gsmdo

Can't the admin adjust it? 🤔

OK - your Net-nanny needs sorting out. I can't believe it censored b*l*o*o*d*y - but most ridiculous of all, it deleted s*c*r*e*w*i*n*g, when I was referring to affixing the cap... 🤦‍♂️

Afternoon all, I took the convertible off the battery tender last week and gave it an Italian tune-up along the A47 before delivering it for its MoT. I'm happy to say it passed with no advisories (as it !Removed! should, with the amount I've spent on it 😆). As I was hooking it back up to the battery tender, I was struck by the coolant expansion tank looking discoloured, so went on Amazon and, the next day, had a new one (by Febi Bilstein), along with a new cap, delivered, for a total of £26.93. The switch took half an hour or so - mostly because I was determined to do the job without losing any coolant (I don't have any spare). It's pretty simple... There is a single T20 self-tapper (ringed) holding it in place, once this is undone, the tank can be disengaged from the various locating tabs, the main one being by the filler cap, where it slots into a square hole. You then have access to the electrical connector (which alerts you if your coolant level is too low) - it's roughly where the G12 sign is, on the underside of the tank. As with all !Removed! Audi connectors, it probably worked when it was new, but 20 years have taken their toll, and it was a git to remove, but it finally came free. So you now have the tank loose, connected to the vehicle by two hoses, the smaller diameter one on top, and the larger underneath. They were both held in place by Beelzebub's spring clips, which were fun to get off, and which I immediately ditched in favour of new jubilee clamps. Before disconnecting the hoses, I used brake line clamps on both, to save losing any coolant, then angled the tank so that the coolant was clear of the hoses before pulling them free. I managed to place the old tank, still half full of coolant, on the floor, whilst I went about fitting the new replacement. This took about five minutes - piece of old ease. I then used the old tank as a bottle, and - with my finger blocking the smaller spigot - poured the coolant into the new tank, before !Removed! on the replacement cap, and calling the job done. Not a drop spilled 😃 I took the old tank out to the bin... Where it can be recycled into - who knows? The only snag is... ...that washer-bottle is looking a bit crap in comparison... 🤔 Cheers, Mike 😎

No, Veron7 agreed to buy them and take the risk, as it cost so much to ship to NI. As far as I know, he likely still has them. I suggested he might like to advertise them, but he doesn't seem to have done so. Mike 🤔

These were sold a while ago, to forum member Veron7, who lives in Northern Ireland and has an Audi 100. Sadly, they didn't fit, which means they're almost certainly for a C4 A6.

Hi David, On my C4, the glow plug light would flash to indicate low battery voltage, which, in itself, can cause a raft of other issues. How old is your battery? Mike🤔

It may well be that you have an intermittent fault on one of your brake lamps - probably worth pulling them out and having a look for damp/corrosion in the socket. Mike 🤔

Your multifunction display has many dead pixels. The good news - the warning as amber, so it's advisory rather than red, which would suggest it's dangerous. The kind of "double bracket" effect seems to be used exclusively for brake warning. The centre part could be a bulb, with a load of dead pixels. I'm going to say it's a dead brake light bulb warning.

An update: Unfortunately the pad didn't work out as well as I had hoped. It's fine to sit on your desk, but the movement of the car can often move the phone on the pad, and it'll stop charging. So the Mark Two solution 😆 After a search of Amazon I found this: Link Which works with MagSafe - Apple's magnetic charging system for iPhones. The phone is held in place by the magnet and the problem solved. So - I undid all the work I'd done on the convertible (and on my other car - a Škoda Superb) 🤦‍♂️ - and fitted the new pads this morning. The only slight difference is that the new pads come with a USB C connector, as opposed to the USB A on the Mark One. Not a problem, as I found a packet of three (*snigger*) high quality adapters on Amazon for a fiver: Link It was then a case of unpeeling all the 3M tape from the Mark One pads, fitting new 3M tape to the new ones and switching them over. Note to self - go to the garage and press down the front of that pad 🤦‍♂️* I also fitted the Mark Two in the Škoda... I have tested both and they work very well. I recycled the two Mark One pads by giving them to a friend's children, who will use them on their bedside tables... 🙂 Mike 😎 *EDIT That's better... 😆

