Stop the clock...Start the thread-My baby is home

[Stuart B]

You should be able to move the lever up and down and the headlights move at the same time.

 

[tcg]

Today is a good day,picked up the S3 from having it's free MOT at Audi Oxford and it has passed with just a couple of advisories perhaps the lemon cake I dropped off at the same time helped.

 

[tcg]

Another landmark day for my S3 today,my girlfriend's car needs its tyres swapped over so she's taken my S3 to work must admit to having a few butterflies as I watched her drive off this morning.

Went out with her yesterday for some 'Free Practice' runs as it is a bit different to her Fiesta 1.0 Ecoboost,hopefully she won't be so nervous when I'm not in the car!

Not sure if she'll want to swap back when she gets home tonight

 

[tcg]

A benefit of having my car MOT'd at my local Audi dealership is that they also give the whole car a check over and also present me with a walkround video from under the car whilst it is on a ramp.Understandably this is in there own interest as they then give a detailed report/quote for any work needed/advised in the hope they will get some,but it also gives me a 'new' list of jobs

I had two advisories on the MOT,the back bushes on the front wishbones and the rear brake lines back to the ABS unit.I think I'll let them do the brake lines before the next test as I was able to chat to the guy that checked them so they're not a desperate case yet.

Also flagged up that both front inner driveshaft gaiters are ok but are showing signs of the rubber starting to perish,so it looks like I'll be saving up for a springtime assault on the front end,new wishbone bushes,new driveshaft gaiters and I guess I may as well change the ball joints whilst I down there!

Plenty of forum searching for me

Another one,yes there's more,was 'various oil leaks' so I need to get cleaning and see if I can find them.After reading a few posts on here the rocker cover seems the most likely culprit but even with my skinny hands I can get down the back of there to 'feel' for oil.May get the chargepipe off and have a nosey.

I have made some minor progress,they reported the rear indicator bulbs were faded so swapped them for some Philips Silver Vision bulbs and now they're nice and orange,a nice clean easy job for a change.

The final one was two of the cat heatshield bolts had sheared off,I had noticed that before but forgot about it(I am 51),maybe I need to make a list in future but I'm frightened someone might see it and hold me to ransom!

Had a stroke of luck with that job as I went to centre punch them to drill them out and both sides popped out,so just a nut and bolt job,got away lightly on that one.

Here endith the chapter.

 

[s3 Hoggy]

My spy at Oxford Audi informed me you had been in there with a bribe to get your car through its MOT Tim! I'll have to try that next year!

 

[tcg]

My spy at Oxford Audi informed me you had been in there with a bribe to get your car through its MOT Tim! I'll have to try that next year!

I met your 'spy' and I'm guessing she's the one who dodged the 'ugly stick' they hit you with also the bribe included raiding upgrades from a smart looking blue S3.

 

[s3 Hoggy]

hahahaha

 

[tcg]

Well another one step forward and two steps back!

After patting myself on the back for fixing the lower heatshield on the cats I took my car out for a spin yesterday and when I got back I could hear the dreaded rattle from under the car so donned the work clothes and burrowed under the S3 again.My axle stands used to be tucked away in a garage cupboard but now are the most prominent piece of equipment on show.I don't think I've used them this much since owning a TR7 DHC many years ago.

Nothing wrong with my fix but now the top heatshield was loose,another 2 hours spent scrambling around trying to get a nut and bolt tightened with my spindle hands,good job I'm a skinny runt!

Then for some stupid reason known only to me I thought I'd check the state of my panel filter as I haven't checked it since I got the car and I'm wondering if a previous owner was a carpenter (no,not the pop group) as one of the screws was a wood screw worse than that I dropped the other one under the airbox so had to remove all that gubbings to retrieve it.

Wonder what it will throw at me next?

 

[Stuart B]

All my life
I have lost screws, they usually turn up in your knee or a tyre a few weeks later,
or a tool slips and I punch myself in the face,
or just as I undo a difficult bolt my elbow breaks a bakelight coolant flange which was only fitted to 15 vehicles in-between model year revisions so no ekta diagrams include them.
or fixing a fuel tank means I have to brake the clutch pipes

I'm not going to suggest you'll get there - as there's still 90% of your car unfixed

 

[tcg]

Reminds me of trying to remove/change a clutch on my brother's old cavalier many years ago late one friday night and having the pressure plate fly off and puncture my lip

Luckily for me I'm not after the power you're chasing so my jobs are mainly mundane repairs!

