Magnet

Hello Ian, Sorry to hear you have a created issue with the attempts to carryout your fluid change. Too late now, but I think usual change convention is 75k miles and not 75klms. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Ian, So has this 4 year old car covered 60k klms yet? I could well be wrong, but I would have thought that c40kish miles was rather premature. I’m open to other opinions, but if this were mine, I would certainly do a proper job of it ( when necessary) and change the filters and the full fluid volume. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Phil, Many thanks for posting your advert. I wonder if you could add far more detail about the car, some photos, and what price you require for it. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello James, Cliff has boxed this up, and there’s little to add except perhaps:- Economics of spending c£1,500 on a 14 year old car? Pre-Covid - probably not, but since cars have significantly increased in price since, then possibly not. Of course James, you will know its general condition and its worth-to-you. I don’t think there are many vehicles with non-interference engines these days. Even at a slow tick over of 600 rpm, an engine will have rotated 10 times in 1 second - so no chance of avoiding damage. 100k lifespan on a chain would be reasonable, but 14 years of relatively high degree of stops and starts, puts a fair strain on chains and tensioners, so I too would be asking Cliff’s question about any evidence of chain rattle on start up in recent times -? Good luck, and kind regards, Gareth.

Doesn’t all of this suggest caliper associated issues, or is this too old-hat and simplistic? Kind regards, Gareth.

You are very welcome Tony. With a mileage that low, it puts me in mind of a local comedian who said his brother was a long distance lorry driver on the Isle of Wight! Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Andrew, Can see you’ve revisited the form - any further updates on the advice already given? Kind regards, Gareth.m

Hello Stuart, Apologies for the late reply to your kind response. I think this simply boils down to whether your recent experience warrants a lack of confidence or not, at this stage. I do indeed understand your point, and I think even talking about moving to an independent demonstrates you have already lost that confidence. Just a couple of points:- Independents very often employ ex main dealer technicians, and judging by the number of (main) dealers advertising for technicians, I think there is now a greater risk of main dealers and independents having to employ people they may not have previously considered. Independent’s prices may not be that much cheaper than the main dealer, and indeed sometimes more expensive where main dealers have ‘offers’ on cambelt replacements etc. Another option for your now 5 year old car is a trusted local garage, where you can actually talk directly with the ‘technicians’. Kind regards, Gareth.

Well Bob, if you can’t replace the bush then you have to replace the arm.

Sorry Tony, I misread your clear post, and incorrectly thought the car had covered 36K, rather than 15k. Although I follow your logic of ‘checking them’, you will almost certainly incur the same ( perhaps even more) labour time as if they were changed. If it were mine, I would simply instruct them to ignore the spark plugs, but appreciate that it’s important that you do what suits you, and that which you are comfortable with. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello David, Could you let us know what mileage the car has covered to consider slip and associated wear? Also, how far up the pedal travel does the clutch bite, and have you noticed whether this point has changed of late? It could be as a result of simple mileage wear, and you could test for clutch slip, but better to have some answers first. Clutch issues these days are more often as a result of failing release bearing assemblies, but this usually manifests itself as irregular bite points on the pedal. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello ( whatever your name is) - sorry, you don’t tell us, and your profile is totally incomplete, and you are requesting feedback on a 4.5 year old thread! Could you do us a kindness:- Start again, and fill in your profile properly. Post a detailed account of your issue, and what you have already done to try to solve it. Apologies if this appears unfriendly, but we really do need something to go on. We look forward to your post. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Raymond, Many thanks for joining. Possible sources of ingress include rear lights, and around the tailgate rear wiper etc. I think the most direct method of finding the source is to remove as much of the inside-boot trim from sides etc. and get an unsuspecting smallest-available pal to get into the boot - armed with a battery operated inspection lamp. You run a hose pipe over the car, starting at the lowest points and working upwards, while ‘poor unsuspecting’ looks for when and where the water appears from. Correction will be dependent on source of ingress. Perhaps you can let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Tony, I too would suggest NGK, but the need to change them at 36k would be debatable in my book, even if they are 6 years old. We’ve moved a long way on from those good old days as we used to call them, when the recommendation was about 12k. Of course, Champion was the make to beat then. Strangely? - I’ve experienced two failures on late with Champion plugs used in garden equipment. Bad luck? Anyway, these were replaced with the NGK equivalents. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Mumith, Sorry to hear of your unacceptable issues with this car. So that we can better understand your obvious discontents:- Exactly where is the car now, and how long has it been there? ‘Been calling various people….’. Why anyone else apart from the supplying dealer? Have you recorded your discontents in an e-Mail to the dealer principal? Have they provided you with a courtesy car? I take it such breakdowns would be covered by Audi Assist ( if they still exist) so is there any reason why you called the AA in preference? To be in a position to broaden your options going forward, is there any finance involved with the car purchase. Perhaps you could come back to us. Kind regards, Gareth.

