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Steve Q

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Everything posted by Steve Q

  1. Good video Tom, thanks for sharing 🙂
  2. I agree, the technicians will know their stuff where as the liaison manager will just be looking at paperwork. You could always get a second opinion from another Audi dealer, ideally one from.a different franchise to that of the one you normally use. And/or a local independent Audi specialist.
  3. Keep an.eye on.our Audi news section as I'll try and update it regularly 🙂
  4. Funnily enough I added this article under news section today 😉 great article.
  5. You're welcome 😊 hope you stay safe too.
  6. Now if Audi entered Nascar racing then they'd be a manufacturer I could get behind. I do love Nascar, it's more than just cars going around in a circle you know 😉
  7. Hi Barry welcome to the forum, you'll find the members on here are a friendly and helpful bunch 😊 I believe FMIC won't increase bhp or torque but will keep the intake temperature lower. The TT has two corner ones as standard if I'm.not mistaken. The main benefit will be when you start applying other mods such as remaps, induction kits, sports exhausts etc thus meaning you're putting less strain on components once the FMIC is fitted. Also I know that the 225bhp model standard intercoolers can cope with 300bhp. Not sure what the max the 180bhp standard intercoolers can take but probably 220bhp at a very guess. Cheers Steve
  8. You're welcome, hope it's helped make your decision easier 🙂
  9. I had a similar issue abd it was the drivers door lock mechanism which was at fault as it controls the remaining doors. An an auto electrician take a look and cost me £120 to fix. Cheers Steve
  10. Hi Dee as long as it's got steering wheel controls the it should go straight on. I believe the airbag wiring connector is the same too. Cheers Steve
  11. Could be a faulty alarm control module. I wouldn't advise disconnecting it incase it's connected to the imobiliser. My advice would be to get an auto electrician to take a look. Cheers Steve
  12. Is it an SD card type? If so you might get away with buying one on eBay. If it's hardwired in then I believe Audi have to plug the car into a computer linked directly to Audi in Germany to get the upgrade. Cheers Steve
  13. Did Audi ever get to the bottom of this for either of you? Cheers Steve
  14. Welcome to the forum Allan, sorry there's been a delay in answering your question. I believe a 2015 grill should fit. But bear in mind the SE grill May differ from the S-Line grill. Cheers Steve
  15. Manufacturers Tweak Logos To Promote Social Distancing: Audi, Volkswagen, Mercedes, Hyundai In a move to promote social distancing, automobile manufacturers world over have begun sharing redesigned versions of their logos. Brands including Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, and Volkswagen have already undertaken the initiative. Social distancing, basically reducing non-essential contact with others, and maintaining a distance of two meters from other people, has been enforced around the world in order to contain the spread of Covid-19. German auto manufacturer, Audi, has released a video that shows the brand's four ring logo separated from each other. The message Audi has for the world is 'Stay at home, keep your distance, stay healthy and support each other - we are in this together'. German auto giants, Volkswagen released a logo with an increased gap between the V and the W in its recently unveiled flat logo. The logo was accompanied by the words 'Thanks for keeping your distance'. German luxury car manufacturer, Mercedes-Benz has also added space between the three-pointed star and the ring that surrounds it. The company thanked everyone for keeping distance, and said that 'by acting together and #StayAtHome, we can successfully combat the virus.' South Korean car manufacturer, Hyundai, has also split its 'H' logo. Derived from two people shaking hands, the logo has been altered to show two people without any physical contact. A 'Safety first' message was released with the logo. Brands have edited their logos, and created gaps in between with the aim of promoting social distancing. The move is expected to inspire people to maintain social distancing in order to combat the Coronavirus pandemic that has affected multiple regions across the globe. Outside of just altering logos, manufacturers across the globe have begun producing ventilators and other medical products like face masks and personal protection suits to help fight the Covid-19 pandemic. Some manufacturers have been heavily involved with catering to communities that are close to their manufacturing facilities as well. Thoughts About Brands Tweaking Their Logos To Promote Social Distancing We think this is a very creative, and a very fast way to connect with and send a message to people. Adding spaces in their logos shows that auto manufacturers are committed to the cause, and that they're doing everything they can to make the world a safer place. Article courtesy of drivespark.com: https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.drivespark.com/amphtml/four-wheelers/2020/manufacturers-tweak-logos-to-promote-social-distancing-audi-volkswagen-mercedes-hyundai-030714.html
