Sick of getting ripped off....

P

Purplegoth

Member
Hi everyone,

I've just had my car serviced and I have been given a list of things that are wrong and need sorting out. Please could someone let me know if they are indeed essential and if so, where can I go to get them fixed at a reasonable cost. I've had an Audi dealership rip me off for over £2000 because they took the car apart, discovered a problem with the steering column, couldn't put the car back together so I had no choice but to have it fixed there.

OK, here's the list:

  • Air conditioning service and deodourise
  • Replace cabin filter
  • Replace front wiper blade and screen degreasing
  • Secure and replace clamps for O/S/F and N/S/F inner CV
  • Engine flush and fuel treatment
  • Replace N/S/F and O/S/F link rods excessive play
  • Replace complete dipstick
  • Replace O/S/R bulb holder corroded
  • Suspect nearside front wheel damaged/leaking causing slow deflation; requires tyre removed and wheel inspected
  • Replace N/S/R tyre 3mm tread remaining and advised
  • Replace N/S/R tyre worn on inner edge and advised

As for the nearside front wheel, I know there is a problem with that. I have to fill the tyre every 2 weeks (it reaches 7 or 8 PSI when it should be 30). However, I have that tyre replaced 3 times in 18 months and the slow leak keeps happening regardless of what tyre I get or what garage I go to.

I'm sorry for the long winded rant but I am so sick of getting ripped off because I don't know a great deal about cars. I don't have the money to throw away!! Any advise would be greatly appreciated.
Engine flush and fuel treatment
 
Is air conditioning working correctly? if so then leave it alone.
Replace cabin filter yourself - DIY on here
Replace wiper blade yourself
Clamps on CV either DIY or get a local garage to do it
Engine flush? does it need flushing or an oil change, change oil and oil filter yourself
Replace link rods yourself
Remove dipstick, replace with new one
Replace bulb holder yourself
N/S front wheel is likely to be buckled/damaged, therefore no matter which tyre you put on it will leak, replace the wheel.
Replace other worn tyres too and get car tracking done.

Most of these things are a DIY fix.



Cheers
Sarge
 
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Hi Purple Goth,

Having not seen the car, it's very difficult to say what's essential and what's not. Making that assessment is also very dependent upon the relationship you have with the car. For those of us who strive for perfection, all the jobs you've listed would be considered essential, but if you have a somewhat utilitarian attitude towards your car, then the list can be shaved a little.

The essentials:
  • Secure and replace clamps for O/S/F and N/S/F inner CV - Definitely get this done. The garage also need to ensure that there's plenty of grease within the boot before they put the new clips in place.
  • Replace N/S/F and O/S/F link rods excessive play - A common issue on the A2. Sooner or later, you'll get a knocking noise when going over bumps unless this is sorted.
  • Suspect nearside front wheel damaged/leaking causing slow deflation; requires tyre removed and wheel inspected - It sounds like you've got a damaged wheel. A wheel that's no longer perfectly round (due to a harsh encounter with a pot hole, for instance) will leak air from around the 'squared off' section of the wheel.
  • Replace N/S/R tyre worn on inner edge and advised - If the tyre is illegally worn, it needs to be replaced.
The rest of the list...

  • Air conditioning service and deodourise - Do you use your air conditioning? Is it currently working ok? Do you want it to keep working properly?
  • Replace cabin filter - When was this last done? It has nothing to do with the vehicle's ability to drive around, but the climate control system will thank you for fitting a new one.
  • Replace front wiper blade and screen degreasing - Does this need doing? Does the wiper work well, or does it just smear water around the screen without actually clearing your view?
  • Engine flush and fuel treatment - It can't do any harm, but if it's going to add a lot to the bill, you can consider this optional.
  • Replace complete dipstick - Is the current one broken? The A2 has an electronic oil level sensor, so you can get by without the dipstick.
  • Replace O/S/R bulb holder corroded - Do all the rear lights on the driver's side work properly?
  • Replace N/S/R tyre 3mm tread remaining and advised - From a strict legal point of view, this tyre still has 1.4mm of tread remaining, meaning that replacement isn't necessary. However, it'll be in the pipeline soon.
Cheers,

Tom
 
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Think the chaps above have hit the nail firmly on the head.

Essentially you need a wheel (get on eBay), a tyre, drop links and the CV boots filling with grease and securing. The dipstick is ~£10 from Audi too, so no biggy.

