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)