My trusty 2000 Audi S3 Quattro which I bought in 2009 with ~120,000 miles on the clock, I've since taken up to 290,500 miles on the original engine. I've run it on fully synthetic ester based oil which is how the engine has lasted along with most miles being motorway. I drive it like it's meant to be driven though and it pulls like it ever did. Is this the highest mileage?
Within a year of acquiring the vehicle I called upon the Audi paintwork warranty to remove some bubbling along the roof rail channels and doors (a common issue). This was done by an Audi's approved body shop and put the vehicle in a showroom standard again.
The vehicle has Recaro blue Alcantara electric seats. I spent a long time looking for a car with these seats as I didn't want full leather.
Bushes have been replaced to tighten up the handling, all wheel bearings replaced etc ... in fact it's a bit like Trigger's broom in that it's had so many items replaced with all the items you might expect to wear out only at high mileage - the heater blower motor for example - it runs all the time and brushes slowly wear. It drives like a new broom!
Some surprising things have failed such as the downpipe flexible coupling and a fatigue fracture on the rear exhaust box chassis mounting. All fixed and won't be happening again.
Other normal stuff that fails at lower mileage has all been changed - a recent set of new H coil packs for example, N75. I had to replace the aircon clutch but the original compressor still chills nicely. Everything working fine - it's a joy to drive.
It hit a raised manhole and holed the sump and broke a gearbox mount a while back (posted here). All claimed for and sorted with a replacement box from a low mileage TT.
I was trying to get it to 300,000 miles and write a magazine feature in Audi Driver. It was a personal challenge to get it there. I was only one service away from achieving this milestone when this happened:
Not my fault as someone went into the back of me but there's an estimated £5,500 worth of damage. The boot floor isn't bent and damage seems to be the rear quarter panel, slam plate, bumper, light of course, bent trailing arm and tailgate.
The third party insurers offered to look after the claim but they are going off Glass's guide which values the car at £1,650. I recon to get one as looked after as mine with so much of it in far better condition than the recorded mileage would suggest would cost me at least double. I've shown them the same year of manufacture S3s in Auto Trader but I can't find any with 300k miles on the clock. I saw a 1999 S3 with 123,000 on the clock for £3,595 for example . The insurance seems to think mileage needs to be matched rather than condition and because they can't find one at 300k miles they use the Glass's guide calculator to my disadvantage.
I'm left, through no fault of my own, worse off despite being entitled in law to be put back into the position I was in before the accident. Yet to get another S3 in similar condition I'm going to have to fork out. That doesn't seem fair.
Within a year of acquiring the vehicle I called upon the Audi paintwork warranty to remove some bubbling along the roof rail channels and doors (a common issue). This was done by an Audi's approved body shop and put the vehicle in a showroom standard again.
The vehicle has Recaro blue Alcantara electric seats. I spent a long time looking for a car with these seats as I didn't want full leather.
Bushes have been replaced to tighten up the handling, all wheel bearings replaced etc ... in fact it's a bit like Trigger's broom in that it's had so many items replaced with all the items you might expect to wear out only at high mileage - the heater blower motor for example - it runs all the time and brushes slowly wear. It drives like a new broom!
Some surprising things have failed such as the downpipe flexible coupling and a fatigue fracture on the rear exhaust box chassis mounting. All fixed and won't be happening again.
Other normal stuff that fails at lower mileage has all been changed - a recent set of new H coil packs for example, N75. I had to replace the aircon clutch but the original compressor still chills nicely. Everything working fine - it's a joy to drive.
It hit a raised manhole and holed the sump and broke a gearbox mount a while back (posted here). All claimed for and sorted with a replacement box from a low mileage TT.
I was trying to get it to 300,000 miles and write a magazine feature in Audi Driver. It was a personal challenge to get it there. I was only one service away from achieving this milestone when this happened:
Not my fault as someone went into the back of me but there's an estimated £5,500 worth of damage. The boot floor isn't bent and damage seems to be the rear quarter panel, slam plate, bumper, light of course, bent trailing arm and tailgate.
The third party insurers offered to look after the claim but they are going off Glass's guide which values the car at £1,650. I recon to get one as looked after as mine with so much of it in far better condition than the recorded mileage would suggest would cost me at least double. I've shown them the same year of manufacture S3s in Auto Trader but I can't find any with 300k miles on the clock. I saw a 1999 S3 with 123,000 on the clock for £3,595 for example . The insurance seems to think mileage needs to be matched rather than condition and because they can't find one at 300k miles they use the Glass's guide calculator to my disadvantage.
I'm left, through no fault of my own, worse off despite being entitled in law to be put back into the position I was in before the accident. Yet to get another S3 in similar condition I'm going to have to fork out. That doesn't seem fair.
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