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OK thanks James. Could you perhaps have a look back through the paperwork then, and let us know what you find was done and when. Otherwise it’s a bit like ‘How long is a piece of string?’ and any suggestions may result in you spending money to renew parts which have already been changed in recent times. Kind regards, Gareth.

Very wise move I think Gaz. On the reciprocal, I did it in reverse! and found my ATS deal on Michelins a couple of weeks ago, and booked and paid for them for an arranged fitting on 4th Jan. since I didn’t want to miss the deal. Deals are obviously transient, so for me, it was just a case of checking daily -ish and jumping in when the deal suited me. Gary quoted Asda as being £200 a set cheaper than Halfords (owners of National Tyres), yet a couple of months ago a family member had a great deal on a set 4x4 Pirelli tyres from National Tyres - far cheaper than anywhere else. Kind regards, Gareth.

Welcome to the Audi Owners Club ! Good to have you onboard. Hello Paulo, This could be as simple as one of the lambda sensors giving wrong readings, air leak etc. etc. and affecting the fuel mixture. I think you will need to invest in a more comprehensive diagnosis if you are to avoid spending on replacing unnecessary components, and an emissions fail at MOT time. Perhaps you could let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello James, This is rather difficult to answer, since we don’t know anything about its service history to date. Could you please enlighten us on this so we can help you further. It would be useful to at least know how often it’s been serviced in say the last 5 years - listing dates, mileages, and what was done when. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Hamza, but I clearly understood your explanation of the symptoms from the start. Where I have difficulty is understanding how the thermostat was considered to be the culprit, when the coolant got up to operating temperature ( and maintained that temperature) quickly enough. My belief is that although they may have changed the thermostat, it has proved not to be the primary cause, and the problem was associated with some malfunction of the heat distribution system - now partially fixed. From what you now describe, although better, is still not totally fixed. No doubt you will be returning it, and perhaps you could keep us informed of the final outcome. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Danny, If it were mine, I would not be jumping to any non-tested assumptions. All of this maybe due to something as simple as a poor connection rather than the glow plugs themselves. I wouldn’t want to be rushing in and changing the glow plugs, until the car has been inspected. I would be doing a search for a trusted local diesel specialist, and getting the car assessed there. It might be worth asking for recommendations of where to go, at your local taxi ranks. These chaps need their cars sorted efficiently and quickly to maintain their income. Perhaps you could let us know how you get on Danny. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Gaz, I think ‘…getting away with…’ are the operative words, but you are of course right in believing you can fit whatever brand satisfies the speed and load requirements - and your pocket! As you will appreciate, the trade offs will include road holding ( in both wet and dry conditions), mileage you will get from them, noise levels etc. You will probably find, as I do, that on simple longevity, you will only get what you pay for, and lesser brands tend to wear out quicker, and the miles/£ might well show when you next have to renew them - plus you’ve probably compromised on road holding into the so called bargain. My advice for what it’s worth is to search for the best fitted prices you can find for premium brands, such as Michelin, then compare those prices with the best mid range you can find. I’ve just done the same with a set for our humble A3, and eventually found a very good fitted deal on Michelins at ATS ( never found a good deal with them before, but…). I had considered Uniroyal Rainsport, Vredstein, or Nexen, all of which seem to have had generally good reviews, and there were good deals from the likes of Demon Tweeks, Camskill etc., but by the time you add postage and local fitting charges, none of them worked out to be significantly cheaper than my deal at ATS. Not sure if any of this will help you Gaz. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Danny, When you say the coil light flashes up - do you mean the glow plug light? If so, there a place for you to start. I think it’s pretty clear that you will need to get the car plugged in to diagnose the issue, since it will be virtually impossible to remote diagnose where the root cause may be. Perhaps you could let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

That’s the sort of help that must be applauded. Shame the OP hasn’t returned to the forum since minutes after he posted the plea for help. No doubt he soon will, and thank Stephen for his help.

Hello Deborah, Apologies for jumping in on your thread, but it might be worth giving consideration to searching for a trusted diesel specialist in your area, as opposed to an independent Audi specialist. As daft as it may sound, but you could have a chat to your local taxi chaps and ask them for recommendations, since they depend on good and fast service for their still-mainly- diesel engined models. I would talk to the drivers themselves rather than the office. Good luck with it Deborah. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Byron, Many thanks indeed for the comprehensive extra detail. I hope this isn’t seen as being dismissive on our part, but if this were mine, I would be entrusting the car back to S.D. since the invoice shows an expected still-within-warranty date of 27 Feb. of next year. It seems to have been complicated by the electronics, and it might just be a simple case of some associated poor connection. I really hope they can sort it for you - without any more major expense! Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Paul, I guess you are aware that the 285 to 295 difference is the 295 is 10mm wider - seems relatively insignificant on a very wide tyre. As with many reviews, tyre reviews can be very subjective, and if noise is your main concern - you mention ‘…only 71db’ - in comparison with ..? - perhaps 72? then I seriously doubt whether you would notice this difference on a like for like pair of same brand tyres. Again as you probably know, tyres get noisier as they wear and age, so if your concerns are based on current noise levels of your old tyres, you could find this discontent diminishes if you replace with a like for like new set. Kind regards, Gareth.

