Magnet

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??

Hello Ben, Wondering if the one you have will be the right one for my car. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Shaf. Apologies for stating the obvious, but you will now have to return the car to the garage for them to replace the spring with the correct one. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Ben, Many thanks for responding. The car is humble, basic Sportback A3 (2006) where the tailgate does protrude a bit - I guess in spoiler form. Part number is BP4 945 097B. It’s the one which is held in by 4 white plastic arrow head shaped sprung fixings. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Austin, Many thanks for being in touch with the forum. I think you are asking the same question that was asked back in 2019. Having re -read the posts, all I can add is that I don’t really have anything else of note to now add! To me, my logic still holds, and to boil it down, yes, you can delay replacing this assembly and save some money. The substantial ( in caps) risk is that you increase the risk of catastrophic failure - to the tune of wrecking an engine. Can you justify such a risk? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello All, Please excuse the cynical viewpoint, but cutting to the chase, what is the point of investing wallet frightening sums in these hybrids ( mongrels?) to gain silly additional mileages under battery power, when you are likely to achieve the same increase in distance by freewheeling where possible over a tank full of fuel!? Someone mentioned the ‘range benefit’ achieved by turning the heating down! Wonderfully progressive. I have a couple of cars which are over 80 years old - obviously no heater - and I need to put on a suitable driving coat in cold weather - no problem. Perhaps these hybrids should be sold with optional extras of heavy clothing, and we can move up the progress ladder and order such useful extras rather than the smart S line bits and pieces. Thank goodness for our humble 16 year old A3! Apologies and kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Steve, I’m sure both of the posters on this thread will benefit from your advice on a good engine reconditioning facility, and hopefully the chances of an optimistic outcome by contending Audi’s unreasonable conditions. That would indeed be something to hang onto. For what it’s worth I share that sentiment, but I think it’s only fair to point out that any ‘fight’ with an international organisation is going to be costly, and realistically outside the scope of an average owner - however savvy they are. Yes contend the dictate, but be realistic in the chances of success - apologies, I appreciate this is coming over as pessimistic, but certainly tempered with a fair degree of realism, and certainly no disappointment after the legal costs have been paid. ‘Why would Audi conduct an oil consumption test .. if end result will be a firm no..’? I think Sam can answer that one by having to pay £280 for the test! Business is business, and they are not going to advise the owner not to get it done. Yes, what’s good enough for the U.K. is not acceptable to the US of A, but they fight an international organisation on at least a State basis, and not on an individual USA owner level. I genuinely hope for a reasonable outcome with both these cases, since liability exists, but I can only wish them well in their attempts, since I guess there isn’t any legal assistance on here that would help and support them with sound and reasoned argument. I still think the often-one-man- band classic car engine reconditioners might be a good fall back, which might allow a financially viable outcome. Many thanks and kind regards, Gareth.

Michelin Crossclimate James? Not sure how these compare. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello both, Without appearing patronising, I do feel for you and sympathise that you involved yourselves with buying cars which fitted in with the period of subsequent issues. Sam - first cars do tug at heart strings, and indeed the thought of paying £10k for a c8 year old car - good or bad - would come with an expectation of something special. Sentimental attraction would however leave me with a feeling that it wasn’t really attractive at all, and best forgotten about. Apologies for rubbing it in, but personally, I feel you are likely to take a massive financial hit if you follow Jonathan’s suggested route of disposing with it. The reality of this situation is that even if Audi bend their 10 year limit, they are likely to argue that the car has little or no service history, and that you chose to procrastinate in bringing this complaint to their knowledge. Sorry, but plan for the worse and hope for the best. Would I spend a lot of money on legal advice in dealing with Audi in your case?? I honestly don’t thinking I would. Again apologies…. Alternatives :- bite the bullet and take a serious financial hit. Consider an outcome where Audi continue to say no. Would you/are you able to fund four figure sums to finance engine rebuilds? If yes, it would be worth getting estimates from a now-small group of engine rebuilders who undertake such work in the classic car field. Worth asking around the local classic car clubs for recommendations for reboring and fitting new pistons. Or keep buying 20 litre barrels of cheap oil and keep topping it up. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Jonathan, No I haven’t heard of the 10 year limit before. To cut to the chase for both of you:- it could be challengeable, but the challenge is likely to be costly (uneconomically so?) Yes, I have already mentioned the consideration of getting rid of the car, and yes, the car buying sites would certainly be an option, but they (and the buyers at their follow on auctions) are highly likely to be aware of this issue and will value the car accordingly. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Sam, I think it’s fair to expect the oil consumption test will confirm there is an issue, so if this were me, I would now be commencing to set up my case. Let me go back to my yet unanswered question:- How long have you owned this car, and when were you first aware of its oil consumption issue? Who was the ‘they’ at your Audi dealer who informed you ‘…..less than 10 years…’? My feeling is that you are going to need some professional legal assistance if Audi’s argument continues ( which I believe it will). CAB may be able to advise, and would be a useful first port of call, but I feel you will need to tap into paid-for legal assistance. Questions you will now need to ask yourself:- If you fail ( or even partially fail, i.e. you have to make a not insubstantial contribution) do you think it will be a worthwhile expenditure to make to rectify the issue on your 10.5 year old car? Personally, I don’t think it is, but…. So what do you do? Just keep adding cheap oil? Part with the car and buy something else? Answers to these will be influenced by the answer to the question - when did you buy it, and how much funds you ‘invested’ in it, and when? I think that’s enough to think about for now Sam. Dealing with Audi:- polite is good and essential, but this needs to be coupled with a necessary degree of firmness and reasoned argument - and that’s where the professionals come in. Perhaps you could let the forum know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. What is the Audi service history like with the car? Although my argument about liability should not be influenced by a point in time, realistically, we are all subjected to such time limits with grantees, so….. Difference with this case? Was the owner (you) made aware of this constraint within the timespan of the liability period?

Hello Sabrina. Try Googling classic car trimmers in your area, and/or ask principals at local regional classic car clubs ( again Googleable). There should be experience at both of these. Perhaps you could let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

‘Special tool’ = dipstick?

Hello Dave. What does your handbook specify as the capacity for oil and filter change? Unless you know that, and exactly how much you put in, then neither dipstick nor digital reading will be meaningful. Kind regards, Gareth. Kind regards, Gareth.