Magnet

Hello Clive, ’....vast majority of drivers would prefer to have a spare wheel .......’ I’m sure you are right, and yes, I would join that band, but the fact is that manufacturers have declared it semi-redundant in favour of the compressor and goo. Nothing to do with economics of course, but all to do with less weight, thereby appeasing those who worship the green environment, so the principle is valid and understood. My only point is that if a spare is really that important to you, then it is most certainly going to restrict your market - of that there is no doubt, and as I see it, you will either have to go along with that, or buy a spare wheel and tyre (and jack) which you can permanently store in the boot to be used in cases of emergency. Apologies, Clive, but although I understand your principle, I see little alternative other than the above two suggestions. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello James from the Homeland. Many thanks for being in touch with the forum. In theory, the rate at which the tyres wear should not be influenced by the wheel diameter, since the logic is that the outside diameter of wheel plus tyre will remain constant, and this is achieved by lowering the profile of the tyre, as the wheel diameter increases. It might also be argued that since the profile is lower on larger wheels, that the rolling resistance is less, so this could even increase tyre life. You raise a good point about prices and availability, and yes, certain sizes can be inexplicably dearer, but the inexplicable bit is really explained by volume demand for that size. It sounds like you’ve been doing your homework - which is great. My personal experience also points to you making a good decision in terms of brands of tyres, if longevity is of primary importance. Two points I would make:- I would be far more interested in the adverse effect of ride quality on larger diameter wheels, due to the low profile tyres, and as an aside, you may find that the specified tyres are run-flat, which have an inherent increased lack of flexibility. All fine if swinging around corners is your bag, not so good otherwise! Cost of a new set of tyres vs. cost of the car?? Could be considered to be rather like being too worried about the cost of road tax? All just observations. Enjoy your search. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Clive, ’.....green credentials.....set-back.....’ Apologies but I’m not following this, in terms of no spare wheel. Trying to understand your requirements, but I think you are seriously limiting your choice by only buying a new vehicle which has a spare wheel, as opposed to the new norm of compressor and goo. Kind regards, Gareth.

Worth changing then on a planned maintenance basis, but whether it eases the issue will have to be seen. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Clive, Many thanks for being in touch with the form. As I understand it, the demise of the spare wheel went through the process of first being dispensed with in its original full size form and being replaced by the ‘space saver’ spare - all in the best interest of weight saving, and therefore fuel saving! I cannot recall it being stated that it would be of cost benefit to the manufacturer, but I may have missed that bit! The next ‘development’ (again with the same good intent as above) was to replace the weighty space saver wheel with a small and cheap compressor and an aerosol of goo to attempt to seal up up the puncture. I think that during this stage of the ‘development’, you could opt to buy a space saver spare to fit in the well. Now I believe that the well has disappeared, so there is no designated storage for a wheel, even if you wanted one. The so called puncture repair is no more than a get-you-to-the-nearest-tyre-retailer, where you are most likely to be met with a bill for a new tyre - assuming the repair sealer was actually capable of sealing the leak to get you there. Not restricted to Audi of course, but all the mainstream manufacturers. It’s progress Clive! Worth checking out with the salesman incase I’ve got it wrong. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Ian, As I see it, whichever route you go down, you will need to get a key blade cut to match your current one. Personally, I cannot see any major disadvantage in going for a sound secondhand fob to match yours, since you will need to get it coded in any case - as you would do with a new (different) Audi dealer one. Kind regards, Gareth,

Hello Octavian, Well I think this debate boils down to:- ‘I’ve now passed the problem on to someone else’ ,and the response to the someone-else who complains in the near future that the oil light is coming might be along the lines of ‘well it wasn’t coming on when I sold it’! For what it’s now worth, your ‘ NOT semi synthetic’ is unfortunately not what it seems. ‘Synthetic technology’ is the marketing executive’s terminology for convincing a potential buyer (your self in this case) that the oil he is buying is fully synthetic, when it’s actually not - it’s semi synthetic. Still, water under the bridge hey... Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Robert, I guess it depends on how the warning alert has been set up. If I were you, I would of course do as the warning says, and contact the dealer - not to, may well not help your guarantee. The purpose of my reply was to give an opinion on what I believe may happen when you do. Perhaps you could let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Octavian, OK, your 10w/40 oil is fully synthetic. Things probably vary from country to country then. I’m yet to see 10w/40 in the U.K. in anything other than semi-synthetic, or sometimes ambiguously marked ‘synthetic technology’. Probably different in Romania. Kind regards, Gareth.

