Magnet

Many thanks Roy, Chain tensioner checking/renewing? Serpentine/auxiliary belt and tensioner change - every 5 years? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Ben, Thanks for joining and posting your plea. I’m not sure whether your engine has chains or a belt. You don’t mention anything about it’s previous servicing history, so it’s obviously impossible to tell you when the belt (if belt) needs changing - which will depend on when, and at what mileage, it was last renewed. A rule of thumb is change it every 75K miles, or every 5 years - whichever comes first. Other considerations - when was the gearbox oil last changed? Kind regards, Gareth.

Well done, you have just won the shortest post -ever- prize. Sorry to be pointed, but you can’t even bother to fill in your name, leave alone any vehicle details or location.

Hello Jonathan, It seems the fuse locations for your model can be found at Audihowto. if that helps. Kind regards, Gareth.

Great, thanks Ross. ’………just around the corner!’ Would have saved me a lot of writing if I had known that! Kind regards, Gareth.

Highly confusing Brandon! From the school of simple things first:- buy a new quality reservoir cap and try that. Kind regards, Gareth.

Many thanks Paul, Lesson learnt! Why were Audi using ‘electric power’ steering on so many models around that time and beyond, yet yours is the old fashioned hydraulic? Apologies for the assumption. Could indeed be the steering angle sensor. TPMS etc. Lights? Were the tyre pressures low at the time, or was this a false indication? Kind regards, Gareth.

Many thanks Ian, I would guess this boils down to:- mayo might (in caps) be an indicator of HGF, but is so common as to not be taken as any guarantee that there is indeed anything wrong. Kind regards, Gareth.

Fair enough Paul, but ‘…….I can’t see it’s the battery….’ OK, but turning on full lock into your drive puts maximum stress on the ( electric) power steering. Of course, your call, I wouldn’t be looking any further until I had confirmed the battery was fully serviceable - from the school of eliminate the simple things first. Just think about it - you mention TPMS light on as well. As I say, your call, and others might refute or support this first principle check. Kind regards, Gareth,

Hello Ian, Apologies for a varying opinion, but in my book, any evidence of mayo under the oil filler cap isn’t necessarily/generally a ‘solid indicator’ of HGF. If everyone who had mayo under their oil filler cap were to renew head gaskets, the world would quickly run out of head gaskets! Some mayo is almost inevitable due to condensation usually associated with short runs/non motorway running. Yes, excessive mayo can be associated with HGF but is certainly not a confirmation of it. Apologies, but don’t pull anything apart, based on some mayo under an oil filler cap. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Ross, Many thanks for joining and posting your plea. There are differing opinions on whether the end suffix letter simply denotes a later variation of an otherwise identical part ( obviously where the actual part number stays the same, but only the suffix letter differs). I am not aware of any out and out part number changes for the same part - except where a new number supersedes an existing number. Summary:- it’s unlikely the two are identical, but why don’t you get your friend to send you some photos and dimensions etc. so that you can compare. If you then think they are similar - friends being friends - why not get him to send it to you, and you can return it is it’s not the right one? Kind regards, Gareth.

Shame the OP joined and last visited a day later, and hasn’t commented on any advice given.

Hello Paul, It wouldn’t surprise me that these issues are battery efficiency associated ( or possibly alternator if battery proves to be completely serviceable). How old is the battery? If it were mine, I would take the car on at least a 10 mile run, and get the battery efficiency checked - Halford should be able to do it, but would I buy a battery there, rather than buying a 5 year warranty one on- line probably cheaper? On the plus side, they will fit it and should ( but first check) be able to code the new one to the car - which will possibly need doing - but not certain on your 13 year old car. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks John, So have you changed the sensor? Kind regards, Gareth.

Many thanks Asif, That’s alcoholic in terms of oil consumption, and I sorry to be pessimistic, but I’m not aware of anyone on here who has ever solved high oil consumption on any engine by any means short of an engine rebuild - or at least, no one has come back to say they have. The problem is proved, and the route forward would seem to be a choice between getting rid of the car (via. an on-line mass buyer), spending a considerable amount of money on replacing/rebuilding the engine, or just keep adding vast quantities of cheap oil. You don’t tell us how long you have had the car, where you bought it from - if recent, and whether the issue suddenly occurred, or whether it was present from the point of purchase. The answer to some of these questions may decide whether redress is possible or not. Many thanks again and kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Derek, No offence meant, but being direct:- it appears that you have been as economical as you possibly can be on a comprehensive and complete servicing schedule, even ‘declining’ necessary suggested servicing requirements. OK, you’ve appeared to have got away with it ( so far) but it’s now pay up time - or continue to gamble. Apologies for the slight disagreement with Tony’s suggested cost if the belt goes, but I would have thought £6000 to replace the engine would be a (gross?) underestimate. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Derek, Your cambelt is well overdue - it should have been changed when the car was 5 year old. Not sure who services your car, but generally the pollen filter would be changed every two years, and personally I change the air filter with the same frequency. Plugs? Some change every 60K miles. Kind regards, Gareth.

The lenses of high intensity and reversing light units in the tailgate have gone seriously cloudy over the years and I wish to polish them up. This would be far easier done with the lights removed, but I’m struggling to remove them. I’ve removed the plastic trim covers in the tailgate and undone the 10mm nut, but the light unit doesn’t seem to want to come out, and forcing such things without understanding is a no no. I’ve seen a number of videos about how to change the bulbs, but nothing about how to remove the complete light unit. Wondered if anyone has been there/done that, and can help? Many thanks and kind regards, Gareth. p.s. I’m not referring to the sidelight/brake light/ indicator light unit in the rear quarters.

Hello Derek, Have you previously had the cambelt and water pump changed on the car. Pollen filter changed every two years? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Carl. Bleedable? Worse possible scenario failing clutch release bearing - in gearbox-bell housing on this model? Kind regards, Gareth.

No, not ‘scrubbing them’ Jake - just getting some cutting compound on a damp cloth and carefully rubbing that into the lens, and then polishing off. I would put masking tape around the light to prevent the cutting compound getting onto the paintwork. I recalled after posting that there is a strong caustic product called ‘Elbow Grease’ - maybe obvious, but I didn’t mean to suggest using this - do not ( in caps) use this. By elbow grease I meant ‘effort’, but hopefully you knew that. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello again Callum, I think it’s good to do homework and take advice, but there is a point at which negative publicity and even friend’s experience simply causes concern about something which just might not happen. I think it needs to be considered that bad experiences are going to be documented, when good experiences aren’t, but if you are the worrying type then you just have to go with your gut feeling, and I get the impression that you have too many bad vibes about buying a diesel for yourself. As I said earlier, Steve Y will be your man with unrivalled experience in this field, and I’m sure he will also have a whole lot of other taxi owners who’s experience can be added. Is it worth you putting a positive hat on until this experience comes through? Kind regards, Gareth.

First try cutting compound and elbow grease. Kind regards, Gareth

Hello Callum, As Roy says - why concern yourself unless you actually have trouble - we will forget about the MOT implications! The best person on here to advise you is Steve Y, since his car is a working taxi, probably covering multiple short runs, as well as mixed driving. Kind regards, Gareth.

The car’s built-in Battery Condition Monitor ( BCM) - if fitted. If the car is still running on its original battery, then it shouldn’t be too long before it starts not to work anyway. Kind regards, Gareth.