Magnet

Irrespective of you having the same equipment as an independent Malcolm, isn’t it a possibility that they will have more experience than you, and talking with them nicely, they may just point you in the right direction? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Ritvrs, OK, thanks - understand now - it’s the bolt that holds the tensioner in place. If it were mine, I would follow my suggestion regarding legal advice without delay. Perhaps you could keep us informed of how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Malcolm, Independent cheaper? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Richie, Welcome to the forum. Members on here will need you to detail what issues you have with the MMI facility before anyone can help you. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Ritvrs, Sorry to hear of your problem. You will have to give us more information about ‘pin holding roller’ before anyone can help, but it seems this is probably part of the timing belt assembly, so the work should be covered by the Audi dealer. I would strongly advise you to contact your local Citizens Advice Bureau and take their advice about claiming against Edinburgh Audi. They should be able to help you by compiling a formal letter. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello John, I bought some ‘German quality’ ones for our A3 last year from an EBay seller kmspartsonline. They appeared to be good quality and cheap at around £14 each (I think). I Waxoyled them before fitting. Worth giving them a try. If you want genuine - and they haven’t seemed to have lasted very long with yours - then you could try Audi Parts Direct at Cardiff ( part of Mon Motors who were Cardiff Audi. They do genuine parts at discount. Hope this helps. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Wesley, ‘...Not even sure where I would begin to estimate repair costs....’. Just don’t think about it, estimates are what you obtain and not really what you guess. OK photos can be inconclusive, but it looks well within the bounds of a ‘smart’ localised repair to me. I would be just concentrating my mind on finding the best reputation ‘smart’ repairers to gain estimates from. Perhaps you could let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Wesley, Sorry to hear of your incident. I guess that with your dash cam evidence you could (in caps) attempt to claim off the insurers of J888 CJJ, via. your own insurers. If it were me, I wouldn’t since even if this proves to be possible, your premium is likely to increase even though it’s a no-fault accident on your part. Anyway, this looks well within the scope of a local franchised ‘scratch repair/dent removal’ specialist. The issue here is to ensure you choose a good one. Recommendations, and don’t-bother- with-them, advice can often be obtained via. friendly local low volume car sales sites, where they need to be aware of who does minor bodywork repairs to a good standard at a reasonable price. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Peter, I’m sure other owners with a similar issue will be in touch now that we are all aware that you have been dealing with a franchised dealer. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Peter, It’s likely that the majority of members on here will not be familiar with JCT600 in Sheffield. Can we take it they are an independent rather than an Audi dealer? Apologies if I’ve got that wrong and they are a main dealer. If JCT600 are not a main dealer, I wonder why you would not be simply taking this under-Audi-warranty car to a main dealer for the fault to be rectified. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Gary, Good question, and my stab at it is to question whether you (in caps) actually can. My belief is that it’s a normally programmed in action, which for some reason on your car - has been programmed out! Reprogramming necessary at the dealer or independent?? Could be wrong. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Ida, I would have thought that if you were looking for a door mirror for your 18/19 year old Audi that you may be looking at secondhand, and if so, you are possibly looking on EBay. I could be way off the mark here, but how many variants are you finding in your search and do they all differ from your current one. Obviously, the dealer will be reluctant to give you a part number which will enable you not to buy from there, but I think a fairly recent ( within the last few weeks?) poster on here did provide a link to a look up part number - worth trying a search on the forum. If you want secondhand, then it would be worth registering your ‘want’ on car breaker link websites such as Partsfinder (there are more). Kind regards, Gareth.

As you probably know Dennis, OEM covers an absolute multitude of sins in the supply of aftermarket parts! Just ignore the significant of any of it, and stick with the brand/s you have experience of. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Dennis, Thanks for coming back, and it’s probably me, but I’ve lost the gist here. Are you saying LUK have awful reviews? Or, are you referring to ‘techniclutch?’ in that respect? EBay and listed suitabilities!? Barn doors comes to mind. If you are deciding to actually go with LUK ( and I’m now unsure whether you want to or not) then you have to obtain answers from LUK Technical ( via. good old fashioned phone contact). The full answer re the correct part number for your car will rest there - not with some EBAy seller. Yes, fine, buy off EBAy once you are certain of what you actually need to buy. Sorry, but I doubt if the answer will be on here, but let’s hope that may prove to be a pessimistic view. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Dennis, Which sites have you been searching? Genuine Audi clutches tend to be expensive, so I only use LUK clutches. If you are in trouble finding the correct one then it would be worth Googling ‘LUK clutches’ in an attempt to find a U.K. technical help line where you can ask for specific advice. Such manufacturers often have a look up part number reference, but you can’t beat a good telephone chat. Personally I would not consider any other aftermarket brands. If you want, or need to go Audi, you will find discounts at Audi Parts Direct (at Cardiff). They do mail order. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Richard, I would have thought your first concern would be to establish which of the options is the correct one for your car. Hopefully someone on here will advise what battery fits their same-model-as- your car. Code for battery? I wouldn’t have thought so on a 13 year old car. Kind regards, Gareth.

