Magnet

Hello Olumide, Apologies for a different opinion, but I would think it would be impossible to have an oil and filter change (with Audi approved ‘parts’) on a c one year old within-warranty A4 to satisfy the warrant conditions (and recording that oil and filter change on the Audi database) for £50 or less. It would be reasonable to expect that the dealer charge for the oil alone would amount to that, without the cost of the filter, and the labour charge, plus of course the dreaded VAT. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Ian, This may have a lot to do with battery voltage and/or alternator issue. 13.7/13.8 volts out of the alternator seems a little low in my book - I would be expecting 14+ volts. Have you tried charging the battery overnight, and have you had the battery efficiency checked? How old is it? These would be my starting points in an investigation, before moving on to other possibilities. Perhaps you could let us know how you get on Ian - hopefully with a few less [Removeds]! Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Chris, I think it might be a little of a long shot since the original poster hasn’t returned to the forum for over 5 years. I would suggest you send him a PM in the hope you might get a reply. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Stanley, Can you confirm that your car has covered one thousand one hundred miles only? Just a little confused with your now reference to oil change due at 11k miles. Can you confirm exactly how many months old the car now is? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Stanley, Many thanks for being in touch with the forum. I would guess that the car is either one year old or possibly nearer 18 months old. - could you let us know Stanley? If it is one year old then it’s almost certainly set on an annual service schedule. If around 18 months old then (incorrectly for your low mileage) it’s been set on a Longlife service. Irrespective, it’s due for servicing, and although it may seem unnecessary at such a very low mileage, it must be appreciated that the car has had a comparatively hard mechanical life due to its use - unless this mileage has been covered in substantial mileage journeys at very irregular intervals. If not, the car is likely to have have covered short trips where it will barely have got up to optimism operating conditions. Reference cost of service:- It may be considered that £255 is a high price to pay for a service, but no doubt you have invested a not-insubstantial amount in this car, and to now scrimp on its maintenance, may not make economic sense in the longer term. Saving money by having it serviced away from Audi? Yes, possible, if the servicing garage is VAT registered and provide you with an invoice showing Audi approved parts/oil have been used - and as they tell you - they have the computer facility to input the servicing detail into the VAG database - no service book to stamp now. Independents are likely to be equipped to do this, but what will be your saving over Audi, and will that saving be worthwhile if you have to get into a debate about a warranty claim. I think if this were mine Stanley, I would be biting the bullet and getting it serviced at Audi, particularly since the car will not have depreciated to any degree comparable to what you would have expected when you bought it, so there’s a bonus there. Ongoing? I would think that Audi will set this on an annual service plan ( if not already so), so if it’s bad news, the same service will be required this time next year, if your usage remains the same. Hope some of this helps, Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Jason, I think it’s evident from the replies, that you have a problem car (engine) on your hands here, but personally (although I understand your logic) I would not be devoting much more time to trying to establish more facts or reasons for the issue, from here. Time is of the essence here:- (1) in terms of not driving the car unless for an essential investigatory reason, and (2) I would not be wasting any more time in formally notifying the seller, in writing ( e mail will do) that you have a potentially significant issue with the car’s engine. While you are doing this, I would be seeking out a trusted local Audi independent and tentatively booking the car in for inspection and report ( the report bit is important). You can then tell the seller that that is your intention, and asking them to agree to this - or of course, disagree with it. Perhaps you could let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth,

Many thanks for your helpful post Dale. Unfortunately, the original poster has not revisited the forum since the day he joined and posted. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Ted, Thanks for being in touch with the forum. As well as hopefully receiving responses from here, have you had a look on what is available on an EBay search? I’ve just had a quick look for you and there are 20 currently listed from £2000 - albeit to £3000. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Shahban, In order to hopefully aid your sale, would you be able to post a couple of photos, and perhaps colour in some more details such as when it was last on the road - if not currently MOT’d etc. ‘Open to offers’? Again perhaps it would be better to give prospective buyers an idea of what price you are looking for. Good luck with your sale. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Russell, Many thanks. Not quite sure what you actually mean ‘I do t have confidence so will certainly look for an (auto) electrician’. Re. ‘coding’. This is a computer programming action which ensures the car ‘recognises’ the new battery as being a replacement, so that the charging system etc. doesn’t continue to treat it as if it was the old one. Possibly an auto electrician might be able to do that, but a local Audi independent specialist would be able to - and that would be my chosen route for subsequently checking the whole charging/possible discharging situation. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Russell, ‘….knowing where to go….’ .? I would say that it’s reasonable to think that there is something wrong with your car if you consider the number of batteries you have renewed within the warranty period. OK, replacing the battery again, and all seems well at the moment - no doubt you’ve been there before. Do you have confidence that all will now be well going forward? Back to not knowing where to go…. If it were mine, I would be booking this car into either a trusted local Audi independent, it a trusted local auto electrician - both can be found via. a search. Objective - checking the charging and possible discharging, and enquiring about coding the battery. If you don’t, then you run the risk of this car being out of warranty, and a big bill biting you in the bum. Kind regards, Gareth,

