Chat A2 1.4 tdi se new owner in bedfordshire

[Dazmo10]

Hi Guys & Girls

Daz here a proud new owner of a silver 2001 reg 1.4 TDI SE Model.Im only the second owner; previous was a farmers wife so doggy smells and muddy welly foot prints abound! but with a full Audi service history we can over look these small details right...

I had toyed with the idea of an A2 for sometime and with my sister close to passing her driving test, felt it would be a good car to own as a short term measure before passing it on to her; Ive sold my previous car recently to raise funds for something a little more sporty and far less practical. Having heard of the excellent green credentials of the A2 and having owned a number of small engined diesel cars in the past I felt it would be one I couldnt afford to not give a try and see if it lives up to its laudits, as well as make an excellent first car for my sister.

Without going into to much detail at this time, it has been a long and rocky road before ariving at this particular car; lets just say private sellers/dealers definitons of what makes a car in 'very good conditon for its age' differ wildly to my own and always on the wrong side of the scale.

I will be honest, my ownership experience so far has been overidingly a good one but I do feel a little disappointed so far in the famed mpg figures which I appear nowhere near to hitting my expectations or even match other similar engined vehicles I have owned. Now I know about driving styles, official mpg figures, the little fuel tank etc but even so as yet to not get over the at least 400 mile a tank figure I was hoping for, Im a little dissapointed. Please though, if my expectations are off the mark then Im happy to be corrected by you longer term, more experienced and no doubt more realistic owners out there.

May I just finish though with what I really came here to do? Convey my heartfelt thanks to you guys, be you members or owners and everything else inbetween, for making this website what it is; an absolute gold mine of information for a person about to dip into the world of A2 ownership. Yes I confess I was stalking the hallowed forums for several months prior to my joining today to help with my choice in vehicle, what to look for during the purchasing process, those niggling little queries you have having bought a new vehicle which is still 'alien' and going forward helping both in future technical issues I may have and evenmore so, just a good all round place to hangout and chat with fellow car nuts.

Thanks for your time Guys/Girls and keep an eye out for me..theres a certain John-Wingnut whom I need a little word with..rumour is he's a Vag Com owner and Im already looking for my first favour

Happy New Year.

Daz.

 

[MikeMarsUK]

Welcome to A2 ownership Hopefully you will get many happy years from it.

... Now I know about driving styles, official mpg figures, the little fuel tank etc but even so as yet to not get over the at least 400 mile a tank figure I was hoping for, Im a little dissapointed. ...

There are a large number of variables which could affect your MPG...
* Weather ... it's winter at the moment, and this affects warmup time badly. Mine has dropped dramatically.
* Journey distance ... the more efficient the engine, the longer it takes to warm up (because there is less heat wasted). While the engine is cold, it will be using a lot more fuel.
* Top cruising speed on the motorway
* Stop/go traffic

There are also things which can adversely affect your MPG, such as roof racks, towing, low tyre pressure, possibly also engine settings such as TPC but I don't know much about that.

I get my car serviced by Vince at Stealth Racing (a little north of Banbury on the M40), it's a bit of a drive but worth it.

 

[Adrian888]

Welcome to A2 ownership! So What is your actual MPG? 400 miles per tank on an early small tank A2 sounds ok to me bearing in mind I get around 480/500 miles out of a later much modified a2 which equates to 58/60 (winter) mpg - 62/64 (summer) mpg. As Mike says above there are simply too many variables and even just changing tyres can affect mpg by 3/4/5mpg. Also there is a law of diminishing returns and simple physics with any car and as discussed elsewhere on here by todays new car standards an A2 is no longer cutting edge in economy terms BUT still has many unique features.

 

[riverlad]

Hi Daz and welcome to the A2oc and A2 ownership. I am sure with a good clean you will be able to get those muddy boot marks out

That's the biggest problem with the second hand car market, sellers mostly always wildly over estimate the condtion of there car.

For your mpg most owners find they get between 50-70 mpg depending on a lot of things that you have already mentioned. Apart from Mike Mars who is a mpg god who gets 80mpg + but the rumour is that he dose not switch his car on. Just pushes it everywhere

I am shure your sister will love this as her first car. You will have to come along to a social they are a great day out to meet fellow A2 nuts

If you don't get hold of John I have vcds and not that far from you. As well as Jeff mustan-owner near Northampton

Cheers

David

 

[ashley7715]

I have the same car 1.4 tdi SE 2001 with the small tank and I get 350 miles to a tank that's mainly on a run. I have the longer 5th gear which makes a difference if not to economy certainly to comfort. Enjoy the new car.

