Magnet

Hello Sheena, Many thanks for joining, and sorry to hear of your discontent. I think the fact that you are asking how to reject this car, possibly has some bearing on why they aren’t actually doing that. As I see it you urgently need to employ professional legal assistance with this - it seems it’s not a DIY procedure for you. I could be wrong, but I was under the impression at the USA were streets ahead in sorting out legal fairness. Perhaps you would let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello ‘A’ (can you please fill in your proper name on your Profile). It really depends on what your anticipated annual mileage is going to be, so you/we can estimate the total service miles this pump will have done, to add to the 30K it’s already covered over the period of the next 5 years. It sounds as if you have reservations about buying this car, and this can be the situation with any used vehicle. Was the belt changed by a main dealer - and therefore shown on the computerised service history? If it was, then I don’t think it’s unreasonable not to have changed the pump at 30K, and this decision may have been made on the assumption that by the time it’s changed again, it will only have covered 60K miles. You now need to let us know what your annual mileage is going to be. Pardon my ignorance of the layout of this particular engine, but is the water pump actually driven by the cambelt on this? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Rebekah, Thanks for being in touch. Have you studied the various other threads on similar problems, and eliminated the suggestions made? Kind regards, Gareth.

So OK Ruben, have you had the battery tested on a sophisticated tester to eliminate it as a possible culprit? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Keiran, Many thanks for joining. First thing to eliminate would be the battery (and alternator) efficiency. Such issues can be aggravated by the battery condition, especially on later models. Perhaps you can let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Dominique, Original poster hasn’t returned since he last posted. Suggest you PM him as last resort. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Splig, Stainless steel exhaust fabricators in Devon include:- Double S Exhausts. Phoenix Performance Exhausts. Powerflow Exhausts. I don’t have any connection of any of them, or indeed knowledge of how good they are, but they might be a good starting point for you. Perhaps you could let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth. Oo

Hello Joe, Isn’t your 2020 vehicle still under warranty then? If so, don’t mess about with it, just take it to the Audi dealer to sort. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Steven, As you probably know, even tyre tread and wear is a must on the Quattro system. Yes, this does sound like an alignment/ suspension issue and needs to be checked. If it were mine, I simply wouldn’t be getting the rear wheel alignment altered without first confirming all suspension components are free from wear. Modern equipment can often be more sophisticated than the operators! , and I only use one local tyre retailer - one where you can actually talk with the operators. Hankook tyres? My limited ( non Audi) experience with them has shown they wear quickly. This could just be my non-typical experience, but I would not buy them again, despite the likes of Mercedes fitting them to new vehicles. Michelin? With one exception, our just under 170K A3 has run on Michelins throughout its life, and I’ve found that they give a good mileage/£. Yes, of course you can buy cheaper, but you can end up buying more often. That’s not to say that other brands not yet tried will be just as good. Michelin Cross Climate? Our non-Audi came with a matching set of these a year ago, and they seem fine, but we haven’t covered that much mileage to judge their rate of wear. Hope some of this might help Steven. Kind regards, Gareth.

Surely you aren’t intending to use second hand schlock absorbers Gavin ? Can’t think of any other reason why you would ask. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Steve, All heated seats I’ve come across have always heated the back of the seats as well. You don’t tell us whether or not yours do too, so please let us know. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Jonny, All I can add is that if this oil leak is near to/associated with the cambelt, then you are in a danger zone here, since oil and toothed belts are a recipe for disaster! Your quickest and most effective route is to get this investigated locally, - informing the seller of what you are doing - without delay (in caps). I would not be waiting for advice on any possible sources, since they are all going to be guesses without examining the car. Could you let us know how you get on Jonny? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello, Can we take it this car is an automatic? Steve raises a very important point about any warranty with the car, so this should really be your first port of call. Even if you bought the car privately, it must still comply with the advertised description. Back to your issue - if indeed automatic, and it turns out you don’t have any form of redress from the seller:- I would be doing a search for an automatic gearbox specialist in your area and taking advice there. It could be an oil change might help, but just take the best advice you can get from someone actually driving the car. Having said that, it might be as simple as the parking brake not releasing properly. Do you always set the parking brake when you stop - or not? Perhaps you could let us know how you get on Gianluca. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Harminder - will mention to administrators. What this and other numerous-page threads needs is to ‘reverse’ it from its current format, and have the most recent posts first, to save wandering through 22 pages to get to the most recent. I will re-raise this again. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Zahir, Usually worth a gearbox oil change first. Kind regards, Gareth.

