What have you done to your Audi A4 B7 today?

[northpole]

Well, you could pull the gearbox and check the lot, but that is not an easy task. Especially since you aren't 100% sure it is the diff causing the problem.

Maybe you should get the car in at your local friendly garage and have them diagnose it for you.

It might be that the gearbox mount has seen better days giving more movement, thus causing the clonk.

But as I said, it could be a few things. It is best to make sure and have another pair of capable eyes and hands check the problem. So stuff can be pinpointed to a definite solution.

 

[Charlie Farley]

I fitted a new gearbox mount when I did the engine refit in January so not that.
I've double checked the propshaft and its fine, it was on my radar but now discounted it as the cause.
Had a chat with a friend an hour ago and he is good with gearboxes etc and he's also of the same opinion re the gearbox / diff.
Given the amount of free rotational movement on the front drive shafts when the car is in gear and the clanking sounds its a very possible point of failure.
On reflection I think this all stems from back in 2020 when the front drive shaft outer cv joint failed and left the car stranded and had to be towed back home, then when it failed twice more a year or so later, its never been right since, when they towed it home it may have damaged the diff etc and it has become gradually worse over time.
I'm going to upload a short video tomorrow so you can see what I mean.

 

[Charlie Farley]

In the meantime, I have sourced a supposedly good GYY box for a sensible price , what's to loose except a few ££'s if it doesn't work, at least I tried, and if it does work then happy days.
Should be here on thursday.

 

[Charlie Farley]

The other thing that I have noticed recently is this, as the symptoms of vibration etc have worsened the gear selection has become more notchy. it was pretty good but now its very erratic, selecting first gear and going first to second.
Today at a set of lights it just would not slide into first , had to try 3 times to get it in gear, and its not a clutch problem, other gears are fine , its always the 1st and 2nd that are difficult.
The more I think about things, the more I can see a pattern emerging.

 

[northpole]

Oke in this case i would get a replacement gearbox swap it in and refurbish the old box. Than swap that onto the engine at a later date.

 

[norad97]

The other thing that I have noticed recently is this, as the symptoms of vibration etc have worsened the gear selection has become more notchy. it was pretty good but now its very erratic, selecting first gear and going first to second.
Today at a set of lights it just would not slide into first , had to try 3 times to get it in gear, and its not a clutch problem, other gears are fine , its always the 1st and 2nd that are difficult.
The more I think about things, the more I can see a pattern emerging.

Was it like that before you had the engine out? It could be flywheel related maybe, I find it hard to belive it's the gearbox, they seem be reliable.

 

[Charlie Farley]

It was Richard, it's just getting worse now.
To be honest, when I have a good think about it the problem has only started since the CV joint fiasco a few years back, it was spot on before that.
To me it looks like the centre diff backlash is all out of adjustment or a similar problem with the diff, there is no way that noise and amount of rotational free play is normal, well it never used to be like that.


View: https://youtu.be/m6K8Tj4cCtI

 

[northpole]

i just saw the you video and i agree with the current train of thought... gearbox replacement will be a swift solution, but i would fix the old box and upgrade it with a beefier diff one that can take all the power the engine is capable off and some extra just because we all know once you've upped the power you'll soon be looking at getting more.

that all said it won't be cheap unless you DIY.. it can be done profiding you have the right tools already if you don't it's best to get a refurbishment company involved to install it that way you got some warranty on the work done to the box.

than once it's done swap the refurbished box back in an sell off the replacement or keep it with the spare BUL engine so you have a drop in replacement waiting for when you need to pull the engine again for a big overhaul...

 

[Matt275]

just now put a temp reader in the car when the thing is blowing after about 10 minutes it blows 8 degrees celcius cold air... i think that's colder than it has ever been as i found myself quickly putting the CC off. Next time i'm in the car i'll set it back to 18 degrees Celcius as that is a nice temperature warm enough to not be cold yet cool enough to not sweat. regardless of how thick a coat i got on

My A/C top up kit arrived today.

Northpole, when you turned the tap on your kit to release the gas from the bottle, did the gauge go into the red for you....then when you turn the tap to stop the gas, did it return back to the green with a few extra PSi showing?

I did this several times and it's now from about 35-38 PSi to nearer 50. Vent temp was 9.8 degrees C before gassing, and now about 7.8 degrees C...so it seems to have made a difference.