 

[Mustang-owner]

Hi Daz,

Welcome to the A2OC…..

A nice little intro from you, and I'd agree with all that has been said so far regarding your current MPG.
As you have an early TDi you'll have the additional Webasto diesel heater, which, as I'm sure you're aware, when it's running will eat into those figures.

Please post some pics up of your new purchase.

As David has rightly advised, I also have VCDS and reside 4 miles from M1 J18....There is also another owner of VCDS just a couple of miles from John-W, and that's Hotstuff....Feel free to give any of us a shout.

Cheers

Jeff

 

[Dazmo10]

Thanks guys

See this is exactly my point such a supportive and warm community..feel like part of the furniture already.

If I may address some points raised by you guys here, if not unfortunately in depth, as such an overwhelming response already

Warm Up - Yes Ive never owned a car which has taken so long to reach operating temperature and then struggle to maintain it; the needle can flip flop around between 0 an 90 depending on my driving style, road conditions and the such like..Ive even been on motorway...steady 60mph with 90 on the temp gauge then I slip stream a lorry and it drops back to 60 and even lower. Now Ive had water pump, thermostat and coolant all changed very recently so assume its not a fault with car just characteristic?

MPG..Ah I see already my concerns may be bourn out of inexperience of owning this vehicle. I guess with only 2 full tanks filled and used since first ownership (just on my 3rd now) I am jumping the gun somewhat....Probaly a big factor is my reading about different full to empty tank figures on here and not considering I may be reading about a big tank result then comparing unfairly to my own small tank figures from this vehicle and experience of owning similar sized diesel engined cars but with larger tanks, previously. Actual MPG I have yet to calculate but so far from 2 fill ups..first was £42 (several clicks and diesel comming out the filler neck almost) at £1.40 a litre got me around 360 miles with around 70% town/30% Motorway. Second was £45 (2 clicks and diesel not visible at the filler neck ) at £1.40 a litre got me around 380 miles with around 60% town/40% Motorway. On both ocassions really pushing my luck so needle was on wrong side of final empty mark. And as for 80 MPG..I thought that was the domain Of Smart CDi's and my wildest (almost!) fantasies lol

2nd Hand Purchasing - Now I dont want to get to into this as A; I will fume and B; Its worthy of its own thread entirely but can people be a little for honest/straightforward/clear and accurate in describing the vehicles they have for sale? I know dealers have a living to make and as private owners we want the best price for our vehicles but after several shocking experiences, including a 4 hour each way trip to see a 2004 reg A2 in Anglesey which, instead of being in very good condition as described, struggled to actually meet the book definiton of poor condition and yet in no way reflected this in its pictures, description or pricing. To say I became mildly disheartend and dissillusioned in the whole car buying process is an understatement; Im used to buying at auction but with the A2 being a limited run car I felt I had to go the more traditonal routes which only reaffirmed to me; aside from price, why I prefer to buy this auction route. In conclussion I may not have been here talking to you guys as, quite unfairly to this model, I was put off the purchase of an A2 as I began to get the suspicion only the dogs came up for sale and the jewels stayed in the hands of connoisseurs such as yourselves.

VCDS - Thank you all so much for your generous offers, all under advisement and if I can direct you to my second post regarding the repair of my CCU module the reason I ask is that the module was repaired recently by the very efficient LAU and so I require my key fob to be re-matched to the module, as when the chip inside the module was changed this information is lost I'm led to beleive.

Webasto - Yes I became aware of the Webasto when parking the A2 inside my works place after it sat outside in the cold all day. The whirring noise from the engine bay, followed by the smell of diesel smoke and sight of a cloud rising from underneath the front caused to me to run around flapping my arms and panicking in the belief the car was on fire!..whats an introduction to the unusual features of A2 ownership I can tell you!..and shush keep it under your hats please..still embarrased now lol. Needless to say my first port of call was this fair website to find out exactley what the hell it was etc. and it goes without saying you guys didnt dissapoint..just wish the dealer had pointed out this feature before I jumped clean out of my skin..it was that close to a good fire extinguishing I can tell you.....lets just say ignoring my concerns over MPG, the heater has remained off ever since to keep my chance of a heart attack low.

