Magnet

Thanks Chris, My main concern - and I still maintain it is of more importance than the general condition of the vehicle - is you will leave it with them, and they will subject it to the emission recall, and by the consensus of earlier experience both you and your wallet will be adversely affected. Why not book it to a trusted local independent. We can only advise you on the basis of ….if it were mine…. Would you please do us a kindness Chris and let us know how you get on.

We can see you have returned to the forum, but not yet responded to questions asked. Shall we trust that you will respond over the weekend?

Please let us know what develops Matthew.

If you read back on this forum you will find many references to VAG’s current recommendation re cambelt change intervals and the removal of any time limit. Follow it at your peril, particularly with low annual mileage vehicles where the belt get far more of a hammering that that on a high mileage motorway vehicle. Your vehicle is approaching 9 years old and so is an around 5K/a, and should be due for its second belt change in 2 years time - by the previous recommendation. Your call Matthew, but if this belt decides to part company, then your vehicle will end up as beyond economical repair. It would be well worth reading through the threads before deciding that ‘it might not be that big an issue anyway’. Please let us know what you think.

Hello Matthew, The prefix number 6PK is used by Gates, but maybe used by other ‘aftermarket’ suppliers as well. If it is Gates, then it’s a reputable make. The problem is that Audi were/are? using Gates belts at the factory, and also in their replacement kits bought from the main dealers. The the answer to you question remains difficult since it could well be the original belt, or it could be a replacement Gates belt fitted to replace the original! Having said that, it does look newish from the photo, but….? Does your independent have access to record onto the VAG computerised service system? If so, what is recorded there? Regards, Gareth. p.s. Gates often has a use-by date on the box included in the VAG kit (usually 4 years on) so if all fails, it might be worth passing this passed Gates Technical for an opinion. Regards, Gareth. p.s. Was the auxiliary belt changed at the same time? If not, it should have been.

That’s fine Stuart (youngster by the way!). If the wet handling is indeed that bad then you are doing the right thing by replacing them. Interesting last paragraph which obviously demonstrates that a lot of people are brand conscious and can automatically deduce that any spurious brand = ‘ditch finder’. Some are I guess, and your experience has been useful.

Hello again Stuart, Your choice of course, but it has become very trendy to classify all non-premium brand tyres as ‘ditch finders’. This may well be true if your driving style is ‘enthusiastic’. We walk the promenade at the local seaside resort, and I’ve got into the habit ( yes I know it’s daft) of looking at 3ish year old prestige vehicles, and surprise, surprise - many/a lot are running on Chinese budget tyres. It would be interesting to know:- How would you describe your driving style - enthusiastic or not? What causes you to conclude Triangle tyres are rubbish? I confess I don’t have any experience of them, hence the question. Regards, Gareth.

Hello Chris, If you read back over the years of the issues associated with emission recalls, then you will keep the vehicle as far away as possible from any Audi dealer, otherwise it will likely cost you and your wallet a lot of disappointment. Taking any 11 year old car to a main dealer for a ‘free’ health check would be unwise in my book, since whatever they find wrong with it will likely be due to wear and tear and not covered by your 3 month warranty, and they will mess it up re the recall. I would avoid any contact in that direction like the plague, but it’s your car. Regards, Gareth.

Please let us know what your eventual choice is Stuart, since this may help others to decide in the future.

Thank you Christine, For the benefit of other members who may experience a similar issue in the future, would you please share the solution with the forum? Regards, Gareth.

Hello again Stuart, With the necessary 35 profile tyres, this car is going to ride like a horse and cart! Add to that the fact that they understandably have to be XL (extra load) rated, means that it will ride like a horse and cart on a rough track. I’m afraid this is the penalty of fancy large diameter wheels. You have to hope that run flat tyres are not specified, since if they are, you just as well buy some solid hard rubber and wrap that around the wheels. Don’t forget that the Y speed rating must also be respected. Premium brand tyres are likely to cost you two arms and two legs. In case it helps, I’m currently using mid range Kumho to good effect on a non Audi. Falken may also be worth considering. It is important that all four tyres are 245/35/19 /93Y XL. Any deviation may adversely affect any insurance claim. Regards, Gareth.

Hello Stuart, The definitive answer lies in your handbook or inside the fuel cap where you will find tyre pressures and sizes. Pardon my ignorance of your vehicle but Sportster isn’t know to me, but would I be right that this 4 wheel drive? If so, fitting new tyres on the front with part worn on the back would not be good news for the 4WD system. Regards, Gareth.

Welcome Simon, sounds very nice. Look forward to seeing some photos. Regards, Gareth.

Welcome Shaebi, Graham hasn’t been on here for over 6 months, so it would be better to PM him in the hope he still uses the same e-mail address. Please let us know how you get on. Regards, Gareth.

No problem Paul, Good luck in finding it a home.

Thanks Paul, I’ve removed your phone number since is an open forum. Interested parties can PM you. Just to clarify, is the tyre brand new and unused? The photos indicate it’s ‘been on the road’. Regards, Gareth.

Welcome Colin, and sorry to hear of your issue. ‘….. I’ve checked the battery and it seems OK…..’. If that decision was arrived at by a simple voltage check with a multimeter, then it’s effectively a meaningless ‘not-under-load’ assessment of its efficiency. My first port of call would be to get a proper test done on the battery - Halfords stores (shops) do this - and you should then have a report on the cold cranking amps etc. and an overall % efficiency. If it is found to be sub standard then if you have any respect for your wallet, come back to us and we can advise on where to get branded batteries at competitive prices. Well worth getting the alternator output checked at the same time. A new battery would need to be coded to the car. Please let us know how you get on. Regards, Gareth.

Are you going to revisit the forum James, or was it just a one-off question join-up? Regards, Gareth.

Welcome ? I think it would to your advantage in terms of responses if you include your proper name in your profile. Perhaps you could arrange that, or let us know if you can’t . Regards, Gareth.

No, c£10 now equals £12.50 ( this country is down the pan!) Product code 239116. Also acts as a tread gauge.

I guess you are returning to the forum to check if there has been any interest, but just not bothering to add the requested information. Would you like us to delete the advert until you have time to update it?

Hello Alex, I have found Ring appliances to be better than most, but I would never depend on pressure gauges used on any brand. Solution:- By yourself a c£10 digital tyre pressure gauge from Halfords, inflate the tyres to a few p.s.i. over the required pressure and reset with the digital gauge - which is capable of controlled deflation. Job sorted! Regards, Gareth.

Brands used then Peter?

Any chance you can add the requested info. Dan? Can see you have returned to the forum, but not yet answered the questions asked. Many thanks, Gareth.

Thanks for updating the forum Sam. Perhaps you haven’t told us about the second professional - or have I missed it? Now knowing what we do, it seems strange that you should ask for the opinions of non-professionals on here- whose opinions you value less - when professional opinions would have been readily available to you. Perhaps it’s good to have a shoulder to cry on. Regards, Gareth.