ticking sound/dealer gouging?

[esw5@postoffice2.mail.cornell.edu (Ernest Wong)]

[from Paul Souza]

>          I had this same exact problem in my '85 Coupe.  Unfortunately
>          (and I HOPE this won't be your problem) it turned out to be a
>          broken stud on the exhaust port of the #5 cylinder.  It was a
>          B***CH to fix, but then in 5000/100 series there is alot more
>          room to manuever, unlike the coupe.  What made it even worse was
>          that it was the bottom stud.  This was a couple of years ago and
>          the dealer wanted $800 to fix it, and being a poor college

$800! What was the dealer throwing in. A new flowed intake bits!

I paid nearly $500 and that included 2 new studs put in. All the high-grade
nuts and fixins. A timing belt job. Both aux. belts. And labor for the
leaking valve gasket. (I bought in non-cork gasket)

For $800, I'd like to see the bill. $400 for dry-docking service manager's
boat. Another $100 for slip costs. (I'm guesstimating costs here. Never had
a boat. Just me Audi and she don't float. Don't ask me to try this like the
P 928 in Risky Business. )

Ernest Wong
email: esw5@cornell.edu