Type 44 q Fuel Tank Seam Corrosion

["Fred Munro" <munrof@isys.ca>]

    Just thought I'd send out a "heads up" to Type 44 quattro owners who
live in salt laden northern areas. Audi has fitted an aluminium sandwich
heat shield between the rear muffler and the left side of the fuel tank.
This shield can contact the bottom seam of the fuel tank, resulting in
galvanic corrosion. Fortunately the aluminium corrodes preferentially, but
on my 200q this lower seam is now somewhat rusty. A 1" wide strip of the
upper aluminium cover on the heat shield has vanished, along with the areas
around the rear heat shield mounts. This fortuitous occurance made it easy
to pull the heat shield down and away from the tank.
    This might be worth a look before your tank springs a leak.


Fred Munro
'91 200q  267k km