I'm thinking of getting a cheal '87 5000 quattro which
seems to be in good condition. But I don't know anything
about the 4wheel drive system. should I stay away from
this?

What kind of problems should I look for? If the 4wheel
drive develops a problem is it possible, depending on the
problem of course, to disconnect either the front or back
wheels so that the thing becomes a 2x4?

Thanks in advance for any help!
cp

 

"cp" <dont@email.me> wrote in message news:CXMMb.12836$Eq.10270@clgrps12...
> I'm thinking of getting a cheal '87 5000 quattro which
> seems to be in good condition. But I don't know anything
> about the 4wheel drive system. should I stay away from
> this?

No; you should stay away from the FWD ones.

> What kind of problems should I look for? If the 4wheel
> drive develops a problem is it possible, depending on the
> problem of course, to disconnect either the front or back
> wheels so that the thing becomes a 2x4?

It's possible; one moron who used to frequent this group did it because he
was:

A) Dumb enough to manage to break it in the first place and

B) Too cheap to fix it.

The rest of us, some of whom have put upwards of 300-400K miles on '80s
Quattro drivetrains have had, and heard of, *no* AWD-related failures. I've
had 5 Quattros, 1984-1990, with 132,000-266,000 miles on them without an AWD
failure *of any kind* - and I tended to drive them over 100 mph (BMW & Audi
club driving schools - I'm an instructor) and autocross them using 4000-rpm
launches. Others here have rallied them to excess. Even when treated that
way, they simply don't break.

Maintenance issues are the same as for any FWD drivetrain, including torn CV
boots, wheel bearing failures at well over 100K miles, and the occasional
seeping rear differential seal. Notice that all 3 of these 'problems' are
progressive in nature and, with proper attention, will never keep you from
getting anywhere unless you've actively neglected a symptom for far too long
a time. I daresay you'll find *no one* here who has ever been *stranded*
because of a Quattro AWD driveline failure unless they did that.
--
C.R. Krieger
(Been there; drove that)

 

My experience driving only quattros and my encounters with Audi repair
specialists over the last 15 years tell me that the quattro system is danged
near bullet-proof. If anything, the quattro is has a longer life expectancy
than the 2wd's for reasons I won't bore you with here.


Gene


"cp" <dont@email.me> wrote in message news:CXMMb.12836$Eq.10270@clgrps12...
> I'm thinking of getting a cheal '87 5000 quattro which
> seems to be in good condition. But I don't know anything
> about the 4wheel drive system. should I stay away from
> this?
>
> What kind of problems should I look for? If the 4wheel
> drive develops a problem is it possible, depending on the
> problem of course, to disconnect either the front or back
> wheels so that the thing becomes a 2x4?
>
> Thanks in advance for any help!
> cp
>
>

 

"cp" <dont@email.me> wrote in message news:CXMMb.12836$Eq.10270@clgrps12...
> I'm thinking of getting a cheal '87 5000 quattro which
> seems to be in good condition. But I don't know anything
> about the 4wheel drive system. should I stay away from
> this?
>
> What kind of problems should I look for? If the 4wheel
> drive develops a problem is it possible, depending on the
> problem of course, to disconnect either the front or back
> wheels so that the thing becomes a 2x4?
>
> Thanks in advance for any help!
> cp

The AWD of the 80's quattros will be the LEAST of your worries in that car.
I had ONE minor problem with the quattro drive train in my 86 4000 at the
140,000 mile point when my clutch got changed and somehow a differential
lock got engaged and refused to disengage until the tech cleaned it up and
lubed it - at least that's what I was told. Oh, and once I let the CV boots
go too long without inspection and then I began to hear a funny noise on
sharp turns - ooops.

 

> My experience driving only quattros and my encounters with Audi repair
> specialists over the last 15 years tell me that the quattro system is danged
> near bullet-proof.


Quattro it is then.

>If anything, the quattro is has a longer life expectancy
> than the 2wd's for reasons I won't bore you with here.

I insist!
cp

 

> The AWD of the 80's quattros will be the LEAST of your worries in that car.
> I had ONE minor problem with the quattro drive train in my 86 4000 at the
> 140,000 mile point when my clutch got changed and somehow a differential
> lock got engaged and refused to disengage until the tech cleaned it up and
> lubed it - at least that's what I was told. Oh, and once I let the CV boots
> go too long without inspection and then I began to hear a funny noise on
> sharp turns - ooops.

I'll be watching out for that! Thanks!

cp

 

I'm sold! Thanks for all the advice! I had a FWD, no problems
but I didn't keep it long, quattro sounds mighty fine though.

cp


> > I'm thinking of getting a cheal '87 5000 quattro which
> > seems to be in good condition. But I don't know anything
> > about the 4wheel drive system. should I stay away from
> > this?
>
> No; you should stay away from the FWD ones.
>
> > What kind of problems should I look for? If the 4wheel
> > drive develops a problem is it possible, depending on the
> > problem of course, to disconnect either the front or back
> > wheels so that the thing becomes a 2x4?
>
> It's possible; one moron who used to frequent this group did it because he
> was:
>
> A) Dumb enough to manage to break it in the first place and
>
> B) Too cheap to fix it.
>
> The rest of us, some of whom have put upwards of 300-400K miles on '80s
> Quattro drivetrains have had, and heard of, *no* AWD-related failures. I've
> had 5 Quattros, 1984-1990, with 132,000-266,000 miles on them without an AWD
> failure *of any kind* - and I tended to drive them over 100 mph (BMW & Audi
> club driving schools - I'm an instructor) and autocross them using 4000-rpm
> launches. Others here have rallied them to excess. Even when treated that
> way, they simply don't break.
>
> Maintenance issues are the same as for any FWD drivetrain, including torn CV
> boots, wheel bearing failures at well over 100K miles, and the occasional
> seeping rear differential seal. Notice that all 3 of these 'problems' are
> progressive in nature and, with proper attention, will never keep you from
> getting anywhere unless you've actively neglected a symptom for far too long
> a time. I daresay you'll find *no one* here who has ever been *stranded*
> because of a Quattro AWD driveline failure unless they did that.
> --
> C.R. Krieger
> (Been there; drove that)
>
>