Magnet

Hello Jamie, Apologies, but I’m not sure exactly what you are referring to within your circled area. Since whatever it is, sounds like it will be a VAG only fixing, may I suggest you take the car along to the Parts section of your local dealer for them to help you with the fixings you need. Kind regards, Gareth,

Welcome to the forum Randolph. Answer obvious? - unless you can prove the image is wrong. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Maroua, Thanks for posting, but I wouldn’t hold your breath on getting a reply from this 2.5 year old thread. The poster joined, and last visited the forum 3 days later - over two years ago. We’ll ignore the fact that he was in the U.K. and you are in Canada! Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Steven, Is this trim finished in a chrome-look finish? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Thomas, I don’t think I can help you very much with this, but here goes, pending other replies:- Our owned-from-new modest A3 came with Michelin tyres, and were replaced with the same over many miles, before being replaced with a couple of Continentals a couple of years ago. These didn’t last as long as the Michelin, and have just been replaced - back to Michelin. For us, we simply need quality tyres which give the highest mileage, and are not into the finer balance of trading off wear for ability to corner at speed. Michelin fits the bill - for us. One thing I would say is that they tend to get noisier as they wear. Most tyres do? It’s interesting to note that you are considering changing Michelin for Bridgestone on an expectation of them lasting longer. Bridgestone will last longer than Michelin? Don’t know, but I think such claims are best dealt with via. personal experience rather than any manufacturer’s claim. No doubt someone will come along and offer you specific advice. Of course, another consideration is actual cost vs. anticipated life. If Bridgestone do tend to last longer than Michelins - how do the prices compare, but it’s not always all about money. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Christian, Pardon my ignorance, but what is that? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Pete, Complete engine rebuild FOC on a 12 year old car?? Leicester on lockdown - so legally allowed to go there? Sorry to put it as I see it, but buying a 12 year old car (sight unseen?) a 3 hour drive, away does very little to satisfy the logistics of any kind of warranty. Yes, I must agree, I too would not envisage this being an easy road to resolution, but... To take some positives:- You should get some meaningful advice from CAB, and I would be asking the Audi dealer to give you a comprehensive report (on payment?) on their investigation. This should stand you in good stead with the seller - particularly in these troubled and restrictive times. Good luck with this. Kind regards, Gareth. Just to stress:- I would go down the route of the Audi dealer’s comprehensive written report of the oil consumption, together with an estimated cost of repair. I think it would be reasonable to argue that due to these troubled times and restrictions into lockdowned areas, that this should suffice as a reasonable alternative to allowing the seller to inspect/rectify the issue. If the dealer wishes to spend the estimated money on repairs, then I guess you have to accept that, but I’d be very surprised if it proves to be an economical proposition.

Hello Pete, Thanks for coming back. If the car has consumed 3 litres of oil in 500 miles then this is ridiculously high and totally unacceptable, and renders the car unfit for purpose. I would definitely be making an appointment with the Citizens Advice Bureau without delay. I guess you have informed the dealer - in writing (an e-mail will do) - of your dissatisfaction with the car. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Pete, Sorry to hear of your issue. What mileage have you covered in the month - which have resulted in the consumption of 3 litres of oil? Dealer saying ‘they will have a look at it’ can equate to just that. Rectifying the problem may be another thing, and the potential resolution of its high oil consumption is likely to extend beyond your guarantee period, at which point you are most probably going to be stuck with it - like it or not. Dependent on the mileage you have covered in it, I would be seeking professional guidance towards getting the car rejected and having your money back. CAB should be able to advise you on how you go about it, but I would suggest you don’t ‘go it alone’, if that is what you decide to do. Re. the dealer not telling you about it - you have to be realistic and understand that they were unlikely to have known, and if they did, they would not have bought it in via. the previous owner - who did know! There are dodgy dealers, but fewer than dodgy owners who offload their troublesome vehicles. Hope some of the above helps. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Amanda, Sorry to hear of this issue. It would seem irrelevant whether anyone else has had issues, and your best course of action would be to return to the supplying dealer and get them to resolve the issue. Personally I would not delay this any longer than is essential, since you have already owned the car for a week. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Josh, Many thanks for keeping us up to date. Its very surprising that your insurers will only agree to agreed-value when the car is >35 years old. Odd - it’s usually over 20 years old. My feeling is that you may not be insured with one of the numerous specialist classic car insurance brokers, but simply an insurer who deals in the general market. Classic car brokers will usually dictate that the vehicle is not your sole means of transport and that the mileage is limited to say 3 to 6K/a. They insure such vehicles without the need for you to have a ‘spare NCB’ - an these policies don’t generate a NCB. They will provide you with a condition form which you (in caps) can complete, together with a set of photos, and you decide the (reasonable) agreed valuation. If it’s reasonable, they will accept it. Such specialist broker inc. Peter James Insurance, Lancaster, Carole Nash, Hagetty etc. - and there are many more, but I would restrict my enquiries to specialists in this field, rather than general insurers who might also do agreed value. Breakdown cover is normally included, and premiums are generally very attractive. Hope some of this helps. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Michael from the Homeland, Sounds interesting, and let’s hope it might be of interest to someone on the forum. If it were me, I would be advertising this (usually for free) in classic car publications such as Classic Car Weekly, Classic Car Buyer, Classic Car Mart, Classic Cars for Sale, and even Modern Classics - there are more - but there again, as a classic car enthusiast, all of this will be known to you, and apologies if so. I think you will then be targeting the car at the appropriate market. Personally, I would be deciding on an asking price to deter any daft offers, and let the market decide the interest. You might also consider EBay which always lists a good selection of available classic cars. Good luck and kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Patrick. Have you checked with a meter to ensure that you have an adequate earth on the passenger side light unit? Also confirmed you don’t have a 12 volt supply to it. If the earth measures fine, then it’s worth peeling back the flexible rubber covering where the harness feeds from the body into the tailgate. This is often a source of problems due to wires flexing over a long period of time, and eventually breaking. Perhaps you could let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Ben, Really no need to be confused in trying to work out logic of this. It’s simply a case of returning the car to supplying dealer and requesting them to resolve the issue for you. Sounds like a simple bit of reprogramming should solve this for you. Kind regards, Gareth.

