Ed Pirrero

Keep on Plonkin' wrote:
> "Ed Pirrero" <gcmschemist@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1166106834.324139.10500@f1g2000cwa.googlegrou ps.com...
> >
> > agbiggs@hotmail.com wrote:
> >> A great car but the poor reliabiliity and
> >> cost of repairs make things a real problem.
> >>
> >
> > What reliability? The car went back and forth OK, right?
> >
> > I can see the CEL as a hassle, and I wouldn't like it either. But
> > there's some problem that needs fixing there, no doubt.
> >
> > If you think the cost of repairs are high for Audi, then you have no
> > idea what car repair costs these days.
> >
> > Oh, and you can get that headlamp assembly used for MUCH MUCH less than
> > that. And they are incredibly easy to DIY install.
> >
> > E.P.
>
> This response is meant to be a joke, right?

No.

> On the CEL problem, check the service records for each visit to see if they
> list a specific numerical code that they read (and the computer logged) that
> caused the CEL. If the same code recurs each time, then you have a good
> argument that they original problem was never fixed.

Yes, but the OP didn't mention anything about this. If it's throwing
the same code over and over, then there's a problem that needs to be
fixed. (I think I said that.)

But whether or not the deal has to honor the warranty - they can say
no. And so can Audi NA. That's why when you buy a used car, you have
to be extraordinarily careful.

A lawyer might ultimately be required for this problem.

> One way to prevent this is to tell them not to do any work (other than
> diagnosis) and then get their story before you authorize the repair (and
> possibly a big bill).

And this isn't only for Audi. Works for all makes.

> And if the dealer is non-responsive, take your complaint to Audi
> corporate--there will be a procedure in your owner's manual. You may get
> satisfaction from Audi of America (or Audi of whichever country you are in).

Seems unlikely. Audi NA ain't that hot.

>
> On the headlamp assembly, a DIY install is probably beyond many Audi owners,
> esp. when most require that you drop the bumper to get at the headlamp
> assembly.

Says who? *Most* do *not* require dropping the bumper. I can do my
1995 S6 headlights in about 15 minutes with a #2 Phillips screwdriver.
No other tools required, and certainly no bumper drop!

Unless you have the Bentley open in front of you, you have no idea.

> The OP is right, Audis (and VWs) have some great attributes, but their
> reliability is not up to even the worst US models and far behind the
> Japanese.

Now you're just entering into fantasy. How is it, do you think, that
I've owned a million miles worth of Audis, and not had the reliability
hassles I had with the American and Japanese cars I owned? I have 500k
miles of Audis currently in the stable, and they all run great, and
keep on going, even after some pretty severe use.

> And the dealer service network is spotty-- sometimes good, most
> times poor.

Here's where we agree 100%.

> I'm on my fourth VW/Audi, and would not recommend one to
> someone who is not capable of complex service and repair on their own, and
> even with my tools and capabilities I always have a good independent
> mechanic I can fall back on when the work is beyond my capability.

Either I have had very good luck, or you are exaggerating.

> And I would never rely upon a VW/Audi as my only source of automotive
> transportation. I also own a Ford Escape, which has had only two minor
> component failures (one out of warranty) in almost 90,000 miles of driving.

I consider a 90k Audi barely broken in. I have two well over 200k, and
they are both daily drivers. Audis are all we have, and we have been
stranded ONCE. Fuel pump went out at 200k miles. I got no problem
with a 200k fuel pump. And I have heard stories about fuel pump issues
in Ford/GM cars that require the gas tank to be removed to replace a
$500 pump. Not even the Bosch 044 Motorsport pump is that expensive.
(Used on 400+HP modded turbo I5 Audis.)

My American cars used to crap out on a regular basis, and the one
Accord that I had was such a junker I didn't trust it to roll down the
driveway under gravity power.

E.P.

Ed Pirrero

Keep on Plonkin' wrote:
> "Ed Pirrero" <gcmschemist@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1166106834.324139.10500@f1g2000cwa.googlegrou ps.com...
> >
> > agbiggs@hotmail.com wrote:
> >> A great car but the poor reliabiliity and
> >> cost of repairs make things a real problem.
> >>
> >
> > What reliability? The car went back and forth OK, right?
> >
> > I can see the CEL as a hassle, and I wouldn't like it either. But
> > there's some problem that needs fixing there, no doubt.
> >
> > If you think the cost of repairs are high for Audi, then you have no
> > idea what car repair costs these days.
> >
> > Oh, and you can get that headlamp assembly used for MUCH MUCH less than
> > that. And they are incredibly easy to DIY install.
> >
> > E.P.
>
> This response is meant to be a joke, right?

No.

