Magnet

Hello David, Steve raises a good point about whether you have already paid for this, or were inticed to buy the car when new because of the option of being able to take this on after the 3 years. I just wonder if you have personally taken this up with Audi Customer Services , or if this is information received via. an IOM dealer. Seems like some dilution of discrimination to me. Might be worth asking them to confirm in writing whether this applies to the Scottish islands as well! An interesting topic David, and one which would be interesting to hear about the follow up. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Piotr, Not really sure what you mean, but possibly something to do with the terminology. I meant "serviceabiliy" to mean what it does mean - it's ability to carryout the function it was designed to do, and nothing to do with being able to pull it apart to fiddle with it. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Craig, I'm very much with Piotr on this when he says preparation is more important than spraying. Stonechip is useful for areas which are subject to excessive attack from gravel etc. and it would seem that the area you are treated would be one, but Audi had reason to believe their original paint system didn't need it. Now stonchip is also used by owners to short curcuit the necessary surface preparation which results in a good finish, so it's used as a bodge. One thing I would ask Craig is what are you going to do with the surface which is currently coloured maroon? If you are going to respray this as well, then you should really prepare this properly before putting anything on anywhere, since all the preparation on this is going to run over your stone chip area. I always do all the preparation in one operation first if possible. If the stonechip nozzle has a pinhole rather than a slot (as they often do) then you have to be careful of applying too much, too fast in any one area, and you certainly have to apply it thinly in many coats with a good 10 mins. between coats. My guess is you've applied it too thickly and I bet with the can too Close to the job - yes, I know we have a culture of if all else fails, read the instructions but...! So you are now unfortunately in the pickies a bit here, since stonechip doesn't sand! Careful, and I stress careful, use of cellulose thinners to clean it off (please do not get it near to any paintwork on anything) might help. Then start again and prepare the whole surface properly. It isn't such .s...... to use, but it has to be used with respect for what it was designed for and how it is recommended to be applied. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. Finish colour:- I would ensure any aerosol of finish colour (and particularly lacquer) you use, has a slotted nozzle rather than a pinhole - as some of the cheaper one do. Pinhole nozzles are more susceptible to putting too much paint onto an area, and then it runs.

Thanks Gav, I guess you might have to narrow NI down a bit if it would help you to find someone who would be able to recommend a suitable independent to examine and rectify this, but..... I can only repeat that if it were mine, I would be urgently seeking localish experienced hands-on inspection and rectification rather than looking too closely on here, or dealing with your complaint issue with the people who did the work. Dramatic perhaps, but treat tomorrow with the respect that it could be the day that this assembly does something nasty if you are not happy with it - as you aren't. I think you are absolutely correct in being concerned, but I am concerned for you that your concern! - may be getting misplaced rather than acted upon. Good luck, Gareth.

In case it helps Paul, and his wallet, I think I might dilute the statement that "no way a 10 year old battery will be OK". If it's an aftermarket battery then I would most certainly agree, but if it's the original battery then it's certainly worth having it checked for serviceabiliy rather than assuming it's unserviceable. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Paul, Battery test sounds like a voltmeter testing the alternator output voltage and the voltage at the battery with lights on etc. Ok, but..... the ultimate tests are if the battery is able to retain the charge which is put into it, and be able to efficiently produce the high current demand placed in it when starting -while maintaining an acceptable voltage. Halfords normally carry out battery testing and are able to give you a % efficiency reading which will firmly point you to whether the battery is as serviceable as it should be. If you do eventually have it tested and if it does need replacing, you can then decide where you will get one from. As you say, you don't want to buy a new battery, and I wouldn't too, so let's hope it all works out in the end. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Gav, You will have to excuse me if I've got this all wrong, but I sense this is (or likely to be ) developing into a potential battle between yourself and the dealer you dealt with. To me, the prime objective here is to get this belt assembly inspected by an experienced (Audi independent?) and the necessary adjustments or replacements made without delay, rather than you and us on here - at a distance - trying to analyse the issue. I really don't see the proper and rapid resolution of this should be hampered by trying to work it all out on a DIY basis. As I say, sorry if you don't see the same (urgent) course of action that I do, but I just wondered how you would feel if anything did actually go wrong with this belt assembly while you are trying to work it out on your own. Yes, you might have some redress, but would you really want to be arguing over the resultant scrap car? As a matter of interest. what part of the U.K. are you , incase someone can recommend an independent in your area? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Paul, As Steve says- fingers crossed. iF it turns out that there is a problem then If it were mine, I would be spending half an hour's time with a good auto electrician who can check whether there is any parasitic drain on the battery for you - rather than spending probably more money on plugging it into a computer. You've had nine years out of the battery (if original) , and long may it continue to be trouble free, but it could be worth bearing in mind that when it does need changing that it may be worth sticking to a battery with a minimum of 4 years guarantee, and these can often be bought just as economically as your average 3 year one if you shop around. As a matter of interest Paul - " Battery is fine" - wondered how you had it checked . Good luck with it all, Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Paul, Varta battery is likely to indicate it is the original, and I'm with Steve on this that the battery has done its time. If so, and it needs renewing, I have used Battery Warehouse (I think) at Tewkesbury. They do good mail order deals and seem nice people to deal with- no connection and no doubt there are others. £200 for a battery! I would have to be sitting down. Good luck, Gareth.

