cliffcoggin

The cam belt should have been done by now. If it hasn't, the cost including water pump, (which is usually done at the same time,) will be about £700.

Jay. Unlike you I am not a mechanic, so I see things a little differently. It doesn't matter to me whether a car is made in Germany, Taiwan, France, America or Timbuctoo, they all use internal combustion engines which all work the same way. That means if it is burning oil then the possible faults are: [1] Rings or bores are worn, though your compression tests suggest otherwise. [2] Valve stem seals are worn. [3] Crankcase ventilation is allowing oil into the inlet manifold. Given all the other faults you mention and the lack of service history I begin to wonder if have have bought a dog. Is it really going to be worth investing time and money to put it right?

Are you saying the battery won't hold a charge? If so, you need to renew it. It would also be wise to wire in the radio properly so that power is removed when the key is taken out of the switch.

The first question to ask is why the battery went flat? If there was an existing or inherent electrical fault, then fixing the windows might not get to the root cause of your problems.

At 7 years old and 71000 on the clock I doubt your car is under guarantee any more, so the chances of getting free repairs are zero. If oil is disappearing from the engine there only four ways it can come out: the oil is burning in the cylinders, or it is leaking from a degraded joint onto the ground, or it is leaking into the gearbox, or it is leaking into the cooling system (if you have an oil cooler.) Is the exterior of the engine wet with oil? Are there oil spots on the ground where you park the car? Is the coolant clean? Is there oil in the exhaust tailpipe? You need to have good look round your engine and the underside of the car for clues to the cause of the oil consumption before deciding how to cure the problem. Anything else is sheer guesswork.

You have many options open to you: [1] Buy a different car. [2] Learn to like radio. [3] Enjoy silence on your journey.

If gadget connections are so important to you, why buy a car without checking such things first?

Nervous. To amplify what Steve said, mechanics (I think they like to be called technicians nowadays,) are trained to diagnose car faults by plugging it into a computer and using the result to sell you a new part. That's fine if it works as intended, but if it doesn't and "Computer says no" then you are on your own. In other words if the garage tells you it can not solve the problem because there are no fault codes, take your car elsewhere.

I would never have guessed so little oil would have made so much difference. Thanks for letting us know. That knowledge may be useful to somebody else in future.

So tell us then. What was the problem?

I agree with Dan about the exhaust rattling against something as one possibility. It also sounds a bit like a loose baffle inside the silencer.

Luey. If you can now hear a noise from the gearbox that wasn't there before the oil change, then something has clearly altered. Whether that is caused by damage, a different oil specification, lack of sawdust (look it up if you don't know what I mean), or a vivid imagination, it should not be ignored. Normally I would have no qualms about using a cheap oil if it met the manufacturer's specification, but if you have doubts about the oil quality the first thing to do is to change it.

I may be wrong, I hope I am. There may be entirely simpler explanation for your problem doors and the crack, but it is a strange coincidence. I can't be certain as I haven't seen it, but for peace of mind I suggest you get it looked at.

If it has not been repaired properly, and from your comment about a crack it doesn't sound as if it has, the car will flex and bend on uneven ground. Bend it one way and the doors will close, bend it another and they won't. You really need to get it inspected by a competent mechanic, not just a mate or an armchair expert from next door, because if I am right your car is a death trap and should be taken off the road until correctly repaired.

There's your answer sadly. It's as bent as a nine bob note.

Has it been in a crash?

Can there be any doubt about it?

Julia. One way or another you are going to be faced with a big bill so you might as well bite the bullet now, because even a Skoda or VW rack is not going to be significantly cheaper once fitting charges are included. At one time if you scrapped a British registered car in France you could find yourself liable for French import duty. I don't know if that is still the case, but you need to investigate that possibility when making your decision about repair.

Try a scrap yard. Many are on line and specialise in Audi parts. That's the way I got a replacement headrest last year.

Fair enough. I haven't a clue what all the letters mean in the model names.

Does the engine have a turbo-charger? Turbos are supposed kick in at 2000 rpm or just above.

Definitely a short circuit, which is probably why the fuse was removed by the previous owner. It needs to come out for repair or replacement.

David. Of course there is something more sinister going on, because spark plugs routinely don't fail without a reason. You even said that your garage told you the reason and the cost to fix it, so why not go back and ask them again. They have seen the car, we haven't.

Agreed about the clutch, but I reckon the selector linkage also has one or more collapsed bushes.

Worn differentials are known to whine when decelerating. You tell us there is an oil leak from the diff and excessive slack in the output shaft. It seems an open and shut case to me of a clapped out diff.