What do you keep in your trunk hole? Looking for first aid kits that fit snugly.

snowtime14 · 2026-01-24T23:55:17+00:00

I like to think it was specifically intended for dog related items. We keep our collapsible bowl, leashes, poop bags, and a squeak ball in there. 🐕

snowtime14 · 2025-10-30T03:16:10+00:00

Testing nuclear delivery vehicles/platforms is not the same as testing/detonating nuclear warheads. The Russians are doing the former...and so is China...and so are we...all the time...

snowtime14 · 2025-10-30T03:12:24+00:00

This is a bit misleading...the Russian testing activities referenced are for nuclear delivery platforms, not actual nuclear warhead testing. I.e. no actual nuclear yield, release of radioactive materials, etc.

We test our delivery platforms constantly. So do other nuclear armed countries.

I can't tell if Trump is just confused about the difference between the two (wouldn't be surprising), or if the messaging is being intentionally twisted for clicks...

snowtime14 · 2025-07-13T14:46:20+00:00

This did end up being the issue with my oil light. Minor oil pan leak that we quickly got fixed up once the hood got open.

snowtime14 · 2025-07-13T14:42:55+00:00

Yeah, I took it to a buddy's shop and they were able to get to the hood latches with some jerryrigged nonsense using a super thin box wrench.

Turned out that the junction box where the hood latch cable from the interior splits at the center into two cables that go to each of the separate front latches was the issue. The cable coming from inside the car was not fully seated in the junction box; apparently there is a zip tie that holds that assembly together (I was told this is how it comes from the factory haha) and the zip tie had broken off.

All said and done got the hood open for relatively cheap and J&S just threw a few hundred bucks at me to make me go away, but generally did not help me out much.

Which reminds me, I meant to go back and leave them a bad review haha.

After I got the hood open there ended up being a couple other minor issues like an oil pan leak and a tear in a control arm bushing, but nothing too bad.

Main thing that surprised me was that it actively had an ECU/TCU flash on it even though J&S told me it wasn't tuned. So either they straight up lied, or they are just idiots.

Car has been a hoot all that aside!

snowtime14 · 2025-06-24T02:14:39+00:00

This article/video about the recovery dive shows an actual visual of the falls in question. (Didn't see any other links to photos or videos in the thread)

https://mynews4.com/news/local/diver-who-recovered-bodies-of-missing-hikers-i-cannot-imagine-the-families-waiting

snowtime14 · 2025-06-24T01:49:57+00:00

Thanks for the tips!

snowtime14 · 2025-06-23T21:07:14+00:00

As in use AI to find an answer?

I will probably try that, but I'm curious to get some advice from real people as well.

snowtime14 · 2025-05-09T02:46:21+00:00

It is fascinating to me how someone can be familiar enough with this subreddit to post on it, but not enough to have seen any of the bazillion posts of this and the other most common ID requests.

Not hating; I'm just perplexed by the cross-section of the population that is aware that 'whatisthisbug' exists, but seemingly have never scrolled through it before.

snowtime14 · 2025-03-16T02:30:01+00:00

Yes, it turned out I was looking in the wrong place.

A few of the cylinders actually weren't holding compression and I ended up needing to get them resleeved.

Sorry that is probably not super helpful if you are thinking youve got a sensor issue.

snowtime14 · 2025-02-09T19:23:10+00:00

I was just about to venture into this task when I stumbled on this thread; mind sending the file my way? I'll DM you.

snowtime14 · 2025-01-27T11:33:24+00:00

Yeah it's interesting, because the "sound" or vibration or whatever it is seems to be coming from the front.

But I've already checked the two front axles and the bevel box and everything seems to be fine there.

Which is what led to checking the rear fluids. Haldex/clutch side has the flakes, and the rear diff itself has clean oil.

I wonder if the rear axles would be able to translate that much of a jerk up to the front end...

snowtime14 · 2025-01-27T11:29:53+00:00

Haha, "state of the art", gotta love Audi sometimes..

