hi guys, bear with me on this one please as I need a fair bit of advice so will probably waffle on quite a lot and I'm new to the whole posting on forums thing so if I break any rules please accept my apologies in advance.
Right! My story so far..... Owned my A3 since October last year (1st German car, 1st diesel car, 1st 4wd car). After a week of having the car it had (and still has) a nasty rattle when I turn the car off that almost doesn't happen when I have my foot fully down on the clutch but if I just turn the car off it judders quite badly and I get said metallicy rattle. By end of November I'd already changed the brakes, removed DPF and had both the DPF and EGR 'deleted' as well having the power taken up to 220bhp (allegedly) by midland remaps in Wolverhampton. No idea on the torque figures, not even a rough guess tbh although I'm sure someone could work out a ballpark figure (or could they, I don't know). Still have rattle on engine turn off.
So for the next 10 weeks happy days, in complete and utter love with the thing (apart from the rattle) then one Sunday evening whilst driving on the M42/A42 the turbo went (I was going a tad quickly). Managed to get home sounding like a steam train (woo woo) all the way back. To cut a long story short had it recovered from home, taken to a garage and repaired to the tune of £1450. Had it back and all was good.
Fast forward another 2 months and now that rattle/judder is still there but the engine or gearbox sounds/feels a bit rough at the lower end of the Rev range and feels like I'm down slightly on power. Gear changes seem OK and always have done so don't know what to think on that one. Advice please? I think this and my rattle are DMF related so I'm thinking about getting a new DMF and clutch kit fitted (Sachs with either the race or SRE organic plate) have looked into SMF but do I really need to go that way? Got about £750-£800
That's problem 1 & 2, problem 3 is a weird squeak from somewhere around the rear passenger side of the car. The car is coming up to 100k so I'm thinking shocks may be on their way out and it could be this causing it? Anyway as the car is coming up to 100k it's going to be in need of a complete overhaul suspension wise imo so what do I go for? Looking to spend about £1200 to do everything under there front and back but don't want coilovers as I had them on a previous car and found them to be a bit harsh for everyday driving.
Problem 4...Air con doesn't work and got told at my service the only way to find out if it just needed filling up was to fill it up and try it, if it don't work there's something else wrong mate was what he said to me I think so told him to leave it, it was November so thought I'd sort it around March/April before we get our annual UK micro summer somewhere between May and August.
Problem 5.... I don't think the car has ever had a haldex service!!! no record of one in the service history and, forgive me for this one, I didn't know it needed one...ever.
Problem 6....Small oil leak from somewhere above alternator that I'm ******** if I can see where it's coming from but I'm checking my oil every week and it doesn't seem to be moving.
Having done some reading up the past week or so it seems like the oil pump in these cars as standard were crap from day one and maybe I'd need an uprated pump?
Apart from all of that I need a wheel re-furb and there's a couple of tiny rust patches starting here and there that I will be getting looked at in the coming weeks.
If anyone is still reading, thanks
Right! My story so far..... Owned my A3 since October last year (1st German car, 1st diesel car, 1st 4wd car). After a week of having the car it had (and still has) a nasty rattle when I turn the car off that almost doesn't happen when I have my foot fully down on the clutch but if I just turn the car off it judders quite badly and I get said metallicy rattle. By end of November I'd already changed the brakes, removed DPF and had both the DPF and EGR 'deleted' as well having the power taken up to 220bhp (allegedly) by midland remaps in Wolverhampton. No idea on the torque figures, not even a rough guess tbh although I'm sure someone could work out a ballpark figure (or could they, I don't know). Still have rattle on engine turn off.
So for the next 10 weeks happy days, in complete and utter love with the thing (apart from the rattle) then one Sunday evening whilst driving on the M42/A42 the turbo went (I was going a tad quickly). Managed to get home sounding like a steam train (woo woo) all the way back. To cut a long story short had it recovered from home, taken to a garage and repaired to the tune of £1450. Had it back and all was good.
Fast forward another 2 months and now that rattle/judder is still there but the engine or gearbox sounds/feels a bit rough at the lower end of the Rev range and feels like I'm down slightly on power. Gear changes seem OK and always have done so don't know what to think on that one. Advice please? I think this and my rattle are DMF related so I'm thinking about getting a new DMF and clutch kit fitted (Sachs with either the race or SRE organic plate) have looked into SMF but do I really need to go that way? Got about £750-£800
That's problem 1 & 2, problem 3 is a weird squeak from somewhere around the rear passenger side of the car. The car is coming up to 100k so I'm thinking shocks may be on their way out and it could be this causing it? Anyway as the car is coming up to 100k it's going to be in need of a complete overhaul suspension wise imo so what do I go for? Looking to spend about £1200 to do everything under there front and back but don't want coilovers as I had them on a previous car and found them to be a bit harsh for everyday driving.
Problem 4...Air con doesn't work and got told at my service the only way to find out if it just needed filling up was to fill it up and try it, if it don't work there's something else wrong mate was what he said to me I think so told him to leave it, it was November so thought I'd sort it around March/April before we get our annual UK micro summer somewhere between May and August.
Problem 5.... I don't think the car has ever had a haldex service!!! no record of one in the service history and, forgive me for this one, I didn't know it needed one...ever.
Problem 6....Small oil leak from somewhere above alternator that I'm ******** if I can see where it's coming from but I'm checking my oil every week and it doesn't seem to be moving.
Having done some reading up the past week or so it seems like the oil pump in these cars as standard were crap from day one and maybe I'd need an uprated pump?
Apart from all of that I need a wheel re-furb and there's a couple of tiny rust patches starting here and there that I will be getting looked at in the coming weeks.
If anyone is still reading, thanks
