Magnet

Hello Rhys, OK - whatever. Back to where we came in - perhaps better described:- (1) Ask someone to follow you and observe any smoke when you accelerate from say 50mph. (2) Let the car idle for at least a couple of minutes, then get your observer to assess any smoke when you rev the engine to no more than 2500 rpm. (3). Hold revs. at a steady 2000 rpm for at least 2 minutes and again observe any smoke. All the above should be carried out following a run of at least 5 miles (10 if possible) to ensure the oil is up to operating temperature. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello J, Not sure how you can assume anything about anything you don’t know. It just seems strange to me that you are seriously contemplating spending a considerable amount of money to buy this car - effectively sight unseen - and are concerned about a very small % of that outlay as a reduction. Sorry J, it’s possibly me, but in excess of £14,000 to buy something which you have only seen a photo of and a very brief description, seems a bit of a gamble too far. Well for me anyway. Other may have different views. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Gary, We take it you have examined the brake pad thicknesss on all all wheels. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Jon, What profile are you intending to fit instead of the current 55? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello J, Have you actually viewed the car and all it’s documentation, and are satisfied with its service history, number of owners, accident damage checks etc. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Rhys, Sorry about more questions, but does the car use any coolant? You don’t mention whether you inherited the car with this high oil consumption, or if has developed it during your ...? ...time of ownership. ’........bouncing it on and off the rev. limiter...’! Not surprised it’s burning oil Rhys. That is what we used to call .. revving the guts out of it! I think you will find a steady 2000 rpm is about right for most exhaust smoke testing. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Rhys, As a matter of interest, what engine does your car have? Does it exhibit any blue smoke under acceleration, or if left to idle for a few minutes and then revved? 300miles to the litre is about 120 miles to the pint in my old English. Yes, excessive in anyone’s book, and expensive too. Did you inherit the car with this issue, or is it something which has occurred during your ownership? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Bob, Sorry to hear you are dissatisfied with the car. Are you going to formally reject it? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello, Would suggest advertising it in Modern Classics or similar publications. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Simon, Without wishing to appear patronising, I think you are very wise to question when the belt should be changed, and particularly what parts to use. Owners sometimes fall into the trap of simply looking for parts as cheaply as possible for this most critical application. 100% peace of mind? Use genuine VAG parts but be careful about buying on line where belts may be aged stock and you could be buying a belt already older than it’s time limit change! If you are not using VAG parts then the only aftermarket kit I would buy would be Gates - no exceptions in my book. They are a volume supplier to many motor manufacturers. But, and a big and most important but, I would not use their kit which includes the water pump. Water pump? Yes change it, but I would never (in caps) use any aftermarket pump - only a main dealer one. No exceptions. You will probably have to pay a surcharge until you return the old unit, but as I understand it, the logic is that it removes old pumps from the substandard reconditioning chain. ECP? Any particular reason why? Seldom the cheapest even with their discount codes. There are many others, but again beware of aged stock. Hope some of this helps, Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Louise, Sorry, cannot open the link at present, but is the starter spinning the engine over enthusiastically? I would guess so, but.. Hot starting issues should be easier to diagnose than cold starting, but the offending component could be one of many, so I would certainly not be jumping to action any suggested possibilities. If it were mine ( and apologies to those who have to continue to read this) I would be seeking out a trusted local diesel specialist - not Audi independents- and entrusting the diagnosis to them. Local taxi drivers are a good source of who to take it to and who to avoid. The taxi boys depend on diesels, so they should know their way around specialists. Clutch, starter motor etc. renewed? Surely, not in an attempt to sort the problem? One last point. When the car does eventually, do you have any excessive exhaust smoke, and if so, what colour? Kind regards, Gareth.

Many thanks Karl. Perhaps you could keep the forum updated on how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Karl, It is possible to have the moisture content of the brake fluid checked quite easily, but in my experience it has to be on the high side of high to cause your problem. Still well worth checking/ renewing the fluid. Personally, I’ve found standard Audi brakes more than adequate, and the reason for asking what pads you were using stems from fitting aftermarket ones to our A3 and finding then inadequate. Returning to Audi pads proved everything was fine. In my experience Brembo should be amongst the best after market pads to suit normal driving requirements. How can I put this Karl? Decided I cannot be as diplomatic as may be required, but brake fluid moisture being within spec. what you are experiencing is the result of braking too late (from too high a speed?) and in quick succession. Speed, and particularly braking should be equally matched to road conditions and both treated with an ‘anticipating’ driving skill. Let’s hope it’s you fluid is the culprit here! If it proves to be OK and you would prefer not to drive with anticipation in mind, and to leave on a positive note, have you had a look at the products of EBC? Kind regards, Gareth:

