cliffcoggin

The past few days a pop-up advertisement for Driven has appeared on this forum whenever I open the site. My ad-blocker (Ublock Origin) is normally very effective at stopping these horrid intrusions but it has not worked this time. Has anybody found a solution yet?

Pete. That is not simply a plug to seal the hole. It is the mounting grommet that holds the lamp unit in place, so it needs to be the right part to grip the metal peg. I have no idea what Audi calls it but most mechanics would recognise the term grommet.

In that case I am out of my depth. I do know that speakers have to be the right impedance for the radio (i.e. matched for the output strength,) but whether that is the problem or you lack some other adaptor for the extra cable I have no idea. Let's hope somebody else has can help.

I am a little confused. Is it the new speakers that aren't working properly or the new radio?

Forgive me for being blunt Anthony but if I had just bought a car with a indicator fault, a washer fault, a glowplug fault, and a loss of coolant, I would be hammering at the seller's door demanding a refund.

In the old days before electronics and canbus and computers were fitted to cars, that sort of problem was usually caused by a bad earth at the lamp unit.

I don't know about changing the pump, but before doing so I would check that power is getting to the connection first, in case the switch or the relay is faulty.

Will do, but it's likely to be few months when the weather is warmer.

Wiring diagrams are available on the internet: https://www.google.co.uk/search?newwindow=1&rlz=1CAACAH_enGB721GB721&ei=k3CAWuCoIKycgAaJrY6QCw&q=audi+a3+wiring+diagram&oq=audi+a3+wiring+diagram&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0i7i30k1l3j0j0i7i30k1l5j0.20893.23815.0.28899.26.13.0.0.0.0.334.1690.1j4j1j2.8.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..23.2.465....0.FnXwdfkDtUI I wonder if your two problems are related i.e. the previous owner removed the head lining trying to get the demister wiring.

Reece. Search this forum for "door lock". There are plenty of replies to others with a similar problem.

I was keen to do something similar a year ago but the concensus was that it was not possible. Since then I have found that kits are available such as these www.xcarlink.co.uk/product.php?productid=22&cat=4&page=1 Youtube videos show how to fit such kits and they appear to work, so I expect to install one if I can find a way to hide the cables and adapter.

Congratulations Les. I have heard that A3s were prone to rear wash leaks, but did not realise there were consequences other than a wet boot.

Sam. Camshaft chains are virtually everlasting compared to belts, a quarter of a million miles was not unusual back in the days when chains were common. The advantage of belts is quieter operation and better fuel efficiency; the disadvantage is the cost of replacement every 70000 miles.

I can add little to Gareth's comments, except to say that a faulty wiring loom is the most unlikely cause of the problem imaginable. I would look at every other thing involved in the injection and ignition systems before changing the loom.

I second the idea of breakers. They are an ignored resource nowadays that I have found useful and relatively cheap. You don't have wade across an oily field and crawl into a precarious stack of wrecks as many of us old geezers once did; like everything else they are now on the internet.

Glad you got it sorted in the end.

As Piotr said, you need to take it to a garage. The warning lights only tell you there is some sort of fault, they do not give specific information on what the fault is.

Is there a fuse in the box, and is it blown? https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=audi+a3+fuse+box+diagram&newwindow=1&rlz=1CAACAH_enGB721GB721&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=VP6je8ENromZAM%3A%2ChL0vLgAqNI2eNM%2C_&usg=__tYY2oOx-nFVJSuk3v4K3oMNP3pU%3D&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiRvdq89fDYAhUmJMAKHe_fAvQQ9QEIKzAA#imgrc=_

Do you mean EGR valve perhaps? Even so, I don't understand how a fault with the EGR valve can cause coolant loss unless there is a water jacket on it. Maybe somebody can enlighten both of us.

Imran. Are you sure you are not over filling the header tank to the point where the excess is expelled? Otherwise I suggest you take it to a garage that will carry out a full pressure test.

I had a similar problem that became gradually worse until remote operation did not work at all on one door, though the other doors and boot lid were fine. It turned out to be a damaged solenoid or wire that had to be renewed.

Chris. Let me re-iterate that the shock absorber will not affect the ride height. Any garage mechanic who tells you otherwise is either an incompetent fool or a blatant liar. Either way he is not to be trusted. Why are you getting the tracking and/or the shock absorber done at a different place from the springs? If you are just chasing the lowest prices without considering the quality of the work you are doomed to disappointment and will end up paying more to get the job done properly, and that does not include the number of tyres that will prematurely wear out at £70 each.

By the way I got a name wrong earlier in my first response when I mentioned Gareth and Chris. I meant Gareth and Paul. Apologies to all.

If it was my car I would measure, or get someone else to measure, the free length of the left and right springs. That may be easier said than done as the car would have to be jacked up until the wheels were off the ground, but would confirm whether the springs are at fault or there is something more serious like a twisted chassis to contend with. It is not unknown for springs to break within the cup shaped end cap, making the break invisible without removal, yet shortening the overall length. As for the shock absorber leak, forget it, it has no influence on the ride height, though it should be replaced for other reasons. Shock absorbers do not support the vehicle and and exist only to control the rebound after going over a bump. You could drain, or even remove the shock absorber completely, yet its absence would not alter the ride height.

A half inch difference between the two sides is really quite a lot. Like Gareth and Chris I reckon it is likely one spring has been changed, possibly for a shorter (i.e. lowered height) one, or perhaps a rubber bush has disintegrated. I also agree that the garage should be investigating as this problem can affect handling. That the garage will not do so is suspicious to my mind. Did you buy the car from there?