[Deschodt]

Thanks guys, cooler heads for sure... I have no choice but to fix it if I want any $ back, for sure... I guess it's fix and dump or fix and gamble/keep. I do not see a salvage giving us any $, not even 1/2 of BB. I don't know anything else famously bad on this engine (was same as S4). I know tranny sometimes (had an S4 long ago, mechatronics failed under warranty)... I just know i'm gonna go ballistic if it pops something $$$$ later...

As far as repair costs, even independents are $200 an hour nowadays in my area, and while you can pop the water pump in situ, the thermostat and other hose required the supercharger to come off so labor labor labor. If it's that exchanger thingie, same job all over again.. And yes, re: other comments, that thing honestly goes like stink for its size, one year I did a quasi WRC special stage on a small Paso robles road with it, I could not believe how well it handled me tossing it around like that (we got to the winery and bits of rubber were on fire inside the wheels, had to drive around the lot 3x to put them all out). I forgot to mention on that very trip the underside cover fell out and took out a lot of under side plastic, audi wanted $1200 for a plastic undertray !!! Never did fix that. I mean there is still time to buy something more reliable before tariffs but what? wife is a bit of a car snob and won't do toyota/honda.. Guess I have to wait n see (the independant mechanic that did the job is out sick )