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I don't presume to know what you're looking for Alex, but buying an S5 will likely have a decent specification on even a base model, minus things such as sound package or panoramic sunroof. Incidentally, LED matrix isn't gimmicky lighting. Far from it, this will have been a very expensive extra from new, over and above standard LED lights with features such as full beam assist, cornering lighting, etc. This type of specification helps sell it down the line unless you're planning for this car to be a long term keeper. You asked if S5s are typical for lack of servicing. No, not necessarily, but its a 2017 plate, so a 9 year old performance car, so it pays to do your research. The original owner may have sold it, and it could have traded hands a few times or been run ragged on a track or indeed modified. Without some sort of service log, then you've absolutely no idea what the history is. In terms of history, especially on an older vehicle such as this, then if its been maintained meticulously, even by the main dealer on a database, they can give you a print out. If the previous owner(s) were old school, then a physical service record is better. Doesn't need to be garage stamps, but receipts in a folder from a VAT registered garage, or simply parts purchased, and service mileage, in some sort of chronological order. That speaks volumes. I've had quattros for years, so I understand tyre wear. Normally you replace tyres in pairs on the same axle. There's no dark science to it. A car failing on tyres tells you the owner isn't aware of condition, wear pattern or tread depth.

We don’t know your driving history to date, but £400 a month on insurance is insane, considering cost of fuel and running costs as it is. Unfortunately males under 25 are deemed high risk, and of course the area where car is left overnight and your job will also have impact. Use some of the insurance comparison sites, on a standard 1 litre car for example and see what comes back price wise. You can also add telemetric box, which means you need to drive within speed limit at all times and even when you drive. Additional advanced driving qualification may help, but ultimately you need to be over 25 with no claims to start bringing it down.

Hello Dillon, So that is £4,800/pa, add to that, the car’s depreciation over that year, and you really are into bonkers territory! I am ignoring any finance you may be paying, together with the annual road tax, and obviously the actual running costs of the car. Sorry to put it bluntly, but you are in extreme danger of running yourself into an economic disaster - unless your earnings are exceptionally high,or you are ‘of some means’. As Cliff says - assuming you have checked all comparison sites - you will need to seriously research vehicles with low insurance groupings, and cut your cloth to suit those vehicles. Really sorry to say it as I see it, but it’s madness to have to spend a significant amount of amount of your working time to ‘feed your current situation’. Regards, Gareth.

The ability of a battery to crank and fire the engine is not evidence that it is in good shape. That was true years ago in the days of points in distributors, but not since the advent of sensitive electronics. I suggest you get the battery properly tested (not by a multimeter). I'd go further and say that if it is more than five years old you should renew it irrespective of the test results. Don't forget to get the new battery coded to the car.

Pleasure James, I like your approach to keeping this car maintained as it should be, and not as VAG suggests ( explanations already given). Having said that, with delivery mileage only, personally I wouldn’t be getting the oil change done at handover, but waiting until September when it has a few miles under its belt. Regards, Gareth.

Audi’s service plans are very expensive. They are designed to appeal to new owners and usually a bolt on package that some people accept at purchase, especially when spending thousands on a car. The reality is somewhat different. Let’s break it down. The basic plan is £719 for two years. That buys you an oil service (basically oil and filter) and an inspection service (oil, air and pollen filter) every 9,300 miles. I’m sure there was a query on the site recently as it didn’t include spark plugs. Usually due at 40k miles. https://www.audi.co.uk/en/owners/service-and-maintenance/service-plans/ Main Audi dealer doesn’t not buy expertise. Like Frank, I moved away from main dealer garages probably 30 years ago. I can see past the branded coffee cups and courtesy wash and vacuum, and know that the £200+ per hour rate, a fraction will go to the technician. The rest pays for the franchise running costs, plus a healthy profit. As the car is new, then find a garage you trust, preferably Audi or VAG independent that know what they are doing. I’ve had similar experiences with BMW as my wife has a i3 REx. Great car and the support or rather lack of it from the main dealer was evident when there was an issue withe the generator engine. They failed to fix after three attempts. That was their master tech too. Spent over £1k and said never again. Bought ISTA software, so service both my wife’s car and VCDS to run my own. Not suggesting you break out the spanners. Maintain the warranty, especially if the car is is mild hybrid. That tech is increasingly complex. Anyway enjoy that new car feeling.

