spartacus 68

Restrict use of the car until Monday and get OEM part from Audi, otherwise you’ll brick your ABS system is my advice.

Have had all three. Projector halogen in B5 A4 2.5TDI Quattro, no headlight washers. Bi-xenon in B8 A4 Allroad with headlight washers and LED rear, and now B9 A4 Allroad with LED front and rear, that ironically has headlight washers (in bumper) but was never fitted from factory. I’m planning to retrofit. Halogen and xenon generate heat, LED doesn’t, hence requirement for washers. Suspect the headlight washer bumper flap is for those that request it as extra or LED Matrix which I think is available on top of range Vorsprung. Upgrading lights is never straight forward. Minimum is you will need VCDS for coding, and parts need to be new as usually have security protection.

Do you have to use their app? My wife has a BMW i3 that has onboard computer that can delay charging. We recently switched electricity providers (don’t ask me who) as we have solar and battery storage. The 7kWh wall charger is currently out of action until an electrician tests the cable. It’s been on from 2018 but I suspect it needs a new tethered cable as works intermittently. In the meantime she can use 13A granny charger or a public charger. Cheap tariff is midnight to 6.00am. The new electricity provider wants us to use their custom app. However the car has its own software to delay charging, so we use that. It’s also intelligent enough to start charging earlier if need be as 13A will take longer compared to 7kWh. Granted, some of this power is outwith low tariff but that’s fine as we have battery storage. My point is, does Audi have this interface, rather than use the app which has to work across multiple car platforms?

I didn't realise the charges involved, unfortunately it's a bit of a minefield if you go down the import route. You mention worrying about the car's depreciation if you opt for this car which is currently on 82k miles. Even if you stay within a modest 4k miles per year, then you're going to get to around 100k miles in 4½ years, but by then the car will be over 23 years old. At the end of the day - you're over-thinking this. You're buying a performance car, and it will require servicing and spare parts while you own it, plus insurance, road tax, etc. It is what it is. I don't think you can realistically guarantee a future value, short of sealing it in an air conditioned garage on axle stands. If you were thinking of a physical investment, you could potentially go down the B5 RS4 Avant route. That said - there's a mint example on Autotrader under 20k miles finished in Avus Silver. That's never going to be realistically driven and will probably spend the rest of it's life trailered to car shows, plus it's £70k. Best of luck of luck though whatever you do.

B7 RS4s are indeed sought after, but here’s the rub. There are some beautiful examples out there, but there’s also some high milers, and that’s reflected in the price. They also need to be driven, but I appreciate it would be a summer car, rather than daily driver. €50k is roughly £42k GBP. That’s top money, and I’m not convinced this car, although desirable necessarily falls into that camp. Again, just my opinion. Few reasons, I think the Avant is generally more sought after, especially when it comes to resale. In addition, colour is everything. Sprint blue is attractive as a factory colour, but Audi also made the RS4 in Imola Yellow, which is very rare under their Audi exclusive scheme which would have been a custom colour. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but it has provenance having been used on the B5 RS4 Avant a few years earlier. History is everything too. To command a top selling price it needs documented history from new, all keys, and any remedial work such as a recommission if it’s been in storage, so basically it’s turn key and go. My advice for what it’s worth is to potentially travel and set up a few appointments. At the end of the day these are getting to be old cars, so pictures can be deceptive. What are undersides like, any corrosion? Also, do some research on parts availability.

No, not used it personally. According to LLL parts, it is a subframe bolt (item 4) in this diagram). However I see its used on suspension bolt too across VAG range. https://www.lllparts.co.uk/product/n90924103/bolt-hex-hd-with-pin-combi-n90924103 Anyway back to your dilemma. Have you tried https://spareto.com/products/volkswagen-ag-bolt/n90956803 Based in Estonia I think. Doesn't say they are out of stock so ypu might be in luck. Be aware you'll probably pay tax at post office, thanks to Brexit. Dealt with the same ordering BMW parts via Hubauer Shop (Germany).

