Magnet

Hello Bob, Sorry to hear you are dissatisfied with the car. Are you going to formally reject it? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello, Would suggest advertising it in Modern Classics or similar publications. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Simon, Without wishing to appear patronising, I think you are very wise to question when the belt should be changed, and particularly what parts to use. Owners sometimes fall into the trap of simply looking for parts as cheaply as possible for this most critical application. 100% peace of mind? Use genuine VAG parts but be careful about buying on line where belts may be aged stock and you could be buying a belt already older than it’s time limit change! If you are not using VAG parts then the only aftermarket kit I would buy would be Gates - no exceptions in my book. They are a volume supplier to many motor manufacturers. But, and a big and most important but, I would not use their kit which includes the water pump. Water pump? Yes change it, but I would never (in caps) use any aftermarket pump - only a main dealer one. No exceptions. You will probably have to pay a surcharge until you return the old unit, but as I understand it, the logic is that it removes old pumps from the substandard reconditioning chain. ECP? Any particular reason why? Seldom the cheapest even with their discount codes. There are many others, but again beware of aged stock. Hope some of this helps, Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Louise, Sorry, cannot open the link at present, but is the starter spinning the engine over enthusiastically? I would guess so, but.. Hot starting issues should be easier to diagnose than cold starting, but the offending component could be one of many, so I would certainly not be jumping to action any suggested possibilities. If it were mine ( and apologies to those who have to continue to read this) I would be seeking out a trusted local diesel specialist - not Audi independents- and entrusting the diagnosis to them. Local taxi drivers are a good source of who to take it to and who to avoid. The taxi boys depend on diesels, so they should know their way around specialists. Clutch, starter motor etc. renewed? Surely, not in an attempt to sort the problem? One last point. When the car does eventually, do you have any excessive exhaust smoke, and if so, what colour? Kind regards, Gareth.

Many thanks Karl. Perhaps you could keep the forum updated on how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Karl, It is possible to have the moisture content of the brake fluid checked quite easily, but in my experience it has to be on the high side of high to cause your problem. Still well worth checking/ renewing the fluid. Personally, I’ve found standard Audi brakes more than adequate, and the reason for asking what pads you were using stems from fitting aftermarket ones to our A3 and finding then inadequate. Returning to Audi pads proved everything was fine. In my experience Brembo should be amongst the best after market pads to suit normal driving requirements. How can I put this Karl? Decided I cannot be as diplomatic as may be required, but brake fluid moisture being within spec. what you are experiencing is the result of braking too late (from too high a speed?) and in quick succession. Speed, and particularly braking should be equally matched to road conditions and both treated with an ‘anticipating’ driving skill. Let’s hope it’s you fluid is the culprit here! If it proves to be OK and you would prefer not to drive with anticipation in mind, and to leave on a positive note, have you had a look at the products of EBC? Kind regards, Gareth:

Hello Mark, Simple things first:- Have you had the battery efficiency checked? So much depends on its efficiency these days, and warning lights etc. can do strange things when the battery becomes below par. Stop/start technology monitors the battery condition and is often the first thing to play up. Could you let us know if the battery has been checked - particularly for its cold cranking efficiency. Incidentally, our daughter’s 3.5 year old non Audi has been found to be below par in this context, and (would you believe??) it’s been stated that the battery age is being monitored and the s/s will fail on s simple battery âge situation. True?? - but an interesting concept: Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Karl, In the absence of any other replies, I wonder if any of the following may be of a little help:- I take it you have had the brake fluid renewed recently to ensure it’s moisture content is acceptable since the fluid absorbs water over time and can increase the possibility of brake fade in the event of rapid and severe braking being applied. Again, I take it you have examined the currently fitted pads to establish whether they are of reputable manufacture. Could you confirm that your brake fade is being experienced on-track rather than on the road. If on the road, then indeed it is worrying, and something needs to be attended to. Perhaps you could let us know, so some recommendations can be made. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello, If the handbook recommends 5w30 then personally I would not see any reason to use any other grade. Using 40 would in no way aid better fuel economy. Brand? I have always used Quantum oils in our petrol Audi - reputed to be manufactured by Castrol. I use their Longlife 3 even though I change it annually. This brand was/is recommended by Audi, and you will find it mail order on the famous auction site. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello, You will first need to get the cooling system pressure tested- and report back on the findings. One can easily jump to conclusions, but let’s wait for the result of that test first. K Seal? Not a good move, although I have seen some good results once, and with a low compression tractor! Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello ‘t’, Are you saying there are two thermostats on this vehicle? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Bob, Sorry to hear of your issues. From the symptoms you describe, my back to basics logic points me fair and square in the direction of gearbox/linkage problems, and not clutch issues. In excess of £400 to simply investigate without doing anything is not considered value for money, and personally I would be collecting the car from them without delay and asking for a written report of what ‘clutch associated’ investigations have they carried out to account for that cost - assuming they are still considering this to be at fault. If it were me, and if I was not satisfied, then I would be debating that cost with them. Where next? Take advice on local trusted independents and get the problem looked at there. It may be as simple as some linkage adjustment, or it could be (and you hope not!) gearbox associated. Perhaps you could let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