We seem to have started our journeys at similar times mate,hopefully we'll reach the end before the rest home beckons.

 

[Stuart B]

I am not trying to get any power, I just want a car that goes and stops with a working radio but I have financially gone past the point of no return now - so need to push on, rather than passing the project on.

There is something beautiful about these 8L S3s though (although no-one else in my family can see it)

- whilst driving today and picking my daughter up from work I explained to her "it's not misfiring or hesitating at the moment when I don't push it after spark plugs, blah blah.... etc etc blah blah..."

- her response was "you bought it to drive fast - so what's the point now?"

 

[IPG]

- her response was "you bought it to drive fast - so what's the point now?"

lol point is... be quiet girl! LOL

nah it sounds like you just need to do a bit of diagnosing and it's just little things that are being flagged AND because you care for the car so much you are most likely seeking out the smallest things to fix

nothing wrong with that!

 

[tcg]

There is something beautiful about these 8L S3s though (although no-one else in my family can see it)

I must be a long lost relative then as I'm still struggling to feel the love of my S3 like some of my previous cars.I don't get that urge to look back at it as I walk away after parking up somewhere and whereas all my cars have needed work at some point in their life with some it has been a passion and not so much of a chore.

The S3 to me is a good car and I like to own something 'out of the ordinary' so it fits the criteria and lots of people comment how they love my car,I think maybe I don't appreciate it's glory as much as others.Hopefully as I become more decrepit I'll find it pleasing.

 

[Stuart B]

...I don't get that urge to look back at it as I walk away after parking up somewhere

yeah... but you bought the wrong colour.

 

[tcg]

yeah... but you bought the wrong colour.

Black is black
I want my baby back.
It's grey, it's grey,
Since she went away
Oh-oh, what can I do?
'Cause I-I-I-I-I,
I'm feelin' (Nogaro)blue.

 

[tcg]

Wonder what it will throw at me next?

Seems I spoke too soon...as they say "what goes up must come down" and vice versa,or not in the case of my passenger window this week.

After whipping off the door card I found the tell tale piece of blue plastic in the bottom of the door.So another trip to Audi to pick up some new upgraded window regulator clips.I'm currently in negotiations with them about having my own chair at the parts desk.

Came away with some nice new pink ones...

As you can see they're the same size as my original ones so didn't have the hassle of trimming them.Set about that today,thanks to the guys who put the sticky up for that one,made it a nice straightforward job,the hardest bit being getting the plugs off the electrics!

Also took the opportunity to remove the door blade on that side and clean behind it.I was a bit nervous as I've read a few posts on here about problems getting them off but after a bit of penetrating fluid the screws came out ok and not too much corrosion underneath...

Just had to hold back on the OCD from cleaning inside the door too much

I hope to do the drivers side next week before one of those breaks so when that's done I should have 3 good original blue clips if anyone wants/needs one.

 

[Stuart B]

your car is going to be so perfect when it is done - mine is held together with gaffer tape and deflecting conversation.

 

[tcg]

mine is held together with gaffer tape and deflecting conversation

You spotted mine in the background?

your car is going to be so perfect when it is done

When/if it comes time to sell it,it should be that sorted I might buy it myself

 

[tcg]

Tackled the driver's side window regulator clips today and had a bit of a surprise as they were slightly different to the passenger side.Nearside is the left one...

They look similar to the pink A6 ones without metal inserts so maybe the driver's side had been done before,who knows,changed them anyway.

I tried to remove the door blade on the driver's door but even after plenty of penetrating fluid and waiting around the middle two wouldn't budge so through fear of snapping them I'll see if I can get some replacement screws from Audi and if so,I'll drill them out at a later date,something else to look forward to

 

[Tj 0785]

What Bluetooth kit did you fit and which head unit is it with?

 

[tcg]

I have a Symphony II stereo and the bluetooth kit I used is this one...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bluetooth...f35f262&pid=100011&rk=1&rkt=3&sd=112027645933

I bought it from that exact same seller,It's cheap and cheerful and as I don't use the phone in the car much it was fine for me,I haven't tried the voice control as my phone is basic (Sony Miro)

Here's some reviews I looked at before purchasing...

