Magnet

OK, so now you are looking at checking you have a good earth at the bulb holder, and if this is confirmed - following my earlier advice. Let us know how you get on Parm. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Tony, Many thanks for being in touch and sharing your unfortunate experiences. I could be wrong, but this smacks for shoddy dealings with the leading company, rather than an inherent broad-brush-Audi issue. The explanation may go along these lines :- Your company contacts the leading company to supply you with a ‘certain type’ of car within a stipulated budget. The leading company may well have used Kia in the past since they were good value for money. Now? - good cars, but not as competitively priced as they were, so they cast the new further and find a good deal on an ‘over stocked’ stuck-in-the-compound A4, which the dealer has been unable to find a buyer for. Dealer offers it to the leasing company at a knock down price (loss?) - dealer doesn’t care what it’s like, so it’s up to the leasing company to try to present it at its best. They don’t care either, since it’s only going on lease. Outcome? - you are left with a non typical Audi car, which is ‘given’ to you, so you have little clout in all of this. I can only wish you well Tony, and as daft as it may sound, I would be hoping the situation deteriorates to a point where they offer you an alternative car. Perhaps you could keep us up to date on developments. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Parm, OK, so you’ve used a multimeter to check if you have 12v at the bulb holder - and you haven’t. Have you confirmed with the meter, that you have a good earth connection at the holder? That’s the next step, and obviously if you do, then you are lacking a 12 volt supply - always worth checking in this way, rather than assuming the earth connection is good. As Cliff says, you now have to look in your handbook and check what fuse supplies the boot light. The fuse may supply other associated lights, so obviously that will also give you a clue to whether the issue is fuse associated or not. If you have eliminated the fuse, it’s worth peeling back the rubber covering over the section of harness which runs from the body to the tailgate - often the site for otherwise unexplained electrical issues, since the wires are constantly flexed when opening and closing the boot, and can eventually fracture. Careful examination is required. Kind regards, Gareth.

Many thanks Kamran. Re. coolant loss. Warning light ( low coolant level in header tank) will only illuminate when the level is very low. What we are talking here is the good old fashioned visual check - on a regular basis - and not assuming all is well because a warning light isn’t showing. If it were mine, I would be checking the coolant level in the reservoir, when the car is cold and has stood for a few hours - say first thing in the morning. Top the coolant up as accurately as you can, to the Max mark. Run the car for 100 miles or so and check again after the car has sat overnight. Report back on whether the coolant level has dropped or not, and if it has, by how much. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello David, You don’t say what symptoms you have which lead you to suspect the efficiency of the fuel pump relay. In my book, if you have any concerns about this relay, then I would simply renew it (can’t be overly expensive) to either prove it’s at fault, or eliminate it. If cost is that important, then you may find that relays in other circuits share commonality, and can be swopped as a trial - but you must confirm the alternative is to exactly the same. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Kamran, Many thanks for coming back on this. If you have added a video to your last post, then unfortunately, it’s not working on my system. Having said that, I can envisage the picture from your description, except that I would like to confirm that we are still talking while smoke here - with no hint of blue, or any smell of burnt oil. One more question:- Is the car losing any amount of coolant? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello David, Thanks for being in touch. I’m sure you will appreciate that it’s always difficult to advise on such noises despite adequate description. I think you have taken the right course of action by returning the car to the supplying dealer (not a main dealer?) and seeking comment. If this were mine - and the supplying dealer was not an Audi dealer, then I would be seeking advice at your Audi dealership, and asking them to write down their diagnosis. If it was purchased from a main dealer, then I would return there and ask them to write down their explanation, since your original description is vague and you don’t understand what they mean. Even if you don’t actually understand the explanation, the explanation should be clearly understandable to those experienced enough to know what they are talking about. The final step I would take, would be to formally notify the seller of the issue in writing. Perhaps you could update the forum accordingly. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Greg, Wondered whether your quest to find the part number, as opposed to the actual part, is based on Audi’s price being considered too expensive. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Keith, Many thanks indeed for the feedback of information. Regrettably, this is rare, and others affected by the same issues, have no idea of how the matter was resolved - or not. Many thanks again Keith for keeping the forum updated. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello, Could you inform the forum what grade of steel yours are made from? Kind regards, Gareth.

First simple port of call would be to get the battery efficiency checked - if only to eliminate this as a possible cause.

