Rich's '91 80Q M-TDI

[PRY4SNO]

Is that relay 99 you're talking about?

[oil_me]

Is that relay 99 you're talking about?

Yes. That's the one I have. There's 2 relays available out there; the 99 is NLA except used. The newer one uses the washer switch to set; old one uses intermittent/off.
http://www.audiworld.com/forums/audi-90 ... d-2123066/

[ralleyquattro]

99 is much better IMHO.. have had both and prefer 99 hands down.

[oil_me]

The last tank was 47.5mpg during the last coldest weather. The timing is now set to .92mm. The mileage seems to decrease above and below this setting. It runs and drives well with no issues. This car has the best heat of any car I've owned. I removed the A/C evaporator when I changed the heater core and put new foam on the blend doors.

[death 4kqt]

awesome rich. I have been daily driving an 03 ahu jetta and it had demotivated me from working on my 90 because the stock TDI was so damn slow!!
I just put a 2.5" straight pipe, 520 injectors and a malone stage 3 tune in it with EGR removed. Now I am motivated again. Its not fast but it has a nice gob of torque I can see being very fun in a quattro.
That is seriously impressive mileage for the winter. I cant get my mk4 over 38 in the winter.

[oil_me]

I've had a starting problem recently. It turns out my 30 year old glow plug relay wasn't glowing long enough and had a pitted contact inside. This car has always started well at 0º and I was surprised and concerned when it didn't. I put in a BN relay I've had in the glove box for 2 years as a spare. It has a distinctly longer glow when it's cold, up to 20 seconds. It now fires up like always. I improved the GP wiring, eliminating the fuses and used better connectors. I swapped a tire plug for a sliver of steel in my left rear tire during a snow storm last week. It's tolerable if you have everything you need with you; compressor, jack, plug kit.

[PRY4SNO]

Solid update!

[oil_me]

Three things finished this weekend. First was installing Weatherguard side window deflectors. The instructions were a little vague but they installed easily. One major beef I've had with these cars is that rain/snow pours in with the window opened a crack while driving or sitting. Next up was to change the 2 year old and 20k miles fuel filter. I drained a few cc's from the bottom and it was cloudy with wax pieces floating on top. There was no solid water globules; more of an emulsion/cloudiness. I use a spin-on Baldwin filter BF7772 @ 2 microns. The steering damper was last; delivered by FedEx @ 6:30 pm yesterday right to my door; a new Mercedes part # 1244630432 from GAP. They had a choice of 2 dampers; one made by Febi/Bilstein and the other Stabilus. I chose the Stabilus because it was $10 more and looked more well made. It took 5 minutes to replace with the battery removed and fit exactly as the old one. I reinstalled the previously mentioned GP relay after I filed, polished and cleaned the pitted contacts inside. Time to start cleaning it up to prepare for the trip to Carlisle.

[oil_me]

The mileage is creeping back up; 47.7 last tank. This current tank is 520 miles still touching the half tank mark. This might be the record breaker. I raised the boost to 15 psi, set the pump timing to .945mm, changed the LDA boost diaphragm adjustments to decrease and delay fueling onset slightly. I finished my afterglow timer circuit last month and it works exactly as planned. I used a 5 minute mechanical timer switch, a large terminal 50 amp relay from an ABS pump, and a lighted rocker switch. I have an LED wired to the glow plug harness so I now know when the plugs are actually on. There's 2 other switches wired to relays for the coolant glow plugs for quick heat and warm-up in the very cold weather (like last winter). I'm leaving for Carlisle in the AM for the first long trip in the "oil_can" over 100 miles. See you all there.

[deaner]

Such an awesome build! A true inspiration! Well done.

[oil_me]

Such an awesome build! A true inspiration! Well done.

Thanks, the comments and support from you and everyone else who posts on this thread continues to inspire me and makes it all worth it.

