Hi Chaps (and Chapesses)
So a quick hello to everyone as I've just bought my s3 this weekend. Thanks to all the information I gained on here prior to purchase, I think I managed to get a fair deal for my low budget of £1500. The car was purchased as I needed a runaround and something for the odd trackday (intend on a bit of modification), so I don't expect longevity!
I've not owned a car in two years (living in London) so needed to buy something to avoid losing no claims...Last cars were an e46 M3 smg, Cooper S, e39 M5, R32 GTR skyline and originally an MR2 Turbo, so I wanted something fun. It was down to an S3, Megane 225 or a Cupra R...the S3 won
It's a ming blue, with black leather in good condition, APY, unmodified bar a Jetex cat back.
The bodywork is tip top no rust at all, the engine, electrics, turbo and gearbox all seem fine. There are however a couple of issues which I think I have the measure of but just want some re-assurance.
1. When pulling away from a standstill there is a creaking sound from the front of the car...it sounds like its coming from the offside front but that could just be because Im sitting that side with the window down. I don't think its the strut/topmount as if I bounce the car it can't be heard...also speed bumps don't seem to cause it, literally just pulling away.
2. The steering wheel is off alignment...points at 1pm rather than 12.
3. Sometimes when starting the car, the ESP light comes on. Sometimes it comes on after 15mins of driving..sometimes it doesn't at all. More often than not it does.
Now the car has a years MOT and the guys says "allegedly" that he had a load of bushes changed at the front including the ARB and also four tyres. He said "my mechanic" fitted them, which transpired to mean my cousin. Anyways...my suspicion here is that his cousin or whoever did this, isn't the greatest mechanical mind of our generation and has made a cockup of the tracking and fitting of these bits...hence the ESP light probably being caused by the steering wheel misalignment probably caused by the track rods perhaps having been removed and refitted and now being all wrong after the bushes and whatever else was done.
I'm planning on purchasing a cable from ebay and getting VCDS lite to see if there's a code and next weekend get it into my local trusted mechanic to get it checked out.
Can anyone perhaps shed some light...are my suspicions potentially correct or could it be something else/worse.
Cheers
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So a quick hello to everyone as I've just bought my s3 this weekend. Thanks to all the information I gained on here prior to purchase, I think I managed to get a fair deal for my low budget of £1500. The car was purchased as I needed a runaround and something for the odd trackday (intend on a bit of modification), so I don't expect longevity!
I've not owned a car in two years (living in London) so needed to buy something to avoid losing no claims...Last cars were an e46 M3 smg, Cooper S, e39 M5, R32 GTR skyline and originally an MR2 Turbo, so I wanted something fun. It was down to an S3, Megane 225 or a Cupra R...the S3 won
It's a ming blue, with black leather in good condition, APY, unmodified bar a Jetex cat back.
The bodywork is tip top no rust at all, the engine, electrics, turbo and gearbox all seem fine. There are however a couple of issues which I think I have the measure of but just want some re-assurance.
1. When pulling away from a standstill there is a creaking sound from the front of the car...it sounds like its coming from the offside front but that could just be because Im sitting that side with the window down. I don't think its the strut/topmount as if I bounce the car it can't be heard...also speed bumps don't seem to cause it, literally just pulling away.
2. The steering wheel is off alignment...points at 1pm rather than 12.
3. Sometimes when starting the car, the ESP light comes on. Sometimes it comes on after 15mins of driving..sometimes it doesn't at all. More often than not it does.
Now the car has a years MOT and the guys says "allegedly" that he had a load of bushes changed at the front including the ARB and also four tyres. He said "my mechanic" fitted them, which transpired to mean my cousin. Anyways...my suspicion here is that his cousin or whoever did this, isn't the greatest mechanical mind of our generation and has made a cockup of the tracking and fitting of these bits...hence the ESP light probably being caused by the steering wheel misalignment probably caused by the track rods perhaps having been removed and refitted and now being all wrong after the bushes and whatever else was done.
I'm planning on purchasing a cable from ebay and getting VCDS lite to see if there's a code and next weekend get it into my local trusted mechanic to get it checked out.
Can anyone perhaps shed some light...are my suspicions potentially correct or could it be something else/worse.
Cheers
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