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I know the op might not be here anymore, but for others here: I recently had the chance to drive two identical specked 2024 A3’s, both built within a month of each other with identical speck, 1.5tfsi DSG, with very similar mileage. The only difference was one was running a set of new Bridgestone Potenza Sport, the other was on a new set of new Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6. Both were on 235/35R19 V91 After driving for over a month on different road conditions both cars, the difference in tires was quite noticeably different. The Goodyear were noticeably quieter and felt more comfortable on our rough UK pot holed roads, the Bridgestones by comparison felt harsher and noticeably noisier, handling wise, not that they were pushed to their extreme, the Bridgestone felt better cornering in the dry, but I personally preferred the Goodyear in the wet on the bends. I was not expecting to notice much difference between the two, but a difference of tire brand made the cars feel completely different to drive on a daily basis, the Goodyear were far better for me.

Hi just thought i would let everyone know and stop all the confusion on the virtual cockpit with headlights in Europe. just been to 9 countries on a road trip and never got flashed for my headlights. left them on auto and turned off high beam assist . started the car in France and the headlights automatically adjusted themselves gong by the gps. switched over from mph to kmh in mmi. enjoyed our first long journey in the A4 of approx. 1900kmh. it took me ages to get response from Audi about headlights and found out from my neighbour who works for VW. happy travels.

So the key information for this part is its M12 x 1.5 pitch x 120mm. Tough times call for tough measures. Could N90924103 be used instead? As far as I can see the only difference is it’s 130mm. It’s a subframe bolt, so will be torque to yield and have the strength characterises of the original bolt. Remove 10mm off end, clean thread, etc.

I believe those symptoms are severe enough to justify rejecting the car and asking for a refund.

Whatever else you do or get concerned about, please make sure you insure this car on an agreed value basis, otherwise you certainly will lose money.

I didn't realise the charges involved, unfortunately it's a bit of a minefield if you go down the import route. You mention worrying about the car's depreciation if you opt for this car which is currently on 82k miles. Even if you stay within a modest 4k miles per year, then you're going to get to around 100k miles in 4½ years, but by then the car will be over 23 years old. At the end of the day - you're over-thinking this. You're buying a performance car, and it will require servicing and spare parts while you own it, plus insurance, road tax, etc. It is what it is. I don't think you can realistically guarantee a future value, short of sealing it in an air conditioned garage on axle stands. If you were thinking of a physical investment, you could potentially go down the B5 RS4 Avant route. That said - there's a mint example on Autotrader under 20k miles finished in Avus Silver. That's never going to be realistically driven and will probably spend the rest of it's life trailered to car shows, plus it's £70k. Best of luck of luck though whatever you do.

Single VIN is £169. If you have other Audis or VWs (works on Skoda, SEAT, Bentley and Lamborghini) then 3-VIN version is £222. You get different bundles. Get one with a plastic box, as the brains is the USB Hex-2 cable, so it keeps it safe. Order from Gendan. As mentioned - lifetime updates for the VCDS software. Occasionally the dongle hardware needs updated too. Regards the air-con flap, then scan car first to determine if it's motor or linkage. Either way you're going to be stripping down. Once you have an ID you can search YouTube to get location. Suspect it's not programming as such, but adaptation procedure once the new software is installed so everything works in sync.

Zac. It is not advisable to buy secondhand gearboxes for a car of that age, unless direct from a transmission reconditioning company. They will all be worn or damaged no matter what the seller tells you. Before buying any more gearboxes I suggest you get the car onto a diagnostic code reader to find out what is wrong. It may be that repair of the existing box will be cheaper than a reconditioned one or the purchase of another car.

