Re: UK Right hand drive Audi 200 Turbo Quattro problems....

[quk@isham-research.demon.co.uk (Phil Payne)]

In message <19990516020504.VIUE16164.mta1-svc@[194.168.56.107]> "Paul Robinson" writes:

> Hope someone out there in Audi land can help a poor Englishman with his
> aging 200 Quattro Turbo Avant (wagon!).....

> My car is an '87 with a reasonable 227,000miles on the clock - never had the
> head off and still going quite strong but probably needing a little TLC
> before too long.  Using some oil, not really pulling the tree stumps as she
> used to, and just a few niggly little problems to contend with.

VIN and engine number would be useful.

> 1. Lack of Power - a discernable difference from 30,000 miles ago.  Usually
> does 30 miles per gallon+ on motorway trips and about 20mpg in town.  The
> car idles with 0.6 bar of boost and reaches 1.4 sometimes 1.5bar. Should it
> idle with this pressure?  I have checked for induction leaks in all the
> normal places but nothing obvious.  I have a new set of injectors to fit
> maybe this will pay dividends?

Could be anything - more likely a bit of everything.  Bring it to the
London Area Meeting this Thursday evening - Crooked Chimney, on the road
between A1M J4 and Wheathampstead.

> 2.  Rattly/tinkly noise from somewhere under the car - even with the engine
> off and coasting down a very quiet road this noise can be heard. Imagine a
> rivet loose in a piece of metal (heatshield?) rattling and amplified by the
> underside of the car.  could it be from the propshaft u/j or carrier
> bearing. Any ideas or similar annoyances?

Usually brake backing plate or one of the heatshields.  Sometimes even
worn carrier guide pins.  Propshaft tends to thump more than rattle.
Did you know there's a grease nipple on the UJ?

> 3.  Turbo After Run Pump and Fan We don't often get very hot summer weather
> here in Britain but I drive in London Traffic - very bad all year and the
> car gets pretty hot. The Turbo Pump and Fan hardly ever operate - The
> Bentley book states that it should operate if the vehicle gets hot enough
> for the radiator fan to cut in during normal driving and the car is turned
> off with this fan still running. I changed the thermo switch which actually
> seemed to be faulty and the new one was worse - it operated the system with
> the car stone cold!

Yeah, it does sometimes.  The after-run pump circuitry looks at time as well as
temperature.  The injector cooling fan just runs on the thermoswitch
above the exhaust manifold.

> It is obviously there for a reason. Presumably to safeguard the
> Turbo.

Yeah.  Got a dead one in the garage.  Got a dead turbo in the garage,
too.

> 4. Clutch and Gearbox  I fear the worst here - the clutch seems to get
> stiffer and graunchier all the time, particularly in traffic, and the
> gearchange is also very difficult once the car gets hot - 1st and reverse
> v.nasty!

If the clutch hasn't been done yet, it's about time.

> Its been suggested that a change to synthetic oil in the gearbox might help
> some and the clutch is close to death.  Thoughts please!

Changing the oil might help.  At least you'd be able to poke a magnet
in and see if there's anything floating about.  Don't forget to make sure
you can open the filler before opening the drain.

--
 Phil Payne
 UK Audi quattro Owners Club