Chat A2 written off whilst getting new tyres fitted at National Tyres!

Hi RAB

thanks for that added info, unfortunately I keep forgetting about the amazing 1.2 tdi (I want one so bad that I push it to the back of my mind).

Steve B
 
For the avoidance of doubt - & apologies for my naivety - where are the jacking points? I'm taking some rims in soon to get winter tyres slapped on them, that's all.

Cheers,
Hedge
 
As I said (apart from the 1.2 tdi A2) ask them to Jack it up by suspension only. They may still get it wrong, even if you point out the areas anyway.
steve B
 
For the avoidance of doubt - & apologies for my naivety - where are the jacking points? I'm taking some rims in soon to get winter tyres slapped on them, that's all.

Cheers,
Hedge
Post 10 has more information including a photo.
 
Here's the photo. Worth keeping this picture on your phone, just in case.....

A2 jacking points.jpg
 
You know, I never even thought about this before when taking it to a garage, until I had an AA guy out who started to jack it up but not looking like he had hit the jacking point I said "careful, it's aluminium under there" at which he sheepishly moved the jack to to a better position.
 
This is way too common.

I ALWAYS tell them that it is all aluminium under there and to Jack it up on the suspension only.
They often get their junior staff to Jack the cars up and even sone of the experienced ones don’t realise.
Steve, if you mean the wishbones, I don't think that is a good idea either. I owned a Mk1 Golf GTi for 13 years and Merit Tyres jacked it on the front wishbones and bent them, I had to replace them. The A2 wishbones are of a similar structure on a similar weight of car.

I reckon the console where the rubber bushes are housed is the best bet.

Ian
 
Did Allianz send an inspector out to view damage done to your car? If not i find it difficult to understand how they can catagorize it as a cat s(structural) i think this will require a vic test to go back on road. If uneconomical to repair it should be a Cat N. I would definitely argue the case as a sell on value or sale ability will be affected.
Good luck
Steve
 
Steve, if you mean the wishbones, I don't think that is a good idea either. I owned a Mk1 Golf GTi for 13 years and Merit Tyres jacked it on the front wishbones and bent them, I had to replace them. The A2 wishbones are of a similar structure on a similar weight of car.

I reckon the console where the rubber bushes are housed is the best bet.

Ian
Not the wishbones. But the large round wishbone bush that is perfectly placed.
Solid cast wishbones are the best option anyway. The pressed steel ones are dangerous now, due to rust and many people have had them collapse.
please can everyone check theirs and replace them with the solid cast wishbones that are available and a straight swap.
Steve B
 
Crickey i have been using the thin "sharks thin" for jacking the front hopefully not damaged anything!
 
I'm heavily invested in DIY department, so i have always done 4 point lifting or regular jacking myself (change and balance tires myself too). Alway double or triple check too before raising it off the ground. But on front i remember always lifting by some thin fin like thing too, can't locate that in picture.
Am i missing something, or am i missing rubber/plastic cover that should be there? :D Don't believe 1.2 is any different in jacking points. Or is the fin on picture where plastic and body meet.
 
Yup, I too use the "fin" to lift from with a trolley jack! Oooh errr.....

Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk
 
My bad Fin rather than Thin lol if its even called that!
Just checked mine and my plastics on sill a bit cracked but not the body thank goodness!!
Drivers "Fin" is a bit wonky so will make sure to get it on the oval black rubber area for best practice ideally some large rubber blocks would be bonded there to make jacking simple but scary how wrong some garages get it, think a lot is lazyness, similar to how many mk2 galaxys sills get crushed leading to corroded sill and outriggers!!
 
If you consider the "standard" jack supplied by Audi for the A2 is designed to fit into the cylindrical slots exposed when the jacking covers are removed. That to me is a really big hint that jacks were designed to only be used on these slots and not on the seam weld "fin" under the sill. This was as far as I know the only car not designed to be jacked on the lower sill. Yes for garage use they will use a trolley jack or post lift and lets be honest here its not NASA that runs the tyre garages, so if 99.99% of the cars they deal with can be safely lifted along the sill strong points or suspension that is what they WILL do unless we educate them! Pretty sure most home mechanics unfamiliar with the unique jacking of the A2 will assume they can jack it as per normal. I have seen the Audi jack used then axle stands placed under the floor aluminium panels and the jack lowered slightly to put the weight on the stands. Unable to stop them in time they have had a lovely deep impression of the top of the axle stand in the floor. Being thin aluminium it does push back out pretty well but would not like to be doing this often as it will fail. I confess to only using a trolley jack because I do not like the normal jacks when going through votex side skirts.
I think what is needed is some flourescent paint applied to the bungs to highlight them as "auxiliary" jacking points, or even better if we could replace the existing black plugs with ones manufactured in a highly visible material.
So I am not defending the garages nor am I defending owners. I have never seen a garage pull the bungs and insert the pins from the 4 post lift only ever seen them use the pads instead.
A2 is a very special and unique vehicle that has its own quirks e.g FSI 98+ fuel and all the jacking issue ( sorry can not vouch for the correct method on the 3L variant ).
 
It's always appeared to me to be a puzzle how to safely put the car on stands. If you use the jacking points to lift the car with a trolley jack, then then there is nowhere to place the stands. I've been using the factory jack to raise the car prior to placing the stands, but that jack is horribly unstable - even to support the car for the few minutes it takes to place the jacks.
 
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I do think the way the A2 jack operates is safer than most car jacks, but only really to be used in an emergency. This is only MY opinion but I think if you are going to use the A2 jack then get 2 of them and raise the whole side of the car as there is less chance of jack rotation but still the same chance of the jack(s) sinking into the ground
 
Sorry, don't agree, if you jack it up with a trolley jack at the correct points you can safely slide the axle stands to a flat part of the rear beam.
At the front I put the stands under the wishbone Bush, its rock solid evey time.
That is a reply to stevie G by the way.
 
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