Magnet

Hello Alan, We’ve had a spate of ‘does anyone know the part number?’ posts over the last week. Doing a quick search on here should provide you with your next step. Having said that, in your case, I would just wander into your local main dealer and order what you want. They will be able to indentify them from their schematic. OK they may cost you a few more £s but will minimise the hassle. Regards, Gareth.

Under the old guidance of 75K or 5 years, the all important caveat was ‘whichever comes first’. Under that dictate, the cambelt should have been changed last year. We have members on here doing less than 7k/a, so they won’t need to change the belt until the car is 20 years old - good luck with that! The fact that this recommendation has changed since the introduction of the engineeringly-averse stop/start system just renders this totally illogical. Has your car been operating on a working stop/start system since you have owned it Ingrid?

Any help to you John? ’I’m not a post and run merchant!’ You are to date John!

Size?

Hello Jay, So what size wheels and tyres do you have now, and same question in regard to the RS3 you are considering? Regards, Gareth.

Are you now able to answer the points raised in the post of Wednesday last? Regards, Gareth.

Welcome Robert, If I was in your situation, I would be more concerned about this car’s history of faults, before worrying about what might go wrong. Have you:- Done an on line DVLA vehicle check to see when the last V5 was issued - if recent, could be due to a returned faulty vehicle? Carried out an on-line MOT history check? Actually seen copied evidence of the seller’s claims re. service history? If everything still adds up - pay £9.99 for a VCheck car history report. This will give you important information inc. whether it’s been through auction/s. Please let us know how you get on. Regards, Gareth. re. ongoing servicing, what is your anticipated annual mileage?

Thanks for coming back Tom. My point is this:- If you simply asked them to change the gearbox oil without revealing any reason why, then you don’t have any redress for the fault remaining as was, or your reluctance to now pay an additional cost for a diagnostic check - for which understandably you would have to pay for. Apologies if I’ve got this wrong, but that’s my interpretation of what I understand you have said.

Thanks Kevin, but I think you blow your own argument out of the water. This isn’t about mileage covered, but the now lack of ‘…. x years, whichever comes first’. That interval was taken to be 5 years.

I’m not sure I follow your logic of not informing the dealer of your reason to ask them to change the gearbox oil - and refusing to pay labour charges.

Thanks Steve, Read ‘Brake discs and pads part number’ thread 4 Oct and more. You will find all the tips you need there.

Hello Steve, I guess you haven’t done a forum search under say ‘Part number’. There have been a few similar requests for part numbers in the last couple of weeks or so - will save repeating the recommendations already given. Please let us know how you get on Steve. Regards, Gareth.

Hello Ingrid, I too am very sorry to hear of your issue, but surprised? No. It’s of no consolation, but you will find numerous threads on here on the subject of VAG’s modified dictate on cambelt change intervals - which is now limitless on a time basis. You will find that all my responses point to - do not follow their advice - in clear terms together with my reasoning. Low annual mileage vehicles ( such as yours) take a hammering in terms of stop/start ( an engineeringly adverse system), short runs and gear changes and obviously the cambelt becomes more highly stressed than a vehicle running at 70mph on the motorway. What to do from here? Some valves will (in caps) be bent, due to valves hitting the pistons, so just fitting a cambelt is pointless. Worse possible case is conrods may also be slightly bent. Stevey Y is your man here, and as pessimistic as it is, getting anything out of VAG will be a more trouble than the worth of it route. Even if they do offer any degree of compensation - and it’s a big if - you will find that the whole job via an Audi dealer will cost you far more when they discount VAG’s compensation, than it would do at an independent. You need to find yourself someone who you can trust, and above all talk to, not receptionists at an Audi dealership. All the forum can offer you Ingrid, is all the support and advice you will need - we are on tap for you. Please keep in touch. Regards, Gareth.

Sorry to hear that Tom, When you booked the car in to the Audi dealer, what was your request to them for what you wanted done, and did you clearly explain why - i.e. the symptoms you were experiencing?

Sorry about the additional questions Stephen, but did the battery suppliers and fitters:- Also check the alternator output? Code the new battery to the car? Regards, Gareth. p.s. Questions asked in relation to the car behaving properly for some days after.

