cliffcoggin

That is usually done to balance the charge between all the cells, so I guess Audi is suspicious about some of them. Do you often charge the battery at the maximum rate? That practice increases the chances of battery damage. (Note my careful use of the words "increases" and "chances". There are few certainties in the field of battery charging.)

Brian. I honestly do not believe the diagnosis from your garage. To change an engine because of limp mode is ludicrous, your mechanic is clearly clutching at straws. I have my suspicions about the cause of your limp mode, but I'll keep quiet until you have had the car tested by somebody competant. Finding an independant VAG garage is easy enough with an internet search.

That's disappointing considering he visited the forum yesterday.

Wonders will never cease.

I don't understand, and can not see a possible mis-spelling. Please explain.

A frequent cause of invisible coolant loss is the EGR cooler. That you now have a visible loss from the reservoir might suggest the hole in the EGR cooler is now big enough to allow blow back. The only way to be sure is to remove the EGR cooler which I believe, as I have never done it, is a devil of a job.

I doubt you will feel a difference in firmness because the hoses are armoured. It is the rubber lining that perishes.

Any progress on this Damian?

Any progress on this Damian?

I suspect the engine is misfiring a little at idle then over-recovering causing its balance to change briefly. The possible causes are myriad so it would be worth getting it professionally scanned or use a VAG compliant code reader.

You have at least proven the mechanical parts of the locks work, so the fault must be electrical or electronic.

Good luck with your claim Tom. You'll need it.

Tom. You have not yet confirmed if it was purchased from a dealer or an individual, and when. Please let us know because it affects your legal rights.

It sounds like one of the constant velocity joints is worn out, which is a MOT failure. The dealer is obliged by law to sell only roadworthy vehicles, and to repair or replace within a month of purchase any such faulty vehicle, no matter what worthless warranty (and they are all worthless,) you have purchased. Take it back.

It sounds like chain slap. At twice per second or 120 per minute it is too slow for the crank and cam shafts.

Dan. It's likely that water has got into the motor through the washer pipe and wrecked it, which was a common problem. The solution is a new motor.

Alex. My internet search revealed four independent VAG specialists on the first page alone.

Lee. You may have been told about the routine services that the vendor has done, but only a full service history from Audi, printed not verbal, will reveal any repairs or other miscellaneous work that has been done to the car. Surely you want to know about that before handing over cash?

Being told it has just been serviced would not satisfy me. I would want a print of the full service history which Audi will be able to supply. If that does not meet the requirements of the service schedule I would walk away from the car.

That's good to know.

Sam. Does that mean the new controller switch that was fitted a few months ago failed to solve the problem, and hence was a waste of money?

I would be surprised if so many circuits were protected by the same fuse, especially circuits with such disparate functions, though I don't know this for a fact. Years ago there would be less than a dozen fuses in total on a car. Nowadays the general principle is one fuse per function leading to 30 or more fuses in two or three fuseboxes. A far more sensible arrangement.

A defective battery will cause a variety of operational faults and false error codes because the car's electronics are so sensitive. Get the battery professionally tested as a first step in the diagnosis, and let us know the result. If it proves to be faulty and has to be renewed ensure it is coded to the car else you will ruin it. Let's hope you did not waste your money on the turbo.

Intermittent limp mode is one of the symptoms of a defective battery. How old is it?

As the car is only two years old and still under gaurantee, you should not need to trawl the internet for a solution. You are entitled to a fix from Audi. It's true that most of us here have little faith in Audi dealers, but that should not stop you trying a different one. Better still try an independant VAG specialist which will have more interest in providing a good service, though I'd advise notifying your dealer of your intention and a possible charge against him.