Skittish Handling

I agree with @PlasticMac that the suspension has probably lost some of its effectiveness.

@Ken Long I see your car had done 101K - 125K when you joined in October. It will definitely benefit from a suspension refresh - so bushes and shocks at a minimum. There are plenty of threads about that on here and once done you'll be amazed at the difference I can guarantee.

I think in the short term before your trip though, replace the tyres: Even if it doesn't solve the issue completely I'm pretty sure it will help the car's handling in faster corners - not to mention your braking distance being improved!

For what it's worth re: what brand - I now only ever buy Michelin because they are consistently at / near the top of all tyre tests across wet and dry braking / grip, they're typically lower in rolling resistance, they last far longer than most other tyres (I have got 40,000 miles out of the CrossClimate+ tyres on our Touran), and they are the only brand designed to still grip well when worn that I have come across (no other tyre manufacturer places focus on this in their marketing etc.). Others will have their tyre brand of choice but these combined are the reasons for mine being Michelin, which to my mind make them a competitive value proposition when you look beyond just purchase price.

Interestingly when I first joined this forum and stated I thought Landsail were cheap Chinese rubbish I recall a number of forum members defending them, I don't see any of that now.
 
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dj_efk said:
Interestingly when I first joined this forum and stated I thought Landsail were cheap Chinese rubbish I recall a number of forum members defending them, I don't see any of that now.
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The problem is many motorists have very little understanding of tyre brands, and if they don't understand the reasons for purchasing a more expensive tyre over a cheaper tyre, it's easy just to go for the cheaper option.

With Landsails, I noticed that some of the disappointed reviewers had been recommended Landsail tyres by garages. I suspect this is because Landsail have been selling their tyres at very low prices to the garages, so they can make a large markup yet the tyres still seem good value to the buyer when compared to premium brand prices, because the buyer is comparing the price of the tyre and not the quality.

Michelin don't have a monopoly on quality tyres. If you are looking for good quality all-season tyres there's many brands that do well in tyre reviews such as Bridgestone, Continental, Goodyear, Hankook, Vredestein, and others.

One problem with Michelin CrossClimates is that they have big, wide grooves that stones are prone to getting stuck in, so can make a dreadful tap, tap, tap, noise as the car drives along.
 
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OK, so first I have to come clean. On closer inspection our car had one Landsail and one Mohawk fitted at the rear. How this had eluded me I have no idea. At least they were the same size. :rolleyes: I'm thinking this won't have helped matters! Lesson learned.
So, we bit the bullet and invested in a pair of Continental Cross Contact tyres from Hereford Tyres. A bit pricey but...
So then the 20 minute drive home from Hereford (on the B4224 out through Fownhope if you know the area). This stretch of road has unsettled the car in the past, and today it was damp and a bit muddy in places, with a truly comprehensive range of potholes, divots and broken surface. The ride is still firm, but the rear of the car felt much more settled, and wasn't skipping sideways on the rough bits. It's too early to say if this has resolved the issue but first impressions are positive.
Thanks everyone for your input, it has been very helpful!
dj_efk said:
It will definitely benefit from a suspension refresh - so bushes and shocks at a minimum.
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I will add this to my list of jobs!
 
I am having sleepless nights about your front tyres Ken. Are they of the "ditch finder" "hedge penetrater" variety? Aren't you off to Scotland shortly?
 
simon martyn said:
I am having sleepless nights about your front tyres Ken. Are they of the "ditch finder" "hedge penetrater" variety? Aren't you off to Scotland shortly?
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Hi Simon, don't stress! Fronts are Kumho Ecowing ES31 (about 3 months old) and they have been perfectly good so far. The glitchy handling has definitely felt more of a rear tyre problem. I will be keeping a close eye on things before our departure though.
 
Good question. Ive always thought that spring differences relate to the weight of the car, engine configuration, and whether they are sport or SE models. A2,s fitted with OSS also require a certain spring load but ive never heard of any references to fitted tow bars.
 
Dave M said:
Good question. Ive always thought that spring differences relate to the weight of the car, engine configuration, and whether they are sport or SE models. A2,s fitted with OSS also require a certain spring load but ive never heard of any references to fitted tow bars.
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The weight on the tow bar is the nose weight of the trailer.
The safe nose weight is on the tow bar's TUV APPROVAL.
It's all about the way the tow bar is fixed to the chassis, as that has to support the downward force of the trailer's nose weight. Too much weight on the tow bar, and goodbye floor!
So, the safe nose weight for an A2 will be quite low I'd think. No special springs. After all, only a tiny percentage of the car's life will be spent towing.
This is nothing to do with the trailer weight. That's normally no more than 85% of the car's kerb weight. Unless you want the trailer to tow the car!
Mac. .
 
