cliffcoggin

Morning Daryl. It's going to be sheer guesswork unless you tell us some details of the engine. Size, fuel, transmission, condition, mileage, service history, anything that might some context to the problem.

Damn. I was expecting the cover to show a diagram of the layout so you could identify, for example, top right fuse as number 8. Isn't the layout shown in the handbook? Maybe you could find it on-line. Incidentally I see fuse number 24 is the one for the cigarette lighter. All you need to do is identify which is 24.

Steve. There was probably no reason for looking in the fuse box when you bought the car. It's not something I would do without very good cause, so don't blame yourself. Look inside the fuse box cover for a key to the fuse location number. Check a manual or handbook to see what circuit the fuse protects and what the rating should be. The fuse can be pulled out and refitted if the contacts have not been bent. I suggest you remove that white wire, and the red one if it is also stuffed into a fuse. I daresay they were fitted to power a satnav, a camera, or some other auxiliary. There will be a safer more secure way of powering it.

Steve. I am appalled at what your pictures show. That green fuse should not be loose, but then neither should there be a wire stuffed into the fuse contacts. That's the hallmark of a prize cowboy who deserves to be shot for putting your car, and possibly you with it, at risk. For goodness sake get that corrected quickly. If you can not do it yourself, engage a professional. As for the cigarette lighter socket, the problem could a loose fuse, loose connections, or a defective lighter (they do burn out), but given the shoddy work done to the fuse board it could be anything. At the moment I'd say a faulty cigarette lighter is the least of your problems.

Well done. Sometimes the only solution is to ignore the error codes and get ones hands dirty.

I doubt that your old glow plugs had anything wrong with them, you just need a new battery. A dead battery will cause all sorts of electrical faults and false warnings even if the engine is running on alternator.

Jamie. Can I assume there is not a leak at the thermostat housing? Even if you topped up coolant directly after the change, it is inevitable you now have some air in the system which is slowly working its way round to the reservoir and so needs to be replaced. That may take several top ups and should eventually stabilise. Let us know if it does not.

Ruby. You assume that one of the car circuits is draining the battery, but it could equally be an internal short within the battery. That can be tested at home if you have a meter, but it is better to get the battery tested by a mechanic with a high discharge tester.

Glad to hear you have solved the problem Harry, though sorry about the hole in your wallet. I would never have guessed at exhaust manifold bolts in a hundred years. Had they stretched or were they not torqued enough?

Matias. Have you read the preceding posts in this thread?

Gareth makes a good point about other lights possibly being on the same circuit. Parm, are any of the interior lights also not working?

I can't find a reference in the manual to tell which is the right fuse. I suggest you look online for it. The switch is integrated into the boot lock and apparently can not be renewed independently of the rest of the mechanism.

Given that you have a multimeter it should easy to test the fuse and the switch.

David. As a first step to testing the relay can you hear and feel it click when you turn on the ignition? Alternatively can you test the output with a meter or a test lamp?

What is comfort control? Air con, seat position, something else? I had never heard of Carista so I looked it up and it appears your car is not supported: https://caristaapp.com/vehicles/audi/a3

Good luck and do let us know what you find.

I am not sure silicone spray or Gummifledge (whatever that is) eliminates the rubber seal as the problem, nevertheless the other place I would look is the two channels inside the door that the glass slides in. Rather than spray stuff into them I would rake out and vacuum the channels to remove any dirt.

So we have established I hope that the noise is from the window, and that opening the door has nothing to do with it. In that case look first at the rubber lip seal between door and glass. Is it damaged or torn? Is there any dirt trapped between glass and rubber? Does the lip turn over when the window drops? Sometimes, like wipers, the seal can squeak when dry but not when wet.

Fair enough. I assume it must be a way of clamping the door more securely than normal when shut to compensate for the reduced rigidity of the body. Maybe we can hypothesise about the possible cause of the noise, but just to be clear about the problem, does the squeak happen when opening the door or when opening the window?

Dennis. I am not familiar with the cabriolet and can not answer your question, but I find it hard to believe the door should drop 15 mm as it opens. Is that really its correct behaviour?

Please let us know the outcome.

That's as good a guess as mine Gareth. It could be almost anything from the jack bouncing around the boot to a door not latched properly. I have to say the previous diagnoses of wheels too big or dry suspension are sheer fantasy without other supporting evidence, which would be very visible and unmissable to a mechanic who knew what he was doing. Zara. You need to get the car looked at, preferably by someone who has been recommended by someone you know and trust. Be aware, if you are not already, that some garages will try to take advantage of women who have no knowledge of cars and tell them any old rubbish to defraud them. That applies to both big and small businesses so try for a personal recommendation, not an internet review site.

Zara. I can barely hear it, even at maximum volume, but it doesn't sound like the knocking of a heavily loaded part such as suspension. To my ears it sounds more like a loose relatively lightweight part flopping around as the car is driven over uneven roads, possibly an exhaust pipe with a broken mounting. Grab the tail pipe when it is cold and shake it hard. Does that replicate the noise? If not you will need to have it inspected by a professional.

Nicola. I agree the problem is a poor repair, though it may have been to cover rust rather than crash damage. Either way the only solution is to hack it off, treat the metal, and fill again. Don't be tempted to paint over the top of the existing filler as the cracks will re-appear rapidly. I suggest you test unmarked areas of the body with a small weak magnet for the presence of filler elsewhere, though crafty body shops have been known to add iron filings to the filler in order to defeat the test. Wrap the magnet in a piece of thin rag to avoid damaging the paint.

Please do. It will save an awful lot of fruitless questions and answers, which could easily send everyone on wild goose chases. I am reminded of the old joke about the motorist who complained of the whining from the back of the car and was told to cure it by leaving the mother-in-law at home.