cliffcoggin

Do let us know the outcome James. Not just to satisfy our curiosity, but to possibly help others who may come this way. Cliff.

Gareth. Surely if the thermostat was defective it would lead to real overheating which James says does not happen. I favour your approach to solving the problem by actually measuring the temperature with an independent device. I am not too impressed with the cheap infra red instruments, but the meters that have a contact probe are generally very good. Come to that, James could also remove the thermostat and test it hot water.

James. You imply, but did not actually confirm, that the engine temperature is correct while the gauge reading is wrong. Does steam vent from the header tank eventually? Can you smell any overheating in the engine bay? (Overheated engines have a distinctive odour.) If those signs aren't present, then the chances are that the sensor is faulty, but given the complexity of modern electronics on cars I would not be certain of it. Maybe an ECU fault can generate the fault.

If you want to know what a main dealer would charge, ask one.

The only way I can imagine camber to be affected would be the wrong bottom arms, the wrong stub axles, or longer springs, but I don't know how to find the right part numbers. I am pretty sure different wheels would not change the camber. Having said that, is it definitely the camber that is out, and not the toe-in? Excessive toe-in would cause similar wear to the outer shoulder of the tyres.

So you did. Sorry, I didn't notice the TDI, though I must admit that many of the letters and numbers used to describe models by all manufacturers are meaningless to me.

A vacuum leak sounds a plausible explanation for the rough idling if you have a petrol engine because servo vacuum is drawn from the intake manifold. (Diesels have a combined fuel/vacuum pump for the servo.) Whether that would also explain an EGR problem I do not know. What surprises me is engine fumes are getting into the cabin. Modern car ventilation ducts are usually well sealed from the engine bay.

As Gareth said, get it professionally tested if you can't be certain of precisely where the fault is. The trial and error method of replacing parts almost at random until the problem is resolved will cost a fortune. Once you have a definite cause you can decide whether to repair it yourself or get it done for you.

A neighbour who has a petrol A3 had a similar ridiculously high oil consumption without any smoke or leaks. An independent VAG mechanic and garage owner told her there was a fault with some of these engines which Audi was reluctant to admit to that caused the oil loss. He acted on her behalf in taking the matter up with Audi and got the problem resolved. I don't know the details of the fault or how it was repaired but it cost a lot less than the new engine that Audi originally advised her was needed. I am normally too sceptical to believe such conspiracy theories, but she is a sensible character and not easily deceived, so I give some credence to the story.

I suffered what seems to be a common fault last week when the rear wiper motor erratically operated without being turned on, and then stopped completely. It turned out to be caused by blocked washer jets which blew out the seals and allowed water into the motor. (The water pipe runs inside the motor spindle.) Fortunately I was recommended to try an independent VAG repairer who not only fitted a new motor in one day but only charged a shade over £200 - a lot cheaper than a Audi main dealer. The moral of the story is to keep washer jets clear.

Andrew. I have no practical experience of the heating system so I can't advise further I'm afraid, though I do note that the link http://www.audi-portal.com/en/diagnostic/actuators_18918.html mentions the need to bleed air out of the auxiliary heater, whatever that is.

Glad you're getting somewhere. I hope there's no aluminium in the matrix if you are using the caustic version of oven cleaner. (The less effective oven cleaners are just surfactants; the effective stuff contains caustic soda as well.)

Andrew. If the hot and merely warm silver pipes are the heater inlet and outlet then something is definitely stopping the flow of water. Whether that is a blocked matrix or a seized water valve has not been established conclusively, but my money would be on the controls being faulty. Unfortunately I have no idea how to test it.

Hello Andrew. It's unusual nowadays for a heater core to block without also having similar problems throughout the whole cooling system, so like Gareth I question whether your core is truly blocked. Have you tried connecting a garden hose to the heater to test if there is any restriction to flow? (I don't know off hand quite where you break into the system to do so, but that is the only real proof I know of for a blockage.) Have you eliminated other cause of poor cabin cooling such as faulty controls, damaged air ducts, etc. all of which are going to be easier and cheaper to resolve than a heater matrix? Do you have other symptoms of defects in the cooling system as a whole?

Personally I place little credence on the colour or presence of exhaust smoke as a diagnostic indicator for engine condition. If you really want to be assured about the condition of rings, valves and head gasket get a compression test done or do it yourself. I believe I still have mine that I bought many years ago. https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/items/?_nkw=compression+tester&_sacat=&_ex_kw=&_mPrRngCbx=1&_udlo=&_udhi=&_sop=12&_fpos=&_fspt=1&_sadis=&LH_CAds=

Guy. Spare yourself the guesswork and the trial & error. Use your multimeter to test for power and continuity at the element. If those tests fail, work backwards from the screen.

How did the engine mount become bent? Has it been in a crash?

It's Audi, so of course it won't be cheap. As I suggested before, look through old postings on this forum to find typical costs and where to get the parts.

Chances are that a new door lock actuator is needed. If you look through old messages on this forum you'll find that it is a common problem.

Ouch! Just think of it as a farthing per mile if it would help.

What did the garage report?

Sorry Chris, the file is either empty or unplayable on my computer.

What doesn't wind down slowly? The engine? The fan? Something else? We need a more detailed description, or even an audio recording if you can make one.

Agreed. Being a lazy driver I have had auto boxes for the last 30 years and would not go back to manuals. For the life of me I don't understand why when everything else in the car including doors, windows, lights, wipers and so on are automatic, most people have to wiggle a metal pole sticking up from the floor to make the car perform its basic function of travelling from A to B.

Keanu. There are many, many faults that could cause those symptoms, so I would not like to guess which is the correct one. I caution against fitting new parts at random because, unless you are exceptionally lucky, you could end up paying a lot more than if you had taken the car to a garage for diagnosis.