Magnet

Hello Daryl, Perhaps a word of warning to those who may be tempted to follow your advice- specialist breathing mask equipment should be worn when using normal 2K products. It is designed for professional and not DIY use. Unlike DIY acrylic/cellulose products which dry with exposure to air, 2K dries by a hardening chemical reaction ( a la body fillers), so if you don’t want to have fine hardening mist in your lungs, then don’t use it without the appropriate equipment. And that’s before you consider the effects of the chemicals used in the hardening process. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Jamie, Thanks for coming back. Well, it may be worth getting the battery efficiency checked. Halfords used to do it. Buying a Halfords battery?? I always buy quality batteries from Varta/Bosch - buying on line with free delivery from on line sellers such as Battery Megastore, Tanya etc. Personally I would go for the above , but ensure it’s their grade which has a minimum of 4 years warranty. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Jamie, As a matter of interest/possible connection - Do you know when the battery was last changed and what make it is? Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. Take it your model has electric power steering?

Hello Daryl, Of course Cliff is right - you must claim against the seller. If they don’t respond, say by the end of the week, then I’d be tempted to issue them with a Small Claims court claim. Clutches and costs? Main dealer clutch components are expensive/uneconomical, so resorting to an aftermarket one makes sense in this case. Personally, I would only go for a LUK make. You could then ask for a labour cost from a trusted local garage. ‘Just switched from a Scooby’. Would you describe your driving style as being ‘enthusiastic’ by any chance? Kind regards, Gareth.

That’s Steve, It is there somewhere - complete with a photo as I recall. Silicates and lifespan of the engine? So we have gone from glycol, the whole OAT coolant spectrum and now into ‘coolant for life?? OK it was initially recommended that AOT coolant was replaced every 5 years, but in reality it seldom was, and still did service up to 10 years later. Now we are into silicate additives eh? My simple brain points me to ask:- is this little bag (or canister) of tricks adds silicate over time, why not simply increase the silicate level from day one to accommodate the so called loss over time? Hopefully someone will explain the technicalities! OK, apparently plus side to this. Downside - the ‘container’ breaks up and deposits crystals throughout the system. Bit of a bummer?? Its supposedly called progress. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Sam, Well worth peeling back the fluted rubber covering off the harness section which links main body to tailgate. Fairly common point for issue of broken/ part fractured wires due to flexing every time tailgate is opened/closed. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Steve, but even my ageing memory points me to recall someone else on here found a bag/bags of granules suspended in the coolant reservoir and was assured that it was then the norm. Why? I really can’t recall that answer - so over to your younger brain Steve! Canister as opposed to ‘bag’?? Kind regards, Gareth.

Why would you expect them to Fabian? As I said, the clutch assembly is a wear item and unlike the cambelt assembly, does not have a scheduled mileage/ time change. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Fabian, As with brakes, tyres etc., clutches are classed as wear items and their longevity will depend on driving style, car’s age and mileage, so there isn’t any schedule to recommend when the components should be renewed. Any particular reason for asking? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Si, Colin could be right, but as with all of us responding on this forum, it can only be a guess, since we never have access to examining the vehicle. When you say ‘the garage”, (who did the work) do you mean a main dealer, Audi specialist independent, or a local garage. If either of the latter, do you know what make parts were used, if not genuine Audi? If as Colin suggests, it’s a mechanical failure of one of the components in the cambelt assembly (and that does sound feasible), then that should be visible, without resorting to employing diagnostic testing, but I believe - but not certain with your model- that the front of the car has to be removed to gain access to the cambelt assembly. Can we take it the service and cambelt charges were considerable - perhaps you could share that information with us. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Kurt, I think the full answer rests with Audi UK, rather than an individual employee’s interpretation of the fact. Worth trying an e-mail to Audi Customer Services regarding its purpose an an ‘additive’ to the coolant fluid, and equally important, the resultant problems when the ‘container’ fractures, and who pays for the resultant issues. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello A?, Can we take it’s diesel? Smoke on start up can point to injector issues, but it would only be a guess. You will need to give us more information - which element of the emissions has it failed on? Dennis makes a very valid point. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Richard, I too wonder about Steve’s suggestion, since some of these solutions can be harsh when used in the wrong concentrations. What is your normal car cleaning regime Richard? Kind regards Gareth.