Plenty of great infos here, hopefully they'll help with the issue, but I do recommend, just for a piece of mind, to scan the brake system for fault codes.
The "moves side ways" very well could be the yaw sensor is on it's way out, and sometimes partially activating the traction control. If no codes, at least that's off the check list.
 
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philward said:
Yes and they are expensive. I could only source them from Audi.
Max nose weight does not seem excessive at 50kg but add that to a fully loaded car and guess the uprated springs are justified?
Edit:!they are possibly different on the front too. A tow bar car rides taller, front and rear, compared to a standard car.
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Surely you wouldn't do this for the odd couple of days towing? Would be a terrible ride the rest of the time.
Mac
 
I find this all very odd. Until a couple of years back, I had towed caravans of about 1200 -1500 kgs, with nose weights between 60 and 75 kgs.
The tow cars were Audi A4 Avant 2.5 TDI Quattro, Audi A4 Avant 3.0 TDI Quattro, and a 3.0 Merc C Class Wagon. Over thousands of miles in UK and Europe, I never felt the standard springs were a problem. Handling was never a problem, and where I could towing would be at the legal limit, never hanging about.
So, can't see why an A2, towing a light weight trailer, correctly loaded to give the tow bars specified nose weight (very important), would be different. Just my two penn'orth.
Mac.
 
PlasticMac said:
I find this all very odd. Until a couple of years back, I had towed caravans of about 1200 -1500 kgs, with nose weights between 60 and 75 kgs.
The tow cars were Audi A4 Avant 2.5 TDI Quattro, Audi A4 Avant 3.0 TDI Quattro, and a 3.0 Merc C Class Wagon. Over thousands of miles in UK and Europe, I never felt the standard springs were a problem. Handling was never a problem, and where I could towing would be at the legal limit, never hanging about.
So, can't see why an A2, towing a light weight trailer, correctly loaded to give the tow bars specified nose weight (very important), would be different. Just my two penn'orth.
Mac.
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GDW tow bar specifies nose weight as 50 kgs max. So you use scales, bathroom ones are fine, with a block of wood between the trailer tow hitch and the scales. Adjust the load distribution in the trailer to achieve 50 kgs, or a bit less. 50 kgs is about the same as one quite small person.
Mac.
 
Have to agree with Mac here. There is something wrong with your suspension set up Phil. I also have done towing on cars with standard springs and never had an issue. If your car left the factory like that there must have been a mix up. Do you have problems replacing the drop links?
 
audifan said:
Have to agree with Mac here. There is something wrong with your suspension set up Phil. I also have done towing on cars with standard springs and never had an issue. If your car left the factory like that there must have been a mix up. Do you have problems replacing the drop links?
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Might be worth asking a friendy Audi Dealer
( @CreweAudi perhaps) to print you a build sheet. Bit late for a warranty claim I'spose ...
Mac.
 
That's how I want mine to look as my black one sits a bit lower but with kids in the back (7 and 9 year olds) the tops of the tyres disappear!
I find mine handles fine with standard kyb suspension all round but I don't drive it hard as that effects MPG too much!
 
Yes I understand that you bought the car new and had opted for the tow bar. I am not saying you have done anything wrong. What I suspect is that either another option was selected by you or perhaps wrongly either fitted from factory or the dealer that is making the stance certainly look to be far higher than other A2 that have factory tow bar. Perhaps if you go through your PR codes and check to see if you can see something you did not directly ask for.

I do not think anyone is implying you are a basket case motorist. We are only trying to figure out why the car stands so high.

Sorry if this is upsetting you, I certainly did not have that intention.

Graham.
 
Apologies for resurrecting an old thread but our A2 went in to the garage yesterday after I notice a very slight sag on the drivers rear suspension (see here for a bit more detail). Diagnosis from the mechanic this morning is that the shock is completely shot, and this has overworked the spring so that's banjaxed too! New shocks and spring being fitted today/tomorrow just in time for our journey from Herefordshire to the Cairngorms on Friday!
 
Ken Long said:
Apologies for resurrecting an old thread but our A2 went in to the garage yesterday after I notice a very slight sag on the drivers rear suspension (see here for a bit more detail). Diagnosis from the mechanic this morning is that the shock is completely shot, and this has overworked the spring so that's banjaxed too! New shocks and spring being fitted today/tomorrow just in time for our journey from Herefordshire to the Cairngorms on Friday!
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Best practice but also for the love of God fit new top mounts too and make sure pinch bolts good (highly likely worn to oblivion) and front brake flexis too
 
Quick update. New rear shocls and springs fitted just before our journey to Scotland. It's completely transformed the handling of the car. No skipping off line through corners, no more sideways shimmy over cats eyes, so much more relaxing to drive!
We would like to get the fronts sorted out soon, but as it stands the car handles so much better.
 
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