DJ's adventures in A2 land
- Thread starter dj_efk
- Start date
I guess there just wasn't enough grip available on the wet tarmac for two wheels to slow the entire car down - even on your CrossClimates. As you say, it could have been worse, thankfully no injuries.
dj_efk
A2OC Donor
Yes only my ears were injured from the lady's expletives but otherwise all fine.
What's annoying is that I only had the front bumper and wing painted (along with most of the rest of the car other than the roof) last year - hopefully the repair centre will be able to match the colour properly.
Yes Steve I would have loved the bigger brake upgrade but I couldn't confirm the pepperpots would still fit, so I'm going to try mild upgrades on what's there - I got the discs and pads for £104 delivered so pretty happy with that as a healthy discount from RRP.
What's annoying is that I only had the front bumper and wing painted (along with most of the rest of the car other than the roof) last year - hopefully the repair centre will be able to match the colour properly.
Yes Steve I would have loved the bigger brake upgrade but I couldn't confirm the pepperpots would still fit, so I'm going to try mild upgrades on what's there - I got the discs and pads for £104 delivered so pretty happy with that as a healthy discount from RRP.
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Glad no one was hurt, and hope your A2 is back on the road looking its best soon. still looks amazing. gorgeous colour A2 .... Take care with insurance ...Dont let the insurance company write it off ..
dj_efk
A2OC Donor
Ok today I decided to cheer myself up by replacing the dodgy drivers headlamp (up/down adjuster had broken and then just recently the dipped beam went) with a lovely replacement sourced from @jeevanjohnmenon - realised I badly need new headlamp to body seals, particularly the passenger side where the lower half is now missing in action! If anyone has any good ones I'd be interested.
I also took the opportunity to replace the high beams with Nightbreaker 150%s so that’s a job jobbed.
While I had the tools out, I undid the two bolts holding the lower panel under the steering column on and pulled it down to retrieve my bit holder that I dropped down there when unplugging the dash the last time it played up and needed to be disconnected and then connected again to reset it.
I've also removed my rear storage box and load cover for cleaning (thanks to my kids for their muddy footprints and greasy paw prints respectively) - so that will lift the general look and feel of the car once I've cleaned the rubber mats and the door sills.
A new fault has reared it's head - the driver's rear door won't desafe (and now doesn't trigger the interior light when opened) so that will need sorting by Tom @timmus later this year.
Finally, I removed the TT clutch pedal cover as my foot had been slipping off it due I thought to premature wear; perhaps I'd been sold a cheapo copy part and not a genuine one as I thought? I’m happy to report the issue was actually the stainless piece standing proud in one corner from the rubber - so a free fix was had by taking the part off and re-seating the rubber grips by pushing a flat bladed screwdriver into the rubber bits from behind so that they poked through the alloy cover as they should.
I also took the opportunity to replace the high beams with Nightbreaker 150%s so that’s a job jobbed.
While I had the tools out, I undid the two bolts holding the lower panel under the steering column on and pulled it down to retrieve my bit holder that I dropped down there when unplugging the dash the last time it played up and needed to be disconnected and then connected again to reset it.
I've also removed my rear storage box and load cover for cleaning (thanks to my kids for their muddy footprints and greasy paw prints respectively) - so that will lift the general look and feel of the car once I've cleaned the rubber mats and the door sills.
A new fault has reared it's head - the driver's rear door won't desafe (and now doesn't trigger the interior light when opened) so that will need sorting by Tom @timmus later this year.
Finally, I removed the TT clutch pedal cover as my foot had been slipping off it due I thought to premature wear; perhaps I'd been sold a cheapo copy part and not a genuine one as I thought? I’m happy to report the issue was actually the stainless piece standing proud in one corner from the rubber - so a free fix was had by taking the part off and re-seating the rubber grips by pushing a flat bladed screwdriver into the rubber bits from behind so that they poked through the alloy cover as they should.
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dj_efk
A2OC Donor
Summer update on Audrey:
Now on 160K+ miles and running better than ever, however stopping has been another story altogether!!!
Apart from general maintenance the only improvements I’ve done are using a ceramic lacquer on the headlamps after having polished them with mothers mag (as per the tip on YouTube) - I’m pretty happy with the results and rainwater beads on them nicely now.