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  16. The boss of Audi DTM squad Phoenix Racing has described the ongoing coronavirus situation as the "worst crisis" in his team's 20-year history. The indefinite pause on global motorsport caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the financial health of teams across various motorsport categories, and the DTM is no exception, with the season start delayed until mid-July at the earliest. Phoenix has been a DTM mainstay since the category's rebirth in 2000 and claimed two drivers titles with Martin Tomczyk and Mike Rockenfeller, but team boss Ernst Moser has warned that it's existence could be threatened if the situation doesn't improve soon. "This is the worst crisis I've ever experienced with my company," Moser told Autosport. For a certain period of time I can bridge that gap, but in the long run it's obviously a killer. "If it goes on like this for more than a month or two, it's going to be difficult." While Phoenix is on a stronger financial footing compared to many privateer teams thanks to its long-standing affiliation with Audi, Moser said the delays to the DTM and Nurburgring Endurance Series (formerly VLN) - in which Phoenix fields several customer Audi GT3 cars - would have a negative impact on its budget. "In the DTM we have a certain basic security through the works contract with Audi, which runs until the end of the year," Moser (below) said. "[But] If we don't have any assignments in the DTM, we won't get the budgets that were normally promised to us in the contract." Fellow Audi DTM squads Rosberg and Abt Sportsline - which also runs the marque's Formula E programme - also admitted that that their finances have taken a hit because of the pandemic, but not to as great an extent as Phoenix. "The worries are definitely there, but the situation is still okay under the circumstances," said Team Rosberg boss Kimmo Liimatainen. "You'll survive the odd month or two." Abt CEO Thomas Biermaier added: "As a works team, you're in a different situation than the private teams or GT teams that really have to finance themselves with driver income. Nevertheless, the air is also limited in the works teams." Customer Audi squad WRT insists that it will be able to weather the crisis, having the safety net of its parent company Weerts Group, which specialises in real estate and logistics. "Of course this crisis is difficult for us," team boss Vincent Vosse told Autosport. "But for other people it must be much more difficult. We're lucky that we're well-organised and that we made decisions early on so that we can face this situation. "Fortunately, we have the possibility to provide our employees with temporary work in another area of the group, because a lot of people are needed in the logistics area at the moment." article courtesy of Autosport.com: https://www.autosport.com/dtm/news/148952/audi-dtm-squad-faces-worst-crisis-without-racing
  17. Audi has announced it will pledge more than €5m (£4.4m) to help support global medical and social institutions during the coronavirus crisis. The first of the donations, which is an additional €600,000 (£530,000), was handed over to hospitals at Audi’s home sites of Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm in Germany. Other international sites including Audi Brussels and Audi China are also supporting local medical centres by providing valuable equipment. Audi Hungary in the meantime will make a cash donation to the Gyor hospital there. Markus Duesmann, chairman of the board of management at Audi AG said, “The corona pandemic presents extreme challenges for all of us worldwide – for us as a company and society as a whole. “At the moment, one thing counts above all: the health of our employees, their families and society as a whole. And to protect it, we need to flatten the infection curve.” As well as offering a financial support, Audi is looking to help mental well-being by offering an exclusive classical online concert on April 14 at 8pm, which will be streamed on Facebook and YouTube via Audi’s social media channels. Audi is the latest of a number of automotive firms around the world coming together in the fight against the spread of Covid-19. In the UK, MG is offering NHS workers free use of up to 100 ZS EVs for six months, while Land Rover has donated a number of its new Defenders to the Red Cross. article courtesy of Motors.co.uk https://news.motors.co.uk/news/audi-pledges-e5m-of-aid-in-coronavirus-fight/ https://www.audi-mediacenter.com/en/press-releases/auditogetheraudi-provides-five-million-euros-in-corona-crisis-12727
