cliffcoggin

It would be worth checking the wires in the boot. They have been known to get damaged.

While double-sided tape may be a short term solution, I find it tends to dry out and lose its adhesion after many months. Not that I have any experience of refitting roof lining, nor can I suggest an alternative glue, but I wouldn't use DS tape.

Richard. After 140000 miles the engine should be OK if it has been driven normally, but if it has been thrashed over the moors by a heavy footed driver the outlook is not so good. Your description of the symptoms (smoke, juddering, lack of turbo boost,) and evidence of neglect (blocked oil & air filters and oil leaks) suggests it has been poorly maintained. Whether that means the engine is clapped out or just in need of much work I cannot say. The fault codes can be misleading and need careful interpretation because one fault can cause problems elsewhere. For example an inlet air leak can cause EGR valve blockages, but it is the EGR fault that is reported and so owners keep cleaning the valve without realising that the real problem is a split inlet hose. I suggest you get the engine tested by an independent Audi mechanic before you invest much more time and money in the car.

I echo Steve's comments. A few months ago I had a battery that was starting to die and it caused a few electrical problems when driven, even though the alternator was putting out a good charge. It didn't make sense to me then and still doesn't but the proof of the pudding...

Richard. You haven't told us anything about the basic condition of the engine. What is the mileage? Does it have a full service history? Have you done a compression test? Has any major work been done on the engine?

I have a similar problem with mine in that as soon as the glass reaches the top it promptly opens again. In my case it only happens after rain so I assume water is getting into the switch, for as soon as it dries out the problem disappears and automatic winding resumes. I know I can overcome the problem by changing to non-auto winding by holding the switch up for two seconds so I have not bothered to investigate it further. If you get yours repaired Justin I'd be glad to hear how.

I echo Steve's suggestion about the driver's door lock. It is the master control for the other locks. My problem a few years ago was one of the rear doors not unlocking though all the others did. The fault lay in the driver door lock which had to be renewed.

I can't see any difference.

Keith. In the absence of any useful information about your problem and what you have tried to resolve it, I echo Gareth's advice. If you don't have a meter rig a test lamp to test each circuit. Alternatively, remove each fuse one at a time and find what effect that has on your battery capacity.

I had to look up wedge lamps as I am unfamiliar with them. It would seem the bolb holder would have to have been changed, which in turn means some sort of modified connection to the original wiring loom. I would look at the integrity of those connectors first of all.

The dependence of the noise on the amount of load suggests to me the CV joints, but we have seen similar mysterious reports that have had no reported solution. (Sorry about embedding the topic. I tried to to put only a link but the forum would not allow it.)

Sorry I can't help with this sort of electrical fault. Do you know if your lights have been modified from original? I ask because my A3 is also 2007 yet it appears to have tungsten filament lamps.

It might be worth considering the response dated Wed 26 Jul 2017 12:39 in this piece: https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/119187/any---legality "Car Mechanics asked the DVSA for their response to fitting an EGR blanking valve and they said : "DVSA's priority is to help you keep your vehicle safe to drive, ensuring that it meets required roadworthiness and environmental standards. Vehicles may fail the MoT where emissions control equipment has been tampered with but irrespective of the MoT such modification is an offence*. DVSA continues to work with DfT to persue such offences, including taking disciplinary action against any MoT garages found to be conducting modifications." * Road vehicles (construction and use) regulations (Regulation 61a(3)). Removal of an EGR valve, diesel particulate filter etc. will almost invariably contravene these requirements, making the vehicle illegal for road use. The potential penalties for failing to comply with Regulation 61a are fines of upto £1000 for a car or £2500 for a light goods vehicle."

Carissa. If the side lights were defective when you bought it, and it was from a dealer, take it back and get him to fix it. Unless MOT rules have changed recently the side lights must work by law.

Why do you want to disconnect? If it's a decent battery it will be good for a few months untouched.

I recall a similar problem being discussed here a few months ago. Look through old posts from earlier in the year.

John. Can you slacken a fuel connection as close as possible to an injector, or even remove the injector completely, and then crank the engine to see if diesel is being delivered? I have never done this so I don't know how practical it is to do on your engine, but it was a recognised test years ago. That would prove whether the pumps are working properly. Hold a rag over the injector to prevent fuel spraying everywhere.

Praveen. Like many on the forums you referred to I do not understand how a faulty DMF can lead to clutch slip, but then I don't have enough knowledge of them to give an informed opinion. I have read somewhere that the springs in DMFs can break and cause vibration. Incidentally both forums suggested remapping as a likely cause of similar problems. Is that relevant to your car?

At a complete guess I suspect the ABS system is rapidly releasing the rear brakes because they are locking. Does the S3 have a different brake bias to the A3? Or perhaps the wheel speed sensors are different?

From what you have told us I really can't point the finger at any particular culprit. Look at the recent history. The gearbox has done 40000 miles and has not been overhauled. It can not possibly be in mint condition at that mileage. The DMF is now very secondhand, even if it was renewed 25000 miles ago. The clutch is new yet it appears to be slipping. It should not be warped or significantly worn under normal driving conditions, but can easily suffer those faults if maltreated by harsh driving for as little as 20000 miles. For the bearings to fail in the previous gearbox is unheard of in my experience, which suggests it had a very hard life. That in turn also suggests the whole transmission had been equally overloaded. All I can suggest is to remove the gearbox, clutch and DMF and thoroughly inspect and, if necessary, overhaul them.

Let's accept that you don't drive so harshly normally and get back to the history of repairs, which I am not completely clear about. Are you saying that there have been two new clutches recently? One that you did at the time of your gearbox failure and another that the previous owner did 25000 miles previously? Was the secondhand gearbox that you fitted reconditioned or overhauled in any way?

Certainly sounds like clutch slip. If you routinely drive "intensely with harsh clutch drops" and "keep my foot to the floor" then it isn't really surprising that the transmission is failing.

£1300 may be the value of your car but what will it cost to buy a comparable replacement vehicle? The value as a seller is always much less than the value as a buyer. The DSG and DMF have dodgy reputations from what I have read on this forum, but I have no personal experience of the problems, and I hope not to as I too have a similar transmission. Sorry I can't advise on that score.

According to my manual the fuel pump fuse is FC27 in the dashboard. There is no mention of a relay, though logically I would expect there be one. Do you realise the driver's end of the dash needs to be prised off for access?

Well done and thank you.