Hello from Portugal!

krypz0n

New Member
Hello! I am from Porto, Portugal, and recently bought my first car and it was an A2 tdi (AMF). I took a train from Porto to Lisbon, bought the car and drove it back thats an adventure of its own. Its had quite a rough life and is a bit rough on the edges! I have some experience with old VP TDIs and this is my first PD.
IMG_20230927_170543.jpg


Fun extras included on arrival:
past history of the car in documents only goes up to 2015 (i have 0 clue what its been done besides timing at 209k kms, currently at 240k)
only 1 in 4 electric windows working
extremely high fuel consumption (from topped to almost at reserve ive done only 450 ish KMs (280 miles), and i think i have the big tank, but will confirm once i top it again)
sagging headline and most buttons with the fantastic audi paint/coat coming off
cut water level sensor
had 6 or more liters of oil in it, dipstick orange tip is cut in half and i cant see the bottom, i put 5L in this time..
all 3 engine mounts needing replacing
and pressure in the coolant (99% sure it has HG issues)

when i bought it i did a chemical test on the coolant and it was fine, although full of rust and old coolant. idk how i didnt notice then
ive changed all oils and filters and been cleaning the coolant regularly, but its slowly getting better . it doesnt seem like a big HG leak so hopefully can drive it as is for a while.

so far:
both front electric windows have been fixed
oil (used 5L), oil filter, fuel filter, air filter, cabin filter, thermostat replaced & many coolant flushes happened (running on distilled atm and change it now and then)
just very recently changed the thermostat, hopefully that will make my consumptions better (that was a heck of a job to change the tiny thing)
used some thermocure to remove the rust on the expansion tank, and the coolant level sensor is working again
will repair the other electric windows then move to the ceiling sag next!
 
Hello! I am from Porto, Portugal, and recently bought my first car and it was an A2 tdi (AMF). I took a train from Porto to Lisbon, bought the car and drove it back thats an adventure of its own. Its had quite a rough life and is a bit rough on the edges! I have some experience with old VP TDIs and this is my first PD.View attachment 114186

Fun extras included on arrival:
past history of the car in documents only goes up to 2015 (i have 0 clue what its been done besides timing at 209k kms, currently at 240k)
only 1 in 4 electric windows working
extremely high fuel consumption (from topped to almost at reserve ive done only 450 ish KMs (280 miles), and i think i have the big tank, but will confirm once i top it again)
sagging headline and most buttons with the fantastic audi paint/coat coming off
cut water level sensor
had 6 or more liters of oil in it, dipstick orange tip is cut in half and i cant see the bottom, i put 5L in this time..
all 3 engine mounts needing replacing
and pressure in the coolant (99% sure it has HG issues)

when i bought it i did a chemical test on the coolant and it was fine, although full of rust and old coolant. idk how i didnt notice then
ive changed all oils and filters and been cleaning the coolant regularly, but its slowly getting better . it doesnt seem like a big HG leak so hopefully can drive it as is for a while.

so far:
both front electric windows have been fixed
oil (used 5L), oil filter, fuel filter, air filter, cabin filter, thermostat replaced & many coolant flushes happened (running on distilled atm and change it now and then)
just very recently changed the thermostat, hopefully that will make my consumptions better (that was a heck of a job to change the tiny thing)
used some thermocure to remove the rust on the expansion tank, and the coolant level sensor is working again
will repair the other electric windows then move to the ceiling sag next!
You're quite a busy boy!
Welcome to A2OC membership.
Mac.
 
Welcome to the club! You'll get plenty of help here.
The dipstick tip on mine broke a couple of years ago but I got a complete replacement dipstick from an Audi dealer for about 15 euros.
And well played at the rugby world cup.
 
Welcome to the club! You'll get plenty of help here.
The dipstick tip on mine broke a couple of years ago but I got a complete replacement dipstick from an Audi dealer for about 15 euros.
And well played at the rugby world cup.
Thanks, I will attempt to contact my local dealership!

And thank you for the welcome!

Little update on the fuel tank, from just a tad above the red "reserve" line to completely topped up it took about 26.5 litres (5.8 uk gallons) and did about 430 km, so 6.16 L/100 or 45.86 British MPG. This confirms (i think) that i have the 34L tank. (its a 2002 car)
This is a tad bad but it was me running the car on old filters/oils, bad thermostat, and quite a bit of idling here and there. I've topped up with decent fuel and will be driving economically for a bit to see what the consumption is after all the changes (and post here if i don't forget) :)

The coolant seems to be holding up despite the HG issue, tubes gain a bit of pressure but i think its drivable for a while.

