Magnet

Thanks for coming back on this Alan. My (jaundiced?) view on ‘fancy large wheels’ is that they may appeal to some onlookers who take any interest in looking at car wheels, but such people can be rare to come across. They will also appeal to owners who want, or expect, others to fancy their large wheels, and if that is what turns anybody on, then that’s fine too. The practical and downsides:- So that gearing etc. is not affected, the total diameter of wheel + tyre has to remain constant, so the larger the wheel dia. the lower the profile ( sidewall height) of the tyre has to be, and dictated profiles can be reduced to silly levels as with your current 30. The lower the tyre profile, the much harsher the ride quality the driver has to suffer, for the ‘benefit’ of being able to view the static car with the large fancy wheels - which can’t be seen by the driver when using the car! Does that significant disadvantage add up? I guess, yes, to some owners. Convertibles are for enjoying with the hood down, with a nice comfy ride, while you take your time to smell the flowers along the way. Just one person’s point of view, and very much open to debate. Kind regards, Gareth.

Many thanks for the update Paul, In addition to Cliff’s queries, I think I’m reading it correctly, that you changed the actual bearings in the original hub casing- correct? If so, any particular reason why you chose this labour intensive route, rather than renewing the hub assembly - complete - already fitted with new bearings? Kind regards, Gareth.

Well, fancy that! Many thanks Cliff. Great shame you weren’t able to be one of the S. Wales’ valley academics who got me into this bad habit. I like the ingrained bit - this certainly has been exactly that with me over too many decades to recall. Kind regards, Gareth.

Welcome Alan, and thanks for joining. I fear this could become on a par with ‘what is the best brand of petrol to use’? What I would start off by mentioning is - why on earth would you want 20 inch wheels - dictating extremely low profile tyres - on a cabriolet? Those wheels, coupled with the S Line suspension is likely to result in a ride akin to that with solid tyres! Appreciating it may have come to you like that, but a need to renew tyres, might be the time to rethink the whole set up, and move to say 18 inch wheels with a much better ride giving profile. Tyres? I too have come from the school of using premium grade tyres and have always favoured Michelin, generally for their longevity - giving you more long term miles/£. The humble A3 has just been re-fitted with a new set of Michelin, but I find they now have a tread depth of c6.5 mm compared with the past norm of 8mm. Also, the tread grooves are wider, so all in all, less rubber for your extra £s! Continentals? Tried these in the past, and have not been impressed with their longevity. As a complete departure, I have just had a set of mid range Kumho tyres fitted to a large non Audi, after taking advice on the appropriate forum. These were available on a good offer at my local ATS, who I must say are now a super set of chaps, and their prices are far more competitive at last. Just some food for thought. Kind regards, Gareth.

There you go then Allan.

I was referring to cambelt quote Lance.

Thanks Cliff, Now that’s food for thought, on the never too old to learn theme. I’ve always written ‘in case’ as Incase ( without the capital I) from the days when I had hair. So are you saying that’s incorrect, and it should be written as ‘in case’, and if so, is that anything to do with an Americanism, or the pitfalls of an ill informed Welshman!? No probs. either way, since I’m now offence-proof. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Allan, I don’t want to instil pessimism, but I do hope to present a picture which will allow you to do your homework. Guru? No claim in that direction. ’Special Edition’? I can only take you back a little over 10 years earlier to when your proposed purchase was first registered. In 2006, a family member bought an Audi A3 1.6 Special Edition brand new (the car is still with us). The Special Edition was then a posh name for ‘Basic’, although the family member did specify certain extras which were important to them at the time. So then, there was nothing special about the Special Edition, and most certainly not superior to any other A3 of the time. OK, fast forward to your 2017 ‘Special Edition’. Did the same criteria apply then? Don’t know. I think your assumption is that the Special Edition version of your proposed S-Line may be better equipped than the standard S-Line, but an assumption it might be, until you prove that it actually is. Sounds like you will have to do some homework Allan, and ask a local Audi dealer to give you a copy of the build record to see exactly what toys your example does and doesn’t have. Possibly someone on here has one, and can advise, but meanwhile I would be erring on the side of caution and checking exactly what is and isn’t fitted - if the distance- seller is prepared to spend time and honesty to go through that for you. Perhaps you could let us know how you get on Allan, and apologies if I’ve caused unnecessary concern. Kind regards, Gareth.

Well worth a go, although I would suspect your visit to the first dealer will be recorded in the car’s on-line history.