So, I had Jeff Bezos deliver me some of these today: He's good at getting things delivered the next day. No wonder he has his own spaceship... 😆 I stuck one on each side of the Climate Control panel. If I place the phone between them, then it'll start charging. It seems to work OK - I'll report back with any snags. If anyone is planning on replicating this, the link for the pads is here. Cheers, Mike 😎

This any good? Link

Standard - the OEM one. The aftermarket one I had fitted was an Amazon special - and it was a fairly generic profile, as it was suitable for a whole slew of 1.9 and 2.0 VAG diesels. The chaps at CAT Automotive said the BPW engine is notoriously finicky, hence the DPF issue. Mike 😎

Hi all, Having had my new Pioneer double DIN head unit fitted last week, which works brilliantly, I decided to try to find a way to charge my iPhone in the car. I use it as a GPS (Waze) and to listen to podcasts, and that combination can be surprisingly hard on the battery. I didn't want anything stuck to the windscreen or the dash, so my eye was drawn to the unused ashtray, just ahead of the gear lever. Searching eBay, I found this: Link ...which measures slightly smaller than the iPhone Pro Max, so I knew it would fit. When it arrived, I tested it hooked up to the spare USB socket that comes out from the rear of the head unit. It worked a treat 😃 The sprung ashtray lid opens as you press down on it. I popped the gear surround off and undid the two 8mm hex-head bolts holding it in and brought it into the workshop (my kitchen table) 😆 I superglued the lid down, holding it with a couple of clothes pegs until cured. I then got my trusty reel of 3M VHB double-sided tape and, cutting pieces to size, and double stacking layers towards the back, where the lid curves down, I ensure there was a highly sticky, completely flat base for the pad to sit on. Sticking it down, bringing it right to the rear edge of the lid (ie nearest the gear lever), I again gave it some time to cure before going back out to the car. All the wiring is happily coiled up under the climate control panel, and you cannot see the cable feed to the pad... I'm really quite pleased with the result. A perfect solution would be a magnetic mat, but it's a good compromise. Since my gigantic phone can move around slightly and fail to start or keep charging, I think I'm going to get some adhesive rubber pegs that stand proud of the mat; put the phone on the pad in a position where it is charging, then stick them to the lid, so that it naturally lands in that position. I'll post results when that's done. Cheers, Mike 😎

Apologies for the delay in replying - getting back up to speed after a September holiday... I picked up the convertible from Norwich Audi, paid my (not inconsiderable) bill, and set off home. As soon as I got on the A47, there was a muted backfire and the check engine light came on, the glow plug light started flashing, and the car went into limp home mode... I was back at the dealer in a few minutes - I was pretty sure a turbo hose had popped off. One of the techs stayed past his finish time to confirm the diagnosis, and re-fit the hose. Since then, it has been driving beautifully. I've been trying to use it as my primary transport, in order to test the work. I've done about 400 miles so far, and it has been faultless. I'm tentatively going to say it has cured the snag... I'll post again if there are any further developments. Mike 😎

Popped in to see them. They weren't aware of any action needed to tell the car there was a new alternator. Nothing came up on my Carly scan, either... I've emailed a local mobile auto-electrician to ask for him to look at it. I'll report back once he's been... Mike 😎

So — an update. Took the car for a 40-odd mile round trip today. On the outbound leg, the voltage never dropped below 12, and was generally in the 12.8-13v range. The Stop/Start actually worked when I stopped at temporary traffic lights. On the way back, however, the voltage rarely reached 12v — mostly around 11.4-11.8v. When stopped at the same lights, the Stop/Start didn't operate. So, basically, fitting the alternator hasn't solved the problem. I plugged my Carly device in this evening, and it found no faults or codes in the electrical system, other than the fact that I have a non-standard stereo fitted and non-standard indicators in the door mirrors. It did find a possible fault in the Haldex switch in the 4WD system, though — oh joy… So, my next step will be to find an auto electrician and ask them to look at it… Mike 🙄

