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I just thought I'd pop a solution post in here. As some of you may have read, I had the dual-mass flywheel and clutch replaced on the A4 this week. Since the old girl was going to have her insides hanging out, I discussed whether this might be an opportunity to replace the brake lines (to the front wheels). They agreed it would be very much easier to do with the car apart, so I had new cupro-nickel (reflareable) brake pipes fitted - and my braided HEL hoses fitted to the front calipers. Oh - and a fluid change for the clutch (natch) and the brakes. My paranoia is thus satisfied... 😆

Just got back with the old girl - what a transformation! Power take-up is now as smooth as silk (or - if it isn't - it's my fault 😆). I'm pretty sure they had the same poor tech working on the car for three days straight. I'm taking the techs a box of doughnuts in tomorrow to say thanks (and maybe a bottle of something for Kev, as they stood by their quote). The front brake pipes have been replaced with cupro-nickel, which can be cut and reflared if necessary; HEL braided hoses fitted to the front (the rears were done a while ago). An expensive job all told - just under £1300 including everything 😱 - but I don't think I could have got it done any cheaper (or better). It's clearly not worth doing if I wasn't planning on keeping the car, but I am. Thanks very much for all the great advice - especially Stevey Y for your excellent breakdown of the issues 😃 Mike

I dropped the convertible into Norwich Audi late yesterday (when I could get a lift back), and told them I was happy for them to have it for a couple of days if needed. My buddy Kev has just sent me the following pics, and tells me the jobs are going well...🤞😃

Hi Gareth, I'm afraid that any forum will have a proportion of posts where advice is given and nothing is heard from the OP again. I know how frustrating that can be if you've spent some effort diagnosing a fault for them and giving your advice - with no follow up. It's also a pain, because if someone has a similar problem and does a search, there's no information as to whether the diagnosis and advice were correct. For this reason - and because my Mum taught me to be polite 😃 - I always thank the individual(s) involved and post a follow up to the initial post. Regrettably, human nature means you'll - for a variety of reasons - have members who take without giving closure. Good luck with solving that one... 😆 Cheers, Mike

Well, reading your comment above, I wonder if you have an accurate idea of what your membership is looking for? I like driving my Audi, but I have no interest in motorsport, nor, I'm afraid, in attending club meetings. I joined the forum to learn more about my car and - who knows, in time - be able to give advice to others. The couple of motorcycle forums I frequent have free sign-up, but often have areas you can only access if you pay subs (often the free chat 'virtual pub' areas). As I mentioned earlier, I wouldn't start paying subs without knowing what level of knowledge was here on the forum, and how committed people were to helping members out. I could have posted my DM flywheel question and only got tumbleweed - unlike the excellent response I did get - you don't know until you ask and I think it's unlikely people will pay to find out... I think requiring people to pay subs before they can advetise is quite reasonable (although the For Sale section should be available to all, as it's in everyone's interest for it to be open). Perhaps restricting PMs (DMs?) to subscribers might work? I expect to be here for a while. I've received great information and been made to feel welcome, but I didn't and don't want to be a member of a club in meatspace. What is your ideal club member like? Do you think you are attracting them? I have a feeling I'm not the type you're hoping to attract... Mike🙂

Personally I'd be against having to pay to join to ask a question - I wouldn't have joined had that been a prerequisite. The nature of good forums I am a member of is that there tends to be a lot of experience built into the membership and - if you're new to a vehicle, or to a particular problem with a vehicle - it allows you to get advice free of charge. I always acknowledge advice I receive and make a point of posting follow-up news on how the solution works (or doesn't), but I recognise that some posters don't do this and just post and run. I think this is the nature of the internet, and I don't think it has changed suddenly. If you follow the path of 'subscribe before you get advice' - before you know how good or bad that advice is - then you'll see posts dwindle as you'll have thrown the baby out with the bathwater... Others will feel differently, I'm sure... Mike 🙂 ETA - I found this forum very welcoming and the advice (especially on my flywheel replacement) first rate.

The 'keeping your foot on the pedal when stopped' was the route BMW went down with my bike when they were trying to chase down the problem - and reading up on it, it's a genuine cause of disc warping. In the case of my bike it was different, but it sounds like a possible cause in your case...

So, Norwich Audi are getting the car next Tuesday and I've said I'd leave it with them for a couple of days, in case they run into any snags🤞😆. The work they've agreed to do: Replace the complete clutch, dual-mass flywheel, slave cylinder, plus the clutch arm (not expensive and 'whilst you're in there ' etc). They will also be replacing the front brake pipes (which I asked about in another thread), as access to them will be much easier with the car apart. They will supply: Clutch arm and pivot; fasteners as required (if not supplied with the kit) and the front brake pipes. I have ordered (and cross checked part numbers with the supplier👍 ) Sachs dual-mass flywheel and complete clutch kit; Sachs slave cylinder; I already have braided hoses for the front brakes. Now, I am a long time customer of Norwich Audi (over 30 years😱) and am good mates with a couple of the chaps there, so they always try to give me the best deal they can, although they've outdone themselves here 😃. They've quoted me four hours labour plus the parts they supply...😳 My parts cost: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/334388783307?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649 £409 inc delivery https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/234452219546?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649 £77 inc delivery The brake pipes are around £120 and the ancilliary clutch parts around £50. So, next week will be an expensive one, but - as I said earlier - this car is a keeper and it'll allow me to relax about what could be a major pain in the parts breakdown if I'd not decided to tackle it sooner. Many thanks for your comprehensive reply Stevey - much appreciated. I'll post an 'after-action' report when the job's done... Mike 🙂

