New Audi A2 1.4 SE Petrol Owner from Norwich. Few questions and thoughts.

[A2Jay]

Hi All,

I've just picked up my Audi A2 1.4 Petrol today.

I managed to get a real bargain in my opinion. Its a silver 1.4 Petrol, with the Open Sky extra, Climate Control and SE Model. Its only done 40k miles and is immaculate with full service history.

The owner was a little old lady that does about 1000 miles a year! Its been pottered to the shops and back and in the last 7 years its done little over 5000 miles!



I paid £1690 for it and the car is absolutely mint body work wise! So far I love it. Really nice to drive and very comfortable. The car is my Daily work commute where I do over 2 hours a day travelling. I own a Toyota GT86 Supercharged and modded so needed something more practical and economical for work!

The only problem with it seems to be the typical common problem of the starter motor squealing on initial start. This wasn't mentioned in the ad and after a 3 hour drive to go and collect I brushed it under the carpet and thought at worst it will be a new started.

I've searched the forum and found some posts regarding the problem. I'm pretty handy on DIY stuff and know which way round to hold a spanner etc!

How many people have tackled the taking it off and re-greasing it themself? Can't seem to find a definitive step by step guide or whats fully involved. (Sorry if Im looking in the wrong place, new around here).

Also wondering how the head units work! Currently its got the Chorus head unit with the tape player. Over the moon with the sound for a factory system! But ideally I want to have Bluetooth or AUX in at the least. Is there any OEM head units I can just swap to give me Bluetooth AUX? Are Audi head units interchangeable etc?

Look forward to driving it and tweaking it etc. And maybe getting out to some meets if theres anything around my way!

Cheers Jay

 

[Birchall]

You can take your time about the starter, apart from the noise it is not an indicator of an impending failure.

I would say that 50% of the A2s I have bought (and that is probably 20) have had the squeal on the overrun of the starter.

I actually lived with one doing that for a couple of years. In the end I had the mechanic resolve the problem when it was serviced and he charged me about £20.

But if you want to do it yourself it seems to be easy enough, several people have done it and hopefully one will be along shortly.

In the meantime I will have a look to see if there is a "how to" that shows the steps involved.

and welcome to this great club and be prepared to be addicted to your A2!!

Steve B

 

[Birchall]

Found a thread that will help, I just searched for "Starter squeal"

http://www.a2oc.net/forum/showthread.php?7464-Squealing-Starter-Motor&highlight=starter+squeal


Steve B

 

[A2Jay]

Thanks Steve. I think if i'm going to go to the effort of getting it off, i'll just put a new one on to be sure!

Its not so bad and I could live with it! But its so nearly perfect! It seems a shame not to solve it for a little time and cash!

 

[Birchall]

Thanks Steve. I think if i'm going to go to the effort of getting it off, i'll just put a new one on to be sure!

Its not so bad and I could live with it! But its so nearly perfect! It seems a shame not to solve it for a little time and cash!

Not a bad approach, but it is a shame to spend that money when you just need to lubricate it, as I said the noise is not a sign of any problem, it just needs lubricating.

But replacing it, if you are happy to spend the money, then that is a great option too.


Steve B

 

[meriafel]

The problem is caused by a dry starter bendix as it returns after engaging the flywheel starter ring teeth. Greasing will provide the lubricant necessary to stop the noise but it will get contaminated quickly by dirt/dust/inc clutch plate wear debris. I was once told that graphite powder is what is needed as a lubricant? My daughter's 1994 Passat Estate with the diesel TDi 1Z engine has now done 250K...... has made the noise for many years and it is not detrimental in any way. It has become part of its character!

 

[Crazylegs]

What a crackin little A2 and welcome!
As others have said the starter squealing is nothing to really worry about, my A2 has done it since I bought it and although I was worried at first have learned to live with it and its one of the cars little foibles now..
Hope to see you at a social soon.

 

[A2Steve]

It sounds like an absolute bargain, what a good find. Welcome to the world of A2, I must warn you it can be a little addictive.