So - I got the car back from the garage yesterday, with a new Bosch alternator, plus belt and tensioner fitted (it's a pig for access, so it makes sense to do the extras while you're in there). Result? Not what I'd hoped... ☹️ The volts never drop below 12, but tend to be in the 12.8-13.0v range. By way of contrast, my A4 displays 14.7v on average. Is this liveable (ie, not going to drain the battery)? If not, where should my next stop be? I don't have to tell the car it's got a new alternator (like I do with a new battery), do I? Cheers, Mike

Yep - I think I'm going to buy that now - it brings the price down to just under £175 delivered. I'll get it sent to my mate's house, since I'll be away. It being an exchange item puts the kibosh on my plan to repair and keep the other as a spare, but that's acceptable, given the price... 🙂 Mike 😎

Probably one of the Usual Suspects: ECP, GSF, eBay - a brief search revealed this for £218 delivered. I'll do a good search before ordering. I like to think that a manufacturer like Bosch should be a fair sign of quality (although I don't know what's actually fitted to the car at present, and it's a job to get to see). Certainly not something I want to do before flying on Monday... 😆 Mike😎

Thanks for the replies 👍 I'm about to go away for a fortnight or so and - despite Gareth's advice about new alternators - will likely buy a new one and have it swapped. I'll then get a voltage regulator for the old one and keep it as a spare. Mike 😎 PS I'll post the results up here when done...

I took my second car - a 2014 Škoda Superb estate - to Bristol & back for a work meeting. It is fitted with an aftermarket Head Up Display - which means I've been looking at this display for 400-odd miles... So - here's the question. You can see that it's idling, and the voltmeter is showing 11.8 volts. It has been reading similarly for the entire trip, with the occasional foray to just over 12 volts. The rpm doesn't seem to make much difference, although there did seem to be an increase in the voltage when electrical load was increased (lights; fan blower etc). I'm pretty sure that it generally showed 13–14 volts when I've been driving it. 🤔 Has my memory failed me? I've not been using it much lately, as the convertible has been out during the good weather. Might this be an indication that the alternator is on its way out? The car starts easily and there's no alternator light appearing on the dash. The car as 82k miles on, and had a new battery in 2023. Even after the long distances I have covered in it over the last couple of days, the Stop/Start mechanism has not kicked in. Any advice appreciated. If you are really miffed at me asking, you can pretend it's an Audi A6 Avant...😆 Cheers, Mike 😎

So, I picked up the convertible this morning — a total bill of £420. Driving very well indeed. I've asked Norwich Audi to quote for replacing the camshaft — along with a new cam belt (it had a cam belt done when the cam was fitted, but I'm not a fan of re-tensioning important belts). I'm away on holiday for the first couple of weeks of September, so I'm going to leave it with them for that time to get the job done. Running an old Audi sometimes feels like being in a bad relationship — it's cost can be staggering — but I love the car… 😆 I'll add to this thread when I get the car back in mid-September. Mike 🙂

Me neither, but as I mentioned, the chaps at CAT Automotive warned me this might happen, because the (very cheap) cam I fitted was possibly not made to work with a DPF - ie it may have varied in lift and dwell from the original. He reckoned that the DPW engine was so finicky that it was a poor choice to put a DPF on, although it was a great engine in most other respects... His predictions came true - hence my plan to return it to a stock cam. Mike 😎

Six years - and no, it didn't... 🤔

OK - I've escalated the situation. New gen Audi cam ordered (£780) - I'll have it fitted over the winter. It will pay for itself, if I'm having to pay for DPF regens frequently. I love this car, but it does strain that relationship at times... 😂🤣😂