> On the CEL problem, check the service records for each visit to see if they
> list a specific numerical code that they read (and the computer logged) that
> caused the CEL. If the same code recurs each time, then you have a good
> argument that they original problem was never fixed.

Yes, but the OP didn't mention anything about this. If it's throwing
the same code over and over, then there's a problem that needs to be
fixed. (I think I said that.)

But whether or not the deal has to honor the warranty - they can say
no. And so can Audi NA. That's why when you buy a used car, you have
to be extraordinarily careful.

A lawyer might ultimately be required for this problem.

> One way to prevent this is to tell them not to do any work (other than
> diagnosis) and then get their story before you authorize the repair (and
> possibly a big bill).

And this isn't only for Audi. Works for all makes.

> And if the dealer is non-responsive, take your complaint to Audi
> corporate--there will be a procedure in your owner's manual. You may get
> satisfaction from Audi of America (or Audi of whichever country you are in).

Seems unlikely. Audi NA ain't that hot.

>
> On the headlamp assembly, a DIY install is probably beyond many Audi owners,
> esp. when most require that you drop the bumper to get at the headlamp
> assembly.

Says who? *Most* do *not* require dropping the bumper. I can do my
1995 S6 headlights in about 15 minutes with a #2 Phillips screwdriver.
No other tools required, and certainly no bumper drop!

Unless you have the Bentley open in front of you, you have no idea.

> The OP is right, Audis (and VWs) have some great attributes, but their
> reliability is not up to even the worst US models and far behind the
> Japanese.

Now you're just entering into fantasy. How is it, do you think, that
I've owned a million miles worth of Audis, and not had the reliability
hassles I had with the American and Japanese cars I owned? I have 500k
miles of Audis currently in the stable, and they all run great, and
keep on going, even after some pretty severe use.

> And the dealer service network is spotty-- sometimes good, most
> times poor.

Here's where we agree 100%.

> I'm on my fourth VW/Audi, and would not recommend one to
> someone who is not capable of complex service and repair on their own, and
> even with my tools and capabilities I always have a good independent
> mechanic I can fall back on when the work is beyond my capability.

Either I have had very good luck, or you are exaggerating.

> And I would never rely upon a VW/Audi as my only source of automotive
> transportation. I also own a Ford Escape, which has had only two minor
> component failures (one out of warranty) in almost 90,000 miles of driving.

I consider a 90k Audi barely broken in. I have two well over 200k, and
they are both daily drivers. Audis are all we have, and we have been
stranded ONCE. Fuel pump went out at 200k miles. I got no problem
with a 200k fuel pump. And I have heard stories about fuel pump issues
in Ford/GM cars that require the gas tank to be removed to replace a
$500 pump. Not even the Bosch 044 Motorsport pump is that expensive.
(Used on 400+HP modded turbo I5 Audis.)

My American cars used to crap out on a regular basis, and the one
Accord that I had was such a junker I didn't trust it to roll down the
driveway under gravity power.

E.P.

Ed Pirrero

Keep on Plonkin' wrote:
> "Ed Pirrero" <gcmschemist@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1166106834.324139.10500@f1g2000cwa.googlegrou ps.com...
> >
> > agbiggs@hotmail.com wrote:
> >> A great car but the poor reliabiliity and
> >> cost of repairs make things a real problem.
> >>
> >
> > What reliability? The car went back and forth OK, right?
> >
> > I can see the CEL as a hassle, and I wouldn't like it either. But
> > there's some problem that needs fixing there, no doubt.
> >
> > If you think the cost of repairs are high for Audi, then you have no
> > idea what car repair costs these days.
> >
> > Oh, and you can get that headlamp assembly used for MUCH MUCH less than
> > that. And they are incredibly easy to DIY install.
> >
> > E.P.
>
> This response is meant to be a joke, right?

No.

> On the CEL problem, check the service records for each visit to see if they
> list a specific numerical code that they read (and the computer logged) that
> caused the CEL. If the same code recurs each time, then you have a good
> argument that they original problem was never fixed.

Yes, but the OP didn't mention anything about this. If it's throwing
the same code over and over, then there's a problem that needs to be
fixed. (I think I said that.)

But whether or not the deal has to honor the warranty - they can say
no. And so can Audi NA. That's why when you buy a used car, you have
to be extraordinarily careful.

A lawyer might ultimately be required for this problem.

> One way to prevent this is to tell them not to do any work (other than
> diagnosis) and then get their story before you authorize the repair (and
> possibly a big bill).

And this isn't only for Audi. Works for all makes.

> And if the dealer is non-responsive, take your complaint to Audi
> corporate--there will be a procedure in your owner's manual. You may get
> satisfaction from Audi of America (or Audi of whichever country you are in).

Seems unlikely. Audi NA ain't that hot.

