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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.

Hi might well be with doing if the pressure slows down it may well be the valve, how many miles has the car done as around that year they are famous for burning oil where they used skinny oil control rings, problem is they let oil up but also down which pressurises the sump, fingers crossed its the aftermarket valve. Steve.

You’re running a 3.0TDI V6 up front, so you’re dealing with a heavy engine. It’s not just age, it’s how the car is driven and the reality of British roads. We’re not suggesting to completely refresh the suspension, but unfortunately this is the reality with multi link suspension. If you were renewing lower front arms, do both, front and rear arms. As suggested, these are usually hydrabushes, difficult to tell if they’ve failed unless you see a leak, or get in with a pry bar. I’ve read snake oil remedies about silicone sprays on bushes to remove squeaks. That will be short lived and probably age the bush given it’s petroleum based. The only grease you can use with rubber is red grease. Similar to brake rebuilds. You could try on some of the ARB bushes as it’s a relatively cheap fix, but does mean a little bit of work if your spanner handy.

I had an Island Green 1.4tdi, barely run in at 210,000 miles, 60mpg, sailed through MoT! All standard so don't fix which isn't broken. A fuel pump leak & lack of spares meant it had to go to WOMAUTOMOTIVE in Stoke-on-Trent who had a selection of donor cars. Our "Dinky Toy" is now back on the road with a new owner. My good lady wishes we still had the A2.

Hello Chris, It’s mint and covered 76k so, no, just don’t mess around with it. Regards, Gareth.

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.

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.

‘Don’t tell him Pike’!

if you can get a good set [or new ones] for that money your doing very well

Thanks for everyone's advice, was very helpful. I did some youtubing and realised it's way above my talent level. But almost certain it is the cooler gasket. Booked it in with my Audi man but can't see it for 3 weeks so off the road for now. I'll update when it's fixed 👍

My tuppence worth. Problems with the 25MY B10 are well documented and although it shouldn't happen, and in my opinion should have been addressed before the 26MY was released, to Audi's credit, they have acknowledged the software issues. It's something I would have been able to ( and still am ) reject the car. Outwith the software issues, my car came with a couple of faults - sticking brakes and an annoying rattle from door panel, both of which were rectified at dealership. That can happen to any car regardless who the manufacturer is. A smearing windscreen wiper typically means both the rubber and the glass need cleaned. First thing I've done with every VW group car I've owned is replace the wipers with Bosch aerowipers, but thus far it's never been required with this A5. (They look very similar to the Bosch ones) Software: I don't get as many system failures since the 'open/close' door solution but I'm led to believe that the software fix for MY25 is now being rolled out - EV cars this month, ICE next month. You should be notified via My Audi app when the update is available. It'll require a dealer visit. Regarding the battery. Welcome to modern cars. Our other car is a Toyota hybrid, one of the most reliable cars on sale. That too has already undergone a battery replacement due to the battery management system. The 'fix' if you can call it that, is the car now notifies me when the battery needs attention and the car has to be driven to charge the battery. Modern cars don't seem to be able to cope with sitting doing nothing for 2 weeks as they're constantly monitoring themselves. If you're knowingly going to leave the car sitting for several weeks or more then best solution would be to put it on a trickle charge. That goes for any modern car but especially for those that you're able to communicate via a mobile app. Hope that's of some use.

Leave well alone. My wife had one. Great cars, ahead if their time. They are a potential classics down the line. They made a 1.2TDI version, very rare, plus Storm editions in Papya Orange for example. Nothing to be gained from extra 25hp. It was a fast little car on account of the aluminium frame, but the brakes were pretty standard. Save your money. Sourcing parts is becoming the issue as it is.

I know how you feel Martin. In the first few weeks I had my Q3 it seemed I was emailing Audi nearly everyday with another new MMI software issue, all minor stuff, but annoying at the time. It took the enjoyment out of owning a new car. However, over the last few weeks things seem to have settled down and I now rarely get any issues, just occasionally the radio may not come on, or the drivers display will revert back to the rev counter from my chosen screen. As a result, I am starting to really enjoy the car and look forward to driving it (but maybe not as much as riding my motorbike 😉) It was mentioned on another forum that perhaps too much is happening in the software at initial start up resulting in some functions failing. Recently, I've taken to pushing the start button to bring the MMI on whilst I fasten my seat belt, then start the car, whether this is the reason I'm having less issues, or perhaps there has been an 'Over The Air' update to fix some minor issues, I don't know. Regarding Francis' issues regarding various warnings flashing up momentarily on the MMI about system failures - I've had this happen 2 or 3 times, again, I've put it down to the software being slow to boot up, with certain systems showing as failing, then correcting when it fully boots. You get something similar if you manually reboot the MMI, various features show as failed, such as the Navigation system, but they all come back as the system completes it's reboot.

On multi-link suspension, start with the cheap stuff first and then progress. The lower arms are likely hydrabushes, so they leak when they fail. I changed mine at 65k on a 17 plate A4 Allroad. Lemforder is OE specification. Also check the ARB bushes on the sway bar. Next the ARB link, then finally the top arms. Top arms when they go, will knock. They are usually visible if you hold and 10-2 position and try lateral movement. The only thing left is the top mounts and the bump stops on the suspension shock. If you're changing anything, then always do both sides. Lemforder and Meyle HD, that's all I'd fit. Given the state of our roads - also look at the coil springs too. you can drop an inch and not even know about it. Not sure with A5, but on A4 Avant, the rear spring seat/bush corrodes from inside out, so although cheap from Audi, you're looking at labour to fit unless you're spanner handy. I did it myself so as not to disturb eccentric bolt. If I was doing it again, I would just mark then remove that bolt. This is complicated further if its quattro drive. Car will need alignment check afterwards.

