Magnet

Hello Sergei, Can we take it you actually added 6ltrs of coolant (antifreeze) to your coolant header tank over a 100km journey? If so then this is a major (in caps) - almost unbelievable coolant loss. The reason why using the air con affects that loss of coolant is confusing, but now that you have found a leak sight, then obviously you to fix that leak - either yourself or at garage, but certainly with urgency. You don’t tell us what engine is in the car, but from the general description it could have been associated with the thermostat housing on certain petrol engines. From your photo - ? Has the car overheated at any time during this coolant leak? Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Karl, They won’t know they have made a mistake if you don’t tell them, and you will have a wonky car for the rest of your ownership. Seems pretty straightforward to me to have a rational discussion about what happens from here, but it’s not my car. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Karl, Were any of the comments of any help to you? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Karl, Sounds as if the garage has replaced your (previously broken?) original passenger side spring with the wrong (aftermarket?) replacement. I would be taking my measurements from the driver side wheel centre to under wheel arch - obviously on level ground - and using this as the correct level. You don’t tell us whether the replaced passenger side spring rides higher or lower than the original driver side one. Two things when replacing springs:- Make sure the correct springs are being used particularly if using aftermarket replacements. Always replace both sides at the same time. Sounds like a return to the garage! Don’t allow them to just replace the driver side to match the probably- incorrect one they have already fitted. Make sure they replace the one they have fitted with the correct replacement. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Junaid, What DVLA will require is a build record for the car, which lists what date the car was built - via. the VIN. Not sure, but I believe there were on - line searches which gave this information. It’s certainly worth a first try, to visit a friendly main dealer’s Part Department armed with a photo of the VIN, and it’s quite likely that they would be able to give you a printout of the build record. Always worth a try, but I would be taking along a box of biscuits as a thank you! You will find you will also need a NOVA document ( Notification of Vehicle Arrival). This document can be obtained from HMRC, and is required as proof that all import duties have been paid. Hope some of this helps - let us know. Kind regards, Gareth.

OK Simon, We are now armed with some additional useful information. So you are going to be spending many tens of thousands of £s ( assuming you can find a one year old car) - with limiting possibilities of finding such a low mileage example. As you say, you must consider this expenditure to equate to the current list price of the equivalent new price. ‘…. sticking with what I have isn’t really an option….’. .? Personally, I would not be dismissing this option, since doing some simple maths on spending gradually on your current car + ULez charges, is almost certain to be cheaper than spending out tens of thousands of £s in one hit. It might also be worth considering that the car you may be looking for, could be an under one year old rejected car due to unacceptable defects - don’t assume owners exchange their cars after one year just because they fancy a change. This doesn’t really happen any more. Whatever Simon, I would suggest you don’t overthink this with potentially off-putting relatively minor considerations at a time of restricted choices and availability, but…. Kind regards, Gareth. Kind regards

Hello Munashinghe, Get the car’s battery checked. If you are saying you have many warning lights shown, then it’s always worth checking the battery before doing anything else. Even at only 3 years old, the battery may be starting to give problems. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Simon, Thanks for being in touch. I wonder if you just maybe over thinking the whole economics of this and boiling it down to a far greater degree than you need to, or indeed what you will be able to control. Economy? Yes, the old diesel vs petrol consideration is very valid, as is of course the ULEZ charges. You don’t tell us whether you intend to buy a new car or a secondhand one, and if secondhand, what age/mileage will be within your budget. Cambelt renewal can be expensive, but can easily be factored in to your outgoings or purchase price, so does it really matter too much as a deal breaker. The economics of motoring can often point to spending money on your current vehicle, rather than ‘taking on’ the responsibility of issues with another unknown vehicle - wondered if you have considered the overall (in caps) economics of that. We are all on the slippery road to the extinction of fossil fuel vehicles in a shorter space of time than we think, and it wouldn’t surprise me if fuel prices will continue to rise to a point where we will all be thinking we are running Rolls Royces! Pessimistic?? Realistic? Personally, I wouldn’t be getting too hung up on Cambelt costs vs chains - the chances are that this cost may pale into insignificance in the overall motoring cost. Is sticking with what you’ve got worth a coat of thinking about? Kind regards, Gareth. a think about sticking with what you’ve got

