Getting hold of service history.

[pcjthe1]

The car: Audi TT 1.8T Quattro 225HP with BAM engine.  First registered May 2002.

Currently owned by a friend.  When he bought it some 18 months ago the selling garage listed in their advert regular services giving their mileages and a cambelt change.

We have a copy of their advert but he didn't get a service book, nor any other evidence of these services.

Does anyone know how we could check on the service record?

[Magnet]

Hello Peter,

Can your friend go back to the seller on the off chance they still have that detailed history somewhere? If you don’t ask, you don’t know! 
It’s worth going to see your nearest Audi dealer ( armed with your V5) and enquire whether there is any recent computerised service history on the Audi database. 
If both of these draw blanks, then I guess you just have to do a comprehensive service on it now, and continue to record its history under your ownership. 
Please let us know how you get on Peter.

Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[pcjthe1]

Hi Gareth,

Thanks for replying.

I've posted a message to the garage that sold him the car, but so far no reply.  I'm not hopeful of getting anything from them, as despite all the claimed services at x, y and z miles they didn't supply him with any actual documentation re this other than their advert.  He did get a full set of MOTs right back to the first one.

Will try the Audi dealer approach.

I was hoping there might be some kind of database that Audi owners knew of that we could access.

My friend has already done/had done some very comprehensive stuff on the car in his 18 months of ownership.

That includes 4 new tyres, a new dual mass flywheel and clutch, renewed engine breather pipes, renewed fuel tank senders to name just some of the jobs (the work totals over £3400) as he was intending to run this car as a modern classic for a few years until he and his wife decided on the car they needed for their retirement.

Sadly his health is becoming problematical so the "retirement car" decision has had to be brought forward and he will be looking at selling the Audi very shortly.

The missing info wouldn't have been that critical in his original plan, but now he'd like to get as much back history as he can to add to the stuff he's got re jobs done in his ownership ready to pass it on.

Regards

Peter

 

[spartacus 68]

As suggested, check with Audi, otherwise walk away. A new clutch, flywheel and tyres wouldn’t be enough. These cars are now over 20 years old and could have had numerous owners. Plenty examples out there with history.

These are potential future classics, but don’t expect big money. 2002 cars are anywhere from £2,500 to over £10k if mint and low mileage.

Roadster versions are nice. Soft tops need to be thoroughly inspected and any musty smell give it a wide berth.

[Magnet]

Thanks Peter,

Access to VAG computerised service history is via. dealers or authorised persons only - not private individuals. 

[pcjthe1]

Hi Spartacus 68/Richard,

Thanks for reply and the "price range" estimate.

It's not a question of "walk away". I'm not buying this car (my passion is a large V12 Series 3 Jaguar Sovereign).

I'm trying to help my friend whose plans have been changed due to illness.

Having been smitten by the car his mistake was not to be more thorough in collecting all the history from the selling garage.

Regards

Peter

[pcjthe1]

1 hour ago, Magnet said:

Thanks Peter,

Access to VAG computerised service history is via. dealers or authorised persons only - not private individuals. 

Thanks again Gareth,

We'll try an Audi dealer and see if they can dig up any info.

Regards

Peter

[Magnet]

Pleasure Peter,

I could be wrong, but I don’t think it was until 2015 ish that the recording system became computerised, so it’s unlikely that you will get anything until the car would have been 13 years old - previous history was most likely retained in a  stamped-up service book. 
Having said that, anything is worth a try. 
Perhaps you could keep us posted.

Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[pcjthe1]

Hi Gareth,

Yep, that's pretty much what I thought might be the case.

I'm still waiting to see if I get a reply from the selling garage as the servicing dates they put in their advert looked to me like they were taken from a stamped-up service book.  Pity my friend didn't get hold of it.  We've got the advert, but it's not quite the same thing.

Even if we could only get info from 2015 it would help.

The car is running well, he has all the info re those jobs done under his ownership and he feels it would be nice to have as much info as possible to provide to any new owner.

I'll keep you informed of progress.

Peter

[pcjthe1]

Hi Gareth,

And some news:

As expected the selling garage (which aren't Audi dealers) were little help.  They said they had handed over what they had and couldn't tell us any owner history (data protection etc).

We have an outline owner history anyway, thanks to the various number plate changes matching with MOT info.

We've sent in a V888 to see what else that might produce.

The good news: we've found the servicing data!  And the stamps tally with the data in the selling advert.  I was checking the spec for the radio/6CD Bose system fitted to the car and asked my friend if he had the code just in case he ever had a flat battery or needed to disconnect the battery for any reason.  He dug out a small folder with the original radio/CD instruction booklet and tucked away behind it was the very slim Audi Service Schedule booklet.  Bingo: dealers stamps in there.

Now he can move forward with (sadly) selling this vehicle that he happily had put a lot of money into as he had planned to be keeping it for a couple of years yet.

Life sometimes just doesn't play the way we plan does it?

Edited Sunday at 12:00 PM by pcjthe1
typo

[Magnet]

Great Peter,

Puts me in mind of a BMW I bought at auction at least a couple of decades ago - with no service history. Once home, the service book was found tucked under the passenger seat. 
Soon learnt after that to check all sort of places where rival bidders may have hidden them! 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[pcjthe1]

Morning Gareth,

Might have helped if the selling garage had actually pointed out the location of the servicing booklet to my friend during the handover.

Talk about hiding in plain sight.  The service book is a very slim booklet that was quite easy for my friend to overlook.

Talking BMW, alongside my mighty Jaguar I have a Rover 75 and the servicing pages are at the back of the 200+ page long driver's handbook, so not easy to overlook.

Weirdly the servicing pages are printed upside down!  You literally have to turn the handbook over, base over apex.  Must be a BMW thing again.

Still, at least now my friend can get on (sadly) with selling the TT.

If there is anyone on here interested I can forward any and all details.

Peter

[Magnet]

Life is full of coincidences.
Rover 75? Had one of these with the BMW diesel engine - great. The one I had was a facelift Contemporary and was spec’d to the limited and finished in Seafrost, which I understand they only did in limited numbers in the pre- facelift. Ex MG/ Rover management car. 
I know exactly what you mean about the MG/R service book being part of the handbook - I have a low mileage MG TF.

Jaguars? May I ask what you have Peter. I’ve a long association with this marque. 
Apologies for going off-thread, but….

Kind regards,

Gareth.