  18. https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/features/40-years-audi-4wd-quattro-and-rs-2-meet-r8-and-rs6 40 years of Audi 4WD: Quattro and RS 2 meet R8 and RS6 It’s now four decades since Audi introduced the world to four-wheel-drive performance cars. We climb down the Quattro family tree Almost all cars reckoned to be true pioneers turn out to be nothing of the sort. The Range Rover wasn’t the first luxury off-roader, the Renault Espace wasn’t the first MPV, the Volkswagen Golf GTI wasn’t the first hot hatch and none of the Saab 99, Porsche 911 or BMW 2002 was the first turbocharged road car. And the Audi Quattro wasn’t the first high-performance four-wheel-drive car. That, of course, was the Jensen FF produced between 1968 and 1971. But like all of the aforementioned, the Quattro was the one that perfected and popularised its innovation. The problem with all previous four-wheel-drive cars, Jensen included, was that they needed to direct their power forwards through a heavy, clunky and bulky transfer box. This solution was impractical and expensive, which perhaps explains in part why just 320 FFs were built. What Audi did was find another way of doing the same thing. It was Jörg Bensinger who realised that if you used a hollow output shaft from the gearbox, it could run into a centre differential mounted behind the gearbox, while a second shaft within the output shaft could then take the power forward to the front wheels. The need for a transfer box was bypassed and the first modern four-wheel drive system invented. Bensinger and his team started work on this in the mid-1970s, but it wouldn’t be until 1980 that the fruits of their labour could be seen in public, in the form of a boxy coupé called the Audi Quattro. Since then, Audi has never stopped using four-wheel drive, and it has now been joined by most of the world’s other major car manufacturers. But for Audi, four-wheel drive proved far more than just a means of halving the tractive work load of each tyre. Quattro started life as a car, soon became an automotive legend and then turned into a sub-brand, to Audi what M is to BMW and AMG is to Mercedes-Benz. But which Quattro machine is the greatest? With hundreds to choose from and only five examples allowed, it wasn’t an easy process, especially as two places were already bagged by the original and the most recent. Many will disagree with the chosen quintet, but I went for the final version of the original Quattro; the RS2 Avant as the first of the truly nuts estates for which Audi became so renowned; the original TT because it was a design revolution that did far more to democratise the sporting four-wheel-drive coupé than the Quattro; the Mk1 R8 because, well, it’s an R8; and the latest RS6 Avant panzerwagen. I know: no V10s, no RS4, no Sport Quattro, no SQ2… Okay, perhaps we won’t be shedding too many tears over that last one. The benchmark is, of course, the Quattro. I’m old enough to have tested late 20-valve examples like the one we have today when they were new and recall most of all just astonishing point-to-point pace. But even though the Quattro had been on the market fully 10 years by then, I don’t recall it feeling old. It does now. The strange driving position, even stranger gear ratios, arcade-game electronic dashboard and acres of hard plastic all speak of another era. The gearbox is quite clunky, while the engine is surprisingly lethargic off-boost, even for its age. At low speeds, it feels quite awkward, rattly and cumbersome. A disappointment, you might even say. But then the revs rise and you hear that noise (how to describe it without saying ‘off-beat thrum’?) and discover that what has not diminished one bit over the decades is the sense of occasion. It’s still fast enough to be engaging, clocking an easy 120mph before that unforgiving shape finds it increasingly hard to bludgeon the wind asunder. It’s still fun, too. Grip, the commodity for which it was most famed 30 and 40 years ago, is actually quite modest by modern standards and it still understeers, but the steering is lovely and the chassis is far more adjustable than I recall. That’s not something I’d say so readily about the RS2 Avant. Like so many of the crazily rapid RS estates that followed it, the RS2 is absolutely at its best in a straight line. But it also feels from a far more recent era, for while they missed each other by just three years, the Quattro and RS2 feel a generation apart. The latter is a modern car, you might say. It’s incomparably better built, and from far better materials. This may have something to do with the involvement of Porsche, which was in such dire financial straits at the time that it had to earn money on the side by engineering cars like the RS2 and, before it, the Mercedes-Benz 500E. Zuffenhausen’s involvement certainly explains how the output