Many thanks Sophie for sharing your experience. Kind regards, Gareth.

Welcome Allan, Kind regardsm Gareth.

‘Cut and shut’ with any similar LHD hoses? Should always be a good supply of joining connectors for silicone hoses etc.

Definitely a been-there-doing-it snap shot Anton, and repeating, it’s like the penalty premiums for new drivers! I’ve got an elder brother, and I do the annual comparison site etc. trawl for him, so I get advance notice of what’s due to be coming my way. At least it minimises the surprise factor! . Kind regards, Gareth.

Many thanks Shafee, Pending a response from Audi Customer Services:- I would be booking this in to another dealer if this were mine, since your dealer is giving you every indication that Audi have knowingly ‘built in’ this annoying feature! Kind regards, Gareth.

OK, so we are now into 2 pages of ‘I’ve had similar problem…’ type responses. It would be great if posters would be kind enough to now take a little time and respond with how this issue actually panned out for them. Come on folks - let’s have some reciprocal feedback. Many thanks, Gareth.

Thanks Bill, Well yes, it reassuring to know there isn’t anything missing, but it isn’t so reassuring to know that any puncture = ruined tyre. I changed our non-Audi a couple of years ago, and the first thing I did was to source a space saver spare wheel and the associated tools. Yes, I could have gone to a specialist company who would have supplied me with the full-optional-kit at unhappy-wallet prices, but I chose to search EBay for the individual items at a much lower cost. Just Incase it helps. ( does anybody know why Incase always defaults to a capital I?). Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Tony, Not wanting to pry, but hopefully to be more reassuring for those falling into the in-between-bracket, is the ‘….because of my age…’ equate to the low of higher end!? Personally, I’m definitely experiencing the effect of the upper (dotage!) age influence on insurance premiums. It’s a bit like being too young again! - except premiums then decreased with age, now they increase annually. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. Insurance valuation? EV’s do appear to be dropping in value - as are most vehicles, so it maybe worth having a look at GAP (as mentioned). It’s a relatively inexpensive cover which (independently) tops up the insurance valuation - even back to Invoice-price.

Suggest investigating whether a trusted local garage mat Hello coil it for you, but don’t be surprised if they decline to do the job. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Bill, No space-saver spare wheel = no jack or wheel brace.

Thanks Tony, Sorry, you did say Direct Line wouldn’t insure you. Direct Line Group, include Churchill, Darwin, Priviledge, Green Flag etc. The real time true cost of environmentally clean electric vehicles hey? Pardon my ignorance Tony, but I’m totally ill equipped to know what you would now have to pay for one of these in what I understand ( correctly/incorrectly?) is a falling market in the price of EVs. Kind regards, Gareth.

What are Admiral valuing your one year old car at Tony? Have you considered a separate GAP insurance to make up the difference in replacing like-for-like? Most insurers quoting for newly registered vehicles, will replace the vehicle like for like within the first 12 months of its life. After that, you are at the mercy of their valuation on a so called ‘market value’! Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Lance, It could be me being out of touch, but £1,400 for the work you outline does seem a bit heavy on the pencil, as we say in these parts. If it were mine, I would be seeking alternative quotes from trusted local garages before committing. Do you know what make of parts are going to be used with your current quote? Kind regards, Gareth.

Blinking heck Tony! Do you think this daft hike is due to it being an electric vehicle? Can we take it you have trawled the comparison websites, and had quotes there? I’ve favoured the one with our ‘standy-up’ little beings over the last couple of years. I’ve used Darwin - a subsidiary company under the Churchill umbrella for the last two years. Might be worth a try. Two things with car insurance:- what is their estimate insured value of your car, and who are the actual insurers - if using a broker. I think (in caps) you may find one of the actual insurers could be Markerstudy. If so, it might be worth reading reviews before signing up to anything. Kind regards, Gareth.

Welcome Malcolm, Where else have you tried? Have you searched EBay - both U.K. and Continental? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Syed, Sorry to hear of your issue. Audi too expensive? - understand. Considering secondhand part -pros and cons? Aftermarket - have you thoroughly investigated this route? Not sure of availability of this part, but if you enter you registration number into the on-line motor factor sites - I use Parts in Motion at Exeter - then you should be able to check whether it is available. Always worth giving them a ring if you don’t see it on line. Aftermarket quality? I’ve favoured Febi (or their sister brand, Blue Print) in the past, and been pleased with them, so that’s my brand of choice. Perhaps you could let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.