# Just bought a 1990 200Q, overheating and smoking brakes. Help?



## Ziptar (Aug 24, 2001)

1st post, new here, I haven't owned an Audi for a long time, and I think I own one now....
Sorry for the long post.
Yesterday I bought a really clean looking 1990 Audi 200Q, it was inexpensive enough as I bought for the balance of a mechanics lean. I thought I had checked it out thoroughly enough, looked it over with the engine idling for 45 minutes or so, drove it for 10 miles or so. OK, make a deal $1250, get title, drive home right??
Wrong, 8 miles later I am in a parking lot, engine overheated and front brakes are smoking. I had the car towed back to the shop I bought it from (now closed) and I'll go see them this morning.
Since I may be stuck with the car, what can i do to fix it.
The front calipers are frozen I am sure that's why they are smoking, but here is the thing. The brake pedal was good and stiff before all of this, after sitting a while in the parking lot the peadal is now the opposite, straight to floor, no brakes what so ever. Does it matter that the shop just replaced a power steering hose??
Overheating?? Maybe it's because the car was pushing locked brakes but, I pulled over as soon as the overheat warning came on, temp gauge was at 2nd line from the right between the two dots. At first I thought it was a blown head gasket but, after letting it cool and putting water back in the system I let it sit and idle with the A/C on while waiting for AAA tow truck. After 45 minutes of idling with the hood closed the temp gauge finally began to creep over "normal" the top radiator hose was still squishy, so I don't think maybe it's a head gasket.
I am going back to the shop today, I don't know if I;\'ll just get my money back or it I am stuck with it but, I like the car, it was decent until this, had a few minor issues that are all fairly common Audi annoyances and easily fixed.
Assuming I am stuck with it, what should I be looking at to fix these big new issues?
Overheat, Radiator blocked, thermostat??
Brakes: frozen calipers (sure bet I think) but what else?? brake bomb?, bad pump?, brake master cylinder?
Thanks Allot.


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## yodasfro (Oct 2, 2004)

*Re: Just bought a 1990 200Q, overheating and smoking brakes. Help? (Ziptar)*

Is the rad. fan working? Could be a stuck thermostat or clogged rad. Also check the heater valve behind the cylinder head it's plastic and the are known to fail causing a coolant leak that can lead to overheating. But like you said could of been the fact the brakes were dragging and over working the motor. The problem with the brakes could be that the pistons are seized and the calipers need replacing or at the least the carrier pins need greasing. Hows the pedal feel if it's very hard you likely have a problem with the pump or just low fluid(leaking hoses). Check out this site lots of good info http://www.sjmautotechnik.com/


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## Ziptar (Aug 24, 2001)

*Re: Just bought a 1990 200Q, overheating and smoking brakes. Help? (yodasfro)*

Thanks yodasfro. 
When I first started driving it the pedal was really stiff but, afterwards there was basically nothing. 
I stopped by the shop this morning and they were going to get it on the first free rack and have a look at it. At least they are working with me on it.
The radiator fan was running, if fact it's brand new, that was one of the items the shop did that they didn't get paid for and wound up filing the mechanics lien, along with a new power steering hose and a fuel pump.
Thanks for the link, I was just over there reading. http://www.sjmautotechnik.com/....html
Coolant Temperature Gauge-Multi-Function Temperature Sensor (MFTS) 
section is interesting, particularly the pictures of the Temp gauge and the ranges. When the over heat warning can on the temp gauge needle was on the 3rd line from the right, the one between the two dots. I live in Florida and it was 96F-98F yesterday afternoon and I had the A/C going. After reading that page it sounds like it wouldn't take much brake dragging to over heat it.


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## Steve Angry (Feb 7, 2000)

*Re: Just bought a 1990 200Q, overheating and smoking brakes. Help? (Ziptar)*

Sounds like the master cylinder is shot. It's a common problem on these cars. As the engine bay/brake fluid heats up the faulty master cylinder locks up the brakes.
Easy way to diagnose this is to drive the car until the brakes lock up then spray the master cylinder with cold water. If the brakes unlock...you've found your culprit.
It's possible the engine overheating could have been caused by driving with locked up brakes...
Steve


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## Ziptar (Aug 24, 2001)

*Re: Just bought a 1990 200Q, overheating and smoking brakes. Help? (Steve Angry)*

I had the 200TQ Towed to my house Saturday, I just wanted to get to working on it.
Pics here http://www.ziptar.com/Audi/ Not bad for $1250 I think.
Added some Prestone Super Flush today. The clean water I added when it over heated last week is now really rusty and nasty. I am going to let it soak a bit, maybe even do another. The nice part is that it runs a heck of allot cooler now even with just super flush and water. Lat it idle with the A?C on for an hour this after noon, it had a hard time getting up to "Normal". If I held it at 3000 RPM for a while it aould heat up but drop back down after a while. 
I have the high idle somewhat sorted out, it was idling at 2000 RPM with the A/C off. I disconnected the idle speed motor set the idle in the TBI. I did it with the A/C On so now it idles at 950 with the A/C on and 1500 with it off. I'll have to do it again.
Outstanding issues:
Change oil, replace filters.
Replace master Cylinder (calipers don't lock and pedal is stiff again when cold)
Fix LR Window (door jamb wiring I think.)
E-Brake not engaging, needs adjustment or some work.
Need to replace the intake boot as it was "repaired" with silicone then I'll look for vacuum leaks.
A/C works but is throwing codes 06,07,09,13 (13 is from a the battery not holding a charge I think), not all at once but over the course of the weekend while working on it, 06 is constant though, seems to jive with the coolant bottle with steam coming out of it displaying on the dash display at startup.
the A/C seems to cut out if I hold the revs at 3000 rpm for a bit, might have been a coincidence, maybe it just cycled off.
All in All nothing that doesn't seem out of the ordinary for these cars.
What does a timing belt change take on these?? Any special tools??
Thanks.


_Modified by Ziptar at 7:39 PM 8-26-2007_


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## Sepp (Dec 10, 2002)

*Re: Just bought a 1990 200Q, overheating and smoking brakes. Help? (Ziptar)*

60-80K for the timing belt.
Get a new H2o pump as well.


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