Ron's Oil Q's

[apowell@ezlink.com]

Mr. Ron Wainwright <ron_01056@yahoo.com> asked:

> 
>  While driving to my local parts guy for my religious 3k oil+filter
> change(Mann filter by the way $3.00) i walked to go grab the usual
> 15W-50(synthetic $26.00) and came across this [Tri-synthetic 15W oil]
> asked the guy what Tri meant told me it had more oil stuff in it(or
> something) can anybody set me straight on that?

Easy.  Doesn't matter what snake oil claims it has, don't use it.  Use 
synthetic but stick with Mobil 1, Amsoil or RedLine.  For the price, 
use Mobil 1.  All the rest are johnny-come-latelies and they don't 
know half what those three manufacturers do about synthetics. 

> Whell iv'e noticed some
> fluid(unknown) leaking under my differential(quattro) whill driving id'e
> churn through the gears and noticed that my rpm's would climb but the car
> was'nt, meaning that the car was'nt going as fast as the rpm's were, felt
> like the tranny is slippin but my question is no oil goes in the tranny
> rite? 

Comments - 
1)  You need to find out what's leaking.  Look at it and sniff it.  Gear 
oil has a distinctive musty smell and is differential (front drive 
mechanism). Automatic transmission fluid is reddish.  Engine oil 
which has been run will be gold to black.  

20  I've never owned an Audi manual, so I'm not sure whether they 
use gear oil or ATF in the manual tranny.  But they DO use oil.  ALL 
transmissions use oil.  Whether it's gear oil or ATF is the issue.

do i have a leak in the center diff... What seals are down there, 

Who knows?  You can find out.  LOOK for the leak.  Trace drips.  
Sniff the oil to see if it's gear oil.  Low gear oil will COOK your final 
drive faster than you can believe.  Do NOT let the level go 
unchecked.  Take it to someone who knows VW and Audi and have 
them check the differential/FWD level, as it sounds like you may not 
be in a position to do so.

> my
> brake warning light has been comming on i need to replace the master
> Replaced my rotors and pads 2-months ago the warning lite came on re:blead
> the brakes rear first then front then re:did the one rear felt good for a
> couple of days (200miles) then felt like pressure dropped(ABS) then this
> any ideas as to my next progect? Any help would be greatlly appreceated
> have the bibles (Bentley manuals) 

Disregard the brake situation and find out if you have a bad "bomb". 
 (Hydraulic pressure reservoir.)  Start the car, wait till light goes out, 
stab the brakes hard about six to ten times in quick succession while 
the car idles.  If the brake light comes on, your bomb is bad.  Takes 
only about 45 minutes and $250 (do it yourself) to replace it.  

If your bomb is good, THEN start looking further into the brakes.  
Typical failure with your symptoms is the bomb, not the brakes.


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Al Powell
Apowell@EZlink.com
1958 Fiat 1200 Spyder "Transformabile"
1983 Datsun 280ZXT
1990 Audi 200
http://www.ezlink.com/~powells/
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