Magnet

Haven't tried the magnet idea yet Owain, but will let you know when I do. Strange that the made-in-China replacement ones are available for all but the A3. To be fair, it's the only bit of this A3 which has actually broken in 138K miles, but our daughter has confessed it might be something to do with her clicking the catch as she drove along! What's a good Welsh named Owain doing in foreign parts in Oxford then? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Jonathan, Sounds good and progressive, and fingers crossed its all going to work out well. I cannot stress enough that the quality of the components used is of paramount importance, and sometimes leaving it to the mechanic may result in having parts which the local motor factors have in stock, which may or may not be what you want. Would I leave it to the mechanic to chose a brand of water pump or cambelt? No I most certainly would not - I would insist he uses a main dealer one since the % on cost on the whole job will be marginal. For me, if not a main dealer belt, it would have to be a Gates one. The effect of fitting a substandard water pump in particular however, could be catastrophic. Not wanting to labour the point, but it's a bit like leaving someone to buy you a pair of trainers. You may well end up with a cheaper pair which just don't stand up to the wear you would expect. Hope this doesn't come over as being too dictstorial, but.... Good luck and kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Jonathan, No problem at all, it's just that I'm old enough to confuse myself! Re. a cylinder head off EBay, may I say without being pessimistic, that you could be buying your own - if you see what I mean. If it were me , I think I would try to get one which comes with pressure test having been done and ideally the mating surface skimmed to flatness. If you don't, you would be wise to factor in the cost of having these done, and I certainly would not recommend fitting a head without having it skimmed. You will probably realise that the lion's share of the cost (apart from the cylinder head itself) will be the labour cost, so I would ensure your mechanic uses good quality pasts, particularly the very critical timing belt and its associated parts. For me, I would only use Gates belts if you are not going to use genuine VAG parts. Another so important aspect is that if the water pump is being changed, I would recommend you don't, just don't , (in capitals!) use any aftermarket make pump otherwise you are leaving yourself more vulnerable to some catastrophic failure due to poor quality replacement parts. Worth spending once and wisely. Good luck with it. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Jonathan, Really exactly as Trevor says. A crack in a piston would not result in any coolant loss unless there was any other coolant associated issue with this engine. I think you may be well advised to get a qualified second opinion on this and have it explained exactly what is wrong here. Sending a piston off and getting it pressure tested!? Well that's certainly a new one on me! Cylinder head and pressure testing and finding cracks however, would make very good sense, and if this was at fault then a good replacement cylinder head should sort out the problem - assuming reference to a piston is incorrect. In summary, I would most definitely seek a second opinion before doing anything. Good luck with sorting it out and understanding exactly what the issue is. Kind regards, Gareth.

I couldn't agree more with what has already been said, but even if the car is used for short journeys, a serviceable battery should well accommodate that. The way to look at it is :- would Audi have sold these cars as new, if on infrequent use/ short journeys, they were not going to start? Basics and elimination it is:- simply get (the overnight charged) battery checked, by a reliable garage - preferably one not making volume sales on batteries. Avoid the large outlet type stores. If it proves to be unserviceable then replace it, but I would follow Trevor's advice on this and soend once and wisely. I would not buy any battery with less than a 3 year warranty and ideally (and generally no more expensive if you shop around) a 4 or 5 year warranty one. Premium brands such as Varta or Bosch would be my choice since I know, by shopping around, that I can get these for very little on cost. I have used Battery Warehouse ( I think that's the name) at Tewkesbury. Goid prices, mail order and service .No connection, and no doubt others have equally good recommendations. If the battery is serviceable then as has been said, you have a parasitic drain on the battery, and would need an appropriate meter connected in line with the battery while each fuse is removed until you find the offending curcuit. Probably best left to a half an hour's time with an auto electrician. Goid luck with it, Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Brian, As Trevor says, these CD changers can be removed and the cover taken off and with minor surgery, the stuck CD can be retrieved. This should always be undertaken on the basis of nothing to lose if you fail! Always worth trying the eject button on the changer before disconnecting. My exoerience with these, through non-Audi makes anyway, is that few do not give problems at some time or other, and the problem is generally that of stuck CD. Not absolutely sure on this but I do believe the problem is compounded if use use copied CD's rather than originals. Again, these CD changers can be subjected to infrequent use which doesn't help. This will be coupled with the fact that they are very often located in damp boots or under dusty seats! I have found they are generally available secondhand at reasonable prices (if you fail to sort yours), or I think the popular alternative is to substitute this now outdated system by linking in an IPod. Hope some of this helps. Kind regards Gareth.