After a small mishap in the Devon lanes where I couldn’t stop and scraped a brand new Mini coming the other way, plus general feedback from Mrs FK that the brakes were rubbish when she almost had a similar incident - coupled with the handbrake continuing to drag and hence I got used to not using it - I felt compelled to act:
After much wielding of the credit card I had the following sat in the boot of Audrey as my mechanic drove off in it this morning:
- Set of braided flexi hoses by HEL
- Brembo X grooved disks and matching pads
- Two new handbrake cables
- The NLA central handbrake cable purchased when it was discovered Audi Tradition had some in stock
I will feed back on the effect of the upgraded discs and brake lines on pedal feel but right now it’s impossible to trigger the ABS in the dry and the pedal feels like you’re stamping on a sponge - not good! - so my perception is going to be biased. A better review would be starting from brakes where the hydraulic circuit was already in good health I suppose. Nonetheless I look forward to not having heart-in-mouth moments occasionally!
I also put an EGR bypass kit in the boot as my mechanic said he could swap that in easily while the car was with him: I’ll be interested to see whether removing the EGR from the inlet airflow improves the car’s efficiency or not (currently averaging about 59mpg per tank, with low 70s being the norm on long journeys at around 65mph) - and as he’s got an electrics specialist working there, I’m getting them to investigate why the passenger headlamp leveller doesn’t work even after replacing it and it’s fuse; also they’ll both replace the headlamp plug on the driver’s side and show me how to get it off without butchering it next time!!
I’ll provide some updated pictures including a walk-around of the cabin and upgrades once I’ve seen Tom in Leighton Buzzard and he’s fitted lumbar to my seats - but suffice to say this car remains an excellent tool for what I need it for - even when compared to an EV (now that I’ve got solar and a battery installed at my house), but I came to the conclusion that installing a charger and then leasing an EV is never going to save me any money in any future scenario, having done the sums.
Now on 160K+ miles and running better than ever, however stopping has been another story altogether!!!
Apart from general maintenance the only improvements I’ve done are using a ceramic lacquer on the headlamps after having polished them with mothers mag (as per the tip on YouTube) - I’m pretty happy with the results and rainwater beads on them nicely now.
After a small mishap in the Devon lanes where I couldn’t stop and scraped a brand new Mini coming the other way, plus general feedback from Mrs FK that the brakes were rubbish when she almost had a similar incident - coupled with the handbrake continuing to drag and hence I got used to not using it - I felt compelled to act:
After much wielding of the credit card I had the following sat in the boot of Audrey as my mechanic drove off in it this morning:
- Set of braided flexi hoses by HEL
- Brembo X grooved disks and matching pads
- Two new handbrake cables
- The NLA central handbrake cable purchased when it was discovered Audi Tradition had some in stock
I will feed back on the effect of the upgraded discs and brake lines on pedal feel but right now it’s impossible to trigger the ABS in the dry and the pedal feels like you’re stamping on a sponge - not good! - so my perception is going to be biased. A better review would be starting from brakes where the hydraulic circuit was already in good health I suppose. Nonetheless I look forward to not having heart-in-mouth moments occasionally!
I also put an EGR bypass kit in the boot as my mechanic said he could swap that in easily while the car was with him: I’ll be interested to see whether removing the EGR from the inlet airflow improves the car’s efficiency or not (currently averaging about 59mpg per tank, with low 70s being the norm on long journeys at around 65mph) - and as he’s got an electrics specialist working there, I’m getting them to investigate why the passenger headlamp leveller doesn’t work even after replacing it and it’s fuse; also they’ll both replace the headlamp plug on the driver’s side and show me how to get it off without butchering it next time!!
I’ll provide some updated pictures including a walk-around of the cabin and upgrades once I’ve seen Tom in Leighton Buzzard and he’s fitted lumbar to my seats - but suffice to say this car remains an excellent tool for what I need it for - even when compared to an EV (now that I’ve got solar and a battery installed at my house), but I came to the conclusion that installing a charger and then leasing an EV is never going to save me any money in any future scenario, having done the sums.
PlasticMac
Member
I don't find the, (standard), brakes on "The FSI" wanting.
Maybe it's me, but cutting grooves in the brake disc reduces the pad to disk area.
I have read the stuff about escaping gas, and improved cooling, which might be worth it on a race car, when your using the brakes every few seconds, but a once in a blue moon emergency stop? Not convinced.
Mac.
Maybe it's me, but cutting grooves in the brake disc reduces the pad to disk area.
I have read the stuff about escaping gas, and improved cooling, which might be worth it on a race car, when your using the brakes every few seconds, but a once in a blue moon emergency stop? Not convinced.
Mac.
simon martyn
Member
I wholeheartedly agree Mac.
dj_efk
A2OC Donor
Just had a call from the garage, the rear brake lines (unique to the TDI90 and FSI) are corroded and need replacing. They are NLA and Audi Tradition only have one side left now.