This is possibly a first Ken! Understandable? Yes in my book, but probably not in most others. Perhaps the answer might lie in the effect this tuning is going to have on the insurance premium. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Rob, Thank goodness we are all different, and I applaud your views on being prepared to commit to live with a car for 3 years biased on taking a liking to the car’s interior, and indeed that view has stood you in good stead over the years. You can’t knock that. Probably wouldn’t do for the majority, but.... Even a 20 minute ‘spin around the block’ will surely give a potential owner a feel for the car’s performance and ride, and it now follows that this car’s performance must now be in question in your mind, and I just wonder how much other owner’s views will go towards actually reversing your decision if their experience is not too positive. No doubt they will be positive and all will be fine. Kind regards, Gareth.

Many thanks Robert, No doubt SQ5 owners will share their experiences, but if indeed you are getting approx. 17k per set then I wouldn’t have thought that was too unreasonable. However, if the car has only covered 34k miles from new, and the first set lasted longer than 17k then obviously you will know how this set of Pirelli s have performed compared with the originals. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Rob, It’s probably me being rather old in the tooth, but it seems you have agreed to be committed to own a car for 3 years, which you haven’t actually test driven. Um? Now, understandably Rob, you are trying to get subjective opinion which might support that decision. Please ignore my interpretation is If is considered to be rather off the mark -or somewhat direct - which it indeed probably is. I would equate this to agreeing to remain married for 3 years to someone you have seen once, but really know nothing about - but she looks good, and is ‘cheap’. Hopefully you will get some experienced opinion from the forum - I really hope you do within the cooling off period - and this will put your mind at rest. Good luck and kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Robert, Wondered if you could be a bit more specific with the maths. Does 8 tyres in 34k miles equal 2 sets of tyres of which each set has lasted approx. 17k? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Alex, I do appreciate where you are coming from, and if it were me, I would be breaking this down to simply one action at a time, and the first would be to get a good underbody evaluation. Just don’t worry about the next strep. Keep the ‘finding a good welder’ on the back burner for the moment. When you come to that stage, I would certainly be Googling for a local/ regional all-makes Classic Car club. Knowing about good local bodywork welders is always a must for classic car restoration, so I would be surprised if you don’t get a good lead via. that connection. Above all, it’s most likely to be sortable. Just let us know if there is anything we can advise on further. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks for coming back on this Alex. As I see it, if the car was last MOT’d in March 2019, then at best this MOT will expire in the next couple of days - even taking into account the ‘extra’ 6 months extension due to Covid. If this i so, it will need an MOT’d with some urgency, and it should receive a thorough inspection of the underside at that time, and you will be informed what else (if anything) will need weld repair. You should then be in a position to decide your next move. The MOT station should be able to advise on local weld repairers, if they don’t do this work themselves, and estimated costing will be available to you. Probable aggravation is that the carpet will need to be partially removed and that is likely to entail the seat/s having to come out. I’m not sure why you think no one will want to do a weld repair on this. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Toby, Re. your air suspension issues - Can we take it you have checked the compressor? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Alex, This certainly appears excessive, and leads to questioning why it is as bad as it is in this area. When was it last MOT’d? - obviously it will need to be sorted before the next one. If this were mine, I would be getting the whole underside checked to assess whether this is just a localised section or if there are other sections which will also require attention in the near future. If localised, then it’s reasonable to get this professionally repaired. Repairers? I would be asking for recommendations at a couple of smaller MOT stations. These can usually advise who to go to in your locality. Another possibility for a good recommendation would be to contact a local classic car club. Again these chaps usually have their fingers on the pulse for such things. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Leanne, If everything was as it should be before someone replaced the wing mirror, then you must return to that person so that they can rectify the issue. Personally, I would not be attempting any DIY or getting anyone else to work on it before you return it, otherwise it could be said that you have induced the faults. Kind regards. Gareth.

Hello Joel, I would be investing in a pressure sensor first - I think one would have been fitted to yours. This cost of this sensor will be less than the cost of diagnostics - so worth a try in my book. I believe that fitting this is straightforward enough but is likely to require de gassing and re gassing the system. Kwickfit? I think I would be tempted to as around your locality to find a smaller garage who has the necessary equipment, but.... Just noticed your location. Now of more interest is the Morris 8 in your profile. Series 2? around 1935/6 but prior to the painted radiator model of 1938. 2 door I guess. Surviving 4 door over here are few and far between. Kind regards, Gareth.