Hello Chris, As, you say, owners very often have a preference for a particular (premium) brand even though the specifications will be the same, and that is fine. I terms of actual grades, I always favour first consulting the owners handbook, then checking with the main dealers what grade and brand they currently use, but again personal preference and perhaps experience of others, may suggest deviation from this. In relation to the cambelt:- if the service book or checks at the servicing garages do not confirm an earlier cambelt change then this almost 10 year old car is well overdue for this work to be done - simply on an age basis. Of course, low mileage is fine, but does constitutes use where journeys have generally been short and infrequent, with more stop/starts than is normal. Such use can place belts under greater stresses than when it's running on song for extended periods, and again the rubber ages and becomes less supple and able to accommodate the more frequent start ups. Probably labouring the point, but we have the winter months coming upon us with low temperatures aggravating the situation. If I were mine Chris, I'd be getting this done as a matter of urgency (if it hasn't been changed of course). Water pump as well? I would probably get it inspected and if considered serviceable then perhaps leave well alone. Otherwise I would only use a main dealer pump - never aftermarket for this critical application. Enjoy the car. Kind regards, Gareth. .

Hello Paul, I'm not going to be much use to you, but you do appear to be asking whether wider profile tyres ( via. wider wheels) will fit your car. Trevor has already mentioned the stud distance consideration, but you are also likely to have a width consideration which needs looking into in terms of inner arch clearance on full lock etc. One other thing I would mention Paul is the recommendation to notify your insurers if you do fit non original wheels ( if not specified as an optional size for your model). Failure to do so might - just might- run the risk of invalidating your insurance in the event of a claim. Apologies that this sounds rather off putting, but often wise to check before going ahead. Goid luck anyway, Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Chris and Trevor, My good lady has recently acquired our daughter's 2006 owned from new, now 138k. A3 Sportback 1.6. This car has always run on Longlife Quantum 5w/30 as recommended by the VAG dealer where we get all the service items from. Now that it will only be doing modest mileages with us, I've decided to service it annually and this time used Mobil 3000 5/30 fully synthetic ( to Ford spec.) which I get at Wilkinsons at £24 for 5 litres. Apologies for contradicting, but I would not use a 0w/30 in these cars, and I'm sure you will find that this is not the grade recommended by Audi for this car. Worth checking your handbook? This car has always run on Audi filters which we get on discount from Skoda Parts shop ( up north somewhere but the exact location evades at the moment). No connection with this business, but we have found their parts service is first class. Re timing belts and water pump. This car has been on its second Audi cambelt kit since 110K. OK changed early, but not worth taking a chance. Again these kits can be obtained on discount, but if I was going to use aftermarket then I would only use Gates. Water pumps:- I would never use an aftermarket pump since there are too many stories of failure, often after short mileage. When thie belt kit was changed at 110K, the original pump was policy changed at the same time, using a main dealer part, which if I recall was a reconditioned exchange unit. Not sure if any of this helps. Good luck and kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Martynas, Always difficult to advise on electrical problems at a distance. As Trevor says, earth issues can be a problem, but you now seem to have discounted that as the reason. These lights are usually pretty basic in their electrical connection and although it's great to be able to fix these issues yourself, very often a half an hour time with an auto electrician is money worth spent, unless you have a good meter and know your way around with it. One possible cause can be broken/partially broken wires in the wiring harness which sometimes connects from the body/ roof area into the boot lid - generally in a fluted rubber covering. You will find this section of harness flexes every time the boot is raised and gets brittle over time. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Luke, I asked a similar question at the end of September. As far as I can see now, you will/may need to drill the roof (and headlining?) to fit them. Of course, I could be wrong, but if so, I've decided to park the idea until some more information comes along. Still be interested to have some information from someone who has retro fitted them though. Good luck,and kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Martynas, Obviously your call, and a great maintenance move, but I think I would still check if the noise is present when the auxiliary belt is removed, since this will remove any potential disappointment when you change the belt assembly. As I said, aftermarket belt kits and particularly water pumps can vary in quality and I always favour main dealer parts fo this application critical component. I have used Skoda Parts Shop ( up north somewhere) - no connection - for discount parts and found the difference between prices and aftermarket are just marginal. I have mentioned my preference if moving to aftermarket, and did mention that personally I would not go with the aftermarket water pumps, on the basis that Contitech, as with Gates, do not make pumps, but buy in to use with their kits. Appreciate everyone's preference differ, but this is one job where quality not price, is king. Anyway, good luck with it Martynas. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Martynas, I would very much agree with Trevor's advice about checking the belt and it's assembly. Just one further point I would add, the previous owner may well have had the water pump changed at the same time as the belt and tensioner. Unfortunately aftermarket water pumps ( if fitted at the time) can be of highly variable quality and service life, and if it has survived for 20k then you are doing well! Appreciating the expense, but it may be well worth doing this again and investing in a VAG belt and tensioner and water pump (not aftermarket pump). In fact, I pretty sure Audi do rebuilt pumps on an exchange basis - or they were. If you have to go for aftermarket belts etc. then the only one I would go for would be Gates. Apreciating Gates do a kit inc. water pump, but for me it would have to be a VAG pump to go with their belt kit. Of course, having said all that, it may well not be the timing belt/water pump assembly. Might be worth removing the auxiliary belt first and seeing if the noise disappears. If so, the noise will be associated with whatever it drives- alternator, P.S pump etc. Good luck with it. Kind regards, Gareth.

