My scirocco tried to kill me!!! (long)

[mpeters6@rochester.rr.com (Marc Peterson)]

Remember when, many moons ago, I was praising my Scirocco.  I was saying how
great it was, how reliable it was after it got some much needed TLC?

No?

Well, I take it all back.

Last week I had to get the damn thing towed home, it died on me in traffic
on the coldest, snowest night of the winter so far, and wouldn't restart.
The next morning I figured out that the hot pulse relay wasn't hot pulsing,
and the aux air regulator was stuck closed.  No biggie, got it fixed in
about an hour.

Two days later, on the way home on hte highway at 65 mph, I hear a strange
squeaking sound, which progressed into a grinding, scraping noise within a
mile.  Then the rear of the car starts violently slamming side to side, to
the point that I can barely control it.  I slow down to 40, which is more
manageable, but still very unsettling.

Get home, jack up the rear, notice that the rear drivers wheel is hanging
there at a funny angle.  Grab the wheel and notice that its not really
connected to anything anymore.  Pull the wheel, notice that the dust cap is
gone, the lock ring on the nut is gone, and the outer bearing is missing.
MISSING!   Pull the cotter pin, and the drum falls off in my hand.  The
inner bearing is loaded up with metal shavings but its still intact.  The
outer bearing inner race has been ground down to the stub axle, the outer
race is totally missing, and the bearings, who knows where they are.
Probably all over I-590.

I can thank that little cotter pin for saving my life.

I'm now driving my Jetta again.  It doesn't have snow tires, but it also
doesn't want me dead either.

Marc
Bad Scirocco...Bad!