7-up

Older cars have rattles because things are worm out or loose. It's time consuming to fix but there can be easy gains. Putting aside the likelihood window guides are worn out , start instead with checks. Wiggle everything you can from doors,hinges catches handles etc. You'll likely find one is loose. You have to be the investigator. Try also shining a torch into door interior with window fully down ... which may help you spot internal parts loose. I've often taken off a door's interior panels to find parts loose behind ..., spare bolts dropped inside doors and other rattle causes. Next is door alignment. If hinges are worn doors may have dropped and guides on bodywork may rub a lot. You may find a need to relocate guides. A trick to correct worn hinges allowing a small drop , is to loosen the bolts holding the bottom hinge to the body. Insert one cardboard shim between hinge and body and all the slack from wear may go. Its crude but works. Oil hinges and catches next. Finally the worn the fur/felt inside door guides may also be matted and gummed up. If you decide you may renew them anyway, you can take risks first. On a hot summers day a strong washing up liquid and water solution can be run down window edges to clean guides inside doors. Await 24 hours for all to dry out afterwards. Then a light clear silicon machine oil can be run into guides , just a little , and you may all then seems perfect. I hope some ideas work. As always take your time.

Thanks for the reply. Stem seals have been changed on the 2.8 already , so im guessing it's more . I'dguess at some time it's burst a water pipe and run dry. On that basis the heads should be warped, but they're not leaking so may be just unequally shot rings ??

......and for owners of much older cars another trick is to tie a nylon cord to the bonnet release catch in engine bay and let it hang down so you can see it from underneath, ....then when your bonnet catch release wire breaks one day.... You can find the cord, pull and still open the bonnet. If you’ve hidden a spare key in Faraday box in engine bay, you also have a guaranteed route of access to it.

If the door is opened on the inside w With a handle that can be hooked thats the way in normally, with bent coat hanger wire and big rubber band on one end, sliding this between door frame and bodywork, but its tricky. Rac or AA should get you in and I'd wait for one such recovery expert. Old cars were easy to hook handles etc, but new ones not so . You can end up with damage that costs more than a lock smith. And don't be embarrassed, we've all done it. !

Hi Frank, im sorry if this appears a late or a sad reply. All I can give to you is what I know about the audi 80 cab. V6 but I hope it's useful. On the post 1995 cars, or maybe earlier, audi went overboard in theft. There are units involved with coded start up. The key has a code. A coded unit in a module under the dash connects to the car reader in the ignition lock and checks that. At the same time the engine management unit checks the code unit. If the coded unit is not finding the right code, the engine management unit gets a non-compliance signal and no engine fires. The coded unit includes a diagnostic socket which i believe is used to reprogramme it if a key with a new code is to be put into use. I believe no one ,including audi , will recode anything, so in the past I've bought a matching second hand set of engine management unit, code unit, reader/ignition lock and keys, to get a car going. Sadly finding a matching set for sale, can take time.

Im sorry if answers to this are in earlier chats and please don't hesitate to redirect me. Ive acquired 2 cars and would guess both have engines with faults. Id like to know about any good engine builder or any experiences of engine wear to guide me. Im a skilled 60 year old engineer who has rebuilt 4 cyl units so you can reply in tech terms. The 2.6 160k, I guess has a broken piston ring.. .no rattles , no oil burn and reasonable power but coughs a bit on tick over. Electrics are all checked and good. Any views? ... . The 2.8 unit I know is not so robust. This one 140kmiles unit, ticks over quite nice, no rattles, good oil pressure , but plugs look bit oil stained. Emissions are poor and im guessing the oil control rings are worn out. Any views? As always, im happy to consider anything from heads off to buying a recon unit which some German companies seem to be advertising. Best regards

Hi , I've been impressed with my Enyak sport over past 2 years , and if anyone wants to know more of an owner's views , here's your chance to ask. Be warned....not all would make you feel happy...

Gareth, thanks for advice.. Good idea. I asked about codes that may be on an identification plate, just so that if I find one on the car, I can work out what it's trying to inform me. Regards

Hi, its my understanding a plate under the bonnet of most cars, includes a plate with a list of codes, or references, which record things like the engine size, and body colour etc. Does anyone have a list of Audi Codes used for an Audi 80 coupe in the 1990s., please?

Hi Greg Roughly where in the UK are you please. Apologies if I've missed this detail elsewhere