Leaderboard

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.

‘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.

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.

Well I’ve been and gone and done it…. I’ve just taken delivery of a mint A2 1.4Tdi with 76,000 miles on in Ebony Black. She is beautiful with beige leather and all the toys inc a working pan-roof!! My question is - Do I get her chipped for an extra 25 bhp or leave her as standard 🤔🤔🤔

Managed to get the original pump working for long enough to test the pressure. It was 3 bar

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.

Hi if its failed a sniff test its academic the gasket is leaking, I personally would do the same as the first garage if you take in to account that the head will most likely need a skim to correct any surface defects, then the valve seats would need to be lapped in, the timing chain is worth doing as even at 60k its probably stretched and the guides will be worn, factor in possible bore wear and you have the potential for a catastrophic wallet failure, from memory these engines were not good from new and if driven hard don't generally take to much action, you also mentioned improvements, one of them was not mapping was it? Steve.

Richard. Are you really referring to low coolant pressure warning? I suspect you mean low oil pressure. The 1.4 TFSI engines of that era were notorious for their skinny piston rings causing dramatic losses of oil which would explain the low compression readings and failed sniff test. The only realistic solution is installation of redesigned pistons and rings at great expense. Whether the coolant loss is related I can not say. Your first garage was right to suggest renewing belts and water pump at the same time because they would be due in 10000 miles and would need another engine strip down to install them, so it is cheaper to have the lot done at the same time. In its present condition I doubt that the car is worth more than £1000. Do you love it enough to spend several thousand pounds on it?

A good result.

Quick update , after jumping through a few hoops etc , its come back as being sorted under my Audi used car warranty. Total for quote £395. Replacement water reservoir tank and motor. As to why it needed a diagnostic check for a leaking tank ? obviously didn't have to pay for the check if its covered on Warranty. Booked in this Thursday , happy motoring.

Oil is cheaper than engines, or changing cars Ian! Good luck with everything. Regards, Gareth.

Head gaskets would be a whole new world of wallet pain but your description was very precise giving no indication of system pressurising, looking forward to a glowing success. Steve.

Yes, TRW for brakes, etc. Lemforder is basically what’s on the car just now, just stamped as Audi. 14 part arm suspension pack is £550 give or take, then you have labour to factor in. For arguments sake let’s say 6-8 hours. Yes car is low mileage, but suspension is rarely straight forward with bolts refusing to budge, especially the pinch bolt on the strut leg. Once all that’s done, the car needs tracking alignment. The irony is you could still do all this work and still have a creak. The suspension shock absorbers will be original, bump stops, and the top mounts. I don’t think you’re anywhere near a front end refresh yet, it’s 40k miles. I’ve done front end refreshes on a A2 and A4 diesel, both around 120k miles. It’s a labour of love and rarely goes to plan. I looked into that Chassis Ear tool, but that’s basically a workshop tool when the car is in the air. Your garage sound like they are doing the right thing, especially if not advocating ‘swap out the entire lot’ approach. Get them to look a specifically at universal joint on steering shaft (grease it), or friction at the steering column's bulkhead seal, (silicone spray).

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

Thanks, Bob, for the startup tip - Used it the last 3 times using the car - and not had an issue thus far or needed to do a reset. Time will tell Thank You Martin

That's great news Steve, thanks 😊

Hi I don't think you have wasted your money, find another C7 and use the codes from that as far as I am aware the coding number is an acceptance code to let the ECU know its had a new unit, the injectors are all the same and once accepted will re learn their values very quickly. Steve.

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 😕

Few new pics below.

Maybe but the Audi tech man said most times this resolves the issues without any further issues so fingers crossed.

I suspect that is more of a temporary fix than a permanent solution, because the source of the problem has not been identified and rectified. Nevertheless if it keeps the car going until the fault can be found it is indeed progress.

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 so much, Gareth. In the end I rang the garage and he thinks he can do it on Monday morning. So very different from the days when you just undid the terminals and replaced the battery.

Thanks Lucy, It would be wise to advise us of what make you intend buying before committing. Regards, Gareth.

