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So sorry to hear this news Steve, I know how much you love that car and share your sentiments entirely as I couldn't think of parting with my old Z3. But....unfortunately, sometimes every dog has its day (old saying, not saying your car is an old dog) and it also comes down to an issue of spares availability like you are experiencing now. So, looking forward to a few more years of motoring if you go ahead with another engine or a rebuild like Gareth has suggested, but you may be caught out at any point in the future with another unexpected issue and you can't get the parts or indeed the skilled labour to repair it. If you do go ahead with repairing it then I wish you all the luck and if you were any closer in the country then I would willingly lend you a hand with the spanners. P.S. Just a thought but rather than sourcing an engine how about trying to find a complete car going for spares/repairs that you could hear the engine running and it would be a lot cheaper and also gives you a valuable source of spares?

Hi Gents, I started to suffer some weird handling on the front of my A6 so I ran the car down to the garage I use so I could borrow a ramp, soon saw the trouble it was the Banana arm bushes as named in the trade, A.K.A. front rear lower control arm, anyway managed to get a deal on Lemforder replacements they must be o.e. as someone had ground most of the VAG numbers off of the castings, I assumed that the whole arm and balljoint must be knackered so I butchered the balljoint boots with a forked joint splitter only to find the balljoints themselves were perfectly serviceable even after 150, 000 + miles, on reflection I could have got away with fitting power flex bushes on the inners, hey ho time is money, but I thought I would publish this as they reckon these are a weak point on Audis, so if some monkey MOT tester tells you they are gone make sure they look like this before you launch your wallet at them. Steve

I'd recommend looking at buyers guides on YouTube. Make sure it's been serviced correctly. Including relevant work on the Cambelt or Timing chain. Make sure all electrical items work

I’m really sorry to hear about this Steve, particularly since I know the car has sentimental connections. Bottom end knocking? Possible to remove sump with engine in situ? If so, it should be possible to slide in some new shell bearings which should buy you some more mileage, even if the crank is worn. Fostering relations with a local classic car club, may give you pointers towards contacts. It’s all a bit clutching at straws, but worth a good coat of thinking about. Good luck with whatever you decide to do Steve. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hey just an up date on the abs module recall. I had my codes read before hand and had the required codes of abs module fault 16532 and line four a 96 value, I printed them off and left on front seat. 4 days later Audi dealership said the module was fully covered by warranty (recall) and ordered new module!!

Hi Tony I run my car as a cab so have a look at the pictures of my filters at 9k every changed every three months. Steve.

Thanks Gareth, will give that a try.

Guide and pictures credited to Jack Millin. Flat bottom steering wheel off a S3 8P fitted to my 2010 B8 Avant. The electrical plug needed 2 little tabs trimming off and 3 of the wires de pinning and putting in different positions and it all works. I've attached a picture of the wiring guide as well. This guide should also be applicable to the b7 A4 too.

Mystery solved! I've just picked a 2019 Audi Q3 which came with a bottle of gue and a tyre inflator instead of a spare wheel and tools. If anyone is interested in getting a spare wheel and tools then the bits you need to source are the following... 5Q0-803-899 Wheel Bolt and clamp. This fits the socket shown in Brian's picture above. If you already have the subwoofer speaker in your car you will already have this. 5QF-011-031-C Jack plus 5Q0-011-221 Jack crank arm. (The crank arm is the Jack handle and it is sold separately!) 8N0-012-219 Wrench 83A-012-109-H Audi Q3 Foam tool compartment for spare wheel. 83A-601-010-A or 5QF-601-027-B Spare wheel. It is a 4J x 18H2 ET 28 wheel fitted with a 145/85 18 Tyre. (Same spare wheel for all wheel sizes) Don't forget to transfer your tools from the old foam compartment to the new one! When finished your new spare wheel and tools take up exactly the same space as before and you can still put your boot floor in the lower position.

Been to the garage and heard the old girl running. There's knocking from the crank, and turbo is whistling/whining louder then it ever did before. The video says it all really. I'm in a predicament, repair engine, replace engine or scrap the car. Head says scrap, heart says rebuild. I've been doing research as finding knowledgeable people non the 2.5 is few and far between. I've sourced a second hand aym engine with 3 months warranty in Spain for £811 including postage. However the history on it is questionable. I've tried to source one in the UK without success. My garage where the car has been maintained for the last 18 years don't want to touch it for a rebuild. Darkside developments don't touch 2.5tdi engines, I've contacted another specialist who has got back to me. Going to try again today though.as I have more leads. From what I'm reading, besides the engine I might have to change the injection pump as that's coded to the car but the current one will only work on the lower horse power versions. I'd need the l pump if I fit a bau engine which has 180bhp as standard and seem more plentiful. The most extreme approach is to now build a performance 2.5tdi engine (stage 4) as it might be my only chance in life to get a highly modified car. As you can imagine I'm devastated and scrapping it isn't on the cards really. I just know once I start I'll end up doing more to it like changing the clutch and DML etc. VID20230405160344.mp4