Is that torque to yield though Gareth? TTY fasteners are designed to stretch once torqued to final specification, whereas high tensile bolts can theoretically be reused. I know the frustration of searching for a part number and going down every route to source, but if the same characteristics of the bolt was used, I don’t foresee an issue. Your idea to add a nut is good, simply to clean the thread on removing once cut, then dispose.

So the key information for this part is its M12 x 1.5 pitch x 120mm. Tough times call for tough measures. Could N90924103 be used instead? As far as I can see the only difference is it’s 130mm. It’s a subframe bolt, so will be torque to yield and have the strength characterises of the original bolt. Remove 10mm off end, clean thread, etc.

If anyone with VCDS close to you, then that would be the next logical step. A Yuasa 9000 AGM is a decent battery, but for all you know there’s a parasitic drain, who knows. Any remedial work since then, such as dash-cam install? They should last minimum of 5 years. Bear in mind, visiting a main dealer to diagnose will be the same as renewing the battery. You can test battery with cheap multimeter. Should be around 12.4-12.6v with car not started, and running over 14v when alternator kicks in.

I doubt you will just find the bulb holder on its own, but just replace the rear light. Suspect original was made by Valeo or Hella. Get part number off the original. Now EBay will be full of dodgy parts, so look for genuine Audi OEM, not some LED retrofit made in China. With the part number you can search for the part.

Be interesting to know what the smoke test limit is for your car is. CO2 levels from new on diesel ultra ranged from 99-109 CO2g/km. I know the MOT smoke tests soot opacity only. Not mechanically related - but if for any reason car fails MOT and it's linked back to AdBlue delete, then you risk your insurance being invalidated. Insurers share this information for future. Also, when and if the car is sold, I'm assuming new owner will need to be told?

Check out LLL parts - that will tell you if part is available separately.

Publish your clip to YouTube then link it back here. Loud turbo, not sure. Granted, it will kick in around 1,500 rpm, but if it was noisy such as over-boost, I’d expect it to go into limp mode. If car is scanned with VCDS that should rule that out. Brakes, sticky caliper can make a noise, but disc would heat up and you’d smell burning. Stone behind disc and brake shield? Discs heating up then you’ll see heat spots. To rule out, drive for 10-15 minutes and coast to a stop. Discs should be warm, but definitely not hot. When auxilliary serpentine drive belt was changed, no issues with job, no bearings on way out? No loss of coolant or other indicators?

Your video doesn’t play. Invariably these clips don’t add anything to pinpoint the source issue. If you’ve had car 8 years, then you know service history. Suspect it could be a wheel bearing. You tend to hear them between 40-50mph. If you’re hearing it from 20mph it must be particularly bad. Couple of ways to pinpoint them. Car raised at front, both sides. Hold wheel at 10-to-2 position and try lateral movement. Then try at 12-to-6 position. Any movement should be obvious. That can still be difficult to confirm, so other way is to remove brake caliper and feel the hub rotation. Cars with Quattro drive are always hard to pinpoint. Luckily it’s a hub unit. Four triple-square bolts hold it on. You’ll need to remove through hub bolt too, and replace. Bad news is these bearing hubs can seize on, so air hammer is your friend for these jobs, plus flap wheel to clean any oxide corrosion. Use a smear of ceramic grease on new bolts. Parts wise, F.A.G. units every time. Pretty sure that will be OEM. Always fit in pairs.