Where have you searched Ruben?

Hello Anthony, We’ve seen some short posts, but yours takes to major prize to date. I now know the difficulty the vets experience, since the animals can’t explain to them exactly what the history of their issue is, but we can! Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Christopher again. It might be well worth giving BAS - Cwmbran, S. Wales a ring. They are a well respected specialist high end car trimmer near my neck of the woods, and they are likely to have the experience of which adhesives are most suitable for the purpose. To me, I think it’s the preparation and removal of any earlier adhesives is the main problem here, but should be doable with patience. Alternative:- consider sewn-in ‘Perspex’ rather than bonded-in glass? Again BAS might advise. Kind regards, Gareth.

Last thing before going forward Mussa :- Check with a local Audi dealer for any unknown service history recorded on their site. You may need the VIN as well as the reg. no. Worth a try to see if it fills the current gap. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Robert, If not obvious leak site around the expansion tank, then it might be worth try a new quality replacement cap. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Mussa, You are very welcome. Hope this doesn’t offend, but the car’s service history is somewhat sketchy, with a 4 year/23K miles gap in its recorded history. If it were mine:- I would treat this to a major service prior to its MOT. This would include air and pollen (cabin) filters at this stage to establish a sound base point with which to move forward with - as mentioned. I would get the garage to then reset it to an annual service schedule, and you just as well have that done prior to its MOT every year. I would certainly get the brake fluid changed, since there is no recorded evidence of it being done prior. I would also get the auxiliary belt changed at this stage, since this can cause damage if it fails. Good practice is to renew it when the cambelt is changed, but you don’t mention that being attended to. Where to get it serviced?? I favour a local trusted garage, where you can actually talk with the mechanics and discuss any issues found, but respect whatever you feel more comfortable with. Whenever you decide, I would be restraining a filed copy of the servicing invoices from this point on. Hope some of this helps Mussa. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Tony, If needs be, I wouldn’t be taking it to Audi before spending an hour’s time with a trust local auto electrician. Kind regards, Gareth.

Who was the professional who advised you to buy a new hood Christopher? Have you tried taking advice on the mainland? I did use a ‘industrial/professional’ type contact adhesive that has remained well secured for over 25 years - but that was 25 years ago, and the memory doesn’t serve well over that time! Suffice it to say, there will be something suitable out there. Research is your best friend here, and once you find that ‘industrial’ adhesive, you will need to ensure the mating surfaces are scrupulously clean - this will be the secret to success. Sorry I can be more specific. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Mussa, It seems your annual mileage will be low at c5k, so the car should be set on an annual service schedule, since low mileage/ short journey trips take their tole on any vehicle. I take it you checked the service history before purchase, and hopefully you have obtained a print out of what has been done and when. In the unlikely event that you don’t have any earlier servicing details for the car, then I would treat this to an oil and filter, air and pollen filter change type service, and arrange to get it serviced every year from there, and renew the air and pollen filters every two years. Brake fluid change? Was every two years, and again if no record of it being done within the last two years, then I would be getting that done now as well. If you adhere to this level of servicing now, you will have a sound base point to move forward from from here on. Perhaps you could let us know about it’s previous service history. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Kev, Buy yourself an aerosol of contact cleaner and give the floor a good squirting as close to the connectors as you can get. Worth a try. Kind regards, Gareth.