With thanks to all on this thread for sharing their thoughts and experiences, but particularly to Frank for his engaging and descriptive posts, I have taken the plunge and bought a new S5. I collected it yesterday so this is a short note focused on my car history and the S5 buying process rather than a detailed review. My recent cars have been estates and SUVs: Skoda Octavia VRS (2L turbodiesel); Audi S4 Avant (3L petrol); Mercedes GLC AMG 43; and my current car a 2022 Subaru Outback. The GLC taught me that I prefer an estate to an SUV, and as much as I admire the Outback for its efficiency, ruggedness and sheer “go anywhere in any weather” nature, the performance is a little benign even for a very recent retiree. So my new car is an S5 Avant Black Edition with Tech Pack and red brake calipers in Mythos Black metallic with the black interior. As a post-Build Week 2/26 car it comes with the mid-model-year factory updates including the revised multifunction steering wheel with physical/tactile buttons and scroll wheel replacing the gloss-black haptic touch sliders; the updated chassis and software calibration featuring the rear-biased Dynamic+ Mode; and the updated driver assistance packages, including Adaptive Cruise Assist Pro with assisted lane changes. Happy to comment further on these changes if there is interest once I have fathomed them out! I bought the car brand new through the drivethedeal brokerage with a significant discount; it was listed on their website as a “Special Deal” which usually means there is only one car or a handful of cars available at the price. It clearly benefited not only from the Audi Finance contribution but also from favourable end Q2 support. Happy to share the price if anyone is interested (it was publically available on the drivethedeal website). I offered my local dealer the opportunity to match it to be told that they could not get within £8K. The car isn’t my ideal spec - I would have liked the clever glass roof and adaptive suspension but there were no Vorsprung available with similar financial incentives. And I know metallic black is a difficult colour to look after, but again that was the only colour available on an Avant with this discount. Beyond the initial contact, all my dealings including finance and payment were made direct with the supplying Audi main dealer. I don’t think I can name them, but they were extremely professional both before and during collection, and gave me the full handover experience including a reveal and detailed walkthrough of the car. I then drove 230 miles home on a range of roads. My very initial thoughts echo everything I have read here: very nice drive; feels like lots of power (I haven’t ventured there yet given a running in period), more compliant then expected ride; and lots and lots and lots (!) of tech to learn! Whilst significantly shorter than the Outback, with mirrors folded the S5 is slightly wider - which I will need to become comfortable with very quickly as my narrow allocated parking space is between two walls! I think the camera/parking aids will help here. So my Outback goes to its new owner on Friday and I will focus on learning and enjoying the S5. I plan to offer further thoughts on the forum as I gain more understanding of the car, and really look forward to reading your continued contributions.

Hi, this may or may not be of interest to anyone, but I have finally managed to fix the issue about a month ago. Here's the summary: Electronic parking brake on the left side stopped working more than six months ago. There was a warning on the dash ("parking brake malfunction") accompanied by a loud beep every time I turned the ignition on. I have unplugged the wire from the electric motor on the left. The same warning remained on the dash. Parking brake on the other side was working correctly. Then life and other things got in the way and I did not do anything to rectify the issue, except for making sure that the wire does not dangle under the car and the socket on the electric motor is waterproofed (plastic bags and zip ties). I continued to use the car daily. I kept using the parking brake as and when required and it was still holding the car even on fairly steep inclines, even though it was only working on one side. I finally got some spare time and replaced the electric motor and also the plug with about 20cm of wiring. Apparently it is not unusual for this to rust and cause issues. I only bought the cheapest plug and the cheapest parking brake motor I could find on ebay (probably about £30 total). Fitted the parts, but the parking brake still did not work. As it happens it was engaging, but not disengaging. So in the end I replaced the brake caliper. Again, the cheapest one I could find, which was about £60. I replaced brake discs and pads at the same time, but only because they were quite worn (this was not related to parking brake issue). After I replaced the caliper the parking brake issue was resolved. The warning disappeared from the dash and I did not need to reset any faults with the code reader. Also, the parking brake is now almost silent when engaging/disengaging. To the point that when I first tried it after fitting the new parts I thought it was not working at all (it was fairly audible before). It has been about a month now and all is well. I almost miss the loud beep that accompanied the ignition being turned on every time when the fault was still present. PS. If anyone is replacing the rear brake discs, there are some videos and guides on the internet that tell you to remove the brake caliper carrier, but you can actually wiggle the disc out carefully without removing the bracket or damaging the disc.

Nevertheless the car needs to be scanned on a decent code reader as Steve suggested. Warning lights on the dash are not enough to diagnose faults.

Hi the low pressure problem, the only way to check is to get it scanned and check the oil pressure on live data, if its the oil can in red on the dash then you have a problem as it could need a new oil pump, worse case, or the strainer on the pump will have to be cleaned, but either way its a sump off job, replacing the PCV may well cure your problem with the smoke but I would be inclined to get the injection checked first along with the EGR function as I am not sure which engine you have but all the later models had the PCV built in to the rocker cover which will mean a new cover. Steve.

The refridgerant gas has probably leaked out from a hole or a worn pump seal. Get the system pressure tested for leaks, and repair as necessary, before having any remaining gas sucked out and replaced with the correct weight of refridgerant. I suggest using an aircon specialist rather than an Audi dealer.

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.

