Big mileage log...

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safehandsgk1

Original Poster:

268 posts

139 months

Friday 3rd May 2013
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hoegaardenruls said:
Just realised it could be a small world...if ICR means anything to you, it's likely our respective other halfs work beside each other..

Anyway, one thing I was going to ask is you've had a Vagcom scan run on the car? Not an expert by any means but happy to run a scan if it helps..
Aha! Small world indeed! The missus says Hi!

A scan would be amazing if you wouldn't mind, chap! Although I don't think my garage has ever stitched me, I'm sure they will see me coming a mile off when I rock up in this... And cue the long list of 'must fix' jobs...!! Would be goo to get a few insights up my sleeve in advance.

safehandsgk1

Original Poster:

268 posts

139 months

Friday 3rd May 2013
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Dr G said:
Revving the engine before turning it off? Hmmm, strange. No need to do this.

If you or the garage are giving the car a look over/diagnostic pay particular attention to suspension bushes and springs; they are all prone to excessive wear and make the cars handle horribly.

Do you know when the diff oil was last changed? Does it whine at all?

I know I'm waffling on about things that have nothing to do with your starting problem, simply trying to suggest a few areas of preventative maintenance smile
You could probably tell me anything and I'd be impressed! Nothing like a good automotive wives tale then, eh?!

Thanks for the pointers. Not waffle at all. Really interesting to note. I'm sure it's going to require a new fuel pump or something obvious to solve the starting issue. It's only happened the once so confidence is growing again...!

No whining or odd noises of any type to report. No rattles even. One of the main reasons I snaffled it.

Loving tho car overall... And not too embarrassed to admit I've just spent the last half an hour inside wiping grubby marks witha damp cloth! Some call it infatuation... Some say lust... I'm pretty sure it's love!

Edited by safehandsgk1 on Friday 3rd May 20:04

safehandsgk1

Original Poster:

268 posts

139 months

Friday 3rd May 2013
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I just purchased a VAG Com scanner of my own. No idea how to use it yet but quite like the idea of ore-empting any nonsense at the garage and keeping the inside track on my new found enthusiasm. So, will it be a proverbial bucket full of holes or a true bargain. If the scanner works we'll soon find out.

Steep learning curve ahoy!!

hoegaardenruls

1,218 posts

131 months

Saturday 4th May 2013
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Having Vagcom and being able to check the codes is always useful, although I always seemed to need it more on the RS4 when I still had that. It took away some of the paranoia over how the car was running, and gave a better idea on the work needing done.

Your first challenge might be finding the diagnostic port on the TT, as Audi hide them pretty well!!

M159V8

2,539 posts

145 months

Saturday 4th May 2013
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Nice buy, a friend has the 1.8T AGU engine in an Octavia pushing near enough 300bhp, it's a hoot, always struggling for traction smile

safehandsgk1

Original Poster:

268 posts

139 months

Saturday 4th May 2013
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Couldn't resist it afterall. After a good bit of deliberating over my bran flakes today I decided the TT had to make the 250mile round trip to sunny Swindon for the big match. As mentioned, confidence took a bit of a hammering this week after the non-start incident on Thursday and with such a massive match potentially at risk, this was a big leap of faith. I shouldn't have been worried. She drove like an absolute dream.

A sticky start from M25 J6 to the M4 turn-off due to a massive wave of rubber neckers near Cobham. Cheered up by overtaking a lovely Ferrari and a truly beautiful Morgan... Much to my Son's delight. Funny seeing the drivers reactions to his BIG double thumbs up!

Once on the M4 it was plain sailing so foot down, cruise control on, sit back, relax try and banish any thoughts of an extended stay on the hard shoulder and enjoy the run to Wiltshire. A lovely run it was too. The engine purred all the way there and back. The only casualty was some plastic trim at the tip of my dipstick which crumbled away as I checked the levels prior to heading back. Fuel economy was spot on, oil hasn't dipped a bit (so fingers crossed no leaks) and still nothing to report in terms of unsettling rattles, knocking or humming... Apart from when my son tuned us into Magic FM... The godless heathen!

It makes it's second decent sized run since picking her up tomorrow with Thruxton beckoning early in the morning. The whole family is joining in the fun for this run so it'll be interesting seeing how she fairs wit a full load.

Confidence now very much restored after today's worthwhile gamble. It feels like every drive gets better and better!

Jw Vw

4,826 posts

162 months

Sunday 5th May 2013
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Great to hear OP. Love TT's.

safehandsgk1

Original Poster:

268 posts

139 months

Sunday 5th May 2013
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Another decent trip in the old girl nailed today. A lovely run around a deserted early morning M25-M3-A232 to Thruxton for the BTCC. Once again we blasted it all the way there and back with not a single whiff of a problem. Although this time the whole family were tucked up nicely alongside me. OK so we're not exactly the Go-likeleys (Beadle's About, anybody!?) but I was still keen to understand how she'd deliver with the extra weight in the front and on the back bench. To be fair, I hardly noticed! She made light work of the back roads of Biggin Hill and Woldingham on the way down to the M25 Junction 6. The more rural, skinny and winding lanes are strewn with loose pebbles and debris so I thought we'd give it a crack with the ESP turned off. OK so I wasn't exactly giving it the Sebastian Loeb treatment but the more 'rustic' performance was great fun on a quiet Sunday morning. More evidence that this could be the best £2k I've ever spent.

Absolutely nothing to report on the negative side. Fluid levels all good, still no funny noises and general performance that was full-blooded and gutsy for. 1.8l engine.