Hello Scott, Sorry to hear of your issue. On non--Audi marques with air suspension, a very common cause of such issues is wear in the piston ring of the air compressor pump, which is a small unit (about the size of a beans tin). I'm not sure where it's located on the Audi. A good contact for Jaguar and LR air suspension piston rings is Bagpipingandy on EBay. Andy is very experienced in the manufacture of rings and overhaul of suspension compressors, and I'm sure would point you in the right direction. OK, fault code checking might help, but if it were mine I would treat it to a new piston ring anyway due to the age of the car - unless it's a really major job to get at it. Cost about £25 for the part. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Chris, Nasty. Apologies if I'm being a bit thick, but is this second? episode recent, and can I take it the Audi tester has retained the defective tyres this time for Dunlop's attention? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello David , Yes, OK "use Audi for now" but I notice the car is just a year old ( if we are talking the same car here) and if so it's obviously under warranty and I wonder about any degree of DIY on this, even using Audi parts. My view is DIY oil changes equals significant cost savings, so buying the proper filters simply has a very minimal % on cost and not worth the bother over aftermarket. Not even a pint of beer over a 1000 miles of use?? Audi filters (and other parts) at discount? You could try Rainesworth Skoda (Skoda Parts Shop on EBay) .I'm sure there are others. Porsche Boxter DIY oil changes and a search for cheap filters? Well David, they say the Welsh have deep pockets and short arms! No offence - after all, we have confirmed your cheaper Quantum oil is fine and given you a contact source for cheaper genuine filters. Must be worth a wee dram! Seriously, Good luck and kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Gavin, "Tyres? I have learnt never to ignore the simple things...." Tyre on the side with the wrong rotation direction? - Correctly fitted on the rim but just on the wrong side of the car?? Let's hope that is not contributing to the noise. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Trevor, Well unlike me, he did right a book - Mr. Nice, and there was a film of the same name starring Rhys Evans. What a character! The book is a good read whether anyone condemns or condones what he did. Kind regards, Gareth.

Good on you Brad, you didn't fall asleep then at the end! Pot ( America), yes, that was my high bit of '.....no longer deep, but high' Many thanks and kind regards, Gareth. p.s. Just in passing the late (great?, well character anyway) Howard Marks and I grew up together in the same village, but I didn't actually sample his wares. I could write a book!

Hello David, I always use main dealer filters bought at discount, since I consider the savings on a DIY oil and filter change warrant spendingmthat small amount more over buying cheap filters. If I do deviate from main dealer filters then I try to use only Mann as an alternative, but would avoid ones carrying (now bought out) brand names which we used love and respect. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Trevor, So age has its merits, but comes with an improving forgetory (my answer to memory loss!). But yes, I do remember the the CX and indeed Citroen were renouned for their inovation with suspensions (was it LMH fluid or something similar which also worked the braking system under pressure?) But of course, let's not forget their opposite end of the scale, 2CV - the upside down pram! Now being old allows you to have strong opinion - most of it being poo pooed - and to my mind, someone decided about 30 years ago that suspension systems should be designed to allow our everyday family car to go around corners as if you were on a race track. Great, but at the considerable expense of ride comfort, leaving us all with our backsides jarring as we travel along our potholed roads. The minority who want to permanently drive around corners at high speed (often on budget tyres with minimum grip?) do so with some bravado, while the average family motorist suffers from bad backs as a result of hard suspension. Of course, Dunlop brought out pneumatic tyres to replace solid tyres only to find that some 90 years on our "young enthusiastic press-on" drivers now run around on tyres about as deep and shock absorbing as the solid ones were. Progress!? Trendy? Most definitely. End of ramble. Cool! -well done Brad. This used to be something which wasn't really hot, but now I guess it's something which is trendy! Sorry Brad., only joking. Pot (as in potholes) used to be something like a deep pan - now it's no longer deep, but high. What I'm trying to say (very badly) is that some of these 'new' innovations are simply recycled concepts from many decades ago. Case in point, the current stop/start system recycled from the 1930s. Sorry folks, I could bore you for hours. Congratulations to those who stuck with it so far. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello David, I'm very much with Tevor on this, having used it in a now 140k 1.6 A3 since VAG recommended it. The car had been run previously on Longlife 3 on the longlife service schedule, but now its having a quieter life - but I still use the Longlife one even though I change it (and the filter) every year. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Craig, If it were mine, I would not even THINK about getting it repaired, but what I would think carefully about is getting the existing four road wheels removed and thoroughly inspected for such defects. Your life and other road users lives depend on that action, so I would not delay that. From the posted photo, it looks as if there may be another crack site on the same wheel?? There is something in my mind going back to when I had hair, that work had been done to assess the effect of road salt on such wheels, which had been shown up at the time to cause corrosion cracking. Just throw it away Craig, and thoroughly inspect whatever you buy as a repalcement - and as I said - all other wheels on your car. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Ben, "Audi centre in Pontyclun"? Could be useful to know for others on here. Kind regards, Gareth.

