Re: Really bad TT ownership experience

["Joseph Rae" <quattro@ptinet.net>]

Like I said I would have delivered the car back to audi though their
showroom window by now :)

----- Original Message -----
From: "Brad Willis" <bwillis@san.rr.com>
To: <quattro@audifans.com>
Sent: Saturday, December 11, 1999 10:40 AM
Subject: Really bad TT ownership experience


> It has come to my aTTention that my troubled TT has been a recent topic of
> conversation here recently.  A number of you have sent me private e-mail
> messages, and I thank you for your 100% supportive comments.  I did check
> the archives and review prior posts pertaining to this subject, and I
wanted
> to add a few comments.
>
> With regard to the speculation that I am missing shifts, am perhaps
> inexperienced with a stick shift, am imagining problems because there was
a
> problem before and so forth, I must say that all of these speculations are
> absolutely incorrect.  In fact, this seems to be the attitude of most at
> Audi, which is frankly annoying the hell out of me.
>
> I have been driving a manual transmission in excess of 15 years, and the
> first car that I ever owned was a manual.  I have provided Audi with over
40
> other cases of FWD TT owners who have mostly experienced the identical
> experience to mine, which is a periodic grinding of the 2nd gear syncros.
> There is no grinding of other gears, and I like pretty much everyone else,
> do miss a shift, on occasion. I certainly know the difference between a
> missed shift and a loud grind from out of the blue.
>
> Since I took delivery of the TT in May 1999, this grind has occurred over
> 200 times, in my estimation.  It happens most often when the weather is
very
> hot and when I have driven the TT for a long period of time.  Under those
> circumstances, I usually get a lot of grinds, but not always.  The grinds
> are mostly very loud, and embarrassing
>
> When the grinds first began at 5500 miles, they occurred on every shift,
so
> of course this was easy to duplicate.  At that time, the transmission was
> replaced.  At that time, the Service Manager told me that Audi was having
> problems with some of the FWD transmissions, but that the problem had been
> resolved.  I think that he said that the problem was due to some
metallurgy
> problem related to the gears, so something like that.
>
> Shortly thereafter, the 2nd gear grinds began again, only this time it was
> an intermittent occurrence.  This time, the dealership was also able to
> recreate the problem.  They replaced gears, syncros, sliders and so on,
but
> this did not fix the problem.  They have also tried 3 types of
transmission
> oil.  The factory oil was a very thin synthetic, and the mechanic told me
> that it looked like water.  They switched to a thicker conventional tranny
> oil, but that did not help either.  The last attempted repair involved
> switching to Mobil 1 synthetic transmission oil and adjusting the
linkages.
> That too did not help.
>
> After all of this, I have the pleasure of being insulted by Audi and being
> told by their Technical Rep that he did not believe that a problem
existed,
> that he felt that my shifting technique was the problem, that no amount of
> repairs would make me a happy customer, and that a divorce was in order.
> Can you imagine how much this pisses me off.
>
> When I talk about this 2nd gear grind, understand that it does not occur
as
> I am releasing the clutch, as it would if one were missing the shift.  It
> occurs with the clutch pedal fully depressed.  In other words, depress the
> clutch, shift into 2nd, and a loud grind immediately occurs before the
> clutch has been released at all.
>
> In addition to this, there are a number of other problems, most of which
> have still not been repaired.  These include:
>
> 1. An intermittent reset of the instrument pod.
>
> 2. A faulty fuel sensor, which can show a 1/2 left when the car is bone
dry
> (a number of other owners have also had this problem, and several have run
> out of gas).
>
> 3. A loud metallic rattle when accelerating or decelerating (Audi says
that
> it has something to do with a turbo release valve).
>
> 4. Leak in the power steering pump line (successfully repaired).
>
> 5. Loud rattle of the rear privacy cover (replaced and is now fine).
>
> 6. Breakdown of the wheels' finish (replaced and is now fine).
>
> There's more, but you get the idea.  I would expect Audi to have this
> attitude:
> "Gee, Brad. You were interviewed by Anita Lienert for Audi Magazine to be
> our featured owner.  You formed the SoCal TT Club, and have provided much
> information to current and prospective owners, you have referred TT buyers
> to your dealership, and you own one of our high profile Neiman Marcus
> Special Edition TTs.  Now you are having major problems and frustrations.
> We are very sorry and embarrassed that these things are happening, and we
> will do whatever is necessary to make things right and to keep you a happy
> customer."
>
> Instead, I get this attitude:
> "You are a pain in the ass and an annoying customer.  You don't know how
to
> properly drive a stick shift, and all of these grinds are because you are
> either missing the shifts, or perhaps you are lying about things, or are
> crazy.  There's nothing we can do to make you happy, because you are so
> unreasonable."
>
> Well there is something that they can do to keep me happy.  FIX THE DAMN
CAR
> AND LOSE THE ATTITUDE!!!!
>
> Sorry to go on for so long, but I thought that this might shed a bit more
> light on the subject.
>
>