I would anticipate that this was the ‘full’ expensive gearbox service -? Approx. cost, and do you know the extent of that gearbox service? If so, I think it would be a wise move to return the car to them ( if them= specialists) and seek hands on inspection there. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Byron, When was the gearbox oil last changed? Kind regards, Gareth.

Welcome to the Audi Owners Club ! Good to have you onboard. Hello Jakob, Could you let us know where you have tried so far, to save us duplicating suggestions. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Byron, Manual or automatic? Are you driving the car ‘enthusiastically’ ? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Jonathan, Personally, I wouldn’t mess about swopping batteries, if only from the point that the Citroen could need recoding once its battery is removed and replaced. I’d work on the principle that the Audi battery had done its time, so it’s an insurance to renew it - as you would do if it were a tyre. As I said, Tayna seem to have some good value Exide. Perhaps you could update us on whether they are still competitive in comparison with others. The new battery will need coding to the car. Kind regards, Gareth.

Welcome to the Audi Owners Club ! Good to have you onboard. Hello Jonathan, On the basis of simple things first, always suspect the battery efficiency in cases such as yours. Is it possible that the battery is the original? If so, you are on borrowed time, even though it might test as marginally efficient. Since you cannot start the car, then the only option would be to remove it and take to your nearest Halfords store and get it checked. If it’s believed to be the original, then personally I wouldn’t even bother - I’d just get a new one. If you do, then always invest wisely and get a good quality battery. Incase it helps, I have recently bought Exide batteries at most reasonable cost from Tayna Batteries via. their EBay listings. They may push you towards their own branded Enduroline, but you will find Exide are cheaper, and in my experience - possibly better. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Keith, Thanks for joining and posting your question. Can I ask if the dashboard is actually visibly dirty, or do you just wish to rejuvenate the finish back to near to what it was when new? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Nigel, Your vehicle appears to be still under warranty, so if it were mine, I would be returning it to your servicing dealer and asking them to sort the issue for you. I would be e-mailing the dealer principal prior to the arranged visit, so that you have a dated record for the future, Incase the issue returns. Perhaps you could let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Pete, Welcome, and thanks for joining. ‘…..replaced the temp. sensor….’. I would be interested in what brand this replacement was, since there are unreliable replacements about. If it was a main dealer or Bosch part then it would be reasonable to discount this as a continued offender. If an alternative aftermarket brand, then it would be interesting to know, so the new part can be eliminated or not. Of course, trapped air maybe another cause, but I guess they would have thoroughly bled it the second time, if not the first. Perhaps you would let us know how you get on Pete. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Lilian, Its been some years since service books were included in the owner’s pack. Service recording is now done via. a computer record complied by the servicing dealer at every service, and becomes available ( on request ) as a service print out - as Joe says. Did you buy the car new? If not, did you check its service history prior to purchase? The easiest way to do this is to wander in to your local main dealer, armed with your registration number and your V5, and ask them if they would kindly provide you with a copy. Doing this in person is likely to be more effective than doing it over the phone or e-mail. Let us know how you get on Lilian. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Kayleigh, These vehicle demand a good high efficiency battery, and any modern battery which is allowed to discharge until it is ‘dead’, will seldom be recoverable, and it’s not out of the question that the ‘continuity’ through the battery will remain dead. In effect, you will need to fit a new battery before you can establish whether anything else is wrong. You could try charging the battery over 24 hours, but you will need an ‘intelligent’ charger if your battery is an AGM type - which I guess it is. Personally, I wouldn’t bother. Tayna Batteries ( on EBay) we’re doing good deals on Exide batteries - Incase this helps. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. Could you do us a kindness Kayleigh and fully complete your profile.

Hello ykes ( is that your name?). In a nutshell - based on a similar service for other marques, this seems a reasonable (very, even) price. I guess you are able to check around other localish main dealers and independents and check whether it is indeed a reasonable charge or not. You could also check with gearbox specialists. The only thing that confuses, is why you want this done at the low mileage of 38k. No doubt specified in the service schedule-?? Double that mileage has often to taken as the marker. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Gary, Check for fractured/broken wires in the flexible harness section twixt body and boot/tailgate. Please let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.m