>
> On the headlamp assembly, a DIY install is probably beyond many Audi owners,
> esp. when most require that you drop the bumper to get at the headlamp
> assembly.

Says who? *Most* do *not* require dropping the bumper. I can do my
1995 S6 headlights in about 15 minutes with a #2 Phillips screwdriver.
No other tools required, and certainly no bumper drop!

Unless you have the Bentley open in front of you, you have no idea.

> The OP is right, Audis (and VWs) have some great attributes, but their
> reliability is not up to even the worst US models and far behind the
> Japanese.

Now you're just entering into fantasy. How is it, do you think, that
I've owned a million miles worth of Audis, and not had the reliability
hassles I had with the American and Japanese cars I owned? I have 500k
miles of Audis currently in the stable, and they all run great, and
keep on going, even after some pretty severe use.

> And the dealer service network is spotty-- sometimes good, most
> times poor.

Here's where we agree 100%.

> I'm on my fourth VW/Audi, and would not recommend one to
> someone who is not capable of complex service and repair on their own, and
> even with my tools and capabilities I always have a good independent
> mechanic I can fall back on when the work is beyond my capability.

Either I have had very good luck, or you are exaggerating.

> And I would never rely upon a VW/Audi as my only source of automotive
> transportation. I also own a Ford Escape, which has had only two minor
> component failures (one out of warranty) in almost 90,000 miles of driving.

I consider a 90k Audi barely broken in. I have two well over 200k, and
they are both daily drivers. Audis are all we have, and we have been
stranded ONCE. Fuel pump went out at 200k miles. I got no problem
with a 200k fuel pump. And I have heard stories about fuel pump issues
in Ford/GM cars that require the gas tank to be removed to replace a
$500 pump. Not even the Bosch 044 Motorsport pump is that expensive.
(Used on 400+HP modded turbo I5 Audis.)

My American cars used to crap out on a regular basis, and the one
Accord that I had was such a junker I didn't trust it to roll down the
driveway under gravity power.

E.P.

KLS

On 14 Dec 2006 10:59:16 -0800, "Ed Pirrero" <gcmschemist@gmail.com>
wrote:
>I consider a 90k Audi barely broken in. I have two well over 200k, and
>they are both daily drivers. Audis are all we have, and we have been
>stranded ONCE. Fuel pump went out at 200k miles. I got no problem
>with a 200k fuel pump. And I have heard stories about fuel pump issues
>in Ford/GM cars that require the gas tank to be removed to replace a
>$500 pump. Not even the Bosch 044 Motorsport pump is that expensive.
>(Used on 400+HP modded turbo I5 Audis.)

Ed, I'm very happy to see this: I'm running a 98.5 A4Q 2.8 machine
with 104k miles, and it feels really good still. I plan to replace
all the struts next year when I replace the tires (I'm seeing some
tire slap), and I see no reason not to keep driving this baby. I'm
still on the original clutch! So, thanks: I plan to break 200K miles
with this car, if I can.

KLS

On 14 Dec 2006 10:59:16 -0800, "Ed Pirrero" <gcmschemist@gmail.com>
wrote:
>I consider a 90k Audi barely broken in. I have two well over 200k, and
>they are both daily drivers. Audis are all we have, and we have been
>stranded ONCE. Fuel pump went out at 200k miles. I got no problem
>with a 200k fuel pump. And I have heard stories about fuel pump issues
>in Ford/GM cars that require the gas tank to be removed to replace a
>$500 pump. Not even the Bosch 044 Motorsport pump is that expensive.
>(Used on 400+HP modded turbo I5 Audis.)

Ed, I'm very happy to see this: I'm running a 98.5 A4Q 2.8 machine
with 104k miles, and it feels really good still. I plan to replace
all the struts next year when I replace the tires (I'm seeing some
tire slap), and I see no reason not to keep driving this baby. I'm
still on the original clutch! So, thanks: I plan to break 200K miles
with this car, if I can.

KLS

On 14 Dec 2006 10:59:16 -0800, "Ed Pirrero" <gcmschemist@gmail.com>
wrote:
>I consider a 90k Audi barely broken in. I have two well over 200k, and
>they are both daily drivers. Audis are all we have, and we have been
>stranded ONCE. Fuel pump went out at 200k miles. I got no problem
>with a 200k fuel pump. And I have heard stories about fuel pump issues
>in Ford/GM cars that require the gas tank to be removed to replace a
>$500 pump. Not even the Bosch 044 Motorsport pump is that expensive.
>(Used on 400+HP modded turbo I5 Audis.)