 

[Jeffers66]

Hi there, and welcome to a great and friendly forum, sounds like you have a lovely A2, great find!
Look forward to hearing your progress over your ownership, and maybe see you at a social.
Cheers jeff

 

[A2Jay]

Thanks for the welcome guys!

I sure know the feeling of getting addicted and stuck into a car! My GT86 was bought on the basis it didn't need mods or anything. Its now one of the most modified and powerful 86s in the UK! But its all good fun!

I've got a couple of little bit i'd like to do on the A2, couple of subtle upgrades but nothing major. It is essentially a work car.

The starter motor doesn't bother me too much, just worried about scaring the crap out of someone as it starts and squeeches in front of someone.

Will look into taking it off an lubricating it this weekend and see where I get. Couple of the threads look scary and discuss about needing tools and calibration tools.

Cheers again and i'll get over to the social forums and have a look round!

 

[a2sumo]

Hi and welcome to a2oc--your new purchase sounds great. As others have said your welcome to join us for the socials--in fact this sunday we are in Cambridgeshire so not far from you, why not join us ? Great chance to see others A2's and see all that the show has to offer 800-900 classic cars-ww2 fly past etc. any questions just ask

http://www.a2oc.net/forum/showthread.php?26956-Kimbolton-Country-Fayre-in-Cambridshire


cheers mike and yvonne

 

[A2Jay]

Hi and welcome to a2oc--your new purchase sounds great. As others have said your welcome to join us for the socials--in fact this sunday we are in Cambridgeshire so not far from you, why not join us ? Great chance to see others A2's and see all that the show has to offer 800-900 classic cars-ww2 fly past etc. any questions just ask

http://www.a2oc.net/forum/showthread.php?26956-Kimbolton-Country-Fayre-in-Cambridshire


cheers mike and yvonne

I'd have loved to come, not too far away from me. but unfortunately i'm away in Cormwall for work!

Do need to get a A2OC sticker though!

 

[A2Jay]

Little update after a few days of ownership!

Loving it a lot. Originally my work daily was a Renault Clio 1.2, it rattled, vibrated, clonked and wheel bearing whined no matter how new!

So the Audi really is a nice bit if luxury compared to that! I'm not an absolute OCD perfectionist when I clean the cars but I do like to do a good job and the first clean is always a bit more special. It was obvious this car hadn't been used much, 40k miles in 14 years! Also showed a few signs of sitting around. So cleaned off all the green, dirt, snow foam, 2 bucket wash, pressure washed, clay bared, Paint Corrected, Polished, Waxed and sealed. The car looks like new! Not a blemish on the paint work, no swirls, all the trim came back up to black perfectly. Really really pleased! Few curb marks on the wheels but I might look at changing these anyway! After several hours, a few coats of Auto Glym and a Auto HD wax later the results were lovely....

Also today I've dropped it off at STR in Norwich who are taking off the starter motor, cleaning it, regreasing and sorting out the problem of it whineing. All for £90. Can't recommend them enough! Collect it tonight fixed and a couple of rattles looked at too.

 

[A2Jay]

Few days of Ownership

A little update after a few days of ownership. My previous car for a work daily was a Renault Clio 1.2 with 126k miles, rattles, clonks, leaks and a wheel bearing whining no matter how new it is!

So going into an Audi A2 with 40k miles and no rattles or clonks is real luxury!

I'm not really an OCD / Perfectionist when it comes to cleaning my cars but I do like to do a good job and be careful! At the weekend I gave the car...
Snow Foam
Jetwash
2 Bucket wash
Rinse
ClayBar
Tar Remover
Paint Restorer
Swirl Remover
Polish
Wax
Sealant
Gloss Spray

I'm extremely happy with the outcome! There isn't a mark, blemish or dent on the body work! Clearly this car wasn't used much rpevious to me. It had some green mould growing in the trims and around the indicators etc. And has done less than 2k miles in the last 2 years!