of essentially the same engine rose from 217bhp in the Quattro to 311bhp for the RS2. The car remains as funny as ever. It looks brilliant and oozes promise as you settle into the chunky Recaro driving seat and survey those black-on-white dials. Lag is, of course, prodigious from a 26-year-old road car engine providing more than 140bhp per litre, but once it’s past about 3500rpm, it will still surprise you by how hard it hauls, and over an unexpectedly wide powerband. It hit 140mph in the same space the Quattro needed to reach 120mph. If only it were as good at changing direction. It clings on, of course, but we must remember this was the first of the doggedly understeering high-speed Audis and old habits die hard. The TT you enjoy for other reasons. I will take engineering over design every day, but you can’t just climb into the TT and set off. First you have to sit and survey the interior, with all of its unique and lovely touches. I understand absolutely why it was such an enormous hit: it looked and felt not like a platform spin-off sharing as much componentry with its brethren as possible but a genuinely bespoke product. It was built properly, too. This one has done 134,000 miles and still feels taut. Perhaps the TT deserves reappraisal from those of us who were slightly sniffy about it when it was new. It’s no Porsche Cayman for sure, but its 222bhp 20-valve engine is eager, its six-speed gearbox a genuine delight and its handling more poised and less nose-heavy than I recall. The R8 is, of course, the anomaly here: it’s the only genuine supercar Audi has made, the only mid-engined car and the only closed two-seater. And although its appearance, interior and quality are all very traditionally Audi, the way it drives is not. Indeed, for the sweetness of is engine, the precision of its manual gearbox and the deftness of its chassis, this early manual V8 car is every bit as credible a high-performance driving machine as any standard Porsche 911 or Aston Martin Vantage from the same era. It may be rather lacking in horsepower compared with a modern R8, but it’s still plenty fast enough to register over 150mph in short order and more than sufficiently rapid to feel restricted by the confines of the public road. What’s more, unlike so many quick Audis, it’s a car of the most exquisite balance, and I mean that both literally and figuratively. First, it’s refreshingly resistant to understeer and, despite almost unlimited traction, very happy to tuck its nose into an apex and let its rear run wide. But second, it doesn’t feel overpowered: the relationship between power and grip is spot on, allowing you to slip easily into a delicious rhythm, which is a defining characteristic of a great driver’s car. That brings us to the RS6 Avant, which is interesting – and not just because it has 591bhp and will do 0-62mph in 3.6sec. What holds my attention more firmly is a distinct sense that, at last, Audi is trying to do this kind of car slightly differently. Yes, it ticks all the boxes from outlandish power to outrageous appearance, but such strengths in the past have flattered mainly to deceive. However, with a more neutral set-up and a far greater feeling of agility (thanks no doubt to four-wheel steering), it’s not just comical in a straight line (it indicated 180mph with ease on Bruntingthorpe’s currently abbreviated runway) but also has something to offer on the perimeter road. It’s still not the best-handling fast wagon out there, but it has better steering, sharper turn-in and more front-end grip than any big Audi estate of my acquaintance. So, it would be hard to overestimate the benefit to Audi of that little word ‘quattro’. It started life as a niche product with very modest ambitions and became, as Quattro GmbH, the halo brand for the entire brand. Yes, it was renamed Audi Sport back in 2016 (which I always thought a shame), but the idea of using Quattro not just as a technology for making its cars easier to drive but as standard-bearer for the marque, emblematic of its entire philosophy, has played a pivotal role in the transformation of Audi from the bit player also-ran it was in the 1970s to the enormous organisation it is today. It may not have saved the company, but it is no exaggeration to say it helped make it. As for our famous five, it seems iniquitous to order cars so separated in time, space, performance and concept. But I’ll share with you now that there are some really good cars here and one absolute titan. The Quattro has significance and charm, but it feels pretty limited these days. The RS2 isn’t as rounded in its abilities as you might hope, but it’s hilarious, it looks great and it’s by far the rarest. And for completely different reasons, both the TT and RS6 are far better than I expected. But that early manual R8? Wow. It’s not just a great Audi, it’s one of the finest examples of that kind of car from its or indeed any other era.
