Magnet

Sorry, haven’t a clue what this is about, and my instinct is to be suspicious of the total post.

Main dealer history on a 12 year old car, won’t be worth the paper it’s been written on - to you as the would-be seller when you come to sell it. To me, the all important factor is to be able to talk directly with the proprietor, and avoid the need for secondhand comments from front of house receptionists. This is particularly important where repairs are necessary - beyond normal servicing. Well worth building up a rapport with a trusted local garage. Regards, Gareth.

Thanks Mike, So are these still available with you, and if so, at what price?

Thanks Steven, How long has it taken you to cover 800 miles, so we/you can calculate your anticipated annual miles. Only at this point can it be determined whether you are on the correct service schedule. I would bear in mind the possibility that the oil in the car at delivery may contain ‘running-in’ agents, which will be lost if the oil is changed now. Perhaps I shouldn’t comment on this, but you have invested many tens of thousands of £s on this vehicle, so can I be excused for thinking why another £140 is considered an uneconomical proposition. VAG’s oil isn’t manufactured by Castrol or Mobil. Although previously manufactured by Castrol, and sold under VAG’s Quantum brand, it is now manufactured by Fuchs - still branded Quantum. It might be worth being prepared that the oil for you car, maybe specially blended, and might only be available in 1 litre quantities via VAG dealerships, or sold in the old 40 gallon drum quantities, for dealers to use for servicing. Regards, Gareth.

How can a 2021 car be three years old in January 2026 Ian? If indeed it still is within warranty, then the paintwork should be a claimable issue - if (in caps) it hasn’t had any rectification - which they will test with a paint thickness gauge. Possibly pessimistic, but even if it is deemed to be factory original, they will claim the issue has been caused by the use of aggressive chemicals. What has been your cleaning regime since May? Regards, Gareth.

It surprises me that you are getting zero on all cylinders , yet noticing the escape of air (compression) when disconnecting the tester. If indeed there is zero on all cylinders, then a next move could be to check the valve timing in case the chain has jumped some teeth - but it’s all guess work!

Interesting list of negative comments Tim. Positive- It’s free! I seriously doubt whether your main dealer experience will be that much different from most others, where you simply speak with a service receptionist, and you are in their hands in terms of what they decide to pass on to the technician. There are a significant number of owners who firmly believe that anything short of a main dealer service history is inadequate, and take some comfort in being addressed as Mr….. and offered a free cup of coffee, so ……. What were your boiled-down major discontents with the service you received, compared with your expectations? What is your intention for the on going maintenance of the car Tim? Regards, Gareth.

Sounds typical of a current/past washing regime using a jet wash.

Need to then.

Thanks Tim, As I said earlier, I think this issue is likely to be attributed to a (now known to be ) concentric slave cylinder. The seller could argue that if it is that which is at fault, then they only pay for replacing that component - gearbox out job. Betterment could then be considered to be replacing the flywheel, clutch plate and cover, the cost of which could (reasonably?) be down to you, and the cost to the seller being the slave cylinder and the labour to remove and refit the gearbox. Your betterment cost could then be the cost of flywheel, plate and cover, plus say 1.5 hrs to fit these parts. Anyway, all rather academic, since the car is going back. Regards, Gareth.

Thanks Ryan, Any objection with taking it back to the cambelt fitters?

Hello Ryan, My suggestion:- Do not touch the car, but get it transported back to the garage(?) that renewed the cambelt. Any attempt to DIY diagnose the cause may invalidate the guarantee you have with the belt fitment. Did you supply the parts by any chance, or were they supplied by the garage? Was the water pump and auxiliary belt changed at the same time? Regards, Gareth.

Removed all (in caps) spark plugs before testing each cylinder in turn? Checked your new compression tester on a known good engine?

Welcome Steven, Can we take it this is just for an inter-service top up? If so, you really need to visit your Audi dealer and buy a litre of the oil they will choose for you according to your reg. no. Yes, I know you will pay a bit extra, but this takes away any future claim that you used the incorrect oil. Make sure you keep the receipt in case needed for evidence at sometime. Please come back to us with the answer to the question. Regards, Gareth.

Welcome Stephen, and thanks for joining. What mileage has the car done, and at what intervals has it been serviced? If you do a forum search for ‘gearbox oil service’ you should come up with a number of threads covering this, and mainly dismissing Audi’s claim that it doesn’t require servicing. Please let us know what you think/decide. Regards, Gareth. p.s. when you use the Search box, please select ‘Everywhere’ from the drop down menu.

Not sure if you are extracting the urine here, and we are all wasting our time trying to help you! Last chance to attempt to get some sense:- Let us know step by step exactly how you used the compression tester to measure the compressions on each cylinder. Any answer such as ‘I stuck it in the plug hole’ will render me out of the game as well, so please take your time and sit down and go through your procedure step by step. Regards, Gareth.

Exactly how did you check the compression on each cylinder?

So simple question;- Have you taken the cambelt cover off and checked the cambelt? If not, are you going to?

Hello Tanzeel. No compression? That’s exactly why I asked you if the engine spins over faster than normal! If you don’t have any compression ( as you have now proved) then it must do. Have you checked the cambelt/chain?

Thanks Mike, Could well be due to an air lock - let’s hope so. Please let us know how things progress. Regards, Gareth.

Thanks Kevin, but you have just repeated the question I tried to advise on in my reply to you. Re. costing:- depended on whether the tray is still in tact or not. Whether you supply the new fixings or not. Difficult to estimate labour costs since we don’t have any idea who you intend using, but I would guess at an hour’s work.

Hello Kevin, Worth looking on EBay for fixings similar to the remaining one. Usually self tapping screws that go into a slide on captive chimney nut. Buy stainless self tappers. I’ve used Kay’s Fasteners ( on EBay) to good effect. Regards, Gareth.

Hello Jill, If it were mine, I’d shop around for non-Audi ones, many of which have ‘cut lines’ to allow trimming to fit (if necessary). Your card will very much appreciate you staying away from Audi. Regards, Gareth.

Just be careful - they can be slippery in the wet, but handy to put under a wheel if you get caught in the snow!

Hello Paul, Just wondering what the updated situation now is with the problem. Regards, Gareth.