Re: Moral support really needed...

[Greg Anderson <ganderso@ptdcs2.intel.com>]

Preston-

I don't know how much moral support I can offer you, but I do "feel
your pain", BTDT.  I bought an '88 5KCSTQW ~3.5 years ago off the used
car lot at a Lexus dealer; the car was cosmetically perfect with new brakes
and tires.  After years of flogging old BMW's (and an Opel before that),
I was really excited to own a newer Audi with neat stuff like ABS, Quattro
AWD, turbo, trip computer, power locks etc.

Since then, I've been through the wars with power steering hydraulics (pump
and rack), radiator, aux. coolant pump for turbo, temp sensor replacemnt,
and two (so far) door handles.  I've replace the factory radio -- tape player
died, radio reception is still lousy, likely a Fuba antenna repair/replacement
needed.   Clutch master cylinder failed in January, fuel pump died last
month -- insanely expensive job at the dealer, but the damn car stranded my
wife by the side of the road, so I had little choice.  The hydraulic
pressure accumulator is showing the usual signs of failure; it appears to
be the lead candidate for THIS month's $$$ repair bill.  I don't even
want to think about the intermittent flakiness of climate control or the
fact that the cruise control has stopped working or that the power lock 
to the hatch died or...(and don't get me started on the headlights!)
This is in addition to belts, hoses, fluids, filters, bulbs, brake
pads, CV joints, water pump (done with timing belt) that you gotta stay
on top of to keep a car on the road.

The really aggravating part of all this is that I bought the car for my
wife to drive -- Audi Quattro wagon, safe car with ABS and AWD, etc. Like me,
she wanted a car that would be solid and fun to drive, like the '75 BMW
that she was driving before we got the Audi (She hated the test drive 
she took in an AWD Subaru). Part of the motiviation for getting the car was 
the presumption that a newer ('88) Audi would be more reliable than a '75
BMW.  The opposite has been true; the BMW (now my daily driver) has been
much more probem-free than the Audi in the time we've had it.  I don't 
want to get into a BMW vs Audi flamewar; I mention the old Bimmer merely
to establish that I have some experience with keeping older cars running.
I assumed that maintenance/reliability for an '88 Audi would be comparable
to an older BMW (hey, they're both German cars, right?).   I was mistaken.

A friend in NJ had a similar experience--bought an '89 200Q two years ago, 
primarily so his wife would have an AWD car to drive in the winter on the
icy hills near his house.  Having been stranded several times, she now refuses
to drive the car because she can't count on it.

I don't know what to tell you, other than to hang in there and consider 
your situation realisticallly.   You own a car that was very expensive 
when new, a car that was never very reliable to begin with, a car that 
has a higher level of required mainenance than many other cars, a car that
is starting to wear out a lot of expensive, high-mileage parts.  Unless 
you're willing to do all the work yourself and buy parts from discount
sources, cost of ownership is gonna be high.  If you are the "car guy"
in your relationship, you should probably let her drive the Passat...
On the bright side, it's a great car to drive, and you've already replaced 
some of the big-ticket items that are known to fail.

-Greg Anderson
'88 5KCSTQW
'75 BMW 3.0Si

P.S.  Keep an eye on your new hydraulic pump.  Rebuilds tend to be 
      unreliable; I'm on my third one (last two replaced under warranty).
      If you see *any* leaks take it back and complain...and be sure
      to use Pentosin!