Amazon product

http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/motorola-wireless-car-kit-with-bluetooth-hf850-p4889.htm

Go back to page 3 of this thread,post #102 and you'll see how I did my install,there's also a link I used for integrating it my stereo and that one was a Concert Stereo.

hth

 

[Tj 0785]

Never new that was for a mic by the lights Did you find the trim on the pilar come away easy enough? I'd like to route mine that way

 

[tcg]

Never new that was for a mic by the lights Did you find the trim on the pilar come away easy enough? I'd like to route mine that way

I removed the interior light cluster and the light above the drivers sun visor and the drivers door pillar rubber.I then attached a trace wire (a length of mains wire,not too bendy) and taped that to the end of the mic wire.You can then feed the trace wire from gap in the roof lining above the interior light cluster to the gap in the roof lining above the sun visor,pull through gently then insert trace wire back into sun visor gap and out of the gap left exposed by the door rubber.

Next gently pull through the mic wire through and tuck behind the door pillar trim.You should be able to find a gap just big enough behind the side of the dash where the bottom of the pillar is,easier to see with the fuse panel cover and lower drivers dash panel removed.

If,like me,you decide to put the bluetooth control button in the ashtray the hardest part is feeding the wires from that through the back of the ashtray/center console without them snagging when you open/close the ashtray.Obviously I had my stereo out at the same time and just had to open/close the ashtray a few times to make sure it was ok.

 

[Tj 0785]

Ok cheers will give that a go when I get chance won't need a Bluetooth control as the one I'm fitting is an original Audi A4 Bluetooth kit to work with the rns-e

 

[tcg]

If you look under your bonnet today you're sure of a big surprise...at least I was.I removed the under bonnet insulation as there was a little bit of rust peeking at me around one of the fastener holes.

As well as 13 years worth of dust and grime on the inside of the insulation,a majority of the cut-outs had some corrosion around it...

I know these 8Ls came in several 'flavours'.It seems mine must have been Ready Salted so it looks like a trip to get some Kurust.

Needles to say,whilst removing the clips,ended up with a handful of broken plastic pieces.Not surprising considering the heat exposure they've had to deal with and there was already a few missing.

Found these on ebay...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=391115777888

Just got to make sure I put them all in synch so they look nice and neat

 

[tcg]

I've been needing to get some new mats for my car since I bought it as the drivers one had the dreaded 'heel hole' in it and both front ones were looking grubby.I fancied getting some with the S3 logo on.

From what I could tell the group buy ones from years back came from ebay but they had a few mixed reviews on here.After spending too much time searching on here for a definitive answer to which floor mats I should get,I chose a set from Awesome in grey with black stitching and a logo.

https://www.awesomegti.com/shop-by-...-quality-super-velour-mat-set-audi-a3-mk1-8l/

Here's a comparison of the front mats...

And a close up of the logo...

The price for these was £47 delivered and if you look at the mats they are slightly different with less of a cut-out at the back (clips) end.I have only done a test fit as I'm going to shampoo the carpets before putting them in.They're fine,a bit of a squeeze against the seat runner plastics and tight getting them into the clips.Also the front end of the drivers mat is slightly different in the pedal area,but again fits fine.The rear mats are just like the original ones.

Quality wise I didn't expect them to be as plush as the Audi ones but they're not bad at all,a slightly rougher short pile and the backs are rubber.Also the edging looks neat and tidy.

Once I've given the carpets a clean I'll fit them and stick some pictures up to show them in situ.

It did make me realize how dirty my old ones were

 

[tcg]

Just some pictures of the mats fitted in case anybody is considering buying from this supplier...

A bit of a snug fit at the back of the two front mats but happy with them.Only time will tell how long they last but as I only do <5000 miles a year,they should 'see me out' as us old folk say

 

[IPG]

that's the cleanest carpet i've ever seen lol

 

[tcg]

Ha!

Vanish Carpet cleaner from Poundland and some good old elbow grease

I have been called a 'scrubber' many times in my life!

 

[tcg]

Bit embarrassing day today,had my first 'breakdown' in the S3

On my way to do a good deed for my GF's mum (no karma then) when the S3 started overheating!

Managed to limp to my local supermarket and when I poured some water into the coolant reservoir it was pouring out under the front just as quickly.I feared it would most likely be a split hose somewhere down the bottom engine area so called the RAC out and spent a few hours drinking tea with the old folk in the shop cafe,deep joy.

When the man with his RAC van arrived he got underneath and after removing the under covers found that the radiator drain plug had come loose

How the hell did that happen? He thought it had been replaced incorrectly by a previous owner and that luck had just kept it from popping out before now.

