Magnet

Hello Carl, £190 per hour plus VAT equates to £228. Has anyone else got some up to date comparison with average labour rates at Audi dealerships? Appreciating I'm probably out of touch, but I think that is most certainly on the high side of high! Oil at £130 - OK I realise you car is a bit special. I think I would be asking if you have sought alternative quotes from other Audi dealers. You list your location as "UK", and no doubt you will be aware that rates are likely to be more expensive around the large cities. It might help to know where you are, since someone on here may be able to recommend an alternative main dealer or a respected independent. Appreciating your car is still under warranty and the need to ensure you don't compromise that with the necessary servicing. Very enlightening, or at least frightening! Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Ann, In relation to your question raised by Trevor's sound advice " How would you know if miles are proper......?" I think the answer to that is fairly simple to research. I have mentioned before under other such posts that although service history is important, it is likely to be more important to know how the car has been used and cared for. Easy to ascertain? Well, I think it is ( but more often than not overlooked). If you are not buying direct from the owner, then you obtain the last keeper's contact details from the V5 and you discuss the merits or otherwise, of the car. The true story of the car lies there. If the dealer is reluctant to give you that contact - data protection and all that! - then ask them to ask the last owner if they will contact you. If that doesn't work, then walk away. Short term ownership with last owner? Very often not a good sign. Good luck with finding what you want, but just think - would you buy a pup from a dealer without at least talking to the owner of the !Removed!? Pedigrees are all well and good, but how something has been cared for is important too. Do as much homework as possible before shaking anyone's hand. Kind regards. Gareth.

Many thanks Cliff - I follow your logic, but wonder if the curcuit that illuminates the oil can light finds its earth through the oil pressure switch, which is "shorted" to ground when no pressure is applied. By this method, it also tests the the pressure switch, and I wonder if this switch works on the principle that as oil pressure is applied, the switch "opens" and disconnects the earth, and the light stays out. Its only a stab at it, and if I knew where the switch was then I could test it, which I would hope is going to be easier than testing the bulb in the dashboard. Where's switch folks, and where is the PAS reservoir? It's intriguing! Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello, I've bumped this thread back up again in the hope that someone will be able to point me in the direction of exactly where the oil pressure switch is on this 1.6 engine, so that I can do some tests. I'm not very comfortable not having an oil pressure light! Also raised a recent thread on where the power steering reservoir is on this car. Will be very grateful for any help on both issues. Many thanks and kind regards, Gareth. p.s. It would be reassuring if someone with the same model could confirm that they have an oil can light on switching on the ignition.

Update. Friendly local MOT station gave me this procedure from the Autodata system:- Switch ingintion ON. PULL and hold trip button until the message "Service" appears in the display. Release button. WITHiN 5 seconds, PULL and hold trip button until the message "Service in......miles......days" appears. Release button and switch off ignition. This worked for me in so far as it has extinguished the spanner. Actually, I did not see "Service" or "Service in......", but I did see a figure of 9000 in the last operation. I'm assuming that the spanner will come on again in 9000 miles, but could be wrong. If it's right, then that will be fine since an average annual mileage for it will be around 7K when it will be serviced again, and the reset done for a further 9000 - I hope! Thought this may be of help to someone at some time. It appears that if the car is to continue to be serviced on a Longlife schedule then it has to be plugged in to the diagnostics to set up the next correct mileage/time service interval. Kind regards, Gareth.

Just tried the service reset, but unfortunately it doesn't work for me. The listing states it's applicable to the 8L up to 2006. Wondered if anyone has anything for the 8P. Many thanks anyway Trevor. Kind regards, Gareth.

I most certainly agree with Barry's sentiments regarding using quality parts only. I would however suggest caution with any motor factors ( not just restricted to ECP) where you are certainly going to get the parts cheaper - but the same braking effect and lasting qualities?? I know I am repeating, but it might be worth being beware of brand names that were once much loved and respected, but are now possibly no more than bought-out brand names which appear an attractive buy due to the cheap price. Good luck with whatever you decide - let us know Aidie. Kind regards, Gareth.

