Dippy's S5

[Adamantium]

Think I'll extend my fuel lines too when fitting.

I would like to do a before and after dyno, and am sure Litchfield would be happy to accomodate but the trouble is, you need to compare any intake to one that doesn't collapse. The standard one does. I suppose I could put some samco on to create a baseline with a remap that doesn't collapse so that we can see the actual benefits of the intake, rather than repairing the fault with the stock set up.

I am then faced with a dilemma of subsequent remaps. I'm prepared to ignore the mapping benefits on the forge chargecooler, as I expect that to just be more consistent and not add any power, just not let it disappear. So, in what order do I do my before and afters for mapping purposes?

Dyno stock > fit Eventuri then dyno > remap for eventuri then dyno again > fit single high ratio pulley, remap then dyno again > fit throttle body then dyno again > remap for throttle body then dyno again

Not sure how well that will go down!

 

[MuPPeT_ON_TouR]

I'll need to see all this in an excel sheet with appropriate graphs....

And a pie chart... Everybody loves a pie chart.

 

[jdp1962]

I got around to taking some photos of the mods I did to secure the fuel pipe. The two clips were cut out of an OE air pipe and then secured with tie-wraps. The taped-up roll of sponge is what I had used before to stop the fuel pipe rubbing against the air pipe but I decided to leave it on as a cushion for when the bonnet is closed and I assume that the soundproofing material is touching it.

View attachment 168277 View attachment 168279 View attachment 168280

I need to check mine, and if necessary, do something similar.

 

[Dippy]

Think I'll extend my fuel lines too when fitting.

I would like to do a before and after dyno, and am sure Litchfield would be happy to accomodate but the trouble is, you need to compare any intake to one that doesn't collapse. The standard one does. I suppose I could put some samco on to create a baseline with a remap that doesn't collapse so that we can see the actual benefits of the intake, rather than repairing the fault with the stock set up.

I am then faced with a dilemma of subsequent remaps. I'm prepared to ignore the mapping benefits on the forge chargecooler, as I expect that to just be more consistent and not add any power, just not let it disappear. So, in what order do I do my before and afters for mapping purposes?

Dyno stock > fit Eventuri then dyno > remap for eventuri then dyno again > fit single high ratio pulley, remap then dyno again > fit throttle body then dyno again > remap for throttle body then dyno again

Not sure how well that will go down!

Do you really need to know what the benefits of each and every component really are?

If you are confident that the Eventuri is high performance then I'd suggest dyno at these stages:
Stock -> add Eventuri+pulley+remap -> add TB -> final remap

However if you are concerned that the Eventuri is a sheep in wolf's clothing then I'd suggest dyno at these stages:
Stock -> add "vanilla" intake*+pulley+remap -> change to Eventuri+remap -> choose intake and add TB -> final remap
*As in silicone hose, uprated filter & airbox hole

The only question remains is if there is a dependency between intake and TB. I noticed Issam's comment "bigger is not necessarily better" in the AZ post, and we know from APR's figures that the UC does not always bring more power in all configurations. If I were you I'd consult with Issam about what tests he did and if intake was a factor, otherwise you may not be 100% sure that your intake/TB combo is optimal.

 

[Adamantium]

I’m not concerned about getting results for myself. I’m happy to throw them all on.

It’s more a case of proving the value of each separate mod to help others out.

Litchfield also have a flow bench and can port the supercharger at the same time while it’s there.

 

[Dippy]

Deja vu - a great term that we stole from French.

I have been away for a week and used the S5 today. It started with a condition that immediately invoked that "deja vu" feeling. A familiar yellow "washer fluid low" symbol was on the DIS. That's the one I kept seeing nearly a year ago even though I had recently refilled the fluid. And the cause was a leaking headlight washer jet - twice. The offside one was replaced by Audi Basingstoke under warranty. The nearside one was replaced by MDM Technik just outside warranty.