Count yourself lucky its not the V10. The V8 is generally reliable, however you're buying a 2016-2018 supercar, so it's been around. History is everything. If there's more paperwork than a Brexit export, then you're on the right lines. If the tyres are on the legal limit and brakes need a refresh, then be aware it will be expensive and more importantly question why? Simply saying RS6 seems to add £2k to everything. I'd want the car scanned first off with VCDS to see if there's any historical DTC errors logged. This is a performance car so oil changes every 5-8k miles. In terms of issues. Air intake valves can carbon up. You could treat it to a walnut blast. It's sensor heavy, so if original battery, factor in replacement. It needs coded to car and vented. If panoramic roof, check drain holes. Run mild detergent down them (exit above hinge on front door) and behind rear wheel arch liner. VAG have specific grease for sunroof. Also clean rubber seals. Assuming LED headlights. Potentially LED matrix if later car. Then check operation. Dipping light adjustment on start up is normal, but any further sporadic movent underway points to damaged or siezed height adjustment sensors. Servicing, diffs could use gear oil change. Depends on mileage. It's a ZF 6-speed transmission, but there will be a filter kit, so unless evidence of having it done, factor in. Cooling, apparently this thing has multiple radiators, fans and oil coolers. All are prone to wear and tear. If the car was remapped, be very wary.

Audi main dealers do car health-checks as a matter of course when you're car is in. Think of it as cash extraction. Absolutely no reason to get them to touch the car. You're paying £200 an hour for a tech, not a mechanic, so seek out a VAG independent. For brakes, personally I rate Zimmermann. If there's a lip front and rear then replace discs and pads and do a brake bleed at the same time. Timing belt, I'm surprised Audi picked up on this as their service reception quote all kind of nonsense and VAG continually change interval times. Rule of thumb is usually 5 year or 60k miles on diesel cars up to 2 litres. Change the water-pump and auxilliary belts at the same time. No issue if the engine tray is scratched. If it's broken that's a different story. You can probably buy second hand part as new it will be expensive. Other than that - just service items such as diesel fuel filter every 20k miles. Rear spring mounts on Avants are known to corrode, so check out. Part is inexpensive, but you're probably looking at £300+ labour cost unless you're spanner handy.

To be honest just buy it from the main dealer. Probably less than you think and you know quality is good. You'll need tensioner pulley and water-pump too.

Single VIN is £169. If you have other Audis or VWs (works on Skoda, SEAT, Bentley and Lamborghini) then 3-VIN version is £222. You get different bundles. Get one with a plastic box, as the brains is the USB Hex-2 cable, so it keeps it safe. Order from Gendan. As mentioned - lifetime updates for the VCDS software. Occasionally the dongle hardware needs updated too. Regards the air-con flap, then scan car first to determine if it's motor or linkage. Either way you're going to be stripping down. Once you have an ID you can search YouTube to get location. Suspect it's not programming as such, but adaptation procedure once the new software is installed so everything works in sync.

VCDS will pinpoint. Generally speaking, usually glovebox out to locate motor. Anyway cross that bridge once you get it scanned.

Not much to go on. The only thing back there is the rear diff. Any signs of weeping? Any sides lower such as broken spring? Suspect limp mode is not related to clunk at the back. Ideally you need to hook up with VCDS to scan and see what error codes are logged. Limp mode is protecting engine, so could be anything, turbo actuator, blocked DPF. Any warning lights, smell or anything else that's odd to throw onto the mix?

If it’s an S7 TDI it will be an 8 speed Tiptronic box. These can easily handle the torque. I check it’s in dynamic mode, etc. ZF-8 boxes have a service kit, so I’d be inclined to do that first before you go anywhere near a remap. Audi will tell you it’s sealed for life, but do it 60-80k miles. I follow a few companies, so Decimal Tenths are Newcastle based, or Darkside Developments in Barnsley. Probably the only companies I’d entrust the work too. They are both VAG specialists. For the Tiptronic service, then Mackie Transmissions, Glasgow.

MODs can you move this to B9 forum please. Car will need scanned with VCDS to see what’s going on. Rear diff gear oil should be good for 100k miles, but no harm in changing it. Double check this part number, with Audi or a motor factor with your registration. G 052 145 S2. Should take around a litre. Sport diffs or Haldex version use a different specification. From my understanding it’s around a litre. You’ll need to check the Allen key fill and drain plugs for size. Pretty sure they are 8mm. Use new plugs (come with thread locker). Tighten to 16Nm of torque. Note they don’t sit flush with the diff. Always pull fill plug first.

