cliffcoggin

Stephen. I have moved this topic to an A4 forum as it does not belong in introductions. I can't answer your questions, but I do ask what makes you think you need all those modules. Are you certain they are all defective?

Mark. If that is the return line, not the delivery line, then it will not need to be bled. The outside diameter is unimportant; it's the internal diameter that needs to match your existing hose to ensure a snug fit on the metal pipe. Ensure the hose is suited to the fuel. Not all grades of hose can be used on both diesel and petrol.

Amelia. You had marked the wrong post as the solution. I have changed it to the correct one.

I have no recommendations, but this came up in an internet search: https://www.autosiliconehoses.com/rubber-hose-steel-overbraided-fuel-oil-nbr-automotive-hoses.html

I don't know about ready made hoses, but there are companies which will fabricate hoses to order.

My guess is the ignition switch or one of the relays is defective, causing the contacts to not open. I suggest you get it tested by an auto electrician.

What was the result of the latest investigation?

Surely Nextbase would be in the best position to answer that question?

Cold weather always reveals the weaknesses in batteries of all types: lead-acid, ni-cad, lithium, zinc-carbon.

I'd agree with Steve that the cheapest long distance motoring will be provided by a diesel, but bear in mind when you choose a car the big changes to Vehicle Excise Duty that are coming in April. I would go further and say that hybrids are an awful compromise between liquid fuel and electric. Choose one or the other.

That's probably why the cost was so reasonable. I doubt a main dealer would have been so cheap.

Mark. I have moved it to C7.

John. Were the forum answers of use to you?

I think you are probably right Mike, but we'll never know as Gareth has not returned to the forum since 16th December.

I am clearly wasting my time trying to convince that your battery is clapped out, so I'll leave you to it. Good luck.

Ask ECU Testing. I know they can do modern instrument clusters, so maybe they can repair yours.

Yet you said it needed to be recharged five times in three months. That is not the sign of a battery in good condition. I suggest you get it professionally tested.

Are you now saying it does hold a charge? That is not the impression I got from your earlier comments.

In that case it would be wise to wait until the garage have issued a new MOT certificate, and then re-assess the car.

Allowing the battery to flatten will have damaged it, which is why it will no longer hold a charge. That damage will also interfere with the cars electronics and may explain many of the faults you experienced. I suggest you buy a new decent quality battery of the right capacity as a first step, and then get any remaining error codes checked on a code reader such as OBD11. Let us know how you get on.

How old is the battery? How many times has it gone flat?

Let's not confuse a soluble carboxylated silicon compound with silica gel. They are two different things. Amongst some of the uninformed nonsense I have read on this subject is an opinion that silica should not be used because it is abrasive, and indeed silica is abrasive, but silica is not what is added to antifreeze. Silica is not the same as silica gel which is not the same as a carboxylated silicon compound. The soluble carboxylated silicon compound is a corrosion inhibitor that reduces the electrochemical reaction between iron and aluminium. It is not solid and therefore can not block coolant passages. (Incidentally aluminium has been used in engines for many decades before 1996.) Silica gel beads on the other hand are used throughout the commercial and industrial worlds for absorbing water, which I presume is their function in the expansion tank, because most hydraulic fluids are hygoscopic, i.e. they absorb water which degrades their performance. For example you will often find small bags of silica gel beads in the packaging of steel and iron goods to protect them from rust during storage by keeping the atmosphere dry in the pack. None of which gets us any closer to solving your lack of cabin heating. I don't know if the absence of a Mit Silicat mark can be taken as proof that there is no silica gel present, so you have nothing to lose by back flushing the entire cooling system in stages. As the scale of this silica gel problem becomes more apparent to me, I now wonder if some of the reports we get on the forum of unexplained low engine temperatures are related. I imagine that these beads can easily prevent a thermostat from fully opening or fully closing. They could also be clogging the coolant pump, which of course is designed to pump liquids not solids.

It may well be all current models for all I know, but not necessarily all years. I am fairly certain my 2007 A3 did not, so it must be an innovation that was introduced since then.

See this: https://www.audiownersclub.com/forums/topic/28121-ignition-light-disco/

So is your expansion tank marked "Mit silicat"? If so, that is likely to be your problem.