Mark had shown me how to check the jets so I just did so. First the nearside one which Mark replaced (I watched him do it). No leak. Then the offside one which Audi Basingstoke replaced. I hadn't seen the tech replace it, but he did it really quickly, claiming that apparently it can be done without removing the bumper, which Mark had to do. And I had asked for the nearside one to be replaced "just in case" but in spite of my checking in advance, apparently the part had not arrived and I wasn't prepared to wait all day for them to possibly get one from another dealer. So that's why I had to go to MDM to have it replaced when it started leaking a mere few weeks later. Yes indeed. It is the one that Audi Basingstoke replaced which is now leaking.

Since I am familiar with this problem I am actually certain that it wasn't leaking after Audi Basingstoke did the work. After all Mark checked both jets when I took the car to him, and he confirmed that the nearside one needed replacing. So whilst I'd like to believe that the Audi tech did something wrong I have doubts, but that leaves me with the conclusion that these washer jets are truly unreliable and if I'm unlucky I'm going to have to have them replaced on a regular basis?

Anyway I checked my invoice from Audi Basingstoke. "Terms of Business" #14 states that "The Company warrants all parts fitted to the vehicle in accordance with the applicable statutory rights at the time of supply or repair. The Company warrants its work free of defects for a period of 3 months or 3000 miles, whichever occurs sooner, from the date of completion of the work..." The work was done on 27th April so its been less than a year and I'm hoping/expecting that the applicable statutory rights for this part give it a 1 year manufacturer warranty. Does anyone know for sure?

 

[HTB]

@Dippy

Your statutory rights and a manufacturer's warranty are 2 different kettles of fish.

Your statutory rights are covered by the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982. The former pertains to the quality and durability of the parts you buy and the latter to the dealer's standard of workmanship in fitting them.

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[HTB]

Having said that, I thought that all genuine Audi parts come with a 2 year warranty...

Replacement parts warranty

All Audi Original replacement parts carry a warranty for a period of two-years/unlimited mileage from the date of purchase. Items with warranties in excess of two years will be advised to you at the time of purchase. The two-year warranty does not apply to parts fitted under the terms of the vehicle warranty, which are warranted for the remaining period of the vehicle warranty.

The Wear and Tear and Service Adjustment policies applicable to new vehicles also apply to Parts Warranty.

So you should be covered by the parts warranty in addition to your statutory rights.



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[scotty76]

Like @HTB says, I thought all Audi parts carried a 2 year warranty so I'd definitely be bringing that up.

 

[Dippy]

Thanks guys - you're right and it is stated here: https://www.audi.co.uk/owners-area/...nties/audi-warranty-terms-and-conditions.html

Replacement parts warranty
All Audi Original replacement parts carry a warranty for a period of two-years/unlimited mileage from the date of purchase. Items with warranties in excess of two years will be advised to you at the time of purchase. The two-year warranty does not apply to parts fitted under the terms of the vehicle warranty, which are warranted for the remaining period of the vehicle warranty.

But I am wondering if the part wasn't actually replaced? Possibly the tech knew a "trick" that could stop a jet leaking, but it's only temporary. That might explain why the job was done so quickly?

If these parts are simply bad then this is going to be a permanent cloud over my ownership, fearing to see that fluid low warning every time I start the car. But if this was the case then surely there would be a lot more reports of the problem on forums such as this?

 

[V6_Man]

But I am wondering if the part wasn't actually replaced? Possibly the tech knew a "trick" that could stop a jet leaking, but it's only temporary. That might explain why the job was done so quickly?

If these parts are simply bad then this is going to be a permanent cloud over my ownership, fearing to see that fluid low warning every time I start the car. But if this was the case then surely there would be a lot more reports of the problem on forums such as this?

Mine was replaced by Oxford Audi and so far it is working fine. I don't remember exactly how long it took them to replace/fix the part as it has been some time now, I'll keep an eye and report in case it happens again.


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[HTB]

If these parts are simply bad.......But if this was the case then surely there would be a lot more reports of the problem on forums such as this?

No problems so far in 2.5 years - but that's just jinxed it!

