Magnet

Hello Katherine, Interesting, and it sounds reasonable that the chain may have jumped a tooth, which could result in bent valves, but highly unusual to simply affect one cylinder. My logic did originally lead me to question whether we now have a simple valve timing error which results in a situation where both valves on No.1 cylinder are never in a combined two-closed -at-the-same-time situation, and hence lack of compression. Follow on logic may question if this would then only affect one cylinder. Longer story cut shorter:- I think I would be changing the chain, which includes resetting the valve timing, and testing the compressions again, rather than diving in straight away and taking the cylinder head off. If indeed the valves have hit the piston, then I would not necessarily write off the engine. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Graham, I too applaud your method of establishing a sound maintenance basing point from where to go forward from, and since the gearbox oil change has been termed ‘ discretionary’ then the fact the earlier owner decided not to get it done, would not -in my book- eliminate the car from a justifiable claim to ‘full service history’. To be fair to the owner who decided not to get it done, that decision may not necessarily been his, but could have rested with a leasing company for example. Again, the decision may well have been his, and he decided not to get it done since he was not keeping it longer term - not necessarily a cheapskate decision. Parts? Can we take it your Wales contact for discount Audi parts was Audi Parts Cardiff? ( part of Cardiff Audi/ Mon Motors). I’ve bought from them, and have been pleased with their discount and service. I’ve also bought from Aberdeen Audi, and been equally happy with the same service. Enjoy the car. Kind regards, Gareth.

Interesting points Graham, but to be realistic, I think both possible causes would have to be to the extreme on the severity scale to result in a total lack of compression on one cylinder. Hello Katherine, Just wondered if any of the comments you have received so far have been of any help to you, and what your next move might be. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Katherine, Thanks for being in touch with the forum, and sorry to hear on your first post with us, that you are in difficulties with your car. A couple of points which may help you:- Even with no compression on one cylinder, it would be expected that the car’s performance would exceed 20mph - unless it’s gone into limp mode. Stuck valve? Uncommon in my book, and it must be asked that if this is correct - why? Has the car un low on oil, when was the oil and filter last change etc? If this is a belt driven engine, has the belt jumped a tooth, and you’ve been lucky enough to just bend the valves on one cylinder? Do you know when the belt was changed? I think I understand that the 6 to 7 hours labour is to just strip the engine to confirm / assess what is wrong, and does not include correcting the fault, and reassembly. If so, then the labour to fix and reassemble is likely to exceed 15 hours -? What is their VAT inclusive labour rate? If all the above is correct, then their reference to ‘reconditioned engine’ may make economic sense, but as I understand it, there are very few engine reconditioners left now, so where would you get a ‘reconditioned engine’?, and if such a thing was readily available, then what would be the total cost to purchase, remove yours and refit the ‘new’ one. Compare this with the option of repairing yours. By reconditioned - they could well mean simply secondhand. If this were mine, I would be getting a second opinion on this car . Try a local independent in your area, and get the car transported there if you feel you have confidence in their reputation. Perhaps you could let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

Many thanks Dennis. Great point Steve. As has been said before, it worth retaining one (typical) tyre as actual evidence - although sending the rest and photos of all - including the one you are restraining as evidence. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Dennis, Thanks for updating us on what actions you have taken. Apologies, since this is going to sound critical, but you start your latest post by saying it’s unfair on people’s pockets, then as the second point of importance , you reference the safety aspect. To me, the importance is absolutely reversed, and I fear that you will not get the response from Dunlop that you need if you follow these two points in that order. It wouldn’t surprise me that Trading Standards will ask you for all your personal data, and record the incident on their data base. Whether you will ever get a follow on response Is highly debatable - but we’ll worth a try I guess. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Dennis, Thanks for joining the forum. As you will see, you have joined a band of 7 page’s worth of posters with issues with these tyres. I think that if you study the posts and our responses, you will get the answers that you will need in your plea for help. It really all boils down to how far you (in caps) are prepared to go to take action - from simply complaining to the tyre retailer, through to using the media at the highest level. You will also see there has been very little feedback on success rates on this, so all in all, it really depends whether you are going to be the one who is prepared to take this all the way - or if not. Perhaps you would be kind enough to come back to us Dennis, with a view on what you decide to do, and how you get on. All I can do is to suggest you have a good read, and wish you well with your actions. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Kai, Wondering what the latest situation is with this. Kind regards, Gareth.

Wondered if you have anything further to report on this Mathew. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Mick, Other problem areas can be micro switches. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello D-? Cost effective usually equates to cheaper, and Steve sums it up, and I too think there is a possibility that the Audi warranty does not have as many exclusion clauses as some - it’s these which are most important. Others may be along with their experiences, but meanwhile I would be obtaining copies of the ones which appeal to you most , and boringly but thoroughly, study the small print exclusions. You will at least be able to get some score on what may suit you best. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. Would it be possible to now update your profile with a more acceptable name and location?

