whitacre

Well i have had to do a little work to my audi (big surprise?) and its running pretty ok now. Some questions for the FPR still cross my mind, but the rest is really cosmetic. Anyway, i am contemplating taking my audi on a road trip from Portland OR, and ending up in Houston texas, and then coming back. I will be stopping in Sac CA, LA, San Diego, then New Braunfels, then Houston...and then at the same places on the way back. Its all highway, and im wondering if you guys would trust your audi on a road trip that is about 4500 miles long? Any ideas or precautions?

mint875000cstq

I don't know if anyone could answer your question with any degree of certainty because things can always go wrong with an older car. I can tell you that my '87 5000csqt has been all over the country and NEVER broken down on me (except that flat tire in detroit):-( I keep all of the basics maintained and am nearing 278,000 miles (all original major components-engine,tranny,driveshaft,axles - with no signs of catastrophic failure). I would recommend having the car checked out by a AUDI mechanic that you can trust prior to your journey and take your cell phone just in case :-)

-aaron

5000CDQturbo

make sure to get the car checked out before you go... as mint875000cstq said.
I aways carry a kit on a long trip. things like relays , manual, duct tape, spare parts, all fluids,
blow up doll, a good map and CAA or in the us AAA

rooster 2

that is something that you don't want to break on a long trip. The rest is like the other guys say, get it checked out thoroughly by a mechanic. Have the brakes checked out for pad thickness. Make sure the CV joint boots are in tact. Make sure the engine is in good tune, and no issues with the trany.

Once checked out, you should be good to go.
.......Regards,,,Rooster

audiqv8

Audi original timing belt schedule was 90k miles, but customer belts started to break at 60k to 70k and Audi have since revised the schedule to 60k. If you don't have documents showing when the belt was last changed then I wouldn't take the chance of it breaking. Replacing a broken timing belt is not an option, you would have damaged the valves and the cost to fix it would be more than what the car is worth.

Type44QShip

and it was an adventure I'll always remember.

Keene, NH to Phoenix AZ. I had to replace the fuel pump when it died on the bridge over the Ohio River south of Cincinnati. Taxi ride= big $.

I still sometimes can't believe I did it.

The car lost most of its exhaust system by Cleveland, the odometer quit in Syracuse NY, and the heater blower died in Erie, PA. Aside from that and the fact that a tire was starting to come apart by New Mexico, she ran great and got 28 mpg average for the whole trip...

I could have had a trouble free trip if I'd had the rusty exhaust and noisy fuel pump fixed when I stopped in at Force 5 Auto in Concord. But I was stubborn.

I see no reason your car won't make it, just see to it that it's in good shape to start with and not an untouched $500 ebay special!

moving violation

I haven't had any problems. If mainanance is good then you should be ok.

whitacre

The one thing i am worried about now is the timing belt. Not that i have any reason too, but i know those can cause unheard of amounts of damage to the engine, and the water pump i have no idea. The problem is i dont know any audi mechanics in the Portland Vancouver metro area, and to get it checked up i dont want to spend 500 bucks just looking and tinkering around. As for everything else, tires are brand new, brakes are pretty worn but still ok, and thats really the only problem i ever notice. Everything else is cosmetic.

whitacre

i was wondering how hard or expensive it is to change or replace the cruise control. When i turn it on, i think i hear the relay clicking, but nothing happens and it doesnt stay at the speed. Even when i turn it off i hear it "shut off" with the relay...any ideas? cause CC would be almost essential for a 4500 mile trip.

tonyj

Check that the vacuum switches on the brake and clutch pedal aren't adjusted too close.
The brake light switch also shuts the cruise off if the brake lights turn on.
Check Actuator (by valve cover) to be sure it holds pressure by pulling a vacuum on the lines that leads to it. Kinda sucks : )
Vecuum line joint with 'T' just behind the brake MC often cracks. Try to replace the line from there to the vacuum actuator with a silicone hose for heat resistance. (It was a recall at one time)
The controller is not likely to be a problem.
The turns signal cruise switch can also be bad but the other things are more likely. If you want to check it prepare to have a few very small parts and springs jump out and fall on the floor. Pop the slider out with a screwdriver to get at things.