Magnet

Hello Peter, Could we get back to first principles, and gather a little more detail:- Tyre pressures used? Matching tyre brands, patterns and tread depth on each axle, and hopefully all around? Mileage -to better judge why one rear shock absorber needed to be renewed? Renewed by who? Why both weren’t renewed at the same time? Brand of replacement, if not renewed by an Audi dealer? Has the car been inspected for acceptable steering and suspension wear? Has the wheel alignment been checked - and perhaps adjusted - recently? How you would best describe your diving style - ‘normal just getting there’, slightly enthusiastic > very enthusiastic? Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks for completing your profile Grace, and for filling in the necessary background detail, and it’s pleasing you have already had progressive advice. I don’t want to hijack the thread, but I think there are a couple of confusing remarks, which would be useful to clarify:- ‘…..garage then decided to fit slave cylinder….’ So are you saying that the slave cylinder was not replaced initially when the remaining clutch components were renewed? Can you establish from the garage, what make of clutch parts were used? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Mr. Smart, Would you please take a little of your time to complete your profile properly, in the hope that fellow forum members will be prepared to spend their valuable time to try to help you. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Brian, It’s now a week since you posted your rather meaningless for-sale advert for your winter tyres - without the essential sizes - and you don’t seem to have found time to return and add that requested detail. Would you now like us to remove the advert?

As said Simon, I would (forget the MMI and ) just get the oil and filter changed once a year. If you’ve done 7K since you have owned it, why not invest in an oil and filter change now, rather than adding a litre of oil every month? What oil - grade and brand - are you using every month? Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Simon, Hello Simon, ’…..serviced every time the car says it needs it….’ So what are the usual alert times/ mileages when it says it needs servicing? Possibly out to 18 months/ 18K miles-? If it were mine, it would be getting annual services at that usage. Adding 1 litr. at 1,000 mile intervals ( less than 500 miles/pint) is rather heavier on oil consumption than I would have expected. What mileage has it covered, how long have you had it, and what’s the previous service history like? Possibly just an assumption on my part, but I’m finding it difficult to compute the logic, that guarantees this car would use less oil if this engine oil was used. Since you are now topping up with 12 litres of oil/annum, (expensive) I suppose you could give this a try. Let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

Don’t try Graham unless you have an adequate range of plastic trim removal tools - should be available on EBay or Amazon. Gently, gently would be my approach, ‘teasing’ the crease slowly. If you have to push the trim tools down behind the panel ( as I think you will) strongly masking tape a length cord to the top to retrieve the tool in case of difficulties! Good luck, and let us know how you get on, and stop feeding that son extra Weetabix! - otherwise you are going to end up with a ‘one careful owner - x careless children’ vehicle. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Danny, Sorry your enquiry went without response. To offer any meaningful replies to your valid question of ‘adequate fit ability’ were your 3rd party ones Thule? If so, this would have been the aftermarket make I would have suggested. If they were, then I fear you may struggle to find better, and genuine VAG might have to be the answer. If your aftermarket weren’t Thule, then it’s well worth investigating whether you discontents with what you now have, do/don’t apply to Thule. Apologies again for the forum’s lack of an earlier response. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. If you have to go the genuine Audi route, try Phil at Audi Parts Direct at Cardiff ( part of Mon Motors - originally Cardiff Audi). Phil might do you a bit of discount and mail order.

Welcome Graham and thanks for joining. Oops! Strong and persistent young lad you have there! Although the panel buckling damage appears significant, it should be possible to minimise/eliminate this via. warming the damaged area with a hair dryer, and carefully easing it back into shape with manipulation aided by plastic trim lever tools. The ideal would be to remove the whole panel to do this, but they are often reluctant to come off unless you know exactly where they are clipped - otherwise broken clips! I think your best expectation would be damage limitation rather than elimination, depending how confident you are with carrying out the above. Let us know what you think Graham. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Dennis, Also consider the possibility of the tubing having broken at the tailgate junction, or similar (usually during a cold spell) and water now being sprayed within the tailgate. Of course, well worth checking that fluid does perhaps get to the jet - as has been suggested- to eliminate the likely chances that it’s just a blocked jet issue. Perhaps you would let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

Apologies Simon, but regrettably, I cannot offer any advice on this from a personal experience point of view. Unless I’m confusing this with another older product, this used to be sold as an oil additive in the days when I had hair. Possibly now an actual oil brand-? If so, my only comment would be, is that I’ve always stuck with VAG’s oil brand - Quantum - to good effect over many years, and I really don’t see me departing from that regime, along with good quality (generally German) branded filters. The claim ‘… hugh difference to his oil consumption…..’ seems odd, since generally vehicles subjected to regular oil changes don’t have such an issue ( certain years, and component design changes excluded). What will be your anticipated annual mileage Simon, and what will be your servicing routine? Sorry I can’t help you more with this. Kind regards, Gareth.

