ripped off?!!

[quk@sievers.com (Phil Payne)]

In message <Pine.SOL.3.95.970319141918.28079A-100000@rac3.wam.umd.edu> James Dean writes:

> The driver's side door latch doesn't function anymore on my 93 100S. I
> think there is a loose connection inside, because I can open it from the
> outside.
> I called 2 local dealers and I got quoted $230 and $260 + parts! They said
> that it would take 3 hrs of labor because the door panel is hard to take
> off?

> Does that sound reasonable? Did anyone take the door panel off on 100/A6?
> I am not going to pay $260 for that.

Yeah.  It's a bitch to take off.  All Audis of this vintage are pretty much the 
same:

a) Check the front of the door, where the wing mirror is mounted.  There's
   usually a little round plastic screw cover.  Pop this out, unscrew the 
   plastic cover plate, and then unscrew the single screw securing the top
   of the panel.
 
b) The door latch has a plastic recess behind it.  Sometimes there's a 
   plastic screw cover concealing a mounting screw - sometimes there's a 
   slot at the front of the recess to pop it out with a screwdriver.  In any
   case, there's always a cross-head screw hidden behind the recess.
 
c) The arm rest is usually secured by two large nylon screws.  Feel along
   the inner surface of the armrest for the (large) holes these reside in.
   On the passenger side, there shouldn't be any switches to disconnect.
   The armrest, once loose, might come away from the door.  On some cars,
   it has to be rotated up towards the top of the door before the upper 
   mounting pops out.
 
d) Depending on the model, the panel is actually secured with a mixture of 
   push-in clips and screws.  If screws are used, they're along the bottom 
   of the door.  If the stowage areas in the lower door pocket are divided,
   there night be a pseudo-hidden screw hidden in the pillar.
 
e) Sometimes there's an extra clip (purpose unknown) in the area of the locking
   button.  Don't worry about it.

f) The upper line (immediately below the glass) is held in place by three to
   five "teeth".  Detach the lower edge first, move up both sides, push the 
   locking button down, unscrew the button and ease out the upper edge.
 
That should be enough to get the panel off.

Refitting, as the Audi manuals say, is the reverse of removal.  Make sure the 
membrane goes back as you find it.
 
--
 Phil Payne
 phil@sievers.com
 Committee Member, UK Audi [ur-]quattro Owners Club