Absolutely 👍

I'd suggest that's very unusual wear Mark. Any idea how worn the pads are that they are replacing? I see you're using a main dealer, so they'll be using OEM parts. Sorry, but I'm not sure what could cause a recurrence of this type. I had a similar situation years ago with my BMW motorcycle, and that ended up being a warped disc carrier (ie the hub) - they replaced the wheel and it cured it. There's nothing that's similar on a car, AFAIK... 🤔

Awesome - thanks 😃

Thanks for the comprehensive answer Steve. I’ve been looking online - this car is a keeper, so I want to buy a kit that lasts - any recommendations on manufacturer? Any thoughts on how many hours this would take a competent tech? Thanks, Mike

Hi there, I've had my 2006 2.0TDi 140 convertible for a few years and have noticed that it judders slightly on power uptake when moving off. The clutch 'bite' is nearly at the bottom of its travel, which I am guessing means the clutch is quite worn. The car has done just over 100k and has a thorough service history. Could the juddering be the dreaded dual-mass flywheel problem that I've heard about but, thus far, have not experienced? If so, what is the solution - replacing with a new dual-mass flywheel, or is there an alternative? If it needs doing I will obviously replace the entire clutch whilst it's apart. Any advice appreciated. Thanks, Mike 🙂

Very nice - great colour. Just joshing you - post the question in the A1 forum and I'm sure someone will be able to help...😄

Perhaps a question better posted in the A1 forum - although "Post a photo of your Audi" does seem the logical place to ask your question... ?

It's not the pipes that will be the likely point of failure Gareth, but the hoses. The reason I want to replace the pipes is that they are seized to the OEM hoses and cannot be cut and reflared like a copper brake pipe. It is inevitable that rubber hoses will eventually degrade with age - or just fail by a flint being kicked up on an unlucky trajectory. If that happens when I'm miles away from home - on the continent for example, this could be a major problem. I'm not being Chicken Little here, just trying to have more of a plan than 'trust to luck' to deal with this, that's all. Cheers, Mike

Hi Steve, That would require my schedule being set by the fault, not by me 😄 I'd rather address it at a time convenient to me. That way I can then still try the traditional methods - to destruction if necessary - as you suggest, but have immediate access to Plan B (whatever that might be) to minmise the time the car is off the road... Mike 👍

Hi there, I had new front calipers fitted to my 2006 B7 Convertible 2.0 140 diesel last summer. Whilst the work was being done, I asked the tech to fit a pair of new HEL flexible hoses (I did the same thing when having the rear calipers replaced a couple of years back). Unfortunately, the tech was unable to undo the hoses at the 'car' end, although they came out of the calipers OK, and so the job was kind of half done. Normally this wouldn't be a problem - you'd cut the brake pipe off a cm or so from the end of the copper pipe, reflare, and fit a new joint. Except this model of Audi uses a different material - an aluminium alloy(?), which can't be dealt with in this way. I forget the details, but apparently the pipe can't be cut and reflared. The good news is that my brake hoses seem to be in good order, but obviously there will be a time somewhere down the line where this isn't the case, and this is a car I intend to keep for a while. So - can anyone suggest a work-around for this please? My solution would be to replace the two pieces of pipe running from the hose to their destination on the car (I'm assuming the ABS unit) with copper brake pipe, but the tech blanched at this, saying that the pipe run was buried deep in th engine bay and would require a lot of dissassembly (and therefore charged hours). I will confess I haven't looked at the pipe run to confirm this - although the tech is a reliable chap and I'm happy to take his word on this. Any help and advice appreciated. Thanks, Mike

Lake Garda, Italy - August 2017, in happier, pre-Covid times…

I noticed from the video that the clicking noise was only apparent when the front wheels were turned. I'd be looking at the CV joints?

Hi there, I'm a n00b, but not to Audi ownership. I currently have a 2006 A4 2.0Tdi convertible manual and would like some advice. I have had the car for nearly six years and, amongst other things, have replaced the rear brake hoses with braided stainless ones. When it came time to replace the front calipers, I bought a set of braided hoses (from hel) for them too. Unfortunately, the corrosion between the hoses and the brake pipes was so bad that my tech was reluctant to force it, as he felt sure the pipe would fail. Now, this isn't usually a problem, as the solution is to cut the pipe short, reflare it and fit the hose. However, he tells me that this model doesn't have copper or stainless pipes, but thiese are made from an aluminium alloy, which precludes you from doing this. As fortune would have it, the existing pipes came free from the calipers, so I was able to get them changed. However - at some time in the future, I'm going to have to swap hoses and face this problem again. I'd be happy to replace the front brake pipes with copper, but I'm told the routing is daft - right in the middle of the engine bay and would need several hours work just to gain access. Has anyone else come across this problem and found a workable solution please? Thanks in anticipation, Mike

Hi all, I'm a long time Audi owner (about 25yrs) and currently have an A4 convertible 2.0 Tdi 140ps, which I have lavished altogether too much money and time on... 😆 My Audi history includes a number of cars... ...but for 10 years and 160+K miles, my venerable old A6 2.5Tdi quattro Avant served me well... Anyway - I have a brake pipe question that I'll put in the correct section - just wanted to say hello. Mike 🙂