cliffcoggin

Well we all know dodgy batteries can lead to strange electronic faults, but handbrake failure is a new one on me.

If two sets of injectors have not got the car running, I doubt that injectors were the problem. Why not solve the real problem and have a working car?

Sorry Nikolas. I won't open links from untrusted sources.

The chances of the current owner of that plate reading this forum are almost zero. Have you asked the DVLA if it will pass on your query to him?

No it's not normal. The chances are that the rattle is caused by the exhaust is hitting the underside of the car, which in turn could mean that the engine mounting rubbers are soft or broken. Grab the exhaust pipe when it is cold and shake it hard to see if you can reproduce the noise. To test the engine mounts you need to lever against them with a crowbar, or get an assistant to let the clutch bite gently while you watch the engine. It should go without saying that both handbrake and footbrake should be firmly applied during the test.

Are you asking for advice or merely having a rant? If it's the former we need more details, if it's the latter I'll not respond further.

Fiona. Before you pay out for another subframe, are you sure the rest of the car is sound? I appreciate that the salty air in your location probably contributed to the subframe's corrosion, but it seems unlikely only that one part has suffered while the rest is in good condition.

Steve means you need to get it tested. Something has developed a fault that is probably unrelated to your "messing".

As the bulbs are new it's likely there is a poor connection in one of the bulb holders or a plug or the earthing of the lamp unit. It's common if water has entered the units, so ensure all moisture has been dried out and any corrosion of the terminals is cleaned off.

The forum owner/president/leader/admistrator has been on holiday for a few weeks. I daresay he will resolve the matter soon.

Me too Gareth, however I see little prospect of behavioural change from the "entitled" generation. My solution is to ignore this forum for at least one day every week.

Tesla use their own unique plugs/sockets that fit no other brand, however a few of their sites are being adapted to CCS connections.

Michael. To save us having to ask lots of preliminary questions it would help if completed your profile with Audi model, version, engine, year, and your approximate location. Your name suggests you are in the USA where there are differences in the model ranges.

Yes.

And the asking price is?

As Steve said, it's likely to be the instrument cluster at fault. You have the options of a new one from Audi for silly money, (don't even consider a secondhand one,) or repair of yours for about £180. Search this forum for other examples of this fault.

Kaci. Please add a text version of your advertisement. Not everyone will open links to external sources.

I reckon white smoke rules out electrical insulation burning because that would be brown, so that leaves exhaust fumes and scorched glycol (coolant). If the exhaust is leaking to the extent of filling the cabin with fumes I would expect you to be able to hear a lot more exhaust clatter than normal, and possibly even see or hear the gas escaping if you put your head under the car. Is that so? If the cooling system is leaking I would expect a need to top up the radiator header tank frequently, and possibly overheating of the engine. Is that so?

And what colour is the smoke?

What does the smoke smell of? What colour is the smoke? The stink of burning electrical insulation and that of exhaust fumes and that of scorched coolant are very different. If you do not know the difference it is not advisable to use the car until it is fixed. You have not mentioned the fuel, so be aware that the fire risk is much greater if your car is fuelled by petrol than diesel. Diesel is surprisingly hard to ignite.

The oil grade will depend on the climate it is to be used in, so there no one single grade of oil that is ideal around the world, hence the need to consult Audi in your country of use. I have never seen any oil data stickers on cars in Britain, either under the bonnet or elsewhere on the car. Perhaps that is a uniquely American practice. As Magnet mentioned, get the information from Audi.

Ask the dealer if he will guarantee, at his expense, that a new unit will solve the problem entirely. That should tell how much confidence you can put on his diagnosis. On a more general note, it is a shame main dealers do not allow customers to have direct communication with the mechanics, or technicians as they like to refer to them nowadays. The more barriers between the man who pays the bill and the man who repairs the car leads to distrust and unneccesary costs. It is one of the reasons I abandoned Audi main dealerships in favour of a small independent specialist where I could talk directly to the man who got his hands dirty.

Adrian. There is no magic oil, no insider knowlege, and no secret fix for your problem. To state matters bluntly, the engine is a clapped out heap of scrap iron which needs to be either repaired or replaced. It really is as simple as that. You know the cost of repair, you know the cost of the huge amounts of oil it is drinking, and you know the cost of repeatedly throwing money at a mechanic. It's time to use that knowledge to arrive at a decision on the car's fate. I am sorry to add to your misfortune, but this problem is well known in the trade so car dealers are unlikely to offer you more than a few hundred pounds for it, no matter how good the rest of the car may be. Bear that in mind when making the decision.

Given that Adblue is part of the car's emissions control system, I wonder if its deletion will affect the MOT test.

Are you saying you bought the car without being able to test drive it?