Stevey Y

HI easiest thing to do is get the part number off of it and then google it, that will tell you what it is and what it does. Steve.

Thank god for that, you did not strike me as the multi add on type of owner, there is enough spaghetti under the bonnet as standard. just shows that Facebook can lead to libellous accusations. Steve.

Hi Steve thats some pretty fancy back to the future type wiring going on there, lucky it is not a cab as the cab inspection engineer would have turned a bloodless white colour and refused to pass it on sight. Steve.

Hi I think from what I have been told that if the car has DAB there are two aerials mounted on the windscreen depending on the build month others have the control unit in the boot these are famous for the wiring breaking in the Flexi joints that feed the wires through to the boot, sorry to be a bit vague but I have never worked on that problem on an A3 but have dealt with the same on a similar year A4 cabriolet. Steve.

Hi I think you must be referring to the oxygen sensor this and the EVAP canister would cause the symptoms you describe, change them and it should cure your problems. Steve.

Hi Don sorry I could not have helped more but I have always regarded auto/DSG boxes with healthy suspicion as in seventeen years of being a cabbie in a hilly area I have witnessed catastrophic failure and eyewatering repair costs if forced to go to a VAG dealer so generally speaking I have avoided them, they do make for a lovely drive but are not practical for what I do but I definitely think the guys I suggested are worth a phone call. Regards Steve.

HI might be time to get on the Vagcom see whats coming up code wise and run a purge on the ABS unit as it sounds like air in there somewhere. Steve.

Hi I dont think anyone in their right mind would rubber stamp that sort of tyre pressure, the tyre roll and strain on the side walls would be horrendous the pressures are 36psi all round I personally run the tyres on my cab at 38psi as this goes a long way to alleviate scrubbing on the edges due to constant cornering, I have used the Nexen Nfera tyre a lot as they give excellent grip and wear, just about to change the rears which have done 35k, this model of tyre is classed as a premium tyre and if it is of any interest Nexen are their own company and do not produce tyres under licence for any other branded manufacturer they have all their own development facilities near Seoul in Korea, the company has been making tyres for seventy years. Using any rating tyre under 101 XL on a A6 is asking for trouble as they are a heavy car even a 97 XL is not fit for purpose in my opinion the harsh part of the ride is most likely due to the milage as the oil in the shocks is probably worn and foams quickly so they will be past their best and not as resistant to rough roads as they would be when new, unfortunately its the price you pay for not paying the price for a lower milage vehicle. Steve.

Hi the Arial connection could be corroded, try WD40 on the switchgear. Steve.

Hi could be a deformed tyre or the wheels need balancing. Steve.

Hi my pleasure these things have a code for every minor occurrence in the Can Gateway system, just have a clearout every so often and your world will be at peace with your Audi, like I say its the codes that throw up a light that will need close attention. Steve.

Hi you are supposed to put it in as a substitution for 400ml of oil when you do your oil change, using fresh oil will give the best benefit of the product, I like Kev have used Slick 50 for years and obtained spectacular milage from all of my cabs, 247k, 310k, 270k, with minimal engine wear internaly so from my perspective these thing work as they are basically a friction reducer, you will always get the element who think all of these products are Snake Oil but in my opinion how can you knock something if you have never tried it and have no idea what it does, I think the question was, having decided to use the Forte do you add it as an extra or take out 400ml first to accommodate the additive, I hope I have answered your question. Regards Steve.

Hi welcome to the world of diagnostics, best advice is clear them all, pump up the tyres all round and reset the TPMS on the MMI, i get a load of rubbish codes like this as I use my car as a cab and do a lot of milage so they rack up I just clear them all about once a month you will soon learn that the only codes worth worrying about are the ones that put up an EML and throw you in to limp mode. Steve.

Hi no its not, the Dealers are told to tell the customer its filled for life NOT the same thing. Steve.

Erm, forgive me if I have missed the point, they only want vehicles between three and six years old with nil milage, I expect the que will stretch round the block to give them nearly £800, most of these cars will in all probability never have any problems also there is no mention of the components changed during the two services and I would love to see the list of whats not covered on the extended warranty, yet again media manipulation of the average owner. Steve. Well spotted Richard.