The coolant level sensor however still acts up for a few minutes after beginning driving then the warning goes away. It definitely has coolant, but the expansion vase is full of rust and crud. Will probably put a new expansion tank after removing the coolant tubes and treating them with thermocure..

One question, is there usually any sound when the coolant level warning starts displaying? Mine does nothing, just flashes the coolant signal on the dash. I haven't reached the fuel alert yet to know if theres a working beep.
 
HI,

I have the same car almost same issues! see my threads for help:


 
Hi krypz0n. Congrats for your purchase. One detail I noticed on your first post, you mentioned you changed the oil and put 5 litres. That seems a bit excessive to me (anyone feel free to correct me), I always have about a litre left when I change the oil. As you mentioned the tip of the dipstick being broken you should get a replacement asap.
Best,
Carlos
 
The A2 seems quite rare in Portugal, you did well. Shameless plug of the only A2 we saw during our road trip https://www.a2oc.net/community/index.php?media/2022-08-10_16-46-20-jpg.33220/
Funny you say that, the saturday after i purchased the car and went out with it with some friends, i saw like 7 A2s around my area :p
HI,

I have the same car almost same issues! see my threads for help:


Wow Edd, i took some time reading through your A2's adventure all the way to engine replacement and then turbo replacement after that, that was quite the effort! I have another tdi that has also had pressure in the coolant for atleast 3 years now, i will probably get to doing the HG on it by myself and use the A2 to get around in the meantime. Im not sure ill be as perfectionist as you were with the A2, atleast for now, too many todo's in the interior and engine bay (lots of cosmetic things!)
Hi krypz0n. Congrats for your purchase. One detail I noticed on your first post, you mentioned you changed the oil and put 5 litres. That seems a bit excessive to me (anyone feel free to correct me), I always have about a litre left when I change the oil. As you mentioned the tip of the dipstick being broken you should get a replacement asap.
Best,
Carlos
Hello Carlos, my dipstick has broken halfway in the orange part, im missing maybe 3-4CM, i will get around to getting another dipstick ASAP!
 
A little update (but with pics so looks a lot longer!)
There were lots of clunking noises while going over bumps, after searching quite a bit on the forum, i decided to order the ARB links and bushes. The bushes didnt arrive on time, and i couldn't wait, so i changed the links and its removed all noises, it's so much better to drive now..
IMG_20231016_202931.jpg


No wonder why, since all links looked like picrel, torn up and completely dry inside!! I asked for Meyle but the parts store man said they weren't very high quality, unlike what its said in this forum, he recommended FAG and i got those instead, let's see how they hold up!

I took appart the rear right window mechanism and noticed the little metal pin that moves the white plastic bit outside of where it should be. i put it back inside the white plastic part, but its missing the part that holds it in. Gonna see if i can make some kind of adapter similar to the kit that brings the pointed part in the following pic:
Screenshot 2023-10-15 234046.png

The rear left window suffers from the same issue so im 90% sure it'll be the same issue. Atleast the windows dont open while driving anymore, this plus the suspension fix makes the car a lot nicer to drive :D

The next steps will be removing the EGR/ASV and intake manifold, cleaning and putting new gaskets, since it seems theres a nasty oil leak going from the ASV valve to the rest of the back of the engine! I did a small remap deleting the EGR electronically, but am having second thoughts because im guessing it makes it take a lil longer to warm up fully, wish there was an EGR/TEMP map! :)
Screenshot 2023-10-16 232924.png


Also played around very gently with fuel maps to see if I could fuel the little turbo a bit more so it would generate boost sooner, since i previously logged on the highway on 4th gear, and the "requested" boost is way above the actual boost until around 2400 ish rpm! The power curve is a bit more smoother now!

Oh and i almost forgot, been raining the last few days and the wiper just wasn't doing it, my parts store had a pretty cheap bosch aerotwin for my non aero unit, and its butter smooth now! For anyone with the old-style wiper arm, its bosch A960S:

IMG_20231016_123923.jpg


I initially bought this car at a bargain with the idea to fix it up and resell, but am having second thoughts, its starting to become more confy to drive than my old ibiza!

edit: added missing pictures
 
Last edited:
welcome, I've recently did maintenace of oil pump chain/tensioner and found dip stick orange end in my sump (my dip stick is fine) so if you need it ..can post it over (joking),
wiper blade is important but check condition of your wiper arm..catch it before it will start to scratch your windscreen (part where two ends meet)... @depronman refurb services recommended
 
IMG_20231016_183226.jpg
IMG_20231017_201113.jpg

Today i picked up the ARB bushing and replaced on both sides, wow the suspension feels great! The ARB itself had a few rust spots tho.. if i ever have the time ill take it out, sand rhe rust and paint it. The ARBs diameter is 18.4mm +/- , so one of the upgraded ones?