Thankyou so much for this. It's around 5 years old but I will definitely follow up on what you've said when I've finished painting the kitchen! Very best, Lucy

Electric fuel pump - not filter 🫣

Thought you might need VCDS to get into the system settings. I had a B8 Allroad and it had DRL fronts that were on all the time, but I wanted the LED rears on too from the start. You can also do things like rev counter needle sweep on start up, passenger mirror dip on reverse, etc. Quick Google search suggests otherwise. To enable or turn on your Daytime Running Lights (DRLs) on a 2015 Audi A5, you can toggle them on using MMI infotainment. Step 1: Turn on the ignition or start your engine. Step 2: Press the CAR button on your MMI control console. Step 3: Select Car systems (if applicable) and navigate to Exterior Lighting or Headlights. Step 4: Look for the Daytime Running Lights option and toggle it ON. Once this is enabled, your DRLs will automatically switch on whenever the engine is running and the main headlight switch is in the Auto or 0 position. Hope that works.

Amazing set of pictures there 😎👍

Thanks for your comment…. Reckon I’ll leave her as is and not put the engine under unnecessary stress 👍

Try a variation of that technique: press and hold the up/down switch until the glass has stopped moving but continue to hold the switch for another ten seconds.

Hey Bob That's a good point about the software being slow to boot up. Not thought of that as the occasional yellow flash ups that I have experienced barely last milliseconds before they disappear. Thankyou for that.

Hi Martin Re my Q8's. I think that the " Edition 1 " units that Audi first supplied to the Dealerships when the Q8 first came on to the U. K. market in 2019 did have numerous software glitches. That's why I kept away from those models until they were all sold and more " basic " specs were available. I also believe that has happened to the " Edition 1 " S5 units that first came into the U.K. in 2025. Looks like Audi use them as guinea pigs to sort things out. Looking on Autotrader recently, ony one Edition1 S5 is now still available for purchase. All the rest are Black Editions or Vorsprung. So, in January I ordered the car to my exact spec, making sure it was a Black Edition with extras. Good to know Audi have been in touch and please let us know about any future software updates that should hopefully sort things out. In the meantime enjoy those 256 horses !.

Hi Martin Sorry to hear about the problems you are experiencing. Do you think the failure to start and alarm activation could be something to do with the Ghost immobiliser I recall you had fitted? The settings message on start up does appear superfluous but if you put the car into drive is should disappear. The phone connection problems you are experiencing seem to be a common issue so hopefully Audi will be aware of it. Unfortunately the driver assistance aids are now mandatory on EU vehicles and are obtrusive. I think whichever new car you buy you will be faced with the same necessity of deactivating them each time you start the car. Audi have in their favour made it easy to access them through a single press of a button. I hope the problems you are experiencing will be resolved quickly.

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.

Thanks for the help

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.

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.

So my 2013 1.4tfsi has been into 2 garages for coolant loss & random "Stop engine low pressure" light. First garage said head gasket & quoted £3,055 for the work, but they added w/pump & belt plus timing chain on a 60k engine. Second garage concurred but refused the job saying Tfsi engines were rubbish & couldn't guarantee it was head gasket alone! And fitting another engine would cost 3-5k! Third was online community who all say both are a joke, & a few mentioned the intake manifold cooler as possible reason? So sniff test done & failed, compression test & failed (none said what readings were or what cylinder(s) ) Now it's losing coolant rapidly, however there's no white smoke, oil is still clean & runs absolutely fine with no misfires. Car on a good day could fetch 5-6k due to improvements made over 4 years i've had it. Now stuck on what to do or go next? I live in Crewe & no particular VAG specialists nearby other than official garage.

Hi not a job I have ever done on an Audi 3.0, done a 2.0 CNHA and that was a real drama, try YouTube and see if its within your pay grade, I thought the 2.0 looked fairly straightforward until I got stuck in and the amount of other stuff you have to remove to get at it was a major faff, loads of bungee cables attached to various panels to keep the pipe work and electrical cables at bay. Steve.

Audi dealer called to say control unit turned up quicker then expected, asked them if they had any idea on why the unit failed and they do not and could not guarantee it would not happen again. I asked them to ask Audi if the fault happened again at 70 mph and we crashed due to the same fault affecting the steering control unit, steering and other driving features, would the interior safety features still work as designed as one of the reported faults was the proactive occupant protection showed a fault and said currently restricted, when I Iooked this up this is what I got, The "Proactive Occupant Protection: currently restricted" message on your Audi means the vehicle's pre-crash safety systems (like seatbelt tensioners, window closers, and airbag modules) have detected a fault and disabled themselves. This typically disables related features like Audi pre sense. Does not read safe to drive to me and in an event of an accident the driver and passengers would have zero protection. Awaiting to hear from the dealer and Audi. As I share this car with my wife she does not feel safe to drive the car and feels the car is unsafe to drive and also she is worried if it failed on her what would happen. Lets see what Audi and the dealer comes back with.