Hello Richard, Thanks for being in touch. Door locks (if it is the actual lock) are now very expensive, and it wouldn’t surprise me is the lock mechanism alone could cost in excess of £200 to buy, without the labour charge to fit if. Of course, it may turn out to be simple linkage issue. If this were mine, I would be finding myself a trusted independent VAG specialist in my karea, and nipping the car over to them to estimate the cost of sorting it - there will be more relevant experience there. In summary, you may find £200 isn’t an expensive fix, but a second specialist estimate would be my route to fix this safety critical issue. Perhaps you would let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Christopher, Thanks for being in touch. As has already been said, together with the price you want for it - ? If it were mine then I would be listing it on EBay, with a starting price of a little over its scrap value. Hope the responses are of help. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Paul, It could indeed be a wheel bearing, or a number of other components, any of which unfortunately could only be diagnosed by inspecting/ driving the car. If it is wheel bearing associated, then you may find the severity of the noise will alter if you drive around bends. If this were mine, I would be booking the car in to a trusted local garage to get this assessed - the car is trying to tell you something. Perhaps you could let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Conner, Probably best to send Thomas a PM since he hasn’t returned to the forum since the day after he first posted. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Nathan, I think I would be actually double checking/ working it out, since variations in rolling diameter will affect at least speedometer readings and possibly far more. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Nathan, 18 inch were probably an option, and I guess you know you will need to fit lower profile tyres than your current profiles on the 17 inch, to ensure the ‘rolling’ outside diameter remains the same. It would be worth checking in your handbook or tyre pressure sticker on the car, what the correct tyre size should be. I cannot see why any computer adjustments would then be necessary. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Sid, ’…..been through HPI mate…’ isn’t the full extent of what you can - and should - check yourself on line. HPI does not give you any indication of the ‘quality’ of the car. Have you checked the DVLA ‘Vehicle check’ to see when the last V5 was issued, to give an idea of how long the last owner may have had it - unless you already know? Any short term ownership can suggest issues with the car. If you know who the last owner was , have you contacted them? That should give you a far better idea of the car’s condition than service history ever will. Have you checked the MOT history on line? ‘…mint (for year)…..’. It’s amazing how attractive a bad car can be made to look, so don’t necessarily fall in love with it’s appearance alone. Falls within the ‘ high oil consumption’ period? Think so, but Steve Y on here is your man for such things. Cambelt not done ? I would be checking the cost, which may be some hundreds of pounds. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Michael, It’s always going to be difficult to diagnose the exact issue without inspecting the vehicle - which your garage is going to do today - and it could be any of the suggestions already made. Would you be kind enough to come back to us and update us of the outcome? Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Jean, Um! Concerned when you first mentioned you thought they were Febi, since I’ve used Febi to good effect on our Audi, and non-Audi. Napa? Never felt the inclination to try them, but…… Kind regards, Gareth.

A short reposted suggestion:- I would get the car checked for a parasitic drain. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Jean, Was the link a genuine VAG part, or an aftermarket. If aftermarket - make? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Michael, Can you select some/all of the gears when the engine is switched off? Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Gary, Yes, I know ‘……they alway will….’ - but that’s assuming Randip knows that as well - which of course he may, or may not.

Hello Randip, Incase it matters, lower profile tyres will result in a harsher ride. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Randip, Thanks for joining the forum and posting your question. What size wheels and tyres are on the car now? If you increase the wheel diameter to 20 inch, then you will, need to decrease the tyre profile so that the current rolling diameter is retained - its not simply a question of ‘looking OK’. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Paul, Thanks for clarifying what you bought. No disrespects, and from someone who uses a surfeit of words, you beat me hands down every time! So you now have a quality battery fitted to this car which seldom gets used, lives outside, so it’s an inconvenient/impractical extension lead job to run your ‘trickle charger’. Sounds like a solar panel charger is the only practical way forward. Can they be used on AGM batteries?? Having gone through a quality Bosch battery in record time, I would be questioning whether this car is suffering from a parasitic drain. If this were mine, I would be investing in a half hour’s time with an autoelectrician to check this out. Kind regards, Gareth.

Just an opinion, but if I was in Adam’s situation, I would steer well clear of any naming and shaming while legal action is proceeding, so can we suggest we don’t ask Adam for any further comment on who this is. Kind regards, Gareth.