Re: '91 200TQ test drive

["Paul C. Waterloo" <74543.407@compuserve.com>]

>Thanks for all the replies from listers to the post about my
>"quattro quest". That particular '90 200TQ is out of contention
>'cause....I just test-drove a for-sale '91 200TQ. It's a much,
>much nicer car (CD player, Audi Cellular, ski boot) with lotsa
>new components (timing belt, front rotors/pads, v-belts, Boge
>Turbo front shocks) and also ran well (1.6-1.7 max boost
>indicated). However, I am left with a few (at least) questions
>about it:

>(1) After about 20 miles of spirited (well, spirited for _me_)
>driving, the engine coolant temp gauge was barely at the 1/4
>mark (i.e. about at the last of the three closely spaced
>(leftside) tick marks. Then, after sitting at idle for 5 or so
>minutes, the temp never moved up. The radiator fan was running
>(during idle). Does the 20V I5 (91,000 miles) engine normally
>tend to run so cool? Outside temp was about 60F.

Very normal for mine. If the climate control was in "AUTO", then the
radiator fan is on in low speed all the time, further reducing temperature
to what you saw. I normally do not have the A/C on, so when I'm on the
highway and the radiator fan secured, the gauge usually reads about 1/4",
especially when it is about 60F. When driving in the city in "ECON", the
temperature goes a little past half and then the fan runs in mode 2? which
is a little faster, it then toggles on/off just about 1/2 - 3/4 of full
gauge reading.

>(2) After running (as above) and the few minutes of idle, I shut
>down the ignition. There was no sound of any after-run pump/fan
>going--even after a 4 or 5 minute wait. Is this normal for the
>20V? If not, is it possibly connected to the low indicated
>engine temperature? Dealer said engine was just not driven
>enough to warm it sufficiently. I'm skeptical.

Could be the temperature switch, but the coolant temperature must be 110 C
on the intake manifold to switch on. If it is 60F out, and when you shut
the engine down it was below half gauge reading, I wouldn't expect it to
come on. When mine does come on, it's not for 3 or 4 minutes after
shutdown. I think the 10V engines the fan/pump come on right away.

>(3) The car has pretty good (75% tread?) Pirelli P4000 tires (on
>BBS wheels). The dealer would upgrade these tires (haven't
>discussed alternatives) unless I wanted to save a few hundred
>bucks and keep them on. Are these tires worth keeping? 

Who knows?

Good luck, it's the best car you'll ever buy for the price......I still
lust after mine after owning it 15 months.....

Paul

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Paul Waterloo
Riverside, IL

91 200q

EMAIL: 74543.407@compuserve.com
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