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[MuPPeT_ON_TouR]

Both mine went in my A4. It is a very common problem.

I did hear that the liberal use of water proof grease would help. I was told it was because the unit did not retract fully after use and that's why it leaked.

It is definitely a bumper off job to replace.

 

[V6_Man]

Hi @Dippy was just wondering if you could help me with something - I have tried using our trusted friend Google but couldn't find anything on the topic.

I am looking at the differences between DL501 Gen1 - 2 and especially interested in what was done in Gen 1.5. One of the key differences that I have seen between Gen 1 and Gen 2 is the DSG external cooling filter, which I believe was made available in Gen 1.5 however, I can't seem to find any links to it.

I have been reading and have found a few B8 S4s (2010-2011) and it appears some of them come with the external cooling filter. Is this correct? Do you know anything about it or shall I say you should know about it as you know about this gearbox more than Audi do themselves

 

[Dippy]

It was the other way round. Gen 1 had an in-line pressure filter in the line leading to (or from) the cooler. It was deleted in gen 1.5. If you check SSP 990193 page 29 you'll see the note that Audi had planned the delete right from the start. It states that it will be "integrated into the connection module" but if you check the drawings it really just looks like it was deleted because that module looks unchanged.

 

[V6_Man]

It was the other way round. Gen 1 had an in-line pressure filter in the line leading to (or from) the cooler. It was deleted in gen 1.5. If you check SSP 990193 page 29 you'll see the note that Audi had planned the delete right from the start. It states that it will be "integrated into the connection module" but if you check the drawings it really just looks like it was deleted because that module looks unchanged.

You. Are. A. Star. Mate. Any chance I can book in some 1-2-1 tution sessions with you . I believe I'll learn more in 10-15 sessions with you rather than reading online


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[Dippy]

I drove down to Audi Basingstoke this morning to have the leaky headlight washer jet replaced. The service adviser came over and explained that since that part had been replaced whilst the car was still in its 3 year warranty period, the warranty on it had expired. In effect the 2 year parts warranty only applies to parts paid for by customers when the car is out of warranty. She then asked me what Audi Basingstoke can do for me today and I guess she was expecting that I'd just agree to pay for the part to be replaced. But instead I said that I was upset that they had waited for me to actually arrive at the dealership before giving me this news, and the only action I requested is for them to provide details of the T&Cs of the warranty since there is not much available publicly (i.e. their website - I don't know about my original documents, I'll need to check those).

So a short time later she returned with a manager who thought that I just needed him to tell me again what she had already told me. So I decided to tell him that I was more upset that I had originally discussed having the work done under parts warranty with the adviser when I had 'phoned on Monday, no-one had phoned me in the interim so I had been forced to drive to the dealership for them to tell me that they couldn't do what I asked. He said that was a separate issue, but I repeated that it was this issue which was upsetting me more that the matter of warranty. I decided to tell him that I will complain about this poor service to Audi UK (but I'm not sure I can be bothered to actually do that now). I left, thanking them for the service that they had provided so far (and to be fair most of it had been good), but now my relationship with Audi Basingstoke (as a paying customer) is over.

On the way home as the irritation subsided I was partly relieved. I had again taken photos of my car (particularly the wheels) after I had parked, due to my fear that one of their employees might cause damage whilst moving it. Now I don't need to worry because I'll be having the work done at MDM Technik. In my mind I reasoned that it is quite likely that parts replaced under the car's warranty are not covered by a separate parts warranty when it expires. The only issue here was lack of communication and information. I guess I shall look anyway, and suspect that I will find a clause to that fact. So I have no expectations of getting recompense for the work.

But of course my concern still remains: Have I really just experienced one of these parts failing after just 7 months? Or should I follow up on my suspicion that, having been told by Mark that the job needs the bumper removed, yet Audi Basingstoke clearly told me that the tech managed to do it without removing the bumper, there is the possibility that the part was not replaced, but instead the tech managed to do something to stop the leak, but which has turned out to be temporary? My answer to that is yes, and I'll have to rely on Mark's expert opinion. It will be interesting if he thinks the part was not replaced...

