quattroworld

the mechanic says that the motor in the central locking pump is staying running.

i don't think that the starter problems and the central locking problems are related at all... i didn't mean to imply that in msg.

the battery was dead after sitting for 3 weeks. the battery is only 18 months old and since my clock doesn't work and the clock on the radio isn't enough of a draw to drain the battery over 3 weeks it makes sense that the motor running after the car was locked would kill it.

the starter is something that i'm just going to have replace. the fact that there was an 18 month period where i didn't experience the problem, including last winter when it was much colder than this winter, has me a bit vexed however.

the mechanic who had my car wants too much to change the starter... most of that is the cost of an OEM NOS bosch starter. i know another audi/vw guy who doesn't have a problem with remanufactured parts and he can get me remanufactured bosch for a fraction of the price of the NOS one my mechanic has.

i don't need the car for work. i don't drive it much. none of this is urgent but when i do drive it i tend to be far from home and don't want to get stranded so it's' high on my list of stuff to do.

in other news... local guy here in portland is parting out a urS4 and still has the headlights which he says have already been converted to HID. also will get some clear corners and another central locking pump from him this week.