Hello Kurt, As with Steve,I had never heard of this before - before some one mentioned this on a forum post (last year?). I’m sure Steve with his much younger brain will locate it for you! Why a bag of granules?? Would it be possible to get a ‘why statement’ from Audi? Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Michael, Isn’t it just simpler to wander into your dealer and order what you want? Or if cheaper is important - as suggested, and neither of will require a part number. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Michael, Don’t want to pay Audi price and the likes of ECP are telling you there is more than one listed for your car? Fair enough. Have you tried TPS or Audi Parts Direct at Cardiff - both tend to give discounts on genuine parts. Alternative- think there was mention on here that someone had a Parts look up against VIN. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Neil, Sounds like it’s the type of car which would be worth advertising in the specialist press - such as Modern Classics, and even Classic Car Weekly and Classic Car Buyer - there are more. Kind regards, Gareth.

Turkey blaster? Superb Jack. Checking fluid levels between services? It’s a good insurance to set a routine of checking oil, coolant, brake fluid and washer fluid once a month, and before embarking on a reasonable long journey. All levels should be checked when cold - say first thing in the morning. Yes, I would be talking with another recommended garage and getting an independent opinion on the severity of this, and a costing for getting it sorted - if necessary. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Jack, What we know:- the coolant level pre-service was near to the min. mark when it shouldn’t be, so there had been some coolant leak over a period of time - when did you last check it? Powdered deposits ( normally pinkish) are indicative of coolant seepage. Full blown leaks would show up as that, so by your description, it sounds as if you have a minor weep/leak. Consequence? Leave it and it’s likely to get worse. Get this garage ( main dealer?) to fix it at the quoted price? I wouldn’t, without seeking a second opinion from another trusted local garage. Coolant tank filled to the top? Not desirable. If I were mine, I would be reducing the level to the max. mark when cold - this can be done with an old battery electrolyte tester where you squeeze a rubber bulb and it sucks up fluid. Once it’s back to the max. mark, you can monitor the amount of coolant loss. Hope this helps. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Llia, Have you tried visiting a local Audi dealership and asking there. I wouldn’t ask at reception, but ask to see their parts advisor. The Parts Dept, may well be able to give you a build date from your VIN. I wouldn’t try doing this over the telephone. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Simon, I’m sorry to hear of your discontent with this, and your understandable formal rejection of it. Although this procedure has been mentioned as an option previously, I just wonder how it actually works out in practice. Apart from the obvious inconvenience, will it be reasonable to expect that the owner will be out of pocket to some extent, via. expenditure which cannot be fully recouped for example. Will there be any form of goodwill compensation, and what will happen in a situation where a vehicle (subsequently sold?) was put in part exchange? I just wondered whether your experience from here on in may be helpful to others who may find themselves in the same situation, and whether you would be prepared to share the principles of them with the forum. Many thanks and kind regards, Gareth.

All the details you would need to know Saagar, but have I missed your listed price? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Josh, Looks a very nice, well cared for example, and obviously it’s found a good home. I guess it goes without saying that you have it insured on an agreed value basis. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Rob, What a superb looking example. All credit to you, and I trust it finds an equally good home. Kind regards, Gareth.

OK Tim, Although it’s great to be seeking advice via. the forum, it’s your (in caps) car which you have concerns about - irrespective of whether others experience similar issues or not. Question is - are you prepared to live with this issue? The buck really stops there. If you are fine, if not, then you are going to have to progress the resolution. Unfortunately, no one else can make that decision for you or make progress for you. If it were mine:- I would be speaking with the Bristol company, explaining your concerns and asking their advice on whether this is ‘normal’ and liveable-with. If they advise it is not, then they make be able to suggest the cost of rectifying the probes. Armed with this information, I would then e-mail the dealer principal, outlining your concerns and formally registering a discontent. Of course, you may wish to await further information via. the forum, but to me, that would just be delaying making progress. Kind regards, Gareth. Written while John was replying.