At least I was able to drive home afterwards and not have the shame of returning on a recovery truck,every cloud has a silver lining!

Best get some coolant ordered before the next cold snap.

 

[AGB-S3]

It's not my birthday but hey ho, picked up my new aerial from Audi today...View attachment 82292

Now comes with a separate power wire for the aerial amplifier but it's not needed for the S3 8L, it's just for later models and aftermarket headunits.

HTH.

Now have old skool AM, 5Live, back in the game

I brought one from ebay .. fm is ok , MW ish and LW not , also clicks on weak signals .. but the power feed is the coax ..
G,

 

[tcg]

I brought one from ebay .. fm is ok , MW ish and LW not , also clicks on weak signals .. but the power feed is the coax ..
G,

Did look at the ebay ones but wasn't sure how good they were so took the safe bet of Audi oem.I live in Oxford and I get the major FM national stations and about 30 mile radius local plus a weak capitol 95.8 but MW is ok for 5live and Talksport,bit of external noises.

LW- I haven't been there since the days of Radio Luxembourg or even a bit later on with Atlantic 252 WHO!!!!

 

[AGB-S3]

Did look at the ebay ones but wasn't sure how good they were so took the safe bet of Audi oem.I live in Oxford and I get the major FM national stations and about 30 mile radius local plus a weak capitol 95.8 but MW is ok for 5live and Talksport,bit of external noises.

LW- I haven't been there since the days of Radio Luxembourg or even a bit later on with Atlantic 252 WHO!!!!

There was something funny with the orientation of the plugs , opposite to a golf one , supplied with adapter cable as well, bit of mess really ... the flying lead power cable is not the same as mine , LW one you drive out of the civilized world , that's as good as it gets , MW I could just pick up manx radio at ramsey .. so still something wrong ..

G,

 

[tcg]

Following on from the coolant dumping episode the other week,I have driven my S3 a couple of times and the first time it seemed a bit sluggish on acceleration and then the second time on hard acceleration it was 'missing' and 'holding back' which then caused the EML to light up may just be a coincidence but mo matter it seems the car just wants to put a dampener on the festive season for me.

I did a 'Lite' scan and got the code...

17963/P1555 - Boost Pressure Control: Upper Limit Exceeded
Possible Symptoms

• Reduced power output
• Limp mode

Possible Causes

• Boost Pressure too High
• Hoses/Pipes incorrect connected, disconnected, blocked or leaking
• Charger Pressure Control defective
  • VNT (variable nozzle turbo): nozzles stuck
• Solenoid Valve for Boost Pressure Control (N75) defective

Had a quick look around that area and found this...

Where the DV pipe meets the branch of the TIP a couple of peek-a-boo holes!

******.

For now I have just stuck a bit of superglue and gaffer tape on it just to get me through to new year and then I'll sort it.

I understand it's not the correct way to botch it for now,especially as I know @Stuart B would scorn at me for not using araldite and the problem still exists afterwards anyway!...Obviously need to now enter the myriad of which silicone TIP to get.I'm sure Santa will know as it seems it will be less 'smellies and socks' and more S3 parts under the tree this year.

Could of done without this right now as I have been hunting down my oil leaks recently and yes,you've guessed it already,the damn half moon gasket is leaking so that's another job for January.There is also oil weeping out of where the cam chain tensioner solenoid sits.Apparently there is an 'o' ring inside but it can't be bought separately so need to think how to get round that one or hopefully someone will be able to educate me,again

Hope you're having better luck,wherever you are.

So to anyone who reads this thread or happened to stumble across it by accident,I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a luckier New Year

This Christmas period I expect to be drinking more than I should and trying to stay away from my S3 as much as possible..

 

[Stuart B]

that's the original TIP, you deserve it to be split. get some well known epoxy resin on it..

B5 V3 TIP? they come in stealthy black too.

 

[s3 Hoggy]

Ive got a spare Forge TIP if u want it mate? basically brand new

 

[tcg]

that's the original TIP, you deserve it to be split. get some well known epoxy resin on it..

I knew you would put me right

 

[tcg]

Ive got a spare Forge TIP if u want it mate? basically brand new

Wicked mate,pm me your price,etc. and I'll get back to you.

If I have it will you be delivering it in that red suit you get out every year around this time?

 

[s3 Hoggy]

I don't want any money for it Tim you can have it for free! ill be in tomorrow after 6 if you want it?

 

[Stuart B]

#winner