OK Tom, I give up. I never said I have any aversion to giving my (in caps) name to anyone - I do so daily on here. I think you’ve got the wrong end of the stick in relation to the lighthearted (all good intentions) example of marketing. The point of the example:- receptionist takes customer’s name so that she may convey it to the Parts dept. and they will then address him by name when the line is connected, because that’s the new dictate. Parts man however responds as he always used to ‘Parts’ - no ‘Hello Mr… you are through to the Parts dept’… I can’t believe I’m doing this!!! Anyway Tom, good luck with the Car Makers U.K. Office and their Partners or Dealers, or whatever. You are right of course, and it is indeed off topic. Why did I start this? Regards, Gareth.

Blinking heck. What aspect of the Name thing are you disagreeing with Tom? The terminology of Partner/Dealer? Giving your name to the above? If it’s the latter, then my post was simply aimed at a light hearted example of how that principle works in practice.

What a load of xxxocks. Just don’t encourage them by following their terminology and keeping some marketing guy in a job. Puts me in mind of a dealership who wanted to be more ‘customer focussed’ by addressing their customers by name. Customer rings up dealership to buy some parts. Receptionist answers -‘ Good morning you are through to ….,my name is ….. how may I help you? ‘I want your Parts dept. Please’. ‘Certainly, may I have your name please?’ ‘Why do you want that?’ ‘So when the Parts Dept answers they will be able to address you by name.’ ‘Ok it’s Mr. Thomas’. ‘Thank you Mr. Thomas, I’ll transfer to the Part Dept now’. ’Parts, what do you want’! Don’t encourage them Tom.

Hello Damian, I’m very sorry to hear of your unfortunate family situation any additional problems/responsibilities must be something you could do without. Have you read my last post? Based on that, and your circumstances, my thought process comes up with the following:- If it ain’t broke, do you want to fix it? Money is tight, so why bother to spend to hopefully resolve a problem for another 3 months of use. Parts won’t be cheap if it’s anything like the U.K? If the problem can be minimised by running the heater then again why bother? The car doesn’t appear to be in a condition where it’s likely to come to a catastrophic end in the next couple of months. You have 4 jobs Damian, so where are you going to find the time to undertake this work, leave alone the inconvenience of being without it while you attempt to fix it? My mind points me to whether you may want to undertake this work to boost the moral. Apologies if I’m well off line here. Regards, Gareth.

Enter your registration number into Parts in Motion ( Exeter) website. It should come up with a choice of Apec (Part no. AST 6844) or Delphi TA 1069 for less than £8 each inc. postage. Put your Audi part number in an EBay search and you should come up with a choice of suppliers and brands, but my experience points to good service and competitive prices from P in M. Please let us know how you get on John. Regards, Gareth.

Thanks Ricky, Have you carried out the inspection Cliff suggests? Well worth doing so before giving up on the DIY solution route.

I’m not convinced this engine falls into the ‘skinny piston rings’ era - believe that was post 2008 - but I could be wrong, and often am! Yes, doable, but why spend good money and time on stripping this engine, and perhaps? finding it is indeed a skinny ring engine and fitting a new set (if available) of skinny rings into an engine with likely worn bores? It’s been decades since (the U.K.) has moved away from engine reconditioning and such businesses given up completely or simply concentrating on the classic car engines where this work is justified. Regards, Gareth.

Welcome John, Could you please let us know where you have tried and failed so far to avoid members suggesting where you have already tried. Regards, Gareth.

Thanks Claire, I must agree with Cliff, and in my book too, your question raises the need for more information from you, and driving style is indeed uppermost. Could you kindly let us know what aspects in particular draws you to the conclusion that your current budget tyres are ‘useless’? Are you prepared to pay the price for premium branded tyres? Apologies Claire, we really do want to be helpful, but we do need to have more information, otherwise you might end up with going dancing in wellies!

Thanks Tom, No, as Cliff says, the buck stops with the vendor (the selling Audi dealer), and not Audi U.K. It will be the Audi dealers responsibility to seek redress from Audi U.K. if they want to. Where does ‘Partner’ come from then? How long before this forum will be talking ‘hood’, ‘trunk’, ‘rocker panels’ etc.