When was the pollen filter last changed Lavelle? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Robert, Many thanks for being in touch with the forum. Your issue is typical of an undercharged battery - probably due to the car having sat around somewhere for some period of time (in transit for example). The stop/start facility is the first to shut down under these conditions. I would expect the dealer to advise you to simply use the car - on extended runs if possible- and monitor the situation, and you should find the issue will minimise in frequency as the car is used. Obviously, if it doesn’t, then it may be suggested the battery is charged on a special charger (don’t use the old conventional chargers) for an extended period. All in all, the problem is likely to become less of an issue as the car is used. Good luck and kind regards, Gareth.

Many thanks Steve. Thanks goodness for the facility to have a free interchange of opinions. If we revert to Octavian’s issue of an apparent low oil pressure when using the correct specified oil viscosity, and his now satisfaction that the issue has been resolved by using a higher viscosity, is really akin to potentially adding ‘treacle’! until the ‘thicker’ oil holds its viscosity for some temporary period, and to some extent. How long?? Personally, I fear this will prove to be a short term dodge, but...... Re. semi synthetic vs fully synthetic? Of course, there are schools of thought that maintain oil-is-oil-is-oil, and that to spend any additional funds on recognised brands is simply financing the brand name, and equates to a waste of money. Maybe so and opinions vary. For what it’s worth, my opinion rests (with DIY) by buying the ‘apparent best’ at most competitive prices, since my labour is cheap! - but I always stick with the recommended specifications - I simply don’t see any benefits in deviating. This equates to using fully synthetic if fully synthetic is specified, or indeed semi synthetic where that is specified, and even straight mono grades in vehicles which are as old as me! I base this on my lack of in-depth knowledge of oil manufacture, despite being from a technical background, so I see no reason to challenge those who design engines and those who recommend the lubrication specifications for them. Back to Octavian:- I would still stick with my suggestion of using fully synthetic 5w/40 if he feels he is prepared to mask possible underlying issues by moving from 5w/30, and can only add that there is a strong possibility that the fully synthetic variant will most likely ‘hold its viscosity’ longer than his semi-synthetic variant, resulting in him masking the issue for longer. Is the slight additional cost of using a fully synthetic rather than a semi synthetic worth the extra? Many thanks again Steve, Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks for coming back to the forum Octavian. Please beware:- the 10w/40 is normally a semi synthetic and not a fully synthetic oil - as it should be - so basically it’s the wrong oil for your car. If you feel you need to mask a possible lower oil pressure by increasing the oil viscosity, then I would suggest you change this oil to a fully synthetic 5w/40. Kind regards, Gareth,

