Magnet

Hello Steve, Worth pointing anyone who is thinking about subjecting their vehicle for an emissions recall to read the comments under that heading on this forum?? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Peter, I could be barking up wrong trees here but with all electrical faults, I always first eliminate the battery by getting it tested under load. Appreciating this vehicle is only 6 years old, you would not expect the (original?) battery to be suspect, but I am unsure of the life expectancy of batteries subjected to the stop start system. Apologies if your garage has (definitely) elininated this possibility. If you do indeed eliminate the battery, it might well be worth looking at the brake (light) switch, which I believe plays an important part in the operation of the stop/start system. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Andrew, I could be wrong, but I wonder whether the test you had done was by a qualified auto electrician rather than a dab-a-meter-on-it mechanic. An auto elect. should have been able to have a good stab at actually identifying the problem such as a diode, regulator etc. and judging by the c£300 alternative, i would consider the anticipated cost of sorting yours out would make this an economical route. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Andrew, Sorry to hear of your believed alternator issue. If it were mine I would be getting a simple test done on this and the charging system in general, by an auto electrician - should be quite cheap- before deciding to replace the alternator. Alternators are generally long lived and issues can very often be corrected economically by replacing some of the components rather than fitting an exchange unit. I'm judging you will be looking for a secondhand comparable replacement, which is one option, but I have often said that as far as secondhand units are concerned you have to remember "you could be buying your own (faulty) one" , so it's probably better to get your own fixed if it is indeed at fault. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Jon, I would be investing my investigation money on a leak- back test on the injectors - at a local recommended diesel specialist rather than an Audi indi/main dealer . Let us know what happens if you do. Kind regards, Gareth.

Good point Steve about the definition of (flashing) indicators. Perhaps it works on the principle that each light is illuminated then switches off and then repeats the cycle of being illuminated. I.e. Each light does have a flashing period. Kind regards, Gareth.

I recently followed an A3 fitted with what I believe to be the latest generation of indicators which flash from the inboard to the outboard lamp. Well done Audi - what a clear signal - which I think will remain clear in all lighting conditions. First class. Now all Audi needs to do is to come up with a system which ensures they are actually used! There seems to be this macho driven idea that actually using direction indicators to inform other road users of their intentions is a sign of weakness, and must make the driver feel inferior if they do! I notice this unfortunate affliction also affects their ability to switch on their lights when dusk approaches, and leads them to gamble on how long they can leave them out before someone runs up their backside. It seems this affliction particularly affects drivers of black or dark coloured cars - bless them - it must be hard to live with! Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Ryan, Apologies in advance, but I have a very pessimistic feeling about this and you entrusting this to "your local guy who specialises in clutches!" I worry about the potential outcome and the risk you are exposing yourself to in the quest to save a few pennies. If it took Piotr a year to find out which was the correct oil, can you really guarantee ( should be in capital spending) your local guy is going to invest a significant amount of his time in making sure he does indeed get the right oil and flush the system as Piotr suggests? Would I take that risk? Guess the answer. If it were mine, it would be spending half a day with a trusted independent or a gearbox specialist who know their way around these things. I can only wish you good luck. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Ryan, I'm sorry, but as with the oil suppliers (a lot) you have tried, I'm unable to point you to the correct specification for this critical application, but I am aware that it is not uncommon for manufacturers to tailor their oil requirements to their exact specification. This results in the oil being available in volume to the dealers, but not in smaller quantities off the shelf. Appreciating you may not want to pay the price that the dealers are asking, but getting it there removes any chance that you use the wrong specification with potential costly consequences. As I see it Ryan you will save considerably by doing this yourself rather than paying the main dealer to do it for you, so why not enjoy that saving in labour costs and invest some of it in buying the correct oil from them? Sounds a simple and sure way forward to me. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Amjid, Car wash and jet lances! - there is your answer, and I would not be surprised if next year you will be posting on here for advice because your paintwork is showing signs of milky white patches in places. I have made such comments on here before, and in my opinion there is no substitute for the DIY bucket and wax shampoo treatment, but appreciate folks prefer to pay their £5/10 and sit back and watch some jet wash lance wealding individual wreck their car in the longer term. Most of them use truckclean type chemicals which if not correctly diluted ( which it seldom is) will actually take the skin off your hands. "......asked them to ensure they don't use chemicals as suggested by Audi" ! Puts me in mind of a friend with a really nice BMW which is main dealer serviced up to the hilt and is never dirty because it always gets washed once a week whether it needs it or not. This beautiful electric blue car started to show milky patches a couple if years ago. His action :- "Go easy on the chemicals chaps" Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Amjid, Sorry to hear of your dissatisfaction with Audi, but I guess you will be aware that Audi - as with all other volume manufactures- are simply assemblers of vehicles, using parts supplied by a variety of suppliers. One question:- You mention taking the car for a wash. Do you do this, and if so do they use a jet wash? As annoying as this is, I think it is very common to find surface rust on the brake discs ( the Americans call them rotors) on cars of your age or younger. Corrosion on the calipers? Depends on how the car (wheels) have been cleaned. Appreciting that brake calipers get hot, you are probably aware that the process of powder coating involves oven treatment to cure the coating. Judging by the number of cars I see with gaudy painted calipers ( tarty and boy racer in my book!, but I'm of a different generation) you could follow suit and tidy your up by this DIY process I guess. Probably less hassle than doing battle with Audi. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. My comments may be moderated when we see the photos.

