cliffcoggin

So have I fifty years ago when I was young, stupid, and penniless, so I know just how dirty, uncomfortable, and sometimes dangerous it is to work underneath a car at the kerbside. So why do you not want to remove the entire engine? Bravado? Perversity? You are in Brisbane, not some remote part of the outback without access to modern tools and equipment.

There is a good chance that the wiring within the corrugated rubber tube or bellows between boot lid and frame is damaged. It's a common fault and often affects doors & windows as well.

Even if it was possible, why would you choose to? Surely the difficulty of working on a major engine rebuild while it is still in the car justifies the cost of hiring an engine crane. Even if one had full workshop facilities including a car lift nobody would do that sort of work without removing the engine.

Given that Audi do not know how to fix it, when they can fix it, or even if they can fix it, I would not hesitate in taking it back for a refund. Audi is not the quality brand it was several years ago, having sold some models recently with expensive defects as a result of poor design and inadequate testing. Consequently one can not rely on an Audi promise to fix it at some some unknown time in the future.

Very possibly. A dying battery can cause many unrelated electrical faults. If you have any doubts about the battery or it is more than five years old it would be well to get it tested on professional equipment.

I doubt you get any concensus on the forum because the right choice will depend on your driving style, your budget, the sort of road conditions you drive on, the loads you carry, your preference for fuel economy versus grip, and so on. If you are satisfied with whatever brand of tyres you have at the moment I suggest you get the same again.

The wipers will not work if the car senses the bonnet is open. It's an interlock to prevent damage to wipers/bonnet. Have you checked the earth connection of the new switch? Is there damage or corrosion in the switch connector?

I have tried that argument but it falls on deaf ears at the prospect of extra performance for peanuts.

Any response to the question Tony?

Any comment on the above replies Mark? I know you have seen them.

The remapping problem is why I am tending more and more to ask members if a faulty vehicle has been remapped. Many folk are happy to accept the extra performance while remaining blind to the increased wear, decreased reliability, and decreased durability it also brings.

If the car has a EGR (exhaust gas recycle) valve it is common for its cooling jacket to leak water into the engine and out of the exhaust, which is why you won't see an external water leak. For some unknown reason a pressure test does not reveal this problem.

It's Rhys you need to be asking, not me, and he has not returned to the forum for two months.

Carol. Have you tried the suggestions presented in this thread over the last two years?

I can't help on that score John.

Even if the 19" fits the well it should not be used as a replacement for a 21" wheel, unless it has a suitably high profile tyre to compensate for its smaller diameter.

It may be as simple as the key fob battery or as difficult as defective circuitry. Either way, take it back to the dealer.

That's unfortunate, but I don't know what else to suggest. I would guess the number plate light now being constantly illuminated is the cause of the original switch failure rather than a consequence of the new switch. Melting of the switch would undoubtedly be caused by a high resistance inside it, or else an unusually high current draw. An auto electrician should be able to help.

You may be lucky enough to find a secondhand original switch in a car breaker's. Many of them are online nowadays.

It may well be lack of oil causing the fault, so that's the first thing to sort out before looking further. If that does not cure it the next thing to look at is the mechatronic control module, though be warned repair will be expensive.

That means nothing to me as I don't use a code reader. Doesn't your code reader have an explanation of what the codes mean?

Do I understand correctly that the VIN on the car is not the same as the VIN on the paperwork? If so, your car is possibly stolen or the paperwork is fake. I suggest you take it back to the vendor as soon as possible to get the matter resolved. It may be a simple clerical error as the dealer claimed, or it could be more sinister. Either way you need to have it resolved.

In that case I suggest you test the switch which is the most likely cause of the fault. Code 30 does not seem like any fault code I have ever seen, which normally have a letter followed by four digits.

Chris. In your place I would be more concerned at ensuring the car has a complete service history than an ancient recall or update. As for the free health check, bear in mind that nothing worthwhile in life is ever free. The only checks that will be done are those that any sensible person would do before buying a car.

Test it as already described earlier in the thread. Look for continuity in the element when switched off, and voltage at the element terminals when switched on.