Part numbers are:
Left rear: 8Z0611763Q
Right rear: 8Z0611764Q
The problem is that these are hybrid hard lines that run along the rear beam and then become flexi as they enter the caliper via a banjo fitting. They are one-piece and so cannot easily be replicated.
This could be a problem - luckily I found this thread on the German A2 forum which prompted me to suggest cutting the hard line in front of the crimped flexi connection, flaring the end and then making up a new hard line to connect from there to replace these - thereby getting around the problem. The garage have agreed this could be the way forward and now means there's no reason why Audrey's next MOT shouldn't be a clean pass with no advisories (since I've owned the car the rear hard lines have been noted as being corroded).
I'm so glad I have found this garage -they are very flexible and ready to get creative in situations like this - unlike some others I've experienced who just want to fit replacement parts.
They are also replacing the glow plugs (one was duff - I knew that thanks to CDIS reporting an open circuit fault code) and will generally let me know if they find anything else while they're in there.
Part numbers are:
Left rear: 8Z0611763Q
Right rear: 8Z0611764Q
The problem is that these are hybrid hard lines that run along the rear beam and then become flexi as they enter the caliper via a banjo fitting. They are one-piece and so cannot easily be replicated.
This could be a problem - luckily I found this thread on the German A2 forum which prompted me to suggest cutting the hard line in front of the crimped flexi connection, flaring the end and then making up a new hard line to connect from there to replace these - thereby getting around the problem. The garage have agreed this could be the way forward and now means there's no reason why Audrey's next MOT shouldn't be a clean pass with no advisories (since I've owned the car the rear hard lines have been noted as being corroded).
I'm so glad I have found this garage -they are very flexible and ready to get creative in situations like this - unlike some others I've experienced who just want to fit replacement parts.
They are also replacing the glow plugs (one was duff - I knew that thanks to CDIS reporting an open circuit fault code) and will generally let me know if they find anything else while they're in there.
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dj_efk
A2OC Donor
The caliper has a flexible pipe fitting a short distance before the hard line with a banjo fitting onto the caliper - so unless there's a way of putting a banjo fitting straight onto the hard line end, I'm not sure how that would work.
All I would suggest is that our breakers @A2Steve @Clackers and also others such as @Ami routinely inspect the brake pipes on any disk brake axle cars they break and carefully salvage these parts if they can - in case a member finds that theirs is in too poor a condition even to effect the above repair.
dj_efk
A2OC Donor
Well I found this Singaporean registered website which claims to have both parts(!) so I've used both credit card combined with Paypal (for double protection) and gone ahead and purchased both for £150 delivered. Will see if they turn up in a month or not like I'm being told!
Assuming this is indeed a scam, then I'm just thinking about this again - the other way of creatively overcoming the issue if your existing lines are not good enough to do the above conversion on would be to get a flexi brake line with a standard fitting one end and a banjo on the other - such as part number 8E0611775B - then the hard lines could be made up in the normal way by a competent garage.
I put this to my garage and they suggested this to be the better plan - with the additional bonus that HEL also make a braided replacement for this (see here), meaning all flexible hoses on the car will now be new and braided, instead of leaving the original unbraided piece in place; which suits my OCD even if it provides no tangible benefit due to the brake bias valve never allowing much pressure to go into the rear lines anyway!
So if this workaround is positive then assuming the Singapore brake lines do actually exist / turn up as promised, then I'll put them up for sale for what they cost me, in case someone out there would appreciate renewing their setup like-for-like.
Assuming this is indeed a scam, then I'm just thinking about this again - the other way of creatively overcoming the issue if your existing lines are not good enough to do the above conversion on would be to get a flexi brake line with a standard fitting one end and a banjo on the other - such as part number 8E0611775B - then the hard lines could be made up in the normal way by a competent garage.
I put this to my garage and they suggested this to be the better plan - with the additional bonus that HEL also make a braided replacement for this (see here), meaning all flexible hoses on the car will now be new and braided, instead of leaving the original unbraided piece in place; which suits my OCD even if it provides no tangible benefit due to the brake bias valve never allowing much pressure to go into the rear lines anyway!
So if this workaround is positive then assuming the Singapore brake lines do actually exist / turn up as promised, then I'll put them up for sale for what they cost me, in case someone out there would appreciate renewing their setup like-for-like.
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dj_efk
A2OC Donor
Today the garage took the new HEL brake pipes made to the same spec as the above part number but braided and coloured black to match the rest of the kit and fitted them - a swine of a job because the hard lines on the car ahead of the rear axle both broke and needed partial replacement.
