Magnet

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.

Thanks Ann, Your experience will probably be of benefit to others longer term. As a matter of interest, what make of battery did you buy as your replacement, and what was the make of the battery that you renewed after 2 year’s service? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Dave, What was the exact quantity of the fresh oil you put in for your oil and filter change, so that that can be compared with the approx. 7 ltrs you think you drained out? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Sam, Thanks for being in touch and sorry to hear of your issue. Apologies for a contra opinion, but I certainly wouldn’t be adopting the approach suggest by Karl in his ‘expletives removed’ post. It will simply generate a tone of animosity, and whatever you think or shout about, they hold the key to the resolution. Diplomatic, factual firm and reasoned, would be my chosen approach. If you would like an opinion on the content of your reply, then I think it is essentially good, with the following ‘comments for you to think about’ :- Personally, I wouldn’t make any reference to being unable to afford the necessary repairs - that fact is not Audi’s fault, and the comment generally undermines your situation and standing. The key fact is that there is precedent here, which means that Audi has previously accepted they are at fault with this issue and have compensated owners - so they are blameworthy. I think you can reasonably maintain that fault and consequent liability does not cease at a certain point time, but ceases when there aren’t anymore cases where liability applies. I trust some of the above maybe of help, and wish you well for a favourable outcome. As an (important) aside - how long have you owned this car Sam, and when were you first aware of the undue (as opposed to excessive) oil consumption? If this is some period of time, then this may dilute your case, if it can be proved that you have procrastinated. Perhaps you could keep us informed on how things develop. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks for coming back Jordon. Don’t ignore EBay as a competitive source of brands of the quality you choose. Yes, of course check CP in M.for their price for the chosen item. Talk to at least a couple of trusted local garages for prices. Radiator? Personally I would park this problem for the time being, and concentrate on the springs, and ask the garage who will do the springs, for their advice on whether the leak you have (how severe?) is indeed associated with the radiator or not, and move from there. Best policy- worry about one thing at at time! - and always do your homework before committing to get anything done. Good luck with it all. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Dave, Many thanks for letting the forum know about this. As I see it, it could indeed be that the MMi is giving a false reading, or ( in caps) it could be the dipstick is. Not sure when you last changed your engine oil, but if this were mine,I would be draining the oil off, removing the filter , and refilling the engine to the exact quantity ( shown under Capacities in the handbook) for an oil and filter change. If you then start the engine and allow the filter to fill, switch off, and allow the car to stand for a good hour, you can then measure the level on the dipstick to see how it compares with the Full mark. This will give you the correct correlation between the digital and dipstick readings. Perhaps you could let us know when you have some detail on this. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Jordon, I think your expectations for buying a new radiator and two front springs and then getting these parts fitted for a total cost of £300 is an ask too far. Parts costings:- Search EBay for a pair of the correct springs for your car. I would be cautious of buying at the cheapest price. Same search and comments for radiator. ( if indeed you do need to replace the radiator). Let’s just deal with the cost of the springs first - you will then know what the cost of the parts would be. Time to fit a pair of springs - possibly 2.5/3 hrs?? Labour rates in your area? - so you will need to find about, but I guess £45/hr (+ VAT?) would be reasonably cheap I suppose. You just need to do the maths then. Mention of bearings - probably refers to the possible need to renew the top suspension mounts which again you can price, and these shouldn’t add any additional labour charge. Perhaps you could let us know what you come up with Jordon. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. You could try Car Parts in Motion ( no connection) who seem to have reasonable brands (Febi etc.) at reasonable prices. I think Steve Y also mentioned them a month or so back, where he too mentioned them as worth a try. Generally better prices than those who offer big discounts off so called retail prices.

Hello Stephan, Thanks for being in touch. Obviously the larger the wheels, the lower the tyre profile ( height) must be, to retain the same outside diameter of wheel plus tyre. You also trade off a harsher ride by increasing the wheel diameter. Best answer to your question is to look in the correct owner’s handbook for the car, and see what wheel and tyre sizes are listed there as alternatives (under tyre pressures would be a good place to start). If you stick with the manufacturer’s specified alternative wheels and tyre sizes, then you should not have any issues with insurance implications. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Ian, Many thanks for being in touch with the forum, and sorry to hear of your issues. If I’m reading this correctly, then you are saying that the engine is not turning over (cranking) when you attempt to start it. If so, then this is of course typical of battery issues i.e. flat/unserviceable battery. Have you had the battery tested? If not, then this obviously has to be the first port of call. If the battery proves to be unserviceable, then this would also account for spurious warning lights, and it is pointless carrying out any diagnostics unless you do so with a serviceable battery. Replacement batteries can of course be bought locally, but personally, I only buy 5 year warranty grade Varta/Bosch from specialist online suppliers such as Tayna, Battery Megastore etc. ( no connection ) where you can buy quality at very competitive prices. Perhaps you could let us know how you get on Ian. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello again Jeffrey, Your logic is sound:- the larger the wheels, the lower the tyre profile will have be, and the harsher the ride. If the vehicle of interest has 19 inch and you want 18 inch:- if the vehicle meets your requirements in all other aspects - have you considered obtaining 18 inch and negotiating an adjusted price if possible? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Jeffrey, Thanks for being in touch with the forum. If I’m reading your question correctly (and I’ve re-read it) - no, you cannot fit 18 inch tyres on 19 inch rims. Are you sure that’s what you are really asking? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello David, The logic of the end suffice letter does make sense, since the letter changes as the part gets modified for later models. In my experience, the modifications can be minor and the parts can sometimes be interchangeable. In your case, the suffix letter is all important since the electrical connections have been modified since your ‘B’ design. I know Audi has/do keep the same basic part numbers for cambelt kits, but change the end letter for different engines, so the suffix match is essential there. Possibly a daft question and of no significance, but if you did find one in say Germany, will it be identical in terms of our driver’s door being their passenger door? Guess yes, but worth an ask. I too would have registered my want with as many of the online breaker systems as possible - and would keep doing so. What is actually wrong with yours David? Repairable with some engineering? Audi dealers? Is such things as redundant stock national searches at dealers, a thing of the past? - I guess so. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Annie, Many thanks for posting. Perhaps it would further help potentially interested parties if you included your expected price. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Asad, Sounds good. A simple battery test with a voltmeter is virtually meaningless. Apologies for a different of point of view, but £200 for an AGM battery ( of course dependent on size) would not automatically seem to be a no brainier to me. I would certainly consider it worthwhile to compare prices at online battery specialists before offending my wallet. Kind regards, Gareth.

