Magnet

Thanks David, Is this engine running on a chain rather than a belt? Hope someone comes up with a recommendation for you. Kind regards, Gareth.

Sounds great Dom, and thanks for keeping us up to date. Incase it helps, I’ve used Quantum Longlife 3 oil for annual oil changes for many years with our humble A3 - to good effect. Apparently is/was VAG’s recommended brand - blended by Castrol? I buy it at best prices from reliable EBay sellers. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Stefan, Electrical issues can be confusing, so always worth eliminating the simple things first. Apologies if this is known, but testing the voltage with a simple voltmeter is meaningless, and the battery (% efficiency) needs to be tested under load conditions. It would be worth getting the alternator output checked at the same time. If a new battery is fitted, then it would need to be coded to the car. Perhaps you could let us know how you get on Stefan. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Deborah, I too am sorry that the issues continue, and that a new battery hasn’t been a proper fix, but has the new battery been coded to the car? What make is the new battery by the way? Kind regards, Gareth.

Continuing the obscure, where you are, you will need an -er then!

Hello Stefan, Welcome, and many thanks for joining, and for describing the symptoms so well. No excuses necessary for your great English grammar. I think you could well be right in suspecting the Comfort Module, but I would add that the lack of the stop/start facility, can be as a result of a sub standard battery, since these vehicles certainly depend on an efficient battery. Do you know how old the battery is Stefan? It’s unlikely that it is the original battery, but not out of the question. Would you be able to get the battery efficiency checked (unless you know it’s a recent replacement)? With any electrical issue, it’s always useful to be able to eliminate the battery as being a contributor to those issues. Kind regards, Gareth.

Meter? - could be necessary on the dedicated supply - possibly likely?? Recouping some of the revenue lost through non use of fossil fuels? Increasing ‘road fund licence’ for EVs? Unless they increase this to over £thousand, the current tax (revenue) of c87p/litre of fuel would be seriously reduced via. the increased use of EVs, so increased electricity tariffs for charging them would seem to be inevitable - in my opinion (for what it’s worth! ). Kind regards, Gareth.

Many thanks Tony, Possibly too pessimistic for a weekend, but would it be too cynical to think your problem is likely to become more widespread? Pardon my ignorance with this, but is it such that all new EVs have to have a dedicated independent supply? If so, how long before this supply becomes metered, and the metered unit prices increased to try to recoup some of the revenue lost through the reduction in the use of highly taxed fossil fuels? Kind regards, Gareth.

So have you tried my suggestion - Bruce Forsyth or not? If you don’t have an assistant, can you commander some passing unsuspected for 5 minutes?

Hello Martyn, Welcome , and thanks for joining. Do you think the noise is associated with the actual engine, or perhaps transmission, or even suspension/ bodywork/ undertrays? Any chance you can clearly record this? Kind regards, Gareth.

Blinking heck Trevor, I’m a fully paid up member of older generation, with many years of experience behind me, but I failed miserably to get this one. Did anyone else get this first off? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Samanuel, Paranoid would be too strong a word for me, but (understandably?) over-cautious might be a much better description. From our side, we can’t be expected to be better able to judge this ‘totally unknown’ car more effectively than you or your uncle can, so regrettably, I’m coming to the conclusion that there is little else I can add in a situation where you are buying this car blind. What you haven’t answered is, if you bought this car ( sight unseen) at your offer price, how much cheaper would it be than buying a similar one where you can inspect it? Appreciate this is a closed auction, but can’t your motor trader uncle view the car for you? I’m struggling here Samanuel, since I feel you are no closer to deciding whether to buy it than when this debate started. If I can do any more you in terms of advice and suggested question asking then I’m really at a loss to know what it is I can do or say. Anyone else got any ideas? Please!! Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Patrick, It does seem to be getting quite a problem with many makes of cars, and include rear lenses as well - all very expensive units to change. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Burzo, Welcome and thanks for joining. I think it’s highly unlikely that the original posters will respond 10 years on, but we never know. I have removed your E-mail address from this open forum for your own security, and anyone can contact you via. a forum PM as necessary. Would you be able to outline what the exact issue is and what you have done so far to try to solve it. Kind regards, Gareth.

