Magnet

Hello Kelly, Varying opinions are great, and I respect Michael’s, although he is yet to answer the clarifying questions. I am happy to stick with my opinion, based on the first change of pads on our ‘humble’ A3, when reasonably branded aftermarket pads were fitted. Once bedded in, it was obvious that the braking efficiency was nowhere as good as it was with the original pads - even with a normal non-enthusiastic driving style. Outcome:- after a couple of months of dissatisfied use, the pads were changed for genuine VAG, at which point the braking efficiency was returned to what it was. So for me, brake-pads-are-brake-pads-are-brake-pads has proved to be a myth, so ever since, I have spent once and wisely, and that principle has stood me in good stead. Kind regards, Gareth.

Many thanks Michael, VAG pads actually made by Pagid (as opposed to Pagid being to OE standard) - new to me, but could be true. What I understand is that Pagid are exclusively retailed by Euro Car Parts, and of course Pagid supply to ECP. That leaves the all important question:- Is the specification of aftermarket parts made for ECP exactly the same as that supplied direct to Audi? Good and meaningful question I think. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Paul, Many thanks for being in touch with the forum. This is a very difficult situation to advise on, and the true extent and severity of the damage cannot really be correctly assessed simply from the photo. You have a high performance car with very low profile tyres, and the most sensible and logical approach is not to compromise any safety considerations by living with this potential problem. While appreciating you situation and welcoming your plea for advice, my personal view is that a constructive answer doesn’t unfortunately rest here with the forum, but with a thorough examination by a trusted local tyre specialist. This would be my advice. Re. Renewing both tyres on the same axle? Probably advisable, but again I would be following sound advice from your trusted tyre specialist. Perhaps you could let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Shaun, Thanks for being in touch with the forum. I don’t think I’m going to be of much help to you, except to introduce the possibility of the need for caution. It is possible ( but I’m not sure) that the actual receiver - anchor as you call it- may not be as simple as you would imaging it to be, and may be part of a cylindrical gas operated pre-tensioner which deploys in the event of an accident, and simply disconnecting it may not be be what you want to do, without investigation and advice beyond my direct experience with this. Kind regards, Gareth.

Ok Kelly, we now know you want to buy a pair of discs and a set of pads, and hopefully want to buy quality parts at best possible prices. For discs, I would go for Brembo - I just fitted some on on our A3 - purchased off EBay by choosing to the best-price-with best-service seller. VAG discs are expensive even with discount. For pads, I would really stick with genuine VAG only (in caps). Try Aberdeen Audi, who will normally supply at discount and mail order. Malcolm is your man there. Hope this helps. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. Once you have your parts, you should then be able to get your trusted local garage to fit them.

You are welcome. My concern would be that if you have talked with an Audi independent and he isn’t sure about changing units on Audis, then personally, I would be looking for another Audi independent. Apologies, but I don’t have any personal experience of working on Audi air suspension - only a non-Audi. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Kelly, Thanks for being in touch with the forum. It seems you want to buy just one disc, which is at odds with the convention of only replacing discs in pairs across the same axle. Any particular reason for one? Also, I take it you are aware that it isn’t good practice to simply renew discs without renewing the brake pads at the same time. If not using genuine VAG parts, then my personal aftermarket choice would be Brembo. You should find what you want at competitive prices via. an EBay search. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Julian, I really don’t want to cause inconvenience, but I think anyone who might be interested in this car, is not off to a good start in terms of details, or photographs, which will enable them to make a valued judgement on what the car is worth to them (in caps). I think it would help (indeed it would be something of a must) forum members if they were informed what you and your sister in law consider to be an acceptable price to have to pay for the car. It would appear that the owner considers finding it a good home is important - more important than the offer price? If you really don’t have any (in caps) idea of what it’s worth, and (understandably?) want to realise the maximum return on the car, then you will need to get it valued in your locality, to enable you and your sister in law to decide what will be acceptable for a good-home buyer to pay. Trust you don’t mind me making these comments. Kind regards, Gareth.

