re: My '92 Quattro is a piece of #$$%^#@!!

[Eliot Lim <eliot@u.washington.edu>]

ok, this is pure speculation on my part, so you truth police can lay down
your batons....

just coincidentally, a good friend has a '92 100 FWD with automatic
suffer the exact same fate.  yup. same estimate, non repairable, $6000.
i spoke to the dealer who i know quite well and learned a couple of
things..

this is not a ZF unit found on the v8 or a8, but rather VW's unit that's
found in golfs and jettas.  the same unit is also used on the vr6 powered
cars.  this is fact.  (there is a tiny possibility that the 100Q uses the
ZF while the 100 FWD uses the VW) 

now MAYBE, just MAYBE, audi used a slushbox that was at the limit of its
design strength?  this box in typical service handles just 115 bhp and
120+ lbft of torque in a car weighing well under 3000 pounds.  in the case
of the vr6 versions, you have 170+ lbft, but still in lighter cars. 

i'm guessing that perhaps in a near 4000 pound audi quattro with 184 lbft
of torque the poor tranny just couldn't cope for very long, but long
enough for the factory warranty to expire?  yes, pretty cynical and
after all most of the customers of automatics are americans anyway.

the slushbox audis continue to have problems.  someone's a8 had a
control unit failure.  due to miscommunication with the factory
an order was given to replace the entire tranny!  and i think the
owner even got AoA to buy the car back.. so if anyone wants a
slightly used silver a8 w/ a brand new tranny, drop me a note.


eliot