Hello Justin, Not sure if this is going to help, but I do have some years of experience of Accelera tyres on non- Audi vehicles. No doubt you are aware that they are budget tyres, and I think the reason your friend has them on his vehicle is in the "A friend bought his Q7...." and the seller (car sales site?) fitted them for the same reason you are considering fitting them on your car - they are much cheaper. As budget tyres go, I do indeed favour Accelera over other budget brands, but budget they are, and my experience is that generally wear/£ costs you as much in the long run as if you had bought more expensive premium brands, and of course, the main consideration in all of this is extends to spending your money to get the best combination of wear and great respect to wet and dry grip etc. In my experience you generally get what you pay forJustin, and yes, Accelera (and other budget tyres) look ( should that be LOOK) equally as good as any other brand, but... . In the end it must work out as your choice, but it may be worth thinking why Michelin Pilots cost twice the price of Accelera, but in the long run, do the Accelera work out cheaper? Good luck with whatever you decide to do. Kind regards, Gareth.

Interesting Piotr, What is the grade of this fluid? I take it it is an automatic we are talking of here, and if so, what is different/inferior about Audi's transmission fluid which renders it ready for change at 38K miles when many other manufacturers do not even have a change schedule for their auto transmission fluids? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Rob, Manual or automatic? In any case, I don't understand why the transmission fluid needs to be changed on a year old car. If it is an auto, and IF it does need to be changed, then I think this involves removing the transmission sump etc. new filter as well as the new - expensive? - fluid. Using another non-local Audi dealer may result in an alternative lower quote and will obviuosly not affect your warranty. Using a non VAG garage could, rather than will, but you would need to take better advise on this before deciding to move away from Audi dealerships. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Darren, Sorry, I can't help you with this engine, but if you ring the parts department at your local Audi dealer and enquire about a cambelt kit for your car, the correct answer will be found there - i.e. "It has a chain", or " yes sir, the belt kit will cost you £X". It might be advisable to have the VIN and engine number to hand, but probably not needed. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Patrick, I think you will find there just isn't any point in driving around/internet searching for near-miss fixings. If it were mine, I would simply visit your local Audi dealer and order up what you need - assuming of course, that the body repairer doesn't still have them somewhere to hand. Kind regards, Gareth,

Hello Aamir, If the damage to the bumper is restricted to what you show in the photo, then that should be easily repairable - perhaps even without removing it from the car. Use a hair dryer or in extreme cases, a hot air gun. Not sure about any localised bracketry, but even if these are broken, they can often be repaired by the normal plastic welding process. The wing damage also seems repairable, but you might like to replace it, but in either case, it will need to be repainted. You say you have tried nationally to obtain a replacement bumper- are you restricting yourself to a same colour search? If so, you will indeed find this restrictive, and even if you did find a colour match one, my bet is that it would need painting due to minor storage or transit marks. Like the alloy - seen more kerbs than a lady of the night! No offence intended. I guess this "Want" would be better posted under Sales and Wants. Good luck, Gareth.

