Magnet

Hello Craig, Sorry, but not surprised to hear about your problems with these tyres. Just wondered what your next move is going to be with attempts to get some resolution. I also wonder if earlier posters who have reported their similar issues to Watchdog etc. have had any feed back from any of these organisations. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Stephen, Apologies, but I’m a little confused by the timing of events with this. Can we take it that there was some previous history of problems, which resulted in you having the wiring loom in the boot ‘replaced’? If so, what were the previous symptoms? ‘.....been changed...so no broken wires there’. Apologies Stephen, but this is simply an assumption, and this will only be proved when it has been thoroughly re-inspected - perhaps it has?? If this were mine, my next move would be to return it to the person who replaced the part harness, or if you no longer have sufficient faith in this person, then book an hour at a trusted local auto electrician. Sorry if this doesn’t seem very helpful, but I think the reality of such things is that it would be extremely difficult to diagnose the cause of these issues without working on the actual car. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Dennis, A couple of possible avenues where no known service history exists:- Apologies if you have tried some/all. Wander into your local dealers (I’ve found Parts Dept to be the best first port of call). You need to be armed with the VIN incase the registration number has changed (say by cherished number change). There might just be some traceable history in the ‘main’ system.I would take your V5 with you and a good proof of identity, so that you can ask for a copy of what they have. Check where the car was first registered. You can Google the prefix to find the region - let me know if you fail. Check with Audi dealers in that area. Last keeper details? Still recorded on V5? Contact them and enquire about servicing records. The car must have been serviced at some time, particularly within the warranty period. If all of this fails, then I would think you cannot take a chance on not doing it. If you do go down this road, then the ‘quality’ of the parts used is more important that low quotes. I would only use a genuine VAG water pump for example - no exceptions. Perhaps you could let us know how you get on Dennis. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Mark, I’m sorry to hear your sister has yet to resolve the issue. To put it in a nutshell, the fact that the Audi dealer cannot find any fault (codes) obviously does not mean that the fault is not present - it just means they cannot identify the fault. I think “Which Legal” having given your sister sound advice based on your description of the events. Writing a recorded - delivery letter to the dealer principal should be done without delay, and should be sent off before approaching the Ombudsman. As I said, I would be encouraging your sister to visit her local CAB, as suggested, and I’m sure they will draft a letter for her. Difficult to put this delicately Mark (and with apologies) but the way in which this letter is written will be of paramount importance. In view of this, I would not be writing this for her/with her since they will (understandably?) pick up words such as exceptable for acceptable ( predictive text?) etc. and unfortunately that could dilute her case. She would be well advised to talk this through face to face (ASAP) with CAB and ask them to draft the letter for her. An additional progressive move should be to write to the finance company involved - if the car is on a finance agreement. Of course, all of this is just my opinion, and will possibly differ from others. Good luck in sorting it out. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Richard, As Cliff says - the bleeding obvious is that this car is trying to tell you something, and you must, just must, get this looked at a reputable local garage without any delay (delay in caps.) Failure to do this will demonstrate a lack of respect for the car and for your wallet. The fact that you are asking, suggests you don’t do much mechanicaly with this car yourself, but if it were mine, I would be disconnecting the auxiliary belt to find if the noise remains - and hoping it doesn’t, but if I were you, I would leave this for a garage to do. Perhaps you could let us know how you get on Richard. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Mark, Sorry to hear of your sister’s issues with this car. You ask if there is anything that needs looking into, and my advice would be for your sister to go to the Citizen’s Advice Bureau, and take advice on the options open to her. As I see it, the car is not fit for purpose ( and indeed could be considered dangerous) and she has given the seller opportunities to correct the faults - which they can’t. The next point could be that she formally rejects the car and has her money refunded in full. Not sure what you mean by ’....replacement... which apparently cost £6000...’ Was the car bought from an Audi main dealer? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello David, I’m not sure about the correct grade of oil for the diesels, but I guess you have looked that up in your handbook. Brand of oil? As I have mentioned before, VAG did/still do? recommend Quantum oils ( some say manufactured by Castrol, but....?) and for the petrol engine at least, I see little point in chosing anything else. I use the Longlife version, but still change it annually, since it’s cheap to do it yourself. Oil filters? In my book, genuine VAG ones are the ones to go for, but if you must go for an alternative, then I would only use Mann. OEM and aftermarket? OEM is a very much misused term, and personally I take little notice of it. ‘Aftermarket’ can also cover a multitude of sins, and once respected brands are now no more than ‘bought out’ brand names used for supplies which can be dubious. I would not skrimp on quality. Price becomes very much a secondary consideration when the cost savings of DIY are applied. Kind regards, Gareth.