Good morning James I have just read your post this morning with interest and as you reside in Hampshire as do I, may I put an alternative to you regards the future servicing of your lovely new A6 ? I do understand your desire to look after your car and make sure it works well for many years. I am 78 years of age and have been fortunate enough to have been the owner of many fine cars in my long life, all purchased new. I stopped using Main Dealer servicing over 20 years ago and the reasons are that I refuse to pay the exhorbitant rates that they charge and also.....and just as importantly.... I'm not convinced that they offer the finest levels of expertise . Since 2006 I have owned 2 VW Phaetons, 1 Audi A8, and 2 Audi Q8's . At the moment I am the happy owner of an S5 Avant that I took delivery of four weeks ago. All of these cars were purchased new and I chose to not service any of them with Main Dealers. All were serviced and maintained to a very high level at The Village Garage Bishops Waltham. I like many other " petrol heads " on this website am not convinced by the long service regimes that Audi supposedly recommend. I endorse everything that Sparticus said in his reply to you. He's a good bloke and knows what he's doing ! So, all my cars that I have listed have had services and particuarly oil changes every 7/8000 miles. The Village Garage has been running for many years and has a fine reputation. The owner is a guy called Matt who is very clever and knowledgeable guy. And just as importantly he is a car guy who loves all things to do with high end expensive cars. I trust him completely in looking after my cars and being ultra careful when they are with him. He , in fact runs an Audi SQ5 as his personal car. Matt uses all Audi parts and as he is a listed Audi / Porsche/ VW/ Skoda specialist , you will not invalidate your Audi warranty by taking it there. Matt is able to log and reset your Audi service indicator. So, it's just a thought and I do hope you don't mind me throwing my 2 penneth in here. The plusses for me are that I believe that my car will be serviced and maintained at a higher level than it would be at an Audi Dealership and I save a ton of money as Matts rates are far lower than Audis. My missis and I have been touring Germany in the car twice a year for many years now. Our next trip which will be for 4 weeks and cover over 2000 miles will be in October and I will schedule my S5's first service with Matt just before we go. By then he will have done about 5000 miles so a complete oil change and an inspection to make sure all is well. Finally an added bonus is that Bishops Waltham is a lovely little town so whilst Matt is working on your car, you can have a quiet stroll and have a coffee and breakfast there. The above is just a thought.....and I dont have any shares in the Village Garage just in case you were suspicious 🙂 Frank

Annual servicing all day long, but certainly every 10k miles. Audi moved to long service regimes because they were shifting cars with finance and offered free servicing as an incentive. They also introduced it to seduce fleet dealers who hoped to reduce their running costs. The whole thing is a fallacy. The reality is no synthetic oil can retain the lubrication properties to protect an engine after 18k miles. Down the line, an unsuspecting new owner will buy an ex-fleet or leased 3-4 year old car and discover premature engine wear and pick up the bill. For all the costs of an oil filter and 5-6 litres of fresh oil, just change it. I personally do it every 5k miles, still use Castrol Edge 5w30 LL, but my 2017 plate 3.0 TDI Allroad will be my last diesel.

Apologies for the gripe, but the forum has recently suffered from a spate of what can be termed ‘Post and Run’ new members, who seem to think it’s perfectly acceptable to post a plea for help, and simply not return to view the help given. In a more diluted form, help is offered, but is very rarely acknowledged even via. a simple press of the Like button, leave alone a posted Thank You. The last part of the gripe is that we frequently have to ask for additional information, and this extra detail often never materialises. Please remember, everyone who posts replies do so without payment, but it certainly does cost them in time - in terms of the Moderators and Admin back up - a lot of time. So a special plea to all on here who post needing help:- please be respectful enough to acknowledge any help given, rather than simply accept it as a no-cost, no time of yours, free advice service. It’s wearing thin folks, so if you want to retain this service, please respect and acknowledge its benefits. Thank you all for reading this, and above all, agreeing to adhere to the respect that is needed to be shown. Kind regards, On behalf of the Moderators. Please note:- This request is to all members, not just new ones. p.s. Please avoid using non specific locations such as U.K., England etc. etc.

