Magnet

Helllo, Having a bit of a system tidy-up, and noticed you joined and posted on the same day, back in July, and were given very sound advice, but you don’t appear to have returned it read or at least acknowledge it. Just wondered if you have a valid reason -?

Any progress since Joe?

Thanks Cliff, I too wouldn’t contemplate renewing springs, shock absorbers as single items on one axle - not good practice. However, if there isn’t wear in the fixed points of the suspension, then, as said, the geometry remains the same, although the ride height from wheel centre to underside of wheel arch will differ if different spring heights are fitted, but….. back to the opening statement. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Roderick, Pricing things is a little like trying to price a house - costs vary from area to area. Way forward:- Check sump price on line :- EBay, Parts in Motion etc. etc. As you probably know, parts aren’t cheap anymore. The £428 - forget VAT, we’ve all got to pay it! - doesn’t surprise me if it works out at a 2 hr. job. Labour ( this is where we don’t know your local rates) is likely to be c£120/ hr., so you have over half your cost there. Perhaps you could let us know the sump (ribbed aluminium?) price Roderick, once you have had some quotes. Issue with your current sump? Thread damage perhaps? If so, considered Helicoil? Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks John, Can only take it you have wear in the upper link bushes, and/or the lower bushes. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Steve, Having a bit of a system tidy-up, and can see you posted close on a month ago on 10th July, were offered advice, but have not returned to the forum since the day you posted. You were asked on 15th July if any of the information given to you as a reply was of any use to you, but we haven’t had a response to this either. Can we now take it that you aren’t now going to respond?

Hello Chris, Did you get any further with this?

Sorry for a different slant on the problem folks, but the actual camber ( inward/outward lean of the wheel at 6/12 o’c) shouldn’t be influenced by the springs. The amount of lean-to-one-side will certainly be affected, but I cannot see how the camber will be. The camber is controlled by the distance between the (fixed in this case) upper swivel point, and (in this case) the adjustable lower link (wishbone). As I say this has a fine adjustment affected by rotating the outboard lower concentric bolt. The adjustment is fine, so one can guess the important of the precise dimension ( effective length) of the aftermarket wishbone. Make of your replaced wishbone John? Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Gary, but I’m having a little difficulty in understanding how the ‘heater comes on’ - when the car is switched off and the engine isn’t running. Could you please explain further, and break it down to exactly what happens and when - ? Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Colin, Good to hear. Maybe of help to others:- I now also favour Exide batteries, and have bought a couple from Tayna Batteries ( no connection with the company) at competitive prices via. their EBay listings.

Accepted, and that’s better Daniel, and it doesn’t hurt does it? Have a read of a recent post on ‘Reacting to posts…..’. Yes, you are welcome to retain your claim that ‘…it’s not the battery…’ and there’s nowt we can do about that.

Hello Daniel, It’s probably just me, but your persistence to ask advice then ignore or reject it, is wearing a bit thin. Brake light switch:-‘ Anyone know where this part might be?’ Worth trying to put a Please in there somewhere??

OK Daniel, now things are getting more informed, and indeed meaningful. Again, I’m not claiming this as the culprit, but if I was to compile a list of the battery brands I would not have - even if given to me - Lion would be the top of that list. ECP’s best!! I believe they are now branding them Starline ( another of ECP exclusive names). Nothing to do with the reputation of Lion of course. So, buy cheapest and you get to the buy twice syndrome. If it wasn’t the cheapest, then that’s an even greater shame. Make note, the electronics on modern cars are demanding - particularly on batteries. Alternator output:- unknown. Parasitic drain :-unknown. Your issues may have nothing to do with any of the above, but from the school of eliminating cheapest option routes first, then I would have wanted these checked, before cluster investigations, brake switch etc. It looks like you are going to have to wait some weeks then.

Ok, this is getting difficult, since we are not getting the answers to questions asked. Yes, you can go ahead with your assumption that this isn’t battery associated - and it may not be - but it remains an assumption until proven. To go ahead with that assumption, points you to the expensive route of getting the cluster assessed. Not my money, but if it was, I would need answers to:- Make of battery, since some brands are notorious for poor quality-? Alternator output check? Parasitic drain on battery check? I am not claiming your issue is battery associated, but simply to confirm whether it is or not. Only when I had eliminated these factors, would I move on to investigating more costly options. Questions are asked, and advice offered, but of course we have no control over the responses received against either. I really cannot offer any other first-line advice, so I can only leave it to others to offer their advice, based on the facts which have been tendered.

Not as simple as that that then. Alternator output checked? Brand of replacement battery?

Last two posts crossed. I suppose it now rests with the economics of seeking further legal advice.

Really sorry to hear that David, particularly since Audi Customer Services now?(not sure when that was written) seems ‘prepared to talk’. Press, media? Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Peter, Feeling a raised edge with your nail, really isn’t proof that the paint has cracked. Equally a local layer of lacquer has been removed - as Cliff suggests. Normal car washing regime Peter? Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks David, And if you agreed to withdraw that ‘action’ - how far would you anticipate they would be likely to stretch to? Kind regards, Gareth.

This poster has been warned for ‘Post and Run’ tactics, and any future posts will have to be authorised before being displayed.

Any answers or comments for us Peter?

Any further forward Dan?

Hello John, I believe the rear camber is adjusted by the ‘off centre’ outboard wishbone bolt, which rotates on its off-centre axis, to adjust the alignment. The adjustment is of course very fine. If I’m understanding it correctly, you feel the offender is the original wishbone ( and of course bolt), whereas you feel the newly replaced wishbone ( and bolt?) is satisfactory. Odd! Obviously, more critical than the bolt and its correct rotational position, is the bush in the lower section of the hub carrier. Was this renewed when the wishbone and spring were replaced? Have you checked the near side bush? Any amount of DIYing adjustment will be fruitless, so just forget it. Way forward as I see it:- Check outer ( and inner in fact) bushes for wear. Buy and fit new adjusting bolts - usually listed on EBay as genuine VAG. Get the car realigned on professional equipment. In case it help:- I use my local ATS folks, since they seem to know what they are doing, and more importantly, you can talk to them. Yours? Beware of claims of super systems. I find that the equipment is indeed sophisticated, but the operator’s knowledge of how to use it, may not be so sophisticated! Could you come back to us with the answers to the questions John, Kind regards, Gareth,

So cheapest option to start, will be getting the new (how long has it been on there?) battery coded. Can we take it you fitted a good quality battery, rather than one bought on price? Kind regards, Gareth. Our 2006 doesn’t need coding, but…

2007 might be a little early to need new battery being coded to the car, but worth a check. Think Clifford on here has mentioned issue with dashboard cluster in the past. Kind regards, Gareth.