Q7_EUROPE

Had a scaring experience driving with my Q on the highway. At a speed of ca. 130km/h a slight bend in the highway showed up. I turned the wheel slightly, but found some resistance. Bad road with tracking lines ?! Took my steering wheel more tight ... nothing !!! Flat tire ?! No, bobling sound, ... Lighted my emergence flashlights, slowed down to get behind the trucks on the rightlane, and with an extreme need of power to the steering wheel I was able to pull my Q over to the rightlane, and the exit (which luckely just showed up).
I tell you, if this would have happened with my wife driving the Q, she would have had an accident for sure (panic, less powerfull arms to move the steering wheel, ...)
Ones aside I lifted up the car with my air-suspension and had a look underneath. I found a small piece of the belt. The only light showing up in my dash was the battery, so I guess the alternator is supplied with the same belt.
Anybody else with the same experience ? Production failure ?
Keep u informed.

Pierre

Krokas

Glad you are ok... Fortunately have not had or heard of a such a problem with my or anyone's Q. Let's hope it was just a bad moment and not a production problem. Please keep us informed!

JonE

wow - sounds like it was a fairly nerve racking experience. The first and worst problem of this nature I've heard of. Glad to hear you're ok. Please let us know what Audi have to say about this one. I would expect that really need to be careful how they handle it.

telekenetic

Sounds like a belt related to the power steering broke. If that was the case, it is certainly not an unheard of event, or something that signals a design flaw, but I'm sure it was unnerving at highway speed.

Did you call roadside assistance, or were you towed to service? We're definitely curious on the diagnosis!

peegee

Hi

my main worry is in the strain on the power steering system.

Given that the standard wheels are 18" and much narrower - its a worry that the 20" and 21" wheels are wider and therefore more of a strain to the power steering.

On a recent test drive in Scotland I was surprised how much "assist" it gave at relatively high speeds - ie 50 to 60 mph...

The steering only "firmed" up after I hit around the 70 mph mark...

Therefore the power steering must be working at "high levels" of assist for much longer periods than we'd like to have.

Any further comments on this one??

simmikie

exactly what i am thinking...a broken belt. while not supposed to happen with so few miles/km, they do occasionally fail. melodrama over.


Mike

Q7_EUROPE

Hi folks,

Just got my Q back.

Luckely everything is repaired. New belt, but more important is they found the reason why the belt broke.

My dealer said there is a protection-cap over the belt for the fuel-pump, and this was mounted not 100% correctly. This made the belt of the servo, ... hitting this cap.

We hope this is the reason, and I hope for all of you this was only on my vehicle. Anyway, the dealer made a report to Audi Belgium, so when more cases show up, I guess a call back might follow.

Greetz,

Pierre