Magnet

Hello James, I can only reinforce Steve's very sound advice by adding - do this without delay. If the engine has been changed on this 17 year old car, and you bought it since it was advertised or inferred that it was a 225, then you should have some redress - whether the car was bought from a dealer or privately - yes, even private sellers have to describe vehicles correctly - that is why you now often see a description which just says 'Starts, drives, stops!' (No come backs). My first on-line port of call would be to investigate via. an on-line VIN checker, and see what that comes up on a build record. My second action would be to inform the seller of your concern and the investigation you propose to carry out. I would then drive to (don't phone) my local Audi dealer and first talk with the parts section and explain your concern. Their systems might link into the DVLA based system rather than VAG so check with them which system they are linked to. Whatever system - ask if they could help you to physically check the number on your engine against their record and your V5. Having said all that, DVLA records can be wrong, particular now, when new cars are registered on a system, by the dealer on their premises. All I would ask of your own dealings is - did you view a V5 for this car before agreeing to buy it? Good luck with sorting it out to your satisfaction. Perhaps you could let us know the outcome. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Tim, I feel for you this morning as I sit here in the warm, looking out over white frosted fields! Boringly, I would need somemore information before being able to comment, so could you let us know:- Does the coolant temperature gauge get up to normal ( around 90 degrees) within approx. 2 miles from first starting the car in the morning? When you say you have changed the 'heating pump' - do you mean the water pump? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Steve (oake), I'm very much with you on the point that the type of driving influences the service intervals. It also did/ still does? , depend on whether the car is set to be serviced on a Longlife schedule ( in which case it can go out to c18K miles between services - depending on the type of use) or on an annual-ish schedule. My feeling is that dealers tend to assess the new owner's useage, and 'if they can get away with it' set it for the shorter interval plan - since obviously this is more profitable for the dealership. I have a suspicion that VAG also might also input some service, time-associated logic, when the car is built, and if so, then this might explain why some are showing a need to be serviced after such a short ownership period ( car might have been built some time before being sold). Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello David, Many thanks for the additional helpful information, which now shows there isn't any mystery - the leak is external, and from the previously-changed plastic pipe. One question now remains:- (which might be unanswerable) Was a genuine VAG replacement part used last time? I would certainly agree with your reluctance to put any bodge leak repair in this, and would go with changing the pipe again using a main dealer part. It might be worth asking the Parts Dept. if there has been any history of early failures on their replacement part. Always worth an ask. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. Forget about the exhaust smoke - this would only apply if you could not find any evidence of an external leak.

Hello Derek, So is this car still not starting properly, or are you referring to this one-off occasion? Kind regards, Gareth.

Well Steve, For this to make some sense, you must have some betting money on this!?? Otherwise, I'm seriously missing something in this hypothetical question. Might be worth thinking about something else to worry about. Anyway, good luck if you do attempt to test it out. I'm going to have a quiet contemplate now Steve! Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. With a bit of humour in mind, I notice you first posted this about 1 o'clock in the morning. Might be worth trying a double rather than a single to get off to sleep!

Hello Derek, Thanks for the additional information. So it would now seem that the car did not cut out due to a low oil level. Question remains:- Does the low oil level prevent it being restarted until the oil level is returned to above the minimum.? Personally, I have my doubts on a car of this age, although this is only a guess, and I could be way off the mark. It would be interesting to now have a qualified Audi answer to this. Could it be that the attempts to start the car - following stalling it- resulted in the use of some throttle etc. and the car became reluctant to start. Adding the oil might have been a coincidence. Just a thought. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Lee, Sorry to hear of your problem, but no, it cannot .. ' just be the cold weather' . The photo would indicate the pads to be OK , but we are looking at just one side of one one wheel. Could ( just could) be a small bit of road grit has be thrown up, but whatever, the braking system of the car is trying to tell you something and I would advise getting it thoroughly inspected as soon as possible. Kind regards, Gareth.

Well Steve, ' For reasons I won't go into......' intrigues, since it seems you are prepared to run out of fuel to be able to 'fill up with the VPower stuff...' Surely a gallon or so of the nearest petrol station's 'best' is better than no petrol at all! I can only wish you good luck. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. As the Irish would say.. ' I wish you good luck, or if you can't get good luck - bad luck, since bad luck is better than no luck at all! I trust this doesn't offend - on the principle that the Welsh and the Irish are prepared to laugh at themselves.

