RE: 91 200 tq, understeer/oversteer

[Henry A Harper III <hah@srv.net>]

>I have had a situation which is back and getting worse.  Whenever I sit 
with
>the engine idling, warm car, I am getting a strong burning oil smell.  No
>smoke, no obvious leaks, I've looked, mechanics have looked, etc.  No
>visible leak, vacuum hose behind the block replaced, the branching one, 
and
>I thought it was fixed but now it's back.
>Has any one experienced this?  Any ideas?  The car has 70K, runs well, oil
>use is less than 2/3 quart in 2500 miles.

But have you checked the transaxle level lately? Burning-oil smell was 
recently discussed as a symptom of leaking final drive seals on the front 
axles, which are above the catalytic convertors on this particular car. See 
Phil Rose for details.

>Next thing is that when I am sitting and I turn the wheel hard right, it
>feels that at certain points I have no PS.  Never noticed this driving. 
 The
>rack was replaced at 47K.  Any connection here?  Pentosin level is fine, 
no
>obvious loss.

Is this when the car is moving at all? Could it be the center diff 
scrubbing? Only upon hard right, not hard left? What do you mean "no PS", 
are you up against the limit or something? Could be an old pressure 
accumulator, do you get the BRAKE warning light a lot?

And in the two-for-one department...

Oversteer is when the back wheels are sliding/have less-than-optimal grip, 
the car is turning more than the steering wheel and front tire angle from 
straight ahead would indicate - it is "over" steering or steering too much. 
Also known by: the back end of the car hits the barrier on the outside of 
the turn; the navigator is frightened.

Understeer is when the front wheels are sliding/have less-than-optimal 
grip, the car is turning less than the steering wheel and front tire angle 
from straight ahead would indicate - it is "under" steering or steering not 
enough. Also known by: the front end of the car hits the barrier on the 
outside of the turn; the driver is frightened.

HTH
Henry Harper
http://www.srv.net/~hah
1991 200 quattro, 100k, quite happy with the UFOs still
1988 GTI 16v, 188k, only one respondent to my Laguna Seca note as yet 
though