How To: Audi A3 8V 2017 Facelift MMI Reset Fingers crossed this one works for my model.

Worth trying Parts in Motion.

Hi its overdue for a change as the sensible rule adhered to by most independent garages is 80,000 or four years whichever comes first, did that with my daughters Q3 and that made 247,000 before she sold it, good aftermarket kits are GATES OR DAYCO. Steve.

Hello again Luke, It is evident you have returned to the forum a couple of times ( last about 20 hrs ago), but seem intent on not updating the forum on your current situation. Could you please have a read of ‘New members please read’ which you would have had access to when you joined, and then come back with the latest update. Thanks, Gareth.

Alan. Did this behaviour coincide with the fitting of the dashcams described in your other topic? If so, try unplugging them. https://www.audiownersclub.com/forums/topic/31745-dashcam-fitted-now-losing-radio-stations/#comment-133331

Thanks for clarifying, Gareth. I understand now that your earlier suggestion was specifically about Richard's replacement bolt rather than just any M12 × 1.5 bolt. I've contacted Spareto regarding the original part number to see if they can confirm the exact dimensions and availability. They also stock the longer N90924103 bolt that Richard found, so I'm waiting to hear back from them before deciding which route to take. Thanks again to everyone for the help and suggestions.

No, not used it personally. According to LLL parts, it is a subframe bolt (item 4) in this diagram). However I see its used on suspension bolt too across VAG range. https://www.lllparts.co.uk/product/n90924103/bolt-hex-hd-with-pin-combi-n90924103 Anyway back to your dilemma. Have you tried https://spareto.com/products/volkswagen-ag-bolt/n90956803 Based in Estonia I think. Doesn't say they are out of stock so ypu might be in luck. Be aware you'll probably pay tax at post office, thanks to Brexit. Dealt with the same ordering BMW parts via Hubauer Shop (Germany).

Great and helpful find Richard. Buy an M12 x 1.5 nut and screw that on and leave it on, before cutting the bolt to size. Dress the cut end and remove the nut - that will aid thread cleaning. Regards, Gareth.

Yuasa 9000 AGM

Thank you for your great responses. I am still learning the car but have some time in it tomorrow (we are going away for the weekend) so I will try to check how the car responds in the various scenarios you have recorded and let you know.

Hello Luke, As you say - not a good start - so you don’t know how long he has owned it - if he did have any claim to its ownership. Can we take it you have now received a ‘clean’ V5 in your name? I would treat the 3 month ago service as if it never existed, and as a minimum, I would run an on-line VCheck on the car (cost £9.99) to see what else you don’t know about it, before spending anything on it. Please come back to us when you have more details, and I’m sure we can advise on future servicing. Regards, Gareth. last service

This isn’t going to be that helpful a response to you Zac, but may prevent others falling into the same trap. Anyone going into the purchase of a vehicle which is known to have been mapped, is far more likely to be jumping into bed with trouble. Regards, Gareth.

Sorry, only just seen this. I didn't order any particular battery. The garage got a Yuasa AGM Start Stop Plus

Please keep us posted on how you get on

Count yourself lucky its not the V10. The V8 is generally reliable, however you're buying a 2016-2018 supercar, so it's been around. History is everything. If there's more paperwork than a Brexit export, then you're on the right lines. If the tyres are on the legal limit and brakes need a refresh, then be aware it will be expensive and more importantly question why? Simply saying RS6 seems to add £2k to everything. I'd want the car scanned first off with VCDS to see if there's any historical DTC errors logged. This is a performance car so oil changes every 5-8k miles. In terms of issues. Air intake valves can carbon up. You could treat it to a walnut blast. It's sensor heavy, so if original battery, factor in replacement. It needs coded to car and vented. If panoramic roof, check drain holes. Run mild detergent down them (exit above hinge on front door) and behind rear wheel arch liner. VAG have specific grease for sunroof. Also clean rubber seals. Assuming LED headlights. Potentially LED matrix if later car. Then check operation. Dipping light adjustment on start up is normal, but any further sporadic movent underway points to damaged or siezed height adjustment sensors. Servicing, diffs could use gear oil change. Depends on mileage. It's a ZF 6-speed transmission, but there will be a filter kit, so unless evidence of having it done, factor in. Cooling, apparently this thing has multiple radiators, fans and oil coolers. All are prone to wear and tear. If the car was remapped, be very wary.

To be honest just buy it from the main dealer. Probably less than you think and you know quality is good. You'll need tensioner pulley and water-pump too.

