What have you done to your Audi A4 B7 today?

[Charlie Farley]

Looks stunning that Rob, a very nice choice....I've never seen valves inside the rims before...is it a new thing?

That valve position was a new one on me too...lol
Not sure it's a good or bad idea to be honest, I can see it's benefits etc, but access is not ideal unless you have child-sized hands...
They look different depending on what angle you view them, it's the machined face that changes the effect.

 

[Charlie Farley]

 

[northpole]

Looks stunning that Rob, a very nice choice....I've never seen valves inside the rims before...is it a new thing?

nope it's an old one usually found on race inspired wheels... I've seen them before in that location and a few others, but always thought it wasn't for a daily driver... let alone for someone that likes to swap his brakes for the biggest ones he can fit... they might be in the perfect spot so they'll clear the brakes completely regardles of the size you are running. Just a bit less friendly to check tire pressure or add some air.

hope you've seen my post above as at the moment my car is a fridge spend most of yesterday trying to sort it out... but I've now decided to replace the heater matrix, so those reverse led bulbs are still in their packaging.

@Charlie Farley yeah i just ordered a new heater matrix it should come today according to the seller but royalmail? probabaly get it tomorrow... I found out i can simply remove it from the drivers footwell without to much of a problem since i don't have that extra pedal in the way... (i knew one day having an auto would make something easier except driving lol)

 

[Charlie Farley]

Yes , if you have an auto you will have enough room to extract the matrix without the need to trim bits as on manuals.
Just make sure you do t damage the the pipework as it’s very easy to damage.

 

[Charlie Farley]

Other than the extraction and fitting of the matrix core itself which is awkward to say the least , the actual reconnection to the water lines and getting the clamps on properly is a taxing process, just stay calm and take your time and you will be ok.
Best of luck.

 

[northpole]

Lol it's going to have to wait until tomorrow... our royal mail did what it does best, deliver it a day later than they promised the seller... nothing new there.

Might just start pulling it out today and create a bypass for the heater matrix, that way it'll be quicker to do the job once I get it and I can still use the car if needs be.

Not planning on going anywhere today but you never know. And for once the sun is out and it's dry the perfect time to do it.. and I don't have the part yet but new at 18 pounds... I'm not complaining.

 

[B7Tourer]

B7 matrix replacement is a dash out job as far as official channels are concerned, but there are some work arounds that work very well and save a lot of time and hassle. its still a pain to do but just a bit less than the official route.

It's a pig of a job but certainly not a dash out job - unless you meant centre console perhaps? - since it sits low towards the transmission tunnel; driver's side.

As mentioned flushing rarely works - it's really quite small and barely adequate to the job when even new; so old ones almost always end up clogged. There appears to be two types one for manual and one for automatic. I mistakenly supplied the latter as a customer supplied part when I had mine changed; but they were able to fit it reasonably without issue. Since then I have had no issues and nice heat. I first noticed one similar winter - the A/C which I always have on worked well blowing nice and cold in the summer; then come winter I was freezing lol.

As with anything, Northpole, I would urge you to replace with good quality OEM. As I say it's barely adequate as designed; a pig of a job to install and poor quality aftermarkets will clog/fail again soon, without doubt. It's a long time ago now mine was replaced, so I'm a bit sketchy but there's some foam too that comes with the replacement which must be used too.

 

[Charlie Farley]

Agreed , dont buy a cheapo matrix, they just arent made to the same OE quality in performance or quality of fit etc, buy once , fit once , job done.

even the smallest diffence in the angle of the outlets can cuase havoc, been there so know all about it.

The port marked with blue was not 100% square with the matrix housing, and as such, the connection was almost impossible. gave up and sent it back, replacement one that was much better quality joined up perfectly the first time.
Just something to be aware of, as the room for adjustment when clamping the two back together is very little.

 

[northpole]

Will see how it goes and will check it before I start the job... I refrained from pulling the original one out yesterday and decided to wait for those exact reasons. lol I've had that before with the vauxhall vectra c... same reason why they are hard to bleed to it's always a partly blocked heater matrix that does it.

So if it's not square, it'll be returned immediately.

 

[B7Tourer]

It's another reason to regularly change and flush the coolant with the correct recommended, more often than the 5 years or so specified intervals. The matrix heater is constantly 'on' in these cars: temperature is controlled by the flap motors. I do mine around every two years now.

even the smallest diffence in the angle of the outlets can cuase havoc, been there so know all about it.

