Magnet

Hello Tony, I think Nathanial Cars has more than their fair share of new MGs down here, not far from me. Compounds full of them! Kind regards, Gareth.

Great. So you, or preferably an auto electrician now has to find the source of the short circuit. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Steve, Just an opinion, but will the market indeed crash?? Or will the manufacturers now set the prices for the new vehicles ( when available) - inline with the current inflated prices? I know what I would do if I was at the business end of car manufacturing! Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Steve, We take it you immediately removed the fuse you put in?? Suspect some bodged wiring associated with the defunct radio as the first port of call. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Michael from the Homeland, I have a humble 2006 1.6 A3 with a couple of thousand more miles under its belt than your car. I have always used Quantum Longlife 3 ( recommended by VAG) and change it every year despite its now lower annual mileage. I only use VAG, Mann, or Bosch for all filters. I have no reason to use any other oil than the Longlife 3 - available at competitive prices, delivered to your door by a number of EBay sellers. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Andy, As Cliff suggests - particularly in respect of tyres. My first, and urgent action would be to take the car to a trusted local tyre retailer and ask them to thoroughly inspect all tyres - ideally with wheels removed. Kind regards, Gareth.

Many thanks for posting this Russell, and for the detail and video. Only thing that potential buyers now need to know, is the price you are asking for the car. Wondered if you could add that to your advert. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Mark, Appreciate that which you made clear in your early post, and repeating - I would strongly stick with my original advice. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. ‘Full service history’ can mean it’s spent half a day in a workshop once a year ( at most), and who knows how it’s been driven for the other 364 1/2 days?

Hello Mark, Have you sought advice/had on inspection of the car, carried out by a diesel specialist, rather than an ‘ordinary’ garage? If not, that would be my first route. Can we take it the ‘on start up’ smoke is whitish and smells of diesel? If so, possible injector issues? Hopefully the car doesn’t consume any coolant -? Perhaps you could come back to us. Cliff does raise a point - no one really goes to the expense of getting a car mapped unless they drive ‘enthusiastically’ ! - being polite - so whoever buys such a car must be attracted to it for a similar reason, otherwise they are likely to move on to another original example. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Kev, Thanks for being in touch and sorry to hear of your issue. I’m sure you will appreciate that it would be extremely difficult/impossible to diagnose the exact cause of the noise, without access to the car, and so it would only be possible to suggest possibilities. Obviously you need to get the car thoroughly inspected at your trusted local garage, but my first stab at it sight-unseen, would be wheel bearing (again). Where and if it’s safe to do so, try turning the steering a little when you hear the noise, and obverse whether the noise alters or not. Perhaps you could let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Jack, I think it would be highly unlikely that both old and new batteries are unserviceable, but to assume a battery is OK because it reads 12v on a simple multimeter is incorrect. When you measure using a simple meter. you are measuring under ‘no load’ conditions, and batteries must be tested under load. If this were mine, I would be checking all associated battery connected leads, the main engine earth, and the connections onto the starter motor (with care). If all is proved to be well, and you have a sound 12v supply onto the smaller lead on the starter motor, then you can begin to suspect the starter, but it sounds as if you do need the services of an auto electrician, otherwise you will end up spending unwisely. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Steve, Yes, I’ve got a ‘Genuine VAG’ kit here that has a Gates belt in the Audi box. Haven’t looked at the tensioner. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Andy, It may just be me, but I would run a mile from any ‘free MOT for life’ deal. Chances are you will be met with ‘ your brake pads and discs need renewing Sir’ etc., etc. And if you decide not to let them renew them - at inflated prices - then the free MOT may suddenly not be free anymore - and you pay the privilege for a failure certificate. I would divorce the two requirements and simply obtain quotes without the ‘free’ MOT. As I say, this might be on isolated opinion, but…… Kind regards, Gareth.

Apologies Steve, I could indeed have added the caveat .’….or quality aftermarket products such as Gates……’. The reason for not adding that, was that I wanted to make sure the original poster was obtaining absolute like for like comparisons with the quotation he had from his Audi dealer. Of course, if he choose to get this done away from Audi or an independent, then my response will have allowed him to ask questions about what he was getting for his alternative quotes. The back and front of it is to allow him (in caps) to decide what is important to him, and not really what we may think. Many thanks again and kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Paul, The car is still under guarantee, so first port of call must be to book it in with your main dealer. Apologies for the obvious, but you don’t need to worry about why - just about getting it rectified. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Andy, Thanks for being in touch with the forum. Price comparisons can be difficult due to the potential for regional variations. Can we take it the dealer who quoted you £900 is an Audi main dealer? If so, try another main dealer within say a 30 mile radius and get another quote. May be the same, maybe negotiable, but worth a try. You could also look up any VAG independents in your area, and get quotes there, but confirm they will be using genuine VAG parts to ensure your price comparison is like for like. Sometimes the independents can be cheaper, but not always. Main dealers sometimes have package offers for combined belt and services - again worth asking. I’m sure you will appreciate that this isn’t a price-is-king job, but is a critical application job. Apologies for adding extra concerns/potential expense, but it’s good policy to also have the auxiliary belt (fan belt in very old terms) and it’s tensioner changed at the same time, since subsequent failure of this belt assembly can result in wrapping itself around the crank pulley, and causing the timing belt to jump some teeth, so it’s worth adding this to the quote. The car is now 8 years old, and I would have thought the belt should have been done previously - at around 5 years old. Do you know if it was or not? If it was, then no need to do it now. If it wasn’t then it’s obviously overdue. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Kevin, If it is indeed the original battery, then you can almost guarantee it will be on or near to, it’s last legs. If you do decide to change it, my advice would be to buy once and wisely - e.g. Varta/ Bosch with their 5 year guarantee grade. On-line suppliers include Tayna and Battety Megastore etc. - there are more, who usually offer beer value for money than who you will buy locally. It’s likely the new battery will have to be coded to the car. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. Apologies- overlapped Steve’s reply,