Hi good skills you are getting the hang of this parts procurement, most parts for VAG have always been made by someone else, Bosch, Febi, Mann etc, prime example I needed a fuel filter for my daughters GLA that was going to be trade £109+VAT, quick look at the old one tells me it was Mann in origin so went fishing with the oe number and got a Mann filter from parts in motion for £45 shipped, I was told by an ex REME engineer the principle of working on any vehicle is if you can strip it down without breaking it you can bl@@dy well put it back together without breaking it. Steve.

Part is called turn signal indicator. Right hand side is 4G5949102B. Double check that with main dealer based on your registration. Think it should be around £45. Avoid Temu or EBay. https://www.lllparts.co.uk/catalogs/audi/RDW/A6/798/9/949/949000 To access, normally pop out glass, see if any screws, then prize mirror cap off, again using the trim tools, as usually clipped in. Unscrew the existing module, until electrics, and fit by reverse. Can be more complicated if lane assist or camera fitted. This is 2015 A6, so should be roughly the same. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hqps2U43fzI

Just a quick hello. Have purchased a 2021 Q5 45 tfsi. We’ve previously had three bmws which were great but my Mrs needed something easier to get in and out of as she now has left leg problems. Not 100% sure how we ended up with the q5 but it’s the one she liked the most. Who am I to argue with her. I’ve got a couple of bikes so car is ultimately her choice 😅 Anyhow enough rambling and thanks for letting me join. No doubt I’ll have questions to ask. I’ll try and look through the topics 1st Cheers from Inverness

You want a year's MOT on any of these cars. If buying privately, do your research. You can pull previous MOT history via government check. Also speak to owner. Genuine owner will have paperwork and lots of it, plus history. For these sort of vehicles, keep your search area tight. No point travelling for 'immaculate example' only to be disappointed. Always drive a car from cold, and cross reference vehicle VIN on inspection. For a car you're prepared to buy, and given we live in a world where we're surrounded by scammers, then pay for a vehicle report such as carvertical. RAC offer something similar, but less detailed. If you have VCDS, definately scan the car. Diesels on the whole are robust. At this age, its Euro5 technology. Regular oil changes are key to engine longevity. Anything on long service intervals 15-18k intervals, walk away. All 2.0 TDI engines will be belt driven, so again, when was toothed belt done? My advice is 60k miles or every 5 years plus waterpump. If any cars have panoramics, then check carpets, and headlining for water leaks. Test all electrics, central locking, etc. Sat Nav likely out of date, but it is what it is. Scuffed wheel rims, someone can't drive. Alignment will be out and I'll bet it pulls to the kerb. Check coil spring height. Easy test with your hand on level ground from tyre to arch.

Hi get them repaired, its a lot cheaper and less less likely you will buy used which will need some sort of refurbishment and reprogramming, all leather seats except for Bentley are spray painted hide and the covers are removable so can be repaired and re foamed. Steve.

Turns out it's not the right spacesaver. The steel rim is 6J depth while the OEM Audi version is 4.5J. It was never going to sit low enough - to be fair to the Wheelshop they have agreed to pickup for refund.

Found the problem this morning. It’s the connector shown in the attached photo — there is a thin hairline leak/crack in the connector.

Fixed this correctly in the end. I checked all the connectors on accessible modules under the steering wheel side of the dashboard and one was loose / not fully home, after pushing all the connections (think J519 module) the problem is properly solved. only 2 years later...

Hi the B6 is about the best compromise as they work with either conventional ride hight or factory lowered just remember to release the piston from its transport strap and push it all the way down and let it return at least six times to prime the monotube system as these work differently from twin tube, yes the rear sub frame has voids but you can get around this by using a product called Bilt Hamber, they do a range of rust removal and rust proofing, it ain't cheap but its top notch, my friend did his 1981 Porsche 911 with it a few years ago and it definitely works, with regard to the bushes poly is easier to fit but gives more road resonance when fitted and will take at least two years to calm down and bed in to an acceptable level, a very wise engineer I met that looked after racing cars at Snetterton once told me if you want good handling on a road car use standard heavy duty springs and stiffer shocks and a good branded rubber bush, if you get a new frame just change the bushes for peace of mind and bare in mind how long the originals last, use Meyle or Lemforder, if your mate is bringing power tools for the brakes tell him to not use them until you have the bolt moving which requires a blowtorch and plenty of plus gas anti seize and patience as these threads will ring out given half a chance, if you consider the amount of heat a calliper works with you can't realistically overheat them, once off I would replace the units anyway in view of the fact that 90% of callipers are refurbished even the dealer units. and bolt wise invest in a Sealy Wall Drive sockets as that system will never round the the bolts off as it grips the flat sided bit of the bolt. Steve.