Hello Henry, Not only is this experience unacceptable, but it is a downright threat to your, and other road users lives, so you have to do something. This needs a Recorded Delivery letter to the Chief Executive Officer at Dunlop UK, requesting his immediate attention and investigation. If you feel you are not up to writing such a letter then just visit your local Citizens Advice office with your photos etc. and ask them to write a letter on your behalf. If that does not resolve this ( and I would be surprised if it doesn't) then you need to take this to the media. I'm not sure about getting rid of the car because of this problem. Surely it is just a matter of buying tyres from another manufacturer. Let us know how you get on Henry. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Graeme, I notice the car is 6 years old and as such is likely to be out of even an extended warranty involving Audi direct, so I take it your discontent is a direct "local " dispute with Edinburgh Audi. Could you let us know if this work is being complained about because you have paid them to rectify the fault/s and they haven't, or is the car under some sort of warranty with them? Have you bought the car from them in the recent past (unlikely due to its age?) and they are failing to honour a guarantee that came with that sale? Perhaps you could let us know and I'm sure others may be able to add to Steve's advice. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. Not sure about your thread heading of Mr ? Probably best to get this altered to a more meaningful description which might result in more responses. No doubt Admin can help you with this.

Large black coil spring Kieran. These can snap on one of the coils - as unbelievable as it may sound.

Hello Kieran, With regard to the suspension issue, it may be worth while inspecting the large coil spring to see if it has snapped - as they do! Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Mor, IF after fitting the new battery you find that is still losing power, then the probability is that one of the curcuits is at fault and drawing a current when it shouldn't, when the car is locked up. Although it may be possible to guess at what curcuit it might be - and it would only be a guess- I would suggest the car would then need to have an hour out with an auto electrician who would be able to measure the current draw and isolate each fused curcuit one by one until the offending curcuit is found. DIY possible? Well yes, assuming the correct meter is at hand, together with the experience of checking for these current drains. Fingers crossed, all will be well when the new 5 year guarantee battery is fitted. Kind regards, Gareth.

Well that's one option Piotr, but I would first be asking myself why this wheel cracked in the first place, and it is possible - just possible that the answer lies in .... RS4 STYLE wheels ... and the quality might be dubious. Would I run a car on a crack-repaired wheel - without the benefit of assessing the quality of the weld repair?? No prizes for guessing the answer. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Adeel, Have you tried any of the on-line scrap yard search facilities? Partsfinder is one -I think- and no doubt there are more. Just register what it is you want, and any yards which have the part will reply to you. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Mor, I'm sure Luey's advice is going to be helpful to you, and yes, it's easy to assume that since you have replaced the battery then that cannot be the problem. Not true unfortunately in this day of substandard replacement components, so as with all electric issues such as this, the first port of call is to get the battery checked. I must reinforce that the battery must be in a reasonable state of charge before testing since the test includes its ability to deliver high currents for start up purposes and not simply voltage. As Luey says, it is also important to check that the battery is the correct type and power capability for the car, so yes, a photo or description of the wording would be great. Correct types of batteries is now very important in this age of "intelligent charging" if expensive damage to alternators is going to be avoided. Jumping way ahead of ourselves here but alternators being designed to be replaced and dosn't take a lot of work! I'll lend you the spanners to change say a Rover 75 diesel alternator Luey! To keep it simple Mor, Let us know the details marked on the battery, and it's make, then just make sure it is as charged as possible - take it for a good run - and get Halfords to check it for you. If they declare it to be serviceable then get them to do an alternator output check while you are there. Let us know how you get on and I'm sure there will be help on here with the next stage. But one step at a time. Kind regards, Gareth.