Hello Mark, OK, you don’t actually do the work, so my advice is somewhat meaningless, as indeed would be anyone’s advice, since you have to relay that advice to the garage. Their response may well be ‘oh yeh’ or similar, and what facility/opportunity do you have to even input the advice? Can’t really add much more than that. Apologies Mark, and kind regards, Gareth.

Original battery Kevin? If so, my starting point would be to first eliminate the battery condition as influencing the problems. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Mark, I have a feeling this isn’t going to help you very much, but…. Our 2006 A3 has now covered 166k during family ownership, and has had the rear calipers changed once - some years ago. It’s also had a pair of Febi handbrake cables, but importantly? - the aluminium guide tubes into which the cables emerge, we’re also renewed ( genuine Audi). As I understand it, these are a common seizure point for the securing and smooth operation of handbrake mechanism. I would also say that the brake efficiency of this car has been the benchmark for all other cars which have been owned or driven - I rate the brakes as still being superb. Again for what it’s worth, only Audi pads have been used, except for a brief try of Apex - which were quickly changed due to a noticeable lowering of braking efficiency. I certainly appreciate alternative points of view and experience that most aftermarket brake pads are brake pads, are brake pads, and just as good, but experiences vary, and I have found paying a little extra for VAG pads (at discount) , has always served me well. Back to the problem:- were the guide tubes renewed when the cables were renewed, and have you tried disconnecting the cables before winding back the pistons? If not, you may well find that the cables are holding the pads partly on even when you think they are off. I would try disconnecting the cables, winding back the pistons, fitting the new pads, then (importantly) reconnecting the cables and adjusting them accordingly. Hope some of this experience may be of help. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Derek, ’…..insurance via. a normal company…’. Do you have the car on an agreed value classic car policy? If you don’t have the agreed value bit, then you will find that a scrape on the bumper will render the car a total loss, and you could receive just a handful of coins as payout. Such cars really need to be well insured. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Douglas, As the story unfolds, I begin to believe that my advice to history chase the car via. a local newspaper article, may not be as meaningful as I thought it might be, in terms of the full picture. It would seem that you were absolutely right in your quest to establish the car’s position in the build sequence. Again, this will certainly be of interest, and if it would be your expectation that it’s ranking will add to its value, then you are probably right - to some degree - but simple condition will be worth far more. Whatever, condition will be king. To renovate an early build car will be a very speculative venture if it’s condition is not too good. My advice would now be:- check with Audi re. its build history. Find some secure and dry storage for the car to best protect your asset - if it proves to be an asset. Good luck and kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Douglas, Oh yes, previous owner no longer recorded on V5. Another DVLA clamp down! Obviuosly the grandson holds the key to most of the information you’ll need for a fact gathering article. Not my business, but would your quest be aimed at hopefully increasing the value of the car, or is it a serious search to gather as much information as possible about a car you intend to keep for some time? If the latter then obviously a newspaper article is the way to go. If not, there really would not be much point. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks for coming back with the registration details Douglas. I can confirm xLG was issued by Chester, so I guess it’s now fair - from what the grandson said - to claim that the original owner lived in that area during the full ownership from new, and until his death in 2005. Can we take it that you have a copy of a V5 showing his name and address there at the time? If so, Google Earth? should give you an up to date view of the property - to add to the history file. Yes, it would be good to know what it’s date ranking is within the build sequence (and Audi Germany might be able to help), but to me, the full history of the car would be of equal interest, to its ranking in production. It depends what is important to you Douglas, and whether you intend to keep it. If this were mine, I would be doing a short write up on the car (with a photo) and submitting it to a local weekly Chester paper, and asking them whether they would be interested in publishing your article - I’m sure they would be. This may well lead you to more information, including where it was serviced, and possibly more detail on its original purchase. Interesting - please keep us informed. Kind regards, Gareth

Hello Douglas, Many thanks for being in touch with the forum about your interesting car. Some of the following may be of interest:- DVLA didn’t become digitally operational until 1984, so it’s probable that your car would have been first registered by the county in which the first owner lived. If you let me have the registration letters, then I can identify the county for you, if you don’t know. I have experience of some records not being too accurately recorded in the initial change over - e.g. recorded as 1 owner since …(certain date) where earlier history was unclear. That would not be the situation in your case, since you have a precise date of first registration in the U.K., but it’s highly unlikely that DVLA would have accurate enough pre June 1983 information to inform you how yours fits in with others ( and I’m pretty sure they don’t provide this search service now anyway). If the above is indeed true, then I think I would change my tack, and concentrate on where yours fits in with its build history rather than date of first registration history. I would have thought that Audi Germany would have retained build records, and it so, they should be able to let you know where yours fits into the general model build sequence, and hopefully sub divide that down to its position in the RHD build record - from the VIN/chassis number. Good luck with your researches - perhaps you could let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s A family friend used to collect his new Mercedes from the factory around that period. Collecting from a dealer??