Greg Heidt

Well, on the advice of this BBS, I decided not to drive my A4 to the dealer. Instead I called Audi Road Side Assistance at 6AM and they picked up the car (on a flatbed tow truck) at 7AM and took it to the dealer. Pretty good service!<p>Oh yea, last night I went out to check for leaking hoses (on the advice of this BBS) and sure enough, I found it! The smaller of the two PS hoses was leaking fluid.<p>I went back to the dealer at lunch today to see how they were doing and spoke with my mechanic. He said that almost all A4’s will leak PS fluid at on time or another because of the design. Audi has a bulletin out on this. However, he said, the newer Audi’s have a different clamp that solves this problem. For me the solution, he said, was to put 2 clamps on this hose. So problem solved. He didn’t think the pump was ruined, but said if it keeps whining we will replace it. For now he thinks there is just air that has to work it’s way out of the system.<p>So the moral of the story is: If you have a ’96, 97 or 98 A4 or A6, check your PS hoses. To do this, remove the black cover from the PS fluid box and check the hoses with a flashlight. <p>Thanks to all the helped me out! I really appreciate it.<p>Best regards,<br>Greg Heidt<br>’97 2.8L A4QM in Pearl

Rich

Greg--thanks for the tip!<p>My '98 is now out of warranty, and I don't know if these "bulletins" for power steering hoses, brake pads, etc, imply that AoA will pay for them like a recall, or if we're stuck paying for their engineering fixes..anyone know?<p>P.S., another little Audi goof to check for--the plastic "belly pan" / under engine shield has a way of separating itself from its chintzy fasteners and disappearing as you drive. I've just lost my second one, and the service guy says he's seen it several times before--a sturdier aftermarket one is about $1500+....<p>Rich<br>'98 2.8Q sport<br>bare engine from below..

Tony

NT

Greg Heidt

I have 22k on my A4 and it will be 3 years old in Nov. I've never had a problem with the "belly"/"Splash" pan coming loose. <p>But now that you mention it, I will check it more often.<p>Thanks for the tip.<p>Greg Heidt<br>'97 2.8L A4QM in Pearl