spartacus 68

Look up your own car via LLL parts, especially the stock steering wheel and take a note of the part number. Now cross reference that with other steering wheel variants of the same model up to the final build year, which I think was 2015. They should all be compatible. Auto electricians, recoding, sounds like a lot of work.

No idea on your financial set up. I’ve always bought my cars, so not constrained by PCP or hire purchase deals. I understand about the final balloon payment though. Often cars on finance tend to be 3-4 years old and have GFV (guaranteed future value). Stay within limited mileage, and hand back in good condition, etc. Just looked at the price of a new petrol A3 Sportback. You can easily pay £35k and it has halogen rear lights. It’s 2026! At the end of the day, it’s your money. Keep on top of servicing and oil changes and it should do you a good few years.

Yes, TRW for brakes, etc. Lemforder is basically what’s on the car just now, just stamped as Audi. 14 part arm suspension pack is £550 give or take, then you have labour to factor in. For arguments sake let’s say 6-8 hours. Yes car is low mileage, but suspension is rarely straight forward with bolts refusing to budge, especially the pinch bolt on the strut leg. Once all that’s done, the car needs tracking alignment. The irony is you could still do all this work and still have a creak. The suspension shock absorbers will be original, bump stops, and the top mounts. I don’t think you’re anywhere near a front end refresh yet, it’s 40k miles. I’ve done front end refreshes on a A2 and A4 diesel, both around 120k miles. It’s a labour of love and rarely goes to plan. I looked into that Chassis Ear tool, but that’s basically a workshop tool when the car is in the air. Your garage sound like they are doing the right thing, especially if not advocating ‘swap out the entire lot’ approach. Get them to look a specifically at universal joint on steering shaft (grease it), or friction at the steering column's bulkhead seal, (silicone spray).

No idea regards OBD 11. Have you tried the above? Is that simply to have them activate via light sensor on mirror? VCDS should be able to do it via central electrics module. £220 or so for 3 VIN licence from Gendan and run on old laptop. Lifetime software updates, plus access to their forum. I know some VAG cars have Scandi setting so rear lights come on with front DRLs. Do your research before you part with cash. I think the DRLs are 80% intensity from factory, so there’s probably a way to adjust brightness levels too.

Weybridge Vehicle Consultants in Surrey. Bought my current Audi from them. They ship cars all over the UK. They also do servicing on site. Can’t fault them.

You’re running a 3.0TDI V6 up front, so you’re dealing with a heavy engine. It’s not just age, it’s how the car is driven and the reality of British roads. We’re not suggesting to completely refresh the suspension, but unfortunately this is the reality with multi link suspension. If you were renewing lower front arms, do both, front and rear arms. As suggested, these are usually hydrabushes, difficult to tell if they’ve failed unless you see a leak, or get in with a pry bar. I’ve read snake oil remedies about silicone sprays on bushes to remove squeaks. That will be short lived and probably age the bush given it’s petroleum based. The only grease you can use with rubber is red grease. Similar to brake rebuilds. You could try on some of the ARB bushes as it’s a relatively cheap fix, but does mean a little bit of work if your spanner handy.

Thought you might need VCDS to get into the system settings. I had a B8 Allroad and it had DRL fronts that were on all the time, but I wanted the LED rears on too from the start. You can also do things like rev counter needle sweep on start up, passenger mirror dip on reverse, etc. Quick Google search suggests otherwise. To enable or turn on your Daytime Running Lights (DRLs) on a 2015 Audi A5, you can toggle them on using MMI infotainment. Step 1: Turn on the ignition or start your engine. Step 2: Press the CAR button on your MMI control console. Step 3: Select Car systems (if applicable) and navigate to Exterior Lighting or Headlights. Step 4: Look for the Daytime Running Lights option and toggle it ON. Once this is enabled, your DRLs will automatically switch on whenever the engine is running and the main headlight switch is in the Auto or 0 position. Hope that works.

Was going to suggest Alex Alexandrou (DJAlix), he’s site sponsor on Audi-Sport and very experienced. Based in London, but also has retrofit service in Leicester. I had rear camera install by Adam (AV Adaptions) in Aberdeen last year. He’s a coding partner with Alex. I’m normally spanner handy and have VCDS, but these jobs are best left to the pros. Adam is ex Audi too. I’m sure you’ll find someone local.

Leave well alone. My wife had one. Great cars, ahead if their time. They are a potential classics down the line. They made a 1.2TDI version, very rare, plus Storm editions in Papya Orange for example. Nothing to be gained from extra 25hp. It was a fast little car on account of the aluminium frame, but the brakes were pretty standard. Save your money. Sourcing parts is becoming the issue as it is.

