Magnet

I think you have a ‘running tap’ of advice on here as you need it Steve, although mine might be more of a drip! I’m very pleased you are going to have a go yourself. I very much understand the sentiment here, and you can’t go out and buy that. I’ll have to get my brain in gear and recall things like acceptable tolerances! No urgency, but could you refresh exactly what went wrong? Regards, Gareth.

Have you had the battery coded to the car?

Hello Steve, I think Steve Y’s idea of removing the sump first, is great. You can then remove bearing caps (keeping them in order is a must). Where bolts/ nuts can’t be refitted then put them in individual clearly marked envelopes. Also, a thanks to Kev for suggesting numerous photo sessions of what goes where. I would also suggest picking up some various colour touch ups and placing dabs on each side of any connections you disconnect. You’ll get there. Good luck, Gareth.

Kevin, Try ringing your nearest Audi dealer on a Sunday afternoon, and see what response you get. Zilch! Then try them in the morning and inform them you want an answer in within a couple of hours at most. Good luck with that! Regards, Gareth.

Might be worth trying Parts in Motion - they do a selection of brands, including Monroe. Also worth looking at other sellers on EBay. Please let us know how you get on. Regards, Gareth.

Did you make any progress with this Debbie?

Apologies that this doesn’t seem to travel outside Wales - expensive!

Bit heavy on the pencil Dean?

Wondering how your DVLA dealings are progressing James-? Regards, Gareth.

Apologies, but do you get the normal short beep when you select reverse?

Welcome Louise, Do you get a continuous longer lasting bleep when you select reverse - when the rear sensors are playing up? Regards, Gareth.

Any update Arron, since looking at the service history on Monday?

Is it losing any coolant? Does the smoke smell of diesel?

Apologies for jumping in on this, and particularly for the contra opinion, but 9.8v at cranking seems undesirably low to me. If it were mine, I would certainly doubt the battery’s efficiency on this c 10 year old car. As has been said on here so many times - get an Halfords store to test the battery’s % efficiency. If found to be sub standard then please come back to us before committing to buy, if you respect your wallet. Regards, Gareth.

What brand filters, and what brand of oil are you buying from ECP Rob?

Thanks, I would recommend annual oil and filter changes using the mentioned Longlife oil. Renew air filter and pollen filters every two years. What sort of service history does it have so far?

Welcome Arron, Your handbook will be your best reference. It might differentiate between 5/30 and 5/40 being recommended, depending on the average temperature in the country it’s operating in. My guess for your model in our country would be 5w/30, but please check. In case it helps, I’ve always used VAG’s own brand - Quantum - choosing their Longlife 3, available on EBay from reputable sellers. Filters of choice have been Mann. Please let us know how you get on. Regards, Gareth. p.s. Annual mileage will dictate oil change intervals. We can advise if you let us know.

Put it this way:- there are motor factors around here who get their parts from ECP and other sources, but they won’t stock their Lion batteries due to too many issues. Your car, your money, your choice. We can only offer advice on here in the best interest of those seeking advice, as we see it. We have no control over whether that advice is accepted or not.

Hello Andy, Many thanks for joining. Of course, it’s the low mileage which puts this into a different class. In case it helps, it might be worth contacting Car & Classic’s website. They can handle a brokerage type auction for you with varying promotional packages. I know someone who used them last year, and has praised them for their efficiency and ‘safe’ transaction. They should also be able to suggest a realistic value, and also do straight forward simple advertising for you at the valued price. Perhaps you would let us know how you get on. Regards, Gareth.

Thanks Debbie, An 8 year old battery needs replacing, even if it isn’t the sole culprit. Now knowing that, I wouldn’t bother getting it checked. If it were mine, I would simply invest in a good quality new replacement. In case it helps, it would be well worth putting your registration number into Tayna Batteries and Parts in Motion’s websites, and consider their Exide brand ( which I now prefer over Varta or Bosch). Both these suppliers also operate on EBay where you generally get free delivery. The new battery will need coding to the car, so you will need to set this up with a trusted local independent, before swopping them over. Please let us know how you get on Debbie. Happy New Year to you and yours. Regards, Gareth.

Can now see why you didn’t volunteer that without being asked directly! Good luck with that Daniel.

What brand and from where, did you end up buying?

A very wise decision. I would suggest your ‘for now’ would equal until the end of the warranty, and/or the end of any financial interest in the vehicle - whichever comes last.

It could indeed be down to an ailing battery aggravated by the cold weather. How old is the battery Debbie? Cold weather also adversely affects the cables in the flexible harness twixt the front hinge pillar ( A post) and the front edge of the door frame. Cables are prone to fracture as they become less flexible, so my first - free- port of call would be to check there. If all is well there, then I would take the car for a good 25 mile run, then call into a Halfords store and get the battery and alternator efficiencies checked there. If the battery is found to be below par, then please come back to us before committing to buy - in the best interest of your bank card. If all is well with the battery, then suspect a faulty door lock, but please come back to us anyway. Regards, Gareth.

Thanks for clarifying Tahir. I too interpreted it as Cliff did. So twice in 6 days then. That makes it even more important to get it seen to, but apologies if necessary, but I’m still getting vibes that ‘ah, I’ll get it sorted if it gets worse’.