 

[Dippy]

Well I'm a knob
I just re-read the quote I had already put into post #210 so I already had my answer. I could have avoided this.

But it does not change the fact that Audi Basingstoke failed by not advising me of this fact up front.
And it does not change my suspicion that the part was not actually replaced.

 

[V6_Man]

I drove down to Audi Basingstoke this morning to have the leaky headlight washer jet replaced. The service adviser came over and explained that since that part had been replaced whilst the car was still in its 3 year warranty period, the warranty on it had expired. In effect the 2 year parts warranty only applies to parts paid for by customers when the car is out of warranty. She then asked me what Audi Basingstoke can do for me today and I guess she was expecting that I'd just agree to pay for the part to be replaced. But instead I said that I was upset that they had waited for me to actually arrive at the dealership before giving me this news, and the only action I requested is for them to provide details of the T&Cs of the warranty since there is not much available publicly (i.e. their website - I don't know about my original documents, I'll need to check those).

So a short time later she returned with a manager who thought that I just needed him to tell me again what she had already told me. So I decided to tell him that I was more upset that I had originally discussed having the work done under parts warranty with the adviser when I had 'phoned on Monday, no-one had phoned me in the interim so I had been forced to drive to the dealership for them to tell me that they couldn't do what I asked. He said that was a separate issue, but I repeated that it was this issue which was upsetting me more that the matter of warranty. I decided to tell him that I will complain about this poor service to Audi UK (but I'm not sure I can be bothered to actually do that now). I left, thanking them for the service that they had provided so far (and to be fair most of it had been good), but now my relationship with Audi Basingstoke (as a paying customer) is over.

On the way home as the irritation subsided I was partly relieved. I had again taken photos of my car (particularly the wheels) after I had parked, due to my fear that one of their employees might cause damage whilst moving it. Now I don't need to worry because I'll be having the work done at MDM Technik. In my mind I reasoned that it is quite likely that parts replaced under the car's warranty are not covered by a separate parts warranty when it expires. The only issue here was lack of communication and information. I guess I shall look anyway, and suspect that I will find a clause to that fact. So I have no expectations of getting recompense for the work.

But of course my concern still remains: Have I really just experienced one of these parts failing after just 7 months? Or should I follow up on my suspicion that, having been told by Mark that the job needs the bumper removed, yet Audi Basingstoke clearly told me that the tech managed to do it without removing the bumper, there is the possibility that the part was not replaced, but instead the tech managed to do something to stop the leak, but which has turned out to be temporary? My answer to that is yes, and I'll have to rely on Mark's expert opinion. It will be interesting if he thinks the part was not replaced...

An expected outcome @Dippy and I don't think anyone of us is surprised to see/read Stealership's response. Like i mentioned above, mine is working fine so far but I'll be lying to say that I have not used screen wash as much as I would've wanted it to. I usually give it a good clean.

Re: fitment of the actual part, I don't think it is a bumper off job however, it definitely involves removing the wheel and arch liner before getting to the part. Again, I have not done it myself but YouTube has plenty of videos available. And I found them as I was initially planning on doing it myself but then decided against it. Just couldn't be asked.


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[jdp1962]

Well I'm a knob
I just re-read the quote I had already put into post #210 so I already had my answer. I could have avoided this.

But it does not change the fact that Audi Basingstoke failed by not advising me of this fact up front.
And it does not change my suspicion that the part was not actually replaced.

Maybe in future ask for the part being swapped out?

 

[HTB]

@Dippy

Any reasonable person would expect a new part to last longer than 7 months, unless it was poor quality, inherently defective, damaged or misused.

And that's exactly what your statutory rights are under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (CRA).

If the part fails before 6 months it's assumed to be inherently defective, unless the seller proves otherwise.

After 6 months, the item still has to meet the 'satisfactory quality' requirement of CRA (including reasonable durability) but the burden of proof shifts to you.

