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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.

I had an issue in January a couple of weeks after taking delivery of the same model - warning lights and limp home mode advised during a short journey. Similar story - dealer couldn't book me in for three weeks, but advised calling Audi Roadside Assistance. I did this, and a couple of hours later the technician arrived, ran diagnostics and discovered a software issue that was fixed with an update. Might be worth a call to Assistance to see if they can come out and at least diagnose the problem.

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.

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.

Welcome Steven, Interesting! If I’ve got this correct, you are considering paying c£42k for a 2007 RS4 with a reasonable mileage of 82K on it over its 19 years, and you are more concerned about the depreciation during your ownership, than you are about the inevitable attention and costs incurred when purchasing any 19 year old. If RS4s are thin on the ground in ROI, then there are plenty of people trying to sell examples here on the mainland, and it seems £30K would give you a fair choice. I think we’ve all come across potential buyers who are prepared to spend many tens of thousands of £ s buying the vehicle of their choice, but get concerned about how many miles it does to the gallon! We try to be helpful on here, but if buying one of these is your dream then I would advise - just do it - you have the mechanical experience to take a chance. The economics are a different consideration, and a financial adviser would be your best choice on that. Good luck with whatever you decide to do. Regards, Gareth.

Hello Karl, Really sorry to hear of your plight, but am I too surprised? Regrettably, no. You said Audi claim it has full service history, and their claim cannot be refuted, but extending oil and filter changes to every 18k miles is asking for trouble. My stab at why, leads me to believe that cars are sold new, and Audi - like many other marques - want to keep the servicing cost down during warranty, to make the sale of service plans seem value of month to rental companies and private individuals alike. After the warranty has expired, and leased cars are returned, they are sold with FSH, and manufacturers couldn’t give a toss about how long they last under this service schedule - as you have found to your cost. They now want you to part with tens of thousands of pounds to start again! How many services have you had done during your ownership Karl. Re. another engine, paying out £20k would be bonkers on this 10 year old car, and respecting Cliff’s views on secondhand ones, this would still be my chosen route - if you are not prepared to scrap it. Car are frequently deemed to be beyond economical repair - body damage wise, and engines from these may well be worth investigating. Regards, Gareth. Just realise this post has overlapped Stevey Y’s - with similar comments.

Hi this is what happens when you stick to 18000 mile service intervals which don't take in to account driving style or ambient temperature, its a selling gimmick, in thirty odd years of of involvement with various makes and models I can categorically state NO ENGINE OIL lasts 18,000 miles, there is a mountain of information on line to support this, the oil thins and loses its lubricity which is why internal components fail, when you get a new engine 9000 miles between services is as far as you can reasonably stretch. Steve.

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).

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

Many thanks, Richard. I will look into this. I have seen many people offering cheaper kits for sale, but assume they're all cloned software, and liable to missing functionality etc. I think, if we are running expensive SQ5 or higher-end cars, it's not a big deal to pay for the VCDS, as the cost of some repairs will way exceed that - DIY now becomes a viable option. /Chris

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.

I had the same last week with my car at a main dealer. I was told the battery was due to be changed, yet it is only five months old and perfectly good. I was told two tyres needed to be changed, yet a local tyre shop that I know to be sound said they were more than legal and refused to sell me new tyres. Warnings of significant wear are all well and good, but to pervert those advance warnings to a need for immediate action is deception, to put it mildly, but typical of main dealers.

Hi there is only one VCDS, I would recommend the single VIN version if you intend to keep the car, the OBDEleven is a lot cheaper but of late I have found this system will do what you want but only if you have the Pro subscription which is over £100 a year therefore the VCDS represents better value as once purchased its yours with free updates. Steve.

That's remarkably cheap for a garage fitted wiper motor. I suggest you give them the job and save yourself the hassle of broken boot liner clips.

Don. If you can smell the coolant it must be escaping somewhere, though at a mere 1500 miles per year the loss may be so small that you don't get a warning before the garage tops it up during annual servicing.

