bowline5

Thanks Gareth I was going to buy a Lucas unit from ECP until they messed around with the website price, I've located a remanufactured Bosch at a much better price. It's unfortunate that ECP have the biggest range locally to me, they're OK for consumables but I try to avoid them for anything else. Derek

I have a 2002 A4 B6 with the 2.4l V6 engine, code BDV. The alternator bearing is making a lot of noise, do I need to take the whole front off to get in and replace the unit or can it be done from below?

Thanks Steve, I can see the sense in that. I'll have a look for Auto Air if your suggestion about the fan motors proves to be the problem. Derek

Gareth I could not agree more. Greg's workshop is just down the street from me, there is an independent Audi specialist a few miles away, I plan to talk with him next week. Pattern parts, the ones with the different letters in the number, are about £60, I've seen one second hand one for about the same, tolerable for a car of this age, but you're right, as long as I don't get stuck in a queue whatever the issue is should be manageable. Thank you for your input Derek

Thank you Gareth, not the best news but something to go on. Greg at the workshop has done a thorough check although he doesn't have VAG diagnostics, he suspects the Control Module as it doesn't behave as he thinks it should when tested with a multi-meter. I spoke with a local Audi dealer, he gave me a part number that is quite different, starting 4B0, which google indicates is for an A6 type C5. It looks exactly the same as the ones that I've already seen, with a price tag of £320 + VAT from Audi and £280 on Ebay so I can't see me buying one of those. I'll ring TPS on Monday and pick their brains. Regards Derek

I was stuck in a fuel queue and the engine boiled up; the RAC got me home and next day the car went into the workshop for diagnosis. The problem seems to lie with the Fan Control Module not performing so no cold air moving through the radiator. The part number on the label is 8E0 959 501 D, googling brings up loads of listings but none of the new parts on offer have the same letter at the end of the number. It could be A, B, AB, R, AG, AK, anything but D. The wiring looks the same but the unit is not the same shape as the one on my car, which has presumably been there since the build in May 2002. What variations do all the different part codes refer to, and which one(s) will be an equivalent replacement for my old unit, which I guess has been discontinued/superceded?

I did some work on the engine, it's a BDV 2400 V6 175hp. There's a thin black plastic pipe, about 6-8mm diameter, running from a point low down in the front right of the engine bay to an assembly of switches and connectors mounted on a plate high at the back of the block. It's printed with >PH6H< and 21-06-02 FRJ, and thanks to my clumsiness is now in three pieces, I think it's become brittle with age so snapped easily. The car seems to run OK without it, but who knows what detail of engine management is now lacking. Predictably I suppose the local Audi dealer professes total ignorance and suggests I book it in for an inspection so that they can get paid to scratch their heads and wonder. Does anyone have any idea what this little pipe, be it vacuum or pressure, does and how I can replace it?

Hi again Gareth, I looked at Discount Audi Parts Cardiff, they don't list parts for cars before 2004. Other sites may have clumsy search engines, one lists more than 30 brands of filter, some disagree about what fits and state in big red letters that a Mann 940/20 is not compatible with my car while others specify it for my engine type. Often any price saving is more than negated by the shipping costs. That's why over the years I have tried ECP for a first look and widened my search if need be. Yes they might be a long way from perfect, but find me another supplier who isn't. There was a time I did all my own service and maintenance, that's changed in recent years but money pressures mean I need to start doing it again and learn anew where to spend my cash to best effect. I think I know what I'll find when I get under the car, and I think I know what I'm going to buy. Thanks for your help Derek

Thanks for the comments Gareth, you echo my thoughts about going for Mann or Bosch. Why ECP? Principally for convenience in that the website is easy to use, the local branch is close by and for service parts I have found their prices reasonable. That said I use them just as much for research as for buying, for instance even ebay beats them hands down for branded windscreen wipers! I haven't looked at the existing filter yet but given that the car is 18 years old and not been in Audi workshop for a few years I doubt it's a VAG unit for comparison, we'll see. Derek

The V6 petrol A4 is due an oil and filter change. Eurocarparts list two different filters for my engine, what might be the reason for the alternatives, and which is the better brand for the money? They offer Bosch, Mann, Crosland and Fram and researches suggest that Mann is probably the original factory fit, but there are two of them, at 12.99 or 19.99. Which one, and why?

Thanks Steve that's excellent, I guess I didn't ask the search engine the right question - story of my life. Not exactly the same seat as mine but I'm sure the principle is the same and having the replacement as a pattern was very helpful. That will get me away from the TV for a day in my copious free time.

My driver's seat has been getting progressively less pleasant to sit in over recent weeks and months, even the short 5 mile trips to the supermarket that are all I do now can be painful. I had the idea that I might be able to swap the seat squab for the passenger side one so today I took the seat out and had a look. I'm sure there must be a way to get the base out of the seat but I couldn't see it, does anyone have any experience of this? I couldn't find anything on youtube or google, ebay has listings for complete interiors, door cards and all, but I don't have hundreds of pounds to spend! Any suggestions gratefully received.

The heater in my 02 plate B6 has not worked for several months. Over that time I have drained, flushed refilled and bled the cooling system twice; the matrix is not blocked, hot water passes through it OK, and there are no leaks. I have replaced the air intake temperature sensor but all I have achieved is lukewarm air coming out of the defrost vents which is accompanied by a blast of cold air in the footwell. The next thing to check is the flap motors, where the connectors have five wires going into them. Anyone got a wiring diagram? Apparently there are two more temperature sensors in the cabin, but where? Can they be accessed and tested? If all else fails I guess I'll have to resort to ebay and take the risk of a second hand AC controller. Any advice or suggestions gratefully received.

One thing I've learnt about Audis over the years is that although the mechanics just keep going, there comes a point where some aspect of the ever more complex electronics fails and it can be a bugger to find. I eventually solved the misfire and tracked the problem down to an intermittent fault in one HT lead. I proved it by swapping a couple of leads and seeing the OBD fault codes report different cylinders. Audi of course wanted £46 + VAT per lead, Euro £54 (including) for the set of 6.

This is the latest in a long line of small but very irritating faults with my 02 V6 Avant. The check engine light is on, the OBD scan gives P0491 and 0492, no air flow in either left or right bank. The pump is fine, the CEL did not come on until the engine was warm, by which time the system should have turned itself off anyway. I wonder if it might be a sensor fault, can anyone give me any idea where it's located and how to get to it? The pipework seems to run around the back of the engine and it's all a bit crowded in there and hard to see anything. If it is a faulty sensor, can I get a replacement from anyone other than Audi?