Thanks Jason, Just to colour in the background:- Is this a problem which has suddenly manifested itself? Has your son owned this car long enough to have had experience of any earlier issues with this engine? For what it’s worth, does the car have a reasonably complete and known service history - for an 11 year old car? Kind regards, Gareth. p.s.Now knowing that the car has only just had a quality oil and filter change, it would seem rather pointless in doing it again now - rather than getting some trusted local advice with some urgency.

Hello John, Did you jet wash the car the last time you washed it? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Jason, Thanks for being in touch with the forum. I know diesel engines on certain marques can suffer with oil dilution due to diesel getting into the engine oil. The 1.4 Audi engine and petrol? Am I right in believing that some engines around this time suffered from high oil consumption? Oil consumption with your engine - prior to dilution with petrol? Mileage? as a matter of interest Jason. I would suggest you treat this engine to an oil and filter change without delay, while the situation is investigated. Kind regards, Gareth.

Many thanks Edward. Glad it worked out for you, and the bonus is you now have a working key lock. I think I would be checking for parasitic drain once you have had your new battery fitted - just to be sure. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Ken, Apologies, but all I can suggest is that I would be very surprised if a two year old vehicle didn’t need a replacement battery coded to the vehicle. Perhaps Stevey might be able to help out with more definite experience than mine. Kind regards, Gareth.

Great Paul, Glad you love the car. Just don’t allow your impatience to drill holes in it ! Only joking. Kind regards, Gareth.

Independent in your area Stephen? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Russell, No one has mentioned the possibility of a parasitic drain here. If it were mine, I would be investing in the services of a trusted local auto electrician to check for any discharge - as Ken points out. Doing this (again as Ken says) requires a specialised meter and experience of its use and the testing method. This would be my recommendation if it were mine. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. Can we take it that Halfords coded the new battery to your car?

Hello Edward, Shame that Kev’s suggestions don’t work for you, and you don’t have any breakdown cover for the car( Start Rescue do cover which seems to be so cheap that you can’t afford to be without it). Anyway - it’s a bit confusing about the tow socket being a complete no no. if indeed not, as it see it, removal of the undertray may allow access to a points of charging, or indeed a means of flipping the bonnet catch. Let’s hope the access outcome is resolved quickly. One it is, you either have a seriously unserviceable battery and/or a heavy parasitic drain. Obviously, these issues will need to be corrected with some urgency. I just wonder if this issue has only just manifested itself, or whether you have not previously left the car unattended for two weeks, and never had any indications of such issues before -? Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Paul, Glad you managed to remove it, but as a word of caution, anything destructive should, in my book, be the last alternative if the correct (and cheap) tool fails to do the job. Many will shudder at the thought of the consequence your drill slipping! Anyway, you have removed it. Re. Sweeping too far onto the passenger side:- sounds like you need to bias the arm a slime or two clockwise - assuming the excessive movement to the passenger side isn’t due to wear. Kind regards, Gareth.

Not sure about your area Steve, but I think there is now a general reluctance (understandable?) on the part of many dealers to provide part numbers where the customer isn’t actually buying the part. Understandable, since most of the requests will be to better aid the customer to buy a secondhand or aftermarket one, and not buy from the dealer. For Chris:- Have you tried the on line car breaker links - Partsfinder is one but there are more? These will alert breakers to your requirements and they will get in touch with you directly if they have one. Worth having your VIN to hand when enquiring. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Brian, Obviously opinions will vary, but personally I don’t like hitting anything where you are actually putting a hammering force onto a thread. Appreciating the fact that your method has worked - and that’s great - but two points:- penetration oil will be better than WD40, and I don’t see anything will be better than using the correct (cheap) tool, along with some penetration oil. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Paul, If Cliff’s suggestion doesn’t work then you can buy a cheap pulling tool (try EBay) which is designed to do the job. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Kavinesh, Tried EBay? I’ve just searched the U.K. site ( not others) and there is a listed LH at £518 from a Latvian seller, and a RH from a U.K. seller for £775. Will they post to SA? Worth an ask? Kind regards, Gareth.