Re: 1988 5000S Quattro New Subscriber

[four.rings@MCIONE.com]

"Christopher J. Ritchie" <cjr1@gte.net> wrote:

> I am the new owner of a 1988 5000S Quattro; a new subscriber to this
> list; and, a relatively recent Internet researcher.
> This list is a real help and service to people like me.
  
Welcome to the group, Christopher. Say, you don't have a relative named
Ned, do you? That would've eliminated the need to ask the list any
questions.
:-)

> 2.  Any peculiar preventative maintenance tips for this car?
Oh, man, where do I start?! =8)

> 3.  Is the factory service manual (Bentley?) worth the money (~ $94 from
> amazon.com)?  I am a more than competent "shade tree" mechanic.
Absolutely. 

> 4.  The horn will not sound and the turn signals will not cancel unless
> the steering wheel is pushed in.  I assume this is not a defect, but is a
> feature.
No, it is a defect. 

> How can I get the steering wheel to stay in the pushed in position?
Pry the rectangular horn button with a big flat screwdriver, all 4
spokes one
by one. Disconnect the horn wire. Tighten the horn nut with the 24mm
socket.
 
> 5.  What does "UFO", "Urq", and "BTDT" mean?

"UFO" --  the funky internal calliper -type front brakes found on '91
200 and some '92 S4. Work well when not warped. Ungodly expensive to
maintain. Indeed
resemble a flying saucer.

"Urq" -- "Original Quattro" in German. A turbo quattro coupé that
started the
whole thing, won numerous rallies in Group B. Highly collectable, enjoys
the cult status. Well represented on this list.

"BTDT" -- Been There Done That. As to distinguish the info as credible,
opposite to a Wild A$$ Guess. It's the only one that draws my attention
to a
statement.
 
> 6.  Any recommendations on other Internet web sites to visit?
Check out the excellent collection of Audi related links on Jim
Griffin's page:
http://pobox.com/~jgriff

> 7.  The car seems sensitive to cross winds at highway speeds.  Is this
> normal?
No. Check the uniformity of tire brands/threads/pressures between the
wheels. Do the proper 4-wheel alignment.

> 8.  I usually get a noise from the engine at start up that sounds like a
> noisy lifter.
It is.

> Not always, but usually, especially if the weather is cold.
> Is this the noise I am hearing?  Are the lifters hydraulic?
Yes.

> Is this typical?
Yes.

>  Is it a matter for concern?
No. Audi lit sez the same.

>  If so, is it easily fixable?
Yes. $10/ea last time I replaced mine. Replace all at once once you're
there.
I did 3 noisy ones, had to replace 7 more within 6mos. Same expence,
twice the
labour time - dumb! Never again. Do the timing belt and the water pump
at the
same time. You'll thank us later.
Remove the valve cover, belt, camshaft sprocket, camshaft, lifters.
That's it.
Mmmm, I would also definitely do the Viton valve seals if I were this
close.
Are any of your exhaust studs broken? Exhaust manifold cracked? Those
are the Achilles' heels of our 10v 5cyl Audis. If yes, you might be
better off pulling
the head and doing all at once on the bench. Lap the valves too once
you're at it.
The last time I did a non-turbo Audi like yours it was a breeze. I did
it on
my 200 two mos ago -- it was much more involved.
 
> 9.  How do you set the stations on the radio?  The radio appears to be OEM.
Find the station, press_and_hold the button until it beeps.
 
> 10.  The radio display for the station setting is very dim.  Is this
> normal?  If not, is it easily fixable?
Yes. Alpines have very bright and legible displays ;-)
 
> 11.  The air conditioner does not work.  I realize that a fix cannot be
> diagnosed without seeing the car and testing, but does any one have any
> advice on this system?  Is it straightforward, or are there any Audi
> specific anomalies?
Straightforward. Nippon Denso compressor. GM climate control.
One tricky thing - it gets charged via the low pressure side sensor
fitting on
the RH side under the cowl behind the firewall, next to the cylindrical
dryer.
For charging you_have_to unscrew the sensor and temporarily bridge its
plug's
terminals with a paper clip.

> 12.  The "Check Brakes" light and bell goes on sometimes after driving a
> bit and using the brakes.  The brakes seem to work fine.  The car has
> the ABS option.  It appears this warning is triggered by low fluid in the
> power steering/power brake system reservoir?
Yes. See my post to Chris 5 min ago.

> Where does the fluid go when the engine is running?
P/S and hydraulic brake assist. Your car has a rare and troublesome
brake
assist a.k.a. "the bomb". Awesome when works, tho. Keeps the brake
assist 
for 30 to 40 pumps after you shut the engine off. Vacuum assist provides
for
only 2-3 tops. BTW, check your bomb too.

> If it comes back when the engine is shut off, I assume there is not a
> leak in the system.  But where fluid cannot compress, where is it going to
> come back from?  Finally, is this dangerous?

2000psi of operating pressure.

************************************************************
Igor Kessel
'89 200TQ -- 18psi (TAP)
'98 A4TQ -- nothing to declare
Philadelphia, PA
USA
http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Garage/8949/homepage.html
************************************************************