Magnet

Hello James, Sounds like a reasonable guess then. I would be tempted to book this in ASAP to any garage which is open, and it’s certainly worth checking the oil meanwhile. If the filter is found to be at fault and needs replacing, I would suggest you stipulate it is replaced only with a Mann or Bosch one - unlikely they will be able to obtain a genuine VAG one. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello James, As you realise, you need this checked as quickly as possible, so you will need to to find someone/ anyone who is open in reasonable distance. 500 miles a month may be considered ‘rarely used’ but not really in my book. You location-of-leak is unlikely to be meaningful since the underbody shield will mask the leak site, and make it appear to be located where the oil is able to egress from the shield. Hope some of this helps. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. Has the car been serviced in recent times, and the oil filter changed? Just a thought that it may be associated with an ill fitting filter - and that would dictate a need for even more urgency.

Hello Lynsey, Are you talking the owner’s handbook here, or some sort of official Audi workshop manual? If owners handbook:- Tried EBay, and/or placing a wanted ad. in the specialist ‘classic car’ press? - e.g. Modern Classics, Classic Car Weekly, Classic Car Buyer etc. etc. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello David, Many thanks for the additional information. Pleased you think it’s wise to notify them in writing and ideally not to use the car. Re. the warranty:- For the first 3 months ( maybe 6) Lookers are responsible for ensuring the car remains fit for purpose, so it should not be a question of dismissing their responsibilities to Autoprotect. It would be worth you spending some search time to investigate the consumer law in relation to used car sales, and contacting the CAB (if open), so that you are fully clued up before any work is carried out on the car. Personally, I would be very wary of following any suggestion that you get the work done, pay for it, and reclaim the funds from Autoprotect. This should not be the way this is dealt with. Lookers should arrange, and pay for, any work necessary, and it would be up to them to decide if they want to claim off Autoprotect or not. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Justin, Sounds like it has a regulator issue. Are you intending to try to sort this yourself and do you have a suitable meter etc? Might be something best left to an auto electrician when you can get hold of one? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello David, Personally, I would not be doing anything with this car, or allowing anyone else to look at it until you have the agreement of the seller, otherwise it may be argued that someone else has contributed to the problem. If it were mine, I would be e-mailing the seller ( it is likely they will have access to incoming e-mails) and recording the issue, and most importantly, asking them for guidance on which course of action you can undertake. Do you have access to another vehicle? If so, I would not continue to use this car. We take it that you bought the car from a secondhand car dealer and not an Audi dealership. Kind regards, Gareth.

Harris, please do not fiddle with the non working remote until you fit your new battery. The car has started with your non working remote, so any fiddling with it may just introduce another variable. One step at a time! Kind regards, Gareth.

Great Harris, Personally, I wouldn’t touch this car (spark plugs etc) until you have had the battery checked. If you fiddle about with spark plugs etc. and the trouble returns, you will be left in a situation of not knowing whether you have created another issue. The battery efficiency is fundamental, so I would strongly advise to leave everything else alone until you are sure it is serviceable or not. Kind regards, Gareth.

Good on you Graham, It’s refreshing to know that you are taking a positive and ‘next move up to Audi’ approach to this unacceptable problem. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Ryan, I’m never quite sure why people favour ECP as a preferred supplier. Something to do with their perceived % discounts on often so called retail prices? End result even after discount may possibly be found not to be competitive with other on-line suppliers selling at non discount prices. If this were mine, I would be investigating purchase routes via. open main dealers to have far more assurance that you will end up with the correct parts. Pre Covid-19, there were sources of genuine Audi parts at discount. Think one was Audi Parts Direct (or similar name ) - part of Cardiff Audi, now believed to be called Mon Motors. Currently open? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Ryan, Can we take it you are attempting to buy your spring/s from an aftermarket source rather than from an open main dealer? As I see it, you will need to have your original spring set up identified via. its build record via. the VIN to be assured you are buying the correct replacement. Of course, someone might come up with the correct recommendation from the colours you quote, but then it’s a chance you have to take as to whether the information proves to be correct. Are you intending to change both springs or just the broken one? Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Harris and good luck with it. The best way to cope with worry is to only worry about one thing at a time. The major worry at the moment is about a thing called survival. Anyone who survives this can then worry about other things in an order of the next important issue. I really do wish you and yours well. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Angel, You have effectively serviced it then, so no need to do it again. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Robert, Personally, I would not put my contact detail on any open forum - in preference to ‘PM me for further details’. Kind regards, Gareth.