I used about 3/4 of the can I'd say and I'd release the gas for 3 or 4 seconds at a time....but I don't think I've over pressurised the system...I hope!

 

[northpole]

Nope mine stayed at a steady 20 psi when closed... than when I filled it it hit 45 psi. Full bottle went in. But mine was low.

And you'll be fine, as long as it is in the green

 

[Charlie Farley]

A bit further on today with my current vibration problem.
Visited a specialist transmission company this morning with the old bus to try and get a bit further with diagnosing it.
They had a good look at things and given the symptoms displayed they are confident its the propshaft, there is a bit or wear in the diff bearings but nothing excessive from an external point of view and the clocking noise is not unusually loud and occurs with wear.
But they feel the propshaft is the most likely cause, its not 100% as its very difficult to make a conclusive diagnosis without removal and closer inspection on the bench .
What they did suggest was to just remove the propshaft and take the car out for a short drive and see how it drives without it , hopefully then the problem should have disappeared if its the prop, if not then its back to a gearbox overhaul or replacment.

 

[northpole]

@Charlie Farley See that was my train of thought until you showed the slack in the diff on the wheel side... that all said, that option of removing the intermediate shaft is a good one.. if the clunk is still there than you know it's the gearbox... if it's gone it's the intermediate shaft ( aka propshaft, both do the same but a propshaft is the name used for rear wheel drive, not 4wd). It was why i said get an extra pair of capable eyes have a closer look. because just buying parts and replacing them is a very expensive way to sort out a hard to daignose problem.

@Matt275 I'm gonna buy another set of cans, just so i can top it up a little bit more.. I think it can be a bit cooler than it is now... note: mine took the whole bottle in one go it was that low and although the lot is compressed R134A i'm quite sure it hasn't had enough... I'll top it up some more as soon as it comes in.

 

[Charlie Farley]

@Charlie Farley See that was my train of thought until you showed the slack in the diff on the wheel side... that all said, that option of removing the intermediate shaft is a good one.. if the clunk is still there than you know it's the gearbox... if it's gone it's the intermediate shaft ( aka propshaft, both do the same but a propshaft is the name used for rear wheel drive, not 4wd). It was why i said get an extra pair of capable eyes have a closer look. because just buying parts and replacing them is a very expensive way to sort out a hard to daignose problem.

@Matt275 I'm gonna buy another set of cans, just so i can top it up a little bit more.. I think it can be a bit cooler than it is now... note: mine took the whole bottle in one go it was that low and although the lot is compressed R134A i'm quite sure it hasn't had enough... I'll top it up some more as soon as it comes in.

I'm going to get a second opinion today just to be sure as I'm still not convinced the gearbox /diff clocking is normal even at 100k miles, it just doesn't seem right to be that noisey and loose, anyway before I drop the prop I'll get another opinion on whats going on just in case its both.
I've had a few permanent 4WD cars and the drivetrain were never like the B7 is now.

 

[alps26]

The other thing that I have noticed recently is this, as the symptoms of vibration etc have worsened the gear selection has become more notchy. it was pretty good but now its very erratic, selecting first gear and going first to second.
Today at a set of lights it just would not slide into first , had to try 3 times to get it in gear, and its not a clutch problem, other gears are fine , its always the 1st and 2nd that are difficult.
The more I think about things, the more I can see a pattern emerging.

Have you tried changing the gearbox oil? I had this selection issue on first and second (mostly 1st) on my B7 (1.9 TDI) and it improved after changing the gearbox oil despite Audi saying its "sealed for life". Might be totally unrelated, but I guess its less labour intensive than changing the gearbox entirely

 

[Charlie Farley]

Did a full oil change in January when I had the engine and gearbox out of the car, the old oil wasn’t that bad and no metal flecks in it either.

 

[Charlie Farley]

Well I had two more differing diagnoses on the problem today.
1st one said the diff needs to be replaced, and it's not the propshaft.
2nd one said it is the front drive shafts to blame, not the propshaft .

I think I'm just going to use my gut instinct and go with my plan .

 

[B7Tourer]

Well I had two more differing diagnoses on the problem today.
1st one said the diff needs to be replaced, and it's not the propshaft.
2nd one said it is the front drive shafts to blame, not the propshaft .

I'm sure you've checked/mentioned those before Rob, but I was just reading of a guy with a B8 and similar issue to yours; he chased the problem down the old rabbit hole too; changed everything including steering rack, and it turned out to be the worn drive shafts.