That means you would need to get an independent report from MDM stating that, in his expert opinion, the failed part did not suffer any external damage or misuse and that these parts typically last a lot longer if only fair wear and tear. Therefore the part that Audi Basingstoke sold you was defective and not of satisfactory quality.

Write a letter before claim (LBC) to the seller, including your expert report, outlining your argument, as above, and that you are claiming under your statutory rights in the CRA. Set out that you are claiming for the cost of buying a replacement for the failed part, the cost of fitting it and the cost of the expert report. Give them 14 days to respond and if they don't cough up, use Money Claim Online.

p.s. The legal test of how long is 'reasonable' in determining that something should last for a reasonable length of time is, despite what Audi Basingstoke might say, as considered by 'the man on the Clapham Omnibus '



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[HTB]

In addition to what I just wrote, if MDM Technik believe the failure was down to incorrect fitting or poor workmanship, your statutory rights would still be the same. The expert report would be worded differently but you would still claim the same costs.

I believe you may have bought your car before October 2015. In which case the applicable consumer legislation should be the Sale of Goods Act 1979 and the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982. Your rights in these are the same as the CRA that came in to force in October 2015.

There's some useful background in the following link, including your statutory rights for shoddy work carried out under guarantee:

https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/regulation/supply-of-goods-and-services-act-1982

From the link above:

Remember that where a trader guarantees their work for a set period of time that guarantee does not affect your legal rights to have work done with reasonable care and skill using materials that are of satisfactory quality, as described and fit for purpose.

A trader can't claim that you cannot get a repair on any work that you discover is not up to standard after your guarantee period is over.

 

[Dippy]

Thanks for the advice. I'm not sure what action, if any, I shall take. It probably depends on what Mark thinks. I have known him many years, but not well enough to judge how he feels about giving "official" expert opinion.

 

[Dippy]

Maybe in future ask for the part being swapped out?

The visit to Audi Basingstoke to get the part replaced under warranty was supposed to be my last, at least for this car. Now that I made one more visit which was a total waste of my time and Momentum 99, that was definitely the last time. As for the other jet I watched Mark doing the job and I do have the old part (I wanted to see if I could work out why it fails but no luck there).

 

[Dippy]

Is anyone else here as stupid as me? For reasons I won't go into, I started a phone call in my car but then got out whilst the person I had called was checking something. After a while of my asking "are you still there?", I ended the call and redialled. The connection seemed to work but nobody answered the call!

It was only today when I was reviewing my dashcam video that I heard the other person asking "are you still there?"

Definite stupidity. However I did have my keys in my pocket and I know that the car recognises when the key is out of range, and even if the bluetooth was still in range I am sure the key wasn't. Clearly on the B8 the bit that knows the key is out of range doesn't tell the telephone controller...

 

[jdp1962]

I only feel qualified to answer your opening question @Dippy, and it's a yes.

 

[V6_Man]

Is anyone else here as stupid as me? For reasons I won't go into, I started a phone call in my car but then got out whilst the person I had called was checking something. After a while of my asking "are you still there?", I ended the call and redialled. The connection seemed to work but nobody answered the call!

It was only today when I was reviewing my dashcam video that I heard the other person asking "are you still there?"

Definite stupidity. However I did have my keys in my pocket and I know that the car recognises when the key is out of range, and even if the bluetooth was still in range I am sure the key wasn't. Clearly on the B8 the bit that knows the key is out of range doesn't tell the telephone controller...

I have done it a few times you are definitely not alone in this.

Was the ignition turned off at the time? From what I know if the ignition is not turned off then it will stay connected until you are out of the Bluetooth range. However, and even with the ignition turned off and if you are still inside the car it will stay connected until you open the door, which disconnects the phone.


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[Dippy]

No, the engine was running. I'll remember that for the future!

 

[MuPPeT_ON_TouR]

This is only ment to start a discussion as I have been thinking of going stage 2 but the figures from available evidence don't stack up.