It's about getting the engine to operating temperature and a decent run every so often. Short runs would be 10-15 miles. If this is for urban commuting, that's when you get into issues, start-stop, etc. At some point the EGR valve will clog - that's inevitable on diesels. In addition AdBlue is known to weak point, as it uses integral tank with pump and sender. I've started using Forte anti-crystal on every AdBlue top up. You can also use Forte fuel conditioner (for diesels) straight in the fuel tank on a quarter full and drive it like you stole it for 15-20 mins. The fuel filter needs changed, so do this every 20k miles. Helps clean injectors, etc. Also treat the car to premium diesel. Older Euro 4 diesels could be used for short run journeys, but eventually intake manifolds get carbon build up, or sticky vanes on the turbo. Euro 6 - the engine is regenerating anyway, which is where the engine heats up to effectively burn off soot via DPF. These cars tend to be sensor heavy, so irrespective of whether you're spanner handy, I'd advocate getting VCDS (via Gendan), as the car will store logged faults. Main dealer will charge you £200 minimum for scan. In fact - it's worth even checking any perspective new purchase. Logged or stored faults will remain unless cleared. Usually referred to as DTCs. If you are spanner handy - then things like retracting rear electro-mechanic handbrake, priming fuel pump and relearning motors such as panoramic sunroof are useful to have. Audi also use ODIS dealer level software. Controls programming features, security, etc. I know for example that even Golf Mk 8 - you can't service rear brakes without it. Sign of things to come I'm afraid. As chains and tensioners are at the back of the engine - then it's an engine out job to replace, along with plastic guides. Should be good for the life of the engine, but where they get camshaft sprocket wear or chain slap is on cars that were on long-service regimes (up to 18k miles) between oil changes. Look carefully at the service history and avoid anything that's not been serviced at up to 10-12k mile intervals. No oil can maintain viscosity and lubricating qualities at that sort of mileage. Audi will tell you different, but this was brought in to satisfy fleet managers trying to reduce costs. Most of these cars were 3-4 years old on finance deals, so bill is normally picked up by next unsuspecting owner down the line. Tiptronic boxes do have a ZF service kit - so if not done I would get this done at 60-80k miles for peace of mind. Front and rear diffs usually good up to 100k miles.

Q7s from this era were primarily V6 TDi engines in 218PS and 272PS variants. SQ7 used V8 diesel. Think there was also 2.0TFSI model, but relatively rare and given it's thirst to shift the best part of 2 tonnes, it wouldn't be economical. Some also use plug in battery (E-tron), potentially gives you additional 30 miles. I know that can cause a bit of grief if it goes wrong. All paired with Tiptronic 8-speed boxes. Like everything, the diesel models are all chain drive, and servicing is crucial. That means oil changes every 8-10k miles or less if previous owner was particularly fastidious. V6 engine is a solid workhorse. I've never driven one, but have the 272PS engine in my A4 Allroad and would be the one I would choose. 600Nm of torque and will return 50mpg if driven sensibly, less in a Q7 though I'd expect the Q7 to go through tyres and brakes, so factor that in. Can also pull impressive 2800kg if there's a towbar. These engines don't tend to use oil. However as it's diesel, Euro 6, then you are into AdBlue, DPF, EGR, cats, etc. Better to have a car that's done regular annual mileage. These engines don't like short runs, or you're into emission territory and potential carbon build up. Suspension - standard multi-link or adaptive air suspension from what I understand. 100k plus mileage, you're likely into replacing bushes if not already done.

If you’ve had S Tronic gearbox service (every 38k miles), and you have VCDS, then I would do gearbox adaption calibration in basic settings. Few videos as mentioned. Try than and see if any improvement.