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Thanks for being in touch Linds. When you say your small garage tightened the belt, and it now makes a noise - concerns. I’m also intrigued to work out how you actually know the belt is tighter than it was. If (in caps) the belt is tighter than it should be, are you happy to entrust the fitting of a new belt and assembly to them? Water pump? - if cambelt driven on your engine. Wondered what you propose to do about that. Kind regards, Gareth.

Just to say that I bought a space saver 19" wheel from The Wheel Shop along. As Stevey noted above, I then stuck several sections of polystyrene using gaffer tape (pic 1) to support the wheel and keep it off the battery cables to the left and right. Enough space underneath the wheel to store the compressor and tyre repair bottle (pic 2) (just in case). This raised the spare wheel but there was still just enough thread available on the centre to allow me to use the normal large plastic nut to hold the spare in place (pic 3). Although the spare was a little higher than normal due to the polystyrene, there's still enough space to allow the top cover to sit flat in the boot. Lastly the tools including jack fit in the plastic tray (pic 4) between the battery and the back of the rear seats (blue towel round them to stop rattling).

Hi all, I came across an issue recently that appears common enough for people to post with requests for solutions but unusually where I failed to find a concrete fix. So here is my stab at this: The other week I went to do an oil check, pulled the bonnet release level and to my dismay felt no resistance and the bonnet remained firmly shut. Bugger – how to get the bonnet open? There is no access from the front – even destroying off the plastic grill will not get you to any bolts that will help. What is the solution without resorting to a can opener and consequentially a new bonnet?? Here it is… It will be much better to download the attached pdf as this has pics that will help a lot, but instructions with no pics are: 1. Go to B&Q (or equivalent hardware store) and purchase a 4-6mm diameter steel rod between 70 cm and a meter in length. Mine cost £2.60!!! 2. Get a decent vice and make two 90-degree bends at each end of the rod about 10 cm from end of rod by hand (I off-set each end by 90 degrees approx.), to make a ‘emergency bonnet release tool’. 3. Get the front of the car on ramps or jack up as high as possible. Remove undertray and get a good torch and get underneath…. 4. You need to locate the bonnet lock mechanism – it’s at the top of the radiator fans. It will be very hard to see… From below, at the right angle, you should be able to see the underside of the lock mechanism look for the large spring. 5. The reason you are unable to open the bonnet might be: 1, the cable has snapped; or 2, (as in my case) the end of the cable has come lose from the lock mechanism. The 2nd issue is common if you have had the front off and lock carrier into the service position and the cable-end has not been seated back in properly… 5. There are actually 2 sites for a cable to connect. If you have a RHD vehicle then the cable seats into the lower slot; if a LHD then upper slot. You need to get the end of your ‘emergency bonnet release tool’ into one of these two slots, and then twist using the lock housing to lever off and move the release mechanism. If you get into the lower slot the twist right; if you get into the top slot, then twist left. If you use a tube spanner or the end of a ring spanner to get on the other end of the rod where the other 90-degree bend is then you get more force and the bonnet should open! Brilliant. 6. I then decided to add a bit of thick plastic cut to size to cover the cable end housing to stop it coming out again. Drill a small hole and tap a screw into it but do not tighten yet. 7. Reinstall the lock, and reseat the cable end properly, then swing the plastic down over the cable end and tighten screw. Not sure if this will work/last, but at least you now have an ‘emergency bonnet release tool’ to sort it… Hope this is of some help…. Bonnet open solution.pdf

Oh Father in Law!

Hi its the sealing ring, most likely they did not change it with the unit problem being that you have to buy the seal separately and they are quite expensive, its either the seal or they have damaged the locking ring that holds the pump in when they re tightened it, the third hole looks like a breather, easiest way to check is get a small length of wire and push it into the hole and see if it bottoms out, if it does its the seal. Steve.