OK Peter. I can understand you are attached to the car, and it looks like you will get it fixed for your £1200 outlay - that's great. I'm beginning to sound like the prophet of doom here! - but at least with bottom line situations, you can form your own views. Sorry about another second thought possibility - for the future - in relation to the cambelt change. Might be worth asking why Halfords are considerably cheaper to renew this very critical assembly. Yes, it could simply be that their labour charges are considerably lower than the main dealer, or it could also be influenced by the fact that they are using aftermarket parts whereas the main dealer would obviously use VAG parts. Halfords are likely to ring their local motor factors and obtain a kit from the cheapest aftermarket supplier - quality?? Might be worth looking at other forums to gain opinion on whether entrusting this critical job to Halfords is a wise move or not based on their price being lower. You didn't say who is doing the oil leak work for you, and I guess you have had a quote from them. I think you will find that a consensus of opinion across many forums in relation to cambelt changes is to use main dealer parts wherever possible, and if cost is really king ( and I don't think it should be with this application) then assemblies from Gates (only?) can be an acceptable alternative. If the water pump, forms part of this application, then I would avoid aftermarket pumps like the plague - they can be a source of potential short service life with catastrophic results. All in all Peter, it might be wise to first establish what parts are going to be changed and what make parts are going to be used to replace them. I would advise to beware of the often used OEM term. Main dealers sometimes/often? have offers on cambelt changes ( shop around) and some will give discounts on the supply of parts which then makes using aftermarket ones simply not worth the saving. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Gav. Driving slowly and in high gears and little strain in the engine - well done - and there's me thinking you were flooring it!, Sorry Gav. - I think you are doing the right thing, but don't let the engine labour in too high a gear even with low revs. Adjudting it yourself? I wouldn't fiddle if it were mine. Bad for your case if you are going to progress this. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Peter, Not sure if this is going to help or hinder your decision, but I'm with Brad, and an appreciation that this car is 14 years old and X miles and reasonable oil leaks are likely to be a matter of fair wear and tear. I would guess the main problem is probably the rear crankshaft seal and this entails removing the gearbox to replace it. Since the gearbox has to be removed, I would expect a call to the effect "your clutch is fairly worn sir, and it it would be wise to replace it now the gearbox is out" and all of a sudden your £1200 bill has escalated to a value which approaches/exceeds the value of the car. Pessimistic perhaps, but might be worth bearing in mind. If it were mine, would I spend this amount of money? No I wouldn't, but... Two temporary actions. Simply clean down (get it cleaned down) so at least you have a window of time to actually assess how bad this is. Add an oil leak additive to the oil. I don't like this method since it causes the seals (all of them) to expand and minimise the leaks, but as an alternative to spending a minimum of £1200 plus the likely cost of a clutch ( if manual) ?? A lot of money for a bit of oil from an old car. Kind regards, Gareth.

Well it seems you are already on the right line of action. All I think anyone would recommend meanwhile is not flooring it in 3rd and fourth!

Hello Gav, It's the weekend, and the instant reply department is closed! Only joking. Question:- Is the whining noise audible when the car is at rest and the engine rev. ed slightly? If not then my stab at this would be that it is unlikely to be the cambelt - but I could be wrong. As a I see it, if you suspect the the belt is too tight, and the garage who fitted it contests this then the only option open to you is to have it inspected and adjusted (without delay) by another reputable garage or ideally an Audi independent. You would of course need to inform the dealer who did this that this is what you are going to do. The arguement of who pays (reimburses you) will be open for debate once things are sorted or agreed were OK in the first place. I would think that whatever information you get from the forum isn't actually going to resolve this "on the ground", and you do need independent hands-on advice. Good luck, Gareth. p.s. Genuine VAG kit (including water pump) used?