begin 600 WINMAIL.DAT
M>)\^(BT6`0:0" `$```````!``$``0>0!@`(````Y 0```````#H``$(@ <`
M& ```$E032Y-:6-R;W-O9G0@36%I;"Y.;W1E`#$(`0V ! `"`````@`"``$$
MD 8`, $```$````,`````P``, (````+``\.``````(!_P\!````30``````
M``"!*Q^DOJ,0&9UN`-T!#U0"`````'%U871T<F] 8V]I;6)R82YA;G,N;F5T
M`%--5% `<75A='1R;T!C;VEM8G)A+F%N<RYN970`````'@`", $````%````
M4TU44 `````>``,P`0```!@```!Q=6%T=')O0&-O:6UB<F$N86YS+FYE= `#
M`!4,`0````,`_@\&````'@`!, $````:````)W%U871T<F] 8V]I;6)R82YA
M;G,N;F5T)P````(!"S !````'0```%--5% Z455!5%123T!#3TE-0E)!+D%.
M4RY.150``````P``.0`````+`$ Z`0````(!]@\!````! ````````+0.@$$
M@ $`) ```%)%.B Y,2 R,# @='$L('5N9&5R<W1E97(O;W9E<G-T965R`*T+
M`06 `P`.````SP<#``P`#P`,`"L`!0`P`0$@@ ,`#@```,\'`P`,``\``0``
M``4`^@`!"8 !`"$```!#-#8Q.3DQ,D$X-D-"13$Q.$4X1#A%,T%%-$(U1$)#
M10!V!P$#D 8`Y <``!0````+`",```````,`)@``````"P`I```````#`"X`
M``````,`-@``````0 `Y`( >7W/5;+X!'@!P``$````D````4D4Z(#DQ(#(P
M,"!T<2P@=6YD97)S=&5E<B]O=F5R<W1E97(``@%Q``$````6`````;YLU7-?
MH^2S)=A@$=*/B<,(<,%V% ``'@`># $````%````4TU44 `````>`!\,`0``
M``P```!H86A <W)V+FYE= `#``80\X@[D0,`!Q"9!@``'@`($ $```!E````
M24A!5D5(041!4TE454%424].5TA)0TA)4T)!0TM!3D1'151424Y'5T]24T57
M2$5.159%4DE32517251(5$A%14Y'24Y%241,24Y'+%=!4DU#05(L24%-1T54
M5$E.1T%35%)/3@`````"`0D0`0```%@&``!4!@``Q L``$Q:1G7.=;:J_P`*
M`0\"%0*D`^0%ZP*#`% 3`U0"`&-H"L!S973N,@8`!L,"@S(#Q@<3`H/&,P/%
M`@!P<G$2(!.(AC04/ :P<W1E;0* _GT*@ C/"=D"@ J!#;$+8.!N9S$P,Q0@
M"PH2\KT!T" *APMD%"(;(3X:;)<*H -@%M!C!4!)(!' A'9E'D%D(&$@`) @
M='5A=&D"("!WE&AI$; @! `@8@#0ZFL>T&X>P&<2`!]0&; ''Y %L!'P+B @
M5VC]"?!E'G %P!XP'P$?D!\0?F@;7QQO'7HBT!Z "?!GHPN 'H!I9&PA`2P?
MD'$*P&T@8PK )N >,&&W)S @QA[A= -@(1%B"' K`P`A$6\#$7,'@&QL>2&1
M3F\B_R0/'7HIP&\D:V4FX&YO*7!B=@4?8'4$(&QE86MSW2>!)QYQ%Y M860F
MX > >Q&Q`P!C!" >4R\F$@!C_RH?*R\L/RX``) "8"\!+G$E)N!V`-!U=2<P
M:&][$? @(&4?L""1)=("8&^W(%$8``M18R]B-H-R`'#_$; I0R'P)N @@3&?
M,J\=?+,BT A@9V@%0"*"800@^&9I> F */$%0"VP!^!U'Q G(!0N.2\Z/QUZ
M2)L\X0!P>3B2)@!X< 9QKPGP-W$EP00`/R&@04'!]R: +G!#(E0EX2=1'D$$
M($@W,$LFX')U!C%W_RGA)N I@3Z?/Z\=>BXP)F$/+D($$2+0`Y$R+S,@GG$?
M, `@'_!)X34P&S#>;0,0!Y ^CQK[0CV!'E/^>0A@)T AT"!00L,>@"B@^0!Q
M87@TPQYP`R +8!;0W&QY0S!-4"DC+2F'/,//& `W< (P4" @9 0`-7#_!! ]
M04&"'O &P 4P`W I<.YF+E,A`CT0;@= 4D %$/\><1'P!T $(!]Q)=(#40(P
M?Q[03T$NH1^D"L >@ &@;[\><272)U !D% @'U!C)T#_`B B$5. $>!5A" !
M"K%8<7YU"V %P"=1(9 &8!Z 4/\?L ,@" `UX0(0!< -L &0OP,02V<*A4=_
M'<4'P'@ELO\A`B !2;$BD2'1)Y0?`2@D_R"1/ $I$27#8!%/L1'!'L!_!1 \
M82;@'Q!+CT<O'7IF_V)!7Z5?X3=P`" +<5G0*8#/`C $(!XU+;%04S%"(@/_
M+;!8<4+%5,,A`2&11"%C;W]D?QUZ.! @45&$-T1FXC3\-TLAD4-B6+$A\!X`
M'V+W(= 8`$,Q4%'Q-=!*H4^$_R !5'$M@VL/;!\=>BWG-=#W2V\:[W,Z24F2
M( %@$U?4OP7 ( $$8&IB9N('0&Q#,/T(46P>P"*!-A!7Q%'Q(B&/4E -T![P
M!0!U8F(A`>E#,$]N4B%U9Z!P86*9?VEA8G0N8 & 0S AP%_A9*\MP$WB!X #
MD2)H@R(XT>]704WB?C >T&<+<1; )</O)J!+('51!<!S`W 2`#A2_WM6? $#
MD0;P'L 4P$EQ"'#U5U%C-7!M6D%9$2;@@(6#(,$EPT)204M%)O+_*3,FH#QB
M'N 7D( `7(Q#8.M[L56D="% +5O!4- F46\-L%GB!X ","Z,8%R,3_\B$1;!
M(B%Y6B S8B-!D5=!;G,FH%)0&; O,$1)<2W_2;)0T 4P!W!4H0G !2 WI/]Z
M%6&2(0($8%=!2;,ETHVS_R$#8C,@@E8$'U!70AFP-,'_`U(H@@MPB-,AT!ZQ
M(4![DV<@D!_ 3_$@+3R2( $B^5>1<B*4*(.BE$93@"W MX90$; AD$%58"W 
M:SVQ\0.@8GDZCH@)\![ 4\'O>=8?L&?ACI1R"()5A@A@[V?@0Z&=-F&2.R7#
M5) N`%^"D%D1<=-BTR'A9%Q]5?\@D(V?5=>/+Y _D4^27DEH_Y/_E0^6'Y<O
MF#Y%0 2!F7__JG1_0@GP/$*;;U7(G0^>'W^?+Z [5-.ACUR;"OMSA4C45$BY
M%4@)\')!T$%P#G)"4;D5/'!T<#HO!"]WO0`N<W)V+C$A\'0O?A' (N8Q.?PY
M,4GP2O%*00) `V FX#T9T# U(4I 'Q >@G!PQT'0(K(EPU5&3P0@%L '`Q!&
M!KYP.#@@1U3Q'C Q-G:_<<)P-2$"(/]2(4'RA9%^00VPJZ*;`4'0_DR"@$5 
M'N &8"=0:5)74?T$('F'8SQ"<PP=I[D5%R$"`,DP`P`0$ $````#`!$0````
M`$ `!S#@,U+0TVR^`4 `"##@,U+0TVR^`1X`/0`!````!0```%)%.B `````
*`P`--/TW``#YC&R^
`
end