A2!'s TDI Project

A few weeks ago I had the car in at a local Audi Specialist and had the genuine timing belt kit and water pump fitted. Lucky I did as I was told a bolt or such on the tensioner (I think) hadn't been put on properly and was ready to break ! :eek:

Also a few weeks ago I received my hard touch light switch. I had a bit of trouble getting it due a postage problem, but it eventually came. Sadly once I installed it I noticed two of the LED's were not working properly and the illumination switch felt slack and didn't work at all. :( I ended up having to take apart my old one and essentially used only the icon ring facia and dial (a lot of money for a few bits of plastic :( ).

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Changed my brake light bulbs and noticed how flaked the indicator bulbs are (no wonder they are not very orange) so that will be on the to do list.

Just ordered stuff to refurb the headlights and should be getting the windows tinted soon.

Will update once more stuff has been done.
 
Well done. Super rare hardtouch with fogs. Need to do the same with mine when I can find one.

james
 
Been detailing the car today! While out working on the car the postie brought my headlight stuff

From reviews etc I should have bought the 3m kit but as a fan of Meguiars products I just went for theirs. Products are below (already had the quick detailing spray hence the top is broke):

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As I said in the previous post that I was annoyed at the amber lights being too white and noticed how they had peeled away. So tonight I rummaged around my drawers to find a set I had left from my other car when I changed them over to chrome finished ones.

As you can see hardly any of the amber colour was left! More worryingly this further adds to the list of how did this car pass its MOT with no advisories a month before I bought it.


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When I changed my indicator bulbs for chrome ones a few weeks back, I noticed exactly the same condition with the off-side one. Car passed its MOT some weeks before too. I guess despite condition, there must be sufficient coating to still emit enough of an orange glow and appear (or should that be indicate) orange when non-operational.
 
Thumbs up from me for fitting the chrome coated indicator bulbs. Looks much better. Lookalike this project is coming along nicely. Have fun. Mike
 
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Looks like you used that Meguiars headlight restoration kit too. Used it on the Jazz a couple of months ago and what a difference! Easy to use and great results.
 
Looks like you used that Meguiars headlight restoration kit too. Used it on the Jazz a couple of months ago and what a difference! Easy to use and great results.

Haven't use it yet, the lenses aren't too bad but one is certainly worse than the other. I should be sorting them today or tomorrow will post a pic of the difference.
 
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Last few weeks I have had a lot of problems with a damaged cat and cracked centre pipe. Today I got it fixed with a custom stainless steel setup :)
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Loved the headlight cleanup, will need to try that properly, got dismayed after hazing up a spare foglight but you have inspired me to give it a go again, great result!
 
Last few weeks I have had a lot of problems with a damaged cat and cracked centre pipe. Today I got it fixed with a custom stainless steel setup :)
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Looks great. What were the specs? Looks like you've had a decat as well. Can I ask the cost of the system?
 
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I love people in this club who mod their cars. But please, think twice before removing your cat. It's there to reduce emissions. We all live on the same planet. What you emit will affect other people in the world. Including other club members, like me.
 
Yes it was decat. I have a stainless custom twin pipe system on my c1, but it isn't decat and I'm happy with that. So I was going get it with one, but after talking to the guy at C&C he insisted it would be better to save money and increase performance. I'll leave it until mot time to decide, as he said it wasn't a problem to add the sports cat on later (at a cost of about £260 I think).
As for spec I haven't had it tested for increased performance and not sure of dimensions etc but I do know it is made of 304/316 grade stainless steel. The price was £360. When you considered I needed to buy the full front to back system if buying original parts, and that this one is covered by a lifetime warranty, it seemed the best way to go.


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I had not done much to the a2 recently as I had an accident, as mentioned in an earlier post a couple of months ago. This meant my car was needing a new radiator and loads of other parts. With this adding to my previously large list of fixes this certainly feels like the car has became more of a project than first thought.

Today I finally got round to servicing it myself. With glow plugs, air filter, engine flush, oil change and filter change completed !

While doing this I spent some time cleaning underneath and tried to find out where an oil leak was coming from.

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Seems to be from here. I cleaned around the engine a while back as I though it might have been the main seal but it's it still dry.

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Seems I need a new intercooler too as it appears to have oil coming from it.

One of the other problems I have is the front is just not sitting straight, but I feel this is something that I need a new thread for as I do need help with that.

Should be getting my rear drums fixed In a week or two as they are atrocious at the moment ! :(

Anyway that's was just a little update I'm hoping in the next two months to have a raft of additions.




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Just a quick update from my mobile phone. Haven't posted recently as if it has not been one thing with the car its been another.

So a long time back I replaced the wiper arm as it was not wiping properly as it had been bent to stop it from scraping the windscreen, not to mention it needed resprayed black as that was falling off.

I also got my cables replaced for the handbrake. Then buffed off the rust on the drums and repainted them.

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Before

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After​

Recently I've had the worse of vibration etc through the wheels so had to change the direction of where to focus working on the car.

