cliffcoggin
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Everything posted by cliffcoggin
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.)
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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.
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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?
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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=
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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.
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How did the engine mount become bent? Has it been in a crash?
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central locking Passenger Right Door Locking Problems
cliffcoggin replied to Bengalisama's topic in Audi A3 (8P) Forum
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. -
central locking Passenger Right Door Locking Problems
cliffcoggin replied to Bengalisama's topic in Audi A3 (8P) Forum
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.
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What did the garage report?
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Sorry Chris, the file is either empty or unplayable on my computer.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Keanu. What fuel? What engine size? What specific model? Nobody can give sensible advice unless you give us some more details.
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Glad you got two of the problems fixed. How about the airbag light?
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I don't know if it is related or not, but there was a similar problem on this forum a little while ago entitled "Constant battery drain." Unfortunately it wasn't reported to have been solved but it may give some clues.
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Mario. I too am glad this has been resolved satisfactorily, and you can relax in the knowledge your car isn't "bent". Cliff.
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Mario. Whether we think it is a mistake by the DVLA or somebody else is no longer relevant. The time for discussion has passed. You have revealed a discrepancy in the records relating to your car, so if you are to have any chance of retaining it you need to take action. You can put things right yourself with the DVLA or you can return the car and let the seller do all the work. If the seller refuses any responsibility then it might be time to consider legal or even police involvement.
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It wouldn't hurt to check with Audi, in fact I think the DVLA is subtly telling you to get it sorted out. It may be that the engine has been changed, which is perfectly permissible as long as the DVLA is notified of the change, but be aware that your insurance may be based on DVLA records. If your insurers believe the car has a 1.4 engine and it actually has a 1.6 then your insurance is invalid, which in turn means you are driving illegally. Look at your insurance papers. Furthermore I have no idea how or why the year of registration can be changed, so the whole matter still seems mighty suspicious to me. I hope you still have the receipt from the seller just in case something nefarious is going on. A legitimate dealer would usually check these matters before buying and selling a car.
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Mario. Even if the DVLA have it wrong it can only be because they have been given the wrong information. Somebody somewhere is lying about the car. Maybe it was a simple clerical error, maybe it is a cut-and-shut job, maybe it is stolen, (in which case it could be confiscated). Whatever the reason you need to investigate, and the best place to start is the DVLA.
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Being suspicious, I start to hear warning bells if different agencies report differing specifications for the same car. Have you looked at your registration document or contacted the DVLA?