[oil_me]

I fueled up near my home on the way to Carlisle, I got the best fuel mileage ever (EVAR!) in this car, 11.8 gal for 593 miles = 50.3mpg. I now understand I must have set the pump timing to .95mm back in September to achieve that 49.1 mpg I recorded. The car ran beautifully for the 580 mile round trip. No smokiness, no temp issues, cruise control at 75mph, boost at a steady 12psi up those hills in PA without effort. I pushed the car hard at times going 80+ but the RR wheel is bent slightly so no faster. The car seems a little smoother and subtly quieter after the trip. I know I blew the stink off it. I had a great time meeting the Audi contingent at Carlisle. I will return again for sure. The first time is overwhelming in the best way. It was amazing to hear the love for these cars coming from actual voices. You are all cool, excellent people.
Rich

[chaloux]

Good to actually meet and talk with you Rich! That's great mileage!

[DE80q]

It was great to meet you Rich. Glad you made the trip, hopefully we will see you next year too!

[AudiSport4000]

2nd...awesome to finally meet you and see the car. Really good work!

[oil_me]

I warped my rotor(s) in a panic stop this am. I declined the offer of a 15 lb turkey as a hood ornament. It appeared as the wipers were cleaning off quickly forming condensation on the windshield while negotiating a steep downhill. I locked hard and left tire marks on the road. Probably left some turkey crap as well judging from its rapid departure from the scene. The brake pedal now throbs up and down like an ABS pump, making the car undriveable really. These were new pads & rotors last year and have less than 10k on them. I am aware that I did not bed my brakes in properly initially from what I am now reading. I tend to drive with minimal braking which is part of this problem. This has never happened to me in all my years of driving. I'm going to replace the right caliper to match the rebuild on the left as one of the pistons is sticky/stiff. Is it worth getting the rotors cut slightly or are they done? Do I now need pads & rotors? Any helpful info or suggestions is welcome. I'm going out to pull it apart now. Once I get the wheel off that is stuck.

[PRY4SNO]

Have the rotors turned... the "warping" you speak of is a pad deposit. You'll find out at that time if it's too much to reuse your rotors. In theory you should be able to use your old pads and re-bed everything but you'll want to measure them first.

[oil_me]

Have the rotors turned... the "warping" you speak of is a pad deposit. You'll find out at that time if it's too much to reuse your rotors. In theory you should be able to use your old pads and re-bed everything but you'll want to measure them first.

Thank you for the reply. I've decided to get new rotors, a rebuilt right caliper to match the left and chalk it up to experience. I was so obsessed with the mileage I wasn't thinking about the brakes. This is the first car I've owned with 2 piston calipers capable of stopping more quickly than I'm used to. I was pretty unaware of the importance of bedding brakes and the actual process that takes place.
http://www.stoptech.com/technical-suppo ... ther-myths
http://www.stoptech.com/technical-suppo ... tem-bed-in

[PRY4SNO]

That's the exact white paper I was basing my comments off

[oil_me]

I tend NOT to drive like it's stolen; I drive like I want my car to last a long time. Driving with kids, dogs, shi**y roads and LEOs also have a way of making one more of an adult driver. I got the stuck wheel off with PB Blaster and a new dead blow hammer. I'd been running without wheel covers through the winter and there was more corrosion than I expected on the hub. Unplanned car repairs are a great excuse for buying new tools.

[PRY4SNO]

Unplanned car repairs are a great excuse for buying new tools.

Agreed! Not that we really need an excuse...

[oil_me]

I'm going into my third winter with this car. I put Firestone Winterforce tires on this time and they have excellent dry road manners up to 70mph. I've used Nokias for years but they're pricey. The Firestones have a heavier casing than the Altimax Artics I have on the Jetta. They seem less sloppy and are quieter as well. The after-glow timer for the glow plugs is working great. I've stopped pursuing the mileage quest since I ran out of fuel 2x on the way to work. I fell short of a 900 mile tank. I had been pushing every one to the very bottom of reserve. I set the IP timing back to .90mm because I just have to mess with it and it's been a while.

[chaloux]

900 miles for how many gallons? That's pretty damn good regardless! Sick looking winter mode too!

[oil_me]

That tank was 878 and 17.8 gal. Summer months were best for mileage.

[chaloux]

Yeah these engines really like to run hot. The warmup kills fe. And winter fuel. I run Power Service all winter to help boost cetane and help starts. I run 250ml per tank, or about double what the bottle recommends.

And 50mpg with quattro is amazing. Congrats!