Many thanks Trevor. I'm absolutely useless at this clicking on a link thing! - but I just searched EBay under Audi centre arm rest latch and a stack of listings came up, but none for the A3 it seems. It appears VAG just do the main arm rest cover as a complete item, and want over £70 for their kindness. I have now seen something on You Tube where owners have used small magnets as an alternative to the clip. May try that if nothing else turns up. Many thanks and kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Steve, As it happens, I also have a Brilliant Red Sportback and have recently done some aerosol spray work on the car - in my case the front bumper- but I also have to do the rear bumper due to lacquer peel. Before we go on, I believe this lacquer peel is aggravated by the now very popular cheap car wash systems which use pressure washers. Cheap they may be , and they do a good job of making the car look good, but the trade off can be the adverse effect on the paintwork. If it doesn't actually lift the lacquer, it can cause it to go milky after sometime. I was surprised to learn that the undiluted cleaner used can literally take the skin off your hands, so if the dilution is worked out by the bucket and shovel method! then it's possible the paintwork is going to suffer. Not saying they are all bad, but for me it's the old bucket, good wax shampoo and hose job. Anyway Steve, back to reds and matches. Red is notoriously difficult to match and it is worth keeping in mind that small volume aerosol mixes will be very susceptible to minute (drop) differences in the tinters used in the mix. Perhaps stating the obvious, but if you are mixing say a litre then a small difference in tinter volume will not be so noticeable. Mix an egg cup full and minute differences are very much noticeable. It's down to the mixer and the accuracy of the equipment. Yes they will tell you red fades and they may admit to red being difficult to match, but.... I obtained my larger aerosol from a local paint supplier ( try googling your area for car paint suppliers) and although not perfect, is pretty good and you would not stop a galloping horse to find where the new and old meet. As it happens mine was a little darker, whereas yours is a bit lighter. Matching car paint is an art, and you will find that most body shops will spray into the next panel to take your eye off where you would expect the mis-match to be. You need (and they should be able) to get it fairly close, but if you look at any car - even brand new- you will find colour mis-matches between main bodies and bumpers, which I think is due to the bumpers being sprayed in volume, separated from the main bodywork. Not sure how much if this helps Steve. Goid lovk and kind regards, Gareth.