Dear audi owners club members. I would like to introduce myself. I am a first time Audi owner and have recently aquired a project 1998 Audi Cabriolet 2.6l (I always liked the shape when the roof is down) and more by chance than intention a 2013 A6 avant allroad 2.8l, japanese import, which appears to be in good nick. I am in the north of Scotland and an looking forward to meet fellow enthusiasts in the region. Together with a friend we drove both cars up from England. The cabriolet looked better in the pictures and had some immediate issues (Boot and roof not opening etc) some I have been able to solve. I am hoping to use the cabriolet over the summer with minor intervention and start restoration in the autumn. Hopefully the A6 Avant behaves as it looks and does only require regular servicing.

Worth trying Ali express James. I’ve had mud flaps off them for the non-Audi at a fraction of the main dealer cost, and I don’t have any criticism of the quality. Not sure what they for yours, but worth a search. Regards, Gareth.

All now fixed. The sensors can be replaced without taking off the bumper. In my case the actual faulty one was on the corner, just take the 6 visible torx T25 screws out of the lower side and corner of the wheel arch liner and put a hand in the gap; unclip the sensor (took a bit of effort as the clips are strong and difficult to get purchase, see note below). Then withdraw and unplug. Plug in the new one and refit. A bit of silicon grease helped the new one in as it was a tight fit. The inner front one was damaged but still worked; but replaced just in case. Can be accessed thru the grill with small fingers. For both a bit of strong nylon string looped around the clip and pulled from below gently allowed the sensor to be pushed out, on the one in grille it was simple but for the one on the corner fed it up thru a handy slot in the plastic. Overall time to change about 10mins each one.

I echo the comments about annual servicing being better for the car than extended intervals, and independent garages being better than main dealers.

Perfect mate. All done. Thank you. Have a great weekend!!

Hi Spartacus, yes I bought a new oil level sensor from a reputable retailer. After it was fitted, I took the car for a test drive, I should mention at this point, that my mechanic thought it was an oil pressure sensor, despite all the info messages. Anyway, as soon as the test started, the same fault lights illuminated. I drove back the garage where the mechanic stood with a new oil pressure sensor in hand and a smug grin on his face. Turns out he was right all along and the fault has never returned.

1st it means what it says! There is a countdown and at 0 the engine will close down. 2nd the problem is vv likely the failure of the AdBlue pump and that really ps me off as 1 it is the result of Audi using an inadequate/poorly made pump, and, even worse, installing it inside the AdBlue tank so that it cannot economically be repaired or replaced. You need a new tank and associated electronics. When the new part is fitted, it has to be registered to the system. Some people, esp in US, say the solution is to ditch AdBlue. That's forbidden in UK and will show up as an MoT fault.

Update: I have replaced the boost pressure valve from the same Audi A4 B9 2.0 TDI. I have done a test drive for about ah hour and the fault has not appeared yet which leads me to believe that the issue has been fixed. Thank you to all that helped.

Hello everyone, Wondering if anyone can help me. A few weeks ago my EPC light came on and immediately went into limp mode and started jumping when driving at 5mph. After a few hours I came back to the car and it was fine so I drove it to my storage unit. I came back the next day and when starting it the EPC light and EML light were illuminated and the idle was quite rough. I came back to it about a week ago and all the doors were locked, the key isn't unlocking it and the barrel of the central locking isn't even turning. The ignition seemed to be on aswell. I'm really at a loss of what to do. We had some hard rain that week the vehicle was unable to be opened so im hoping water hasn't gotten into the BCM but I'm not sure. Audi S5 V8 4.2 2008 Any help would be great, thank you all. Kian

Thanks for the reply , if its covered on warranty which I hope so, no probs . Strange thing is I had an S7 a few years ago and the same thing happened with that car , but the repair was done whilst the car was in for service. I will see what they say when I take it in Friday morning .

