cliffcoggin

3 hours ago, Glyn Allroad B8.5 said:

 

You could try these guys: https://pmgtechnik.com/en. Refurbished items so a compromise between new and from a breaker. Its a part exchange scheme.

I never knew such refurbishment was possible. At 180 Euros that has got be a bargain.

Ah, understood now.

I expect the dimensions would be the same, but it's possible the cooling capacity (number of coils and fins) and the fan capacity (cubic feet per minute) may be lower because of the lower engine power of the 140 HP. I suggest waiting for a more definite answer before buying.

Fair enough Tom. What is this common fault that I am not aware of?

53 minutes ago, Magnet said:

Sorry Rizwan, it could be me, but a ‘rad pack’ isn’t a term I’ve come across before. 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 

You're not the only one to not know what a rad pack is Gareth. I await Rizwan's reply.

Any particular reason for buying new? What about a secondhand one from a car breaker?

Elena. 

If the radio was removed before you bought it, or the battery was disconnected at some point, you may have to enter the four digit radio code to make it work. That code will be in the handbook that came with the car.

3 hours ago, Radagast said:

Now I think about it, the s/s problem went away for a day or two after I got the new battery, might be worth getting it tested? Alternator maybe not doing it’s job?

Definitely worth getting battery and charging system tested before doing anything else.

Equally definite is that you should not be getting the head taken off. If that is all you garage can suggest, go to a better garage.

Fair enough. I can't suggest another specific fault that would link all those symptoms.

Those symptoms all suggest a defective battery. Was the replacement battery new or secondhand?

As far as I recall it is the word AUTO on the light switch.

Walk away from it Anna. There are plenty of decent diesels coming onto the market with the advent of electric cars and the ban on the sale of new diesels in a few years time. There's a very small chance of an innocuous explanation for the moisture, and a very large chance of a serious problem, so why take the risk?

David.

If the DPF is genuinely blocking too soon, rather than there being a faulty sensor, there has to be a reason for it. See these videos by a very knowledgeable qualified engineer. You'll have forgive the heavy satire and "fruity" language in places.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcML0N5s9_8

Grant.

I have to question the diagnosis of a faulty oil pump. I would expect a worn pump to generate low pressure at low engine speed, and high pressure at high engine speeds, but your problem seems to be the opposite. Look at this article for some clues to the problem:

https://www.700r4transmissionhq.com/low-oil-pressure-audi-a3/

I would also suspect the pressure relief valve to have a broken spring. Those valves were within the oil filter at one time. Whether that is still so I do not know.

A battery test would be worthwhile before spending any money on the car. How old is the battery?

It's a pity you did not mention December's battery problem when I asked yesterday about how well the car had been running, because defective batteries are known to cause just this sort of electrical problem. It's precisely why I asked the question.

I suggest you possibly now have another faulty battery to replace as well as whatever work is necessary to cure the charging problem.

VAG are known for having parts that are common from model to model, and even brand to brand, so there must be something that will fit. Identifying the right part is the hard bit.

George.

Did it run well prior to the week of inactivity? If so perhaps the weather is relevant and water has got into the tank. I suggest you open the fuel line in the engine bay and bleed some fuel into a glass jar watching for any water, dirt, rust, or air as a first step. Check the fuel filter again.

Try a car breaker. Many are online nowadays.

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=car+breakers&ia=web

One of my pet peeves is handbooks that describe every possible extra option that could have been fitted, but do not say which, if any, of those options have actually been installed in ones car. I realise it is uneconomic to print a handbook for every variant, but it should be possible to cheaply print an addendum or insert that lists which options have been included.

Well if you are certain all the air is out then the slave cylinder is the next most probable culprit.

Mark.

You can buy special bleed tools to make the job a one man operation, but I have no experience of them. Alternatively if you can get the help of an assistant it will cost you nothing.

One man stays in the car to operate the clutch pedal; the other man goes under the car to open and close the bleed valve. It helps to have a plastic tube on the bleed nipple with its lower end in a glass jar. The sequence of operations is:

[1]The bleed valve is opened.

[2]The pedal is pushed hard to the floor and held there.

[3]The bleed valve is closed.

[4]The pedal is raised, and the reservoir topped up.

Repeat the above until no air bubbles are seen in the glass jar. It relies on good communication between both men with the pedal man being in command.

Having said all that, it is possible you have a faulty slave cylinder or a worn thrust bearing, but that can not now be diagnosed until you have bled all air out of the hydraulic system. You might have saved yourself some time and expense if you had asked the forum before changing the master cylinder. Google is a very fallible source of information, and needs to be treated with caution.

Mark.

Forgive me if I say you do not sound familiar with car repair, so please tell us how you bled air out of the system. Air is the most probable cause of your problem but it requires a particular technique to ensure its removal. It is not enough to simply open the bleed valve of the slave cylinder and pour fluid into the reservoir, which is what I assume you meant by "put 1 litre through the gearbox".

James.

Your engine was notorious for a few years for consuming an enormous amount of oil. The solution was a total engine rebuild with redesigned parts, which Audi only reluctantly and after much pressure from owners was its responsibility.

However, having done nothing about the oil warnings in the four months since you bought the car you have effectively accepted the car as adequate, so I fear your chances of any recourse from either Audi or the seller are pretty much zero.

I suggest your best option is to swallow the bitter pill by scrapping the car and buying something else. Incidentally I reckon it is only worth about £1200, not the £3000-4000 you believe, if you can find a gullible private buyer for it, though that would be pretty mean. A knowledgable dealer will not touch it because of the known engine fault.

Thank you for letting us know Joshua. It is rare for folk to inform us of the ends of their stories. It's a shame it has taken so long, but you got the right result in the end.

I wonder if the dealer will do the decent thing and scrap the car, or will he sell it again to another unsuspecting victim. Perhaps we be hearing of this car again.

PS. There is an awfully long blank space at the end of your post. Is there supposed to be something there that my computer is suppressing?

Ah, that makes sense. I wondered briefly if you meant bullet connectors, but that they became obsolete years ago.