Hello, The black plastic clip arrangement on the lid of the centre arm rest on a 2006 A3 has broken (common-ish problem?). I notice they are available for the A6 for next to nothing on EBay. Does anyone know if they are the same by any chance - before I go to the main dealer? Many thanks and kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Joel, Can I take it you are referring to the "bulb-out" warning light being still illuminated? If so, appreciating you may have known that one brake light wasn't working and thought that was the only bulb which had failed, it could, and is most likely to be , that you have another bulb which has actually failed as well. You really need to do a full lighting check on the car - at dusk is easiest- to make sure all bulbs are lit when they should be. Be careful with rear (tail) light bulbs and don't assume because the light is lit that all is well. Some back lights actually have two tail light bulbs as a fail safe and if one has failed and only one works ( but still lights up the back light) then the warning light will stay on. Hope some of this helps, Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Sam, 5th gear problems can be associated with the gearbox itself rather than selectors or linkages etc. On some makes it is possible to effect repsire to 5th gear issues without actually removing the box - dealt with by removing the end cover. What part of Wales are you? You have "John the Box" near Swansea who has a good reputation. Not sure the actual trading name but should be Googleable under gearbox repairs Swansea. Hope this helps. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Victori, Probably of not much interest to your impending sale, but the TH series of registration letters was originally issued by Carmarthen, but later used by Swansea ( the city, not DVLA!). Of course the first 25 - or as it 24? - of any prefixed number was not originally released by DVLA but were retained for later sale under the cherished number scheme, so your V10 would have originally been sold via. the DVLA. In case it helps interested buyers, the number appears to be also listed with Registration Transfers. Good luck with its sale Victori, Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello, Bella Eli, Notice you are located in Wales (appreciating a big area, but...). You could try Pick up Spares at Swansea who are a large player in dismantling later cars. I guess you are trying the normal on- line dismantler enquiry sites. Can I take it your box is damaged, since it is only just out of warranty. If not externally damaged or not too internally knocked about , you could try John the Box (should be Googleable under gearbox reconditioning). He is on the outskirts of Swansea. Good luck, Gareth.

I was thinking about putting roof bars on the 2006 1.6 Special (sort of basic) Sportback, but there aren't any apparent anchor points. Would someone be able to clarify whether this is something to do with it being the base model or normal for most Spirtbacks of that period? Many thanks, Gareth.

Hello Sindre, Many thanks for the reply. I'm not sure if I am really helping you very much - might be more of a question of adding more confusion! Selling dealers may just suggest that the cambelt does not need changing when selling a car, since the buyer may try to negotiate this into the sale if it has not been done or will need doing in the near future. Experience does show that sometimes an owner will sell a car at the time of an expensive service (say including belt changes) and the dealer takes the car in and does a less major service at the time of resale. If it were mine Sindre, I would be ringing around some main dealers ( not where you bought it or have it service) and asking their advice on the change intervals. We have a 2006 1.6 which is now on 137,000 miles and the first belt was changed at around 70K ( when I think the specified time was then 7 years) - from memory and the second change a couple of years ago at around 110K, so this has had two belts in 10 years. It is best to talk with the service manager if possible rather than the service receptionist. Good luck Gareth.

Hello Sindre, Not sure where you obtained the recommendation for changing the timing belt at 120,000 kms, but it is of interest, since I have also taken it as this (75Kmiles). However, the important additional recommendation is that's it now needs to be changed more frequently so I believe on the time basis, at lower intervals of 5 years, so it's 75K miles or 5 years whichever comes FIRST and that is the important bit! If yours hasn't been changed then it is overdue on time by what I understand, and I certainly would not delay its renewal. Of course Sindre, my suggestion of removing the auxiliary belt will only work if you are hands on and equipped to be able to do this when the noise is present. If not, I think I would go for a cambelt and associated bits change as a matter of course and see what happens. If it helps, and you have a stethoscope, it would be worth checking the alternator and other externally driven components when you have the noise. Hope some of this might help. Good luck Gareth.

Hello Tom, As you probably know, LUK clutches are probably the best aftermarket kits you can buy. There are cheaper alternatives, but...... Not sure what you would have paid for this , but could I be right in thinking the DMF alone would exceed the price you are asking? Good luck in finding it a good home. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Sindre, My hearing is poor, so I'm not much use to you in terms of identifying the noise. If it were mine, ( and I have the same engine) then I would remove the auxiliary belt and run it up through the revs. to see if the noise is still there. If no, them obviously it's something driven by that belt - alternator, PS pump etc. If it's still there, I would be thoroughly inspecting the timing belt and the tensioner and water pump as a matter of urgency, What mileage has the car done, and do you know if the belt has been changed? If it hadn't been changed, I would be thinking seriously of changing it on an age basis. Of course, you will need to change the tensioner as well and inspect the water pump. Water pumps (strangely) are available on an exchange basis over here. If you are going to change the belt then my recommendation over here would be using - preferably an Audi kit- or only Gates as an alternative. Hope this may be of some help. Kind regards, Gareth.