Magnet

Hello Charles, Welcome, and thanks for joining. My first port of call would be to visit - not ring - your local dealer and ask the stores chap if he could help with a print out of the build record against your VIN - just take in your V5, if you have confirmed V5 Vin and actual are the same. This should give you an insight into whether the vehicle was built with this facility or not. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Steve, Not a progressive answer, but has this issue occurred since the gearbox was serviced, and did this service involve diagnostic resetting? Kind regards, Gareth.

Could be well short of the mark Rob, but both garages may use ECP as their supplying motorfactors - ? Kind regards, Gareth.

Well done Joe - all in Welsh humour jest. I’ve had a great Friday out in my dotage - sure you have too. Kind regards, Gareth

You’re spoiling him Joe!

Hello Carl, as Mark says. Taking it back ( bought reasonably local?) is really your only option, since you must (1) give them the opportunity to repair it. (2) you cannot get anyone else to attempt to fix it, without the seller’s permission. It could indeed be an ABS sensor - but which one of the 4? Diagnostics will be necessary to determine that. May not simply be the sensor ( which obviously senses a signal) but could be ( in addition) the actual ‘signal sender’ which is often built into the wheel hub. Perhaps you could let us know how things pan out Carl. Kind regards, Gareth.

Try Google Joseph.

It takes me 23 years to renovate it, and you take 2 minutes to read it! Only joking Anton. Kind regards, Gareth.

The connection should be meaningful Tony, once you’ve read the article. Sounds like a visit to the Kent Archives for me then, to view the Electoral Registers for the period of interest. Kind regards, Gareth.

Taking me for lunch after cleaning your car sounds a much more acceptable arrangement Tony! p.s. Beckenham - interesting. Google ‘ Winterbourne’s Austin Sixteen ‘ when you have 10 mins to spare. Overbury Avenene (street number evades me at the moment - 18 from memory) but not reliable! It would be useful to know whether said property was in multiple occupancy between 1947 and 1965. Kind regards, Gareth.

Anything is doable Chris - it’s what adverse affect it has on your wallet that is important. Much cheaper to find one with disc brakes! Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Tony, I qualify for your club, although I do still wash and polish our cars by hand - always have. Insurance! I just sorted cover for my mid 80s elder brother, and as with yourself Tony, he has had max. NCB for yonks, but it hasn’t stopped his premium increasing by 80% this year - and his last year’s insurers worked out the best bet, despite that. We are now in this reversed-young - drivers group, where our premiums will increase significantly year on year, as the young drivers decreases with age. Keep on motoring Tony, but tell those car cleaners not to squirt anything on your newly refurbished wheels. I wouldn’t mention anything to Audi. Good luck and kind regards, Gareth.

Thereby probably lies your answer Tony. Application of a high acidity wheel cleaner, followed by blasting that acid solution into the (thin) wheel lacquer coating is highly likely to result in perforation of the lacquer, and subsequent degrading. To be honest, it wouldn’t have surprised me if Audi (unfairly due to the age) would have refused to rectify the issue. Pessimistic probably, but I wouldn’t like to put any guarantee on this not happening again. Appreciating, the cleaning regime may not have changed from earlier models, but as Steve says, coating thicknesses probably have. Everyone to their own, but I stay well away from anyone aiming a pressure washer at my cars - seen too many with subsequent lacquer degradation following that route. Anyone who has used these blue plastic 40 gallon drums as water butts will know the concentrated dregs left in the bottom will literally take your skin off, and it’s easy to be concerned about how accurate their dilution rates are. Kind regards, Gareth.

‘Suddenly broke….’ wasn’t what I was inferring actually David. I think that experience of these in-flexible-harness issues is that the wires fracture, and sometimes the ends of these fractures actually touch and make contact - sometimes they don’t - and that process is dictated by opening and closing the boot/tailgate. Inspection here is simply an elimination or confirmation of the issue being associated with that point. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. the fuse that feeds the reverse light switch is obviously the fuse that controls the illumination of the reverse light itself.

Not sure Chris, but I would have thought that the hub carrier would first have to be changed, before adding all the expensive calipers, discs, back plates, pipework etc. etc. £££££££……! Why? Are you not happy about the braking efficiency of the drum brakes, or is it a simple aesthetic ‘improvement’ you are looking for? Worth the effort? Sorry Chris, absolutely not in my book on a 21 year old car. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Tony, Apologies for being pedantic, but does ‘hand’ wash include a pressure washer, and an application of wheel cleaner? Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Lewis, If you are talking about the sensor, then I’ve used Bosch sensors ( not this particular application) to good avail in the past. If you are talking genuine VAG, then it’s worth contacting Audi Parts Direct at Cardiff ( part of Mon. Motors - once Cardiff Audi). They were/are giving discounts, and do mail order. Aberdeen Audi were again discounting some parts - now-? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Lewis, Welcome, and thanks for joining. The general opinion ties up with what you believe - the last letter depicting the latest version of the same part. As a matter of interest, what sensor brand are you intending to buy? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Oliver, Would you be kind enough to please respond to the the reply, and confirm it adequately answered your question, so the thread can be correctly marked as a Solution. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello David, You will need to find the appropriate fuse and check whether it’s intact or not. If it is, you will need to check you have 12v coming to the offending bulb holders. If you don’t, I would be checking for fractured wires in the flexible harness section twixt the body and tailgate - a favourite place for wires to fracture due to opening and closing. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Tony, In addition to Steve’s comments, and appreciating the car is only 6 months old, what is your cleaning routine with the car? Kind regards, Gareth.

Price Liam please? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Oliver, Welcome and thanks for joining. Having had one in the family since new, and now sitting on 172k miles, I can assure you your car is absolutely as it was when new. ‘Drinking fuel on motorway trips…’ You will find that they aren’t that economical - around 38 mpg on steady speed-limit motorway driving, and about 33mpg around town. I don’t want to tempt fate, but despite that, I wouldn’t swop ours, judging by some of the issues listed on here with later models! What I would advise to preserve its hopeful longevity is:- Treat it to an oil and filter change. ( I use Quantum Longlife 5w/30 and change it annually - use a quality German filter) Renew the air filter every 2 years. All important - renew the cambelt ( and alternator belt) assembly unless you have documented evidence that it’s been changed within the last 5 years. Hopefully, if you look after the car, it will treat you well. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Chris, We now know you certainly know your way around car restoration, and although I can’t add much to my earlier recommendations, I’m sure you will have access to other specialised restorers who would be able to offer you the advice you need. Good luck with returning it to an acceptable condition. Kind regards, Gareth.

Many thanks Elaine, Hopefully not seen as patronising, but I do feel for you, since (to me) you seem to have fallen victim to your own patience - which understandably is now running out some 3 1/2 years down the line - most would have started shouting and making a fuss an awful long time ago, and perhaps this is where your patience may have let you down. Let’s hope Audi, and/or the dealership reciprocate your patience. I’m certainly not claiming the car isn’t suitable for short runs Elaine, but only that such usage does come with understandable downsides, possibly including the fact that the car seldom getting up to its optimum operating conditions. Couldn’t possibly comment on your last paragraph! - except I take it he will now be offering you his full support and assistance in getting out of this in the best way possible. Kind regards, Gareth.