Magnet

No problem at all Gary. I’m not averse to high mileage, if all things add up, and the price makes the deal worthwhile. I’m a bit out of touch with month by month prices, but let’s say the price doesn’t seem cheap! Not wishing to blow trumpets, but if you write a list of what Steve and I have suggested you check (before even expressing and interest) and follow this homework through, then it should enable you to assess whether the car is attractive enough to invest further time and interest in it. Incase it help:- Start with MOT history and the DVLA check, then ask the seller to e-Mail copy of the ‘full service history’ ( much of which should now be on the Audi database). Armed with the reg. no. ring up your nearest Audi dealer and ask them to confirm ( and hopefully copy you) the service history you have been told. Ask the dealer to tell you the number of previous owners, and most importantly how long the last owner has owned it. You have now gone part way through your homework, and should then be sufficiently armed to decide whether said vehicle is of interest or not. Good luck with your quest, and please come back to us if we can help further. Kind regards, Gareth.

Many thanks for joining Rich. Very nice to see someone else from the Homeland. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Garry, Just to add a couple of comments to Steve’s comprehensive homework list:- Have you checked the online MOT history? DVLA vehicle check to see when last V5 was issued? Short ownership can equal issues. Have you actually seen sight of the ‘full service history’. It’s surprising how it can melt into thin air, or get seriously diluted once asked for sight of the evidence. The extent of repairs ( as opposed to servicing) is crucial with high mileages, as many components wear and should have been replaced e.g. suspension components, shock absorbers etc. Important to find out with high mileage:- has this mileage been covered mainly with one or two owners, hopefully on motorway type use. Has it had a low mileage use of late? If so, this can be a disadvantage. The MOT history check should help here. You are placing quite an expectation on this vehicle, with adding a minimum of another 70K miles to it, so homework and verification is going to be your best friend here. Worth doing it well and exhaustively. Good luck with whatever you decide. Oh, and you are not too savvy with inspection vehicles, then a professional inspection would be a good investment. You don’t tell us the price of this Gary - all important, since prices are now more influenced by mileage than they were pre-price-escalation. Kind regards, Gareth.

Many thanks Sophie, Of course, it’s not my business, or car, or wallet, but it’s an individual choice whether anyone pursues an issue or not. Some are prepared to just pay up and move on, or perhaps try and get a dismissive response from Audi and their dealers, and accept it. Others justifiably keep at it until they get some sort of recognition of an issue. It’s just a mix of what is an isn’t acceptable. If you are unsure what to do next Sophie, then it sounds as if you have had an initial try, and now feel you just accept what you are told - and that’s absolutely fine if the issue ends there without further hassle. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Roger, Many thanks for joining. I sounds as if you car is set against a Longlife schedule, and if so, it will usually indicate servicing intervals of around 18K miles or c18 months - whichever comes first. What annual mileage are you covering? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Ash, Thanks for joining and posting your plea. Sunroof ? Too late for you now, and apologies for the pessimistic reply, but I would never again buy a car with a sunroof. These can be potential issue pit, and if they don’t actually leak - as yours does - then they become a source of rust issues in yeses to come. Possibly simply blocked drains, and if so, it will possibly keep you involved in on going maintenance. Car misting up inside? Highly likely to be associated with the water ingress. This obviously needs to be brought to the attention of the selling dealer for rectification - hopefully you bought it from a dealer. The other questions relating to traction control:- Ash, can I start by asking you to confirm that you have checked and corrected tyre pressures and inspected the tyres for wear and matching quality brands on both axles? Following comments that unfortunately you are not going to like:- ‘Never owned a car with this power before’. ’Like a swimming pool outside’ ’Flooring it’. ‘Launch control - glides left and right and traction control light goes crazy’. Is this a wind up joke Ash? I ask, because would anyone drive a new-to-them car in such a way on public roads in such appalling weather conditions? If the answer in your case is indeed -Yes - then I’m glad I don’t live anywhere in Cambridgeshire. Probably doesn’t answer you question, but what are your realistic expectations with this car and it’s drivability on public roads. Apologies if these tests were done off road. Kind regards, Gareth.

What is the history of the car James, that may explain the disconnections? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello David, A leak maybe a minor issue to sort. New car!? Kind regards, Gareth.

Sounds good Stuart. To me it sounds hassle per ‘small extra mpg’, but. .. I bet your workplace will be chuffed when they find themselves paying for a significant number of commutes, and the eventual scramble to find a plug to plug into, should be great for colleague/colleague relationships! Kind regards, Gareth.

I feel for you Dougie. How much and for how long did this vehicle overheat? That would be my main concern at the moment. Kind regards, Gareth.

