Magnet

No Mathew. My advice is based on what I would do if I was in your situation, and OK, it’s my logic, but I think it is a reasonable path to go down, and more often than not it’s not a bad thing to plough your own furrow, rather than getting someone to plough it for you. Good luck and kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Michael, Sorry to hear of your problem. Is this really a 1968 car? If so, I wonder where you are going to find another one as a spares car, and if you do, what are the economics of buying that, getting the engine removed and swapped into your existing one, when considered against getting your existing crankshaft issue sorted via grinding and new bearings. Perhaps you could fill in a little more detail. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Mathew, Sorry to hear of your issue. I would say that the route to claim would need to be through the ‘engine reconditioners’ rather than through Audi themselves. If the reconditioners were an Audi dealership, or the work was carried out on behalf of such a dealership, then that would certainly aid your claim. You say ‘....last year...’. Was that within the last 12 months? If so, there shouldn’t be any issue about claiming since the reasonable guarantee period is usually taken as 12 months. More than 12 months ago? Even so, the reasonable life expectancy of a reconditioned engine should be in excess of your covered 11,000 miles ( subject to evidence of expected oil and filter change). Why not take advice from CAB regarding making a a claim at the ‘Small Claims Court’ ( or whatever it is called now)? I’m sure it would be useful for the forum to know where and how you go forward from here. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Jake, Sorry to hear of your issues. My advice for what it’s worth is please do not guess at what the reasons for this are - it’s potentially just too dangerous to continue to do this, and I would say it’s impossible for anyone on here to offer you any true explanation without actually inspecting the vehicle. A variety of guesses -yes, but guesses they will be. If this were mine, I would be getting this carefully inspected by a trusted local garage after they have road tested with you so they can experience the handling first hand. Some might advocate getting the alignment (tracking) checked and adjusted, but in my book, this should only be done once the car has been inspected and either passed as having no significant wear/ explanation, or the detected defects rectified. I would not delay on this Jake, since it sounds as if it’s handling like a three legged cow! Perhaps you could let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Louis, Always difficult to try to diagnose without the vehicle. I think it’s important to differentiate between a misfire and simply ‘lumpy’ idling - which may be to do with fuel mixture variations rather than electrical issues. If it were mine, I think I would start by paying a visit to my local friendly MOT station and asking them if they would do an MOT emissions test on the car for you - following a 10mile run. This should give you some useful pointers, and may negate the next move of plugging it in and checking for fault codes, and if it is an actual misfire or a fuelling problem. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Mathew, Possibly one of the internet search purchases? Normally, selling dealers will demonstrate this by inputting your home address into the Sat. Nav. while you are completing the purchase. Talking Internet, I believe there are VIN searches which give you the build record which will point to Sat. Nav./no Sat. Nav. Worth a try?

Hello Colin, No problem at all in trying to help, but I fear I might be on the borderline of getting boring with this. I could have got this in a twist in my mind, but to me (and it might just be me!) the situation comes over as you being hell bent on going about obtaining a now replacement rear hub ( rather than a bearing as originally wanted) in a very protracted and heavy weather fashion. Contacting an Audi dealer and getting a part number might be an option, but it would be worth bearing in mind that they are not daft, and don’t like wasting their time giving part numbers to assist buyers in their aftermarket quest to obtain the right part. If you want to order an Audi part then just get in touch and give them your reg.no. and they will supply you the correct part. If you want an ‘any old aftermarket part’ then just do likewise with your local motor factors. If you want a ‘quality’ aftermarket part such as Febi. then follow earlier advice. Blinking heck Colin - it’s taking you longer to worry about getting the right ( any old aftermarket ) part than it should to do the job! Good luck with sorting it out. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Matty, Pending someone offering experienced advice on your particular model and specification, how about going to the garage you bought it from, and getting them to demonstrate the Sat. Nav. for you. If they are adamant your particular car is fitted with it then it shouldn’t be any problem for them. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Stephen, Sorry to hear of your issues. I think this is an hydraulic rather than a cable operate clutch. If I’m right, it wouldn’t surprise me if the problem turns out to be due to a faulty clutch release cylinder. If so, the bad news is it now usually lives in the gearbox bell housing - with obvious affects on the scale of repair charges. In days of old, these used to be sensibly located outside the housing and their replacement was simple. If it is this, then it would be worth replacing the whole clutch assembly - once known as a 3 part clutch. If not using Audi parts then my only alternative would be to use LUK clutch kits, without exception. Dual mass flywheel replacement at same time? Depends on mileage etc. Let’s hope it isn’t what I think it is. Kind regards, Gareth.