Hello Mark, Simple things first:- Have you had the battery efficiency checked? So much depends on its efficiency these days, and warning lights etc. can do strange things when the battery becomes below par. Stop/start technology monitors the battery condition and is often the first thing to play up. Could you let us know if the battery has been checked - particularly for its cold cranking efficiency. Incidentally, our daughter’s 3.5 year old non Audi has been found to be below par in this context, and (would you believe??) it’s been stated that the battery age is being monitored and the s/s will fail on s simple battery âge situation. True?? - but an interesting concept: Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Karl, In the absence of any other replies, I wonder if any of the following may be of a little help:- I take it you have had the brake fluid renewed recently to ensure it’s moisture content is acceptable since the fluid absorbs water over time and can increase the possibility of brake fade in the event of rapid and severe braking being applied. Again, I take it you have examined the currently fitted pads to establish whether they are of reputable manufacture. Could you confirm that your brake fade is being experienced on-track rather than on the road. If on the road, then indeed it is worrying, and something needs to be attended to. Perhaps you could let us know, so some recommendations can be made. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello, If the handbook recommends 5w30 then personally I would not see any reason to use any other grade. Using 40 would in no way aid better fuel economy. Brand? I have always used Quantum oils in our petrol Audi - reputed to be manufactured by Castrol. I use their Longlife 3 even though I change it annually. This brand was/is recommended by Audi, and you will find it mail order on the famous auction site. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello, You will first need to get the cooling system pressure tested- and report back on the findings. One can easily jump to conclusions, but let’s wait for the result of that test first. K Seal? Not a good move, although I have seen some good results once, and with a low compression tractor! Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello ‘t’, Are you saying there are two thermostats on this vehicle? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Bob, Sorry to hear of your issues. From the symptoms you describe, my back to basics logic points me fair and square in the direction of gearbox/linkage problems, and not clutch issues. In excess of £400 to simply investigate without doing anything is not considered value for money, and personally I would be collecting the car from them without delay and asking for a written report of what ‘clutch associated’ investigations have they carried out to account for that cost - assuming they are still considering this to be at fault. If it were me, and if I was not satisfied, then I would be debating that cost with them. Where next? Take advice on local trusted independents and get the problem looked at there. It may be as simple as some linkage adjustment, or it could be (and you hope not!) gearbox associated. Perhaps you could let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

The original poster has not been on here since he first posted his request for help. I will bow to Joe’s superior knowledge in regard to the car being aluminium bodied, but it should be bourn in mind that aluminium corrosion does result in rust-type paint issues , as it forms a ‘white rust’ type oxide which can lift paint and lead to bubbling. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Luke, Yes of course you can consider different shock absorber and spring set ups, but the logic of it all is that the final effect of ride quality depends upon the amount of flexible rubber you have between you and the road. I understand your wishes, but until you establish that that amount of rubber you currently have is ‘standard’ for the suspension set up, then you are not evaluating whether that set up,is characteristic of the car or not. Simply changing the tyres may improve the ride quality if ( in caps) the profiles and widths are no non standard. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Luke, Thanks additional information. Now you need to consult the handbook which came with the car and check what profile and width tyres are specified as being standard for 17 inch wheels. Your current 45 would seem about right, but worth checking incase 50 is quoted - with a wider tyre. 45 profile would not give you the best of ride comfort, whereas 50 should be better, but.... Kind regards, Gareth.

What wheel and tyre profile do you have Luke? Kind regards, Gareth.

To inform them that you are going to formally reject the car within x days if they haven’t resolved your issue?

Sorry Alan, but I don’t have any experience of the Koni shock absorbers you mention. What you are suffering is the product of sports suspension and large dia. wheels. If you consider the larger the wheels, the ‘skinnier’ the tyre profiles have to be, since the final outside diameter of the wheel and tyre has to remain constant. Moving to, or having chosen, smaller diameter wheels means the tyre profile would have been increased and you would have more rubber between you and the road, so a more absorbing ride. 21 inch wheels must surely be around the maximum diameter wheels available for this car, resulting in a very low tyre profile setup. Summary:- The benefit of Koni shock absorbers with your current skinny tyres ?? Fitting smaller dia. wheels (secondhand?)? Maybe you can roadtest another similar model with this set up. Not sure if any of this helps. Kind regards, Gareth.