  19. https://www.carbuyer.co.uk/news/172384/audi-a3-old-vs-new-comparison Audi A3: old vs new comparison The 2020 Audi A3 has finally arrived, so what are the improvements over its predecessor? The family hatchback class is arguably the most competitive sector of the car market, so the fact the old Audi A3 remained on sale for seven years is testament to its success. While the build quality remained high, the onboard tech was starting to look dated by the time it was finally replaced. • 2020 Audi A3 unveiled Step forward the latest, fourth-generation A3 Sportback. The razor-sharp new exterior design is sure to get the neighbours’ tongues wagging and they'll be even more impressed if they peer through a window, as there’s been something of a digital revolution inside. Crisp screens dominate the dashboard and the A3 now has a wealth of computing power and connectivity. Design Audi has a reputation for altering the design of its cars extremely gradually, and this has been the case with the Audi A3. It's been a largely successful strategy too; it reduces the chance of alienating certain buyers or following passing trends too closely, ensuring its cars still look good five or even 10 years after they were designed. During its seven years on sale, the A3 received only minor updates to its lights, design and trim levels, while the three-door model was dropped towards the end of its life. The fourth-generation A3 Sportback is slightly more radical, with bold creases and a large eight-sided grille consuming almost the entire nose. As before, S line versions look the most aggressive, and the best to our eyes. Large alloy wheels are complemented by deep bumpers and flared side skirts, while Audi's advanced LED exterior lighting also helps the A3 stand out at night. It's also likely the A3 Sportback and saloon will spawn a crossover version for the first time, along with a coupe-like four-door to rival the Mercedes CLA. Interior When it launched, the previous Audi A3's interior was our favourite in a hatchback. While it still felt impressively sturdy towards the end of its life, there was no denying the technology had not only fallen behind that of newer Audi models, but rivals too. The latest Mercedes A-Class rewrote the rulebook when it arrived, thanks to expansive digital screens and a contemporary new design. Audi's reply in the new A3 is a 10.25-inch Virtual Cockpit display and 10.1-inch infotainment screen. Their positioning is a bit more traditional than in the A-Class, with a central screen that's separate from the instruments but angled towards the driver. Incredibly, the new system boasts 10 times the computing power of the old A3’s infotainment setup, allowing it to respond more quickly, display impressive graphics and provide new features. It also boasts Amazon Alexa compatibility and voice recognition that can respond to queries like "Where is the nearest Italian restaurant?". Economy Audi has long been famed for its punchy and efficient turbocharged petrol and diesel engines, and the A3 came with a broad range of specifications. These spanned from a frugal 1.6-litre diesel with front-wheel drive that could manage over 70mpg (NEDC), to a 2.0-litre TSI petrol with quattro four-wheel drive in the 30mpg range. The new 2.0-litre diesel has been thoroughly redesigned and features 'Twin Dosing' that now injects AdBlue fluid into the exhaust in two locations to ensure reduced tailpipe emissions. The A3 35 TDI can return up to 62.8mpg on the tougher WLTP test cycle, with CO2 emissions of 119g/km. An even more frugal 30 TDI is on the way. Petrol-engine technology hasn't stood still either, and Audi is introducing mild-hybrid hardware to increase efficiency. This works by harvesting energy when the car decelerates and storing it in a very compact battery for use when the engine is off in traffic, or when coasting, and to give acceleration a small boost to take strain off the engine. A plug-in hybrid A3 e-tron model is also joining the line-up with an electric range of around 37 miles - up from 31 miles previously. Safety With a five-star safety rating, the previous AudiA3 was regarded as a very safe car, however this does come with a caveat - it was crash tested by Euro NCAP in 2012. The metrics used by the independent safety body to assess cars has become far stricter since then, looking much more closely at the collision-preventing active safety kit fitted. The Mk3 A3 was fitted with some clever devices for the time, including an active bonnet that pops up in a pedestrian collision to help better absorb impacts. In comparison, the new A3 is bristling with sensors and connected technology designed to mitigate the risk of an accident before it happens. 'Car2X' technology communicates with local vehicles and infrastructure (where compatible) to provide warnings of hazards, traffic and even the length of time a traffic light will be on red as you approach. Rear cross-traffic assist can warn you of traffic as you reverse out of a parking space or driveway, while exit warning provides an acoustic alert if you're about to get out of the car and a vehicle or cyclist is approaching. Verdict In typical Audi fashion, the latest A3 Sportback takes all the aspects of a model that buyers are passionate about, and injects them with the latest technology and engineering know-how. This is especially noticeable inside, where the latest MMI infotainment system is light years ahead of the small pop-up verison in the previous model.
  20. Welcome to the forum Paul, you'll find the members on here are a friendly and helpful bunch. If you're struggling to source the loom I'm sure any experienced auto electrician can make you one. In failing that ebay is probably your best bet. Have you checked whether or not there is power going to the pump or catches? I did look on eBay for you without success, but have found an 80 convertible being broken for spares. Here's the link: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/223378800990 Cheers Steve
  21. Hey Steve, I think Audi is your best bet unfortunately. Cheers Steve
  22. Truthfully I'm not sure on which one you.need either. Sorry I can't help more. Cheers Steve
  23. Glad we could help Paul. Also bear in mind tyres for 17" wheels are more expensive than those for 16" wheels. Cheers Steve
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