Hi Joss, You went large with the 550! The Audi is a really nice car, but its main advantages are being younger, less miles, less tatty and better maintained than the E61 - which I couldn't justify spending money on towards the end. Although the BMW had more BHP (when it was new) than the Audi, the supercharger + quattro means the acceleration is certainly quicker with the 3.0. In my reality, that's better than the silky smooth 100mph+ cruising that the V8 was clearly capable of, because I live nowhere near an Autobahn. It's hard to beat the E61 for space, comfort, handling and looks that really aged well (do you remember how controversial the Chris Bangle styling was when they first came out?). Comparisons on fuel economy are striking, but boring. Even the standard MMI amps/speakers in the Audi are a big improvement of the BMW (standard) audio - and the Audi has Bluetooth/Aux. I was using a cigarette-lighter FM transmitter in the BMW! I decided to wait until my insurance came up for renewal to see what the bump would be for declaring the chip tuning as a modification. Although I must say that, after over a thousand very pleasurable miles, I've been chasing an overheating issue in the Audi for the last few days (thermostat and/or poor seal from cheap after-market expansion tank cap I think). So I'm giving more consideration to reliability and being gentle to the car alongside the previous thought of "seems a bit silly not to unlock an extra 100 bhp for a few hundred quid! " as you eloquently put it! Thanks for the conversation and I'll check out Phantom Tuning. Cheers

Hello Mick, Thanks for joining, but without being dismissive, you really should entrust this issue to your supplying dealer. You will have/will be paying a lot of funds for this new vehicle, and you really should not be expected to trouble-shoot issues with it. Have you contacted them? Kind regards, Gareth.

Further update on the 7 Speed S-Tronic DL-501 issue ...... I haven't been able to get the adaption re-done yet after the full gearbox and both filters service as Matt with VCDS has been incredibly busy with his day job, but the one thing I will say after using the car for a few weeks now is it is incredibly smoother than it was before the service and the first VCDS mild adaption, no longer does it thump from second to first and even in reverse there seems to be a definite difference in the take up of the gear, especially on a slope, something it didn't like doing at all before the service, I am genuinely surprised how fresh filters and proper manufacturer recommended "MEYLE" DSG OIL can make that much of a difference, I haven't taken it on a long run yet and got everything in the gearbox up to a constant temperature and speed but around town driving is noticeably much smoother. As it started to fail on me and throw the dreaded yellow warning light on the dash after long motorway cruising I don't want to count my chickens too soon, but I'm hopeful that with a final and Full VCDS Gears Adaption my problem may well be pretty much sorted, as usual will keep posting updates for other members ......... 🤔

Thanks for the links Kev. Annoyingly last week I discovered from my mechanic that if I buy any 2.5tdi engine and keep my current injection pump and ECU the car will think the replacement engine is the original and will run. Wish I'd known that a year ago instead of worrying about coding of injection pumps and imobilisers etc. So my simplest option is to find a bau version of the 2.5tdi as this was the last variation of that engine and most refined in theory. Trying to find one with low miles and proven service history, but naturally this is proving difficult.

Pic 1 for sure

Hi Sorry it’s been a while since I logged in. They eventually found a very small oil leak from a seal on the drive shaft that was spitting oil onto the turbo. They had to remove the engine to fix it. ive since got rid of the A6 and am driving an A3 instead. I’m just pretty sure Audi make great smaller cars but the quality control in the big ones is just not good enough. declan

Thinking of selling my 1990 Coupe E, looking for some guidance on value if possible. 180k miles, starts and runs fine, been sat in garage for several years, original wheels, manual replaced gearbox. Tired interior and age related scratches on body but solid, no rust.