I’m with you Michael with this theory, but what confuses me is that I would not expect the coolant to pressurise the system to any great extent before the thermostat opens, and if I am right with this, then you would expect the gauge to get close to normal - say after approx. 1mile - before dropping back. Coolant reservoir caps can be an ignored source of issues, and yes, I guess they can fail to release excess pressure, but more often (I think) they fail by not allowing the pressure to build up. Although thermostats are rated to open around mid 80s degrees, the full operating coolant temperature can reach around 100 degrees ( the boiling point of water). This is fine, since the actual boiling ( bubbling) point of water is increased with pressure so the slight increase in pressure - around 4psi - will suppress the ‘boiling’ (bubbling) point. If the caps fails to allow this slight boiling. Kind regards, Gareth.

Guessed you might have tried that Ray, but being pedantic, did you drop them in boiling water and found they opened when you did that? Probably not. My test is to gently lift the opening section very slightly (important words being gently and very slightly) and insert a length of fine cotton under the seat so that it is jammed under the seat. You can then dangle the thermostat in the water to be heated and note the temperature at which the thermostat falls off - I.e. when it opens. Apologies if that is what you did. Boiling water is fine if you want to see if it opens, but not if it opens too early. Pressure in the system? Worth feeling how hard the hoses are when running. No need for me to mention all safety requirements?? If above proves to be OK, then I’m struggling Ray. Anyone else have any advice? Kind regards, Gareth.

Well Ray, this is confusing to me, so let’s hope someone more knowledgeable on here can throw some light on it. As I see it, stating the bleeding obvious, if the thermostat has been correctly fitted and is properly serviceable, then it must retain the initial heated coolant in the engine block, until that coolant reaches around 80+ degrees i.e. near normal on the gauge. The heated coolant then opens the thermostat, and allows the coolant to be passed through the radiator to be cooled, while the block heats more coolant - and so on. Eventually all coolant reaches the operating temperature. For the coolant not to heat up?? Suggests the thermostat is ‘permanently’ open. How could that happen? If it opens at too low a temperature - but two faulty ones? That would be a bit of a coincidence! but.....? I would now want to test it’s operation by heating water in a pan and actually checking the opening water temperature with a thermometer. Got to positively eliminate that first! Just a thought - no more than that. Could some pressure build up in the engine block force the thermostat to open early? Food for thought?? Could you let us know how you get on Ray. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Yiyang, Can we take it you didn’t buy the car from a main dealer? Not surprised there isn’t a service book - many manufacturers have discontinued using these, and depend on the dealer entering the servicing details into VAG’s computer system, and it is retained there as evidence of correct servicing. Do you have information about its servicing before you took ownership? i.e. did you check it had full service history? As you will know, the car is under warranty by VAG within the first 3 years if it is serviced at the correct intervals and the correct parts have been used. I’m sure Steve (SteveQ) on here will clarify this for you, but I believe that if you choose not to use an Audi dealer for your servicing, then you must use a VAT registered garage, and that garage must use the ‘correct’ (Audi) parts and approved oils, if you want to retain your warranty with Audi. As you rightly question:- how do they input the servicing details into VAG’s system. Unless they have authorised access, then I guess they can’t, and personally I would not want to be arguing a warranty claim based on this. OK, you are not impressed with Finchley Road Audi, but aren’t there other Audi dealers within reasonable distance who you could use? An alternative could be to use an independent Audi specialist who has the necessary service detail computer input link. 10 digit code? - can the seller help you with this, or another Audi dealer? Kind regard, Gareth.

Very helpful post Gursel. Kind regards, Gareth

Sorry to hear that Ray. Have you had the actual running of the coolant checked to compare it with the indicated temperature? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Kristina, As SteveQ said - so long as they use Audi parts... and are VAT registered..... No doubt yours are VAT registered. The problem of "registering" that service may now be more complex than it was, since manufacturers are going away from the old 'Service Book', which could be stamped, and moving to recording that service on the (VAGin this case) system. There may be cause for concern that if this is the case, and you local garage does not have access to this system, then the car will show/appear not to have been serviced. Kind regards, Gareth.

Sounds a better situation then Scott. Sorry, it's probably me, I can understand the connection between clutch and starting, but remain confused about ....' My fault and maybe I didn't have the clutch right down......' and cutting out in the outside lane of the motorway! Kind regards, Gareth.