Hello Derek, The fact that the car actually cut out (due to a low oil level?) is the strange part of this to me - particularly on an 11 year old car. Things have moved on, and I am aware that say low Adblue levels on current diesels, can render the vehicle 'unstartable' once it is switched off, unless the Adblue is topped up. However, it will not cut out while running. If you think about it, actually cutting the engine power due to a low oil level ( particularly if the warning has just been shown) is potentially dangerous - you can think of all sorts of driving situation senarios where this could be a catastrophic thing to build in to a car's technology. However, the non-restart until the oil is topped up, could be a sensible thing to build in - as with the Adblue logic. If it were mine:- I would be keeping a close eye on the oil level (dip stick on this - or possible to fit one or not?). I would not depend solely on a bit of electronics to warn me that the oil level had reached the minimum. I would then be assessing how much oil is being used and be getting into the habit of topping it up as necessary according to the mileage it is covering. It would be useful/most important even, to readdress this with your wife and ascertain that the car's engine actually cut out, rather than going into say limp mode, or her pulling over and failing to restart it. If it did cut out - as a matter of urgency, I would be checking with a reliable source of Audi knowledge ( visiting your local or not so local dealer and attempting to actually speak with one if the technicians rather than the service receptionists - or trying to do this over the phone) I don't think you can automatically assume the cutting out and failing to restart are connected - an assumption it is until proved to be correct. There could (just could) be something else causing it to have cut out. It would be interesting to know how you get in Derek. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello David, A couple of questions before moving on to the logic of this issue. Did replacing the water pump and plastic pipe solve the water loss? - which I take you had before you replaced both components? How long ago was this done? If it cured it (did it?) which of the two were found to be at fault? How much coolant is the car now using? I take it you have re-inspected both components. Is there any evidence of excessive smoke from the exhaust when the engine is thoroughly hot, and revved to 2000rpm and held at that for two minutes? Perhaps you could let us know about the above, and someone can then possibly advise. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. Is the car relatively new to you?

Hello Cliff, I'm with Steve on this. The central locking is generally controlled by the mechanisms in the driver's door, and it sounds like the key is not actually moving what it should - so it would be door card off to see what is and isn't going on. A job for the finer weather. I have a similar issue with the non-Audi except that one generally doesn't remotely lock or unlock, but does lock and unlock with the key. That is on hold until the weather gets warmer! Remotes and batteries:- I used to go along with these and change the battery when you had to get noticeably closer to the car for it to work! I now try to make a habit of changing them annually and using non £ shop batteries. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Pete, I too read your posts with interest, and as I have said before, I am amazed you don't meet yourself on the way back! Particularly interested in the speed awareness course, or whatever it is called. My (very fortunate) inexperience of these is such that I would have imagined that there would have been a limit to the number of opportunities there were to attend the course, rather than being penalised with the points. Not so then? Sorry to hear about the house. No doubt local surveyors do well out of such properties, and as you say, a good future-experience question of estate agents would be to ask if any other surveys had been done, and the intended buyer subsequently did not go ahead as a result. Would I be pessimistic in thinking the answer would be moderated by the so called Data Protection Act!?? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Chris, I too follow your logic of increasing the profile of replacement tyres to attempt to replicate the final tyre diameter of your current 19 inch wheels. Why owners strive to run their cars on such ridiculously low profiles remains a mystery to me, unless they constantly drive around corners on two wheels! The ride comfort must be compromised, and Dunlop - bless him- worked hard to develop pneumatic tyres for us, as replacements for the original solid tyres. Need he have bothered? What I would ask Chris is, were the intended 18 inch replacement wheels a factory option for your model? If so fine, if not, you would be wise to pass this intention passed your insurers before committing. Apologies for having a varying opinion, but I cannot see a need to check the wheel alignment, if the current tyres are wearing properly. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Les, Apologies - I've re read your original post, and to me it read that you made a fuss because the recall had not been carried out, rather than you didn't want to have it carried out. Still... it's clear now. Regarding the major issue, I think that although the situation you find yourself in is unreasonable, it is unfortunately what it is, and my way forward from this inaudible-to-you noise problem would be to first have this independently assessed and move from there by having had a second opinion on its severity. Apologies for repeating. Good luck and kind regards, Gareth

Hello Dave, As frustrating as it is, I can understand the Audi dealers not wanting to give you part numbers where you don't have any intention of buying the parts from them. I can also understand that if you are buying ex-Internet (via. E Bay?) then you run a risk of getting the wrong parts, since the parts suppliers lists can, and often are wrong - even giving registration numbers is no guarantee of getting the right parts. Also brake parts in particular can vary within the same model and year, due to different O.E. suppliers, so it may come down to needing VIN details to be sure of getting the right parts. It seems you have bought and attempted to fit incorrect dimension discs, so at least you know of one variant which is wrong, and it should now be possible to take most of the critical dimensions of the originals, and this should be sufficient data for obtaining the correct one. Where there is a 'dispute' between supplier and the buyer, most suppliers will cop out by advising the buyer to obtain the manufacturer's part number - of course you are finding that is not so easy! What make discs have you bought Dave? Many disc suppliers will have a UK based contact number, and if you make contact with their technical department, they will usually be able to point you to their correct part number if you give them the critical dimensions of the correct original part. Suppliers are seldom accommodating in that respect! Kind regards, Gareth.

