The A4 is back, and better than ever!
Cause of death for the clutch was determined to be overheating leading to the disintegration of the relatively little material that was left. A chunk of it actually snapped off in the gruesome event that let to it manifesting as a potential hydraulic failure. The flywheel needed replacement as well, pushing the total out the door to over $1,900!
Moral of the story: never lend out your manual car in San Francisco, much less to an immediate family member!
At least it should be good for another 100k miles. With no major maintenance items coming up any time soon, this car feels like it’s ready to be road tripped! Unfortunately, with my 335 also running strong, I’m still finding myself debating selling it. Suggest a NP in the comments!