Turns out the Haynes book threw me a red herring on the ACE engine the mid shaft only runs the oil pump, therefore no need to have a timing point on the cog. I found this out after rotating it with my hot wire rig setup but nothing was happening and the wires to the coil from my golf were getting hot. I even took off the distributor cap and sure enough the arm was not moving. Even I found another string on the net that has a sketch of a hole by the bell housing that should show a timing mark, however that was not moving. Then I went back to Haynes and looked up distributor where I found, I quote “ACE and AAR engines, the distributor is located on the right hand of the engine and is driven off the rear of the camshaft. After finding out my cam belt was 2 teeth out, I put all back together again, indecently the distributor cap had a mount bolt loose, that would not help. I manually cranked the engine over, no issues. Started on the button idled fine up to 60 degrees where the engine started to search again, but not as bad as before. I just instinctively unplugged the isv and she purred like a cat at just over 1k and was rock solid, plugged isv back in and the searching came back, new one on order. I turned off the car, and waited 5 minutes but she would not fire up. Back to Haynes for inspiration and eventually I found a problem that I feel is the root cause,…. The connector on the loom to Part OEM 034919369C has been wired wrongly, not only that somebody tried to correct the fault by forcing the two parts upside down and the new connector is also broken. I have found a you tube person who prints new ones as the connector is no longer available. 3-pin connector 893971974. Has anyone got a wiring diagram for the correct wires to locations they could show to me so I can get this faux pas sorted out. I feel close to getting this car running the way she should again, what an interesting day I have had.

A(nonymous). Given that this thread is over seven years old it is unlikely you will get a response from the originator. Nevertheless there are some useful suggestions in it. Have you tried any of them?

Much appreciated, everyone!

Yes I had a lot of trouble trying to get the service history off them. They kept saying they couldn’t get hold of it as they were not the registered keeper Will follow your advice for future purchases. Thanks again.

Sounds like a longer term good move Fi. Could I reinforce the procedure I go through before viewing:- Check the on-line MOT history. Check the DVLA vehicle check to see when the latest V5 was issued. Can give you some idea of last change of owner. Ask the seller to e-mail copy of the Audi on-line service history and/or any servicing receipts. If you have opposition in any respect - start twitching! At the same time as requesting this off the seller, ask your local dealer if they would outline ( and ideally provide copy) the service record they have on the Audi system. All this can be done from the comfort of your arm chair, and will form the backbone of sound research before you decide to view. Good luck with your quest, and please let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

Well after lots of research and worry, I decided against the purchase of that particular car! I noticed a couple of electrical warnings, and with the wet boot, I think it may have been an ongoing problem. So just waiting for my deposit back. Finding it very difficult to find a good used Q7! Thank you for your help and advice though.

Hi could be the delete and remap are causing the problem all airflow and exhaust flows are monitored against each other if the exhaust gas is escaping to fast the the o2 sensor can't read it properly, thinking behind this is all DPF deletes involve physical removal of some or all of the DPF core. Steve.

Can any Q7 members respond to Natasha’s request. How long have you owned yours Natasha, how many miles has it done, and how much oil does it consume in x miles? Kind regards, Gareth.

Correct it can only be done by main dealer. Expect to Psy £500

Hi Natasha and welcome, this forum has a lot of info on Q7 ownership and its pitfalls as well as solutions to those pitfalls. Steve.

Glad you got sorted 🙂

Welcome to the forum you'll find the members on here are a friendly and helpful bunch 🙂 air suspension problems are well documented and can be costly to repair

Hi Magnet, Thanks for commenting. I had to drive my car today 70 miles the noise was not apparent ongoing but just when turning on the engine and going slower. I know the belt is tighter because pre garage visit- I took off the casing to see the cam belt - I wiggled it and it was more loose. On hearing the change in sound - rechecked under the casing and the cam belt is definitely tighter. I asked the garage after changing the bolts if my cam belt was OK and they did not say they had done anything to it. The independent garage specialise in audi and use genuine parts. They seem to have a good rep. The water pump is on the opposite side on my 1.4 petrol engine I am told. I am thinking of going back tomorrow to ask them about it. (Noise).