Nope mine stayed at a steady 20 psi when closed... than when I filled it it hit 45 psi. Full bottle went in. But mine was low.

And you'll be fine, as long as it is in the green

Be careful not to overfill the A/C guys, this happened to me with KwikShaft; stopped working after a fill and clean; I knew it was good since it had a new compressor on it and was perfect beforehand. They tried refilling 3 times, after I insisted they had done something wrong. Took it to my independent; one correct fill back to pristine.

These Audi CCs are pretty robust; the only part that seems to fail much is the compressor; you can tell it's on it's way out when you begin to hear a rattling at the front (often mistaken for timing/oil pump chain rattle), caused by the perished rubbers in the pulley. Some you can change just the pulley; more often it has to be the whole unit (you should change the receiver/drier too at the same time); but all of them are clutchless. The idiot at KwikShaft was trying to listen for the clutch in and out, even though I kept telling him, he'd never hear one!

Round hear normally the charge is £40/5 for a refill; every two years should be sufficient and then only for a preventative maintenance refill - mine wasn't low and was working fine/ice cold; it was more the smell and bacteria that builds up.

The other vulnerable issue that is part of the CC, is the heater matrix clogging up; weak on these cars; you can back flush them sometimes but really better to replace with new - a pig of a job. I had to replace mine. Everything good now. These cars without a proper functioning CC feel pretty sore and old indeed; as any noughties barge does really.

 

[B7Tourer]

I get that though. It's been frustrating here too. First time ever coolant warning - never used any before; and on the way to the airport to fly out too! Turns out I think to be the header tank cracking - common fault; but blinkin' eBay sent me the wrong part - described as B7 but is for a B6, damn it! Ordered the right one elsewhere; meant to be same day delivery; is not!!

Turned out to be the radiator. Again AA Parts & Garage turned out be a very worthwhile add-on - they paid for almost all of it. Of course they fitted the new header tank too; which was worth it because I could hardly see the level on the old one; even using the old trick of shining a torch down it.

Every thing bang on again. For the moment, touch wood Oh, my MOT is due the 14th July and my mechanic tells me new bushes for the front shocks will be required - I said, anything else, re suspension? - he said no - which is pretty remarkable, since we are now officially over the 270,000 mile mark by around 500!

Level looks near minimum because it's on an incline.

 

[northpole]

Be careful not to overfill the A/C guys, this happened to me with KwikShaft; stopped working after a fill and clean; I knew it was good since it had a new compressor on it and was perfect beforehand. They tried refilling 3 times, after I insisted they had done something wrong. Took it to my independent; one correct fill back to pristine.

These Audi CCs are pretty robust; the only part that seems to fail much is the compressor; you can tell it's on it's way out when you begin to hear a rattling at the front (often mistaken for timing/oil pump chain rattle), caused by the perished rubbers in the pulley. Some you can change just the pulley; more often it has to be the whole unit (you should change the receiver/drier too at the same time); but all of them are clutchless. The idiot at KwikShaft was trying to listen for the clutch in and out, even though I kept telling him, he'd never hear one!

Round hear normally the charge is £40/5 for a refill; every two years should be sufficient and then only for a preventative maintenance refill - mine wasn't low and was working fine/ice cold; it was more the smell and bacteria that builds up.

The other vulnerable issue that is part of the CC, is the heater matrix clogging up; weak on these cars; you can back flush them sometimes but really better to replace with new - a pig of a job. I had to replace mine. Everything good now. These cars without a proper functioning CC feel pretty sore and old indeed; as any noughties barge does really.

Mine is working just fine, it sits steadily at 45 psi now after a few days so not touching it anymore. And to take some pressure of you simply connect the fill pipe without the bottle on and open the tap... tapa out comes some of the pressure, but it's nasty stuff.

Anyway mine is working hiw it should now and so does @Matt275 Climatcontrol so will leave it the way it is.

The only time I will have it vacuumed is when it stinks... than it's time for a proper clean out and refill.

 

[B7Tourer]

The only time I will have it vacuumed is when it stinks... than it's time for a proper clean out and refill.