Sounds as if that cleaner should be suitable Caroline. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Richard, It’s usual to simply take all the details (Ah, cold cranking current etc) and dimensions off the existing battery and replace with the same specification and physical size. However, the downside of that is a previous owner may have fitted a non standard replacement. Having recorded all the detail, have you talked with the specialist on line suppliers such as Tanya, Battery Megastore etc. and taken their advice? Reg. no will also be required. Could be an AGM type battery, but possibly too early for that. I now only buy premium batteries by Varta or Bosch, selecting their grades which have at least a 4 year warranty. Perhaps you could let us know who you have enquired with to date. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Chris, Pending someone coming back on here and suggesting a diagnosis, I think the best course of action is to notify those who did the work of the issue and get them to re look at it. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Irfan, If the battery is found to be sub standard, then you need to be aware that they are likely to replace it with the cheapest correct spec one they can get from the local motor factors. If it were mine, I would be keeping in mind the advantages of adding some money and getting a respectable brand one such as Varta or Bosch with at least a 4 year warranty. Of course, they may just charge up the battery and it might be OK for a week or so! Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Caroline, I think Max raises a good point, but when I think about it, you can start a car and not sit in it, and the seat belt warning does not come on, so does it indeed have pressure switch? Or is the warning only activated when the car starts to move - a la the locks engaging? Whatever, it sounds as if it needs investigation and could be the seat belt buckle connection, or possibly a poor connection under the seat - often problematic due to dust and fluff. May be worth investing in a can of spray contact cleaner and giving the buckle receiver a good spray, together with any accessible under-seat connectors. Do not use WD40 or similar. If that fails then it sounds like a trip to a trusted independent or local auto electrician. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Steve, Good question - I have just been ‘thrust/promoted’ into such a position! I avoid Facebook, but do keep an eye on our village website, and it appears that such sites can be dominated by he/she who holds the key, so to speak, and as in your example, they can grab to ball and say they are not playing. Certainly not democratic! I can sympathise with your potential ‘safety improvements’ since our village was subjected to numerous speed bumps, chicanes etc. to deter traffic from using the route to by pass a set of lights. Yes, they did reduce that irritation, but with the result that the villages are now constantly subjected to these inconveniences. The scheme simply wasn’t thought through, and it was surprising how it appeared to be influenced by a small number of villagers who took on the role of ‘experts’. If it were me, I would be setting up an article in your local paper and campaigning for an open meeting, and highlighting the unacceptable ‘closed book’ situation which now exists within the Facebook group. Make sure any debate is fair and square, and doesn’t end up going around in circles, where a decision may be made - if you see what I mean! Good luck and kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Stewart, Unfortunately the original poster posted this two and a half years ago, and didn’t even return to the forum from the day he joined! You could try sending him a PM, but I wouldn’t hold your breath. Might be better to start a new thread, and fully explain your current issue. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Irfan, Sorry, can’t help with the door opening issue since it’s reasonable to expect it could be a result of a variety of possible causes, and may need hands-on inspection, by say a trusted independent. Re. The inoperative stop/start system - Do you know how old the battery is? A below par battery is very often the suspect here, and would need to be tested - often on specialist equipment - to confirm or eliminate it as the culprit. Regarding stop/start failure, you can no longer eliminate the battery as the problem even if it starts the car fairly well, since let’s say, the cold cranking efficiency may be slightly below acceptable limits. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Tom, I would have thought the leak would be very severe if the seal had worn a significant groove in the shaft. I can see where you are coming from regarding a wider/thicker seal, but generally these seals deteriorate and become far less efficient sealers due to the seal hardening. Providing the crankshaft front bearing is not excessively worn - causing the crank to rotate out of true, or indeed have thrust bearing wear which can result in the shaft moving forward and backwards, a new seal should accommodate a small amount of possible rotational wear where the original seal lip sat. Well worthwhile ensuring you buy a good quality replacement seal - even from a main dealer, since the on cost over labour charges would be small. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. Perhaps the car came from Wales if it came with a leek!