Magnet

Any progress?

Thanks Gregg, Pedantic is the word, but asking for proof of age of any vehicle is an understandable fundamental requirement. Not sure whether Junaid has got any further by following the advice - perhaps he will let us know. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Alan, Phil is very helpful at Audi Parts Direct at Cardiff. This was the discount source I quoted earlier in the week. When you say ‘Wales’ - more specifically? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Andy, As I understand it, if you have a touch button on the door handle then it has keyless entry, and touching that button should open the door if the keys are close by. No button, no KE. I guess the answer lies with the build record. Not sure if this still available on line, but should be doable via. a visit to the dealer’s Parts Dept. - or Audi Customer Services? Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. Of course, we are taking some decades into the future here, judging by the year on the Profile! It’s not just me that gets things wrong then!

Hello Granit, Please excuse me if I’ve got this all wrong, but it looks to me that you are focussing on your discontents with the car ( possibly compared with the old one) rather than enjoying what is better with it. It don’t wish to be critical, but things like fuel consumption are now rather more what-you-have-is-what-you’ve- got, and it would seem that your car is about typical, give or take road conditions and driving style, so is it really worth worrying about too much in the overall expenditure to buy the car? I’m sure you will appreciate that road noise from tyres can vary considerably, and yes, there could be something wrong with the car, but chances are there isn’t. Not sure what changing brake discs was likely to do to alter this, but OK.. I think it might be worth trying to sit back and enjoy the car Granit, but if you can’t then this could cost in terms of exchanging it for something more suitable. Tyre makes and remaining tread? Is your car a Sportback? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Jo, I know what you mean about needing a permanent live to your aftermarket equipment. This will have been built in to the original wiring loom/plug. Pioneer should be able to supply the correct Audi/Vag plug to link your original plug with the Pioneer connector - try Halfords. Yes, I know this is going to cost, but it’s the proper way to do it. I’ve seen too many cobbled up crimp-connected odd bits of wiring associated with such installations to render friendships with the local Fire Service as an essential! Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Frankie, I’ve used Discount Audi Parts (or something like that - at Cardiff ( contact was Phil, I think). Part of Mon Motors which used to be/still is? -Cardiff Audi. Also used Aberdeen Audi with a bit of discount. Both do mail orders. Kind regards, Gareth.

Many thanks Frankie, Personally, I wouldn’t fit an aftermarket sensor - although some have- since saving some £s now, may cost dearly over a shorter period of time. Never scrimp on essential parts. For me, it would be a VAG sensor bought at discount every time, but of course it’s your call. Kind regards, Gareth.

Many thanks Granit, Manufacturer’s figure are alway optimistic. I think for far more realistic figures you might start at looking around 70% of their quoted figures, and see what you get in comparison. The car’s computer figures can certainly be taken as a reasonable guide, but I still go by filling the tank and measuring how much fuel it actually takes to refill to the full level. That will give you an exact consumption figure over you normal journeys. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Granit, Thanks for being in touch. Are the figures you quote ‘Manufacturer’s quoted figures’? If so, they are known to be optimistic in terms of actual on-road usage. You will need to tell us what your overall ( full to full) fuel consumption is on your normal journey, and describe that journey in terms of urban/non urban. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Sergei, Can we take it you actually added 6ltrs of coolant (antifreeze) to your coolant header tank over a 100km journey? If so then this is a major (in caps) - almost unbelievable coolant loss. The reason why using the air con affects that loss of coolant is confusing, but now that you have found a leak sight, then obviously you to fix that leak - either yourself or at garage, but certainly with urgency. You don’t tell us what engine is in the car, but from the general description it could have been associated with the thermostat housing on certain petrol engines. From your photo - ? Has the car overheated at any time during this coolant leak? Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Karl, They won’t know they have made a mistake if you don’t tell them, and you will have a wonky car for the rest of your ownership. Seems pretty straightforward to me to have a rational discussion about what happens from here, but it’s not my car. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Karl, Were any of the comments of any help to you? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Karl, Sounds as if the garage has replaced your (previously broken?) original passenger side spring with the wrong (aftermarket?) replacement. I would be taking my measurements from the driver side wheel centre to under wheel arch - obviously on level ground - and using this as the correct level. You don’t tell us whether the replaced passenger side spring rides higher or lower than the original driver side one. Two things when replacing springs:- Make sure the correct springs are being used particularly if using aftermarket replacements. Always replace both sides at the same time. Sounds like a return to the garage! Don’t allow them to just replace the driver side to match the probably- incorrect one they have already fitted. Make sure they replace the one they have fitted with the correct replacement. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Junaid, What DVLA will require is a build record for the car, which lists what date the car was built - via. the VIN. Not sure, but I believe there were on - line searches which gave this information. It’s certainly worth a first try, to visit a friendly main dealer’s Part Department armed with a photo of the VIN, and it’s quite likely that they would be able to give you a printout of the build record. Always worth a try, but I would be taking along a box of biscuits as a thank you! You will find you will also need a NOVA document ( Notification of Vehicle Arrival). This document can be obtained from HMRC, and is required as proof that all import duties have been paid. Hope some of this helps - let us know. Kind regards, Gareth.

