cliffcoggin

After another visit by you Roger to the forum since my question yesterday we still have no response. I guess you don't really want any assisstance and we have wasted our time responding. O well, goodbye.

Coding means matching the battery to the car's charging system so that it gets charged at the correct rate and to the right limit. It's a "feature" of modern cars that was unecessary years ago when cars did not have the delicate electronics that are present now. Coding is done with a computer gadget such as VCDS via the car's OBD diagnostic port. Skip the coding and you may damage the battery. A defective or dying battery can not store as much power as a new one, even though a simple no load voltage test may show 12.4 volts. You can get away with a weak battery much of the time when conditions are favourable, but the onset of winter always reveals the weakness because the power requirements at low temperatures are much greater. This time of year we always get a flood of queries about poor starting and other electrical problems which in many cases are because the battery is dying, which is why we have suggested getting the battery and alternator tested professionally.

Please do.

I was not aware that automatic transmissions had dual mass flywheels. Are you sure it has a DMF?

I have changed the title.

I knew cost cutting at Audi was extensive, but did not realise oil, air, and water were now extras in new cars.

A defective battery will not hold a charge, so that could be the explanation for the problem, so why not get it tested before shelling out over a hundred pounds for a new one. And as Steve said, if a new one is needed ensure it is coded to the car. It would also be worth getting the alternator tested at the same time.

Sorry, I have no idea of where it is located or how to change it. Perhaps another member can help.

It's likely the air flap motor is faulty on passenger side.

Any answers for us Roger? I see you visited the forum four hours ago.

Try it with 12 volts.

Advice? Simple. Take it to the dealership to get the "service due" light turned off.

Was it not possible to enter the boot from the cabin by tipping the rear seats forward?

Thanks for letting us know. Be glad the water did not leak into the cabin, it would have permanently stained the head lining.

Terry. If the sophisticated reader at Audi does not find anything, your cheap reader has no chance. All I can suggest is that you find an alternative garage to test it. We often recommend independant VAG specialists over main dealer. An internet search should find those near you.

There is no almost about it, it is dangerous and undoubtedly an MOT failure. That sort of wear does not happen suddenly, it developes over many months. Is the car a recent aquisition?

That is madness. Fitting new parts at random will cost you much more than taking the car to a properly equipped and knowledgeable garage.

Some of the real story is now emerging. 1/ You had the turbocharger replaced at a non Audi workshop, but have no receipt so it is no surprise that Audi will have nothing to do with it. Why did you not return the car to the turbo fitting shop? 2/ Audi labour charges are always high, but no worse than other manufacturers. None us like it but sometimes there is no choice if you don't want to find an independant specialist as I suggested. 3/ A cheap code reader will be money down the drain. Either buy an expensive machine such as VCDS or pay somebody who has one.

By coincidence I need to replace the Michelin rear tyres on my wife's Skoda because the shoulders are starting to crack and crumble even though the tread depth is still 3-4 mm and the side walls are unscathed. The tyre fitter's comment on seeing them was "typical Michelins, the rubber's perishing from the weather."

Sorry Reece, I will not download files from untrusted sources, however your description suggests you need to get all the other steering and suspension joints checked, as well as the top mounts of the struts and the wheel bearings. Once they are in good order the steering alignment will need to be adjusted.

Glad to hear it. If it happens again at least you now know there is a good chance it can be repaired.

Irena. I sympathise with your predicament, but without a firm diagnosis from a code reader we can only guess which of the many possible faults are responsible for the problem. Those possibilities include a blocked diesel particulate filter, a dying battery, faulty fuel pumps, faulty mass air flow meter, and several others as well. It is clearly uneconomic to renew every possible part in the hope that you will be lucky. Audi should be able to diagnose a car as young as yours, and I am puzzled your workshop can not do so. Is there an alternative Audi workshop you could try? Are there any independant VAG specialists you could try? (Many of us here prefer independant workshops for reasons I need not mention here, but I do not know if they exist in Germany.)

Scott. You are not telling us the full story here, so how about you give us some details about the symptoms of the starting problem, what you have tested, and what you have attempted to do about the problem?

Do you seriously expect a 12 volt system to work on 9 volts?

Best for what? Maximum dry grip? Maximum wet grip? Cheapest? Quietest? Minimum wear? "Best" depends entirely on your criteria, so what qualities you are looking for?