No idea on warranty, but I’d like to think so. If you’re spanner handy, these jobs are not difficult. Water reservoir normally accessed by removing road wheel, then inner wheel arch liner. Normally a series of Torx screws and a couple of 10mm hex nylon nuts. If the reservoir has a crack, replace. Pump usually attaches with 12v supply, with rubber pipes. It could be leaking at a pipe attachment. Main Audi dealer is £200 an hour, not including parts. This is bread and butter work for an independent garage you trust.

Please keep us posted on how you get on

Wouldn't go as far as to call Evans Halshaw a dealer, they are a reseller at best, and 37k miles on a 2017 car is very low. That sounds like a careful owner, however where's the information to back it up? £23k isn't small change either. Quick check of the MOT history - so either tyres or coil springs that it's failed on. Sounds odd to fail on tyres - so that's a potential red flag for me. Regardless of mileage this should have had oil changes probably every 5-8k miles. Personally I'd walk away. I'd rather higher mileage and history (doesn't need to be main dealer), but you want receipts and lots of them. People who look after their cars tend to document any work done. Why? This is a cam-chain driven car, if it's been on long service intervals, then you could get potential chain slap on start up, then it's an engine out job to replace, plus guides. Tiptronic transmission is bullet-proof, but I'd still look to do a transmission oil change on or around 8 years or 60-80k miles so that's due too. ZF-8 make a specific kit. https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202604261891333? This is a 2018 car on 54k, but full loaded, panoramic, red leather, LED matrix, and yes more expensive at £27k. Unfortunately there's no short-cuts with these cars. This one has full history. Goes without saying I'd be running an independent check with car vertical or such like, full scan with VCDS, etc.

That is the right technique, but the ignition needs to be on.

More interior removed, it still starts too, dash out next to remove unwanted wires and control units. On a plus side, the original issue has been found, a corroded plug behind the dash probably caused its issues.

Main Audi dealer will be minimum £200 per hour for a technician, not a mechanic. As suggested, find a trusted independent and expect to pay for health report. A 16 year old car, if serviced properly can still be kept on the road, however, except you'll need to budget for some of the repairs. You don't need to do everything at once. What's critical? And what's worth doing, say in 6 months.

I can't help with the adblue issue but as for diagnostics, think about buying a decent OBD reader. Mine cost £165 and can diagnose almost any issues from mechanical to electrical. Look up Topdon Diagnostic. Mine's saved me £100s and loads of time and agro 👍

Thank you for the reply! I have changed the glow plugs out for bosch, they came out quite easily with a ten mill long reach socket but diagnostics still come up with the plug 4 fault. I reckon the wiring needs replacing. I did vacuum the bores out before removal of the old. Looking to find a new glow plug harness then. Big bucks...

I got may spare from the wheel shop and which was genuine looking at the part number the brought the jack from the dealer

Second post on this after 35 days of ownership and more impressions of the S5 Avant. So, the car has been away for about a week to have a 2 channel Blackvue dashcam and Cellink 8 battery installed by TTW Installations in Nottingham followed by a Gtechniq ceramic coat and a little bit of ppf on vulnerable areas of the car applied by First Choice Detailing of Christchurch Hampshire. Used both these companies for many years on previous cars and I think they are the best in the business and would recommend without hesitation. The car is settling down and I'm on top of most of the impressive tech now. Also my biggest fear after coming out of a Q8 was of poorer build quality in the S5 as reported in various road tests and subsequent creaks and or rattles. None of that so far and the car is solid and feels well put together. And so on to power and performance. Today I brought the car back from Christchurch to my home, a journey of about 30 miles. The car has just ticked over 950 miles, so on a quiet stretch of a dual carriageway through the New Forest I lit it up a little for the first time and strewth can this car move ! And just to make this relative. I am 78 years of age and been fortunate enough to have a wonderful missus of 56 years who has indulged me my great love of cars over many years. So, looking back and seeing how brake horsepower has now gone through the roof in quite ordinary cars. My current S5 Avant has 362 bhp, a decent output. Many years ago I was one of the first owners in the Southampton area to take delivery of a new Golf GTI....the original hothatch in 1976. That had 110 bhp and was considered pretty fast. And the following are some of the cars I have been fortunate enough to own and their relative BHP's VW Golf GTI 16v. 139 bhp. Peugeot 205 1.9 GTI . 130 bhp. Because of it's light weight, this was a pocket rocket. Then I grew up a bit and had more mature cars ! Saab 900 Carlsson 16v turbo. 185 bhp. When the little turbo arrow gauge clicked into the yellow turbo indicator, this car flew ! Porsche 944 S . 190 bhp BMW 528i . This was for a time the largest engine you could spec. 181 bhp. The list could go on and I hope people reading this dont think I am in any way boasting about these cars. I'm not, I realise I've been a little fortunate. My point is that all these cars listed with their relative power outputs are now easily beaten by many family SUV's and saloons and hatchbacks on the market now. I also realise that many EV's far exceed these figures. The EV route is one that I have never envisaged me taking for many reasons, hence the S5. At my age I'm staying with ICE cars until they are no longer available. Any one here have any idea where this chase for bhp will end. My current car with 362 bhp is in supercar territory only about 20 years ago. It is phenomenal and fun and whilst I am still able to do so and I'm competent I am going to hit the German autobahns a couple of times a year and mix it with the German guys there. Oh and just in case anyone is concerned here because of my age , I am fully fit and have 20/20 vision plus. I hope this is of interest to some here.