Oh blinking heck Colin. Fair do s as we say in theses parts - your persistence in finding out whether this hub has an integral ABS sensor or an external ring has to be ‘admired’. Again you are looking at spurious makes. How about:- Googling the U.K. contact phone number for Febi and asking for their technical department ( I have talked with them in recent months). Simply ask them for their part number for the rear hub and do an EBay search (or contact sellers) for that part. External ABS ring or not?? - just get the right part, and it will be right! You search EBay illustrations for days looking at generic images and still remain confused! As I say, change the backing plate if not already changed. There are good quality German ones out there and not so good, not much cheaper, alternatives. When changing the hub (or bearing if you are still thinking about going down that road) you will need the correct large splined socket together with a good impact wrench - and of course a hub puller. Sorry no one else is offering you the alternative advice you might want. Good luck and kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Colin again, Just a couple of personal-view comments on your EBay link:- Compatibility charts are notoriously unreliable, and I always, check the application is correct by passing the registration number on yo the supplier. Images should always be treated as simply generic and may or may not represent the image of the actual part you will receive. Again, personally, I would not touch this with a barge pole, since it has probably been manufactured a ‘ few miles east of the Thames estuary’ and could be of dubious quality. If it were mine I would be looking at Febi, and find the correct part number for your reg. no. Probably won’t cost you much more than this, and even if it does, it’s worth considering the savings made by a labour-free DIY. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem as if owners of your model are on here today to offer you alternative advice. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Andrew again, I’ve just re read your post no. 1 of 2, and if your experience of non responses on this forum is based on your initial post, then you had two replies which might have been helpful to you, together with pages of lead-up responses to your question, before you raised it. I’m not quite sure what more help the forum could have offered in relation to your question. Of course, if your second post just relates to responses in general then, perhaps you may be right, and indeed the forum could do with more input in certain categories. Any chance you would consider joining in and offering advice? The forum will surely benefit from all contributions. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Andrew, Good question, which I guess applies to many other forums. In simple terms, forums are not a guaranteed sources of free technical advice, and posts are generally answered by ‘volunteers’ who are prepared to give up their time to freely pass on whatever knowledge they have for the benefits of others. Sometimes that experience and knowledge is available here and sometimes it isn’t - Thimple, as the advert says. Alternative sources of advice will be on a paid-for basis at main dealers, and I guess this can be compared with paying privately to see a medical specialist at your local hospital. Knowledge and experience are king, and generally it’s not taken for granted that they will be willingly shared for free. Sorry if this comes over a bit harsh, but that’s how I see it. Others will possibly see it differently. Kind regards, Gareth.

Sorry Colin, but you’ve lost me. Febi hub for A3 was c£48 delivered. Bearing on it own probably about mid £20s plus. Why would you want to be attempting to pull an old bearing out, and press (assume you’ve got a press) a new one in, for barely a £20 saving? The hub has to come off anyway! ABS ring, no ring? Thought I’d covered that. IF it’s the same as the A3 then no ring just a weak magnet - weak enough not to signal ABS after 13 years. New bearing in old hub? Pretty obvious outcome if yours is the same as A3. Anyway Colin, someone might shed the extra light on this that you are looking for. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. You might well find the disc backing plate has rusted so would be well worth renewing while you are in there.

Hello Peter, The in-between of an Audi main dealer and an ‘ordinary’ garage would be an Audi ‘independent’ specialist. You should find one relatively local to you, or even better, via. a recommendation on here from someone in your area. I would still try main dealerships since they sometimes have offers on such things. Worth shopping around a couple or so. Genuine Audi parts can be obtained from TPS (Trade Parts Supply) who I believe have depots nationally. Sometimes parts are available to non account holders at a discount - sometimes not - so worth having your main dealer prices to hand for comparison. Water pumps and changes? I wouldn’t advise changing the cambelt assembly without changing the water pump on Audi - on Volvo for example, OK. As said, the big must in my book is do not (in caps) use any pump other than a genuine Audi one, whatever assurances you may be given. If anyone is going to be cost conscious on this, then leave the old one in rather than use an aftermarket one. I think you will find Audi will tell you they (only?) do reconditioned ones and need your old one to be returned. So I’m told, the pumps are new, but VAG want your old one back to scrap it to keep it out of the any substandard outside reconditioning service! Beware of aftermarket ones specified to be of OE quality and therefore as good as VAG. Words are cheap! Other associated parts worth considering:- auxiliary belt and tensioner, since if this belt goes, it has been known to break the plastic cambelt cover, wrap itself where it shouldn’t be, and wreck the engine. Hope some of this helps. Kind regads, Gareth.m