I’m prepared to stand alone if necessary and claim the hassle factor alone simply isn’t worth the extra 17 to 30 miles. No doubt some owners may come alone and firmly refute this, but…… Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Rob, So does all of that boil down to - no work will be undertaken until the faults reoccur? Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks for coming back Dean.

Hello David, I think Steve may be onto something, and (guess) it maybe an over working compressor. ‘I hear they are very expensive …’ You can bet your last they are! The darlings at Audi want to extract £345 out of my wallet for a piece of moulded foam for the seat base, so with the aid of Percy Verance, we are looking at sensible alternatives. So OK - bad news and compressor problems ( due to the piston ring) - Bagpiping Andy will turn out to be your best friend - look him up on a Google search. He manufactures new rings, and I believe he now supplies reconditioned compressors. I’ve fitted new rings in two non-Audi compressors - not a nice job to access but… Beware of Audi prices, and cheap aftermarket replacements, and put your faith in Andy if you need to. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Stuart, Thanks for joining and posting your question. It could be me just not getting this hybrid (I purposely avoid using a capital H!) thing. How much does it cost you in electricity to charge this thing to travel a maximum of 35 miles - now down to 17? I would guess I could coast at least that in a manual over a tank full of fuel! Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Dougie, Many thanks for bringing this to the forum’s attention. When you say the car developed an engine fault, what sort of fault was it? Did it overheat for example? Have you paid for replacing the water pump, and any consequential issues? If so, I would be writing to Audi U.K.,enclosing copy, and requesting an 80% ( since your car is over 4 years old) reimbursement of your bill. Perhaps you could let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Sophie, Did you question it with the dealer, and raise a complaint? Incidentally Sophie - would you be kind enough to correctly fill in your location. I wonder if Alex ( the original poster) could give us an update on whether he got any further with this. Kind regards to you both. Gareth.

You raise an interesting point about courtesy cars Michael. I think the rule of thumb is that most car hire companies will not hire vehicles to people over 75 since their insurance cover will not provide cover at reasonable rates. It seems dealers follow the same principle then. With the increase in motor insurance being conducted via. comparison websites, and the option of choosing whether to pay extra for a courtesy car, it becomes all important for this age group to ensure they opt for this service, otherwise they could end up without transport. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Gordon. I cannot see any reason why it wouldn’t be safe to drive, pending getting it investigated, although you may experience reduced performance ( limp mode) at some point, so best to avoid motorways and fast roads. We take it you have it booked in with the (supplying?) Audi dealer, since the car is only months old. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Jon, So to sum this up, we have a Bosch oil filter without the sealing ring, and a Bosch pollen filter which doesn’t seem to be doing much air filtering. Not what Bosch used to be -? I think Steve Y commented on Mann possibly not being what they were, but need Steve to confirm I’ve got that right. If so, we seem to have lowering of standards? on the two trusted filter aftermarket brands I’ve been using for years. Worrying! Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. Nothing back from Bosch Technical yet Jon?

Hello David, It sounds as if you need to get a continuity test done on the actual element - once you have established that you are getting 12 volts at the plug. A trusted local auto electrician sounds to be the best route. Kind regards, Gareth.

Many thanks for the update John. ‘… leather stretched….’ ! We put our faith in main dealer technicians! If it had stretched then it would have pushed itself further in or wrinkled, rather than ‘shrinking’ and pulling itself away. Should we be worried? Of course the cow may have had, or needed, a facelift. For what it’s worth:- my stab at it is that there is a sewn on tag on the leather that engages in some sort of clip towards the headrest section, and these two have had an argument and parted. It might be worth gathering your thoughts on the Approved Upholster coming up with something along the line of ‘ I don’t take seats apart to repair - I just attend to surface repairs …’ Good luck in getting it fixed. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello ‘S’, As well as Jon’s very helpful reply, can we take it you have already carried out an on-line search for independents in your area? I would have thought that the work you need carried out could probably be untrusted to a trusted local garage, but…. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. Could you do us a kindness and correctly fill in your name on the profile, and we now know your location is Glasgow, so perhaps you can amend that too.

Being realistic, it’s probably reasonable to assume the battery is not the cause of some of the problems, since the stop start works OK. Kind regards, Gareth.

Many thanks for coming back Rob. Re. the battery:- Varta was (still is?) the original equipment supplier to VAG, so it’s likely to be the original. Voltage checking with a multimeter? - really of little use in assessing the battery’s capability of withstanding the high loads it can be subjected to. The test equipment must be sophisticated enough to test the parameters that are monitored by the Battery Condition Monitor. If the stop/start is still functioning correctly ( you don’t tell us) then it’s likely the battery efficiency is adequate. Kind regards, Gareth.