Magnet

I was respectfully trying to let you down quietly Peter to minimise the risk of a sleepless night ! Since you are now in the know :- Engine rebuild - if they are ever the same after- may render this an uneconomical proposition for a car of this age. Lets hope things work out for you. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Peter, Many thanks for coming back on this. The tensioner may be a red herring actually, since I would seriously expect them to have changed this as part of a "cambelt kit". I would really be surprised if they hadn't, yet changed the water pump. Probably just did not mention it on the invoice. A couple of questions which it would be worth you asking are:- Did they fit a full cambelt kit assembly? If so, what make of (aftermarket?) kit did they use. What make of water pump did they use? As I said earlier, my feeling is that (assuming the whole assembly was correctly fitted) the replacement water pump has proved substandard and led to the cambelt failure. Of course, this is a prejudgment without sight. A simple failure of the rubber belt itself (whatever make) would be a rarer issue. "Like paying twice'?! Perhaps it's best you talk with them first Peter. I don't think it's a question of simply paying to get the job done again unfortunately. Would someone more knowledgeable than me, help Peter out here and offer some advice on what the guarantee period is on this work - if beyond the mentioned 1year. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Peter, Very sorry to hear of your plight, which unfortunately is a very serious thing to happen. When you say "I had my timing belt, water pump and alternator belt changed in 2014", is a little like saying (to keep it simple) "I bought a pair of trainers". The life and service you may expect from the trainers will deleted on whether you bought them from the local Sunday market, or a well trusted brand from a proper shop. So the question here is:- Was this work done at a main dealer, who would only use VAG parts, an independent (who is likely to do the same ), or somewhere else who may just use the cheapest available motor factor aftermarket parts? It would be interesting to know, and is likely to have some influence on where you go from here. You mention the water pump was changed at the same time, and my gut feeling is that this may have been an aftermarket pump, which are often of dubious quality, and when these go wrong, it wrecks the whole belt assembly set up. This critical application is probably the rime example of part quality being king, rather than price. Timing belts and their assemblies are not normally scheduled for change in under 5 years, but an interesting question is that if that assembly is changed then do we have any guarantee beyond the normally expected 1 year for repairs? I think it's a good question anyway? My belief is just the one year, but I could be wrong. As well as the parts you listed as being changed, I take it the tensioner was also changed Peter. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Aaron, I would have thought that the glow plug issue would only affect the cold starting during low temperature winter months. Could well be wrong. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Jordan, Understand "Audi isn't interested....." which I take means the dealer you bought it from. Why not take it to another Audi dealer? Obviously this car is near new and under warranty, and you should not have to worry about what is the cause of any undue noises - it should be for Audi to rectify the fault, while you simply enjoy your motoring. My advice- try another dealer. Good luck, Gareth.

Apologies for adding to Robin's advice, but I would do the motorway testing at the higher speed of around 58 mph rather than 50mph, since 58 this is the recognised speed at which most engines are said to be operating at their maximum economy. If it turns out to be an automatic, then these would not get into the highest gears until over 50mph. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Gavin, Chances are I am going to bore you and the rest of the good folks on here!, but I think we all feel for your plight here, and how you best go forward. Basic questions which may add a bit more sense to this:- Have they actually said to you that the cause of your noise is the wear in the upper suspension mounts? or Have they said that as part of the Health Check they have found wear in the upper suspension mounts? Two very different questions, and the answers to them are really critical to the situation. Prejudging your reply (which probably means you have to ask the dealer to explain again to be sure) it would not surprise me that this has been found as part of the health check, and not their quest to find the reason for the noise. If that is the case, I would return to them and ask to see the technician who diagnosed thatvthe noise was associated with a suspected rear wheel bearing, and get him to have a proper look at this again and report back to you. Kind regards, Gareth.