This is especially true too.

 

[northpole]

It had fresh coolant a few months ago, I had a leaking pipe, after repair, i drained the system and put in fresh coolant. It was fine until it wasn't. No reason for it to go but it did so i just blame it on the age of the matrix.

 

[Charlie Farley]

just keep in mind, if it’s an old matrix and one puts radweld or similar in the system it will just clog the matrix even more.
The holes in the matrix are not the largest to start with , add aged system coolant and sludge forming, chuck in some leak repair solution and it’s going pear shaped rapidly.

 

[northpole]

no pipe wasn't available, cut the rotten part off, got a straight coupler and used a universal same size pipe to bridge the gap... totally legit repair coolant flow is the same... no radweld or k-seal used... just dropped all the coolant afterwards ( because during it leaking i topped up with water to nurse it home) filled up with fresh coolant... no reason for it to go pearshaped doing that... so it must be just because it's old... i'll start looking for an oem radiator soon too... ( ps pipe that went was the only pipe i didn't replace yet because it's absolete) all the other coolant pipes have been replaced with new ones.

 

[Jamsmoo]

Snug fit ,15mm spacers so a 35et 2-3mm clearance


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[Charlie Farley]

Looks great James, top marks for that work , I told you it was worth doing...
Yep , very snug fit...

 

[Jamsmoo]

Not bled up yet ,didn’t get started till midday
Weather was grim got beat by the light and had an issue with one of the disk bolts that needed drilling out and re tapped
Going to do a full fluid change tomorrow


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[northpole]

Managed to replace the heater matrix... but since i had to pull out the angle grinder and being in a weird position (just to shave off 4 mm of a bracket so the matrix actually came sliding out)... I lost control of it, and it cut through a wiring loom...

No big deal, I can repair it, but it started to rain harder, my right shoulder, by this time hurting more, and yes, it's swollen... I just closed off most of the things, reconnected the pipes and stopped.

Tomorrow I'll repair the wiring loom... good thing the loom is actually colourcoded wires. So it won't be too hard to repair it. It's just in an awkward spot, I did trace it as far as I could, and doing it in position will be the quickest way to repair it.

For now, I'm nursing the swollen right shoulder as it'll get another hammering tomorrow repairing that loom.

 

[Charlie Farley]

Those disc screws can be pain sometimes, I normally use my vessel impact driver to loosen them first.

 

[Jamsmoo]

My impactor was buried in my van and I couldn’t be bothered to dig it out
Thought it would save time lol ,typical


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[Jamsmoo]

Managed to replace the heater matrix... but since i had to pull out the angle grinder and being in a weird position (just to shave off 4 mm of a bracket so the matrix actually came sliding out)... I lost control of it, and it cut through a wiring loom...

No big deal, I can repair it, but it started to rain harder, my right shoulder, by this time hurting more, and yes, it's swollen... I just closed off most of the things, reconnected the pipes and stopped.

Tomorrow I'll repair the wiring loom... good thing the loom is actually colourcoded wires. So it won't be too hard to repair it. It's just in an awkward spot, I did trace it as far as I could, and doing it in position will be the quickest way to repair it.

For now, I'm nursing the swollen right shoulder as it'll get another hammering tomorrow repairing that loom.

Suffer from bursitis of the knee ,have to be really careful or it blows up and I’m out of action for days in excruciating pain .I invested in proper knee pads ,not your run of the mill foam or gel versions ,about 37£ from mcalpine
Feeling it tonight ,even with pads.
Iced up and elevated ready for round 2 tomorrow


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[Charlie Farley]

Managed to replace the heater matrix... but since i had to pull out the angle grinder and being in a weird position (just to shave off 4 mm of a bracket so the matrix actually came sliding out)... I lost control of it, and it cut through a wiring loom...

No big deal, I can repair it, but it started to rain harder, my right shoulder, by this time hurting more, and yes, it's swollen... I just closed off most of the things, reconnected the pipes and stopped.

Tomorrow I'll repair the wiring loom... good thing the loom is actually colourcoded wires. So it won't be too hard to repair it. It's just in an awkward spot, I did trace it as far as I could, and doing it in position will be the quickest way to repair it.

For now, I'm nursing the swollen right shoulder as it'll get another hammering tomorrow repairing that loom.

Its a pain of a job as you have found out, still done now so heat will now be on the menu.