The original poster has not been on here since he first posted his request for help. I will bow to Joe’s superior knowledge in regard to the car being aluminium bodied, but it should be bourn in mind that aluminium corrosion does result in rust-type paint issues , as it forms a ‘white rust’ type oxide which can lift paint and lead to bubbling. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Luke, Yes of course you can consider different shock absorber and spring set ups, but the logic of it all is that the final effect of ride quality depends upon the amount of flexible rubber you have between you and the road. I understand your wishes, but until you establish that that amount of rubber you currently have is ‘standard’ for the suspension set up, then you are not evaluating whether that set up,is characteristic of the car or not. Simply changing the tyres may improve the ride quality if ( in caps) the profiles and widths are no non standard. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Luke, Thanks additional information. Now you need to consult the handbook which came with the car and check what profile and width tyres are specified as being standard for 17 inch wheels. Your current 45 would seem about right, but worth checking incase 50 is quoted - with a wider tyre. 45 profile would not give you the best of ride comfort, whereas 50 should be better, but.... Kind regards, Gareth.

What wheel and tyre profile do you have Luke? Kind regards, Gareth.

To inform them that you are going to formally reject the car within x days if they haven’t resolved your issue?

Sorry Alan, but I don’t have any experience of the Koni shock absorbers you mention. What you are suffering is the product of sports suspension and large dia. wheels. If you consider the larger the wheels, the ‘skinnier’ the tyre profiles have to be, since the final outside diameter of the wheel and tyre has to remain constant. Moving to, or having chosen, smaller diameter wheels means the tyre profile would have been increased and you would have more rubber between you and the road, so a more absorbing ride. 21 inch wheels must surely be around the maximum diameter wheels available for this car, resulting in a very low tyre profile setup. Summary:- The benefit of Koni shock absorbers with your current skinny tyres ?? Fitting smaller dia. wheels (secondhand?)? Maybe you can roadtest another similar model with this set up. Not sure if any of this helps. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello, Askmid simply tells you whether the car is insured and if (should be in caps.) it is, what the basic DVLA recorded information is. If it isn’t shown as insured on the Askmid system, which is usually the case with most motor trade held vehicles, then vehicle details are not shown. Whatever details Askmid shows will be dependent on the DVLA record, which will depend on how comprehensively the new-car-sales office inputted the vehicle data, so I would treat this a avenue as not being of much use to you Sam. Reliable way? Obtain the VIN and check the build record. Kind regards, Gareth.

He’s in Turkey!

Hello Nita, ’.......the car should be replaced under consumer law’. Are you going to formally commence this process? If so, I’m rather confused by the reference to ‘..May write to Which...’ - rather than to Audi. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Martin, I think recommending a choice of two options for you is an impossible task, and my feeling is you may be looking for reassurance that the option you actually choose coincides with someone who might come along and agree with you. Apologies if I’ve got that wrong. ‘Leaning towards the leather option...’ A personal opinion:- I’ve had cars with leather since I had hair, and one thing is for certain - the seats are generally unbearably hot in the summer, and unbearably cold in the winter - hence heated seats. Run of the mill manufacturers discontinued using leather some 60 years ago for that reason and moved to ‘leatherette’ then on to more comfortable fabric. Of course, leather is still seen as ‘ prestigious’, and I can understand where you are coming from, but beauty has to be lived, with and not just admired. Yes, heated seats, and even cold air can be blown up your posterior via. pinholes in the leather, so it’s less a hassle in choosing, so you have more flexibility to go with what your eyes tells you is desirable. Good luck with whatever you chose Martin. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Dianne, Sorry to hear of your issue. I am somewhat confused since if - as I understand it- the car indeed drives OK? at 50 mph, then the issue should not really be associated with low compression on 2 cylinders. Piston injector? New one on me. If you now have the car in the care of a family friend mechanic, then I would not be agreeing to any strip down until you have actually been given the compression test values for each of the 4 cylinders - assume your family friend can do this for you. Test report? Unfortunately it doesn’t mean much to me, but that’s probably me. If it were mine, I would be asking the mechanic to repeat the compression test and then list the results on the forum. I’m sure someone would then be able to comment. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Anthony, Check with (classic) car trimmers around you. They will definitely be able to replace the rear widow for you. Struggling to find someone? Contact Jack Smith Trimmers - Swansea. Yes, Cheshire to Swansea, but you may find the saving on cost will meet the fuel charges. Try Mazda MX5 site for recommendations for him? Kind regards, Garethlm

Hello Richard, I’m surprised that a 2 year old car is .....’ desperately in need of a new air filter’. Has this car covered a very high mileage, or has been used in excessively dusty conditions? Sound policy to change at 2 year intervals? Yes in my book, but the filter should still be capable of further service. Perhaps I’m getting the wrong end of the stick here, but if you are talking about ‘upgrading’ the manufacturer’s standard air filter, then it’s worth considering that this may invalidate your warranty. I would guess you have the answer to your last question, but are you experiencing low power? If so, why is the air filter so dirty - if it is? Kind regards, Gareth.