I noticed something a bit urgent tho.. i dont know the name in english, but the rubber in the right hand side transmission is completely torn :(
IMG_20231017_194423.jpg


I also tried to quickly change the EGR seals but noticed the big inside air vent has a couple screws on top i didn't have time to get off (you have to take the plastic under the wipers off).

I noticed that the water duct from the hood to the left hand side, where the gearbox sits, instead of dropping the water on the tube that takes it to the ground, mostly drops on top of the gearbox (or a great quantity of water) is there anything i can do to not let water drip onto it
welcome, I've recently did maintenace of oil pump chain/tensioner and found dip stick orange end in my sump (my dip stick is fine) so if you need it ..can post it over (joking),
wiper blade is important but check condition of your wiper arm..catch it before it will start to scratch your windscreen (part where two ends meet)... @depronman refurb services recommended
Wiper arm still seems to have most of the bushing, but ill surely keep an eye on it! I PMed depronman in the meanwhile!
 
View attachment 114455View attachment 114456
Today i picked up the ARB bushing and replaced on both sides, wow the suspension feels great! The ARB itself had a few rust spots tho.. if i ever have the time ill take it out, sand rhe rust and paint it. The ARBs diameter is 18.4mm +/- , so one of the upgraded ones?

I noticed something a bit urgent tho.. i dont know the name in english, but the rubber in the right hand side transmission is completely torn :(
View attachment 114457

I also tried to quickly change the EGR seals but noticed the big inside air vent has a couple screws on top i didn't have time to get off (you have to take the plastic under the wipers off).

I noticed that the water duct from the hood to the left hand side, where the gearbox sits, instead of dropping the water on the tube that takes it to the ground, mostly drops on top of the gearbox (or a great quantity of water) is there anything i can do to not let water drip onto it

Wiper arm still seems to have most of the bushing, but ill surely keep an eye on it! I PMed depronman in the meanwhile!
need to do ARB rubbers on mine too, one you mentioned as damaged is CV boot for driveshaft looks like transmission end, on A2 removal of full driveshaft is easy job luckily
 
....

I noticed that the water duct from the hood to the left hand side, where the gearbox sits, instead of dropping the water on the tube that takes it to the ground, mostly drops on top of the gearbox (or a great quantity of water) is there anything i can do to not let water drip onto it

....
Good Afternoon,

That would suggest the drainage pipe is blocked or the cup is absent or out of position.

Andy
 
Good Afternoon,

That would suggest the drainage pipe is blocked or the cup is absent or out of position.

Andy
These are available new from Audi Tradition if needed. I’ve recently replaced mine as the old ones hard gone hard and we’re much more susceptible to preventing them doing their job
 
Good Afternoon,

That would suggest the drainage pipe is blocked or the cup is absent or out of position.

Andy
i have checked and under the hood/bonnet, on the gearbox side its missing the rubber "funnel"/rubber outlet. Is there any aftermarket or diy replacement?
 
need to do ARB rubbers on mine too, one you mentioned as damaged is CV boot for driveshaft looks like transmission end, on A2 removal of full driveshaft is easy job luckily
I will attempt this today, read somewhere you could replace it without having to take too many things appart, will update in a bit!
 
i have checked and under the hood/bonnet, on the gearbox side its missing the rubber "funnel"/rubber outlet. Is there any aftermarket or diy replacement?
Good Afternoon,

Just to check we are not at cross purposes. Are you saying the red circled drainage cup in the image below is missing?

1697986330271.png


Andy
 
A pic is worth a 1000 words :D

Am talking about the part that goes above that cup, as seen in
:
View attachment 114641
Glad I checked. Unsurprisingly the part looks to be NLA from Audi, hence your best chance of new is at Audi Tradition when they reopen after their stock take. The part number is 8Z0815941C.

However, surely one of our in-house recyclers will have one to sell, @Ami, @A2Steve, @Clackers.

Andy
 
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