cliffcoggin

It's not normal for any engine to shed a lot of metal particles unless it is very worn, which I would not expect after 96000 miles, so it's probable that the engine has to be stripped to find what is disintegrating. That's going to cost thousands of pounds unfortunately, and may not be economical. Are there any symptoms that may help diagnosis such as smoke, high fuel consumption, loss of coolant, unusual noises, poor performance?

So the charging is controlled by a phone app? You did not mention that earlier. That makes things more complicated because it introduces another failure point. If it is the Audi application I suggest you take the matter up with Audi. I seem to recall reading of similar problems reported here, so it may pay you to search these forums.

Any comment on the above response Paul? I know you have seen it.

Darren. Any comment on Spartacus 68's response? I know you have seen it, and you agreed with the forum etiquette requirements in https://www.audiownersclub.com/forums/topic/8939-forum-etiquette-new-members-please-read-before-posting/page/6/#comment-131762

Well that eliminates any interference by your electricity supplier, which sometimes happens if using a smart tariff. Does any charge at all go into the battery, or does it remain at the same SOC (state of charge)?

What equipment are you using to charge it with? A 3 pin plug-in charger point, or a permanently installed wall box?

Thanks for that Steve. O'Riley certainly provides a good explanation of the problem, and what appears to be a plausible solution. Have you any experience of his software solution?

Congratulations.

Tony, see this topic: https://www.audiownersclub.com/forums/topic/24906-alternator-failure-related-to-mild-hybrid-system

Tony, is yours a mild hybrid with 48 volt battery? If it is then the problem is well known.

I echo the comments about annual servicing being better for the car than extended intervals, and independent garages being better than main dealers.

If there was an easy way to open a locked car thieves would have a field day, so your only option is brute force through one of the windows. Ensure you can buy new glass before using that universal key known as a hammer.

How old is the battery Nick?

Do the doors and boot lid latch reliably when the roof is off?

CV joints are the most likely suspects. If you bought the car within the last 30 days take it back to the dealer for free rectification.

An eight year old battery is well overdue for renewal. In your place I would renew it without a moment's hesitation. As Richard said, it will need to be coded to the car.

I recall reading that the flexible hoses can suffer failure of their inner linings which is not visible from the braided outer surface. It may pay you to renew those.

I am reasonably sure they will be studs not bolts.

That's risky unless you know how to code it out at the ECM.

I am with Steve. Search for custom hose manufacturers. One even used to advertise on one these forums but I can not find it since a forum reorganisation.

The problem could well be air in the hydraulic system, however cylinder seals, both master and slave, can pass fluid without leaking out of the system. If air bleeding does not solve the problem I suggest you renew the slave cylinder.

Believe what you will. Search all these forums for more opinions which generally differ from what you have been told.

Ask Audi. If the car has been serviced at any Audi dealer the service record will be available to all Audi dealers.

A defective battery is often the cause of stop/start failure. At six years old your battery is overdue for renewal.

I agree it is likely the EGR cooler at fault. The new part cost is not bad; the labour cost will depend how difficult it is to access it.