If an absolutely stock CREC engine(see pics as the intake pipe hasn't even been changed) can make 444 is the cost of stage 2 really worth it?

Are there others things that need done in addition to get the most from stage 2? Is there something else holding it back or is it really a case of diminishing returns after stage 1 compared to the cost of stage 2.

 

[Dippy]

I hope I don't insult your intelligence with my response.

"Diminishing returns" is a fundamental rule post stage 1, at least for forced induction engines. Engine designers are faced with balancing efficiency, performance and emissions. The best solution for this is variable compression but AFAIK only SAAB got close to that but it never got into production. The next best thing is forced induction and turbochargers offer the best compromise, at least between performance and efficiency. But one of the things that us petrolheads love - that boost rush as a turbo spins to its max - is undesirable to most drivers, and indeed not to the car manufacturer because it reduces efficiency (lean burn is a killer - if the turbo is on full tilt the fuel must be added). So the engine designers take advantage of the variable-compression-like effect that the turbo provides, but limit its peak use by dumping exhaust gasses through a wastegate. Similarly with a supercharger, the engine designer makes use of that forced induction up to a point, but then limits boost by recycling the air past a bypass valve. The end result is that engine efficiency is improved, but driveability (for the general public) is maintained by 'flattening' the torque curve.

So a typical stage 1 for a forced induction engine is primarily to remove (at least partly) the mechanism that the manufacturer put in place to limit boost. In modern engines this is 'easily' done with an ECU remap, raising the pressure sensor threshold at which the wastegate/bypass valve opens. Depending on the engine this can have a dramatic effect. I'm guessing that on my wife's 1.6 turbo Qashqai the effect will be marginal (let alone the 1.2 turbo which I insisted was too low power for that car). But for a lot of cars, especially many in the Audi line-up, can make huge gains from the 'simple' stage 1 tune, especially if it is not so 'simple' - because there is more that a tuner can do in a remap than just increasing boost.

So to the B8 V6T. Considering that Audi have been giving over 300PS in the 2.0T and 400PS in the 2.5T it is clear that 333PS from a 3.0T was restricted. So seeing around 430PS from a stage 1 should not be surprising (the turbo cars get a better PS per litre peak from a stage 1 because the turbo operates differently from the supercharger).

Beyond stage 1 (basic remap) does depend on the engine. It starts with looking at other restrictions. On ours the easy one is TCU remap because Audi reduced the redline between the B8 and B8.5 and raising that can add another 10PS. Next to examine are intake and exhaust. In many cars these can be improved, but for ours only the intake tends to limit top end power and that's only really at stage 2.

Now stage 2 can mean different things on different engines, all involving uprated hardware, but on ours it is the pulley ratio (plus intake and maybe cooling). Since the supercharger is belt driven from the engine, the revs of the supercharger are directly proportional to the revs of the engine. Thus the forced airflow is proportional to engine revs and hence boost pressure (because if the supercharger can flow more air than the engine sucks, there will be a positive pressure). If at any given engine revs the supercharger can be made to spin faster, boost increases. Fortunately this can be done relatively simply by changing that drive ratio, but changing the size of one of the pulleys. Of course there are limits, and the main ones for this engine are the supercharger spec of 24Krpm and cooling of the air - the higher the boost the hotter it gets, and without going into detail heat is bad. Anyway on our engine a stage 2 with new pulley, intake mods and TCU remap the peaks can reach around 470-490PS and 570-600Nm without additional cooling. With the extra cooling the 500PS barrier gets broken and a little more is possible with other intake mods.

So what does this all mean for your question? Well as noted stage 1 is 'just' software. So the cost is really the tuner's r&d plus a bit of labour. But with gains of around +100PS/100Nm that is going to be the best 'bang for the buck'. Then stage 2 is going to need new hardware. Pulley, belt and intake components are going to cost, plus there is more labour. It also needs a new remap (although I guess going from stock to stage 2 is only a single remap) and the tuner deserves some of the r&d cost paid for. But now that we're looking at +50PS/50Nm gain that's not going to be as cost-effective.

