Friday’s featured repair took the better part of the week and was performed on a 1998 Audi A4 Quattro with 2.8 liter V6 engine.
This Audi came to us with several concerns: it wouldn’t idle, the battery was dead, the A/C stopped working a couple of months ago and there was smoke coming out of the hood accompanied by a burning smell.
Our first steps were diagnostics on the no idling and a comprehensive inspection. We quickly found serious engine oil leaks which led to an oil leak diagnosis.
The A/C lack of function and the burning smell were caused by a melted A/C compressor clutch. Oil leaks were coming from valve cover gaskets, rear cam plugs and timing chain tensioner gaskets.
Our comprehensive inspection found the battery only needing a good recharge. We found the brakes, steering and suspension in good order but one wheel bearing was worn and both front outer CV boots were torn open.
After extensive repairs we got the Audi A4 back in good shape: the underhood smoke had stopped, the A/C blew cold and the engine idled smoothly. A few burned out bulbs were changed along with streaky wipers and dirty engine oil. The car runs like new and should be good for many more miles.
While Audi’s were once rather quirky cars they became more mainstream with the introduction of the A4 in the late 1990s. While not trouble free, these cars have proven to be very reliable and durable.
For more on the Audi A4 please see this link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audi_a4
If you’re interested in the history of Audi click this link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audi
