Magnet

Photos and particularly price, Bryan? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Mike, It’s not just me then! In danger of getting into non-Audi-personal-view territory, I’ll chance this one! Another minority group. Add this together with all the other so- called minority groups, and all of a sudden, we have a majority group managed under one umbrella. Worrying? Apologies Admin., but with a promise of no further response to this. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Daniel, How much is 2 days out with a technician likely to cost I wonder? Followed with sorting out antenna to antenna wiring?? I have to make a conscious act to turn off my stop/start on our non-Audi every time I jump in it. Totally engineering averse system. Maximum wear on any engine and it’s ancillaries is at start up. If mine fails to work, it would be ‘thank you very much’. Just as well we are all different. Kind regards, Gareth.

Many thanks for the update Steve, Can I be excused for offering ‘no comment’?

Hello Daniel, Thanks for joining and posting your plea. Stop/start issues with a 5 year old vehicle? Typical battery issue, and possibly below par on the cold cranking current parameter. You could get the battery’s efficiency checked, but that check would need to be ‘sophisticated’ as opposed to a simple ‘% efficient’ test. If you are going to replace it:- I always buy Varta/Bosch (original equipment suppliers) but only to their 5 year warranty grade. I buy on line from specialists such as Battery Megastore, Tayna - and there are more. The battery will need to be coded to the car once fitted. Kind regards, Gareth, p.s. All above, assumes the battery is the original.

Hello Kev, Welcome to the forum, and your new acquisition. When you say you will be looking for bits and bobs - can you be more specific in what you will be looking for, and no doubt we will then be able to advise. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Richard, Certainly brings a smile! Kind regards, Gareth.

Exactly as Steve says - but in capitals! Don’t go nearer it, and beware of anytime your car goes into a main dealer they may well do it even if you have instructed them not to! Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. Why has your name been !Removed!? Have you perhaps entered something objectionable instead of your real name?

Thanks Allen, Mid December 2016 for your 2017 vehicle - so that’s fine. In my book, these should not be exhibiting sidewall cracking - but we don’t know the severity. Tread 14mm! ? They are only 8 to 9 mm when new. You wouldn’t have missed a decimal point out, and they are 1.4mm? - but 1.4 would be illegal, so can’t be that. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Steve. I always thought that it was Trade Parts Supplies, but looked it up and it seemed to say ….Specialists - anyway TPS will find it! Definitely account holders only now? Appreciating what you say about on line/ local factors having access to all the data, I still come across examples where they want part nos., and getting that information isn’t easy. As you rightly say- of course we can understand main dealers simply not wanting to provide owners with part numbers, so they can go and buy them elsewhere - I wouldn’t if I was a dealer - but cannot argue with the OP’s views re customer service. …. Kind regards, Gareth.

Not the way to test the battery efficiency Danny. Alternator perhaps - which seems far too low an output, but you first need to get the battery’s efficiency tested under load. If the alternator output is indeed low, then you will need to recharge the battery on an ‘intelligent ‘ charger ( your battery is an AGM one I would have thought). Once it has been charged overnight, you can then get its efficiency check by someone like Halfords. You could recheck the alternator efficiency once the battery is recharged - by the same method as you have already carried out - Incase it makes any difference. You should be looking for a running voltage of somewhere near to 14.5volts. Kind regards, Gareth.

How are you testing it Danny? When you say with the ignition on - do you mean with the engine running?

Many thanks Allen, I currently have Primacy 4, but never had trouble with sidewall cracking on Michelin, even though the car sits out 24/7 and one side gets direct sunlight through the day. Yes, it would be reasonable to assume that the tyres are only as old as the car, but not necessarily so. You should find the date code in on oval/rounded end recessed box with a date such as 3016 for example - which translates into week 30 of 2016. Usually on sidewall near to the rim, rather than nearer to the tread area. It would be interesting to know what dates yours are - they could be a year or so older than the car. Tyre pressures usually kept within limit?? How much tread have you got left on these 14k mikes tyres Allen? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Jordan, Thanks for joining the forum and posting your plea. I seriously doubt we are going to get a response from the original poster after 4 years. It sounds as if you are going to need a new ignition barrel, and this will probably be best left to your local independent or trusted garage, unless you feel confident to do it yourself. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Danny, Thanks for joining the forum and posting your plea. Simple things first:- Worth getting a sophisticated battery check. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks James, Trade Parts Supplies (Specialists?) - specialists in VAG parts. Still dealing with non account holders?? Possibly not. Kind regards, Gareth.

