cliffcoggin

Glad to hear it. Where did you send the mechatronic unit for repair?

If the rust is coming through from the inside as Steve suggests, your chances of treating it effectively from the outside are slim. You might be better off driving it into the ground then scrapping it.

Glad to hear the garage has done the decent thing.

James. Wiring diagrams can be found on-line.

David. You have lower profile tyres at the front which means effectively the overall diameter is smaller, which in turn causes lower top speed/greater acceleration/greater fuel consumption. The lowering of the front end of the car may also have an effect on steering. I would get the tyres changed to the correct size.

Paul. I don't know the answer to your question, but have you checked that top gear ratio is actually higher than your existing box? It is natural to assume it is, but I would check before making any change. The other possible drawback depends on where the speedo is driven or impulsed from. If it is from the output shaft your speedo will still read correctly; but if it from an intermediate shaft you may find it to read wrongly.

Forgive me if I disagree. That colour can never be rare enough <G>

If the contacts are rusted you may need something more aggressive than a spray. Can you get a an abrasive stick onto them?

I reckon you would be lucky to get even a secondhand gearbox from a breaker for £1000 let alone a recon box.

Like Gareth I don't believe there is normally any connection between engine cooling and air conditioning. The only common factor between the two systems I know of is the power supply, which leads me to suspect an electronic fault or an electrical fault. Beyond that I have no idea.

O well the cam belt was due for a change in a few thousand miles anyway, and it is normal to replace the pump at the same time. I know it was an expensive job, so console yourself with the thought that the consequences of belt failure would have cost you many times what you have just paid. Glad it is sorted and fit for years to come.

Morning Tom. If I am right in thinking my 2007 2.0 TDI is the same model as yours, then you have the wrong stalk. Cruise control is on its own stalk to the left of the steering column. There are no wheel buttons.

I'd first look at the CV (constant velocity) joints. Damaged or oily gaiters are a bad sign. Grip each drive shaft with Mole or similar self-locking grips and try to turn the shaft while the transmission is locked. There should be no movement at all if the joints are fine.

Have you checked: power supply, relay, switch, fuse, and earth?

Do please let us know the outcome.

Allan. I can't give any specific advice regarding your problem, but I have to say that the increasing complexity of modern cars is leading me to believe there are no cheap fixes anymore. The days of simple diagnosis and cheap repairs ended with simple engine designs. Forty years ago as an amateur self taught mechanic I could diagnose and repair any engine fault, but now even a manufacturer trained mechanic in a fully equipped garage can only plug it into a computer, and from what I read on this forum the resulting fault codes are open to wide interpretation. Sorry I can not be more optimistic. Perhaps others here can be more helpful.

I'll report on progress after my holiday.

If you have been quoted £500 for new bonnet and wing, fitted and finished, I would snap it up. That seems remarkably cheap for an Audi job.

That will be useful thanks Steve. Knowing what Audi alternatives are available is a start in finding possible replacement wheels. I suspect I shall have to contact Audi for advice on whether springing/damping/steering changes will also be required. I know a tiny bit about the theory of steering and suspension geometry, but have no practical knowledge of modifying original factory designs, hence I was asking for personal experiences of such changes to gauge their effect on handling.

After having the third tyre in ten months wrecked by unavoidable potholes, I am looking at alternative wheels and tyres as there is little prospect of Kent County Council compensating me or repairing the holes. I am considering changing the standard low profile tyres and alloy wheels for smaller wheels with higher profile tyres to maintain the current rolling diameter. Has anybody here have experience of this practice as all the queries I have seen involve fitting even lower profiles? I would even accept steel wheels if that was the only alternative, though naturally I would prefer the lower mass of alloys.

If the moped rider was blameless I wonder why he is not claiming from Praveen. Somehow I don't think we have the full story.

In that case I don't know what to suggest. Sorry.

I know you say the steering lock is releasing, but have you tried wriggling the wheel each way as you turn the key to ensure it is truly disengaging?

Thomas. Like Steve I can not hear anything unusual in your link. To pinpoint the noise you could try an old mechanic's trick with a screwdriver stethoscope. Place a large screwdriver tip firmly on various parts of the engine, then hold your ear against the handle. You'll be surprised just how noisy the bearings and pumps can be. I shan't insult your intelligence by warning you of the obvious dangers of this form of testing.

As Adam and Gareth have said, the creamy stuff is emulsion caused by water getting into the oil. How the water gets there has several causes: a faulty head gasket, condensation, fractured water gallery, faulty crankcase breather (if there is one,) are just some of them. I suggest you have the water system pressure tested as a first step.