Hi Brendan, To me, this diagnosis and estimate for repair would be totally unacceptable. It must be possible to narrow down the offending part - which may be as simple as a ABS wheel sensor or a corroded toothed ring. Of course, it may be an ABS unit, but even so - £3000?? Secondhand part if ABS unit? If it were mine, I would most certainly be seeking a second opinion on this. Of course, if you have/already had in your mind to change the car, then that's fine. If you are selling it simply on the current diagnosis, then I would seriously think twice, and get a second inspection on the car. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Les, I sympathise with you regarding this defective engine component, and would ask the question:- Is it reasonable to expect a 23k, three and a half year old, supposedly quality engineered car, serviced according to the schedule ( I guess - correct? ) to develop a significant engine deficiency? My answer would be - no it isn't reasonable. OK, it's now out of warranty, so it becomes your responsibility to repair it. That has to be fact, and any contribution by the Audi organisation can be considered to be simply as a good will gesture. You ask the question ' should I challenge this further...?' Well do you have anything to lose? That depends on whether the current 'offer' is subject to withdrawal or not, and whether there is any experience ( possibly via. other forums) of their good will gesture to you, being bettered in the past. It seems the answer to that is not forthcoming from here, but there may be additional help via. other sources. I'm of an age where I suffer from significant hearing problems, and it would be understandable if I couldn't hear the noise they are referring to. Is your hearing compromised in any way, since you say you cannot hear any noise? If it were mine:- I would be first getting a second qualified opinion on whether this noise exists or not. From there, you will obviously need to decide whether you are prepared to get the work done or not at the current costings, or consider selling the car if that is an economic thing to do. Not sure how much of this helps, but... Good luck with whatever you decide. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. '.. made a fuss about them not do the emissions update....' Sorry Les to be rather direct, but making a fuss is not conducive to getting the best out of negotiations, and they may well have done you a big favour! - worth reading up on the topic near the top of this forum.

Hello Brendan, Sorry to here of your ABS issue. What particular components have you been advised are at fault? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Richard, 'Supply voltage low' - can be due to high contact resistance onto the component. This can sometimes be rectified by spraying the connector plugs with contact cleaner and wiggling. Sorry, don't know where the component is on the car, but hopefully someone will come along with the answer. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Tom, I won't bother to comment on the health check recommendations! Washers? - general, i.e. Including windscreen:- I too buy the neat fluid and tend to mix it 2:1 water to fluid, which is more than adequate to cover most of our bad weather requirements without freezing in the system. The problem I find is that the mixed fluid deteriorates fairly quickly and tend to form a 'goo' in the bottom of the reservoir which is really an algae , and this can partly clogg up the jets. My belief as that the neat solution had additives which prevented this, but not so. It you mix this solution in a container and leave that container for a couple of weeks, you will find it smells like stagnant water. Of course, modern cars have their reservoirs fitted down in the wheel arch, making it impossible to see the condition of the fluid. Such is my concern, that I now resort to filling the reservoir to no more than half full, so fresh top ups are more frequent. Any effect on your issue? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Kieran, No I don't mean the engine cover, but the belt cover. My strong advice would be to get this looked at at a garage local to where you are - without delay. This car is trying to tell you something! Personally, I would not be attempting any (should be in caps.) journey without getting it looked at first. Kind regards, Gareth,

Hello Kieran, Having not listened to your video ( hearing too bad!) I would be concerned about the possibility of a 'flappy' cambelt hitting the plastic cover. Do you know when the belt was last changed? Could be completely wrong. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Simon, I'm surprised that this car isn't/wasn't subject of an emissions recall. Personally, I would want some sort of 'second opinion' on this, and it might be worthwhile double checking with Audi UK, and posting on here as a new post - asking that specific question In relation to the 1.6d and the model year. Previous keeper? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Simon, I take this you are buying the car from an Audi dealer, since it is within the age/mileage band where it would normally be kept for retail. It should not yet be due for a cambelt change (if a belt -as opposed to a chain- was fitted to this model year). If I was in your situation, I would be ringing up another Audi dealer, giving them the registration number and asking if it is indeed fitted with a belt (Parts rather than Service would be my first point of contact) and if so when it would be due for change. I would be surprised if the interval was less than 80k or 5 years, whatever comes first. What would be of more importance to me at the moment would be if this car has been presented for the emissions recall, and if so, what its subsequent issues have been - if any. It might be worth reading up on the forum here of the bad experiences of many owners, following their cars being subjected to recalls. The last registered keeper would have full knowledge - always worth a check there. Good luck with it. Kind regards, Gareth.