Magnet

Hello Dave, Many thanks for your contributions on this, and particularly your confirmation that the recall situation on your side of the Atlantic is very much difference to here in the U.K. for example - where the big legal guns are an awful lot smaller! Yes, of course, this particular example is totally unacceptable, but to me, my criticism lies fairly and squarely with the servicing and MOT station (one and the same) where Mister Tee’s car is ‘maintained’. This should have been picked up at the service point - probably a couple of years ago - and since it wasn’t, then the MOT tester ( one and the same person?) has been shown to be lacking in his examination. If this were mine, I would be steering well clear of this garage, and trusting my, and my families life to someone else. David, Your last sentence :- We would thank you for not ‘shouting’. Thank you . Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Martin, I’m from the school that it doesn’t really make any difference whether anyone else has a similar issue - your car does, and that seems coincident with when it was last serviced and updated. Since you mention it’s going to be serviced again, can we take it the issue you have raised has been with the car for some time? If it was, this is highly likely to dilute your case to get it rectified now. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Peter, It’s a blanking grommet which has probably been removed and replaced with holed grommet to allow some wiring to pass through. Seems reasonable to believe it was removed and substituted during wiring for the tow bar. Hope this helps. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Brian, but we don’t know if Martin feels competent to take the wheel off and actually measure the remaining pad thickness.

Welcome Joy and thanks for joining. Important bit first! Please send some of your Florida weather across to this damp, drizzly and currently cold part of S. W. Wales. On to the issue:- I can see from LLL Parts of London U.K. that the part is indeed not currently available, but it might be well worth contacting them to see when (if indeed ever) it will be available, and if not in the very near future, if they know of any aftermarket supplier who may do this part. By what I can see, it doesn’t seem to be a very complex engineered part, and I wonder if another readily available part ( particularly from the aftermarket route) could be suitably modified to do the job, with some minor-ish engineering. Might be worth considering. Perhaps you could let us know the outcome Joy. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello again Martin, It sounds like your dealership is causing you issues at the moment. Fact:- Speech Dialogue was working when the car was presented to the dealership for service and update. It no longer works, so you need to politely, but firmly instruct the dealership to reinstate this facility for you, so your vehicle is in the same condition as it was before you left it with them? Perhaps you could let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Martin, When you say local dealership, can we take it you mean an Audi main dealership? If so, you are going to be quoted ‘orbit money’ at any main dealer, and an ‘Independent’ is likely to quote you less (a good bit less?) and a trusted local garage, substantially less. But before that, it would be wise to quantify the thickness of the remaining brake pad, since ‘dealerships’ tend to work on the principle that they may not see the vehicle again for say 18 months, or 18K miles, by which time ( in caps) the rear brake pads will need changing. In other words, there may still be plenty of life left in them at this point in time. If it were mine, I would:- Ask the dealership to inform you what thickness remains on the brake pads ( not ‘they are x% worn). If they do need changing now, search for a trusted localish independent VW/Audi specialist and seek a quote there. Ask your trusted local garage to give you a quote, but tell them you wish them to use say Brembo parts. Perhaps you could let us know how you get on Martin. Kind regards, Gareth.

Welcome Fiona, It’s 6 years on since this thread was active. Could you please do us a kindness and:- Fill in your profile properly. Start a new thread. Outline the symptoms and the work that has already been done on your car. Many thanks, Gareth, p.s.’..just bought…’ Dependent on exactly when bought, when symptoms reported, you maybe entitled to reject the car, if bought from a registered business seller.

Hello Dale, I think Steve’s latter suggestion would be my preferred route - worth enquiring with trusted local auto electricians for someone who would rebuild yours. Alternatives in this order:- Secondhand VAG one. Aftermarket - although these could only give you short trouble free service. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Adrian, If in doubt, you will need to ask the salesman to ask his Parts chap to check the build record to see if your particular car was built with power fold mirrors or not. Kind regards, Gareth.

‘….sensing a difference in tyre height…’. So have you fitted a different profile tyre on the back? Only then would there be a meaningful height difference.

Hello Steve, Another school day for me! Many thanks for the explanation, since I hadn’t come across this term before for the ‘signaller’ device. Again, I hadn’t thought of Lumenition - should indeed be a good contact for Pete. Great. Take care Steve, Kind regards, Gareth.

Welcome Alan, and thanks for joining. Basics first:- Have you checked the tyres have been correctly fitted in relation to the direction of rotation? Have you checked the tyre pressures are set correctly? Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks John, To avoid ‘checked there’, where have you looked so far? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Mel, Have you done a Google search for what you are looking for, as well as checking EBay listings? Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks David, Yes, bad news in some respect, but at least you will appreciate that reuniting the original number is more a dream, rather than an aim, since you state you couldn’t afford it even if were offered to you. - so a pointless quest really-? It sounds like you are now fully conversant with the fact that prewar bread-and-butter cars are dropping like stones, so I would repeat - spend as little as possible on it, particular if you could not afford to buy the numberplate if offered. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. Do you know who supplied the car new in Chester?

OK, so it’s back to a question of should I sell it to WBAC for (around) £600 - cater for it to be lower on inspection, or break for parts? Break for parts, if you are prepared to remove parts on demand, have the car in bits on the drive or whatever, advertise the parts, the get fed up and ask the local scrappy to come and take it. No brainier - as the say - in my book. Just take whatever and run.

Any of this any good to you David?

Thanks Pete, What is a ‘hall’ sensor? Looks like you now need an electronic ignition specialist supplier for parts - worth Googling. There is the Distributor Doctor in West Country or was it Wiltshire? Almost certain to be too earlier for his normal points and condenser type, but he maybe a good source of advice on who to contact - very knowledgeable chap. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Neil, Very much a guessing game since we don’t have any idea of material type, dimensions etc. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Allan, ’…given that I don’t hang about..’ , ‘… I tend to get on…’ , ‘ ….driving at 60mpg ( the legal limit) on a damp road …. ‘ some idiot pops out of a side road… ‘ -all of this points me conclude that you drive ‘enthusiastically’, and I don’t think anyone would recommend budget tyre as being suitable for you. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Roger, but irrespective of whether it’s getting fuel or not, it hasn’t got a spark at the plugs. Pete- do you have a wiring diagram for the car? Guess this car should come the period when Haynes manuals were published. You have obviously spent money so far without success. To avoid further unnecessary expense, I would now consider employing the services of a trusted local auto electrician. Perhaps you can keep us updated. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks for the update Shelley. Did you approach the CAB after? Sounds like the dealer is employing delaying tactics. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Chris, Understand, but this is where the seller’s interpretation of ‘high tensile’ becomes the all important factor when using (probably made in China) replacements, - quotes of tensile strength may be questionable - and that is before we get into threaded and unthreaded lengths. If it were mine, I would stick with what you’ve got, or ideally buy replacements direct from VAG. Yes, I understand comparable prices, but would I want to find out HT replacements were not HT after all, and one of them parts company? No, too chancy. Kind regards, Gareth.

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