto body
and to your insurance agent. No more Mr. nice guy. Insurance companies do
not make money by giving it to you, and they don't care about your car or
piece of mind, they care about THEIR money. Start grabbing people by the
short and curlies and don't let go until they pass out from the pain. 
   Also, never, ever take your car where someone else wants you to...
always go where you want and let the garage take care of business.

Sean Ford
sean@nwh.org
Newton-Wellesley Hospital
Newton, MA  02162 (USA)
'92 Audi 100CS 5spd  16K miles (and counting!)
'89 Suzuki Katana 600 14K miles (and hibernating)

----------
> From: Audi200TQ@aol.com
> To: quattro@coimbra.ans.net
> Subject: 200 Questions / Rather legnthy
> Date: Monday, March 10, 1997 1:41 PM
> 
> Easy question......where is the starter on a 1990 200 Quattro located?
> 
> 
>      Part two, my car was in an accident seven months ago.....rolled down
the
> driveway and hit a tree.  Hit on the front right side, directly in front
of
> the alternator.  Granted I have been in a heated dispute with 'Liberty
> Mutual' over the quality of the workmanship, and meanwhile have not had
my
> car for going-on-seven months now.
>      I had been to visit the body shop several times during the initial
> repair work.  The first time I was there, I noticed that all the damage
that
> could be conceled behind the fender cover was still there, rust and all.
I
> insisted they do not allow their employed teenage son to work on my car
any
> more. Several things have happened to the car while in the care of the
body
> shop and Liberty Mutual.  My E-Brake totally froze, None of my windows
work,
> as well as finding out via last weeks snow storm, that my drivers side
window
> has been open for two weeks now, my right rear tire is totally flat and
> probably been sitting on the rim forever, my rotors are rusted all to
hell
> and lotsa new scratches on my new paint.
> 
> The day I originally picked up the car, from this body shop recommended
by my
> ins. co., It drove about fifty feet and the engine failed.  Body shop
said Oh
> well, take it to a mechanic.  So I did.  Later found out that the body
shop
> removed and improperly replaced some vacuum tubes, and vala, no run. 
Fixed
> that, picked up the car for the second time, drove fifty more feet in the
> rain, bamm, no winshield wiper action.  Called body shop via cellular
phone
> and found out the winshield wiper arms were replaced because they were
bent
> behind the hood in the accident and for some mysterious reason dont work
now.
>  Stopped and got rain-x, cured the problem for another fifty feet and the
oil
> light flashes, no oil pressure on the gauge.  Hmm, no oil in the pan. 
While
> looking under the hood, I noticed my alternator belt fell off. Towed
again to
> another place.  The turbo intercooler had been replaced in the original
> repair from the body shop, so I assumed it was related to this.  I now
find
> out that two oil pressure switches are also to blame for the oil loss. 
One
> on the front of the engine, and one on the drivers side of the engine,
both
> are cracked.  Can this be related to that Piece-a-work of a body shop?
> 
> Mind you, the front seal on the new hood is missing...
> The under the hood light fell out when I opened it...
> I have had to replace a starter and a battery at my expense...
> as well as pay for a beautiful $100 new divit in my trunk lid.
> The radio is eternally stuck in safe mode...forever!
> Headlights aim into the trees ...
> Alternator has no belt...
> Major oil leak(s)....
> and many more concerns.
> 
> The Audi dealer that it is now at has made it clear to me and the
insurance
> co. that there are workmanship issues relating to the original body shop.
>  Needless to say, even if I get my car back totally fixed, I have lost
faith
> in it.  Taking it on long trips will be scary and stressfull.  Am I being
> petty or can someone please help me with some advice as to how to get
this
> insurance co. to get their rear in gear and fix this s@#t, before I go
> Postal?
>  
> Sorry for the rambling.
> Brian
> 1990 200 Quattro (In a coma for six and a half months)