Magnet

Hello Matej, It seems you are looking to buy an aftermarket filter (I consider Mann to be a good alternstive) rather than a VAG one. Slightly cheaper? If you buy via. a main dealer, then they should have the information to provide you with the correct one. Worth saving a little by buying aftermarket and having doubts?? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello ?, Having read your post, I think your Audi chaps are offering sound advice by suggesting you use a diesel specialist to further the investigations. My first stab at this would be to get a leak-back test done on the injectors to test their efficiency, and I would expect a diesel specialist would go down that line and others to solve your problem. If you enter your location then it's possible that someone on here may be able to recommend someone in your area. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello John, May be a bit modern for these folks, but might be worth having a word with Thorntons (at Welshpool). Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Tony and Steve, Tony - Can we take it that the handbrake does actually engage, and indeed disengage properly when the car is at rest, and the only problem is that it disengages similar to how a fly-off handbrake would, rather than a gradual release when starting on a hill? Although I can ask the question, I cannot answer it without knowledge of whether it should or shouldn't release gradually on a manual gearbox car. Steve- is yours manual or auto? If manual then it obviously points to something being wrong with Tony's. If auto then it is of course an automatic hold and release on any gradient. If Tony's is as it should be then it's a bit like driving the manual Mercedes with the foot-hand-brake. Clutch control at its best, and not very entertaining! Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Steve, As you are probably aware, you will first need to obtain a Retention certificate for the number and this costs around £110 (or did) and will entitle you or someone who buys it from you to transfer it onto another car without cost, but the cost will be down to you to start. You will of course then need to buy another set of number plates which will return your current car back to what it was originally, but for £110 plus the cost of the replacement plates, you will have a number to sell. Registration Transfers (and there are far more) will value the number for you and my experience is that that valuation will be "encouraging" and they will advertise it for you without charge and offer you the agreed 'price back to you' price. Fast forward some time (and in my case it was almost 10 years before I gave up!) and it is possible you will be asked whether you want to bump it up and pay an advertising cost or perhaps reduce your 'back to you price'. You may get - as I did- a discussion about a rock bottom offer from which they deduct the cost of the retention cert ( for which I held and had paid for!) - experienced sales person turned out to be inexperienced and that info.was wrong in my case, and at which point the interested purchaser disappeared! Now it's possible to have them advertise the number while it remains on your car and a prospective buyer then pays for the transfer. Sounds fine, but I think you will, find there would be very little left in the pot for you when all is said and done - to a not worth the bother level. If it were mine, I would be looking on the DVLA website for similar format/layout numbers which can be bought straight from them at a price which includes the transfer fee and it would not surprise me if around £250 might be the buying price. So if it goes to Reg. Transfers, taking the £110 transfer fee, plus repalcement plate costs for your car plus Reg.mTransfers commission it could leave you with enough to buy a packet of !Removed!! I really would look at what DVLA are selling similar ones (including transfer costs ) for and go from there. I appreciate this is all very pessimistic and Reg. Transfers valuation may appear to make it seem attractive to follow up, but.... Possibly worth thinking about why the previous owner didn't sell it. I guess you didn't pay a premium for the car because of the number (hope not) so I would take it as valueless (in real terms) and move on buying your replacemnt number. Having said all of that, it is just possible at someone may fancy it and be prepared to cover the cost of transfer plus some added funds. You could be lucky Steve. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Allan, I would go with Steve's suggestion for a starter. I would advise that you remove the inner panel and indeed this may give up some clues of where this water is getting in (via evidence of stains etc.), and thoroughly dry the inside of the tailgate. You could then tape over the top outside paintwork to glass area, overlapping from paintwork to glass. I would just do the top join to start and test with a hose. If this does not eliminate the problem then add additional tape to each side join (one at a time) and finally the bottom glass to paintwork. The idea of doing this one section at a time is that you will know which one solves it - if it does. Another possible source could be where the flexible electrical wiring harness runs from the main body into the tailgate frame. Possibly some of this might help. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Tom, Thanks for filling in some of the detail. It's now fair to expect that you need a specific answer whether you should/when you should change this cambelt and its associated components. Perhaps someone can come up with the official recommendation for you which will be x years or x miles whichever comes first. Say 8 years or 80k miles could be taken as a guide, but from my side, a guide only it would be, while we wait for a more informed reply. Of course, you could contact your local dealer and they will definitely advise you, and they often have offers on these sort of critical jobs. My concern would be that although you may still be within the change limits, you are uncertain of what quality of components were used, and water pumps in particular are known to be of highly variable quality from aftermarket suppliers, and form a critical link in this application. My advice:- contact a couple of the nearest dealers and ask for the recommended change information and see if there are any offers on at the moment. As I said in my original reply, I think you are wise to fact find this. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Tom, This is always going to be a critical issue since failure is likely to result in catastrophic engine problems. If this has been correctly dealt with in your ownership then you should have confidence that 4 years and 50k miles should still be within an acceptable service period. However, if let's say the 'cambelt was changed' - i.e. just the belt was changed, then things may not be as serviceable as they should be. Probably the bill will reveal the important detail. Perhaps you could let us know and I'm sure help will be at hand. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Chris, I also add to the welcoming comments and interest in your car's arrival after the long wait - a wait which I'm sure will be well worth enduring. One thing I would possibly add to as comment is that if I had had to wait for 5 months, then I would be inclined to wait for an extra 3 weeks to ensure it as registered under the new 67 plate registration rather that the outgoing 17 plate, which finishes on 31st August. Despite what they may tell you, a 67 plate 2017 car will have a greater value than a 17 plate 2017, and this is why August tends to be a quieter month for new car registrations, and they really welcome those who are prepared to have new cars registered under the old outgoing registration rather than wait to have the new plate. Anyway Chris - enjoy the car. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Tom, Good to hear you are concerned to do the right thing in respect of cambelt changes. A couple of questions:- What date (year) was the belt changed when the mileage was 75K? What make parts were used at the last change- Audi, or aftermarket (what make if so?) and was the water pump changed at the same time, and if so, again what make? Kind regards, Gareth.

