Subject: Re: the Bose Towering Inferno--still simmering?

[C1J1Miller@aol.com]

DeWitt Harrison writes:

::Well, just to keep things lively, here's a different take from the bro
::in Montana:

        Interesting..............I say to Mr. Rose and those hounding Audi:  
Why
        risk your loved ones and your garage for a "free bee?"  Simply replace
        the silly things with new improved units (speaker cones likely blown
        anyway from their kids sneaking into the garage and blasting heavy
        metal).  Kind of like replacing worn out shocks, eh?  And while 
you're at
        it, replace the funky radio unit with one from an early A6.   Pops 
right in
        there (same harness) and is a better BOSE unit anyway that won't
        change stations during bumpy hillclimbs.

::Aside from the odd notion of listening to music during a hillclimb, I
::think it is valid to point out that you ought to correct this problem on
::your car as you would any other problem. Why live with a known hazard?
::Fix it now. Stew (or sue) later.

::The most useful information would consist of that necessary to establish
::whether his or her vehicle is effected. Perhaps you are close to that 
already
::with the Bose lead.  As long as Audi is witholding such, then by all means
::continue to beat them about the head and shoulders. (Anybody checked
::the TSBs for this btw?)

I think your bro is perhaps off on a tangent.  Hounding audi for a freebee?  
First, lots of us bose equipped guys don't want to replace apparently fine 
stereo speakers and radios to the tune of several hundred dollars, due to a 
manufacturing defect or design flaw.  We can get rebuilt speakers for what, 
$80 each or so using our internet discounts?  Probably have the same 
problems, as they're the same speakers/amps.  And no, my 2-year old daughter 
hasn't been blasting the heavy metal sesame street music and blowing the rear 
speaker cones out.

What I'd like is a simple fix, such as "we'll install a $1.00 fusible link on 
each amp and it'll blow and not burn your car and whatever is in it to the 
ground".  In my opinion, this is similar to the "fuel line leak in the engine 
compartment" issue on the '92-97 S4/S6, except that to my knowledge, none of 
those cars have burned and been declared a total loss (unlike some '91 
200q20v bose cars... who's owners were not compensated by Audi, btw).  The 
fuel line leak is now a recall due to the efforts of audi enthusiests on the 
internet.  This is also not a wear or maintenance issue like shocks would be.

Yes, we'd install the simple fix ourselves, if we could be assured that it 
will prevent the fire/smoke on amp failure.  But, what about the other bose 
equipped 200q20v and V8 owners who are not on the quattro list?  There's a 
lot more of them _not_ on the list than are on the list; I guess we just let 
them burn... or we could have Audi contact them and prevent their cars from 
combusting.

Yes, I've checked all the TSBs for this; not listed.  I'm the one who pointed 
out that similar era Infinity Q45's had a recall on bose speakers due to amp 
failure and fire...
That lively enough for ya?
chris miller, windham nh, c1j1miller@aol.com
'91 200q20v ==> http://members.aol.com/c1j1miller/index.html