Fair point Cliff. Will the Audi dealer guarantee that this repair will indeed eliminate the noise that bothers Gavin? Even if they do - and I seriously doubt they would ( perhaps Steve could comment on this from his dealership experience) - then of course Gavin would have to pay their rate for the job rather than take it elsewhere, IF he decides this the cure for his noise. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Gavin, I really don't want to protract this thread and repeat advice, since it is only my advice - and its your car, and your money, but.... To put it simply:- Would I spend a large amount of money on getting these mounts done in the hope that this will cure the noise you seemed to describe in your first post? No, I most certainly would not! Of course, others may, or may not, agree with this, and you have to spend your money as you see fit. Good luck with whatever you do, and it would be great to know how you get on. Fingers crossed that whatever you decide, it will work out for you. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Chris, Although I would guess that this car is a little early to benefit from all the current plug-in information which is now available (I'm sure others will enlighten me on this ) then surely it would tell you whether one or more cylinders are not firing. If all else fails why not disconnect each plug lead/ coil pack, one at a time, to see which one make no difference when disconnected. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Ian, "Bobbing around town" may be the clue to this, coupled with a large car with a not too big an engine capacity to move it around. Of course, there may be some issue with it, but it may be meaningful to do some mixed driving, some long distance no-stops runs, and get three sets of figures to compare with what others may say they get with their same models. Manual or automatic? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Gavin, Um!! I would strongly (STRONGLY - sorry about shouting!) recommend you stop (STOP) sit down with a drink and try to work through the logic of this, before throwing more money at it. I have relooked at your original post and in my mind you are describing a rotational/moving noise and not a steering /turning noise. I could be wrong in that interpretation, but..... The Audi technician suggested rear wheel bearing issues, (which - might - make some sense) now they say the noise is associated with the upper suspension leg mounts? , which in my book would equate to a simple 'noise when turning the steering wheel' and not a rotational noise. I fear you may be throwing good money after bad - yet again. I could be wrong, but..... please think on before diving in again. Re. Main dealer per hour labour rates. About it I guess. After all, large premises, staff, overheads etc. all add up, and although it's easy to think these are rip off rates, perhaps we should consider whether we would want to finance such an operation on lower labour rates. Reclaim from the selling dealer?? Pessimistic view, but work on the principle that you will not succeed and you might not be too disappointed. What you have to appreciate Gavin is that a court may look on this that you have spent £X on trying to solve a noise which you still have, so that expenditure was not justified. Pretty blunt but simple. Please, please, don't run the risk of spending more again and finding you are no better off. Just take stock for a bit. I genuinely wish you all good luck in whatever you decide. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Aaron, Might be worth having a fairly simple leak-back test on the injectors as a first port of call. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Martin, I have used Rainsworth Skoda (Nottingham area I think) who operate on EBay as the Skoda Parts Shop. If you fail to find them then please come back and I'll dig it out of the file for you. Although they usually offer a reasonable discount, I doubt if it will be competitive with the 'best shop around" price for the LUK kit, and I wouldn't hesitate to use use this alternative, but well worth having the comparison before going ahead. 6 hours would seem reasonable to me, but there should be a definite confirmable hours on a garage computer time listing. Not the job you would want to entrust for this age of car - money wise -to a main dealer. A trusted local garage should be able to help. Good luck, Gareth.

Hello Martin, Sorry to hear you have clutch problems. If you are not going for VAG parts (available at discount) then the only aftermarket make I would fit would be LUK. You should find these on the online auction site, or probably you local motor factors. I have used a factors called BuyPartsBy (no connection and I'm sure there are others equally as good) and found them to be very competitive and a good service. If you did want a contact for VAG parts at discount (again no connection) then I can let you know which one I have used. Summary:- I would only use LUK. Others may well suggest good alternatives as well. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Robin, Highly, highly unusual for the return oil galleries (large holes) from the head back to the sump to be clogged to a degree that the return oil is restricted with resultant low oil pressure , but as I said " ....perhaps it suffered from a previous glorious lack of oil changing...." Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Edward, Well Bridgend eh. - I'm very close to you, and I take it you bought it from our local Audi main dealer. In my book, what you don't need to worry about is why this car is stalling ( and by what you describe, it sounds more like cutting out, but...) What you do need to worry about is how predictably safe this car is to continue using before they can look at it in over a week's time. If it were mine, I would be returning it to Mr. S...'s dealership as soon as possible, and requesting they keep it there meanwhile, and provide you with a courtesy car until it is sorted. Good luck in getting it sorted quickly and safely. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Kiln, It's always difficult to offer advice without appearing to be over critical and putting people off, but I would add that I think you are very wise to seek advice. Part of that advice may come in the form of a recommendation to have the car car inspected by say an Audi independent or the AA/RAC since the car is being bought privately and you have very little - if any - comeback if things go wrong immediately after I would ask myself why someone would spend a large amount of money on it then part with it so quickly afterwards. Possibly the fear of other things going wrong and not wanting yo spend more? - and leaving that to the next owner. Personally, I would be concerned about this car having a new oil pump since you are not aware of the background to the failure of the original one. Was the engine run on low oil pressure for some time? If you don't anything else, you must road test this car for a minimum of 10 continuous miles to ensure the oil is hot and any oil pressure issues are likely to reveal themselves. Any shorter will simply not be enough. Price? Don't know , except that there appears to be a few on Autotrader with dealers at around that price - being sold with a guarantee from dealers. You could ring We buy any car and see what they value it at. That valuation is likely to be close the part exchange value which the seller would have been offered. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Robin, It seems Christie has not been on here for about a week so we don't know how he is getting on with this. Shame. Perhaps the oil way you are talking about is the oil feed from the pressure side of the oil pump, which pumps oil up to the overhead camshaft ( with the oil returning to the sump via. numerous large cast in holes which allows the oil to get into the sump in the first place when the oil is changed/topped up). If this oil way was blocked it would prevent oil getting to the top of the engine, but not necessarily cause the oil oil pressure light to come on. I just wonder with your Astra if it suffered from a previous glorious lack of oil changing, and/or coolant entering the oil via. a head gasket issue - causing the oil to emulsify and eventually clog up the oil way. Mixing grades and brands of oil being a big no, no? This should not be an issue, or a cause of oil sludging in its own right. Although you should always use the recommended viscosity and specification as the first choice, with high mileage or worn engines it can be worth reconsidering alternative near-grades. Mixing same specification brands leading to blocked oil ways? Never yet come across this in over 55 years of motoring. Besides do the usual frequent fluids checks and tyre condition and pressure checks, probably the most important part of maintenance is to treat the vehicle to good quality oil and filter changes - it does reap rewards. So called long- life schedules? OK they have their place but for old fashioned me it's a 10k mile/ 1year job for me. Kind regards, Gareth.