3rd time now Syed - but we don’t give up! Parts in Motion?? If you prefer Helli coiling - and I can’t argue with that- you will need to get through some shoe leather and/or telephone calls to find a garage who will do it for you. I think most will conclude they just can’t be bothered to do that for the perceived risk involved, but I guess you have to keep trying. Take it you are going to remove the component - yes? If so, ask around your locality for someone who does machining - say skims cylinder heads. Such an individual will be your best bet. Perhaps you could let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

Could you now come back to us with the size please Brian.

Welcome Robert, and thanks for joining. Has your particular car been built with fold-in mirrors - which don’t fold- or are you trying, and failing, to manually turn them in when you want to? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Syed, Um! not really surprised no one wants to attempt this safety critical job. Did you try the on-line factors I suggested? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello ‘Rambo’, Would you please take a little of your time to complete your profile properly, so that members may be more inclined to spend a little of their time to help you out. Thanks.

Thanks for coming back on this Alan. My (jaundiced?) view on ‘fancy large wheels’ is that they may appeal to some onlookers who take any interest in looking at car wheels, but such people can be rare to come across. They will also appeal to owners who want, or expect, others to fancy their large wheels, and if that is what turns anybody on, then that’s fine too. The practical and downsides:- So that gearing etc. is not affected, the total diameter of wheel + tyre has to remain constant, so the larger the wheel dia. the lower the profile ( sidewall height) of the tyre has to be, and dictated profiles can be reduced to silly levels as with your current 30. The lower the tyre profile, the much harsher the ride quality the driver has to suffer, for the ‘benefit’ of being able to view the static car with the large fancy wheels - which can’t be seen by the driver when using the car! Does that significant disadvantage add up? I guess, yes, to some owners. Convertibles are for enjoying with the hood down, with a nice comfy ride, while you take your time to smell the flowers along the way. Just one person’s point of view, and very much open to debate. Kind regards, Gareth.

Many thanks for the update Paul, In addition to Cliff’s queries, I think I’m reading it correctly, that you changed the actual bearings in the original hub casing- correct? If so, any particular reason why you chose this labour intensive route, rather than renewing the hub assembly - complete - already fitted with new bearings? Kind regards, Gareth.

Well, fancy that! Many thanks Cliff. Great shame you weren’t able to be one of the S. Wales’ valley academics who got me into this bad habit. I like the ingrained bit - this certainly has been exactly that with me over too many decades to recall. Kind regards, Gareth.

Welcome Alan, and thanks for joining. I fear this could become on a par with ‘what is the best brand of petrol to use’? What I would start off by mentioning is - why on earth would you want 20 inch wheels - dictating extremely low profile tyres - on a cabriolet? Those wheels, coupled with the S Line suspension is likely to result in a ride akin to that with solid tyres! Appreciating it may have come to you like that, but a need to renew tyres, might be the time to rethink the whole set up, and move to say 18 inch wheels with a much better ride giving profile. Tyres? I too have come from the school of using premium grade tyres and have always favoured Michelin, generally for their longevity - giving you more long term miles/£. The humble A3 has just been re-fitted with a new set of Michelin, but I find they now have a tread depth of c6.5 mm compared with the past norm of 8mm. Also, the tread grooves are wider, so all in all, less rubber for your extra £s! Continentals? Tried these in the past, and have not been impressed with their longevity. As a complete departure, I have just had a set of mid range Kumho tyres fitted to a large non Audi, after taking advice on the appropriate forum. These were available on a good offer at my local ATS, who I must say are now a super set of chaps, and their prices are far more competitive at last. Just some food for thought. Kind regards, Gareth.

There you go then Allan.

I was referring to cambelt quote Lance.

Thanks Cliff, Now that’s food for thought, on the never too old to learn theme. I’ve always written ‘in case’ as Incase ( without the capital I) from the days when I had hair. So are you saying that’s incorrect, and it should be written as ‘in case’, and if so, is that anything to do with an Americanism, or the pitfalls of an ill informed Welshman!? No probs. either way, since I’m now offence-proof. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Allan, I don’t want to instil pessimism, but I do hope to present a picture which will allow you to do your homework. Guru? No claim in that direction. ’Special Edition’? I can only take you back a little over 10 years earlier to when your proposed purchase was first registered. In 2006, a family member bought an Audi A3 1.6 Special Edition brand new (the car is still with us). The Special Edition was then a posh name for ‘Basic’, although the family member did specify certain extras which were important to them at the time. So then, there was nothing special about the Special Edition, and most certainly not superior to any other A3 of the time. OK, fast forward to your 2017 ‘Special Edition’. Did the same criteria apply then? Don’t know. I think your assumption is that the Special Edition version of your proposed S-Line may be better equipped than the standard S-Line, but an assumption it might be, until you prove that it actually is. Sounds like you will have to do some homework Allan, and ask a local Audi dealer to give you a copy of the build record to see exactly what toys your example does and doesn’t have. Possibly someone on here has one, and can advise, but meanwhile I would be erring on the side of caution and checking exactly what is and isn’t fitted - if the distance- seller is prepared to spend time and honesty to go through that for you. Perhaps you could let us know how you get on Allan, and apologies if I’ve caused unnecessary concern. Kind regards, Gareth.

Well worth a go, although I would suspect your visit to the first dealer will be recorded in the car’s on-line history.