Magnet

Thanks Pete, If it were mine, I would be following the U.K. principle of ‘ ……or 5 years, whichever comes first’, but it’s your car and your call. Your car has covered a small mileage over quite a length of time, and maybe it has covered that mileage in relatively short trips, rather than infrequent long journeys - you don’t tell us. If the former, then the belt is getting more of a hammering than a vehicle used for regular motorway mileage. If it is equipped with stop/start then that just compounds the stresses. The Audi dealer has done the right thing and offered you a cambelt change, but you have declined, so the risk now rests with you. Only you can judge whether having the money still in your account is more important than the risk of a wrecked engine should this belt decide to part company. Of course, it may not, and that is the gambling situation you are now in. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. If you find the conflicting information bewildering ( and I’m not sure why you go to American sites), then one school of thought would be to err on the side of caution and get it changed without further delay.

I’m not quite sure what you are saying Daniel. Are you going to consider changing the hub or not? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Pete, Thanks for joining. To try to answer your question - I don’t know why Audi USA sites don’t stipulate a service time limit. To take that to its logical conclusion, you could say, have a 30 year old belt that is considered to be still serviceable on a low mileage vehicle that has been started from cold more often than it’s completed a sensible journey. Just doesn’t seem right, but they do things differently in America! Does your information come from a genuine VAG site? If so, it might be worth asking Audi U.K. why their recommendations vary. Perhaps you can come back to us Pete. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. Can we take it yours has already been done?

Hello Daniel, Sorry to hear the issue has returned, but also sorry you don’t know what to do about it now. As I’ve said, if the sensor and wiring on the offending wheel are serviceable, then there a fair chance that the in-hub sender is sub standard and the hub needs replacing. This theory would be supported by the fact that cleaning the hub surface giving a (very) temporary solution. Kind regards, Gareth.

Now done for you Thomas. Hope you have some luck. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Steve, Gates belt in the Audi belt box within the main dealer cambelt kit supplied for our A3 - about 2 years ago. Kind regards, Gareth.

As a matter of interest Sam, how does this compare with a dealer price for the same part? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Stason, It could just be me, but I’m not clearly seeing what is being pointed to as ‘damage’ - looks more like a tread wear marker. So the questions are:- Does the car now handle to your satisfaction? If not, will the dealer now carryout the prior refused investigations on this within-warranty vehicle? Perhaps you could let us know. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Thomas, You should find a manufacturer’s make somewhere on the set. Worth listing your ‘want’ with on line breaker links such as Partsfinder - there are more. I would strongly advise removing your e-mail address from your post as quickly as possible - not advisable on an open forum. Anyone who can help will be able to contact you by PM. Kind regards, Gareth.

Great Rory, Now, having on going experience of a family member having their registration number cloned and receiving speeding fines with their number passing cameras at repetitive ‘unearthly hours’, I’m twitchy about displaying reg. nos. Obviously your call Rory, and it’s probably just me, but….. Good luck with finding an appreciative home. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. Apparently 1,300 pa recorded (in caps) cloned vehicles in one force area -?

Thanks Rory, If it were me, I wouldn’t put my contact number on an open forum. Interested parties can contact you via. PM. I can revise it if you want - just let me know. Kind regards, Gareth.

Well worth getting a proper issue via. EBay Derek. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks David, Seems a bit expensive to me, but I’m not buying it. Probably worth listing it on EBay as well, where it would find its interest value.

Hello Adithya, Could I spell this out as I see it? You have bought a vehicle with a warranty, and it has a fault which you have reported. The dealer has to rectify that fault, so that the vehicle has all its equipment working as designed. Where we deviate from my logic is that you are taking on a responsibility of telling them what is wrong. Sorry to say it, but it is you that is wrong, since that responsibility should not, and does not rest in your hands. You are treating this in the same way as if you are taking the dog to the vet, and you ( in caps) want to tell the vet what is wrong with the dog! Has the dealer actually told you they they are not/ cannot repair the vehicle? If no, just write a short, concise list of what is wrong and make arrangements to return the car for repair. Leave that note in the car, not with a receptionist. Just don’t pre-judge anything beyond at point. Have a glass of wine and relax. Hope some of this boxes it up, but please let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

Incorrect signals on ABS sensors can affect gearing.

Or take the belts out of the Audi box Steve, and find they have the appropriate Gates marks on them Steve. Interesting re INA being actual belt manufacturers. My experience grew from them being bearing manufacturers - as with tensioners and idlers ( with cambelt kits), and I just wonder if they rebrand belts made by others. Also interested to hear that Dayco are better then …… Recently had a bad experience of a Dayco kit - with water pump - having a very noisy water pump after 10k miles on a humble KA. Bad luck I guess. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Adithya, Thanks for coming back on this. My ‘standing’ on this forum is really no different from most other members, except that the moderators generally have more than a few! posts behind them, and are untrusted to act with respect and uphold the best interest of the forum. I am certainly not employed by Audi, and indeed it’s been a couple of decades since I was employed by anyone. Some will know that! Discounting my own contributions, we are fortunate to have a core of contributors who are prepared to offer their best advice, and I think it’s fair to say much of this advice is based on shear experiences of issues - with Audis and many other marques. Quoting me, will get you absolutely nowhere, but I stand by my opinion - and it can only be an opinion until proved or disproved - that your issue is associated with a below par battery. This opinion is supported by the now additional warning re cruise control, and as the battery becomes even less efficient (if - in caps- it’s all to do with battery efficiency) you are likely to get more and more warnings coming up, and eventually encounter the ‘Christmas tree’ warning light array. One of the parameters that can become substandard is the cold cranking amperage, and the stop/start will shut down because of the perceived risk that the car will not restart. There will of course be other parameters measured by the BCM. Apologies if this has become boring. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Thomas, Repair may not prove to be the most economical route. Replacement? - have a search on EBay. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. Make and model?

As a process of elimination, try fitting a new Duracell yourself and see how long that lasts.

Hello Adithya, Your Moll battery is likely to have been an original fitment. I believe they ceased trading about 3 years ago, and there were warranty issues with some of them, so I would be restating that if it were mine, I would want to get it on a sophisticated tester, that will measure all parameters monitored by the Battery Condition Monitor. I might not be able to convince you of the worth of getting that done, and I sense you feel there is something else wrong with another ( more expensive?) component, so there is little more I can add, except if you do find you need a replacement battery, then I would be going for a Varta/Bosch or possibly Exide - their minimum of 4 year warranty grade. Incase it helps, I buy mine at competitive prices from on-line specialists such as Tayna, Battery Megastore ( there are more). The new battery will need to be coded to the car. Perhaps you would be kind enough to let us know what the resolution turns out to be. Kind regards, Gareth.

What make batteries are you fitting Jo? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Adithyia, The battery is likely to be date coded, and you would probably be looking for a Varta/Bosch brand. You don’t tell us how frequently the car is used, and for what journey lengths. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Essy, Could be an ABS sensor ( or sender) , but diagnostics should point you to the offending one - or whatever is the issue. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello David, How much do you actually want for it? ‘Offers’ isn’t really favoured on here, as opposed ‘It is for sale at £x’. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Paul, You could spend on diagnostics, or if it were mine, I would be getting a local diesel specialist to give an opinion on it. It could be an injector or quite a number of other reasons, inc. engine mountings etc. etc. Any undue smoke or excessive smell of diesel? Did you buy it from a dealer? If so, you should have redress if it has an issue, so time is of the essence in getting it looked and and reported on. Kind regards, Gareth.