That's encouraging Gavin, As Dan pointed out earlier, it could be rear wheel bearing associated, and as I said, noises are funny things and certainly can cheat the ear, and in my experience, noises which appear to be coming from the front can be from the rear. What's at the rear to make rotational noises? Much less than the front :- tyres, wheel bearings, brake assemblies. One of the very few non-service items on our 143k A3 to give problems was a rear wheel bearing. Noise was not excessive, was liveable with and there wasn't any play, but we changed it anyway. If you are going to get it changed (at Audi no debate on parts used) then make sure you use good quality parts since there are some c...p aftermarket bearings on the market. Believe this bearing came as a hub assembly incase this helps. Kind regards, Gateth.

As I see it, Steve is able to offer the benefit of advice from 'two sides of the counter', and although we must be realistic and appreciate bad news travels faster than good, there is sufficient bad news to think about steering clear on this and just enjoying the car as it is- without further thought in my book. One thing I would raise, to add to my bank of 'don't knows! , is will not getting it done affect the chance of it failing the emissions part of the MOT? One would think not, since with VAG's bit of previous technology! it was able to satisfy the emissions requirements before, and assuming the car's actual emissions remain within the previous limits, it should pass again. Assumption :- VOSA has not altered any requirements since this scandal - and is that just and assumption, or fact? Anyone with an experienced view on this? Kind regsrds, Gareth.

Hello Penny, I'm very much with Fast Edd on this and I too believe it is up to you to decide what you want to do about with Your car. If you take a simplistic view and ask yourself if you are happy with its current running and performance (which it seems you are), and if from what you read, you are likely to risk it becoming worse rather than better by accepting the recall, then I see you have the right to leave well alone. If it were mine I would do as Edd suggests and totally ignore these alerts and see what happens. I wouldn't take any risk of taking this 7 year old car anywhere near an Audi dealer, who could well ignore your dictate and just do it and argue about it after. Perhaps think twice about even taking it to an Audi independent, but preferably entrust your servicing to a trusted local garage. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Becci, There might be another school of thought that you may be better off finding a local diesel specialist to look at this for you. They are more often better equipped and knowledgeable on diesels than the main dealer. Usually the local 4x4 enthusiasts are a good source of recommendation for a good specialist to consult. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Karen, I think you are being wise to consider the cambelt change issue having just bought the car. I would most certainly follow Steve's advice, but I would ask of others on here more knowledgeable of your particular engine whether the is indeed fitted with a belt rather than a chain. If indeed it is a belt, then (if it checks out that it's not/never been changed) then I would certainly recommend getting it done as soon as possible (7 years old). Although not a job to be overlooked, I would be seeking advice at your Audi dealer and see what they say - to me 5 years is an overkill ( not that it matters here) but..... A couple of things that may help:- Main dealers often have offers on cambelt changes so alway worth a check. Also check with any local independents, or indeed your local trusted garage. One thing I would say is to use good quality parts - particularly water pumps - since some aftermarket components can be problematic and lead to serious issues. Just come back for more advice when you decide to go ahead. Re. The dealer who sold you the car:- they often take a detached view on such things and might advise the buyer to get it done/ allow them to do it (at cost). Not that it helps you at all, but sometimes owners decide to sell cars because a relatively high bill is forthcoming, so they part exchange it and it goes through the trade and gets sold at a used car lot. They are generally not too interested in the detail of the service history. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Rob, Not sure if this may help, but I would first check the connections on the top of the brake master cylinder. These may have been disturbed/strained when the mechanic most likely would have taken the top off during the brake pad renewal. Kind regards, Gareth.