Today I.....

It seems to me a MOT pass/fail is often down to the examiner. Last MOT had an advisory re pitted disks and again at a full service a few months later. Both done by my usual garage. I didn't get the disks replaced as the A2 has hardly done any miles since and the pads are only 1/2 worn.

Just spent two days cleaning the car inside and out and last night took it for a spin and an Italian tune up (it's a TDi so need to flush out the carbon) including some heavy high speed braking. Brakes are fine. Also checked all the lights. Headlights showing some crazing within the plastic - would they pass?

So this morning at 8am in for an MOT. It failed! Not the disks - not even mentioned; and not the headlights either - but the one of the rear indicator bulbs not yellow enough! Luckily the garage is nice and replaced both the bulbs without a labour charge and re-did the MOT FOC.

All that's left is to remove all the wheels and clean them front and back and I'll probably spray the rear sub-frame and hubs again with Krust.
 
So this morning at 8am in for an MOT. It failed! Not the disks - not even mentioned; and not the headlights either - but the one of the rear indicator bulbs not yellow enough! Luckily the garage is nice and replaced both the bulbs without a labour charge and re-did the MOT FOC.

Not yellow enough, that's a first :)

And in all fairness, with how easy the replacement of light bulbs for the rear lights is on an A2, it would almost have been criminal for them to actually charge labour.

But happy that another A2 survive the MOT of course :)
 
Not yellow enough, that's a first :)

And in all fairness, with how easy the replacement of light bulbs for the rear lights is on an A2, it would almost have been criminal for them to actually charge labour.

But happy that another A2 survive the MOT of course :)
I went to Audi last year for a service rather than my usual Audi specialist dealer. They picked up the rear bulbs on their "health check" service and then wanted to charge £82 for fitting new bulbs. Couldn't believe it.

Picked up some new bulbs for £4 on my way home and fitted them in the car park instead.
 
I went to Audi last year for a service rather than my usual Audi specialist dealer. They picked up the rear bulbs on their "health check" service and then wanted to charge £82 for fitting new bulbs. Couldn't believe it.

Picked up some new bulbs for £4 on my way home and fitted them in the car park instead.
I can believe it!

You are a very brave man for taking it there in the first place ?
 
I went to Audi last year for a service rather than my usual Audi specialist dealer. They picked up the rear bulbs on their "health check" service and then wanted to charge £82 for fitting new bulbs. Couldn't believe it.

Picked up some new bulbs for £4 on my way home and fitted them in the car park instead.

Reminds me of an episode I had with VW. For our Polo we always had the car serviced at local VW dealer, always happy and pricing very reasonable, until one day... The rear central brake light had a few LED no longer working, but still enough to pass MOT. When I enquired about the price of the new light and the fitting, they quoted me in excess of £150. A bit steep I thought, so I bought the original part myself from an Audi dealership in Germany. €35 including shipping... and now the best part, the actual fitting took me 2 minutes, that's right 2 minutes... That was the last time I went to a VW dealership.
 
Reminds me of an episode I had with VW. For our Polo we always had the car serviced at local VW dealer, always happy and pricing very reasonable, until one day... The rear central brake light had a few LED no longer working, but still enough to pass MOT. When I enquired about the price of the new light and the fitting, they quoted me in excess of £150. A bit steep I thought, so I bought the original part myself from an Audi dealership in Germany. €35 including shipping... and now the best part, the actual fitting took me 2 minutes, that's right 2 minutes... That was the last time I went to a VW dealership.
Morning all,

I can add the how much Dealers ask for unnecessary work.

Our 2012 A6 Avant, whilst just out of warranty offered to investigate why our Sat Nav was not picking up and satellites. FOC the changed the roof antenna for an unpainted one which didn’t solve the problems so the called my up and said I needed a new MMI head unit (which obviously no longer looks like a convention head unit) to which I declined. The MMI system worked perfectly less for Sat Nav.

For this work they wanted £1990 plus VAT.

Some 18 months later I lost a work permit pass (credit card size) down the gaps of the flip up screen. So had to remove the trim along with head unit and flip up screen. Not the most difficult task actually. Anyway, once I had the MMI head unit out I recognised the GPS antenna connector was the same as the RNS-E.

I quickly removed my GPS antenna from the A2 and tried it in the A6. Guess what, picked up 6 satellites within seconds.

Went on eBay and found a new GPS antenna from somewhere in the SW UK for £5 delivered. Still working perfectly a few of years later.

Their diagnostics and technicians was not very good on the day they had my A6.

£5 Vs £1990 plus VAT (which wouldn’t of even resolved the issue as I later found it to be a corroded connector in one of the 3 (or 4) looms between the antenna to the head unit)

Although I was absolutely over the moon, it reminded me why I will shouldn’t have gone there in the first place.

Kind regards,

Tom
 
Morning all,

I can add the how much Dealers ask for unnecessary work.

Our 2012 A6 Avant, whilst just out of warranty offered to investigate why our Sat Nav was not picking up and satellites. FOC the changes the roof antenna for an unpainted one which didn’t solve the problems so the called my up and said I needed a new MMI head unit (which obviously no longer looks like a convention head unit) to which I declined. The MMI system worked perfectly less for Sat Nav.

For this work the my want £1990 plus VAT.

Some 18 months later I lost a work permit pass (credit card size) down the gaps of the flip up screen. So had to remove the trim along with head unit and flip up screen. Not the most difficult task actually. AnyWay, once I had the MMI head unit out I recognised the GPS antenna connector was the same as the RNS-E.

I quickly removed my GPS antenna from the A2 and tried it in the A6. Guess what, picked up 6 satellites within seconds.