Really not sure. Will keep you posted if I get it sorted

Bill. The Audi service schedule is more or less all you need do to keep it in decent condition, though I would add two caveats: 1/ Change the cambelt ahead of schedule if it has not been replaced for a few years. Even though the car may not have reached the recommended mileage, (you have not mentioned the actual distance covered since the belt was last changed,) belts can degrade even when not used. Given the consequences of belt failure abroad it makes sense to my mind to change it in advance. 2/ Take the car for a fast motorway journey of about half an hour well before your next continental holiday. That will reveal any faults that may need to be sorted out before you go abroad.

Welcome to the forum you'll find the members on here are a friendly and helpful bunch 🙂 Those v70s were great!

Not a lot to go with there Matt. Oil level light? Oil pressure light?

Hi Andy unfortunately not, Audi have all the codes for every model from 2011 up and wont supply that information to any outside key suppliers, its not like the old days when you got a dummy key and just coded the new transducer in that key via the ignition. Steve.

Ok thanks for reply. Took it to main dealer and of course diagnostic test did not reveal malfunction so advised to monitor it. However, later I did notice that if I pull handle hard it seems to stop it from locking but I still do not think this should be necessary so will see how it goes.

Hi lot of common sense on that statement, that’s what I was planning to do myself ,Audi dealership what a letdown 1 st time buying from them my 1 Audi was back in 80 s Audi 80 cd thanks for thoughts regards AR

Welcome Alberto, Are you saying you and/or your son are capable of safely renewing brake pads? It seems you have already bought replacement pads. Since the seller seems disinterested in sorting it out, why not carry out your own assessment of the remaining brake pad thickness, and simply renew them - since you have them. Worse possible case:- brake pad wear light remains on after you have done that -? Worry about sorting that out when you get to that point. Perhaps you could let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

Audi have replaced the drivers door latch under warranty part no. A4K2 837 016 H the car still at Audi checking hand brake .

Had the same problem, Audi replaced lock system, A4K2 837 016 H …. Audi part

Getting my lock system replaced at the local Audi garage on my A6 2021 .. had the same problem

Hi thats not the service position thats the motor knackered, they don't have a service position, this is a well known problem as its a bad design a percentage of water gets past the spindle seal and terminates the motor. Steve.

Welcome Fi, and thanks for joining. First things first:- Can we take it you have studied copy of the on-line MOT history for this car? Also, have you seen evidence of its service history? Have you done an on-line DVLA Vehicle Check to see when the last V5 was issued? This will give you some idea of how long the last owner has owned it? Short ownership - possibly not good. Down to specifics:- Water leaks- search the forum for issues and possible solutions. Panoramic roof - potentially a problem area due to generally non solvable leaks. Personal view ( pardon the pun!) I wouldn’t be interested. Hopefully owner members will fill in the remaining answers for you. Hope some of this helps, Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Cameron, Take it you have searched EBay, and registered your ‘Want’ on on-line breaker link systems such as Partsfinder - there are more. Good luck and kind regards, Gareth.

NICE B5 BUD

Hi Steve, I personally would not go anywhere near that one it looks like cheap trouble until you get the bill for the rebuild, go for a later engine thats got some history and runs, not some vague statement that it did and then spent an indeterminate time in storage, no milage, I think he wants to go to the pub on someones £80, I have made the same mistake in the past especially when driven by desperation, take your time send your cash wisely and make sure what goes in at least works. Steve

Thank you 😊 lol, well I'm hoping I'll be able to get it back on the road asap as I want to bring my daughter along to the shows. Oh bless ya, hope you get better soon. Definitely, wife and I have been wanting children for the last 7 years.

Thank you so much. Will look into them. Sorry to hear you've been ill. Hope you're recovering now? I'd suspended work on the A6 in the short term whilst I've been doing the house up and getting prepped for our new (first) arrival.

I would probably start by removing the door card and seeing what's going on in there and then running a live feed and earth wire to the disconnected components to ensure they are working. Then I would trace back from the component to see where the fault lies.