This happens to all cars, depending on how often you have the CC on; bacteria will inevitably thrive in the intakes, causing the smell; I have mine all the time; you should have it on at a minimum of an hour a week, though I think that's pretty low use - to keep it all functioning correctly. I've said before, when I bought this car in July/Aug 2018 for £1450, it was partly because it had a non functioning A/C - how long it had been that way I don't know - but I simply took it round the corner and had it re-gassed; ice cold for around 5 years then, until the compressor failed. Absolutely fine since. Never seems to lose gas now; but it must have done then for it to be empty; I put that down to lack of use; hence it's on all the time now; it's a CC after all as opposed to manual A/C only, so the A/C is not being used all the time and the impact on MPG is not as bad as would be supposed; not for me to care anyway. The lack of interior humidity and exercised functioning system is worth it, to my mind.

 

[northpole]

This happens to all cars, depending on how often you have the CC on; bacteria will inevitably thrive in the intakes, causing the smell; I have mine all the time; you should have it on at a minimum of an hour a week, though I think that's pretty low use - to keep it all functioning correctly. I've said before, when I bought this car in July/Aug 2018 for £1450, it was partly because it had a non functioning A/C - how long it had been that way I don't know - but I simply took it round the corner and had it re-gassed; ice cold for around 5 years then, until the compressor failed. Absolutely fine since. Never seems to lose gas now; but it must have done then for it to be empty; I put that down to lack of use; hence it's on all the time now; it's a CC after all as opposed to manual A/C only, so the A/C is not being used all the time and the impact on MPG is not as bad as would be supposed; not for me to care anyway. The lack of interior humidity and exercised functioning system is worth it, to my mind.

I don't use mine often it is mostly off, and the windows open, but when the weather is hot, it is used. In the colder months I use it to keep the moisture out. But I also use those moisture traps, and I'm always amazed at how quickly they fill up.

 

[Matt275]

Turned out to be the radiator. Again AA Parts & Garage turned out be a very worthwhile add-on - they paid for almost all of it. Of course they fitted the new header tank too; which was worth it because I could hardly see the level on the old one; even using the old trick of shining a torch down it.

Every thing bang on again. For the moment, touch wood Oh, my MOT is due the 14th July and my mechanic tells me new bushes for the front shocks will be required - I said, anything else, re suspension? - he said no - which is pretty remarkable, since we are now officially over the 270,000 mile mark by around 500!View attachment 281575

Level looks near minimum because it's on an incline.

Nice tidy engine bay B7 looks identical to mine, I too have the battery / plenum cover.
I like the cover on the right hand side - that's an S4 or RS4 thing isn't it?

 

[Matt275]

Mine is working just fine, it sits steadily at 45 psi now after a few days so not touching it anymore. And to take some pressure of you simply connect the fill pipe without the bottle on and open the tap... tapa out comes some of the pressure, but it's nasty stuff.

Anyway mine is working hiw it should now and so does @Matt275 Climatcontrol so will leave it the way it is.

The only time I will have it vacuumed is when it stinks... than it's time for a proper clean out and refill.

Sadly my A/C didn't behave...I must've overfilled it....

Gassed it Tuesday night to what I thought was approx 50 PSi...colder air than before - happy days.
The next morning, cold air - happy days.

However, last night driving home, pressed the ECON switch, the light on the ECON switch went out so waited for the cold air - which never came.

10 miles down the road I tried again only this time the light wouldn't go out on the ECON switch and no cold air of course, so I think the A/C pressure sensor (assuming it has one) kicked in and disabled A/C entirely to protect the system.

Got home, switched the CC OFF completely, back on again...still the ECON switch light wouldn't go out. Left it running, checked the pressure and was way into the red on the gauge, maybe 75 PSI....yikes! drained some gas out (shhhh don't tell Starmer lol)

Tried the ECON switch which then worked and cold air again, so took out more gas (shhhh don't tell Greta lol) and took the system back to the green to about 46 PSI.
Still cold air / plenty filled.
Checked it tonight and still approx 46 PSi,

Not sure what I did wrong as I'd never have set the pressure into the red like that...perhaps the gas expanded and really it's not a big system as such, so a little over can spell for extreme PSI pressures.

Anyway, sorted now...fingers crossed

 

[B7Tourer]

I don't use mine often it is mostly off, and the windows open, but when the weather is hot, it is used. In the colder months I use it to keep the moisture out. But I also use those moisture traps, and I'm always amazed at how quickly they fill up.