Hello Mike, To try to make this short and simple:- Charge the battery overnight, and get its efficiency checked on sophisticated equipment. Check all connections associated with charging/ starting circuits ( loose battery terminal concerns me since recent new battery - why?) Check alternator output. Check for ( possibly significant?)parasitic drain. A good auto electrician should be able to perform all these checks in 1 hour’s labour. If it were mine, that’s what I would be doing. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello John, Thanks for being in touch. I would think your logic holds water - which is more than your Adblue tank did! As you say, the damage to the wiring is s a result of the ‘insured’ faulty tank, so you would expect this consequential damage to also be covered, but the devil will be in the detail of the warranty, which no doubt they sold you, but like most of us, you didn’t bother to read the small print before signing - who does? All these warranties are insurance backed, so you would expect ‘normal insurance experience’ to apply here. Their failure to cover consequential damage is rather akin to your house insurers only agreeing to pay for the repair to your burst water pipe, but not cover any damage caused by the flood of water - that would be unreasonable, and I think your case could follow the same logic - but as said, the devil is in the detail. Could you please come back to us John, and let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Mark, Apologies that this isn’t going to equip you with experiences of the 2.0 litre diesel vs 1.4 petrol hybrid, but some back to basics economics might hopefully shed some light on what you are about to consider. As I see it you are considering parting company with your year old diesel due to the economics of the extra cost of diesel fuel, and adding some (considerable?) funds to buy another car. The economics should be simple:- Obtain a ‘cost to change’ ,calculate the amount of saving you are going to make/annum by running a hybrid, and work out how many years you are going to have to run the new car just to become cost neutral. Of course, you may also be influenced by the environmental advantages, or indeed just fancy a change, and you can’t knock either if the funds are there to support it. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Ehsham, The battery is always the first suspect in such cases. If this were mine, I would be getting it checked using professional equipment. Kind regards, Gareth.

He’ll Paul, Thanks for being in touch. Basics:- retaining a vehicle which you don’t need, simply because it’s considered to have more ‘value’ that its actual, really is false economy, and will cost you considerably in road legal expenses alone. The space taking logistics of retaining it will also become a nuisance. As has been said buying a battery for £20/30 was something which disappeared with main line steam trains? The real world - search EBay for the believed correct battery for your car, and buy on line from specialist suppliers such as Battery Megastore, Tayna etc. I try to buy once and wisely, and buy Varta or Bosch ( their 5 year warranty grade). I can’t now recall whether you have an ‘intelligent’ charger, but if so, simply connect it up every couple of weeks - assuming you can get it near to an electrical point! Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Andrew.

Thanks Paul, Finding the cause is always refreshing for the mind, if not the wallet! Cambelts:- Ignore mileages unless high annual, and change them at no longer than 5 year intervals. Water pumps - get a good make one. VAG now seem to be far more reasonably priced than they were, so… I would also get the auxiliary belt changed at the same time. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Andrew, I’m a little unsure from your description whether this is a ‘misfire’ - engine momentarily loosing power, or whether it is indeed associated with clutch issues. The latter sounding more likely. No offence meant, but it appears you drive this car ‘enthusiastically’ ( polite), and accelerating after 3000/4000 rpm and continuing to rev. it to the limit. Even if the clutch ‘was done’ - exactly what? - in the last 12k miles, it’s life will depend on what was done, the quality of components used, and the way in which the car has been driven. On a brighter note, this puts me in mind of the great, late Welsh comedian - Tommy Copper, who went to the doctor, and said his arm hurt when he bent it, to which the doctor replied ‘ Well don’t bend it then’! Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Paul, Loosing coolant is not normal, but you don’t tell us what volume you have to top up over this 2 to 3 week interval. Some degree of ‘mayo’ under the oil filler cap is quite normal on vehicles which are used on relatively short trips, and even some small amount on the dipstick can often be mistaken for head gasket issues, when indeed it’s simply due to condensation. If you have definitely elimited any visible external leak, then my first and simple task would be to replace the coolant reservoir cap, with a good quality new one. Another test worth carrying out is to take the car on at least a 10 mile run, and immediately on return, get an assistant to rev the engine to a steady 2000 rpm and hold it there for 2 minutes, while you observe the exhaust, looking for any undue smoke. Perhaps you can let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Andrew, Manual? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Warren, Thanks for being in touch. Worth peeling back the covering of the flexible harness section between the body and the tailgate, and inspecting the wires. Favourite spot for wires to break due to flexing when opening and closing the tailgate - particularly following cold weather. Perhaps you would let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Steve, Apologies, but my experience echoes that of Steve Y, and even if you can find someone to make you a pair of one-offs, I fear the cost will be prohibitive, and you are not going to know how good they will fit, until you’ve paid your hard earned. Couple that with the probable reluctance of Bodyshops to want to be involved in painting them - without premium and probable reluctance to guarantee the finish and its lasting capabilities. As Steve Y says , the best option is to do the best to pre treat the arches of the best available ones you can buy, and this will usually include thoroughly ( but gently) sandblasting any affected areas as a starting point for paint and rust ‘proofing’ procedure. Sorry Steve and not sure that this will be what you want to hear, but fibreglass would not be for me - personal opinion of course. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Shane, Hopefully someone more experienced than me will give you some positive guides, but I wonder if these are (‘built in’) LED strips, and may not be available as separate items?? Let’s hope not. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Steve, In my experience via. classic cars, once you have rust, you are unlikely to prevent its return except via. cutting out beyond the rusted area, and letting in new metal. Even then, you have welded, or part welded joins to contend with. Fibreglass wings? - that’s a blast from the past when they were readily available for cars in the 60s and 70s - often with questionable fit, and a fair degree of preparation. I guess you have exhausted the possibility of better-than- yours secondhand ones both via the U.K. and the Continent? Kind regards, Gareth.