As a matter of interest Sean, do the other (secondhand?) locks you are finding have the same part number except for the last letter? Kind regards, Gareth.

Many thanks Nigel. Good point, and in any case, the battery should be charged - as best it can be - before testing. All modern stop/start vehicles are super sensitive to overall ( in caps) battery condition and the car’s battery condition monitor assesses all important parameters, so my view is that if the battery proves to be completely serviceable under a sophisticate test then happy days. If any monitored parameter shows marginal, then it would be new battery for me - sooner than later. I understand the CTec are great if the car is left unused for extended periods of time. However, they can be expensive to the tune of a similar price to a new battery. What I’m trying to say is (in a not very clear way!) - it would not be economical to buy one, in the hope that it will revive an ailing battery. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. a new battery is likely to need to be recoded to the car.

Hello Steve, See reply to Poorna’s post - this morning. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Asad, As Steve Y says - you must suspect the battery first, and get it professionally tested - Halfords will do this. If the battery is unserviceable, then yes, you must ( in caps) replace it with a stop/start AGM battery. Halfords sell batteries, but I always buy on line from specialists battery suppliers such as Tayna ( there are more - just Google it). I only buy Varta/ Bosch in their 5 year warranty range - don’t buy cheap batteries, ( paying high prices does not always guarantee quality!), but buy a good brand at the most competitive price from the specialists. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Poorna. Thanks for being in touch. ’ Frosty nights…’ may be the clue here. Carefully peel back the rubber covering on the harness which runs from the body into the boot/tailgate, and inspect all wires within this section. This a favourite location for wires to fracture, due to continued opening/closing - particularly in cold weather where the harness becomes less pliable (frosty night!) If that is ok, then you need to remove the inside plastic covering from the boot/tailgate and inspect all connections. The effect of non working rear washers, and general water ingress is often associated with troubles in this area. Perhaps you could let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Tim, but has the fault - non start issue now been resolved? I guess it must have been, but I’m having difficulty in trying to interpret why the subsequent non- start bit and the resolution of that, but it could be me missing something. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello John, I agree with virtually all you have said in the last but one post. Can I boil this down to the logic - as I see it (with the I in bold caps), and I can only apologise for the lack of additional opinion on here at the moment:- If your MOT isn’t imminent, then I would forget about the front wishbone bushes for the moment, on the basis they are only split, but not broken. However, I have to temper this advice since I haven’t seen the car, so cannot be positive about the extent, or whether this advice is truly sound, but….. While you are continuing your search for a good and trusted local garage, I would be taking the car around to a (local independent if possible) tyre retailer, and asking them to thoroughly inspect all four tyres in relation to any tyre or wheel issues which might account for the noise you describe - ask them to road test the car if at all possible. Such an inspection will at least eliminate tyres and wheels as the cause, and would be a positive and valid next step forward. Personally, I would not be revealing that the wishbone bushes have been declared split - on the basis that no one has actually told you that that is the cause of your noise. I would be sitting back and giving this whole business a good coat of thinking about, rather than knee jerking into any decisions at the moment. Having said that, the car is trying to tell you something, so whatever the cause is has to be found. Other non associated wear problems should be parked on the back burner until someone comes up with a positive diagnosis. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello John, Apologies for this hogging this post, and for repeating previous advice - which of course - may or may not be sound:- We know you have a flapping noise, which could be as simple as an insecure plastic under shield, or associated with a choice of many other issues - even worm wishbone bushes. I’m not sure if anyone who has inspected the car has clearly identified the cause, but all have simply confirmed the wishbone bushes are worn - to what extent?? New question:- did you ask Halfords to investigate the source of your flapping noise, or to investigate the possibility of your noise being associated with the worn bushes? All important difference. Whatever, they are understandably covering their bum by not claiming renewing the bushes will cure your problem. Appreciating you don’t want to spend £500, and your aim to save money by renewing the wishbones ( even though no one has clearly identified these to be the offending cause). Apologies again John for saying it as I see it, but if you are seriously intending to replace the wishbones yourself, and you are asking the question where the jacking points are, then I fear for your ability to safely and correctly carryout this work - even if it is believed to be the cause of your noise. Once again, sorry John, but….. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. plea again - can someone else advise John on this whole business since unfortunately I’ve run out of road with John’s quest for help and advice from the forum?

Thanks David, You seem to have carried out the searches which I would have suggested, so now saved me advising these routes. Re. Part numbers:- Since your part is no longer available via. Audi then I would expect that they will correctly advise you if the suffix letter signifies any unacceptable differences. I wouldn’t attempt to seek this advice over the phone, but go along and talk with the Parts chap in person. Kind regards, Gareth.