Yes, OK. Now up to you to keep an eye on it, and I think you would be wise to follow my earlier advice and invest in an oil and filter change, particularly since you’ve only had it for a month and do not tell us about any known recent service history. 4 miles a day is not good news, since the car hasn’t really had time to get up to operating temperature. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Richard, Sounds like you may be able to get a classic car insurance cover on this car and it’s intended use. Normally, such cover is restricted to vehicles over 20 year old, but there can be exceptions. Benefits can include:- Agreed value, breakdown cover, no need for a useable NCB, although a good driving record is. Requirements are that mileage limits will apply - usually 3k/a. although this might be extended to 6, car usually has to be garaged at night, and must not be your ‘daily driver’ car. Might be worth trying Lancaster Insurance, Peter Best, Haggerty, Peter James, Carol Nash, and other classic car brokers. I would advise against using any comparison websites for this type of insurance cover. Hope some of this helps, Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Steven, I would suggest sending the original poster a PM, since he hasn’t returned to the forum since a few days after posting some 9 months ago. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Harris, The more you post, the impression I get is that you are not unfamiliar with the basics, but I really think you are missing out on the first line logical approach, and diverting valuable brainwork by trying to think of lists of possibilities, before you have eliminated the simple things first. Everything you say points me to advising that it is essential that you get the battery serviceability checked, so it can either eliminate this, or prove it is suspect. Without carrying this simple test, you run the risk of spending unwisely by replacing other non essential items. Just don’t go there. OK, Halfords are 40 miles away, but surely there must be some local garage or motor factors closer by, who can test it for you. I’d be devoting my time to investigate this avenue. Having said that, it would not be surprising if the starter motor/solenoid/connections were found to be not as good as expected, but it’s simple things first - so definitely get the battery checked. Perhaps you could let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

OK. Useful additional information. This is a simple -free - test which is always worth carrying out. So we don’t have any evidence of significant exhaust smoke during normal use. We don’t have any loss of coolant or oil (as you said earlier). Sounds as if there is currently little to worry about. You now mention a new symptom of a smell of oil, and if this were mine, I would be investing in an oil and good quality filter change, and asking the garage to check it in relation to the now oil smell, which might be associated with a slight leak. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Gary, Probably best to PM the original poster, since he has not been back to the forum since 2 days after joining. Kind regards, Gareth.

OK Harris, The story unfolds - as it usually does when more details are requested. The fact that the engine does not turn over until the 5th turn of the key suggests connection or starter motor issues, but you confuse me with reference to ...’ fires on the first turn but on the 5th turn engine rotation. Sorry, don’t understand! If you’ve tried jump starting it and does not turn over, then it could point to your battery having failed ‘open circuit’. Had a case where this occurred with a 15 month old car. If this were mine then I would be substituting the battery you are trying charge, with the battery from your wife’s car - seems you know what you are doing, so know the does and don’ts. If this doesn’t turn the engine over first turn of the key then you know you have connection or starter motor issues. You can, and I would, have your battery checked at Halfords for example - if open. To me, this would be essential, since until you know whether it’s serviceable or not, you are just wasting your time. Keep us posted. Kind regards, Gareth.

So this will be used on a regularly frequent basis - possibly as a daily driver car, and it’s unlikely to be practical for you to restrict the annual mileage to say 3,000 to 6,000 miles? I ask, since if you were, it might (only might, since it is less than the normally required minimum 20 years old) be possible to get this onto a classic car insurance policy. These policies do not depend on having a ‘spare’ no claims bonus, but neither does it generate one. You can also insure the car on an agreed value basis, but insurers will expect that the car will not be a daily driver. If these requirements do not meet your intended use, then you can effectively forget about the classic car policy possibilities. If that is the case, as I see it, you will simply need go down the normal comparison website route and obtain a cover which suits your needs. I believe there is an insurance contact on this forum, so you could start there. Hope some of this may be helpful to point you towards what may not be possible and what your alternatives are. Perhaps you could keep the forum posted on how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Richard, Perhaps you could let the forum know what this car will be used for - as your main vehicle, or as an occasional use car? If occasional use, what your anticipated annual mileage will be. Also whether it will be garaged or not while not in use. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks for coming back on this. The procedure seems pretty well described to me, but...... Drive the car as normal during its 10 mile road run. Park the car, but do not switch the engine off. ’.....get an assistant to rev. the car...(while stationary) ..........at a steady 2000rpm and hold it at that (engine rev.) for 2 minutes, while you observe the smoke from the exhaust - report back to the forum with your findings. Hope that procedure is described clearly enough. .....The usual kind regards.. .p.s. Try to pick a fairly dry weather interlude to carryout this test. OK, may currently be difficult now we seem to have lost our dry spell, but...

Thanks, If you are able to do so in the current situation:- Ensure coolant and oil are at the correct level when the engine is cold. Then take the car for at least a 10 mile run and ensure the coolant temperature reaches normal and doesn’t overheat. Immediately on return, get an assistant to rev the car to a steady 2000rpm and hold it at this engine speed for 2 minutes while you observe smoke from the exhaust - and report back. Kind regards, Gareth.