cliffcoggin

Nobody can tell what the problem exactly is from a description of the noise, but the possibilities include: worn belts, alternator bearings, water pump.

Mantas. It would help if you told us which engine you have.

I have no knowledge of hybrid vehicles, so I ask if the electric motor transmits its power through the engine or gearbox. If no, then I see no logical reason to change the oil. However I am happy to be enlightened by anybody with real knowledge.

Glad to read it is resolved and thank you for letting us know. It's a miracle the engine has not been damaged.

In addition to Gareth's reply I would ask why the original fuel pump failed. If it was mechanical wear and tear then fair enough; but if it was an electrical fault or bad connection in the supply/earth/relay/wiring/fuse holder, then the same cause may still exist.

If you can get the original map re-installed at little or no cost that would either confirm or exonerate the map as a cause of the problem. However if it is going to cost a lot to change the map you have to balance that against the likely cost of diesel diagnosis and repair. Unfortunately I don't know enough to advise one way or the other.

Try a car recycler, the modern term for a car breaker. There are many online.

I guess she just wanted to rant without considering people might actually put some time and effort into replying. As for being a Black Edition, weren't 90% of A3s black?

August. It certainly sounds like a fuel problem and your mechanic seems to have done all the obvious checks. The only thing I can suggest is to get a full range of diagnostic tests done by a diesel specialist, not the local Audi garage, not a helpful friend, but a specialist in diesels. Having said that, I worry that the problem started immediately after re-mapping was done. That is too much of a coincidence for my liking. I don't know much about mapping except that it involves altering the software in the ECU, so I wonder if that has been damaged somehow. Is it possible to reverse the mapping?

I was not going to respond, but I have to echo Gareth's comments. Unfortunately there is not a car in existence that is worth what the owner believes it to be. We all have inflated ideas about the condition and value of our cars. To my mind £4000 for a twelve year old A3 of unknown mileage and condition is not unreasonable.

Good luck. Do let us know the outcome.

I have to stress that I have no direct personal experience of scanning for fault codes, but I see too many reports on this forum where such codes have not given accurate diagnoses. In my opinion those codes need to be interpreted with caution, and considered together with other evidence before concluding where a fault truly exists. Your report of resetting a crankshaft sensor error without affecting the engine problem only emphasises my belief. Did the garage offer any explanation for the engine problem? I can not suggest any particular component is at fault on the evidence we have at the moment. To renew the DPF or EGR more or less at random in the hope that the problem will be cured would be expensive, wasteful, and possibly unsuccessful. Sorry, but I can not offer any more advice.

In that case I don't know what is wrong with it. Nevertheless to claim the car is "falling apart" just because the doors don't unlock and the clock is wrong is a more than a little exaggerted. As for being safe to drive, I really don't know what to say.

Does the engine start easily?

Logically you are right, and until two years ago I believed the same; in reality a defective battery may start the engine yet cause electrical problems because of the sensitivity of electronic computerised engine management. I found that hard to accept initially, but I have had to accept it as true after personal experience of limp mode, loss of cruise control, and false warning lamps, (despite the alternator putting out a good charge,) when using a battery that I knew was lacking capacity. The mechanic I took it to convinced me to fit a new battery which immediately cured all the problems. That is the reason I asked about battery health. Since yours is fairly new I daresay your problem lies elsewhere so please let us know the outcome of the testing on Monday.

Hello Toke. At the risk of sounding like a gramophone (remember them?) with the needle stuck, can I ask if the battery is in good condition? I don't want to jump to unwarranted conclusions but faulty batteries have been a common theme on this forum for a few weeks, as you can see if you look back at recent topics.

Gareth, my only objection to WD40 is when it is used as a lubricant. If it will find a leak in the way you describe I am happy to endorse it. Spray to your hearts content Daryl. You could have the sweetest smelling exhaust in the world.

An inward air leak is going to be a swine to find, unlike an outward leak where you can spray soapy water and look for bubbles. If you are lucky you may be able to hear it; otherwise it's a case of look and feel, particularly any sort of flexible connection.

That narrows the field a bit Daryl. While it could be the injectors they are generally reliable and durable so it is worth looking elsewhere initially. Things to look for include: an air leak into the manifold, a faulty mass flow meter, and any hose, pipe, or connector that might have been disturbed or dislodged during the clutch change.

Morning Daryl. It's going to be sheer guesswork unless you tell us some details of the engine. Size, fuel, transmission, condition, mileage, service history, anything that might some context to the problem.

Damn. I was expecting the cover to show a diagram of the layout so you could identify, for example, top right fuse as number 8. Isn't the layout shown in the handbook? Maybe you could find it on-line. Incidentally I see fuse number 24 is the one for the cigarette lighter. All you need to do is identify which is 24.

Steve. There was probably no reason for looking in the fuse box when you bought the car. It's not something I would do without very good cause, so don't blame yourself. Look inside the fuse box cover for a key to the fuse location number. Check a manual or handbook to see what circuit the fuse protects and what the rating should be. The fuse can be pulled out and refitted if the contacts have not been bent. I suggest you remove that white wire, and the red one if it is also stuffed into a fuse. I daresay they were fitted to power a satnav, a camera, or some other auxiliary. There will be a safer more secure way of powering it.

Steve. I am appalled at what your pictures show. That green fuse should not be loose, but then neither should there be a wire stuffed into the fuse contacts. That's the hallmark of a prize cowboy who deserves to be shot for putting your car, and possibly you with it, at risk. For goodness sake get that corrected quickly. If you can not do it yourself, engage a professional. As for the cigarette lighter socket, the problem could a loose fuse, loose connections, or a defective lighter (they do burn out), but given the shoddy work done to the fuse board it could be anything. At the moment I'd say a faulty cigarette lighter is the least of your problems.

Well done. Sometimes the only solution is to ignore the error codes and get ones hands dirty.

I doubt that your old glow plugs had anything wrong with them, you just need a new battery. A dead battery will cause all sorts of electrical faults and false warnings even if the engine is running on alternator.