Hi, For what it's worth; I was lucky enough to have the Technology Pack on the A6 I bought, so I have the LED Matrix headlights and dynamic indicators on the front... I found some side (mirror) repeaters on eBay that were also 'dynamic' and had tinted plastic lenses so look black, like the rest of the car/mirror, until lit... And then the lights 'sweeps' outward in sequence like the indicators both front and rear. Cost me £30 for the pair, fitting is exactly as listed above, and they're still good 5 years later. Took the 'chinese knock-off gamble' and won, in this case. Hope yours are as easy as mine were to fit. Best Regards, Tigger

Getting a car to operating temperature is important for a number of reasons. Efficient fuel combustion in petrol (helps reduce carbon on intake valves and sparks), oil pressure and viscosity to lubricate engine components as oil heats up, battery health as alternator recharging battery. B9 battery health comes up a lot on the forum, and cars very susceptible to electronic issues if battery on the way out. New AGM battery probably £250-300 or so and needs coded to the car. Short runs can potentially lead to water vapour as it’s not evaporating in engine and turns to sludge. Regular oil changes can help combat this. Battery drain, as alternator hasn’t fully recharged battery. Engine heat can help burn off carbon to a degree, but the car will always generate carbon. I’d recommend at least 30 mins to an hour on a motorway or A class road once a week to help. Short runs over time are going to introduce issues. As Stevey has suggested, check out VAG Technic YouTube. Few horror shows on poorly maintained engines, primarily S4, but also S5. I particularly remember this one. https://youtu.be/y-d0ymYi09o?si=0YcncBnJxZvYvh2A There’s also an issue with rockers on some of these cars with needle bearings that disintegrate, as Audi subsequently revised the part. Regular oil changes can help.

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.

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.

An increase of 25bhp would make a big difference - that's a 33% increase after all. Best place to go for that is Vince at Stealth Racing.

Hi I think you need an auto electrician to sort this one out but I have a sneaking suspicion the comfort control modules have possibly been fried as they don't like water or being shorted to earth, my advice is tell the mechanic he has to pay for the fix. Steve.

https://www.gumtree.com/question-answers/what-does-audi-safe-cp-mean-uk-dashboard-warning-l-170459

In worried it might be too late. I've done probably 30 miles of (genuinely) gentle driving, haven't driven it since I realised what was happening. I'm really hoping a good flush will be enough, the engine sounded normal last time I drove it. I'm going to book it in tomorrow and find what the actual damage is, mechanically and financially... I'll update tomorrow 😕

So progress has been made thanks to a friend of a friend who knows an ex Audi Master Technician. It appears the issues are well known. He got me to remove the battery negatives , leave the car 30 minutes, reconnect and try again. Did this and now the car is working perfectly, it charges, reports correct battery levels, all back to how it was before it went to the Audi dealership. He called it the Control Alt Delete fix. So for now I have a working charging system.

Thanks for you advice. I will be giving it a try.

There’s an aftermarket upgrade to the MMI & maps you can get. Not sure if it dies anything with the DAB radio but you could ask: Satnavmapupdates.co.uk MMIupdates.com I used the 1st one to update my maps but don’t know if it did anything to the radio.

I have pointed you in one possible direction, so it is now time to do your own research. There is endless information available if you are really interested, but somehow I don't believe you are. I am withdrawing from this discussion.

Christmas came early 🙂 Ordered new axle/beam brackets with bushes (one Lemforder and one meyle - it was cheaper this way rather than buying crap ones). Febi spring mounts. And all bolts.

Hallo everyone, just wanted to say that I did finally track down a replacement fan in Lithuania! Wouldn't ship to the UK for some reason, so I got it sent on to a friend in France who then brought it over - and now I have noise-free air again :) Thanks for your interest tips.

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.

Could be as simple as a the starter generator belt slipping due to tensioner failure. Manifests as something drastic but easily fixed. Keep us updated please.

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 think you will miss the 3.0 TDi. I only seem to be putting AdBlu in about every 20k, and am still getting some ridiculously good mpg on longer runs (for a 2100kg A8). I'm keeping the Audi extended warranty going as it doesn't have to be diesel parts that are expensive. My last Volvo hybrid would have cost me £2500 for an air con compressor , which were known to fail. Similar money for a matrix LED Audi headlight! I kept my previous A6 Allroad going to 160k - servicing every 10k

Hi I don’t think I can truly answer your question regarding which TT is the best between 1999-2005, but I’m selling mine which is a 2001, 225 BAM quattro☺️ and its fun to drive! I just posted it today happy to answer any questions and open to offers thanks!

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.

Good morning Scott, Fortunately, you don’t have to concern yourself with the potential rights or wrongs of this issue, or the reason for the wrongs - if wrong. All you need to do is to book it in and get it sorted under warranty. Please let us know how you get on. Regards, Gareth.

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.