Welcome to the crowd!

[Mike Arman <armanmik@n-jcenter.com>]

Welcome to the crowd, Chris - this is THE place for quattros and Audis in
general . . .


>Date: Mon, 05 Oct 1998 13:07:10 PDT
>From: "Chris Dyer" <chrisdyer@hotmail.com>
>Subject: new 5kcstq
>
>Just picked up my '87 5kcstq w/118k mi--drove it home to LA from SFO, no 
>squeaks, rattles, drips, errors, drives & looks great.  CC, computer, 
>sunroof, etc. all work great! :)  And now, the niggling probs...
>
>1. Power locks not power or locking--vacuum leak?  Something else?
>
Look for a fallen off hose on one of the locks - also check under rear seat
for vacuum pump operation - I think that's where it lives on these models.
(not sure on this)



>2. A/C not blowing out front dash vents, but seems to blow cool from 
>de-fog vents.  What to check?  Heat works ok.
>

This is "failure mode" for climate controller box. Lives behind glove box,
comes out with one nut, one wire, connector, and hose manifold. Takes about
three minutes to remove. Usual problem is oil in vacuum solenoids and/or
stripped plastic gears in heater valve control motor. Parts not available
at Audi for any reasonable price, solenoids and gears with motor are from
late 80-early 90 GM big cars (Cad-Buick-Olds), buy the whole controller box
at a u-pull-it for $10, take out whatever you need. Solenoids must rattle
when shaken - if they don't, the rubber is oil soaked and swollen shut -
not repairable. There's a place on the list (in Denver, I think) that will
sell you a rebuilt climate control box - do it yourself and save some bucks.



>3. Radio is toast.  Any good aftermarket in-dash CD/receiver 
>replacements someone can recommend?
>

Almost ANYTHING - be careful to trace out the wires - there are lots of
them, especially if you have the 10 speaker option. Get the wiring diagram.
The earphone connector (center of parcel shelf at rear window) sometimes
develops opens - if your rear speaker(s) don't work or cut out, check here.




>4. What's a good leather cleaner/conditioner?
>
Lexol plus elbow grease. Apply liberally.



>5. The fat black plastic trim on the bumpers is graying.  What's the 
>best stuff to bring it back to deep black?  Also, there's some parking 
>stickers on this part, is it worth trying some chemical to get those 
>off--seems rather tricky.
>
>6. I'm thinking of getting the headlights brighter--is that just a 
>matter of replacing the bulb, or the whole assembly?
>

Cheapest way is Wagner Brite Lites (sp?) at about $10 each. They help a
little. Add relays to take power for the lights directly from the jumper
stud under the hood for more voltage hence brightness. This is a VERY
popular discussion item here! Current "ultimate solution" is euro lights,
but bring big bucks.




>7. Anyone have an owner's manual or know where I can get one for this 
>car?  Or a service manual?
>

Cheap manual is Haynes - $15 - auto parts stores, covers turbo, but it DOES
NOT cover quattro. Best manual is Bentley, about $125 from Amazon.com, $150
+/- list, sometimes found used for about $100. Highly advised - this is a
complicated car and it is NOT amenable to heuristic troubleshooting
techniques. (Stop showing off: all that means is that "guessing doesn't
work".) Owner's manual that comes with car often found in cars at junkyards
- get one, mostly for laughs, almost useless, but every once in a while
there's something in it that makes sense ("such and such accessory works
like this . . .")



>8. Chip boost/eprom upgrades--worth it?  Anyone? Bueller? C.A.R.B. legal 
>ones available?  Undt how much?  It's a ski-trip/commuter, so I don't 
>want to blow my engine.  Perhaps stock is best, but if I can squeeze out 
>20 or so reliable h.p., it's worth it.
>
FIRST get everything working correctly, get used to the car, get familiar
with its (many) quirks and idiosyncracies - THEN get a chip! Stock works,
but before you chip, everything has to be working correctly or you are
wasting your time and making troubleshooting extremely difficult. Make sure
the brakes are working correctly - check the bomb (heh heh heh), all
suspension parts tight, alignment correct all the way around - THEN go fast!



>9. It has weird size tires on it now (too high profile) on stock 
>rims--what was the original tire size for this model?

Mine has 175/80/14, but its not a turbo - someone else will have to look
this up for you.

>
Best Regards,

Mike Arman

>gracias in advance
>
De nada, dude! That's what this list is all about!