Thanks Keith, Yes, sounds like you understandably still have the problem. ‘...don’t think we have a solution just yet’. Perhaps you could come back to us when you have inspected the suggested areas. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Ava, But the Audi specialist you list is in Australia, and the original poster was in difficulties in the U.K! We’ll forget about the fact that he joined the forum, asked for advice and never returned after the day he joined, but....... Just wondered whether you have any connection with the company you refer to? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Keith from the north Homeland, Thanks for being in touch. Strange! I’m not claiming this is the cause, but it’s worth pulling back the fluted harness cover twixt the body and the tailgate, and carefully examining all the individual leads. This section of the harness takes a hammering with opening and closing of the tailgate, ams wires can break/partly break, and cause issues. At best, it’s a quick and easy elimination point to follow. Logic may suggest partly broken wires could be in better contact with the tailgate lifted. If all is well there, then I would suggest looking around the button area. Water ingress? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Kamran, Thanks for coming back with the very helpful additional information. If you had a valve guide/seal issue, then the smoke would be blue, not white-ish, so based on what you show us so far, personally, I would be discounting the current diagnosis. We are talking petrol not diesel here? If diesel white smoke is usually due to unburnt diesel ( with associated smell). If this is petrol engined, then if the white smoke isn’t simply condensation in the exhaust - as it often is - it can be caused by burnt coolant via. coolant entering one of the cylinders, but let’s not jump to conclusions here, before we have the result of the test I suggested. Two points to reinforce:- Drive the car for at least 15 miles before carrying out the test. When your assistant holds the revs at a steady 2000rpm, make sure that steady rev. is maintained for at least 2 minutes while you observe the exhaust smoke and assess whether there is anything excessive or variable. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. Is the car using any coolant?

Hello Z? I don’t have any good reason to have allegiance to main dealers, and yes, plugging the car into sophisticated diagnostics equipment is indeed an easy way to make big money - as you say. But Z, if it’s that simple, why aren’t we all buying the expensive equipment, paying for updates, setting ourselves up in workshops, paying the local authority many tens of thousands of pounds in rates, employing technicians - and hey presto, making a fortune! If only Z! Then of course - what price is experienced diagnosed opinion? How much does a short private consultation for medical issues cost these days? Anyway, Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Ross, Battery make? If the battery retains its voltage when disconnected, then you have a parasitic drain, and I would strongly advise using the services of an auto electrician to find the offending circuit - unless you are equipped with the knowledge (and suitable meter) to do it yourself. Kind regards, Gareth.

OK Ross - the story has now changed from the car starts, to the car doesn’t alway start. Different diagnosis then! Detail is king when trying to diagnose anything at a distance. So indeed it sounds as if something is wrong, and the indicated efficiency is probably not at fault. If this were mine, I would be getting the car checked for a parasitic drain i.e. checking what current the car battery is drawing when the car is fully locked up and immobilised. This should be measured after at least a minute after the car has been locked up, to ensure the system has ‘set’. Ideally, the current draw should be not much over 50mA. I would not be entrusting this to a local garage, but to a trusted local auto electrician. If the current draw is more than that, then it’s a question of isolating each circuit in turn until the offending circuit is found. More detail later if necessary. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. ‘......changed battery under warranty..’. What make battery was the ‘old’ one, and what make has now been fitted?

Hello Kamran, Thanks for being in touch. What colour smoke are we talking here? When you carried out the full service, what grade and brand of oil did you use - and what brand of filter was used? Re smoke and keeping the car running for a year or so as it is:- This will depend on the severity of the smoke, and it’s effect on emissions at MOT time. Would I be guessing you bought it with a new MOT? You could carry out the following test:- Ensure oil and water levels are up to their marks when cold, then take the car on a 15 mile run to ensure the oil I’d fully up to operating temperature. Immediately on return, leave the car idle for at least a couple of minutes, then get an assistant to rev. the car at a steady 2000rpm while you observe any initial smoke emission. If initially visible and excessive, continue to hold that rev for at least another couple of minutes and observe whether the initial smoke disappears and whether any other smoking subsequently occurs. Report back to the forum. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Mark, Thanks for coming back. Yes, if it were mine, I would certainly be registering a formal complaint with Audi UK, and state that you require a response within 2 weeks. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Ross, Logic would suggest that the reading is incorrect. Possible to recalibrate it via. plugging it into some sophisticated kit? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Mark, Thanks for being in touch. I too would be dissatisfied with the issue you have with the passenger side seatbelt, and let’s hope a forum member with the same model year will respond and give some comparison. If this were mine, I would be wanting to progress this by escalating the issue, rather than accepting what you have been told. Of course, the car is under warranty, and Audi have the responsibility for proving there isn’t anything wrong with the car. My ports of call would be to search for another another dealer who has a similar model on stock, and show an interest in the car and make an appointment to view - assuming this is Covid possible. Obviously you will then establish whether that one is the same. It is worth bearing in mind, and pointing out as necessary that these cars are designed for the mass left hand drive market, and not the minority RHD, so you are really talking the normal driver side belt operation in real terms. Perhaps you could let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Ross. Now you will have to pardon my ignorance, but what actually reads 10% on your model? A battery condition/efficiency gauge? Irrespective of what this reading indicates, if a battery reliably turns the engine over at a speed adequate to start the car, then we must suspect the ‘gauge reading’ rather than the battery itself. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Ross, Irrespective of the old battery reading being low, did the car actually start OK? Also does the car start Ok with its new battery? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Phil, Thanks for being in touch. Not wanting to be unhelpful, but the answer to your very valid concerns rests with the supplying dealer, and obviously must be covered by the warranty. If this were mine, I would be booking this is for investigation and asking for a Covid-acceptable road run to demonstrate the issue. Perhaps you would be kind enough to come back to the forum to let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.