Yeah I will just change everything, from what I can see it look like it might be coming from the plastic flange bit that connects to the egr cooler, I think there is another plastic piece behind that aswell (back towards the inside of the car ) but not sure what that's called

Hi its obviously in its early stages, the reason it is slipping in higher gears is because of the torque load in higher gears, it used to be the old way of testing the clutch, find a nice hill and change up to early floor the throttle and if the clutch was good the engine would labour, if not it revved up, I would get it checked ASAP as when the clutch slips it creates a phenomenal increase in gearbox temps and cooks the rear crank seal which is a whole different story, having had it happen to me I can say its not a good day out. Steve.

Hi it sounds like the clutch is either contaminated on the friction plate or on its way out. Steve.

Audi parts dept do not have a part number for the 2026 top cover as they are not made. If you have open threaded holes in your engine rocker cover that match the earlier 35tfsi then you can get a top cover from the earlier model. You will need to get the mounting pins as well.

Legend mate thanks for taking the time to tell me this. It Gives me a heads up about the reality of buying 2016-17-18 models. Just going to apply everything you’ve said if i get a Q7 or similar with the 3.0 Tdi

It's about getting the engine to operating temperature and a decent run every so often. Short runs would be 10-15 miles. If this is for urban commuting, that's when you get into issues, start-stop, etc. At some point the EGR valve will clog - that's inevitable on diesels. In addition AdBlue is known to weak point, as it uses integral tank with pump and sender. I've started using Forte anti-crystal on every AdBlue top up. You can also use Forte fuel conditioner (for diesels) straight in the fuel tank on a quarter full and drive it like you stole it for 15-20 mins. The fuel filter needs changed, so do this every 20k miles. Helps clean injectors, etc. Also treat the car to premium diesel. Older Euro 4 diesels could be used for short run journeys, but eventually intake manifolds get carbon build up, or sticky vanes on the turbo. Euro 6 - the engine is regenerating anyway, which is where the engine heats up to effectively burn off soot via DPF. These cars tend to be sensor heavy, so irrespective of whether you're spanner handy, I'd advocate getting VCDS (via Gendan), as the car will store logged faults. Main dealer will charge you £200 minimum for scan. In fact - it's worth even checking any perspective new purchase. Logged or stored faults will remain unless cleared. Usually referred to as DTCs. If you are spanner handy - then things like retracting rear electro-mechanic handbrake, priming fuel pump and relearning motors such as panoramic sunroof are useful to have. Audi also use ODIS dealer level software. Controls programming features, security, etc. I know for example that even Golf Mk 8 - you can't service rear brakes without it. Sign of things to come I'm afraid. As chains and tensioners are at the back of the engine - then it's an engine out job to replace, along with plastic guides. Should be good for the life of the engine, but where they get camshaft sprocket wear or chain slap is on cars that were on long-service regimes (up to 18k miles) between oil changes. Look carefully at the service history and avoid anything that's not been serviced at up to 10-12k mile intervals. No oil can maintain viscosity and lubricating qualities at that sort of mileage. Audi will tell you different, but this was brought in to satisfy fleet managers trying to reduce costs. Most of these cars were 3-4 years old on finance deals, so bill is normally picked up by next unsuspecting owner down the line. Tiptronic boxes do have a ZF service kit - so if not done I would get this done at 60-80k miles for peace of mind. Front and rear diffs usually good up to 100k miles.

Thank you..

Q7s from this era were primarily V6 TDi engines in 218PS and 272PS variants. SQ7 used V8 diesel. Think there was also 2.0TFSI model, but relatively rare and given it's thirst to shift the best part of 2 tonnes, it wouldn't be economical. Some also use plug in battery (E-tron), potentially gives you additional 30 miles. I know that can cause a bit of grief if it goes wrong. All paired with Tiptronic 8-speed boxes. Like everything, the diesel models are all chain drive, and servicing is crucial. That means oil changes every 8-10k miles or less if previous owner was particularly fastidious. V6 engine is a solid workhorse. I've never driven one, but have the 272PS engine in my A4 Allroad and would be the one I would choose. 600Nm of torque and will return 50mpg if driven sensibly, less in a Q7 though I'd expect the Q7 to go through tyres and brakes, so factor that in. Can also pull impressive 2800kg if there's a towbar. These engines don't tend to use oil. However as it's diesel, Euro 6, then you are into AdBlue, DPF, EGR, cats, etc. Better to have a car that's done regular annual mileage. These engines don't like short runs, or you're into emission territory and potential carbon build up. Suspension - standard multi-link or adaptive air suspension from what I understand. 100k plus mileage, you're likely into replacing bushes if not already done.

hi gareth. thanks for getting back so quickly no problem, any and all advice is appreciated, seen a few youtube vids and im hooked on the Q7 or even the SQ7 if its right. Just want to know what to expect on the “older” models Maintenance wise. regards Owen

It’s shocking that an Audi dealer can’t find the time to address a potentially dangerous issue on a 5-week-old car. I would imagine it didn’t take them that long to take your money. Anyway, glad to hear you have a tech on the case who seems to know what he’s doing. Good luck.

