Gas fumes from my 94 S4, manifold gauge, windshield education

[ERIC FRIEDMAN <csllc@webspan.net>]

Anyone out there with a post 1992 100 or S4/S6 who has experienced this
one?

I have a 1994 S4 and I'm getting a periodic smell of gas coming from
somewhere near the passenger's side front wheel well.  The car can be
cold or hot but their has been no consistency to it other than the fact
that the vents carry it into the car quite strongly when the car is
stationary such at a light or stop sign.  Their is nothing leaking under
the car so it appears to be just vapor.  It is not coming up through the
engine bay either.  Could this be a vapor recovery cannister or related
hose leaking?  Every time I head for my mechanic, it's gone by the time
I get there and he can't help.  It then reappears later.  Anyone seen
this?

For everyone who replied to me about my "thunk" in the strut and their
experiences with their own thanks.  The mystery is solved and it's a
bearing at the top of the strut tower.  Oh yeah that's going to be
expensive!  You can only get to it by removing the strut.  I suppose if
I am going to replace the suspension with ABT/Bilstein set-up, I should
do it then.

Also, I have mounted an FAA grade manifold pressure gauge in the car and
it's great to be able to see Ned's chip handiwork for the boost mapping
with the more exact readings in inches of mercury.  I highly recommend
it.

For those of you that have been confused by dealers and others about
"premium European windshield" replacements, here is some advice.  I
recently got my windshield totalled by a flying piece of rusty I-Beam
from a truck on route 80 in NJ.  As you may know, the windshield is two
pieces of glass with a piece plastic sandwiched between.  The dealer
wanted $850 to replace the windshield with Sekurit OE, a European
service place wanted $500 for a premium European windshield and the
mobile Glass Doctor wanted $300 for PPG.  All included new gaskets,
etc.  I checked with PPG and they noted that due to safety specs, their
no difference in the physical glass itself.  However, they did note that
the difference is in tinting  of the bar at the top of the windshield
and logos on the glass.  Europe has a different standard for
transference of light than the US.  Therefore, they tinted bar at the
top is only on the inside portion of the outer piece of glass.  The
inside portion of the inside piece does not have the bar.  In contrast,
PPG's glass sandwiches pieces that are both tinted at the top. 
Additionally, PPG is an OE supplier to US company's but not European and
does not have a license to utilize their logos as Sekurit does. 
Therefore, the European windshield which is most likely Sekurit as well
and the OE glass would both have an Audi logo in the corner.  The PPG
folks further warned me about Mexican glass because it is a bit thinner
a does not meet clarity standards.  Needless to say, I paid the $300 and
pocketed the $550.  Food for thought if you need a winshield.

Hey, a bunch of you asked about my stock manifold.  Did anyone still
want to buy it?    

Eric Friedman(csllc@webspan.net)
1994 S4(IA chip, RS2 manifold, K&N, Polished 8x17 BBS RC's, SP8000's,
ABT wing, custom gauge cluster, waiting for my exhaust)