Went on eBay and found a new GPS antenna from somewhere in the SW for £5 delivered. Still working perfectly a few of years later.

Their diagnostics and technicians was not very good on the day they had my A6.

£5 Vs £1990 plus VAT (which wouldn’t of even resolved the issue as I later found it to be a corroded connector in one of the 3 (or 4) looms between the antenna to the head unit)

Although I was absolutely over the moon, it reminded me why I will shouldn’t have gone there in the first place.

Kind regards,

Tom

Maybe we should start a new thread where we can vent about these episodes, and keep this thread for more positive stories :)
 
It seems to me a MOT pass/fail is often down to the examiner. Last MOT had an advisory re pitted disks and again at a full service a few months later. Both done by my usual garage. I didn't get the disks replaced as the A2 has hardly done any miles since and the pads are only 1/2 worn.

Just spent two days cleaning the car inside and out and last night took it for a spin and an Italian tune up (it's a TDi so need to flush out the carbon) including some heavy high speed braking. Brakes are fine. Also checked all the lights. Headlights showing some crazing within the plastic - would they pass?

So this morning at 8am in for an MOT. It failed! Not the disks - not even mentioned; and not the headlights either - but the one of the rear indicator bulbs not yellow enough! Luckily the garage is nice and replaced both the bulbs without a labour charge and re-did the MOT FOC.

All that's left is to remove all the wheels and clean them front and back and I'll probably spray the rear sub-frame and hubs again with Krust.
Your are spot on? MOTs are totally Russian roulette. It totally depends on how a good evening/morning the tester has had….. some stick to the rules and many bend the rules. A total monopoly for the motor trade.
 
Not yellow enough, that's a first :)
MOT says "incorrect colour". To be fair, they showed me the bulb and some of the yellow/orange coating had come off. I did check the indicators last night but a side view / glance did not suggest anything was wrong. I suspect one would need to look at the lights straight on and close up.
 
MOT says "incorrect colour". To be fair, they showed me the bulb and some of the yellow/orange coating had come off. I did check the indicators last night but a side view / glance did not suggest anything was wrong. I suspect one would need to look at the lights straight on and close up.
Interesting as I'm sure that my A2 has clear bulbs for the indicators, I wonder how many owners know that they should be yellow?
I checked 7zap (item 8 in link below) and sure enough it indicates coated bulbs, but also shows an alternative with blue coating, when would these be used?
https://audi.7zap.com/en/rdw/audi+a2/a2/2003-248/9/945-945000/
 
Nee, Nah, Nee, Nah. ???

On a related note I've bit the bullet and ordered new H7 halogens for the dipped beam today. Some of these:

H7s

I've come to the realisation that my very good LED H7s whilst safe to other road users cant be sustained within the current legislation. There are now approved LED bulbs that could be fitted (expensive but very good) but it seems thats too much for our MOT and road law system to cope with.

On another topic hoping to get the A2 through its MOT this week and have all the parts required to replace the power steering pipes, and handbrake cables. Fingers crossed I can get it back on the road soon.
 
There are now approved LED bulbs that could be fitted (expensive but very good) but it seems thats too much for our MOT and road law system to cope with.

Is there no way to get a combination of OEM headlight and LED bulbs approved?
What happens to imported LHD cars, do they not have to have their headlights changed to be used in the UK? Could there be a loophole through something like that?

In DE I'm still hoping to get LED bulbs approved through a test usually used for imported cars with modified headlights, though at 1500€/car it's a bit much for now for something that is a 50/50 pass/fail.

Will be swapping to 185/55 winter pepperpots tomorrow, hoping they are as economic as last years 175/60 snowflakes, assuming TÜV doesn't throw a wrench in my plans. No mounting whatever you want over here, unfortunately ?

These are now fitted and TÜVed, the latter at 135€. ?‍?️ ("Today I..." fitted the hubcaps)
So far, rolling resistance of the mounted Dunlop Winter Responses seems basically the same as my 205 R17 Barums which is a bit of a letdown.
In direct comparison, the wheels also feel almost too light, really gotta get used to that. ?
Lastly, looks.. might yet consider having them painted for next year - silver 'pots seem to go better with more muted colours ?

1634322361324.png
 
Is there no way to get a combination of OEM headlight and LED bulbs approved?
What happens to imported LHD cars, do they not have to have their headlights changed to be used in the UK? Could there be a loophole through something like that?

Alas no way to do this in the UK other than legislation unfortunately.

For imports I'm not sure but I suspect if police here believe after market led bulbs have been fitted to halogen housings they will stop you. I've yet to here of anyone being stopped if I'm honest but there may be leniency at the moment to give people time to transition
 
Is there no way to get a combination of OEM headlight and LED bulbs approved?
What happens to imported LHD cars, do they not have to have their headlights changed to be used in the UK? Could there be a loophole through something like that?

In DE I'm still hoping to get LED bulbs approved through a test usually used for imported cars with modified headlights, though at 1500€/car it's a bit much for now for something that is a 50/50 pass/fail.



These are now fitted and TÜVed, the latter at 135€. ("Today I..." fitted the hubcaps)
So far, rolling resistance of the mounted Dunlop Winter Responses seems basically the same as my 205 R17 Barums which is a bit of a letdown.
In direct comparison, the wheels also feel almost too light, really gotta get used to that.
Lastly, looks.. might yet consider having them painted for next year - silver 'pots seem to go better with more muted colours

View attachment 87179
Great looking car Seb, in my opinion far better than the CS version. All it needs is a Votex kit, same colour as the body!

Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk
 
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