Everything is fixable Scott, but just sit back and think:- you have a discontent with the gearbox/gear change as well as the potentially life threatening power loss (or actual cutting out in the outside lane as I think you later describe it). How much hassle to you want to involve yourself in? Of course, the above may be a totally pessimistic view, and you will be delighted with the final outcome, which will be both swift and totally reliable going forward, even out of any guarantee period. Not so sure what a 'gubbed' clutch has to do with the whole issue, particularly on a 25K miles car. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Scott, If this was mine, I would be seriously considering formally rejecting this car. It would appear to be suffering from a defect which can render it life threatening. Certainly not acceptable, and I would be asking myself if I am prepared to chance it's future reliability. Good luck with whatever you decide. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. Perhaps naming the seller may have not been the most acceptable thing to do, but......

Hello Scott, I'm sorry to hear you are having problems with the car you took ownership of yesterday. Probably predictive text, but not sure about.... 'seems to fob....' I'm sorry I cannot help you with the losing power problem, ( could be a mutitude of causes) and I anticipate others may advise you to first get this car plugged in to get a diagnostic investigation done, in the hope of narrowing down the cause. Whatever the cause is, obviously it should not behave like this, and my urgent first port of call would be to notify the seller (followed by an e-mail where possible) of the fault and request what they are prepared to do about it - assuming you didn't buy the car under any 'as seen and tested' agreement. Personally, I wouldn't get the actual diagnostic check carried out until you get the seller's agreement to do so. Good luck with getting it sorted, Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello James, I can only reinforce Steve's very sound advice by adding - do this without delay. If the engine has been changed on this 17 year old car, and you bought it since it was advertised or inferred that it was a 225, then you should have some redress - whether the car was bought from a dealer or privately - yes, even private sellers have to describe vehicles correctly - that is why you now often see a description which just says 'Starts, drives, stops!' (No come backs). My first on-line port of call would be to investigate via. an on-line VIN checker, and see what that comes up on a build record. My second action would be to inform the seller of your concern and the investigation you propose to carry out. I would then drive to (don't phone) my local Audi dealer and first talk with the parts section and explain your concern. Their systems might link into the DVLA based system rather than VAG so check with them which system they are linked to. Whatever system - ask if they could help you to physically check the number on your engine against their record and your V5. Having said all that, DVLA records can be wrong, particular now, when new cars are registered on a system, by the dealer on their premises. All I would ask of your own dealings is - did you view a V5 for this car before agreeing to buy it? Good luck with sorting it out to your satisfaction. Perhaps you could let us know the outcome. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Tim, I feel for you this morning as I sit here in the warm, looking out over white frosted fields! Boringly, I would need somemore information before being able to comment, so could you let us know:- Does the coolant temperature gauge get up to normal ( around 90 degrees) within approx. 2 miles from first starting the car in the morning? When you say you have changed the 'heating pump' - do you mean the water pump? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Steve (oake), I'm very much with you on the point that the type of driving influences the service intervals. It also did/ still does? , depend on whether the car is set to be serviced on a Longlife schedule ( in which case it can go out to c18K miles between services - depending on the type of use) or on an annual-ish schedule. My feeling is that dealers tend to assess the new owner's useage, and 'if they can get away with it' set it for the shorter interval plan - since obviously this is more profitable for the dealership. I have a suspicion that VAG also might also input some service, time-associated logic, when the car is built, and if so, then this might explain why some are showing a need to be serviced after such a short ownership period ( car might have been built some time before being sold). Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello David, Many thanks for the additional helpful information, which now shows there isn't any mystery - the leak is external, and from the previously-changed plastic pipe. One question now remains:- (which might be unanswerable) Was a genuine VAG replacement part used last time? I would certainly agree with your reluctance to put any bodge leak repair in this, and would go with changing the pipe again using a main dealer part. It might be worth asking the Parts Dept. if there has been any history of early failures on their replacement part. Always worth an ask. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. Forget about the exhaust smoke - this would only apply if you could not find any evidence of an external leak.

Hello Derek, So is this car still not starting properly, or are you referring to this one-off occasion? Kind regards, Gareth.

Well Steve, For this to make some sense, you must have some betting money on this!?? Otherwise, I'm seriously missing something in this hypothetical question. Might be worth thinking about something else to worry about. Anyway, good luck if you do attempt to test it out. I'm going to have a quiet contemplate now Steve! Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. With a bit of humour in mind, I notice you first posted this about 1 o'clock in the morning. Might be worth trying a double rather than a single to get off to sleep!

Hello Derek, Thanks for the additional information. So it would now seem that the car did not cut out due to a low oil level. Question remains:- Does the low oil level prevent it being restarted until the oil level is returned to above the minimum.? Personally, I have my doubts on a car of this age, although this is only a guess, and I could be way off the mark. It would be interesting to now have a qualified Audi answer to this. Could it be that the attempts to start the car - following stalling it- resulted in the use of some throttle etc. and the car became reluctant to start. Adding the oil might have been a coincidence. Just a thought. Kind regards, Gareth.