Having trouble trying to locate the power assisted steering reservoir on the 2006 1.6 Sportback. Wondered if anyone can help - just wanted to check the level. Many thanks and kind regards, Gareth.

Many thanks Trevor, Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Graeme, "You can take the Welsh......... " Just incase it came out a bit confused:- I meant a well established Audi independent specialist rather than an independent auto electrician. Another alternative to possibly find a good auto electrician (who may be able to bye pass the immobiliser) is to ask around your local classic car clubs/enthusiasts. Often a good source of practical advice. Goodcluck with it . Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Graeme, Well WRU eh! What part of God's country do you live? - you don't tell us. OK, so Audi cannot do anything for you, and as you say, why sell you the parts that you can't use! I would have suggested a well established independent, and if we know your locality then someone might even able to recommend someone for you. I have used an auto electrician west of Cardiff for a similar issue with a Jeep Cherokee. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Rich, I feel I'm not going to answer your question very well, but I would have thought that if the aerial just has two wires coming out of it , without any signs of being modified, then it's possible that only two wires there were originally. Is it possible that the feed wire only receives power (via the radio) when the radio is switched on? It may be worth messaging Mark from Cardiff, who joined here a few weeks ago, since he has a nice Cabriolet. He is pretty handy to say the least ( don't tell him I said!) Nice chap and helpful. Good luck with it. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Clifford. That's very reassuring and dispels the myth that at my age, I should be just sitting in the corner, slippers on and complaining about absolutely everything! The first two, I refuse to do, the last one I always feel it worth passing an opinion if you think things could be better than they are. Come back "tidy" (as we say in these parts) dipsticks as you say Clifford. Who on earth at VAG came up with a brown background on which to gauge an oil level? You rightly say black oil level is difficult, but I now find that changing the oil every year it doesn't get that black - making it even worse to read! Still, we have a dipstick (engineered by a dipstick?). I guess better than not having one at all, which seems to be getting popular now. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello folks, I am now servicing our daughter's ex A3 (previously dealer serviced on longlife schedules) on an annual basis due to mum and dad's comparatively low mileage use. I continue to use Quantum Longlife oil even though I now change it every year - bit OTT but.... Question:- Spanner light is on. Is there a way of extinguishing this without any plug in gizmos which I don't have access to? Is it just me, but do other owners find the dip stick to be user unfriendly in its markings? Why did they put that plastic serrated bit on the bottom as a gauge of the oil level? Very difficult to read and be sure you don't overfill. Well to me, I've seen much easier readable dip sticks. As a matter of interest and to save trying to gauge it, does anyone know the exact oil quantity for an oil and filter change. It's a 2006 1.6 Sportback 'Special Edition" - which equals the basic model I think. Many thanks, Gareth.

