200q20v

From Knowledgebase

The 200 Quattro 20v (abbreviated 200q20v) was the last turbocharged C3-platform car imported into the United States. Performance was boosted considerably by the recently developed 3B 20 valve engine (previous C3 cars were all 10 valve engines) with a better intercooler, exhaust system and a more efficient turbocharger.

The increase in weight from previous model years and large step up in horsepower necessitated increased braking, via large internal calipers and ventilated rear disc brakes.

Contents 1 Basics 2 Engine 3 Body 4 Brakes 5 Interior 6 Drivetrain 7 Suspension 8 Flaws

Basics

• Body type: C3 Platform (aka Type 44)
• Sedan and Avant (wagon) body styles
• Model years: 1989-1990 (Europe) 1991 (USA). Not imported into Canada.
• Engine: Code 3B, 217 HP 2.23L Inline 5 DOHC 20 Valve Turbocharged engine
• Drivetrain: Quattro with 5-speed manual. Center TORSEN differential with semi-manual locking rear. 4.11:1 final drive ratio.
• Curb Weight (Sedan): 3620-3630lb. Avant: 3730lb.

Engine

• DOHC 20 Valve cross-flow aluminum head; cams are linked via rear chain; sodium-filled exhaust valves
• KKK k24 Turbocharger with external wastegate; single-pass intercooler (larger than double-pass intercooler used with the MC engine)
• Bosch Motronic sequential electronic fuel injection with MAF sensor
  • Dual knock sensors
  • battery-backed adaptation for lambda, timing, and idle control
  • battery-backed fault code storage with intermittent fault distinction
  • "2x2" diagnostic connectors in driver's side footwell; NOT OBD/OBD-II capable. Compatible with VAG-COM, Protools, and VAG-15XX series scan tools. Only memory block 0 is defined.
• Downpipe-back dual 2.25" exhaust (similar to exhaust on the V8 quattro)

Body

• Type C3 (aka 44) galvanized body
  • Fenders flared to accomodate larger wheels/tires (body is same as the earlier Special Edition 200 in Europe and similar in appearance to a V8 quattro).
• Flush, black door handles with heated lock cylinders
• Heated washer jets

Brakes

• Front brakes: 12.2 inch internal-caliper with vented rotors originally installed. Some models downgraded at owner's request to G60 calipers to resolve warping/wheel shimmy problems with internal-caliper system. Such systems on Audis are jokingly referred to as "UFOs" (because the rotors bear a resemblance to a stereotypical "flying saucer"). This design permits an unusually large rotor to fit under a 15 inch wheel. The shape of the rotor's support affects wheel fitment.
• Rear brakes: 10.6 inch vented disc with integrated parking brake. The same rotor and caliper are shared with the 5-cylinder S4/S6 models and the V8.
• Underbody cooling ducts for front brakes
• 3-channel ABS with accelerometer(under rear seat) for simultaneous-lockup detection

Interior

• Later type C3 instrument cluster (identical to C4 instrument cluster except for trip computer and specific gauges which changed with each model year)
  • trip computer with boost pressure display
  • LCD-based autocheck/radio display
  • oil pressure, oil temperature, and battery voltage gauges
• AC/Delco climate control and seat position controls
• Driver's side airbag, mechanical seatbelt pretensioners and anti-submarining knee bolster design
• Standard leather and no-cost choice of comfort("Barcalounger") seats or Recaro-made sport seats. All seating positions heated; rear seats off passenger control with weight-sensing switches
• Standard zebrano dash and shifter knob
• 4-speaker Bose stereo with optional, dealer-installed FM-modulator CD changer in rear trunk.
• Standard voice-activated analog cell phone in center armrest. Hands-free speaker located in grille on dash (which side?). "Phone delete" option available.

Drivetrain

• 5 speed manual
• Center TORSEN(TORque SENsing) differential (max split?)
• Semi-manual locking rear (unlocks above 15mph)
• 4.11:1 final drive ratio
• Composite center driveshaft
• BBS silver-painted 15x7.5 rims with machined lip
  • 5x112 bolt pattern (spherical seat bolts)
  • 205-60-15 stock tire size with Z-rating

Suspension

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Flaws

The 200q20v has several design flaws that potential and current owners should consider.

• A few engine control components are known to have a finite lifetime. These include the turbo wastegate frequency valve and the turbo bypass valve.
• The 3B is a distributor-ignition engine, and the distributor timing gear is made of plastic. With age, the plastic becomes brittle and can break; no collateral damage occurs, but the engine immediately stops running. All replacement distributors come with a metal gear, but the entire unit is expensive. Members of the Audifans 200q20v list have measured, plotted, and had machined a replacement gear that is available for much lower cost.
• Internal caliper brakes frequently warp depending on how the car is driven. This led to many complaints from new owners, and rotors at the time cost almost $600 per unit. A recall was offered, and many 200q20v's have been converted back to G60 calipers from earlier 200 models. Popular opinion is that they are not sufficient for the car's additional weight and power. 1992-1995.5 US market S4 and S6 models suffer from a similar problem.
• The Bose audio system features per-speaker amplifiers. Bose utilized underspecified or faulty components in the construction of the amplifiers (including many Japanese models of similar vintage, as well as certain Corvettes.) Capacitors on the circuit board leak conductive electrolyte, causing shorts. This manifests itself as popping, "motorboating"(loud constant tone), and in some cases, fire. After determined campaiging by the 200q20v mailing list, Audi issued a recall and will supply replacement circuit boards. All owners are strongly advised to have the recall performed. Note: front speaker amps also fail, but are not covered by the recall.
• Dashboard circuitry cracks, causing various odd behavior, including:
  • various dash lights and signals to glow dimly, such as the turn signals. Often influenced by whether the high-beam indicator is lit
  • problems with the clock, including no display, slow timekeeping
  • trip computer malfunctions
• Like most heated seats from the same time period, heated seat element failure is common.
• The front passenger side transmission output shaft seal tends to fail due to heat from the downpipe, despite thermal shielding.
• The usual C3 platform problems with hydraulics, rear caliper parking brake issues, battery cable splices, and so on. See the C3 platform entry for more information.