I’m not planning on selling the A4 anytime soon, it took ages to find, panoramic, electric towbar, virtual dash, etc. Servicing is key, but we’ll see how tax regimes in the future work, as often it’s just too expensive. Brother used to have 3.0TDI X5, but road tax was getting daft, plus it used to eat tyres.

I purchased an Audi A1 in October 25 it’s the black edition TFSI 35 automatic I’ve had a drivers door fault message come up since December the car has been in 3 times they replaced the door lock first then it came up again so they change the module and the fault appeared again on the dash so they replaced the wiring loom from the module to the lock and it still hasn’t fixed it, so I’m waiting now for the tech team to get back.

Thank you all for contributing to the thread. I will ask the dealer if they might change oil before collection as a goodwill gesture, but I'm sure the answer will be a hard no. So would anyone agree that an Oil change in September 2026 is the right plan (1yr after pre reg)?

If LED or LED Matrix - unfortunately that's the price. It's one of these scenarios whether you go through your insurance, given costs. Breaker yards are also fraught with difficulty, in terms of description and comeback if there's an issue with the headlight. Used breakeryard.com - never again. If it was me, then Charles Trent. With second hand - you'll likely find component protection that can only be adapted with dealer level software such as ODIS, however I could be wrong though.

The electric handbrake (electro-mechanical handbrake or EPB) to give it it's correct name is usually pretty robust. You'll probably need to scan the car to see what error logs are there. My wife has a BMW i3 and she had similar issue, however I traced that to the physical switch. Does the handbrake button illuminate, but no handbrake? Usually you need VCDS if you're swapping rear pads for example, to place in the service position. There are some YouTube hacks including 12v power-supply, but I would avoid unless you want further issues. Speaking of batteries, you can get issues with a failing battery too. If it's old - then consider swapping it out. A new one needs coded to the car. Check the fuse too. You can get VCDS from Gendan for around £200 and find an old laptop to run it on. Best money you'll every spend.

This is something that happens all the time when the egr cooler fails ..the coolant leaks into the exhaust and you get a ton of smoke and coolant loss. Cheap enough fix if you know a decent garage as it takes 1-2 hrs to swap them out .

Filip. I can't answer your question, but whatever you fit you need to change both front springs for a matched pair. Not all springs of the same notional grade are identical, and in any case springs weaken as they age.

I do t think it's normal. I think it'll need a diagnostic check to see if any fault codes flag up

I can't answer your question, but I do wonder why you want that data displayed somewhere. Surely all you need to know while driving is whether the pressures are wrong, i.e. have they changed since you set them?

For sale SET OF 4 AUDI A6 C7 19" ALLOY WHEELS with Michelin Pilot Sport 3 tyres 255/40/19 100Y AO. Price £800 Wheels are 4G0601025E, 8.5Jx19H2 ET45. Will fir other vehicles. Recent wheel paint and new tyres please note, there are some chip marks that can be seen in the pictures.

Welcome to the forum you'll find the members on here are a friendly and helpful bunch 🙂 The gen 1 is a lovely car.

Audi UK will deny all knowledge. Look at how the emissions scandal was handled in the US vs UK