Ed, I'm very happy to see this: I'm running a 98.5 A4Q 2.8 machine
with 104k miles, and it feels really good still. I plan to replace
all the struts next year when I replace the tires (I'm seeing some
tire slap), and I see no reason not to keep driving this baby. I'm
still on the original clutch! So, thanks: I plan to break 200K miles
with this car, if I can.

KLS

On 14 Dec 2006 10:59:16 -0800, "Ed Pirrero" <gcmschemist@gmail.com>
wrote:
>I consider a 90k Audi barely broken in. I have two well over 200k, and
>they are both daily drivers. Audis are all we have, and we have been
>stranded ONCE. Fuel pump went out at 200k miles. I got no problem
>with a 200k fuel pump. And I have heard stories about fuel pump issues
>in Ford/GM cars that require the gas tank to be removed to replace a
>$500 pump. Not even the Bosch 044 Motorsport pump is that expensive.
>(Used on 400+HP modded turbo I5 Audis.)

Ed, I'm very happy to see this: I'm running a 98.5 A4Q 2.8 machine
with 104k miles, and it feels really good still. I plan to replace
all the struts next year when I replace the tires (I'm seeing some
tire slap), and I see no reason not to keep driving this baby. I'm
still on the original clutch! So, thanks: I plan to break 200K miles
with this car, if I can.

Kevin McMurtrie

In article <1166104727.209665.11400@73g2000cwn.googlegroups.c om>,
"agbiggs@hotmail.com" <agbiggs@hotmail.com> wrote:

> I talked to my dealer about this yesterday. Their claim is that since a
> number of things can cause the check engine light to come on, it's a
> new problem rather than an ongoing problem that was never fixed. That's
> a bit hard to believe, but I wasn't in the mood to fight it and paid
> the $300 bill. I'm only hoping the fix will stay fixed for a while so I
> can trade it in. I don't mind minor problems when it's under warranty,
> but out of warranty things get really expensive.
>
> Example: A small plastic gear was missing from the top of the headlight
> mechanism, which is used to 'steer' the light. As a result, it was
> mis-pointed and wouldn't pass inspection. So you'd replace the 5-cent
> gear, right? Nope. Audi says you have to replace the entire headlight
> structure at a cost of $1300. Between this problem and the check engine
> light, I'm pretty much done. A great car but the poor reliabiliity and
> cost of repairs make things a real problem.
>
> Thanks for the help; much appreciated.
>
> Andrew

Take the gear off the other headlight and have a machinist or clocksmith
replicate it.

Kevin McMurtrie

In article <1166104727.209665.11400@73g2000cwn.googlegroups.c om>,
"agbiggs@hotmail.com" <agbiggs@hotmail.com> wrote:

> I talked to my dealer about this yesterday. Their claim is that since a
> number of things can cause the check engine light to come on, it's a
> new problem rather than an ongoing problem that was never fixed. That's
> a bit hard to believe, but I wasn't in the mood to fight it and paid
> the $300 bill. I'm only hoping the fix will stay fixed for a while so I
> can trade it in. I don't mind minor problems when it's under warranty,
> but out of warranty things get really expensive.
>
> Example: A small plastic gear was missing from the top of the headlight
> mechanism, which is used to 'steer' the light. As a result, it was
> mis-pointed and wouldn't pass inspection. So you'd replace the 5-cent
> gear, right? Nope. Audi says you have to replace the entire headlight
> structure at a cost of $1300. Between this problem and the check engine
> light, I'm pretty much done. A great car but the poor reliabiliity and
> cost of repairs make things a real problem.
>
> Thanks for the help; much appreciated.
>
> Andrew

Take the gear off the other headlight and have a machinist or clocksmith
replicate it.

Kevin McMurtrie

In article <1166104727.209665.11400@73g2000cwn.googlegroups.c om>,
"agbiggs@hotmail.com" <agbiggs@hotmail.com> wrote:

> I talked to my dealer about this yesterday. Their claim is that since a
> number of things can cause the check engine light to come on, it's a
> new problem rather than an ongoing problem that was never fixed. That's
> a bit hard to believe, but I wasn't in the mood to fight it and paid
> the $300 bill. I'm only hoping the fix will stay fixed for a while so I
> can trade it in. I don't mind minor problems when it's under warranty,
> but out of warranty things get really expensive.
>
> Example: A small plastic gear was missing from the top of the headlight
> mechanism, which is used to 'steer' the light. As a result, it was
> mis-pointed and wouldn't pass inspection. So you'd replace the 5-cent
> gear, right? Nope. Audi says you have to replace the entire headlight
> structure at a cost of $1300. Between this problem and the check engine
> light, I'm pretty much done. A great car but the poor reliabiliity and
> cost of repairs make things a real problem.
>
> Thanks for the help; much appreciated.
>
> Andrew

Take the gear off the other headlight and have a machinist or clocksmith
replicate it.