A few cosmetic jobs on the list though. The air con definitely needs regassing and the 6-disk CD changer doesn't work. As someone that swears by the god of CD, my iPod/iTrip isn't going to scratch that itch!

She's had - one hiccup aside - a very impressive first full week. Going to treat her now mucky and bug spatttered highness with a full, early morning valet tomorrow. All things considered, she's definitely worth more than a Tesco £2 basic wash! Looking forward to running my hands over her lines first ting tomorrow...!


Edited by safehandsgk1 on Sunday 5th May 23:16

safehandsgk1

Original Poster:

268 posts

139 months

Wednesday 8th May 2013
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A cracking weekends driving in the TT. Plenty more mileage back on the clock and not a sniff of a problem.

VAG Com scanner turned up tonight . Duly plugged in and scanned all four menus. The Engine had one DTC coded 17978. Funnily enough this links through to the starting issue I experienced last week. Apparently it's immobiliser related and the likely symptoms completely matched the starting and selling issues experienced last week. Given I've not experienced the issue since and managed to pile on a good bit of mileage, I've erased the problem and will continue taking the risk in the hope that giving the car a good run has seen off the problem. The scanner certainly feels like mone well spent! To be fair, a coupe of grand for the car I was seriously expecting a ton of DTCs so to find just one and it appears to be immobiliser related as opposed to any serious mechanical issues was a massive surprise!

Replaced the wipers as well today... but who cares about that eh?! Still, I promised I'd record every penny spent on her for the sake of calculating whether I've got my money's worth! So far we're £40 in and - touch wood - in pretty good shape!

Vince70

1,939 posts

193 months

Wednesday 8th May 2013
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I don't know if its the same as the A4 but there's a common issue with the immobiliser as it has trouble sometimes for the key to connect to the immobiliser chip.
I've never got round to sorting mine out in the 3 years ownership of my A4 as I find that it only happens once in awhile, but I believe it's just a matter of unscrewing the top off the plastic steering bezel and using a small cable tie to stop the wires stretching on the immobiliser chip.
Did you try and move your steering column up and down before you had the starting problem as I find that causes a bad connection sometimes.
Sorry I'm crap at explaining anything technical but if it is the problem its a very cheap fix and there's a few threads on the net on how to repair it.
I'm glad to hear your TT is going well.

safehandsgk1

Original Poster:

268 posts

139 months

Thursday 9th May 2013
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Thanks, bud. I understood your description just fine and actually think you are spot on. I do indeed recall adjusting the steering wheel last week just before I experienced the starting problems. Needless to say I'll not be doing that again!

As mentioned last night, VAG com didn't register any further problems so combined with her performance over the last week confidence has been well and truly restored. Fingers crossed for the future...!

Dr G

15,159 posts

241 months

Thursday 9th May 2013
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Don't slide the seat back too fast either, it'll send the airbag haywire laugh

safehandsgk1

Original Poster:

268 posts

139 months

Thursday 9th May 2013
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No adjusting the steering wheel... CHECK. No slamming back the drivers seat... CHECK! Please keep 'em coming! What I'm fast leaning is best practicemay well be to ban my missus from driving the TT...! ;0)

Dr G

15,159 posts

241 months

Thursday 9th May 2013
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Let a girl drive a MK1 TT and you'll come back to it with the seat so high the headliner messes up your haircut and the heated seat on full blast on a 30 degree day. Aircon will also likely be set to 'low' with all the vents closed and the fan speed on minimum.

Kell

1,708 posts

207 months

Thursday 9th May 2013
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There's someone I know from the TT Owners Club - very good if you're interested - that has had her TT from new and it now has starship mileage on it without too many problems.

I'm sure it must have passed the 250k mark by now.

safehandsgk1

Original Poster:

268 posts

139 months

Thursday 9th May 2013
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Yep - very interested! Thanks for the nudge.

At the risk of simply repeating myself in my enthusiasm, this is appearing to be a lovely tight ride that still bombs along like a new car. Absolutely no grumbles at all. If this reaches 250k I'll be a very happy motorist indeed!

Dr G

15,159 posts

241 months

Thursday 9th May 2013
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With proper maintenance TTs are tough; very few people bother with proper maintenance frown

Kell

1,708 posts

207 months

Thursday 9th May 2013
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I just asked her and I was a little high in my estimation. Here's what she had to say.

[quote]Hi Kell,

nice hearing from you smile

A3DFU has now done 193 884 miles and is still on the first clutch, gearbox, engine.

The car had a new water pump at ~60 000 miles. After that is was totally trouble free until there was a coolant leak at roughly 185 000 miles, which was followed shortly after by a blown resistor in one of the two cooling fans. That's it really. The car is still brilliantly reliable [[size=50]touch wood[/size]]

Let me know if there's anything else you'd like to know.

Cheers,


[/quote]

Dr G

15,159 posts

241 months

Thursday 9th May 2013
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That's the highest mileage I've seen on one. Used to have a customer with a ~180,000 mile S3 and she'd nearly bankrupted herself staying on top of it.

Manicminer

10,772 posts

196 months

Thursday 9th May 2013
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I have an A4 with the 1.8T engine, my dipstick started to crumble at about 100k and apparently it's a common thing. Get a new one from the dealer before it completely falls apart and you lose bits of plastic down the tube.

As for poor starting, as Dr G says it's quite common for the coolant temp sensor to fail. Mine failed, stuck at a min of about 40 deg so on cold days she really struggled to start. Really easy to change and cost about £30 from a main dealer. You can check the output of the sensor with VAG-COM, note it won't record as a fault as it normally fails within the expected output range.