I seriously would not advise that if you want maximum longevity to the system, trust me! It doesn't use much actual 'A/C' in the winter/colder months; it's a CC after all; but in order to maintain proper lubrication the system must be used regularly.

Anyway, sorted now...fingers crossed

Glad to hear it Matt and thank you for the compliment. It's what I say about careful not to overfill these systems, they are very sensitive to that and will simply stop working when nothing is essentially wrong; at least that is my experience.

 

[B7Tourer]

I like the cover on the right hand side - that's an S4 or RS4 thing isn't it?

I don't necessarily think so - B6s came with these as standard - one of the few scrimps moving to the 'B7' platform - the bay was designed for them; they have a functional as well as aesthetic role - they deflect water, for example and add a modicum of further sound insulation. Anyway that right hand cover can be found across a number of models as OEM, I believe.

 

[Charlie Farley]

I leave my AC on all the time, never had any issues thus far other than the blocked heater matrix which I've replaced and which isn't part of the AC closed system anyway.

 

[Charlie Farley]

I'm sure you've checked/mentioned those before Rob, but I was just reading of a guy with a B8 and similar issue to yours; he chased the problem down the old rabbit hole too; changed everything including steering rack, and it turned out to be the worn drive shafts.

Current front drive shafts are less than 12 months old , but it has been suggested that it may well be worth going back to a pair of OE shafts, and see what occurs , so that's what I'm going to try.

 

[Matt275]

I seriously would not advise that if you want maximum longevity to the system, trust me! It doesn't use much actual 'A/C' in the winter/colder months; it's a CC after all; but in order to maintain proper lubrication the system must be used regularly.


Glad to hear it Matt and thank you for the compliment. It's what I say about careful not to overfill these systems, they are very sensitive to that and will simply stop working when nothing is essentially wrong; at least that is my experience.

Would I be right in thinking that the system does indeed have a pressure sensor that disabled the A/C until I took some gas out?

 

[northpole]

Would I be right in thinking that the system does indeed have a pressure sensor that disabled the A/C until I took some gas out?

yes it does... that all said when you put the system to hold a certain temperature ( mine is normally set on 18 degrees, because it is a pleasant temp, cold enough to not sweat, warm enough to not be cold) so it gets used more often than I actually stated. But here is the thing i do turn it off when it's not to hot in the car... eco mode is fine but when i do short trips (most of them are during the working week days) it is turned off. because i don't like the engine working harder when it's not warmed up. As i did notice the engine idles higher for longer when the engine hasn't reached working temperatures yet. So yes if the trip is shorter than 10 minutes, than nope it doesn't get used, providing it's not to hot/cold in the car.

Also this isn't my first ClimateControl equipped car so i'm quite familiar with the workings of it. And how i use it has never caused a problem before so i don't see it being a problem anytime soon, Also the topup i did was the first one the car has recieved according to the paperwork i have with it. and knowing that i should've gone for a proper aircon refill where they vacuum the system and than refill it properly. But i know the system wasn't leaking nor smelling nasty, so a simple gas and oil topup would do the trick.

 

[Matt275]

Cold air again tonight and 26.5C outside, so quite a good test. Takes a good few minutes for it to cool down, but it's more than good enough for now.
Right.... MK4 bath time woohoo!

 

[B7Tourer]

yes it does... that all said when you put the system to hold a certain temperature ( mine is normally set on 18 degrees, because it is a pleasant temp, cold enough to not sweat, warm enough to not be cold) so it gets used more often than I actually stated. But here is the thing i do turn it off when it's not to hot in the car... eco mode is fine but when i do short trips (most of them are during the working week days) it is turned off. because i don't like the engine working harder when it's not warmed up. As i did notice the engine idles higher for longer when the engine hasn't reached working temperatures yet. So yes if the trip is shorter than 10 minutes, than nope it doesn't get used, providing it's not to hot/cold in the car.

As I said before the compressor is clutchless, therefore it is always 'on'; even in eco mode; idling should never change (900 rpm) on or off; at least mine doesn't; the fan (blower motor) does change, depending, for example the speaker button on the steering wheel when pressed will drop the fan, for audibility, which is pretty cool; and pressing again will restore it. The engine drag and mpg caused by these kind of modern clutchless compressors is not huge, in any case; I don't know, maybe 5% mpg penalty; not enough to concern me too much. As they say, YMMV literally.