Also place wanted adverts in the specialist press - such as Modern Classics, Classic Car Weekly etc. ( there are more). Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Michael, Thanks for being in touch with the forum, and sorry to hear of your issue. Usually the first component to give problems is the compressor (normally repairable), but since your issue is restricted to just one corner, then it’s logical to believe that the problem rests with that strut, it’s sensor, or a leak in the air feed to it. I appreciate that £90/hr may seem high, but in reality is probably slightly on the lower side of average, and is probably plus VAT. The reality is that you either have to locate any air leak yourself - if indeed there is a leak - or pay someone to investigate for you. Have you tried an independent? These can be cheaper, but sometimes not that cheaper. Perhaps you could let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Ian, Cutting to the chase, I would suspect a failing battery - below acceptable parameters in some respect. You may find that the fault gets ‘blamed’ on the amount the car is driven ( if it doesn’t get a sensibly long run a couple of times a week). Beware of being recommended to keep the battery charged - you will need an up to date ‘intelligent’ charger- since this may extent the issue outside the warranty period. Typically, the stop/start is the first thing that gets affected when the battery gets below par, even though you will find that the car starts without issue, even on cold mornings. Batteries just don’t last as long as they did - understandably? I would be persistent in sorting this out under warranty, and would most certainly be keeping a record of all dates and actions. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Taff - from the Homeland. Thanks for being in touch with the forum, and for posting your advert. If I may suggest - I think you will need to list the full number if you are going to attract a buyer, since it is highly likely that anyone interested would be trying to match their initials. Also ‘making an offer’ :-it may be better to state ‘offers over...£x’ , since such asking-price valuations can differ from several hundreds into the thousands! Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Lavelle, Have you searched the DVLA tax price checker site, where do doubt you will find the answer based on a registration number? Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Chris, I’d be very surprised if it was anything associated with your re-map, but I’m sure they would be able to assist in sorting it. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Chris, Marcio hasn’t returned to the forum since he posted this, so we are none the wiser. My questions would be:- have you too changed the reservoir and sensor? If so, genuine VAG parts? If not, I would be first arming myself with a spray of contact cleaner, and disconnecting the plug at the base of the reservoir - the plug connecting to the level sensor. Examine the condition of the contacts, if there is any corrosion present then remove as much as possible before applying a good squirt of contact cleaner - then wiggle the plug. If this doesn’t sort it, then you will need to renew the sensor. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Satpal, Thanks for being in touch with the forum. Unfortunately, the poster last visited the forum over 2 years ago, having first posted just a couple of weeks prior. Perhaps it may be better to send him a PM in this case, and hopefully he will reply, and the latest information can then be posted. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Chris, Are you sure you have a condenser problem rather than a sensor or compressor problems? My view is that you (legally?) need to be able to dispose of the gas in the system, so any DIY is out of the question. - I could be wrong, but... Kind regards, Gareth.

Many thanks Peter. Feathering can be a sign of alignment issue. I wonder if you have had alignment checks and adjustments - if necessary - carried out, now you have had new tyres fitted. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Wayne, Thanks for being in touch with the forum. This isn’t the one from Stroud by any chance? You may be lucky and find someone on here is breaking one of these and has the same trim, but it could be a long shot. If this were mine, I would be advertising my want in specialist classic car publications such as Modern Classics, Classic Car Weekly etc. - there are more. If this fails, you may have to resort to using material from the rear of the front seats, and replacing this ‘stolen’ material (on both seats) with a suitable vinyl to match the rest of the trim. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Richard, We are wondering how you are getting on, and if anyone your end has been able to throw some light on why the airbags didn’t deploy. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Philip. Price?

Hello Keith, Thorough flushing followed by filling with a sterilising solution and leaving overnight before emptying and half filling with the screenwash mix, is certainly worth a try. However, I fear anything is going to be a short term ‘solution’. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Keith, This is a very common issue, and unfortunately it occurs whether you add screenwash fluid or not - most people do of course. I never buy ‘ready to use’ screenwash since I’m too tight to pay for water! - so I mix mine from concentrate with a 25% mix, and usually have some mixed ready to add. This will smell of stagnant water in a short space of time, so I tend to keep my reservoir only half full, and top up more frequently. Yes, the smell is unpleasant, but the main follow-on issue here is, that the mix will next coagulate and clog your washer system. It’s worth flooding the reservoir with a running hose pipe, before syphoning to empty, then filling to half full with a fresh mix. Kind regards, Gareth.m

Can anyone help Steve out here? Kind regards, Gareth.

It’s always good to hear/ bad to hear thing, when someone follows your advice, but I think it’s sound and logical in this case. Although I’m not the one in your situation, and I do sympathise, but experience shows that the situation always appears worse when it first occurs. Whatever the cause, it will be sortable, and the selling trader will (unfortunately for him) have to accept the responsibility for putting the wrongs to rights. Yes, you are going to have hassle/inconvenience, but it will be sorted one way or another in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, simply occupy yourself with on line searches for a good garage - it doesn’t have to be an Audi specialist, if one becomes difficult to find, but has to be someone you can talk with and get sound advice on what is wrong. Perhaps you could keep us posted Steve, and of course, just let us know if you think we can offer any ongoing advice. Good luck and kind regards, Gareth.