I have been hiding in the background for a couple of months now. I bought my car early april, and, well what can I say my short audi ownership has been eventful to say the least.
Early april after what felt like an eternity of looking I finally found a car that ticked all my boxes. 2005 "55" reg, A4 avant sline 140, full leather, tints, rear door blinds, metallic grey, and most importantly the most comprehensive service history I have ever seen, stacks and stacks of paperwork all audi and with the servicing and belts done bang on time. Most recent cambelt done september 2012, and a service done in march 2013. The car had just been to audi for a full service and new alternator 3days before I bought it, another £500quids worth. The previous owner was quite particular and It reflects in the condition of the car.
It was up on miles having covered 150k though i was happy and it drives spot on so the deal was done and I drove off into tbe sunset, grinning from ear to ear, happy with my purchase.
Fast forward 4weeks, still loving the car and very much still in the honeymoon period, the mrs goes out in the car to drop her sister home, 30 mins later the phone rings "I've broken down", ******** I thought, hoping shes run out of diesel "you got fuel" I say, "ive just put 50 quid diesel in" double ******** I thought. So a quick call to dad and I get a lift the stricken car, stranded on a roundabout just through a set of traffic lights. Me and pops push it to safety and pop the bonnet, nothing to see, quick look underneath and no puddles. Still got oil and water. My mrs goes on to say that it just cut out, and she tried starting it and it sounded rough. So a turn of the key, she was right, it did sound rough. We towed it home and had another look on the safety of the drive.
It was bad news, the worst news ever, upon checking a few things I popped the top off the cambelt cover and the belt was very saggy across the pulleys. Triple ********.
It was late so I went inside and had a drink, I got all my paperwork out and scanned for the latest belt receipt, september 2012 £700 with service. A friend of a friend is an audi tech in the stratford upon avon dealership, he had a word and put me in touch with him, by the end of the day my car had been recovered to Stratford audi, who stated that the 2year audi parts and labour warranty is still valid even with a change of ownership.
This is where it gets interesting, the next day they removed the belt cover and found the bolt that holds the tensioner was missing! And nowhere to be seen. Stratford contacted Hitchen audi in Luton, who did the belts back in september 2012, who said they would take it on the chin and do the belt as it appears it would have been their ****-up. So the car was then recovered to luton, about 100 miles from my front door. The next day I get a call off Hitchen saying they had my car and they would be looking at it later that day and they would be intouch. 24 hours later another phone call telling me what's happened with the nut being missing off the tensioner, apparently this had never been seen by them as a fault and required some investigation, I agreed as long as there was no cost to me, so they carried on. 24 hours later another call, they had refitted the belt and run it, apparently it run ok so then a road test. Upon returning to the workshop the tech states its massively down on power and then they notice a growing puddle of oil under my car. Upon investigation they find I have a hole in the block on cylinder 1 and loosing a lot of oil. So im told they want to remove the sump and take a look inside, again I agreed as long as im not getting billed for it so on they went. The following day another phone call, "we found the tip of a valve and what appears to be remains of a cam follower or 2", im beginning to get twitchy at this point as I get the impression they are trying to push the blame of the belt failure to something else thus resulting in a massive repair bill. Im then told they wish to remove the head, again with my permission and at no cost I tell them to continue. Next day a phone call, all the valves are bent, the followers are damaged, camshaft has a crack in it, piston 1 has marks on the top and the hole in block cylinder 1. They classed it as catastrophic cambelt failure all caused buy a nut that, and I quote"would appear to have wound itself undone".
Im beginning to feel a little sick at the prospect of my car being 100 miles from home, me not being able to get there, and as yet no mention of any solution to a very expensive problem. The guy I was conversing with at Hitchin audi said he would get back to me and let me know where all this is leading. Another very panicky 24 hours passed as I awaited a phone call to inform me of whats going to happen next. Then it happened, the phone call, after their extensive investigations they had decided that the nut coming loose was the root of the failure of the belt and as it was done by themselves only 8months previously, they would be putting the problem right at absolutely no cost to myself, the result of the century. Massive sigh of relief and now feeling excited at what they was going to be doing.
New block
New crank
New pistons
New oil cooler
New head
New valves
New camshafts
New cambelt
New water pump
New followers , springs etc
All new gaskets, oil, coolant
And anything else along the way.
Basically a complete new engine minus ancillaries and turbo.
Absolutely FREE of charge.
At this point I asked them to fit a new chuch as id have been a fool not to as it was all out. So that was done at part cost only, no labour cost.
I was quoted about 2weeks to allow them to order the parts as my engine is no longer available to order as a complete unit so had to be ordered as a full list of parts and assembled in the workshop. Then fit it all and test and make sure everything was working as it should. They also supplied me with courtesy car, 13 plate Q3 which they delivered to my house, while my car was being fixed. I opted to collect my car myself as I wanted to thank the guy in person for all his efforts.
They also managed to smash my engine cover to bits somewhere along the line so I also had a new one of those supplied.
All said and done, I was told the cost to them as a centre was just under 6k. To you and I, about 7k as the parts come to them at trade price.
Ive had the car back about a month now and it runs beautifully and even feels a bit quicker and a little better on fuel.
I could not fault the service I have received off them. They kept me well informed and even supplied a few progress pics along the way. Not to mention the comete engine is now also covered by the audi 2 year warranty. Bonus.
Thanks for reading, I know its a bit of a saga, but just sharing my experiences.