Some people know how to treat the ladies! Very useful though.

Hello Paul, I'm not sure if I'm reading this correctly, but has the centre come out of the actual jet surround and left a hole where it should have been? If so, I think the basic holder is "clipped in" from the outside with the normal expanding/contracting lugs, and once in position, cannot be extracted from the outside. If so, you will guess what that leads to! Kind regards, Gareth.

T'riffic! Now there's something else I've got to worry about not knowing!

Hello Thomas, I'm with Steve on this, or you could try some leather dressing ( Autoglym or others ) on the surfaces which touch. Might be just worth a try. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Paul, What the heck is a URL!? - no don't tell me, I'm just too old! When I first started working the technology to drive a now simple pocket calculator would have taken a 12ft. X 12ft room with computer hardware in cabinets from floor to ceiling and 2ft deep. No room for URLs in there! Try Googling the exact search I mentioned and you will find it under Images. Good luck, Gareth.

Hello Piotr, This reply is probably not going to be of much use, and but it would appear from the photos that the rust is not perforated (through) rust, but more likely to have started as surface rust which has just got worse with time. As I understand it, the warranty applies to perforated rust , so it's possible (likely?) that they will not consider it under guarantee, but good luck, and well worth an assessment. If it turns out you cannot claim, then I assume you will attempt to deal with this yourself, and I'm sure you will know how to do that, and follow the repair with a good wax treatment of the area with something like Waxoyl. I hope your claim goes well. Kind regards, Gareth.

OK Alan. I really can't point you in any other direction apart from the one most troublesome point for boot electrics issues, so I guess that's me done. As a matter of interest, I've just Googled "Audi A4 cabriolet boot lock wiring diagram" and came up with a few examples on there - some with the colour codes as well, but I guess you've been there. Good luck, Gareth.

Hello Alan, Did you check the wiring for breaks/shorts where it does through the flexible harness visible when you open the boot? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Stuart, Many thanks for the helpful reply, and we can now (unfortunately!) eliminate the dealer from any involvement with this since it hasn't been in their hands for servicing - and therefore cleaning. Taking your point about using a jet washer to rince to car, I wonder if you could let us know your exact procedure and products used for cleaning the car from scratch when you do it. So we take it you have never had it cleaned by anyone else? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Gordon, I would tend treat this as you would with an old property which is showing signs of damp. The first port of call must always be the condition of the roof, and this should be attended to first. I'm not sure whether this car is relatively new to you, or whether you have had it some time. If you have had it some time, then you will obviously know when the roof was last treated - if not, you of course won't. I would start with weatherproofing the roof with something like Fabsil or similar, or indeed one if the appropriate Autoglym products. Start along the edge above the door and work your way towards the middle, then from the middle to the other side, to avoid a dry edge by starting in the middle and working to one side. Even if this doesn't solve your leak problem, you will find it to be a good insurance for the future, and then you can look elsewhere. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Ken, I'm with Steve on this, and favour the possibility that this is a "broken off" plug for something like a fog or spot light if fitted. It would be worth checking that all the lights are working. Other possibly is that it's a dislodged horn connector. Should be two horns? - and perhaps only one working, I think it's great you are encouraging you son to take a responsible attitude to his motoring, and introducing good thoughts of whether it is safe to drive or not. On that topic I would say it's always difficult to judge things at a distance with forum replies, so if there is any doubt on a car being safe to drive it should always be checked out for assurance at a local garage as soon as possible. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Stuart, Thanks for coming back. Are you confident that this car has never been cleaned with a jet wash while in your keeping - never? Honest - never? Can I take it an Audi dealer has serviced the car while in your ownership (the same dealer currently in question)? If yes, did they return the car to you, having cleaned it? See my drift!? I would certainly agree with Steve and I would persue this. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Alan, Sirty to hear of your troubles. A couple of questions:- when you say you have charged and checked the battery and found it to be OK, does that mean you have charged the battery and had it tested and evaluated its % efficiency? If yes, then obviously you can discount the battery. If you haven't actually had its efficiency checked then you will need to. You say the battery will discharge (if left connected on the car?) in 24 hours. Assuming you have had the battery checked snd it is serviceable then something is still "running" when the car is switched off, and that current draw will be in excess of 2amps, and that would equate to some part of the curcuit demanding over 24 watts of power - high! - to say the least. If this is truely the case ( and personally I would disconnect the battery for 24 hours and confirm it then holds it charge) the you will need to establish which curcuit is at fault. You won't do this with your average multi meter since they generally will only accommodate mA of DC current. If you have a meter which will hands say 5 amps DC then you will need to take the earth lead off and connect the meter between the battery earth terminal and the earth lead and measure the current. You then remove each fuse in turn until the current draw reduces to next to nothing. Obviously the removed fuse points you towards the curcuit which is at fault. Such faults can sometimes be associated with broken wires where the cabling goes into the boot via. the flexible sheathing. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. Courtesy lights would need to be isolated if you have the door open.

Hello Stuart, Sorry to hear of your unexpected issue. I'm just wondering if you have owned the car from new. Perhaps you could let us know.At least it sounds like it's been bucket and water cleaning during your ownership, and that's great. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Lauren, I like Steve's idea of wandering into you local Audi dealer and asking them to search their database for cars that fit your requirements. This might mean some travelling to see what you want (personally I would not buy from photos) but at least it might give you a choice. Good luck, Gareth.