Kenny

The transmission on the Audi feels sluggish and vague.. Sometimes starting out in first gear, I feel this horribly jerk, especially at low speeds going up an incline.. Rest assured, A person posted something about this a few weeks before, and several people responded with the same sensation... I thought it was the transmission starting to slip on a 4-month old car...!!! This is the exact feeling I used to get in my old Oldsmobile.. The Thing needed a new transmission after only 75k miles...

Yes, I think the BMW's have the coils right above the plugs.. Some of the earlier cars had problems with the coils arcing causing the spark plugs to misfire..

Kenny

Nowadays most cars that are 4WD, are full time... I remember a while back reading about how cars with full time 4WD systems had to have differently designed transmissions than part time 4WD, and are more sophisticated.. Part time systems can only be used at low speeds going straight only and sometimes can only be engaged once the car is stopped... The reasoning behind this is that there is torsion buildup when the car is making turns.. Ex. when you are driving along a road and making lots of right hand turns, there is torsion build up on the right wheels since there is less travel on the right side as compared to the left side.. The right side of the car has less distance to travel... I'm not sure if this has any effect on Audi's since they are AWD, where power is delivered independently to the wheel with the most traction, up to 80% I believe.. I'm no expert on AWD systems, but I believe this is the reason why Range Rovers are designed with a double transmission... Probably better to ask someone who knows a lot about off-roading but that's what I read..

Nomad TT

I just went to a race at Sears Point California and I saw three people really having a hard time with some old Audi. I didn't catch any more info. I just looked once. And no it was not one of the race cars.

Rick

Every all wheel drive (AWD) car that I know of, including Audi, has a center differential between the front and rear axles to handle the speed difference you allude to (torsion, you call it, or drive line wind up). This is in addition to the standard differentials in both the front and rear axle. No additional load on the transmission.

Anyone who thinks that maintenence on a BMW is somehow inexpensive or less frequent than other cars should be laughed out of this forum!!!! I will let that comment slide, and assume the poster was not serious.

Bad10

Timing belts and chains do have their inherant pluses and minuses but this is a fact: Belts are quieter and smoother and chains transmit more vibrations and shock to the whole valvtrain which starts, obviously, at the cam and is transfered to the rest of the valvetrain. Oh yeah, I have seen derailed timing chains as well. Just because BMW uses chains doesant automatically make it superior. By the way, I have seen just as many broken down BMW's on the freeway as any other car. That includes smokey fires and all........... BAD10

PabloX

Part-time 4WD systems have a transfer case which routes power to both axles. The tranfer case does not allow for any speed difference between the axles(causing the binding effect you describe while turning). AWD or Full-time 4WD have a differential or other device between the transmission and the axles that both transfers power and lets the two axles run at different speeds. What I said before about reliablity still holds true and comparing a part-time 4WD system to quattro or other AWD system is ridiculous.

Don't take this the wrong way but you need to do some more research.

Jack Orr

My daugter's Integra broke it's belt shortly after the warranty expired. It wiped out the top end and repair was a few thousand bucks. Fortunately, Honda sprang for the whole cost. The 944 is well known for it's belt problems. Replacement used to be at 40,000 and adjustment at half way. There seems to be more than something about the actual design of the belt and it's transport via pulleys, tensioners, etc. Therefore, can't we say that all belts are not born equal?

Nomad TT

I know that didn't help.

Brian-PA

Is closer to what takes place in a turbine engine with an afterburner. Much like those found on military jet aircraft. The hot oxygen rich exhaust gas is utilized in a secondary chamber where fuel is reintroduced and the resultant combustion translates into thrust.

I think you are confusing turbocharger and turbine. The turbocharger uses/wants fresh air and cooler is preferable. The exhaust from a turbocharger exits the powerplant via an exhaust system(fixed or adjustable).

The Audi AWD system is an evolved system. The quattro you find today has proven to be reliable. I have owned a BMW 325is and it naturally was maintenance intensive to some degree. The 2.7T is a performance powerplant. It too will need maintenance.

Having driven both the BMW tranny and the Audi Tip, I can say that there are some similarities in smoothness and shift characteristic. I think the slip you are referring to is the adaptive shift program trying to figure out what it is you want to do. If you drive very aggressively and then drive very conservatively, I have found that you will get the "thunk" you refer to in the initial part of the conservative drive.

That does not mean that there is not a problem with your tranny, but rather my observation. Good luck with your Avant, they are great vehicles and I sometimes wish I had gone with an Avant.

Brian

Kenny

Yes, it is interesting to hear what people have to say about this.... I'm no mechanic, I just go by what I been told.. and I'm learning new stuff on this board...

YES..!!! I do that... Drive very aggressively, then conservatively... I know, I'm a schizoprhenic, and drive depending on my moods.. And, the times I have felt that thunking sensation I drove exactly like that...