Im new to the forum and hope to be a regular visitor and im sure ill be asking plenty of questions along the way.
Tim
Early april after what felt like an eternity of looking I finally found a car that ticked all my boxes. 2005 "55" reg, A4 avant sline 140, full leather, tints, rear door blinds, metallic grey, and most importantly the most comprehensive service history I have ever seen, stacks and stacks of paperwork all audi and with the servicing and belts done bang on time. Most recent cambelt done september 2012, and a service done in march 2013. The car had just been to audi for a full service and new alternator 3days before I bought it, another £500quids worth. The previous owner was quite particular and It reflects in the condition of the car.
It was up on miles having covered 150k though i was happy and it drives spot on so the deal was done and I drove off into tbe sunset, grinning from ear to ear, happy with my purchase.
Fast forward 4weeks, still loving the car and very much still in the honeymoon period, the mrs goes out in the car to drop her sister home, 30 mins later the phone rings "I've broken down", ******** I thought, hoping shes run out of diesel "you got fuel" I say, "ive just put 50 quid diesel in" double ******** I thought. So a quick call to dad and I get a lift the stricken car, stranded on a roundabout just through a set of traffic lights. Me and pops push it to safety and pop the bonnet, nothing to see, quick look underneath and no puddles. Still got oil and water. My mrs goes on to say that it just cut out, and she tried starting it and it sounded rough. So a turn of the key, she was right, it did sound rough. We towed it home and had another look on the safety of the drive.
It was bad news, the worst news ever, upon checking a few things I popped the top off the cambelt cover and the belt was very saggy across the pulleys. Triple ********.
It was late so I went inside and had a drink, I got all my paperwork out and scanned for the latest belt receipt, september 2012 £700 with service. A friend of a friend is an audi tech in the stratford upon avon dealership, he had a word and put me in touch with him, by the end of the day my car had been recovered to Stratford audi, who stated that the 2year audi parts and labour warranty is still valid even with a change of ownership.
This is where it gets interesting, the next day they removed the belt cover and found the bolt that holds the tensioner was missing! And nowhere to be seen. Stratford contacted Hitchen audi in Luton, who did the belts back in september 2012, who said they would take it on the chin and do the belt as it appears it would have been their ****-up. So the car was then recovered to luton, about 100 miles from my front door. The next day I get a call off Hitchen saying they had my car and they would be looking at it later that day and they would be intouch. 24 hours later another phone call telling me what's happened with the nut being missing off the tensioner, apparently this had never been seen by them as a fault and required some investigation, I agreed as long as there was no cost to me, so they carried on. 24 hours later another call, they had refitted the belt and run it, apparently it run ok so then a road test. Upon returning to the workshop the tech states its massively down on power and then they notice a growing puddle of oil under my car. Upon investigation they find I have a hole in the block on cylinder 1 and loosing a lot of oil. So im told they want to remove the sump and take a look inside, again I agreed as long as im not getting billed for it so on they went. The following day another phone call, "we found the tip of a valve and what appears to be remains of a cam follower or 2", im beginning to get twitchy at this point as I get the impression they are trying to push the blame of the belt failure to something else thus resulting in a massive repair bill. Im then told they wish to remove the head, again with my permission and at no cost I tell them to continue. Next day a phone call, all the valves are bent, the followers are damaged, camshaft has a crack in it, piston 1 has marks on the top and the hole in block cylinder 1. They classed it as catastrophic cambelt failure all caused buy a nut that, and I quote"would appear to have wound itself undone".
Im beginning to feel a little sick at the prospect of my car being 100 miles from home, me not being able to get there, and as yet no mention of any solution to a very expensive problem. The guy I was conversing with at Hitchin audi said he would get back to me and let me know where all this is leading. Another very panicky 24 hours passed as I awaited a phone call to inform me of whats going to happen next. Then it happened, the phone call, after their extensive investigations they had decided that the nut coming loose was the root of the failure of the belt and as it was done by themselves only 8months previously, they would be putting the problem right at absolutely no cost to myself, the result of the century. Massive sigh of relief and now feeling excited at what they was going to be doing.
New block
New crank
New pistons
New oil cooler
New head
New valves
New camshafts
New cambelt
New water pump
New followers , springs etc
All new gaskets, oil, coolant
And anything else along the way.
Basically a complete new engine minus ancillaries and turbo.
Absolutely FREE of charge.
At this point I asked them to fit a new chuch as id have been a fool not to as it was all out. So that was done at part cost only, no labour cost.
I was quoted about 2weeks to allow them to order the parts as my engine is no longer available to order as a complete unit so had to be ordered as a full list of parts and assembled in the workshop. Then fit it all and test and make sure everything was working as it should. They also supplied me with courtesy car, 13 plate Q3 which they delivered to my house, while my car was being fixed. I opted to collect my car myself as I wanted to thank the guy in person for all his efforts.
They also managed to smash my engine cover to bits somewhere along the line so I also had a new one of those supplied.
All said and done, I was told the cost to them as a centre was just under 6k. To you and I, about 7k as the parts come to them at trade price.
Ive had the car back about a month now and it runs beautifully and even feels a bit quicker and a little better on fuel.
I could not fault the service I have received off them. They kept me well informed and even supplied a few progress pics along the way. Not to mention the comete engine is now also covered by the audi 2 year warranty. Bonus.
Thanks for reading, I know its a bit of a saga, but just sharing my experiences.
Im new to the forum and hope to be a regular visitor and im sure ill be asking plenty of questions along the way.
Tim