If money is tight just get round to the other things if and when needed. If things aren't broken, leave them alone.

My CV boot was secured/greased by a local Indy while the car was in for something else, at no charge. The drop links are a common failure too. Not a big job, nor expensive.
 
Thank you for the advice everyone!

If I were able to get hold of a wheel on ebay (I'm having trouble getting one; it seems you can only get them in sets of 4), would a garage be able to fit it for me? I've emailed several local garages and they have all said that they can't do wheel replacements or refurbishment.

One other thing that I wanted to raise was that my warning lights keep coming. I notice it, for example, I am accelerating over a shiny surface, like a drain cover, and I seem to lose all traction. But the warning and ABS light will come on and the car will beep for no reason, even when I am sitting at traffic lights. The only way to get rid of it is to turn the engine off. One day it will do it 4-5 times day, on others only once or not at all.

What do you think this could be?
 
Purplegoth said:
Thank you for the advice everyone!

If I were able to get hold of a wheel on ebay (I'm having trouble getting one; it seems you can only get them in sets of 4), would a garage be able to fit it for me? I've emailed several local garages and they have all said that they can't do wheel replacements or refurbishment.

One other thing that I wanted to raise was that my warning lights keep coming. I notice it, for example, I am accelerating over a shiny surface, like a drain cover, and I seem to lose all traction. But the warning and ABS light will come on and the car will beep for no reason, even when I am sitting at traffic lights. The only way to get rid of it is to turn the engine off. One day it will do it 4-5 times day, on others only once or not at all.

What do you think this could be?
Click to expand...

Any local tyre depot, KwickFit etc will be able to replace the wheel for you, better go to a smaller dealer though, some Kwickfit type depots won't fit parts supplied elsewhere, but they would probably fit the wheel and balance it for you.

They often come up in singles on eBay, do you have a picture of the wheel so we can help?

Steve B
 
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Funnily enough, I emailed Kwikfit today and they said that wasn't a service they could offer me. I've spoken with 5 or 6 garages today and not one of them have been able to help.

I don't have a picture I'm afraid but I'll see if I can sort one out.
 
Purplegoth said:
Funnily enough, I emailed Kwikfit today and they said that wasn't a service they could offer me. I've spoken with 5 or 6 garages today and not one of them have been able to help.

I don't have a picture I'm afraid but I'll see if I can sort one out.
Click to expand...

They are saying that if you take a replacement wheel they will not fit it to your car and put your existing tyre on it>>

That is a dreadful service and probably all due to the "We can't fit something we didn't supply just in case anything goes wrong" health and safety nonsense !!!!

Any independent tyre dealer will do that for you.

I do despair sometimes of this "more than my job is worth" nonsense.
I bought some tyres recently from eBay and took them to KwikFit and they refused point blank to fit them.
I took them to an independent tyre garage near me and they fitted all 4 for TWENTY pounds !!!

Have you seen any on eBay that are the same but sold in 4s as you say?

I am sure that someone on here will have a wheel if we know which one it is that you have.

I See that you are in Berkshire, I am only in the Staines / Windsor area I am sure that I could help you get this sorted.


I can ensure that the essential jobs are done for you at a sensible price (not garage or main dealer prices) and they would be done by someone who knows the A2 as good as, if not better than main dealers.

You won't get ripped off, I can promise that.

Cheers
Steve B
 
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The service that you require depends entirely on what you purchase by way or a replacement. If you simply buy a bare wheel without a tyre, then you're going to need a garage that have the ability to move the tyre from your existing damaged wheel onto your new one. This requires a special machine that not all garages have. If, however, you buy a wheel that is already fitted with a tyre, then it's simply a case of taking one wheel off and putting another one on. This is a job that'd take me (or anyone who works at any garage) 5 minutes by the side of the road.

So, I'd suggest you start by sourcing yourself a new wheel. Once you've got that, more advice can be given.
If you can only buy them in sets of 4, you might consider buying 4 and selling the other 3 on the forum, as there'll certainly be members who'd take them as spares.

Cheers,

Tom
 
The one's I currently have on are 185/50R 16 81V.

I can't understand why a garage would turn down money!! Even if they haven't supplied the items, surely that would like the money gained from the fitting rather than have none at all. I really don't trust 'big' garages like Kwikfit; I've had nothing but bad services from them and they charge you the earth because they are convenient. Makes me really angry!
 
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