I've also this morning dropped the car off at STR in Norwich to fix the Starter Motor. They've quoted me £90 to remove, clean, grease and fix the whine noise on start. Not bad considering I don't have the time to do it myself and didn't fancy taking it all apart! Will report back once I've collected it this evening.

Cheers Jay

 

[ajsellors]

Hi All,

I've just picked up my Audi A2 1.4 Petrol today.

I managed to get a real bargain in my opinion. Its a silver 1.4 Petrol, with the Open Sky extra, Climate Control and SE Model. Its only done 40k miles and is immaculate with full service history.

The owner was a little old lady that does about 1000 miles a year! Its been pottered to the shops and back and in the last 7 years its done little over 5000 miles!

View attachment 20048

I paid £1390 for it and the car is absolutely mint body work wise! So far I love it. Really nice to drive and very comfortable. The car is my Daily work commute where I do over 2 hours a day travelling. I own a Toyota GT86 Supercharged and modded so needed something more practical and economical for work!

The only problem with it seems to be the typical common problem of the starter motor squealing on initial start. This wasn't mentioned in the ad and after a 3 hour drive to go and collect I brushed it under the carpet and thought at worst it will be a new started.

I've searched the forum and found some posts regarding the problem. I'm pretty handy on DIY stuff and know which way round to hold a spanner etc!

How many people have tackled the taking it off and re-greasing it themself? Can't seem to find a definitive step by step guide or whats fully involved. (Sorry if Im looking in the wrong place, new around here).

Also wondering how the head units work! Currently its got the Chorus head unit with the tape player. Over the moon with the sound for a factory system! But ideally I want to have Bluetooth or AUX in at the least. Is there any OEM head units I can just swap to give me Bluetooth AUX? Are Audi head units interchangeable etc?

Look forward to driving it and tweaking it etc. And maybe getting out to some meets if theres anything around my way!

Cheers Jay

Hi,

very nice looking car!

Regarding the head unit. You have the MK1 Chorus unit at the moment which is the more basic version of the MK1 Concert. You can see that there are spaces on the front where functions are not present on that model. The biggest omission is the support for an external CD changer which is how you would connect an external source or Bluetooth to these units.

If you want to stay OEM, I would suggest that you find a MK1 Concert radio (e.g. from eBay) and get an adaptor for AUX/iPhone/USB/Bluetooth as appropriate for your needs which connects via the CD Changer input.

X-Carlink do Apple specific and also generic SDCard with USB + Aux analogue + Bluetooth modules. The Bluetooth unit can be used for hands free phone calls and works quite well. I have fitted one of these to an A2, it comes with a microphone and the sound uses the standard speakers.

http://www.xcarlink.co.uk

The Connects-2 interface is also popular with A2 owners.

http://www.connects2.co.uk

regards

Andrew

 

[A2Jay]

Thanks Andrew.

Is this what I'm looking for? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AUDI-TT-M...275?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item58c7f8bcbb

Say's its from a TT but its a Mk1 Concert. Will this plug into my existing wiring loom? Sorry i'm a bit of a noob with the Audi way of things. I've been Japanese mostly for modifications etc.

 

[ajsellors]

Thanks Andrew.

Is this what I'm looking for? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AUDI-TT-M...275?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item58c7f8bcbb

Say's its from a TT but its a Mk1 Concert. Will this plug into my existing wiring loom? Sorry i'm a bit of a noob with the Audi way of things. I've been Japanese mostly for modifications etc.

Hi,

that one should fit. For reference, the single din head unit aperture is common to A2, Mk1 TT and A6 (C5) models of around the same time. The face plates of these units will all fit where as other Audi models had variations of the same head units with different sized face plates which would not fit.

I haven't had experience of the Mk1 Chorus so I have done a bit of research. I knew that the connectors were the same and pins shared, however, I was supprised by a difference.

The Concert (in common with various other Audi head units) contains an inbuilt 2 channel amplifier. Cars with front speakers only use just this and cars with front and rear speakers have a secondary amplifier for the rear speakers which is driven by line outs from the head unit. This is why fitting an aftermarket head unit can be troublesome as often they don't expect powered and non-powered speakers.
Note that cars with the BOSE sound system don't use the head unit amplifier at all and the BOSE external amplifier is driven by 4 line outs from the head unit.