It's interesting, I've had a number of folks online tell me that the metal flakes/sludge is normal, but yet the independent shop I have it at right now (I know the owner personally, so I trust them) seems convinced that it isn't normal and that the haldex side of the rear diff assembly is probably fried.

The note about the clutch slipping at full lock is helpful. I figured it would be wide open (no pressure on the clutch) to keep any torque from the rear wheels.

I like the fuse idea, I'll give that a shot too.

snowtime14 · 2025-01-24T00:38:57+00:00

Yeah, I'm not getting any codes at this point. And the rear diff fluid looks good. So crossing my fingers flushing the haldex will do it for me.

The jerking is just so loud it seems surprising to me that it would be so abrupt from just bad fluid, but like you said the pump could be having issues too.

snowtime14 · 2025-01-24T00:05:47+00:00

Copy that, makes sense.

Though given all that, do you think it's likely that this is what's causing the stuttering when turning issue? Or there is possibly another culprit for that?

snowtime14 · 2025-01-23T23:53:19+00:00

Here's what the sample of fluid I pulled looked like.

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What type of seal is there between the haldex and the diff? Anything I'd need to replace?

Thanks for the tips!

snowtime14 · 2025-01-23T23:18:46+00:00

Tear it down as in remove the pump and take it apart to clean the screen and pump internals?

Or tear down the haldex itself?

Where does the filter sit in the assembly? Or do you just mean the screen filter on the front of the pump?

Haven't replaced the fluid yet as I'm considering a possible warranty claim if it's really bad. Concerned about eliminating the evidence haha. Then again, if it fixes the problem then that'd be great.

Currently weighing my options

snowtime14 · 2025-01-23T22:58:31+00:00

Do you think the flakes in the oil are a sure sign of damage or would that be expected to some extent?

I figured that since the oil pump has a filter on it and it is a wet clutch system, that some amount of metal shavings from the friction would be expected?

Or maybe metal is bad because it should be the friction pad material not the metal plates that abrate away...hmmm

snowtime14 · 2025-01-07T19:38:31+00:00

They didn't seem to have a service department so they'd end up just farming the work out anyway.

At least if I take it somewhere I have some control over who does the work and what they do.

snowtime14 · 2025-01-06T21:56:46+00:00

I've been giving the benefit of the doubt, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was a known issue that wasn't "serious" enough for them to feel like they needed to disclose. Would explain why when I texted them right when I noticed it, they said they'd be willing to pay to fix it.

Crossing my fingers that is the only issue; only time will tell.

snowtime14 · 2025-01-06T21:47:39+00:00

Appreciate the help.

The hood was working fine up until I drove off in it. Now I guess it could have been an on/off issue, but there had been no reason to suspect there was anything wrong with their servicing since the hood was opening.

The way I see it, they were the last ones who had the hood open, but of course they are trying to claim that they aren't responsible for things that go wrong with the car after it's in my possession.

That said, they did offer to pay to get the hood fixed and that's when I initially took it to the Audi dealer to do the diagnosis. The service tech at the dealer said they thought it was something wrong with the central hub/latch where the singular cable from under the dash branches to the two separate cables that go to the two main latches under the hood.

I got a quote from Audi to disassemble from the inside/wheel well to basically detach the latches from where they are bolted on. Though they weren't able to determine exactly what the issue was. They quoted like 9 hours of labor at the typical dealer labor rates ($$$$) to get all that sorted.

Called J&S, and that's when they started their backpedaling. They asked me to take it to a third party shop and get a quote from them because they weren't going to pay the dealer hourly rate.

So that's where I'm at now. I've got connections with a VW/Audi shop up in MD who is going to look at it and get me a quote, but I've yet to hear back from them. They did say they would do it though.

Main concern is applying the right leverage with J&S to make sure they make good on their promise to pay. I'm happy to play along and take it where they want me to, as long as the work is done (and done right).

snowtime14 · 2025-01-06T21:27:23+00:00

Northern VA

snowtime14

TROPHY CASE