91 Coupe Quattro issues.

**djwimbo** · 08-17-2008 02:46 PM

A buddy of mine is looking into a 91 Coupe Quattro here in town.

It has a handful of issues, and I'd like to help him out but I don't know much about coupes. If it were a B5 that would be another story.

The big issues:
The car has a severe lack of power. 2.0 Jettas are faster, and it misfires under WOT @ 5K+rpms.
The car surges, kinda feels like it's engine braking but it does it while cruising. No changes in the throttle position.
The ABS kicks in half the time when coming to a stop, below 10mph.
The clutch feels funny, the pressure plate feel and how it engages doesn't seem like it matches.
The Odometer quit working. Is is cable driven?

Smaller issues:
I believe the upper strut bushing/bearings are toast.
156K+ miles on what's believed to be stock clutch.
axle seals, not a big deal.
brakes feel funny, like a caliper carrier bolt is loose.
Sunroof doesn't open, tilt or do anything.
Cruise control inop.
Couple other things that aren't significant.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'd love for my friend to pick this car up, but I don't want him to spend a fortune getting back to what it should be.
FWIW I work for a shop so I can get parts and do the labor, but I don't want him to buy a money pit.

Thanks

**chucka4** · 08-17-2008 05:27 PM

Originally Posted by djwimbo

The big issues:
The car has a severe lack of power. 2.0 Jettas are faster, and it misfires under WOT @ 5K+rpms.
The car surges, kinda feels like it's engine braking but it does it while cruising. No changes in the throttle position.
The ABS kicks in half the time when coming to a stop, below 10mph.
The clutch feels funny, the pressure plate feel and how it engages doesn't seem like it matches.
The Odometer quit working. Is is cable driven?

Smaller issues:
I believe the upper strut bushing/bearings are toast.
156K+ miles on what's believed to be stock clutch.
axle seals, not a big deal.
brakes feel funny, like a caliper carrier bolt is loose.
Sunroof doesn't open, tilt or do anything.
Cruise control inop.

misfire could be just getting new plugs/wires. i had the same problem with mine. but it could also be that the injectors need cleaned/replaced. they put these hytochi shit ones in that were troublesome to say the least. 034 makes new ones and i think cleans stock ones.

another thing was i had a leak in the intake hose, didn't notice till a few weeks but i replaced it and made it run a lot smoother.

ABS is the same thing that almost all audis from the 90s did. my 98 b5 a4 did it, my coupe did it, and my c4 s6 does it. a sensor goes bad in one of the corners more than likely. you can either replace it, deal with it( i did it for a year or 2) or just unplug the abs modulator, what i finally did and it stopped, but i had a abs light on after that.

my coupe felt the same way about the clutch, kind of clunky almost? the coupe i purchased had over 167k on it and it ran fine, felt the same way. i think its just how they were for the age. the b5 feels a whole lot better and smoother by comparison.

i don't know about the Odomeder.

cruse and sunroof may just be a loose or broke wire, possibly the fuse.
upgrade suspension to spring and shock combo so that will take care of that.
the clutch should be ok if it doesn't slip or anything.

hope that helps a bit

**djwimbo** · 08-17-2008 06:05 PM

My friend that's looking, hasn't bought anything yet, I'm looking to see what could be the causes of the issues.

I figured a sensor or the corresponding tone wheel could be the ABS problem.

The suspension has been messed with previously, as the car has been lowered. Without getting underneath it I can't isolate any of the issues, though it does sound exactly like a strut bearing/bushing.

I'm not sure exactly what could be the cause of the misfire and loss of power. The car just doesn't feel like it's trying. The owner claimed he had replaced the plugs, wires and distributor cap, but none of the parts on that thing look anywhere near new. Other than the battery.

Thanks for the advice, I'll talk to the guys at work tomorrow and see if they have anything else to add.

**urS6Plus** · 09-17-2008 10:06 PM

I had a 1990 Quattro with almost idectical problems, cept for the clutch was recently replaced when I got it. Prep your budy for almost $2,500 in repairs.

**Mcstiff** · 09-18-2008 09:05 AM

The big issues:
The car has a severe lack of power. 2.0 Jettas are faster, and it misfires under WOT @ 5K+rpms.
The car surges, kinda feels like it's engine braking but it does it while cruising. No changes in the throttle position.

Sounds like a possible vacuum leak there are a lot of places for that to occur. The cruse issue could be another symptom of a leak. Injectors could be pissing ~$300 034 conversion. Cat could be on its way out. AFA being slow, it is not really a fast car stock.

The ABS kicks in half the time when coming to a stop, below 10mph.

The/a sensor could be out of adjustment. I would pull them all and clean the tone rings on the cv's first.

The clutch feels funny, the pressure plate feel and how it engages doesn't seem like it matches.

Maybe bleed? Replace it.

The Odometer quit working. Is is cable driven?

Somebody reset the trip odo in motion too many times. Not sure about a fix.

Smaller issues:
I believe the upper strut bushing/bearings are toast.

034 streetsport versions better then stock and not expensive.

156K+ miles on what's believed to be stock clutch.
axle seals, not a big deal.
brakes feel funny, like a caliper carrier bolt is loose.

Tighten the bolt?

Sunroof doesn't open, tilt or do anything.

There is a way to open it manually to see if the cable is ok.

Cruise control inop.
Couple other things that aren't significant.