Re: odor of burning rubber

[Phil Rose <pjrose@servtech.com>]

Ed,
I think my car has had this problem a good long time. Back in '94, Audi
computer records show the dealer entered a "fluid level" repair number and
claimed they found the tranny oil significantly low. They evidently topped
it up but did no repair. I noticed the left side of the tranny case showed
a lot of "old oil" since I bought the car last April, but there's been no
obvious fresh leakage 'till this past weekend of very cold weather. From
what I've gleaned (since yesterday), the seal replacement is pretty
straightforward. Something I'd maybe try myself (I'm ordering a seal from
Carlsen Audi today). I'll forward Fred Munro's detailed procedure to you.
Hard to imagine an honest mechanic charging more than about an hour of
labor plus parts and fluid. I'd guess at most about $120 for doing one
seal. Naturally the dealer doesn't stock the $17 seal.

Phil

>BTDT
>
>My Avant exhibited this during very cold weather when I lived in Iowa,
>and only then.  I worried about it and checked the level.  It revealed a
>relatively minor, almost negligible drop.  I topped it off and drove to
>Mpls to catch a plane.  The car sat in the underground parking garage at
>a hotel in temps from 20 down to below zero for 10 days.  When I returned
>I drove home and checked the level again.  Still very minor loss.  I felt
>reassured that it wouldn't be a huge problem and since then have not
>noticed any more leakage.  The dealer checked it out and reported that it
>was the axle output seal leaking.  I cringed at the thought of that
>repair.
>
>It is gonig to be in the teens tonight here in SC.  I'll drive it to work
>tomorrow and see if I smell it again.  I drove the Coupe GT today because
>it's heater blower works.  I knew I should have tended to the one in the
>Avant this fall, but it was kind of hard to do since I was in NZ all
>(our) fall.
>
>I'll report tomorrow morning.
>
>Ed Kellock ................... Greenville, SC  USA
>91 200q avant .......... 87 Coupe GT
>
>On Mon, 4 Jan 1999 20:31:42 -0400 Phil Rose <pjrose@servtech.com> writes:
>>Well, the "burning rubber" odor turns out to be (transmission) oil
>>dripping/spinning onto the exhaust and cat. converter. The tranny
>>appears
>>to be leaking from _somewhere_ on the passenger-side. The final-drive
>>cover
>>is very oily and the oil leaking onto the axle is being spun away and
>>making a general mess. I hope there was reasonable amount of
>>transmission
>>oil remaining for the 100 miles we drove home this afternoon.
>>
>>Home. Ugh! I had to hack through a 12" snow drift covered by an inch
>>of
>>very hard ice in order to get into my garage. Tomorrow I'll search for
>>a 17
>>mm hex socket and see where (if?) the tranny oil level stands.
>>
>>Any guesses on what seal is likley to be leaking? The car ('91 200q)
>>has
>>about 105K miles, and it seems that the leakage became noticeable with
>>the
>>onset of very low temperatures we had several days ago (-20F).
>>
>>
>>Phil Rose				Rochester, NY
>>'91 200q				mailto:pjrose@servtech.com
>>'89 100
>>
>>
>>



Phil Rose				Rochester, NY
'91 200q				mailto:pjrose@servtech.com
'89 100