It is impossible for me to tell you want you want to know to make a decision. Only you know how much you are prepared to pay and how much performance you want. For me the extra money for a stage 2 was easily worth the money. I could afford to go to stage 3 (if we can call it that) which would give me maybe +25PS/25Nm, but actually it's the reliability risk that is dissuading me more than the cost. As I write this I can't remember if you are stage 1 already, but I can tell you that the difference between stock and stage 2 is pretty amazing. I'll also admit that I rarely use all the power from my stage 2, and maybe even the peak torque becomes a bit brutal in the wet. Maybe I would have been find with stage 1, however I know for sure that if I had settled for stage 1 then I'd always be wondering what stage 2 is like (just as I wonder what stage 3 would be like).

 

[MuPPeT_ON_TouR]

No insult taken, I never claimed to be the smartest. But you don't know until you know, and now I know more.

Than you for taking the time.

 

[Dippy]

I think it has to be new tyres soon. Fronts are about 4mm and rears 3.5mm. But the inner edges are a bit less so on the rears, particularly the nearside rear some of the 3mm raised bits are almost level with the tread. I probably rotated them a bit late for totally even wear and was considering waiting until the summer, but I don't like it if the inner edges are getting that low. Also I guess I need to keep an eye on Brexit? I shall be getting Michelin PS4Ss and I assume they come from France. At the moment my local fitter is charging £200* per corner for supply and fit, and that could easily go up after Brexit, plus there could be a serious risk of delays. So I think I'll get them done in March. Besides I never liked these Pirellis, especially since they have got worse with wear, so it will be great to get some decent tyres on.

*Yes I know I could get them cheaper elsewhere but this is a trusted company which I can rely on so I'm wiling to pay the extra for the confidence that my alloys won't get damaged.

 

[Meemo]

Not liking the dunlops? I must admit I have been putting off changing my fronts since November when they was less than 3mm left :S

 

[V6_Man]

I think it has to be new tyres soon. Fronts are about 4mm and rears 3.5mm. But the inner edges are a bit less so on the rears, particularly the nearside rear some of the 3mm raised bits are almost level with the tread. I probably rotated them a bit late for totally even wear and was considering waiting until the summer, but I don't like it if the inner edges are getting that low. Also I guess I need to keep an eye on Brexit? I shall be getting Michelin PS4Ss and I assume they come from France. At the moment my local fitter is charging £200* per corner for supply and fit, and that could easily go up after Brexit, plus there could be a serious risk of delays. So I think I'll get them done in March. Besides I never liked these Pirellis, especially since they have got worse with wear, so it will be great to get some decent tyres on.

If Brexit is going to impact than it won't just be tyres, it will be pretty much everything, wouldn't it.

*Yes I know I could get them cheaper elsewhere but this is a trusted company which I can rely on so I'm wiling to pay the extra for the confidence that my alloys won't get damaged.

Agreed, however, you can still get them for £660.46 delivered from Blackcircles to your address, take them to your trusted place and get them fitted. I'd put the £100 towards a tank and a half of vPower

 

[scotty76]

My local trusted place always price match Blackcircles which works for me. Maybe ask yours?

 

[Dippy]

Who do you use? IIRC you are in the same area as me.

 

[scotty76]

Who do you use? IIRC you are in the same area as me.

Thatcham Tyres. Been going there for over 10 years. These guys...

Thatcham Tyre & Exhaust Centre
https://g.co/kgs/eDuieo

Also heard good things about Burghfield Bridge Tyres but never used them.

 

[Dippy]

A case of too much information?
_______________________

Yesterday on a longish journey I happened to notice that my FIS-Control MMI gauge for supercharger revs was showing 0. Now with the clutch open it can get down to the 100s rpm, but even on my chosen scale this can be seen. But my needle was definitely at zero. So I flipped to the readings screen and saw that indeed it was 0, but worse I noticed that the battery voltage was about 11.7V. My immediate thought was that the drive belts had snapped so I looked for the next place to pull-over.