Have a look at Bosch as well, since it’s reputed to be the same battery. Beware, not all Varta/ Bosch are the same - different colour tops = different qualities. Try Battery Megastore as well, and compare prices. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Bob, I guess you can just replace the bush, but why just the bush, rather than the less-work -more-comprehensive method of renewing the complete arm? Try pricing a Lemforder arm. Kind regards, Gareth.

Before moving on Paul, could you tell us whether the starter motor turns the engine over enthusiastically enough, but it wont start, or if the starter motor doesn’t turn the engine over at all? Kind regards, Gareth.

Sounds good Tyler, so if budget and ‘hoped for life expectancy’ are relatively short, then my plan would be to go with the best servicing deal you can get from a small garage. Forget about the car having any ‘investment’ value, so spend wisely on whatever maintenance it needs to keep it running, and don’t over-pamper it with expenditure. Property should be an investment, but cars generally are not. It may be a bit of a come down from a modern lease car for which maintenance during the contract period is a necessity, but treat it with respect - improve it with minimum expenditure if you can, and it will probably do you well - within its lesser capabilities. Good luck and kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Jon, Look up the likes of Battery Megastore, Tayna etc. put in your registration number and go forward from there. They will inform you of the correct fitment for your car. I always buy batteries with a 4 year warranty, and never buy on cheapest-price. You will find such on line specialists will give you far better delivered - to- door deals than you will find locally. Perhaps you can let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Sue, Thanks for joining and posting your plea. Can you please give us something to go on here, such as where it’s actually leaking and what ‘messing around’ you have done so far? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Tyler, With no disrespects, what you are into here with a car of that age, is straightforward banger-momics. Spend as little as you need to, wisely. Get it into the hands of a garage you can talk to on the day, take advice from, and have trust in. Kind regards, Gareth.

Many thanks George, Let’s hope that information may help someone else, since Brian from Liverpool cannot be bothered to respond to anything. There you go, hey, we are only hear to waste our time! Many thanks again and kind regards, Gareth.

Hello my namesake from the Homeland. I recently bought some Chinese ones for our non-Audi, at less than a third of the price of the main dealer ones, and all I can say is that if they had been genuine ones, I would not have expected them to be any better in quality or fit. I got mine via. an EBay seller, but you could look at Ali Express as well - they do all sorts of replica accessories - well for our non-Audi they do. One tip I would add, is wherever you get them from - including a main dealer - buy equivalent stainless fasteners, rather than fit the ones that come with them. Again, you should get what you need from EBay. Perhaps you could let us know what you decide Gareth, and how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Tyler, Many thanks for your comprehensive post. If this were mine, I would be trusting this to a small trusted local garage with a request to give it a full service including a new air filter. 118k is relatively low for a 18 year old car, but some reasonable expenditure is inevitable. Spending more than you need to on a good service for this age of car would not make sound economic sense - hence entrust it to a local garage who you can talk to, rather than receptionists at larger dealerships. Stick some Redex or similar in it, and treat it to some non-supermarket petrol, and give it a good run before retesting the emissions. Kind regards, Gareth.