 

[northpole]

Suffer from bursitis of the knee ,have to be really careful or it blows up and I’m out of action for days in excruciating pain .I invested in proper knee pads ,not your run of the mill foam or gel versions ,about 37£ from mcalpine
Feeling it tonight ,even with pads.
Iced up and elevated ready for round 2 tomorrow


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Yeah, mine is the rotator bit that has been a problem for almost 9 months now... it's inflammation that causes it... no amount of ibuprofen or cooling helps it... just heat with some tigerbalm and massage the area to soot it.

It always hurts. I got used to it and know what helps. Apparently, it can take a year or 2 to fully heal. I do exercises to strengthen and help it along. But when working on the car, it always acts up, and I end up with a swollen right shoulder. Especially if you have to work at weird angles.

 

[northpole]

Its a pain of a job as you have found out, still done now so heat will now be on the menu.

I'm not done yet, halfway because of the wiring loom... car starts and dies immediately. So i didn't even put coolant in it yet. Need to fix the loom than I can continue it's only 11 wires... let's hope it won't be too awkward.

 

[Charlie Farley]

Its just so akward working under the steering wheel in the footwell , i know how you feel.

 

[northpole]

Its just so akward working under the steering wheel in the footwell , i know how you feel.

I wonder if I actually removed the mid console if it would have been easier to pull it... I think it wouldn't, to be honest, as there is no extra room unless you pull the complete dashboard out.

I'm just annoyed that I lost control of the angle grinder and cut the loom... mweh to be continued... if they only made those bolts for those clamps like 2 mm longer, it would be a lot easier to close them

 

[Charlie Farley]

Yeah, mine is the rotator bit that has been a problem for almost 9 months now... it's inflammation that causes it... no amount of ibuprofen or cooling helps it... just heat with some tigerbalm and massage the area to soot it.

It always hurts. I got used to it and know what helps. Apparently, it can take a year or 2 to fully heal. I do exercises to strengthen and help it along. But when working on the car, it always acts up, and I end up with a swollen right shoulder. Especially if you have to work at weird angles.

I have to take a whole new approach to working on any car now, where it involves leaning into the engine bay, crawling under the hood, or lying at weird angles inside it.
Since my heart bypass my whole front ribcage /sternum area is really tender and painful with the slightest pressure, as such it requires a padded surface or cushion to take the pressure, its a bind but I work it out.

 

[Charlie Farley]

I wonder if I actually removed the mid console if it would have been easier to pull it... I think it wouldn't, to be honest, as there is no extra room unless you pull the complete dashboard out.

I'm just annoyed that I lost control of the angle grinder and cut the loom... mweh to be continued... if they only made those bolts for those clamps like 2 mm longer, it would be a lot easier to close them

No it wouldn't have been any easier. The method you used was by far the best option, but it was just a pain you had that issue with the grinder, but that's life, you just never know what's around the corner.

 

[Charlie Farley]

So today I have made a decision, nothing new there then..lol
As nice as my new 20" alloys are , and they are rather nice, they are not quite in keeping with the C6 Allroad style,, they would suit a newer C7 or C8 , but not so much my C6 platform.
So with that in mind, i'll get the tyres off and put the rims back in the boxes for another day and project, which is most definitely in the pipeline.
I found a set of S8 D2 20" rims, thats the 8.5j version not the newer 9j rims , which are as new , i'll get the tyres on them and give them a go......allways something.

 

[B7Tourer]

Just got the car back from the paintshop for the corrective work on the sills and a longstanding gash in the front driver's lower door blade. It's been done well and the last of the paintwork I needed; after 7 years lol. Baring more village codger damage that is

But it's developed yet another wheel bearing rumble. This is the fourth! This time I'm not sure whether it's front or rear, NS or OS; I can't place it - I just know the sound all too well. But I suspect it's the front again and because of cheap bearing replacements done before. I don't know why I'm heavy on bearings - I'm heavy on shoes too lol - maybe a total refresh of shock and springs might help, when I get around to that soon; but they are fine and certiainly feel a lot better than some of the new cars, I have ridden in as an Uber passenger dropping off and picking up the car recently. Cars feel so cheap these days; you feel every sharp bump, that I just don't in mine even with the S-Line suspension. So much so they make me feel sick.

Anyway it's going in to my mechanic for the bearing in a week or so. I don't have the tools to do it myself. I'm fitting new Meyle front ARB drop links; the rear eccentric toe bolts myself though. Then a swap from front to rear and 4 wheel tracking.