If you consider that C.A.R.B in LA in America have been since the sixties the architects of fuel injection and OBD rationalisation which massively cut emissions so the rest of America adopted these new strategies, we on the other hand did none of the above until the late seventies and now the government wants to set the blame against the voting public by manipulating our consciences. The worlds weather will change anyway, it always has, if you look at the facts the ice age was caused by a tropical planets land masses having loads of swamps and rotting vegetation all giving off methane and carbon monoxide, and there wasn't an Audi in sight, this blew a dirty great hole in the Ozone layer which then caused the ice age for god knows how many million years, No, no the experts cry but the fact of the matter is that if I was offered that sort of money to wander round spouting crap to anyone who would listen, they all have dual standards take dear old Greta who sails a solar powered yacht over to America to harangue Donny Trump, when its time to go home the replacement crew were FLOWN out to sail her miserable moon face back home, of course she isn't getting sponsored or paid for any of this. Anyone just see that flying pig. Steve.

Hi Don judging by the symptoms you describe it fits the criteria for what you have try phoning these guys and have word Control Units in Devon your problem is definitely on their list and the advice is friendly and free, contact details: 01884798090/07706445537, they may well be able to tell you where the unit is located. Steve

Hi Don no such thing as lifetime oil they only made a limited number of sealed for life boxes which their definition is 100k game over, having done a bit of research it looks as if it could be the ECU on the box which looks like it mounts on the side of the box and has a big fat wiring connector, apparently these frequently go up the wall [starts slowly and gets worse] they are a fortune to buy from everybody friend but there is a place that repairs your unit for £155 with a two day turn round and its plug in and play. Steve.

Hi Don I think I may have found it but can you describe the symptoms that go with the fault and if I am right its a module in the car of which I have yet to find where its hidden. Steve.

Hi Don my knowledge of DSG/Mechatronic boxes is pretty limited but if you can bear with me and give me the fault code for your problem I will do some digging amongst the finer brains I have access to, but if we start with the basics like when was the box last serviced, have you checked all wiring connections to the box for corrosion as in my experience I would guess its intermittent nature would suggest its something as simple as bad gear oil or corrosion otherwise it would be an embedded fault. Steve.

Hi lets all rush out, remortgage the house, put the missus and kids out on the street so we can buy an electric car, what planet are these people on, if you factor in the job losses globally of all the staff at the component factories for conventional vehicles it will be like the worlds largest permanent lockdown and then it won't matter if the electric cars are £1000,00 no one will be able to afford one if you haven't got a job, I don't think those that know best have thought this one out, if you want a prime example of what happens when industry pulls the plug take a look at Detroit which has massive poverty and unemployment despite massive cash injections from the government and incentives to open new businesses over the last thirty years, this bizarre fascination with electric cars is in my opinion driven by those that can afford them and in the fast lane of life status is everything especially if you have green credentials and sod all consideration for how many Joe Averages you drive on to the dole which a lot of countries don't have. Steve.

Hi unfortunately this one could be a Pandoras box normally the EPC is activated by something that the ECU classes as a threat to the engine or will raise emissions so an educated guess would say that it is the swirl system as that would raise emissions, I don't know which scanner you are using but if its VCDS that would be giving you a description of the fault and the frequency of the fault, with regard to your registered fault I believe there is a number of repair/delete kits on the market, swirl flaps are a good idea in principle and where they fall down is they are made of plastic on the moving parts and are guaranteed to fail, but with the absence of any other codes its a start. Steve,

Hi sorry to learn of the violation of your wallet but on the plus side at least you now have a usable car which will last you a while also the added benefit that if the fuel system fails again any time soon you have a large bill to beat them with along with the thinly veiled threat of trading standards, I hope you have no further troubles and your confidence in the car returns. Steve.

Hi, try the VCDS by all means but as I said from what you described it sounds as though the mechanical part of the calliper is having problems reaching the disc hence the weak hand brake, however recent the pad change 8 months is a long time considering the winter etc for road dirt ingression salt etc, as I said the stainless pad runners should always be changed with the pads, I didn't do this the first time I did mine and ended up with a similar problem over £8 worth of parts, the brake fluid should be changed every 30k or two years I have always adhered to this as it stops alloy rear callipers from seizing as brake fluid is hydroscopic and will absorb water from the atmosphere which then pools in the piston chamber and rots it. Regards Steve.

Hi from what you describe I would suggest stripping the brakes down on the rear as they may be sticking, if you have recently had the rear pads done its possible that the clip on stainless runners they operate on have not been changed with the pads unfortunately most people don't bother with these and they are a recommended consumable change. you can do a visual check on the pads to note their condition but if they are about three quarters worn best practise is to replace them with the runners, you possibly could clear this with VCDS but the problem will quickly reappear within a couple of drive cycles. Steve.