If you’re going to the bother of doing transmission, then nothing wrong with doing front and rear diffs. They should be fine until 100k, but they only take 2-3 litres, so hardly going to break the bank. The Tiptronic box is a different story, 8 litres of special ATF.

Hi try reading the MAF and MAP sensor readings on live data when cold start, I would guess it could be the MAF sensor if its the original unit as they tend to play about when they get old. Steve.

Personally I would change them. The old oil will give you a chance to detect metal particles, while if it is clean you will have only lost the cost of the oil. Nobody ever had a breakdown as a result of changing oil too often.

No idea on your financial set up. I’ve always bought my cars, so not constrained by PCP or hire purchase deals. I understand about the final balloon payment though. Often cars on finance tend to be 3-4 years old and have GFV (guaranteed future value). Stay within limited mileage, and hand back in good condition, etc. Just looked at the price of a new petrol A3 Sportback. You can easily pay £35k and it has halogen rear lights. It’s 2026! At the end of the day, it’s your money. Keep on top of servicing and oil changes and it should do you a good few years.

Hiya James So sorry to hear of your current problems with your A5 Avant. My take on it is the same as quite a few fellow owners here and as I believe you have stated yourself. My car, like yours, looks good in my opinion, is well screwed together , is comfortabe and drives well. BUT.....software, software, software !!!!! seem to be the overiding bugbear at the moment. Compared to yours, mine has had relatively limited problems. I occasionally receive a flash up on the front screen at start up to indicate that some systems are unavailable or have failed. They barely hang around for milliseconds before they disappear and the car starts up and is fine. The A5 range was I believe brought into the UK in late 2024 so yours is a relatively newish example. And because of that , may be it suffers from early software production problems ? I presume your Dealership has confirmed that you have the latest updated software ? Also , I do understand your discontent with the car. The software should have been sorted before the car was available and Audi have some questions to answer here as it seems this problem prevails in other models. Take a look at Martin Innes current problem with his new Q3 on that Forum. Think I have already mentioned this a few times so I hope I'm not being boring here but I came to the S5 from owning 2 Q8's owned over a 6 year period. Had zilch problems , software or mechanical in either car. Both felt robust and well sorted but the MMI and software was much simpler than the stuff we have on our A/ S 5's. It's technology and the future I'm afraid and aint it grand ! Hope you get your car sorted and you can enjoy it's undoubted driveability again

Hi LT Sorry to hear that you are suffering from the same issue. I am lead to believe that there are about 5-6 rubber grommets underneath that need to be removed to allow water to drain out of the sills. I believe they are hidden under the underbody protector. The water is getting in to them from the front offside wheel arch (see the TSB from Audi u.s.a as mentioned by others) I will attach it to this note if I can. You will need a borescope/laparoscope to see inside the area that is shown, I got one from Amazon for £23. The electrics you need to concern yourself with are under the drivers seat under a plastic plate (See my pictures in earlier posts) Be careful as the yellow one is the airbag! If I can be of anymore assistance get back to me. Good luck Mark MC-10178440-0001.pdf

I've now contacted the BBC Watchdog program to see if they will take an interest in this issue.

William, they used the 2nd fuseway up on the left side on mine.

I paid Halfords to do mine then had to rewire it myself as they got it wrong by connecting the switched live and constant live wires both to constant live. This meant the parking mode did not kick in as the unit did not sense power off. Be aware when testing for switched live these circuits do not power down straight away. I used the fuse box in the footwell near side not the higher panel, this picture should sort for you.

For anyone reading this and having issues finding a fuse that goes off with the ignition, you have to switch the ignition off and wait around 2 to 3 minutes before you test any fuses. For me it ended up being an empty slot the top row in the passenger footwell. 2019 Audi A6 S-line, Tech-pack Mini tap fuse. Note, I tried a few before I found out the information one of which caused a lot of error codes on the dash... fine now though.