Hello Jay, Wow. Obviously we don't know what is small in your "small part......" or indeed where on the tread this is. It may be of no significance, but any separation of any part of the tread on a tyre must be looked at by a reputable tyre company to assure yourself that this is safe. Of course, you might have done so, and apologise if you have. If you haven't then please please do so. If there is a recommendation to get this replaced then near new or not - spend, beg, borrow or steal to best safeguard your and other road users safety. Sorry Jay, this may be a bit harsh, jumping the gun, and indeed you may have had it looked at by your reputable tyre company, but gluing bits of tread on tyres ...! Anyway, good luck in getting this sorted safely. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Ben, Ask your mechanic why he says 2006 is a bad year? Re. the car you are thinking of actually buying- service history? How long has the last owner had it? Are you going to contact him/ her to find out more about it before you buy ( assuming this is a trade sale rather than private)? Never buy without doing that - it's the best way of finding out what is wrong - if not buying it directly from the owner. N, I and prices? Don't know, but you should be able to research what is available locally as a comparison. Part exchanging against it? It all makes a difference. As I understand it all MOTs over there are done at VOSA type stations ( similar to HGVs here?) rather than at MOT stations, so the uniformity of assessment should be better than over with us. Good luck with whatever you decide. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Jay, An interesting question, and full marks in my book for clearing up some myths. Now, washing a car with a bucket and sponge (which is what I guess you do) is the only way to wash a car. Time consuming yes. Worth the bother when our friends from east of the Thames estuary will do it for you with their pressure washer lances for a few pounds? Most certainly, and I'm not saying they are all the same, but I have seen several nice cars with milky patches in the lacquer caused by the regular enthusiastic use of these pressure washers. The chemical cleaner often used, will take the skin off your hands in its undiluted form and how accurate is the dilution?? Anyway, enough of that and back to your much better method of doing it yourself - not using a pressure washer! Soap in the water is a new one on me, and I have always used a good quality wax car shampoo. I'm currently using Simoniz and have used it for a couple or three years now and find it very good (there are others) and less likely to leave water marks after washing it off. I never chamois my cars, since I find there is a greater risk of scratches and streaks. I wash mine on a dull day and ideally just before it's going to rain - no problem in this part of the country. No need to dry it off then. Polish and taking a layer of paint (lacquer) off:- my view is that if you use a good quality wax polish ( minimum cutting agents) then you can forget about such issues. Just compare the constant abrasive conditions the car is subjected to as it passes at speed through the air along our roads. Don't worry about taking paint off by polishing with a good polish. Good polish? I've used Auto Glym resin wax polish since the time I had hair. I've tried others, and I certainly not saying there arn't better brands, but I've always come back to it for right or wrong. As I say there are others which are probably equally as good/ better. It's a bit like your favourite beer! How often to polish? I would say three times a year should be about it, and you will notice when it's due to be done again when the degree of the beading effect (globules or whatever you want to call it) deminishes. Good luck with it Jay, and I'm sure you will be pleased with the outcome. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. Where is Paa?

Hello Tom and Vanessa, It does bring a smile to my face on a rainy morning! It has often been quoted that with males, if all else fails, refer to the handbook/instruction book/map etc. Seems it might cross genders as well. Obviously no offence Vanessa - join the club. Automatic stop/restart functions. New fangled concept? Not really, these were fitted to some cars in the 30's to automatically restart them if you stalled. Much disrespected then! Good luck with it- or perhaps consider switching it off. Kind regards, Gareth.

Good question Paul, and one which I cannot answer in terms of the legal position re. refusing the "update", but if it were mine then refuse it I would. What I would say is that the car is out of warranty - so no adverse implications there. It's your car, and it could be argued that it's up to you what you do with it - not VAG. All in all, this would at least seem to be a reasonable approach. Legal implications of that decision?? Perhaps it's me, by I'm not sure I fully understand the full logic of VAG actions on this, but am I right in believing that they "adjusted" the car's emission's system so that the car would satisfy the agreed requirements, and indeed a conventional MOT test? - and that is an important consideration. If I have a 3 year old or older car, and the car has not been actioned on the recall, can it take it it will pass because the "original fiddle arrangement " is still in place? If I present it for the recall, then is it more likely?? to satisfy the emissions requirements with the adjustment carried out and the "fiddle" removed? Main question:- If I don't take it for the recall, will it still satisfy the requirements in its original "fiddled" form - or will VOSA be amending the emission requirements and it will fail if not presented for the recall? No doubt others on here will have the necessary knowledge and experience to answer these queries. I guess it boils down to all owners will be happy to take their cars in for a free recall, if the original performance and economy can be guaranteed. If it cannot, then obviously owners are going to be reluctant to have them recalled. Needs quite a few coats of thinking about! Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. Trevor and/or others:- can I suggest that this important topic is not well placed on the forum ( tucked at the bottom of the list). Not being critical of the good works, but just feel this should be near the top of the heading selection. Any possibility Trevor?