The Mk1 Chorus unit however is different to this in that it doesn't have any line outs and instead incorporates a 4 channel ampilifer, driving all 4 speakers. Swapping your Chorus for a Concert would then result in the loss of drive to your rear speakers if you have them unless you fit the corresponding rear speaker amp. (the amp comes up quite often on ebay and is quite cheap, e.g. this one: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GENUINE-AUDI-A2-SPEAKER-AMPLIFIER-UNIT-BLAUPUNKT-8Z0035223-/221546115728)

Comparison of Concert and Chorus pin outs:

20-pin connector

	Concert	Chorus
1	Rear left line out signal
2	Rear right line out signal
3	Signal earth
4	Front left line out signal
5	Front right line out signal
6	Switched positive (amp)
7	CAN bus High	CAN bus High
8	Clock signal	Clock signal
9	Data signal	Data signal
10	Enable signal	Enable signal
11	Steering wheel
12	CAN bus Low	CAN bus Low
13	CD bus data in
14	CD bus data out
15	CD clock
16	CD Permanent positive
17	CD Switched positive
18	CD AF earth
19	CD Left signal
20	CD Right signal

Brown 8-pin connector

	Concert	Chorus
1		Rear right speaker +
2		Rear right speaker -
3	Front right speaker +	Front right speaker +
4	Front right speaker -	Front right speaker -
5	Front left speaker +	Front left speaker +
6	Front left speaker -	Front left speaker -
7		Rear left speaker +
8		Rear left speaker -

The other connectors are the same between the two.

Fitting a "better" OEM head unit therefore is a little bit more involved as you would have to add the secondary amplifier.
To confirm that you don't have the secondary amplifier already, have a look under the driver's footwell carpet:



regards

Andrew

 

[A2Jay]

Thanks Andrew! I'll do some investigation into my car and see. I know I have got the rear speakers. But not sure about the Amp under the footwell!

So basically if I have the Chorus mk1 + the amplifier under the passanger footwell I can just plug and play to the concert? If I don't have the amplifier i'd need to hook that up?

Either way I think it will be possible to add it.. Maybe? I've also had cars in the past where the rear speakers don't do anything, but looks like the rear speakers are just as big as the fronts in the A2.

Cheers Jay

 

[ajsellors]

Thanks Andrew! I'll do some investigation into my car and see. I know I have got the rear speakers. But not sure about the Amp under the footwell!

So basically if I have the Chorus mk1 + the amplifier under the passanger footwell I can just plug and play to the concert? If I don't have the amplifier i'd need to hook that up?

Either way I think it will be possible to add it.. Maybe? I've also had cars in the past where the rear speakers don't do anything, but looks like the rear speakers are just as big as the fronts in the A2.

Cheers Jay

Hi Jay,

if the amp's there then its just plug and play. The rear door speakers are identical to the fronts. There are separate tweeter (by door handle) and woofer (by door pocket) drivers.

If you pull the head unit out you should also find, if it hasn't fallen off because the glue has gone, a label which shows the pin outs on the head unit.
You will need some "radio removal keys" to insert into the two slots in the face plate. These release the clips which hold the radio and place and it should then just slide out. Like these: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PC5-132-A...590?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item19ebfecc3e

regards

Andrew

 

[A2Jay]

Just ordered the release keys.

Hoping I've got the amp so I can just plug and play! If not i'd look into fitting a better system with possibly external amp and go to town on the install. I'd prefer an oem plug and play fit. But if I have to start messing around with amps and wireing I might aswell go all out! That's what I told myself in the GT86 anyway!

Just picked the car up from STR who have cleaned the starter motor and it's now perfect! They were extremely surprised at the fact I'd managed to pick up a 40k miler in that condition for under £1400. They gave it a quick drive and a once over and couldn't find anything wrong. Only a front tyre which I knew about anyway.

Result.