RE: AUDI WOES

["Buchholz, Steven" <Steven.Buchholz@kla-tencor.com>]

... your problem is more likely to be an easy one to fix.  You didn't state
which emissions were high, which can change the possibilities for the source
of the problem, but if you haven't had a "tune up" lately ... new spark
plugs, distributor rotor and perhaps the cap and spark plug wires, and an
oil change you can stack the deck against yourself.  Worst case you may have
a dead Oxygen Sensor ... which is a bit more expensive to replace.  A
leaking hose is a candidate of course, and cats have been known to fail ...
but IME the stock cats in recent cars are a lot more robust than the old
ones ... but then I have no experience with your particular model ...

It may cost a few more dollars, but sometimes it makes sense to take a car
to a dealer or someone with expertise in Audi cars who will have the
experience to know what the simple and common problems for your car are ...
rather than funding a witch hunt by someone who really doesn't know your car
...

I used to operate that way myself, but what I do today is to know my car
well enough to prepare it for the inspection myself and just take the car to
the cheapest place around.  It can lead to situations like the one where the
"tech" failed my ur-q because there _wasn't_ a line connected to the top of
the WG [there isn't supposed to be one on the WX ... he would pass my car
now ... :] ... but as long as you know your car and are persistent you can
get the job done without too much fuss ...

HTH!
Steve Buchholz
San Jose, CA (USA)

	----------
	From:  AUDI1OO@aol.com [SMTP:AUDI1OO@aol.com]
	Sent:  Friday, April 02, 1999 3:51 PM
	To:  quattro@coimbra.ans.net
	Subject:  AUDI WOES

	I bring my car to the mechanic shop to get a "diagnostic test".  My
car 
	failed inspection ( the emissions were too high).  The guy narrowed
it down 
	to two problems.  First it may be this hose (its 1" narrowed down to
3/4"), I 
	think it is connected into the engine block.  The dealer cannot
locate this 
	hose and says its a "dealer only" part.  I don't knoe what to do.
Second it 
	may be a catalytic convertor (...according to the mechanic, another
dealer 
	only part).  I have no idea what this is going to cost me, but the
dealer 
	said, "an arm and a leg".  I am so worried.  I am thinking of even
selling my 
	Audi and getting something thats more reliable.  The car itself if
beautiful 
	looking (mint inside and out), but it just needs some fixing which
is 
	expensive.  It is approaching 118,000 miles so I don't know what
else is 
	going to need fixing soon...  Any comments will be greatly
appreciated.

	Nick