Pictures. - I do intend to but the poor thing currently has some terribly curbed alloys; I suspect it spent time as a stand in tractor on its previous owners farm.Coupled with some dodgy Halfords touch up paint stick work on a rear arch, so my pride dictates until these are rectified I dare not reveal my shame to the rest of you, no doubt, owners of immaculate examples.

Sorry for going on and on but you have been so good to respond least I can do is try and be a worthy recipient of all your valued advice.

Many thanks,

Daz.

 

[MikeMarsUK]

... the needle can flip flop around between 0 an 90 depending on my driving style, road conditions and the such like..Ive even been on motorway...steady 60mph with 90 on the temp gauge then I slip stream a lorry and it drops back to 60 and even lower. ...

That sounds like the temperature sender is playing up, they are a bit unreliable. The part itself is about £10 - 15, but it can be awkward to fit. If it's particularly bad, it can cause the ECU to overfuel the engine, hence leading to lower MPG.


You have quite a bit of town driving, this will bring down your MPG a lot. I am lucky enough to only have a very small amount of town driving.

When you are adding fuel, and it's clicked off once, try pressing the little button on the inside/right of the filler pipe with the nozzle to release trapped air. Once that is done, continue filling slowly. You can get in another 4 litres that way (which is a lot of miles).

... And as for 80 MPG..I thought that was the domain Of Smart CDi's and my wildest (almost!) fantasies lol ...

It's been quite a few months now before I last had an 80mpg tank, you can only get figures like that in summer. Also, I've had £££ of work done to improve the mpg (such as a 6 speed gearbox), so my numbers aren't representative.

... Pictures. - I do intend to but the poor thing currently has some terribly curbed alloys; ...

Don't get embarrassed about that, the standard alloys corrode badly. A lot of people have had them refurbed to make them look nice again.

 

[Dazmo10]

Hi Mike

That sounds like the temperature sender is playing up,

Ok..I shall get that booked in for a little attention...It really can drop from 90 to 0 with no discernable change in driving style or conditions..is it a difficult job as Im a fairly decent home mechanic and have changed them before..assume its access isues then air locks in the cooling system afterwards etc ?

I look forward to my next fill up and clicking that button..theres nothing more I will enjoy than the challenge of pushing the upper limits of the mileage range from my Little Tank.

It's been quite a few months now before I last had an 80mpg tank

She must be quite some impressive vehicle; God only knows what you have done to her?. So far apart from a service, tyre pressures and having the MAF out to clean Ive not done anything more to help the MPG figures. I do plan a Re-Map, KN filter and Low Rolling Resistance tyres which on previous vehicles have always made noticable difference.

Don't get embarrassed about that, the standard alloys corrode badly

Well watch this space as I have my eyes on a nice set of Audi TT Mk 1 17" Ronals on ebay...

 

[Mustang-owner]

Daz,

If you're looking for economy then think long and hard with the TT Ronals......Yes they look nice (well I think so as I have them on mine ), but the weight is a real MPG killer.
I'm happy to forego economy for looks, but when I change to my winter lightweight 15's I see an immediate 10% increase in my MPG, therefore, for me, the 17” TT Ronal’s cost me 6MPG more than my 15’s.
I’m running Conti Sport Contacts all round.

I also have a longer 5th gear, and most of my driving is on dual carriageways at around the legal speed limit, so perhaps I could see even worse MPG with the Ronals if I didn’t have the taller 5th.

The above said, my car is fairly heavy with OSS and many options (take a look at some of my pictures)

I hope this helps

Cheers

Jeff

 

[MikeMarsUK]

...
She must be quite some impressive vehicle; God only knows what you have done to her?.

* Remap to 103hp from 75
* 6 speed gearbox via a kit
* Replaced the standard 16" rims with 15"
* LRR tyres, in a tall / narrow size (the tallness raises my gearing by 2.7% and the narrowness reduces rolling resistance)
* Running the tyres at about 45psi
* Underbody aero components from the 1.2L (95mpg) model
* Aero wiper blades
* ScanGaugeII
* Cruise control (not really for MPG, it's for taking the stress out of average speed camera zones)

... .is it a difficult job as Im a fairly decent home mechanic and have changed them before.. ...

Well, I'm not mechanical at all, so anything beyond changing a bulb tends to intimidate me. The access is awkward (although easier than changing the thermostat which is behind the alternator), but apart from that it is probably going to be exactly the same as you've done before. Make sure you have a spare O-ring & some spare coolant before you start.

