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Fair enough Brian, but most drivers don't have the inclination or the competence to change their own wheels, such is the level of the nation's mechanical inability. They just sit back and phone the AA or RAC.

A3 8V 2014 S line 1.8TFSI Electronic Parking Brake Fault Help please, all suggestions welcome. Some 2 years ago it started, just an occasional yellow parking brake symbol. The car would drive normally. Reading that a failing battery can be the cause, I had a new genuine Audi one fitted. Re-occurred. Local garage said right rear caliper error reported. New, pattern-part caliper fitted. Week or so later re-occurred. Taken to main-dealer, 4 times, for investigation. Suspected, but not proved, ABS ECU suggested. Had local garage send the ECU for testing for suspected intermittent fault. No fault found, so refitted. OK for a couple of weeks then re-occurred. Took care to different dealer, changed the wiring-loom to right rear caliper as suggested by ECU tester. No change, garage suggested pattern-part caliper the cause so genuine Audi one fitted. OK for 6 weeks then re-occurred. Had parking brake switch changed, no change. The fault never goes away by itself, when it is there, yellow flashing brake symbol and brake switch light flashing. Operating the switch most times does nothing and no noise from the brake motors. If start and drive, loud audible intermittent alarm, alternating yellow brake icon with red triangle icon and message "Parking brake is applied" and parking brake switch light flashing. Just occasionally operating the switch clears the fault and the motors can be heard working. I now am in the habit of never applying the brake (automatic so car won't move). But most times now, despite leaving the car without the brake applied, next time I use the car the yellow symbol, flashing brake switch light come before even starting the engine. Thankfully only twice have I found the brake actually applied and won't release. Some time later have been able to release it. I have tried a reset found on the web of applying the switch down for 7 seconds then up for 7 etc. Also tried battery disconnect. I have attached a full VCDS scan. After a battery, 2 caliper-assemblies and wiring-loom and over £3k, no further forward. An ECU would be over £2k. Help please, the alarm blaring away in the car is driving me mad. Love the car but..... Audi-A3-8V-Jul2026.txt

But whats to happen if you have a puncture, and the gash in the tyre is too great for the goo to seal it, and the wheel has to be removed ? I always go on the side of caution, I have a space saver, the jack, and wheel brace etc I already had in my garage. regards Brian.

Hi if the tank is the non round type you can remove the bag, if its the round double skinned type its in between the structure and you can't get at it. Steve.

Right, you now have to confirm your suspicion that the noise is from a belt driven components - but which one. A good start would be to use a rod type stethoscope, taking all safety and risk elements into consideration - probably wiser to entrust this to a garage. The offender should reveal itself. Regards, Gareth. Please note, worth emphasising the risks of this approach with an engine running at 3K revs. Just take it to a trusted garage. ( all in Caps).

But VAG don’t want you to remove any wheels Brian. Goo & compressor, and you are back on the road without any DIY wheel removing. Yes, I agree they should - and currently do - supply a LWNR, but could that become a victim of a future cost cut, and a move towards ‘no mechanical intervention allowed by owners’. Regards, Gareth.

That's risky. If the bag tears you will get silica gel crystals in the cooling system and likely need an expensive new heater matrix; whereas a new reservoir costs less than £20.

Why do you need forceps Phillip? Surely the intention is to remove your with-silica -bag reservoir, throw it away, and simply replace it with a new without-bag one. Regards, Gareth.

Thanks for that……I need some forceps

Phillip, see this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39ngHGvMzEg

In that case you probably have all the tools you need at home. Welcome to the world of extreme cost cutting: cars with no spare wheels, phones without chargers, delivery company's which dump deliveries on the road outside the address.

Thanks for the replies. Yes have got the locking wheel bolt adapter, toeing eye and the thing to remove the caps on the nuts but that’s it. This is only my second brand new Audi and my last Q5 came with a tool kit and no spare wheel. I’ve always had new Mercedes and they all came with tool kits but no spare wheel. I’m just a bit of a geek when it comes to stuff that should come with your new car. There is no room even for a space saver because the subwoofer is in the way in this SQ5.

What’s the silicon do and why better without original……never hear of this in a coolant rad 😱

At the very least, the car should come with the adaptor for the locking wheel bolts to enable you to remove a wheel if the need arises. Brian.

Have you seen this Andrew? https://www.audiownersclub.com/forums/topic/24906-alternator-failure-related-to-mild-hybrid-system

Last time I looked they were on Amazon.

Contra opinion based on experience of other marques. Never ordered a new Audi so with the caveat that VAG maybe (in caps) be operating differently:- If you order a spare wheel kit ( if available for the model being ordered), you will receive a spacesaver spare wheel, a jack and wheel brace. If you order without spare wheel, you get a canister of goo sealant and a compressor to re inflate the flat tyre at the roadside. It is deemed that you don’t need a jack or wheelbrace, since you don’t need to jack the car up or remove the wheel. Regards, Gareth.

I have had the same experience. 48v battery drain failure, car broke down. Audi have had car since May 20th. No goodwill or loan car (quoted £35 a day Enterprise!) parts on backorder with Audi Germany, quoted £1740, so far. Many delays on parts delivery, now told July 30th. Customer services no help, just a bad joke.

I think your car should definitely come supplied with (A) jack, (B) a wrench for taking the wheels off and (C) very important, an adaptor for the locking wheel bolts, plus an alignment pin, my 2024 q3 came with all these items. p.s. the locking wheel bolt adaptor is matched to the wheels on your car. hope you get it sorted Brian.

Thank you mate , I'll give that a bash and see how it pans out

Hi I think you are correct as the popping is caused by unburnt fuel exploding after the cat and in the exhaust which is basically untreated hydrocarbons and C02, the side benefit of this is that if you still have a cat it will destroy it, some people even have spark plugs fitted past the silencer which ignites the unburnt fuel so you have popping and flames emanating from the exhaust, when I used to work nights any driver going to anywhere near Lakeside retail park lived in fear of the hoards of lunatics popping and flaming as they forced you in to the middle of the dual carriageways whilst overtaking both sides of your vehicle, the Police claim to have not enough officers to cover the area and no powers to stop this, well, they will have soon, some Thurrock drivers can attest to horrific accidents a lot of them high speed and caused by defects in braking and suspension, why not forget the overpriced straight through exhaust and its remap and spend the money on making sure you can stop and go around corners, my main objection is when they take some unsuspecting soul out as well, why does insurance cost so much because you can bet your bottom dollar that alarge percentage of these people with modified cars don't declare the said modification because they won't get insurance therefore what they do have insurance wise is void via the non disclosure clause on their policy, this leaves any victims of their stupidity with what? you got it, claiming off their own insurance. Steve.

Hi all , I’m after a coolant expansion tank for a 2016 Audi A3 2.0 TDI but without the silicone packet in , has anyone got any links to them ? Thanks PatBoySlimUK

I just tried it again, as magnet asked. Didn’t make a difference to the sound, peddle up or down at 3k rpm no changes

Just a standard tool kit. Car jack, wheel bolt wrench and a wheel alignment pin. It says they should come with the car. I would change a wheel no problem at home if it was punctured or damaged. I’m very much hands on when it comes to my cars.

Dan. Magnet is trying to diagnose your noise, but he can not do so if you don't run the test he asked for.