Anyone else got any comments for Samanuel?

Indeed it could be ‘something else besides the engine mounts’, but you have to bear in mind that we don’t have any access to this vehicle to be about to inspect anything. If changing the transmission oil gave a temporary easement to your symptoms, then that too could be something to bring into the equation. So do you have a transmission specialist within reasonable distance? Kind regards, Gareth.

That’s a bit obscure for this forum!

Hello Patrick, Sorry to hear of your problem. As far as I’m aware, these headlight ‘glasses’ are sealed from new, and those seals (and bulb seals) can deteriorate, and this causes the issue you have. I’m not sure if it’s practical to carryout any permanent repair, but I seriously doubt that you can. Temporary removal:- Get a hair drier on a medium setting and gently ( in caps) warm the lenses until the condensations reduces to an acceptable level. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Phill, Welcome and thanks for joining. Sorry to hear of your ongoing issue, and to me, I think there is just one simple question to ask, and be answered here:- Did you buy this car from an Audi dealer, or Audi U.K./Audi’s warranty provider? The answer of course is an Audi dealer, so your contract is with them, and they have to repair the vehicle irrespective of whether they can reclaim their outlay or not. If they can’t - tough - unless they can prove that you ‘damaged’ it. Not being critical, but I think you’ve left this debate go on too long, and perhaps understandably dealt with a Sales Manager. If this were mine, once any element of ‘we ain’t going to fix it’ came in, I would have been addressing the resolution directly to the dealer principal, and not a Sales Manager. A carefully worded assertive and time limited e-mail to the dealer principal would be my urgent way forward. Perhaps you could let us know how you get on Phill. Kind regards, Gareth.

Many thanks for coming back on this Mike, and glad Audi could reassure you that the handbrake mechanism was completely serviceable and fault free. Door latching:- is the dealer going to further investigate and rectify this issue - which appears to have thrown up a recorded fault? Kind regards, Gareth.

OK Thomas, I’m just a thick Welshman, and don’t really get it!

Hello Kelly, Welcome and thanks for joining. Simple things first - it could be a poor earth on one or both units. If the earths prove to be OK:- possible fractured wire/s in the flexible harness section twixt tailgate and body, or the brake light switch maybe at fault. Perhaps you could let us know how hubby gets on. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Thomas, Have you tried getting an assistant to attempt to press down and up on the front edge of the bonnet while you pull the lever? Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Peter, You (or the writer) could be right, and it maybe an exception to the normal warranty duration. The thing is you will have to discuss this with your dealer and get that confirmed/refuted. I don’t see any other way forward other that getting an independent or local garage to strip and assess that at your expense. Would you be kind enough to let us know how you get on Peter. Kind regards, Gareth.

Many thanks Samanuel, No offence meant on the twitchy comment, and I well understand you are a private buyer dipping your toes into a trader world, yet understandably want things to be as right as it would be if you bought it off a dealer forecourt. Apologies, but it may be an unrealistic aim. Accurate door gaps and non-cleaned vehicles are not what generally concern trade buyers - but money does, and it seems that this vehicle isn’t attractive enough to the trade at the price the seller is expecting to get for it. I think that about sums it up Samanuel. So your uncle valued it at x€ and you were prepared to pay €2000 above that, and it was rejected. We are trying to offer you as much independent advice as we can, but it might be worth asking your uncle for his more experienced view - would he buy it, and more importantly, would he recommend you to buy it? If they accepted your +€2000, how would that price compare with a similar example on a forecourt? I can understand your concern about about a couple of aspects, but it might be worth giving some thought to the fact that you really want to buy it, and are looking for some support for that view. Since this has regrettably become a one to one exchange, it really would be great to have some additional views/comments for you to consider. I genuinely wish you good luck with whatever you decide to do. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. Come on folks, let’s have some other views apart from mine.