... I look forward to my next fill up and clicking that button.. ...

It works like a little lever, you find the lever & open it with the diesel nozzle, and then you'll hear air hissing out. What happens normally is that when people screw in the filler cap, it opens the lever itself.

... So far apart from a service, tyre pressures and having the MAF out to clean Ive not done anything more to help the MPG figures. I do plan a Re-Map, KN filter and Low Rolling Resistance tyres which on previous vehicles have always made noticeable difference.
... I have my eyes on a nice set of Audi TT Mk 1 17" Ronals ...

A remap is a good idea, and so are LRR tyres. However I would argue against the K&N filter. The standard air filters on the A2 are very good, and let the air through very freely (as long as they have been changed when they were due, of course), and are more than sufficient for anything other than a fire-breathing monster engine. There is also a significant risk of oil contamination of the MAF.

Also, be aware that going to 17" rims will drop your MPG quite considerably, and the tyres will wear quicker. Depending on your tolerance & your local roads, you may or may not find them too harsh also (in fact, quite a few people on the forum are migrating towards the 15" size for comfort reasons).

 

[timmus]

Hi Dazmo,

It's good to see that the folk of this forum have flocked around your thread and provided the usual high standard of help and advice.

As has been suggested, the dual temp sender is probably on the blink, as such fluctuating temperates are not a characteristic of the A2. A dodgy temp sender can also result in reduced economy, so I'd make changing this a priority. It may be your policy anyway, but I'd be sure to buy a genuine Audi part, especially considering they're not at all pricey. As previously mentioned, a new clip and O-ring is also a good idea.

The rear drums on your A2 are over 10 years old and could be binding. This is a common issue and results in a noticeable drop in fuel economy. Audi supply a kit with new shoes, springs, adjusters, pistons, etc for both sides of the car for a very reasonable price of about £100.

When I first got my A2, I was disappointed by the fuel economy. However, as I learnt to drive the thing better and got on top of all the little issues that were eating into the car's efficiency, my MPG figures went up considerably. It's rare that I average less than 70mpg over a full tank these days.

Cheers,

Tom

 

[Hedge]

It's funny what you say about the travails of sourcing a decent car, Mr D. I'm where you were. Maybe we've seen the same ones! Been to see 4 now and they've "suffered" precisely from what you experienced. Quite why people feel the need to over-hype such a simple little car baffles me. Apart from the obvious reason(s) of course.

Getting a little disillusioned with it all right now as it goes. Forum owned cars don't come along too often and I keep missing them. I've reached the point where I'm not exactly rushing to see trade cars either, thus narrowing the field down hugely.

Oh well, we'll see.

Cheers, Hedge

 

[timmus]

I've now bought six A2s (my own followed by five others), so am fairly familiar with the process. The single thing that makes it the most difficult is people's wildly differing definitions of 'excellent condition'.

It might not be what you're looking for, but there's a forum member's TDI for sale at the moment: http://www.a2oc.net/forum/showthread.php?21365

Tom

 

[Hedge]

Thanks Tom. That one has also gone - within 24 hours - and I couldn't quite make it up to Scotland in time!

But yes, you're right. The liberal use of the words "excellent" and "condition" are driving me nuts...

Cheers, Hedge

 

[Dazmo10]

Thanks again Guys..such a spread of expert opinion I cant fail to go wrong hanging around these parts lol. If I may attempt to cover some of your points above;

If you're looking for economy then think long and hard with the TT Ronals

Its the old pay off of Style versus Substance so to speak...It hard to adjust to such relatively small wheels ( my last car had 19's ) cosmetically but as I did buy this car as an exercise more in economy than style, then the 15 route is wiser. Must admit havent seen any stock A2 15 inch wheels that I like as of yet..maybe the happy balance is the 16" SE styles I have now with LRR's and narrower tread perhaps?

However I would argue against the K&N filter.

Yes would always be the last of my 3 options to change...glad in a way would have done it my self but little awkward the way the filter is accessed from underneath...another example of the quirkyness of the A2 I guess...a K & N filter tends to let oil reach the MAF then ?..I assume you mean the oil inherent within the filter ofcourse?

The rear drums on your A2 are over 10 years old and could be binding

Funny you should mention that..came up as an advisory that one side was binding during the last service and now lovely grinding noise has developed on application of brakes..bell housing looks pretty shot too..are they a lot more on top of kit price?