Most all cars today (last 20 years say) have these similar A/C compressors, I believe; some recent Alfas have clutched compressors, I think.

The main advantage of all year round A/C is demisting and lack of humidity, which can't be delivered in eco mode; plus of course the aforementioned benefit of keeping the system properly lubricated. I have had no further leaks since that first regas; and when the compressor went out; no other changes have been made to any other part since new, as far as I am aware.

Would I be right in thinking that the system does indeed have a pressure sensor that disabled the A/C until I took some gas out?

That's what I found Matt.

 

[northpole]

@B7Tourer thanks for your insights..

 

[Matt275]

B7, I saw you'd got hold of a sticker for the front grille you got recently. I need a sticker for my Golf, did you get your sticker from Zen?

Here's the one I need, plus £1.50 postage...says it's an Audi sticker, but it's definitely identical to the sticker on my Golf anyways.

Zen Graphics Ltd - Audi Caution replacement under Bonnet Decal / Sticker

shop.zengraphics.co.uk

 

[Charlie Farley]

Getting prepped to fit this tomorrow whilst I think on the way forward with the other issue.

 

[B7Tourer]

B7, I saw you'd got hold of a sticker for the front grille you got recently. I need a sticker for my Golf, did you get your sticker from Zen?

No it was from here: https://oem-carstickers.com/product/audi-tdi-warning-sticker/

 

[B7Tourer]

Ok, a bit crestfallen today; number one, the roof caved in! Or rather the headlining is going; another expense I didn't want! Well, they look sore with those pins but temporarily I found some nice ones and didn't go to town. It was a double whammy - I know how Rob feels, only there's nothing at all special about my car - just setting off fer a nice Sunday long drive, when all at once - no power; I mean no boost. She was accelerating like a 1920 model T. AA again Parts and Garage again! I ain't a salesman but, she might have been scrapped if not for that. I reckoned it was a duffed up stuffed up EGR valve, and the AA guy confirmed as much; stari8ght away he approved the claim. Bish bash bosh, in tomorrow

Crazy thing is disconnected the EGR electrical, and she is absolutely fine4, except with an EML light on.

 

[Matt275]

Could it be that the spot weld on the small flap has broken so the gasses don't get through?
I've seen where the spot weld breaks and the shaft just turns and of course does nothing....

 

[Charlie Farley]

Aborted the hybrid for now due to a problem with the oil cooler pipe, but swapped the decat pipe back on so not a totally wasted afternoon.
Also, I may have found the source of the persistent vibration, whilst crawling around underneath to undo the downpipe I thought id have a quick look at the nearside front drive shaft, and, its rattling around like it done a million miles, well the engine joint is , and its not even 12 months old yet.
Had a look at the nearside shaft and joints and its fine.

 

[Charlie Farley]

It goes without saying that i shall be having a conversation with the drive shaft suppliers with a view to getting my money back, they should be lasting for years, not months, totally unacceptable quality frankly.

 

[B7Tourer]

Could it be that the spot weld on the small flap has broken so the gasses don't get through?
I've seen where the spot weld breaks and the shaft just turns and of course does nothing....

Hi Matt, not sure if you meant me but I think they just get oil on the electrics, inside; yes often the flap breaks too, or can't move/close properly coz it gets so gummed up. In any case, fortunately, it's a straight new fit, courtesy of my AA Parts & Garage (that's twice in the space of a month; well worth the entrance fee). I know this because simply disconnecting it restores performance, although there is now inevitably the EML light on. What is even more remarkable, is there absolutely no smoke! What I thought was down to a carboned up top end that I've never touched, was simply, so it seems, a dirty defective EGR valve.

I've been a big naysayer of deletes, but it makes you wonder what they actually do, except feed crap back into the engine and prematurely age your fresh oil, black. They certainly don't seem to do eff all for the environment, from what I'm seeing; and my car's got no DPF, legally from new. I might delete later - let's see if the new one produces appreciably more smoke, first.

Incidentally, the AA have been great, but they no longer seem to get a spanner out; it's a waste of a van really, except to carry new batteries and other merch; and spare fuel for the unmechanical dozy, like my dear friend the other day. The last time one did, I had to plead and cajole him to take off my windscreen wipers to grease the spindles, to get them working, so I didn't have to drop the car off somewhere and wait a day (no tools away from home; or I'd have done it myself - I've got a puller tool now too).