Hello Bob, Welcome to the forum. My view is...why would you want to deviate from the pressures recommended by VAG following their testing and trials in conjunction with their tyre suppliers? You mention ‘...don’t feel right..’. By that, do you mean the vehicle doesn’t handle properly? If so, return to your dealer and seek advice there. Perhaps a little OTT, but consider a situation where you deviate from the manufacturer’s recommended pressures, and you are involved in an accident. Would you want to be in a debating situation with your insurers? All the above is just a personal view Bob, but why fiddle...? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Peter, I think the answer to your question has been covered in my p.s., and if you are still querying it, then the impression gained is that you are attempting to get this done at the lowest cost. That is understandable, but.... Some questions will need to be answered if advice is going to be meaningful:- Has the vehicle been main dealer serviced throughout its 3 year warranty period and the 4th year? If yes, do you intend to continue this servicing regime? Is there any chance that you are considering doing this job yourself? If not, are you considering getting a local garage to do the job for you? If so, they are more likely to use aftermarket parts obtainable at best prices to them, and the quality of some of these parts can be questionable. What guarantee do you have that they will use the make of parts you will specify? To try to summarise:- main dealers often have offers on such jobs, so worth checking around a couple. The main issue with aftermarket parts is potentially problematic water pumps. Personally, I would recommend main dealer parts only. If you wish to save a little bit, then the only aftermarket make I would use would be a Gates kit, but I would not use their kits which include a water pump, since I don’t know the aftermarket source of their pumps. Bottom line - if you want to save a bit of money then use a Gates kit with a no-exception main dealer water pump, but as I first said, I would not treat this critical application job as one where cost is king. Just not worth the risk. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Colin, Good question. To start, personally I would not go with fitting a new wheel bearing into your existing hub. - too much effort for the work involved. If it’s of any help, we have just replaced the rear hub on a 2006 A3 due to an ABS warning light issue. There wasn’t a ‘stand alone’ ABS ring on this hub. In fact no ring at all. As a I understand it the ABS is energised by a built in magnetic section into the hub casing - this being a very weak magnet which might be virtually undectable - but there. These magnets are so weak as to cause issues if their magnetism falls off slightly. I didn’t go with a VAG part this time but bought a good quality aftermarket one by Febi Bilstein. Worth looking on the old ? Bay for good prices. Hope some of this may help. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks for letting us know Eugen. Hopefully! that was the only cause of the problem, but as you say - you assume - it is. I still think I would have had the running oil pressure measured incase it was low, and your new switch simply tips you over the line of enough pressure to put the light out. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Peter, Recommended timing belt change intervals are always quoted as ‘x miles or x number of years - whichever comes first. You will need to recheck with the main dealer, and I would suggest checking with a couple. 5 years or approx. 100,000 whichever comes first sounds about right - but I would certainly recheck this against the above logic. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. The quality of parts used is vitally important since this critical application should definitely not be treated as a best-price job.

Hello David, Injector cleaner? Little to lose by giving it a try, but likely to sort out the problem??? Tesco did have diesel Redex additive at reduced price. In my experience, issues with diesels should be entrusted to diesel specialists not ‘ordinary’ garages (even if cheaper-than-main-dealer independents). Apologies for rubbing it in, but I think the independent gave you a good clue with ...’unlikely to stop the smoke’. Still, time to move on and seek specialist advice, and decide if you are going to live with the issue or attend to it. Chose your specialist carefully. Perhaps you could keep the forum updated on how you get on David. Kind regards, Gareth.

I’m confused Davis! From your earlier reply to Cliff it appears the previous owner must have ‘.....removed one metal piece...’ from every lock then, since you say ‘....all three..’ Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello David, This sounds rather typical of injector issues. In my experience - glowplugs? - unlikely to have been an issue. When you say ‘...the garage...’ ,are they diesel specialists? If not, I would certainly be seeking a trusted one in your locality. The often repeated, now boring, advice is to enquire for recommendations on such, at your local taxi rank. These chaps depend on such a experience for a fast turn around living. Injectors can normally be initially tested by a fairly simple leak-back test, but will need removal, inspection and reconditioning to return them to their correct level of efficiency. Not cheap David, so might depend on what you and your neighbours! are prepared to put up with. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Davis, Programming your second remote is of course an option, but if your remote central locking fails, you simply don’t have a means of getting into your car! Other better option? Give Audi your VIN and request the build key code, and then order a key - assuming the locks are the original. Also that option in Latvia? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Mark, Mr. Sinclair and the money was just mentioned with tongue in cheek. It seems you are not currently experiencing the good vibes and joys normally associated with new car buying, and this really should not be. I think the days of the marque-experienced salesman is behind us, and might have been replaced by groups of transient sales-course briefed individuals who may not be truly ‘passionate’ about the marque they represent at that moment in time. Showing my age, but car salesmen were once known locally for their allegiance and knowledge of the brand they had sold for a decade or two, and if they were forced to move to selling another marque, they then seemed to lose whatever respect they had. Kind regards, Gareth.