Now in hindsight I should have noticed a number of other things. Such as bit of a coincidence that both belts snapped? No alarm on the dash? No dimming of lights and no change in steering feel (I assume that this would change without the alternator since it is electric steering). Also I did rev the engine to see if the supercharger revs would increase on the gauge, and although the needle stayed at zero I could feel the boost. But I didn't and my brain was just focused on the two problems I had noticed and thinking about stopping and phoning for the recovery service. I also didn't register what the other readings on my MMI screen were, but I feel fairly sure that if they had all been zero I would have noticed.

Well I stopped and opened the bonnet. There was no street lighting so I felt for the supercharger pulley, expecting to feel the absence of a belt. But no, it was there and felt the same tension as usual. Then I remembered that I have a tiny light on my key-ring so I looked and saw both belts looked present and correct. So back in the car and restarted and all was OK - supercharger and battery readings back to normal. I then continued my journey and everything was fine.

Thanks to Tash I decided to do a VCDS scan the day before and there were no faults (apart from my "known" ones). I have just done a new autoscan and as I think I was expecting - no new faults. Now since the car did not register any problems, then either for some reason the registers which FIS-Control MMI reads got corrupted without the system noticing, or it was FIS-Control MMI itself misbehaving. I guess I need to report it to Stefan.

 

[V6_Man]

A case of too much information?
_______________________

Yesterday on a longish journey I happened to notice that my FIS-Control MMI gauge for supercharger revs was showing 0. Now with the clutch open it can get down to the 100s rpm, but even on my chosen scale this can be seen. But my needle was definitely at zero. So I flipped to the readings screen and saw that indeed it was 0, but worse I noticed that the battery voltage was about 11.7V. My immediate thought was that the drive belts had snapped so I looked for the next place to pull-over.

Now in hindsight I should have noticed a number of other things. Such as bit of a coincidence that both belts snapped? No alarm on the dash? No dimming of lights and no change in steering feel (I assume that this would change without the alternator since it is electric steering). Also I did rev the engine to see if the supercharger revs would increase on the gauge, and although the needle stayed at zero I could feel the boost. But I didn't and my brain was just focused on the two problems I had noticed and thinking about stopping and phoning for the recovery service. I also didn't register what the other readings on my MMI screen were, but I feel fairly sure that if they had all been zero I would have noticed.

Well I stopped and opened the bonnet. There was no street lighting so I felt for the supercharger pulley, expecting to feel the absence of a belt. But no, it was there and felt the same tension as usual. Then I remembered that I have a tiny light on my key-ring so I looked and saw both belts looked present and correct. So back in the car and restarted and all was OK - supercharger and battery readings back to normal. I then continued my journey and everything was fine.

Thanks to Tash I decided to do a VCDS scan the day before and there were no faults (apart from my "known" ones). I have just done a new autoscan and as I think I was expecting - no new faults. Now since the car did not register any problems, then either for some reason the registers which FIS-Control MMI reads got corrupted without the system noticing, or it was FIS-Control MMI itself misbehaving. I guess I need to report it to Stefan.

Phew! Glad to hear all is working fine @Dippy. I think its not the actual issue with the car that will kill me but these "glitches". Like yourself, I had the exact same panic moment when I came across that "issue" on the last scan. Keep us posted with what Stefan says about it. Also, are there any updates due for the FIS??

 

[V6_Man]

My panic-inducing glitch happened about a year ago when, whilst cruising along a dual carriageway (and I do mean cruise control engaged), the engine suddenly and randomly went into limp mode. Cruise cut out, and it wouldn’t rev over 1,000rpm. I pulled up, switched off, removed the key, reinserted it and switched back on; all normal. Finished my journey, did a Carista scan, came back blank.

Thought no more about it until about six months later, it did it again; on exactly the same stretch of road at more or less the same time of day. Every time I now drive that road (as I did earlier today) my buttocks clenche involuntarily.

It's really bizarre mate. Glad there are no warnings on the dash - happy days