Speaking of which: I noticed recently turning sharply a couple of times, it seems I run over something in the road. Then I read in many places this is a characteristic of Pirelli P Zeros when they are partially worn. It's a crabing sideways down to to the compound. I've got to say all in all I'm not super impressed with these premium tyres on this car; and never again. It's back to Michelin next time.

 

[northpole]

Good news car is now toasty and hot, the repair took me a while, but got help from a neighbour when he saw what happened... within 2 hours, the wiring loom problem was solved, the heater matrix bled, took about 30 minutes from cold. Another hour to clean up and put my tools away.

I had to scan the car, erase faultcodes, and replace 2 fuses.

But it is done... next up led rear lights, but not today... right shoulder, ribcage, legs, and back are all hurting. I'll probably be in pain tomorrow, but at least the car isn't a driving fridge anymore.

 

[Charlie Farley]

Good news car is now toasty and hot, the repair took me a while, but got help from a neighbour when he saw what happened... within 2 hours, the wiring loom problem was solved, the heater matrix bled, took about 30 minutes from cold. Another hour to clean up and put my tools away.

I had to scan the car, erase faultcodes, and replace 2 fuses.

But it is done... next up led rear lights, but not today... right shoulder, ribcage, legs, and back are all hurting. I'll probably be in pain tomorrow, but at least the car isn't a driving fridge anymore.

Happy days chap.

 

[Charlie Farley]

So then, I'm off to somewhere called "Bingham" near Nottingham on Tuesday, never been to that part of the UK before, I've been close by briefly but never for a specific reason.

Collecting another small Ford tractor, so I'll will be taking the Allroad on its first road trip, and with a large lowloader trailer, it will be nice to see how it performs, especially the adaptive suspension in Trailer towing mode.

Not sure what the fuel consumption is going to be like though...lol

 

[Jamsmoo]

So then, I'm off to somewhere called "Bingham" near Nottingham on Tuesday, never been to that part of the UK before, I've been close by briefly but never for a specific reason.

Collecting another small Ford tractor, so I'll will be taking the Allroad on its first road trip, and with a large lowloader trailer, it will be nice to see how it performs, especially the adaptive suspension in Trailer towing mode.

Not sure what the fuel consumption is going to be like though...lol

Know it well ,not much there ..about 20mins from me
Full brake fluid change and a good drive about bedding in the pads and removing the coating from the disks ,not a huge difference in performance yet obviously
Pedal feels nice and firm
It was definitely due a fluid change by the colour coming out


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[Charlie Farley]

You won't notice the improvement until you need it, hopefully never , but its there just in case.

 

[Charlie Farley]

I've just realised I have yet to try out the old barge with the 20" alloys on so Tuesday maybe an eye opener ..lol

 

[northpole]

I've just realised I have yet to try out the old barge with the 20" alloys on so Tuesday maybe an eye opener ..lol

my mates old 2004 a6 2.5tdi quattro S-line would pull a fully loaded trailer like there was nothing behind it, i can only imagine yours with the bigger more refined engine and more torque will feel the same. Might be different if the little tractor sticks up higher( way higher than your roof you'll feel side winds) but other than that i suspect you'll be surprised at how easy the car will deal with a fully loaded trailer behind it.

 

[Jamsmoo]

Typically one job has thrown up another
While bleeding the brakes yesterday i noticed the in board front offside cv boot has split and completely separated from the outer clip
Yearly health check in couple of weeks
I’ve pulled it forward and zipped tied it for now to hold back the grease
Tempted to send it in and hope for the best but if it fails I’m gonna struggle to get it sorted before Xmas
I do have a brand new complete outer rear cv joint and boot somewhere
Wondering if this will fit
So that’s another Saturday or Sunday taken up at the busiest dampest time of year


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[northpole]

no rear and front inner cv-joints are different afaik. So you won't be able to use the one you got laying about... but i would send you towards just buying a complete new rear drive shaft... it makes the job a lot easier just drop and replace... you can always repair the one removed when it suits you better or just bin it.

 

[Jamsmoo]

no rear and front inner cv-joints are different afaik. So you won't be able to use the one you got laying about... but i would send you towards just buying a complete new rear drive shaft... it makes the job a lot easier just drop and replace... you can always repair the one removed when it suits you better or just bin it.

Yea good advice ,although it’s the front offside with the issue


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[Jamsmoo]

I did think it probably worth while doing the outer while it’s out so why not take it a step further and do the whole drive shaft assembly


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