Well done James. Didn’t mean to pry into all the personal circumstances. Sounds like all the course text books will be substituted by Haynes’ Manuals! Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks James. Apologies for the (personal?) question, but are you really a student living on a student loan? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello James, Many thanks for being in touch with the forum. I’m sure you will appreciate that a maximum budget of £3K to buy an Audi is likely to lead you into territory where problems are likely to be encountered, and for that sum, you would be highly restricted in finding the best condition/value for money example, equipped with all the bells and whistles. I could be wrong, but this could be an ask too far. Personally, I would be wanting to retain something from that budget to be able to fund the repair of any issues. If it were me, and I wanted to spend my £3K student loan on buying an Audi-type car, I would be looking to buy the better-value-for-money variant marketed by Skoda, where you will end up with the same mechanics in a cheaper package. Anyway, good luck in finding what suits your budget and expectations. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello David, Many thanks for being in touch with the forum, and pleased to hear about the new car. Re. the handbook:- I must say that I share your scepticism about the lack of a printed copy of the handbook. If this were mine, I would be ringing the Parts Dept. of another local dealer and explain that you have mislaid the handbook and wish to buy a a new one. The response to that approach should be meaningful and useful. It could well be that (understandably?) the salesman feels that you had such a good deal that you can now afford to buy what is missing. The forum would be interested to know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Phil, May I respectfully suggest not putting your direct contact details on an open forum, but use the PM facility instead. Obviously if you are happy for your number to be continued to be displayed then that’s fine. If you have second thoughts, then just let me know and I will hide this post, and you can then re-write the advert. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Kelly, Varying opinions are great, and I respect Michael’s, although he is yet to answer the clarifying questions. I am happy to stick with my opinion, based on the first change of pads on our ‘humble’ A3, when reasonably branded aftermarket pads were fitted. Once bedded in, it was obvious that the braking efficiency was nowhere as good as it was with the original pads - even with a normal non-enthusiastic driving style. Outcome:- after a couple of months of dissatisfied use, the pads were changed for genuine VAG, at which point the braking efficiency was returned to what it was. So for me, brake-pads-are-brake-pads-are-brake-pads has proved to be a myth, so ever since, I have spent once and wisely, and that principle has stood me in good stead. Kind regards, Gareth.

Many thanks Michael, VAG pads actually made by Pagid (as opposed to Pagid being to OE standard) - new to me, but could be true. What I understand is that Pagid are exclusively retailed by Euro Car Parts, and of course Pagid supply to ECP. That leaves the all important question:- Is the specification of aftermarket parts made for ECP exactly the same as that supplied direct to Audi? Good and meaningful question I think. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Paul, Many thanks for being in touch with the forum. This is a very difficult situation to advise on, and the true extent and severity of the damage cannot really be correctly assessed simply from the photo. You have a high performance car with very low profile tyres, and the most sensible and logical approach is not to compromise any safety considerations by living with this potential problem. While appreciating you situation and welcoming your plea for advice, my personal view is that a constructive answer doesn’t unfortunately rest here with the forum, but with a thorough examination by a trusted local tyre specialist. This would be my advice. Re. Renewing both tyres on the same axle? Probably advisable, but again I would be following sound advice from your trusted tyre specialist. Perhaps you could let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Shaun, Thanks for being in touch with the forum. I don’t think I’m going to be of much help to you, except to introduce the possibility of the need for caution. It is possible ( but I’m not sure) that the actual receiver - anchor as you call it- may not be as simple as you would imaging it to be, and may be part of a cylindrical gas operated pre-tensioner which deploys in the event of an accident, and simply disconnecting it may not be be what you want to do, without investigation and advice beyond my direct experience with this. Kind regards, Gareth.

Ok Kelly, we now know you want to buy a pair of discs and a set of pads, and hopefully want to buy quality parts at best possible prices. For discs, I would go for Brembo - I just fitted some on on our A3 - purchased off EBay by choosing to the best-price-with best-service seller. VAG discs are expensive even with discount. For pads, I would really stick with genuine VAG only (in caps). Try Aberdeen Audi, who will normally supply at discount and mail order. Malcolm is your man there. Hope this helps. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. Once you have your parts, you should then be able to get your trusted local garage to fit them.

You are welcome. My concern would be that if you have talked with an Audi independent and he isn’t sure about changing units on Audis, then personally, I would be looking for another Audi independent. Apologies, but I don’t have any personal experience of working on Audi air suspension - only a non-Audi. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Kelly, Thanks for being in touch with the forum. It seems you want to buy just one disc, which is at odds with the convention of only replacing discs in pairs across the same axle. Any particular reason for one? Also, I take it you are aware that it isn’t good practice to simply renew discs without renewing the brake pads at the same time. If not using genuine VAG parts, then my personal aftermarket choice would be Brembo. You should find what you want at competitive prices via. an EBay search. Kind regards, Gareth.