OK Simon, We are now armed with some additional useful information. So you are going to be spending many tens of thousands of £s ( assuming you can find a one year old car) - with limiting possibilities of finding such a low mileage example. As you say, you must consider this expenditure to equate to the current list price of the equivalent new price. ‘…. sticking with what I have isn’t really an option….’. .? Personally, I would not be dismissing this option, since doing some simple maths on spending gradually on your current car + ULez charges, is almost certain to be cheaper than spending out tens of thousands of £s in one hit. It might also be worth considering that the car you may be looking for, could be an under one year old rejected car due to unacceptable defects - don’t assume owners exchange their cars after one year just because they fancy a change. This doesn’t really happen any more. Whatever Simon, I would suggest you don’t overthink this with potentially off-putting relatively minor considerations at a time of restricted choices and availability, but…. Kind regards, Gareth. Kind regards

Hello Munashinghe, Get the car’s battery checked. If you are saying you have many warning lights shown, then it’s always worth checking the battery before doing anything else. Even at only 3 years old, the battery may be starting to give problems. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Simon, Thanks for being in touch. I wonder if you just maybe over thinking the whole economics of this and boiling it down to a far greater degree than you need to, or indeed what you will be able to control. Economy? Yes, the old diesel vs petrol consideration is very valid, as is of course the ULEZ charges. You don’t tell us whether you intend to buy a new car or a secondhand one, and if secondhand, what age/mileage will be within your budget. Cambelt renewal can be expensive, but can easily be factored in to your outgoings or purchase price, so does it really matter too much as a deal breaker. The economics of motoring can often point to spending money on your current vehicle, rather than ‘taking on’ the responsibility of issues with another unknown vehicle - wondered if you have considered the overall (in caps) economics of that. We are all on the slippery road to the extinction of fossil fuel vehicles in a shorter space of time than we think, and it wouldn’t surprise me if fuel prices will continue to rise to a point where we will all be thinking we are running Rolls Royces! Pessimistic?? Realistic? Personally, I wouldn’t be getting too hung up on Cambelt costs vs chains - the chances are that this cost may pale into insignificance in the overall motoring cost. Is sticking with what you’ve got worth a coat of thinking about? Kind regards, Gareth. a think about sticking with what you’ve got

Hello Richard, Thanks for being in touch. Door locks (if it is the actual lock) are now very expensive, and it wouldn’t surprise me is the lock mechanism alone could cost in excess of £200 to buy, without the labour charge to fit if. Of course, it may turn out to be simple linkage issue. If this were mine, I would be finding myself a trusted independent VAG specialist in my karea, and nipping the car over to them to estimate the cost of sorting it - there will be more relevant experience there. In summary, you may find £200 isn’t an expensive fix, but a second specialist estimate would be my route to fix this safety critical issue. Perhaps you would let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Christopher, Thanks for being in touch. As has already been said, together with the price you want for it - ? If it were mine then I would be listing it on EBay, with a starting price of a little over its scrap value. Hope the responses are of help. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Paul, It could indeed be a wheel bearing, or a number of other components, any of which unfortunately could only be diagnosed by inspecting/ driving the car. If it is wheel bearing associated, then you may find the severity of the noise will alter if you drive around bends. If this were mine, I would be booking the car in to a trusted local garage to get this assessed - the car is trying to tell you something. Perhaps you could let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Conner, Probably best to send Thomas a PM since he hasn’t returned to the forum since the day after he first posted. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Nathan, I think I would be actually double checking/ working it out, since variations in rolling diameter will affect at least speedometer readings and possibly far more. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Nathan, 18 inch were probably an option, and I guess you know you will need to fit lower profile tyres than your current profiles on the 17 inch, to ensure the ‘rolling’ outside diameter remains the same. It would be worth checking in your handbook or tyre pressure sticker on the car, what the correct tyre size should be. I cannot see why any computer adjustments would then be necessary. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Sid, ’…..been through HPI mate…’ isn’t the full extent of what you can - and should - check yourself on line. HPI does not give you any indication of the ‘quality’ of the car. Have you checked the DVLA ‘Vehicle check’ to see when the last V5 was issued, to give an idea of how long the last owner may have had it - unless you already know? Any short term ownership can suggest issues with the car. If you know who the last owner was , have you contacted them? That should give you a far better idea of the car’s condition than service history ever will. Have you checked the MOT history on line? ‘…mint (for year)…..’. It’s amazing how attractive a bad car can be made to look, so don’t necessarily fall in love with it’s appearance alone. Falls within the ‘ high oil consumption’ period? Think so, but Steve Y on here is your man for such things. Cambelt not done ? I would be checking the cost, which may be some hundreds of pounds. Kind regards, Gareth.