Hello Alison, Many thanks for keeping this forum updated on the situation. I'm sorry that my pessimistic view on the outcome proved to be realistic, and I must say, I sympathise with you and the fact that you now have a car which now performs unacceptably- to a point where you would not buy it following a test run, and indeed they would be unlikely to sell to anyone else for the same reason. I must say I "like" the bit that you agreed to allow them to modify this car, so you cannot complain about the resultant performance! Funny, if it was not so serious. Where now? Not reversible back to its performance before they modified it? I would want this in writing from the dealer principal following his consultation with Audi, and I would be setting a time limit of 7 days to receive this. If you do not receive it, then if it were me, I would be into the maximimum publicity mode via. as many of the media contacts you can find for such things - giving the Audi dealer/Audi the courtesy of informing them first. To me, this treatment is just not acceptable, particularly since the intial issue was VAG's organisation fault. You should not be left holding the baby without any form of redress. Good luck Alison - but I hope you don't need it. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Alison, Sorry to hear of your problems. As Trevor points out, this does not appear to be untypical after this recall, and I would think there isn't any doubt that the car is no longer what it was in terms of its performance - and I would anticipate, it's economy. Re, on one else has complained!? -well there are a couple on on this forum as I recall, and if it were mine I think I would be scanning the VW and Skoda forums and listing those who are discontent. Might be an idea to do this before ringing your contact. I fear you may not get very far with this, but this may be rather pessimistic and let's hope I'm wrong, and you can get the sense you deserve. If I'm right, it would be interesting to ask the question of simply returning the car's performance to what it originally was, and pointing out that if the car had been taken to the dealer for routine servicing and had been returned with a decreased performance then you would expect them to rectify whatever the fault was - reasonable question I think. Final positive point - if all else fails, would it be possible to have the car mapped back to its original performance? Not my field, but perhaps Trevor and others could comment on this possibility. Perhaps you could let us know how things pan out. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Tj, Have mentioned these in other posts from time to time:- Rainsworth Skoda ( think they operate as Skoda parts shop on EBay). Do mail order. Obviously genuine VAG parts direct from the dealer. I've always found them helpful to deal with, and supply parts at discount. No connection, and no doubt there are others. Hope this helps, Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Tj, Always difficult to diagnose without access to the vehicle, but I would suggest it's worth getting the injectors tested. If it were mine, I would be looking for a recommended diesel specialist in your area rather than an Audi dealer or independent. The reference to glow plug issues seems a little odd, since you don't mention that the car is difficult to start from cold. I would invest in some diesel specialist advice/basic checks before changing the glow plugs. Let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Paul, I certainly agree with Trevor and Bradley, and I think you are on the right lines to be concerned to get the servicing items changed now so you have a good base point to move foreward from. This is diesel? Replacing the fuel filter would be a good idea as well as what has been mentioned. Also the often overlooked but well used wiper blades. Try Bosch Aerotwins - there are others but...You say it's had a basic oil and filter service. Do you know what make of oil has been used and what filters? I have a thing about using main dealer (or maybe good quality German parts) for service items rather than slightly cheaper brands - on the basis that your labour is cheap! - so spend your saving wisely on good quality parts and oil. Same with timing belt and assembly and particularly ( in capitals really!) the water pump please just don't replace it with anything other than VAG. IF you want to save a few shillings on the cambelt and tensioners then I would only go with Gates as the second option. There are discounts available with some VAG dealers so shop around. I can give you one contact if it helps. Yes, good idea about changing the coolant. Good luck with it. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Jas and welcome to Audi ownership. I think your sentiments in regard to maintenance are sound, but it has to be appreciated that this car is virtually new and under warranty, and anything you do to it on a DIY basis - even with the best of intentions - might just run the risk of invalidating that warranty, so beware of any over-kill. As I understand it, you can opt for a longlife schedule or a normal service schedule, and depending on your normal journeys and driving style, the longlife service interval could run to near to 20K, and a longlife oil would be used. I think Quantum Longlife 3 (observing correct grade and spec.) is/was used by some main dealers. If it were mine Jas, I might think about opting for a shorter service interval at the dealer and still insist on their Longlife oil being used for these more regular services. This would be a well intentioned belt and bracers approach. Whatever, I would be very careful about doing anything on a DIY basis until it's out of warranty. If you still feel you want to take the risk then I would advise at least buying the oil and filter from your local main dealer, and keeping the receipt. Enjoy it. Kind regards, Gareth.