Many thanks Pippy, Yet more questions I’m afraid:- Are you certain that the Audi website states that the timing belt lasts 5 years or 75,000 miles? If so you are home and dry! However, if ( as I think it may do) it states that the timing belt should be changed at 5 years or 75,000 miles, then unfortunately that is a completely different interpretation and offers no guarantee that it will last ( in caps) 5 years or 75,000 miles. Since you don’t have copy of the extended PCP agreement that you signed, you don’t have any evidence of what servicing responsibilities you accepted and signed for at that time. You say that at no time were you advised that you needed to be up to date with service history. This surprises, since I would have thought that that would have formed part of at least the initial PCP agreement that you would have signed. Surely, it would not be expected that Audi would have leased you a car and dismissed your responsibility to have it serviced to schedule. I still revert to my original recommended, that I think you need professional legal representation to minimise the risk of being landed with a £10K+ bill. Good luck and kind regards, Gareth.

Sorry, but daft, tasting coolant residue.

Hello James, Many thanks for joining and posting your plea. I don’t stand in defence of main dealers, but why would they take the trouble to supply you with part numbers if you are not going to buy anything from them? They might claim that if they gave you the wrong information, then they stand a comeback, whereas if they supplied you with the part you ask for, then if they supply the wrong one, they simply exchange it for the correct one. Pretty understandable I think. You could try TPS ( but in my experience they only talk with account holders - but branches may differ?). You could ask them for a part schematic which usually shows the part number. Good luck and kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Larryadler ( I’m old enough to remember him!). I’m sorry no one has replied, but I think it was safe to assume that similar experiences to yours had already been well documented, and the resolution was clear. In effect, no one was likely to add anything new to the process of ‘issues and resolutions’. Glad it’s now sorted to suit your pocket, and that highlighted actions on here had come to your aid. Many thanks and kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Natalie, Your choice, but personally I would not be putting my phone number on an open forum. You can be contacted by PM. I can delete your post if you want to, and you can re-post without your telephone number. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Allen, That’s a vey low mileage for a 5 year old car, and presumably sits it around unused for long periods of time - in a garage, out of the sun and elements? Or perhaps outside where the sun gets at it? If outside, are the tyres on one side, more cracked than the other? Kind regards, Gareth.

No problem Danny. Sometimes you can get involved in other people’s issues and spend a lot of time with it - which of course is fine. On a progressive note:- If it were mine, I would be accepting the payout ( simply to minimise inconvenience all round) and arranging to keep the salvage - by whatever means. You could then busy yourself with locating the necessary secondhand parts and sourcing a local repair/sprayer to carry out the work. By this means, your neighbour should end up with their car repaired, and a little money in hand - a reasonable outcome. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Danny, Thanks. This is like pulling sore teeth! Were you driving the car when it was damaged? If not - let’s be honest it isn’t really your concern. ‘ I don’t think they have time in their busy lives to get it repaired…’ Since it’s their car and their? insurance, are they overly concerned what the payout really is?? Are they too busy to set up a file of evidence to support their dissatisfaction? Apologies if I’ve got this all wrong Danny, if it is your car-owner neighbours who are discontent then my advice stands - get them to organise all their supporting evidence to prove the car is worth more. Salvage buy - back? Although mentioned, I believe many insurers are no longer allowing this to happen, and simply put the vehicles through salvage auctions. So if there is a sentimental attachment to it then you might have to chase it through auction. Your offer to sell it to reasonable bids on here may not be possible, but you could get your neighbours to check with their insurers. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Allen, If you want hardwearing, then Michelin have proved to be that over the last 10 years at least. Your sidewall cracking? What are the dates on your tyres? Kind regards, Gareth.