Quote:
Originally posted by titan5000S@Jan 10 2005, 02:49 PM
HI everyone, I'd like to introduce myself to the Audi scene and this board. I have just acquired a 1984 5000S FWD non-turbo from a family member (actually it's my sister's, I'm just the "novice" family mechanic with friends  ) The previous owner dumped money into this car (about $3K) restoring the hydraulic system (braking and steering), radiator and numerous other components (they gave me the receipts to back it up, this thing looks like a money pit*  ).
My major concern is the brakes aren't working very good. Upon startup, and periodically during normal driving, the brake pedal seems to stiffen up so much that I cannot apply much pressure to the brakes no matter how much force is applied to the pedal, it just won't move. Periodically, however, the brake pedal softens up and works fine. The break light in the instrument cluster has been flashing since we got the vehicle (yesterday) and I'm not really comfortable letting a less competent driver like my sister (16yrs old) get behind the wheel of a car that won't stop fast. Any thoughts as to what the problem is?
Secondly, I'm not satisfied with the 3-spd automatic transmission. The tranny feels like it's ripping the engine apart under harder acceleration, it just revs too high to get used to. Are there any 4- or 5-spd autos from other Audis that match up to the 5000S? If not, how easy would it be to convert it to a standard? The tranny isn't a huge issue, there aren't any problems with it, it just doesn't feel right.
Still, performance isn't necessary at this point, I'm just looking at the options.
Oh, and then there's the rear window defogger that doesn't work, windows that fog up when the defrosters are blowing wide open (yeah, i sweat my bum off in that thing), reverse lights that don't work (I checked the bulbs, which fuse controls that?), front door latches that don't work (pain in the butt), and the power steering that feels non-existent compared to other cars I have driven. Any pointers?
Anyways, thanks for the help, I'm going to love working on this car!
- Lucus
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Ok, a couple of questions
1. how long did it sit after the brake job was done? some times vehicles that sit for a long time have problems with the hydraulic components of the brake system sticking.
2. Is the power steering belt on and adjusted correctly? The power steering pump also supplies the pressure for the power brakes and this may be the heart of both issues.
If you do not have a manual for working on the car I would highly reccomend buying one before going to far with repairs.
Amazon.com will show used manuals along with new ones.
Some of the used ones are quite inexpenisive and will do fine even if they already have a few fingerprints on them.
The Haynes manuals will do for most general repairs while the ones by Bentley Publishing are more complete but cost a lot more too.
I haven't figured the front door latches out either. If you mean that you can't open the doors with the outside handle, there is probably a part broken in the handle assembly. This is common I have found out. Replacements are available from several sources. The cable that goes from the inside handle to the latch is also rather fragile.
I have no info or ideas on the rear defogger. Nor the trans.