On multi-link suspension, start with the cheap stuff first and then progress. The lower arms are likely hydrabushes, so they leak when they fail. I changed mine at 65k on a 17 plate A4 Allroad. Lemforder is OE specification. Also check the ARB bushes on the sway bar. Next the ARB link, then finally the top arms. Top arms when they go, will knock. They are usually visible if you hold and 10-2 position and try lateral movement. The only thing left is the top mounts and the bump stops on the suspension shock. If you're changing anything, then always do both sides. Lemforder and Meyle HD, that's all I'd fit. Given the state of our roads - also look at the coil springs too. you can drop an inch and not even know about it. Not sure with A5, but on A4 Avant, the rear spring seat/bush corrodes from inside out, so although cheap from Audi, you're looking at labour to fit unless you're spanner handy. I did it myself so as not to disturb eccentric bolt. If I was doing it again, I would just mark then remove that bolt. This is complicated further if its quattro drive. Car will need alignment check afterwards.

Yes and no. RS and S models bought from new and maintained as per manufacturing guidelines will still be excellent examples if serviced properly. The trouble is, as these cars have changed hands to new owners over the years, some of whom have potentially bought them on tight budget drawn by their performance, the servicing may have slipped and corners have been cut. Some will have had performance upgrades, aftermarket parts fitted, or been used for track days, etc. It’s a minefield, which is why it’s critical to have history. In addition, chain stretch, camshaft sprocket wear, premature rocker needle bearing wear and carbon build up are real issues that surface, primarily because of the tolerance these cars are built too, but also because VAG group have been steadily economising in the face of competition from other manufacturers to save costs. I’m sure regular oil changes will keep a lot of these issues in check, but it’s best to be aware. These are performance cars, so I think you need to be practical regards it being a daily runner based on its intended use. At the end of the day, if you have the budget, go for it. Ultimately this is a forum. We only offer insights, to avoid potential issues issues down the line based on our own experiences.

No idea on warranty, but I’d like to think so. If you’re spanner handy, these jobs are not difficult. Water reservoir normally accessed by removing road wheel, then inner wheel arch liner. Normally a series of Torx screws and a couple of 10mm hex nylon nuts. If the reservoir has a crack, replace. Pump usually attaches with 12v supply, with rubber pipes. It could be leaking at a pipe attachment. Main Audi dealer is £200 an hour, not including parts. This is bread and butter work for an independent garage you trust.

Getting a car to operating temperature is important for a number of reasons. Efficient fuel combustion in petrol (helps reduce carbon on intake valves and sparks), oil pressure and viscosity to lubricate engine components as oil heats up, battery health as alternator recharging battery. B9 battery health comes up a lot on the forum, and cars very susceptible to electronic issues if battery on the way out. New AGM battery probably £250-300 or so and needs coded to the car. Short runs can potentially lead to water vapour as it’s not evaporating in engine and turns to sludge. Regular oil changes can help combat this. Battery drain, as alternator hasn’t fully recharged battery. Engine heat can help burn off carbon to a degree, but the car will always generate carbon. I’d recommend at least 30 mins to an hour on a motorway or A class road once a week to help. Short runs over time are going to introduce issues. As Stevey has suggested, check out VAG Technic YouTube. Few horror shows on poorly maintained engines, primarily S4, but also S5. I particularly remember this one. https://youtu.be/y-d0ymYi09o?si=0YcncBnJxZvYvh2A There’s also an issue with rockers on some of these cars with needle bearings that disintegrate, as Audi subsequently revised the part. Regular oil changes can help.

Part is called turn signal indicator. Right hand side is 4G5949102B. Double check that with main dealer based on your registration. Think it should be around £45. Avoid Temu or EBay. https://www.lllparts.co.uk/catalogs/audi/RDW/A6/798/9/949/949000 To access, normally pop out glass, see if any screws, then prize mirror cap off, again using the trim tools, as usually clipped in. Unscrew the existing module, until electrics, and fit by reverse. Can be more complicated if lane assist or camera fitted. This is 2015 A6, so should be roughly the same. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hqps2U43fzI

I don't presume to know what you're looking for Alex, but buying an S5 will likely have a decent specification on even a base model, minus things such as sound package or panoramic sunroof. Incidentally, LED matrix isn't gimmicky lighting. Far from it, this will have been a very expensive extra from new, over and above standard LED lights with features such as full beam assist, cornering lighting, etc. This type of specification helps sell it down the line unless you're planning for this car to be a long term keeper. You asked if S5s are typical for lack of servicing. No, not necessarily, but its a 2017 plate, so a 9 year old performance car, so it pays to do your research. The original owner may have sold it, and it could have traded hands a few times or been run ragged on a track or indeed modified. Without some sort of service log, then you've absolutely no idea what the history is. In terms of history, especially on an older vehicle such as this, then if its been maintained meticulously, even by the main dealer on a database, they can give you a print out. If the previous owner(s) were old school, then a physical service record is better. Doesn't need to be garage stamps, but receipts in a folder from a VAT registered garage, or simply parts purchased, and service mileage, in some sort of chronological order. That speaks volumes. I've had quattros for years, so I understand tyre wear. Normally you replace tyres in pairs on the same axle. There's no dark science to it. A car failing on tyres tells you the owner isn't aware of condition, wear pattern or tread depth.