Re: 5kcstq Bomb/Power Steering Pump questions

[Aleksander Mierzwa <alex@matrix.com.pl>]

At 15:27 18.05.98 -0700, Binns, Dick wrote:

>I'm a new owner of a slightly < 100k mile 88 5kcstq (still in search of  
>the perfect S4) and bought it knowing from a pre-inspection that it needs 
>a new bomb and that there are small leaks in the power steering pump.  
>(Like Wallace has found, few people in the general public seem to keep up 
>on their maintenance of these cars.)  
[...]
>Questions:  Does it make any difference if I wait to replace the pump?  Is 
>there a hydraulic system level relationship that makes it better to do the 
>pump at the same time as the bomb is replaced?  

I'd have the pump replaced first. Bombs fail slowly and even after they
finally stop working at all you can drive the car with a dead bomb with no
problems. 
The pump that has a small leak can suddenly start leaking fluid at a mega
rate and if you don't notice it in time and you lose all the fluid the pump
will be damaged beyond repair.

>Given that the original 
>hydraulics in this vintage of Audis' suffered from "high blood pressure" 
>can I expect the same life out of the replacement parts, or did they lower 
>the pressure such that these parts will last longer before their next 
>"stroke"?

I'd say it depends on how lucky you are ;-) There are reports of pumps and
racks lasting over 150k miles while others consider them a 50k maintenance
items. The bomb lasts about 7 years regardless of mileage.



Aleksander Mierzwa
Warsaw, Poland
mailto:alex@matrix.com.pl
87 Audi 5000CS turbo (mine)
88 Renault Medallion wagon (mom's)
91 mountain bike (just in case both cars broke at the same time :-)