It's funny what you say about the travails of sourcing a decent car, Mr D

Ahh funny and some times painfully real...I dont want to target this particular car as Im sure its common to many and with me being out of the mainstream market by following the auction route for so many years I may be out of touch as to te realities of the modern 2nd hand car market. Call me naive but couldnt people/traders just take a minute to put the 'shoe on the other foot' so to speak and consider would they really want their time and resources wasted in such a way?...keep on keeping on though because although its early days I feel its such a great car to own that the trials and tribulations will be outweighed by the returns of such a unique vehicle...oh BTW hope its you who has been lucky enough to have bought the TDI mentioned to me above by Timmus?

It might not be what you're looking for

Darn...lucked out again...Ah just a little too late and a little to rich for my blood, I paid £2500 when I finally landed my A2, but what a beauty of a car and much appreciated that you took the time to point it out to Hedge.....selfless acts like that should not go unpunished lol... just sad Hedge above is not the fortunate new owner...in future I shall be a little more patient in waiting for the right car to come up on this forum..eat your heart out Daz lol

 

[timmus]

Its the old pay off of Style versus Substance so to speak...It hard to adjust to such relatively small wheels ( my last car had 19's ) cosmetically but as I did buy this car as an exercise more in economy than style, then the 15 route is wiser. Must admit havent seen any stock A2 15 inch wheels that I like as of yet..maybe the happy balance is the 16" SE styles I have now with LRR's and narrower tread perhaps?

I currently have 17" wheels on my car; the 9-spoke Sport alloys. I love the look of them, but I've had to do a lot to the car to ge the ride sorted, as the A2's standard ride is stiff and crashy even before you introduce large wheels. I generally get about 75mpg while motorway cruising, so the extra weight on the wheels doesn't make much of a difference here. However, when town driving - continuously accelerating and braking heavier wheels - my economy does suffer.
So, 17" wheels are not a complete no-no. However, the TT Ronal wheels are noticeably heavier than the 9-spoke RS style that I currently have fitted.

There's room for style as well as substance. Rather than going for 15" wheels, why not get a set of 16s? Have a look at the wheels on the TDI that was for sale in the link above. They're 16" 7J wheels running 205/50 tyres; a combination that's generally thought to be an excellent compromise between handling, grip, ride comfort, looks and economy.

Funny you should mention that..came up as an advisory that one side was binding during the last service and now lovely grinding noise has developed on application of brakes..bell housing looks pretty shot too..are they a lot more on top of kit price?

I'm not sure of the price of the bell housings, though they're the same as those on the Fabia, Polo, etc, so they'll also be reasonably priced. Complete renewal of all components at once is far more economical than buying all the bits individually as and when they fail, and you'll get a much better handbrake for your efforts, too!

Cheers,

Tom

 

[MikeMarsUK]

...a K & N filter tends to let oil reach the MAF then ?..I assume you mean the oil inherent within the filter of course? ...

Yes, although if you are extremely sparing with the oil, the risk is lower. There are two sides to this ... the cost versus the benefit. The cost is that of the induction kit (plus the risk to your MAF), the benefit (for most people) is zero. If you don't have a finely tuned engine running big boost under your bonnet, I don't think there is any need for it.

... Funny you should mention that..came up as an advisory that one side was binding during the last service ...

Yeah that'll definitely kill your MPG. A common problem, and relatively cheap to fix. It's best to fix it ASAP rather than wait.

 

[Dazmo10]

Sorry for late reply guys..first week back at work and so the madenss begins again...lol

There's room for style as well as substance. Rather than going for 15" wheels, why not get a set of 16s?

You know the more I live with the 16" SE style alloys that came with the car the more I like them..they so suit it, look modern and if were replace or re-furbed then they would cut the mustard in my eyes. A lower profile LRR tyre would complete the package..and lets be fair if my sister is to inherit the car then really the wheels will be comming very friendly with kerbs....ouch

Complete renewal of all components at once is far more economical than buying all the bits individually

Cant argue witht that logic..looks like the pay packets going to stretch its self a little thinner end of this month...

If you don't have a finely tuned engine running big boost under your bonnet, I don't think there is any need for it.

Cant argue witht that logic..Glad you've convinced me, otherwise Mike I would be crawling under the car skinning my freezing cold knuckles this weekend lol

 

[Hooley]

Or increase the sidewall to down-gear the car for a little extra comfort and economy as well

J