That makes sense, and fits Audi's push for subscription services.

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

An impossible question to answer because you have not revealed the brand in question.

Thanks, In my book, it would be most important to get any hesitations and delays sorted, before resorting to any degree of mapping.

thanks everyone for the information.

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

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.

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.

Actually having slept on it I am going to donate the car to the children's air ambulance for them to auction it off. It will make a decent runabout for someone willing to take a chance on it.

Hi, not sorted yet, everything points to the fact that they are correct, even from the manufacturer. I’ve decided to go with OEM from Audi. Paying for a job twice isn’t the best and the cost for Audi ones are quite expensive compared to aftermarket. Not sure I’ll get the money back on the springs. Once again, hindsight is a wonderful thing and thank you for asking.

I'm sure I've seen this with other new Audi models. I think there's a software update for the issue.

Reducing the trim and features seems to be a policy with vag cars. Latest gti does not have an automatic bonnet stay or dipstick. You can buy them separately if you want to retrofit.

thanks for all the help lads,i think ill concentrate now on getting my own engine sorted,as Cliff says a 2nd hand engine will still have a lot of work done so at least with my own one i can strip it and make it good again,itll be a project that i can work on over the next 7 or 8 months.thanks again

Hi try pm to Audia4KEV he may well know of an engine. Steve.

Hi think your aircon needs a degass had the same with mine and it was low refrigerant, its probably got a leak and if you look where the radiator is it might as well have a sign on it, Road Debris hit me. Steve.

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.

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

Hey Guys, First time on this forum! I bought an A6 C8 in August 2024, everything seemed well until I noticed a huge puddle behind the drivers seat footwell a few weeks ago. It appears its the same/similar problem everyone is also experiencing, took it to Audi Manchester a few days ago for a check - £145 an hour! they said they needed another 8-10 hours to remove the seats and carpet to identify the leak!! Decided not to pay the £1400 minimum and took the car home. My issue is exactly the same as Mandeep. Will be taking it to an independant garage for a diagnosis (cheaper labour rate) In the meantime drafted a letter to send to Audi head office, I will paste it below in case anyone else needs to use the draft etc Going off all the posts above i'm sure Audi are aware of the issue, whether they will honour the repair remains to be seen, but not holding my breath. I will report back once I have had a response from head office. Dear Audi Customer Services, I hope this message finds you well. My name is ******* *****, and I am reaching out to formally raise an issue with my Audi A6 C8, which I believe stems from a known design flaw. I have been experiencing water pooling under the carpet in the rear footwell, specifically behind the driver’s seat. After conducting some research, I discovered that this is a common problem among Audi A6 C8 owners, and Audi has issued a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) outlining the issue as a design fault. You can view the TSB here: TSB - Audi A6 C8 Water Leak Additionally, I came across this thread on the Audi Owners Club, where other owners have reported the same issue: Discussion Thread - Audi Owners Club This issue is one that Audi is already aware of, and it has even led to a class action lawsuit against the company, specifically related to the water leaks in the Audi A6 C8. This highlights the extent of the problem and reinforces that it is not an isolated issue, but a design flaw that has affected many owners. Despite this being a known problem, I recently paid £152 for a diagnostic check at Manchester Audi, yet they were unable to identify the source of the leak. However, based on my online findings, the TSB issued by Audi, and the class action lawsuit, it is clear that this is not an isolated incident and is related to a design issue, rather than something I have caused or neglected. I am aware that Audi has previously honoured this issue and, on occasion, has fixed the problem free of charge for affected customers. Given that this is a design flaw and not an error on my part, I kindly request that Audi UK address the issue in a similar manner, as a goodwill gesture. I trust that Audi UK will stand by the quality of its vehicles and rectify this issue without further delay. I would appreciate a swift resolution and look forward to your prompt response. Thank you for your attention to this matter. I hope this letter helps someone who may need it.

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.