Is it time to let go?

D

dafinki

Member
I’ve had my 1.6FSI since 2011 and in recent years have had it serviced at a local garage (am in central London) who unfortunately disappeared at the end of the pandemic. I am an enthusiastic owner but not at all a mechanic. It’s behaving well, fuel efficiency has dropped though.

I took it to back Russell Automotive who I’d not visited since 2019, seems like a different bunch of people working there; I see that sadly the owner Steve Russell passed away in 2019 so maybe that had something to do with it. For info they don’t offer the A2OC 10% discount anymore either.

So the issues

- condensation in front lights (not enough to fail the MOT though)
- slight tapping noise from engine
- heater blower intermittently fluctuates in speed (think it’s always been like this)
- a/c connector caps missing
- exhaust fumes coming into cabin suspect from leaking exhaust pipe from engine block (I can’t say I ever noticed this & have a keen sense of smell but okay)
- inlet manifold cracked and blowing hot exhaust fumes onto thermostat housing which may melt (assuming they mean outlet? That’ll explain the fuel guzzling?)
- rear brake discs scored and pitted
- nsr wheel slightly binding
- fuel filter badly corroded
- slight mist of oil on engine sump

They gave it a dire prognosis saying I’d probably only get another year out of it since Audi stopped manufacturing replacement parts and they wouldn’t recommend second hand. I really would like to keep it running, it’s great fun and a perfect runaround (gotta love that ULEZ compliance!)

Thoughts?
 
dafinki said:
I’ve had my 1.6FSI since 2011 and in recent years have had it serviced at a local garage (am in central London) who unfortunately disappeared at the end of the pandemic. I am an enthusiastic owner but not at all a mechanic. It’s behaving well, fuel efficiency has dropped though.

I took it to back Russell Automotive who I’d not visited since 2019, seems like a different bunch of people working there; I see that sadly the owner Steve Russell passed away in 2019 so maybe that had something to do with it. For info they don’t offer the A2OC 10% discount anymore either.

So the issues

- condensation in front lights (not enough to fail the MOT though)
- slight tapping noise from engine
- heater blower intermittently fluctuates in speed (think it’s always been like this)
- a/c connector caps missing
- exhaust fumes coming into cabin suspect from leaking exhaust pipe from engine block (I can’t say I ever noticed this & have a keen sense of smell but okay)
- inlet manifold cracked and blowing hot exhaust fumes onto thermostat housing which may melt (assuming they mean outlet? That’ll explain the fuel guzzling?)
- rear brake discs scored and pitted
- nsr wheel slightly binding
- fuel filter badly corroded
- slight mist of oil on engine sump

They gave it a dire prognosis saying I’d probably only get another year out of it since Audi stopped manufacturing replacement parts and they wouldn’t recommend second hand. I really would like to keep it running, it’s great fun and a perfect runaround (gotta love that ULEZ compliance!)

Thoughts?
Click to expand...
B&F autos got to be worth a try,
I wouldn’t be giving your current garage any more business if it was mine
Keith.
 
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Find a garage with mechanics who knows there bums from their elbows (polite version)

Defo would not be going back to them
Audi may have stopped supporting the A2 but that is no reason at all for the remaining cars to be disappear from the roads
They sound like members of the throw away society that we live in

Paul


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You could do a lot worse than contacting B&F Autos down in West Hounslow. They really do know their A2's and don't charge stupid money.

Short walk from West Hounslow tube as well.

PS Just noticed that Keith has also recommended them.
 
They simply don't want to work on your car.
Mac.
Edit: Nothing personal.
They have plenty of easier pickings to make money on.
Your car, (not just because it's an A2), requires genuine mechanic's skills, which their business model doesn't need.
Mac.
 
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As I had changed the LH headlight and don’t have a beam setter I used the garage wall to set the aim. It wasn’t good enough for the mot.
I’d replaced the rear axle with a refurbished one and had left the handbrake a little loose. But as the local garage just fixes things like that and charges £10 I wasn’t too bothered.
However I have free mot for life at the local Audi dealer as they had a deal on cam belt and waterpump change. So it went there.
They wanted £179 to “investigate” the headlight aim and £89.50 to adjust the hand brake.
So it’s back to the local garage for its mot from now…..
Boo Audi dealer!
 
PlasticMac said:
They simply don't want to work on your car.
Mac.
Edit: Nothing personal.
They have plenty of easier pickings to make money on.
Your car, (not just because it's an A2), requires genuine mechanic's skills, which their business model doesn't need.
Mac.
Click to expand...
Totally got that impression. They offered to vet any car I wanted to buy…for a fee I imagine.
 
It's not time to let go.
A cup of tea, note pad and pen to write your headings down about your 1.6 revival project. Populate those headings with all you can find out about each problem. Mini projects so to speak, then priorotise them. This will make a good read when you post your journey on here. Good luck and don't give up.😎👍
 
Garages can swap a part that costs £500, in a couple of hours.
Markup on the part, (20%), plus a couple of, (very light), hours labour, gives you a comfortable couple of hundred pounds, and you're just in time for the mid morning cuppa.
Fixing the dodgy connector? Similar labour, but no parts margin. No contest.
Get another one in before lunch.
Heaven, (hell, more likely), knows what will happen if it's an EV ...
Find a mechanic worthy of the title, and nurture them. They exist, but need our support.
Mac.
 
As a side note here……look up ‘Ford ecoboost nightmare’ to see some of the eye watering amounts of money some are paying out on 3/4/5 year cars with problems. After reading about people’s misery and running costs on what is supposed to be an affordable car, it makes even the most needy A2 look like chicken feed. 8k fo a replacement engine that’s done less than 30,000 miles. Some A2’s on here still do this annually!!
 
datsundrew said:
As a side note here……look up ‘Ford ecoboost nightmare’ to see some of the eye watering amounts of money some are paying out on 3/4/5 year cars with problems. After reading about people’s misery and running costs on what is supposed to be an affordable car, it makes even the most needy A2 look like chicken feed. 8k fo a replacement engine that’s done less than 30,000 miles. Some A2’s on here still do this annually!!
Click to expand...

I think the term is eco boom
 
Cenick said:
I think the term is eco boom
Click to expand...

Apparently down to the timing belt running in the oil and degrading over time the bits of the belt block up the oil strainer this starving the engine of oil
You’ve gotta ask why some twit of an engineer thinks it’s a good idea to run the belt in Oil when we have been avoiding getting oil on the belt for the last 60 years


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depronman said:
Apparently down to the timing belt running in the oil and degrading over time the bits of the belt block up the oil strainer this starving the engine of oil
You’ve gotta ask why some twit of an engineer thinks it’s a good idea to run the belt in Oil when we have been avoiding getting oil on the belt for the last 60 years


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Yes it’s a ridiculous idea. I have a friend who is a specialist within the ford circles, he get paid good money to diagnose issues with Ford products and work out a fix so main dealer can then carry out that fix. I have had some very interesting conversations with him! Let’s just say that there was obviously a lot of testing, and then just after the engines went into production………ethanol went into the fuel?? That eats rubber, ethanol gets past rings, into the oil, long oil service intervals, small sump capacity. The perfect and expensive storm!
 
Nonsense. Take it elsewhere or better yet to a garage that people on here would recommend.

I cannot believe half of what you described in the list bar the misted headlights!

There is a point of no return on the FSIs but only based on solid evidence and such have not been provided to you.
 
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