So, to answer my own question, this would appear to be the part of the mechanism that ensures the seat returns to its original position once you've let someone into the back seat. The seat now just travels all the way back, instead of stopping at its original position. The reason I didn't spot this earlier is that I invariably have the passenger seat fully back, so it isn't an issue...
The part that ATD sent me replaces this housing on the car. I had already replaced this a couple of years back with a new one, as the original was horribly corroded (it's made of alloy). Once we'd got this off the car (not very hard - all connectors have plugs into the main loom, so you can carry it away with the number plate lights and boot release microswitch still in place). We got it into the house and started transferring the parts onto the new (plastic) housing. The number plate lights fitted with a bit of brute force, but we were dismayed to see that the housing for the boot release microswitch was different from the original... 🤦♂️
Dave is not a person to give up (although I feel this project may have tested that virtue to an unreasonable degree 😆), so he trimmed the microswitch and made it fit into the gap provided, securing it with a self-tapping screw.
We fitted it into the car - perfect! Then we came across a problem with the lock mechanism - nothing to do with this work. At some stage, someone had the lock apart and removed/lost what looks like a woodruff key, which lies along the lock barrel. The upshot of this was that you couldn't open the boot with the key. It is essential that you are able to do this, because if the solenoid fails, you have no way of accessing the boot...
Dave once again came up with a workaround to rectify this. 👍
We took the power supply for the camera and mini transmitter from the back of the 12v socket on the right side of the boot. It is permanently live, but I can't help thinking that the current draw is so low when the camera is not in action, it shouldn't be an issue. If it proves to be one, we'll find a switched source.
Time to test it...🤞
Ta-dah! 🤩
Great picture (much better than the one I fitted to my Škoda). It doesn't have any guidelines as you reverse - but I had already fitted some reversing sensors several years back. They are as simple as they come - powered by the reversing lamp circuit, they trigger a beeper hidden behind the boot trim - audible from the interior.
So, would I recommend this project? Not really. Although I am delighted with the result, fitting the head unit (or - to be more correct - re-siting the Climate Control Panel [CCP]) was a real pain. We ended up solving the situation by cutting and sanding a couple of mm off each side of the CCP to get it to fit. Similarly, we ended up cutting and reusing the original centre console. Had we known these things going in, then it would have taken much less time and angst...
The camera fit initially looked good - but the modifications to the microswitch to get it to fit were challenging (largely because it had to be in exactly the right spot - and stay there).
Without Dave, I would have struggled to get a half decent job done. If you feel confident in your abilities to fettle things that don't fit - or know an excellent engineer like Dave, then the results are definitely worth it. The head unit and camera have dragged the convertible a little further forward into the 21st century 😆, but in such a way that the mods don't (I think) look out of place.
So - if you want to do the same, you'll need:
Double-DIN frame, part number 8H0858005A
Head unit
eBay link: Click
Reversing camera panel:
eBay link: Click
And a lot of patience, although, if we'd decided to follow the route we were forced down from the start, it would have been much more straightforward.
I hope this has been of some interest.
Happy New Year,
Well, managed to get the manifold replaced. Here is the old one...
<Rolf Harris> Can you see where it's cracked yet? </Rolf Harris>
I can't believe how quiet the engine is now - this has clearly been blowing for a while.
Still have a misfire/surge at certain throttles settings, though. I think I may have to look at the injectors over the winter...🤔
Hey-ho - maintaining an ageing Audi isn't for the faint-hearted...😆
gsmdo's post in Seat latch weirdness - anyone recognise this part? was marked as the answer
