Im new to this forum, but just hoping you can help me a bit?

I've just bought a 1994 Audi 80 2.0 Sport SE Auto.

It has 126,000 on the clock but runs smooth apart from:

1) a clunking from the front suspension when driving over rough
ground or turning hard while accelerating (e.g. pulling out of a
junction). I think there is also a single clunk from the rear
suspension when cornering round an island. Anyone have any ideas
what these could be? Maybe bushes or balljoints etc.?

2) the front shocks are very soft and you can hear them 'squelching'
when you bounce the car. When looking at Eurocarparts.co.uk normal
80 shocks are around £30, but the 80 Sport shocks are £107!! Is it
possible to fit normal 80 shocks to the Sport model? What are the
differences?

3) the fuel gauge sometimes reads halfway then the next minute will
be near zero (scaring the crap out of me) but then sometimes making
its way back to the quarter to half point. Is this the sender unit
(£40) or is it likely to be something more complicated?

4) as far as I know the cam belt (timing belt?) has not been changed
since 41,000. I'm not used to modern overhead cam engines, so can
you tell me if this is a problem? I've heard it can destroy your
engine if it breaks so it should be changed every 40,000 or so miles.
I should probably mention that it is an ABK engine.

Please all of you any help you can give me on any of these things
are muchly appreciated! Also does anyone know if there is a workshop
manual you can buy because apparently Haynes don't make one for the
Audi 80 91-95 model?!

Thankyou,

Ian Thomason

1) could be the same shock. mine made so much noise, felt like the car would fall apart in mid-drive. also check CV joints (turn fully into left or right and accelerate a bit if you here noise you got it). just chech the shocks first, evrything else is easy to replace, can do it in your own drive way.
2)Probably, but check any way.
3) probably sender unit in the tank.
4) just take off the cover and see if belt is used havilly. its better to be changed then you will start from zero on it.

I don't think its the shock because when you bounce the car all you can hear is a slight squelching, no clunking or knocking. Are the shocks easy to change? And also are the strut mounts easy to change because someone else has suggested that could be the clunking.

Also how easy is the cam belt to change and does removing the cover to check its ware and tear require changing any gaskets etc?

Thanks for your help,

Ian

removing cover should be easy. do you have 8V or 16V or 20V? changing the belt might be slightly a problem but not to worry german ingeniring will come to rescue. actually you will have to remove couple of things. like pullies that cover up the shilds. do you have a serpanten belt on accesories or just couple regular belts? ah you hill have to remove bottom pully from engine thats for sure.
removing the cover requires you to unbolt two bolts that hold the cover and then it should slide out easily no gasket change required.
if you do the change with some one then it can be a one day job alone it may be a two day job.
its a bit hard to get all points right on this models. unless you have electronic destrebution without rotor. then its walk in the park.
I changed belts on audi 80 1.8L 1989 auto it might be the same for you, then I try and provide with usfull information.
people say to me that i'm walking calculator and manual.