I was going to do this in January but then had other problems. First I had a flat battery. So I replaced it only to have a flat tyre the next morning.

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Replaced battery with Exide Premium EA852 85Ah 800CCA 5 Year Warranty​

I bought two new ones as they were needing replaced, these were to take three days to come. So I went to use my other car which I don't use much, I found it had a flat battery and ceased rear drums :( . Once my tyres came in I decided to take them off myself and hand them over to get it done on the spot to save me time as I know the guy well. Sadly I broke my locking nut doing this and then broke the replacement one aswell after finding my bar for taking them off was twisted. So had to buy two replacement keys each €16 and taking a weeks delivery from McGard in Germany. So now I've got it booked in for Tuesday to find out what terrible things are wrong.



Also in that time I changed the oil again (Helix Ultra ECT (C2/C3) 0W-30) just for peace of mind that's it has been cleaned out.

I also tried various additives with various levels of success.

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Used the above in the car and have found it performs better and has better fuel efficiency​

The only thing I really love doing to cars is adding aesthetic parts and due to all my troubles this has been the last thing on my mind. I have however bought a new set of rear mud guard from crew Audi on the forum. It also seems that my replica votex spoiler is coming finally !

Lastly I have bought a slew of cree LEDs to see how the market has changed since 2015 which was the last time I research end them for my other car.

Will update the post once I get back. I'm just posting it now while I have time free on my mobile.


Euan

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I am probably wrong, but your wheel symptoms (Vibrations and going flat) sound awfully like you have 17" Sport alloys on.

EDIT,
Just checked further up the thread and spotted the 17s on an earlier shot

The inner rim buckles so easily and then they vibrate AND air leaks out.

To me they are the best looking OEM wheel for the A2 but they are made of Plasticine.

Cheers
Steve B
 
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Yeah Steve certainly not something I'm ruling out but I have a few things that make me think it is not that. One would be the wheel I know was buckled and had repaired (kept on the rear right always) has never made any noise, and never once dropped pressure in the 8 months I've had it on. The car when I bought it made a small whirring noise as you slowed down (for example exiting a motorway). This noise was present on steels and the alloys. Pressure problems I have had on my front right but had it checked at the garage and they said it was fine and the pressure drops were totally inconsistent with time or mileage driven. Weirdly had no pressure drops with new tyres yet. I think it might be wheel bearing but I'm not sure, but the vibration is only a part of what is wrong.

The following is not right and that's just from these areas. Alightment on front way out and made the insides bald within about 8 months (about 11000 mile) on new pirelli's, inconsistent and vague steering which sometimes gradually veers to one side, something rattles underneath (front centre), rear left has a muted clunk going over things, and did I say noisy whirring vibration sound ! That sound has in the last few months got so loud it is hard to heard the radio and it starts making noises from as little as say 12 mph.

Euan

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Yeah Steve certainly not something I'm ruling out but I have a few things that make me think it is not that. One would be the wheel I know was buckled and had repaired (kept on the rear right always) has never made any noise, and never once dropped pressure in the 8 months I've had it on. The car when I bought it made a small whirring noise as you slowed down (for example exiting a motorway). This noise was present on steels and the alloys. Pressure problems I have had on my front right but had it checked at the garage and they said it was fine and the pressure drops were totally inconsistent with time or mileage driven. Weirdly had no pressure drops with new tyres yet. I think it might be wheel bearing but I'm not sure, but the vibration is only a part of what is wrong.

The following is not right and that's just from these areas. Alightment on front way out and made the insides bald within about 8 months (about 11000 mile) on new pirelli's, inconsistent and vague steering which sometimes gradually veers to one side, something rattles underneath (front centre), rear left has a muted clunk going over things, and did I say noisy whirring vibration sound ! That sound has in the last few months got so loud it is hard to heard the radio and it starts making noises from as little as say 12 mph.

Euan

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That sounds super scary and dangerous, possibly a gearbox issue but more wrryingly a suspension issue.

The low level clunk MIGHT just be the anti Roll Bar bushes, but as we have seen recently, things can go seriously wrong on any car when it comes to suspension.

The steering sounds woprrying too, I can't think opf anything that would cause the vehicle to suddenly veer to one side (unless it was only under braking)

The advice that should be given is to stop using it until the issue with the steering and the vibration is clearly identified, but I am pretty sure you know that already.

Has the car been checked by an independent mechanic / garage?

Steve B
 
Ok it doesn't veer quickly or anything I mean sometimes rather than going straight it decides it is gradually move ever so slightly to one side. Sometimes this has been due to pressure drop though. I forgot to add my car sits more than an inch lower at the back with no rear load than at the front.

It was last looked at during its MOT in August but I wouldn't read into that much at all. As I said it is getting looked at a garage which suspension setup is their main business on Tuesday. I 100% should buy another car for the money need to correct everything but I don't want to and if I did this car would no doubt be broken by someone.

Euan

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