Re: A4 Driveline Shudder Datapoint

["Rudy Consolacion" <rconsolacion@kumhotech.com>]

Bob Cotton wrote:

> Here is another datapoint for the A4 Driveline Shudder.
> 
> I've had the car almost a year now and have *never* experienced the
> driveline shudder, until about 2 weeks ago while on vacation.
> 
> The symptom suddenly appeared, and the only things that were different
> were:
> 	- I had put regular unleaded instead of premium in the car for
> 	  the *first* time.
> 	- I was at sea level (Home is Denver)
> 	- There was about 13K miles on the car.
> 
> I put regular unleaded in because I almost ran out of gas outside of
> Palm Desert, and the only place for miles was charging $1.76 a gallon
> for regular unleaded.
> 
> Almost immediately, upon hard acceleration (full throttle) from 3rd ->
> 4th the engine would resonate at about 3-4 time/sec. for 1-2
> seconds. Could sometimes get it to happen from 2nd -> 3rd.
> 
> Later, while in death valley (at and below sea level) , and back on
> premium gas I could not reproduce it, ever. Nor has it ever come back
> since. 
> 
> Could this shudder be something in the anti-knock regulator that is
> invoked with lower octane gas?
> 
> Do people who experinece this regularly run on regular or premium gas?
> 

I'm experiencing some type of driveline shudder but it seems more 
like a harmonic vibration in my 97 A42.8q.  It occurs at off-throttle 
in any gear at any speed (I haven't tried it over 85mph.) It's 
more of an audible distrubance than a seat-of-the-pants vibration. 
This has been happening since I drove it off the dealer lot.  I 
figure it's normal and that I'm too sensitive. I haven't experienced 
what you're describing.  I use Sunoco 94 octane.

Rudy C.
87 5ktq - 185k miles, new fp & accumulator
97 a42.8q - high octane