Their comment was that this part number is an excellent work-around to the problem of the NLA originals however, once fitted they look like they are OE in terms of their fitting, so this is definitely one all TDi90 and FSI owners should take note of. I’ll take pictures next time I’m under there.
Once bled and handed back to me, I found the brakes to now be pretty good (as in more than up to the job and better than I’ve ever known - although I must confess I was expecting slightly more from the upgraded disks and pads, so it looks like Martyn and Mac were right to be dubious; glad I didn’t pay anything like the RRP for these!)
I believe further gains could be had by going up in brake disk size, however they are now confidence-inspiring enough for fast country roads and also the cut and thrust traffic on today’s motorways, so I’m happy with them.
The outer handbrake cables were also replaced and the handbrake now works as it should - the old cables were indeed partially seized which was the cause of the dragging callipers - plus they were grossly stretched, the handbrake adjuster needed to be backed off a long old way to replace! Interestingly the central cable that can only be purchased from Audi Tradition was fine so that was not replaced with my new one, which will go back into storage for if/when needed.
Oh - almost forgot: That Singaporean website cancelled my order due to lack of stock; no great surprise really.
Jobs left to do:
- fix right rear door lock (a job for @timmus next month)
- replace the duff headlamp level adjuster (new genuine one turned up today, my advice would be buy Valeo to anyone else as that is who made it - both theirs and the VW logo on it)
- fit straight-through inlet pipe
- clean and feed the leather seats, which Tom will also be upgrading to electrically adjustable lumbar support when I see him too.
- swap over the passenger front door card with a spare I have
- renew the slightly tired central locking switch with the new one I have and similarly, replace the electric window switch panel surround to help smarten the interior further.
Other than that it’s just maintenance - The next service is in around 3500 miles or so and will mark the completion of 20k miles in my ownership since purchase.
Their comment was that this part number is an excellent work-around to the problem of the NLA originals however, once fitted they look like they are OE in terms of their fitting, so this is definitely one all TDi90 and FSI owners should take note of. I’ll take pictures next time I’m under there.
Once bled and handed back to me, I found the brakes to now be pretty good (as in more than up to the job and better than I’ve ever known - although I must confess I was expecting slightly more from the upgraded disks and pads, so it looks like Martyn and Mac were right to be dubious; glad I didn’t pay anything like the RRP for these!)
I believe further gains could be had by going up in brake disk size, however they are now confidence-inspiring enough for fast country roads and also the cut and thrust traffic on today’s motorways, so I’m happy with them.
The outer handbrake cables were also replaced and the handbrake now works as it should - the old cables were indeed partially seized which was the cause of the dragging callipers - plus they were grossly stretched, the handbrake adjuster needed to be backed off a long old way to replace! Interestingly the central cable that can only be purchased from Audi Tradition was fine so that was not replaced with my new one, which will go back into storage for if/when needed.
Oh - almost forgot: That Singaporean website cancelled my order due to lack of stock; no great surprise really.
Jobs left to do:
- fix right rear door lock (a job for @timmus next month)
- replace the duff headlamp level adjuster (new genuine one turned up today, my advice would be buy Valeo to anyone else as that is who made it - both theirs and the VW logo on it)
- fit straight-through inlet pipe
- clean and feed the leather seats, which Tom will also be upgrading to electrically adjustable lumbar support when I see him too.
- swap over the passenger front door card with a spare I have
- renew the slightly tired central locking switch with the new one I have and similarly, replace the electric window switch panel surround to help smarten the interior further.
Other than that it’s just maintenance - The next service is in around 3500 miles or so and will mark the completion of 20k miles in my ownership since purchase.
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PlasticMac
Member
Next time it's in the garage ask them to check the brake servo, in particular, the vacuum line.
In the diesel, it comes from the tandem pump, I think, (?).
You should feel a firm pedal, when brake is applied, and if brake held on, the pedal should not move at all, once the initial pressure is applied.
It does sound like you're not 100%, happy with the braking, and you need to be. The servo is often forgotten, but without it, brakes are very poor. A small leak on the vacuum side would just feel like they were off a bit.
The test is, (I think), to tee a vacuum gauge into the line to the servo, and check that once vacuum is present, and the turned the engine off, and check that the vacuum holds for a few minutes. If it drops at all, there's a leak.
If this is not the way to check the servo, please say so.
Mac
In the diesel, it comes from the tandem pump, I think, (?).
You should feel a firm pedal, when brake is applied, and if brake held on, the pedal should not move at all, once the initial pressure is applied.
It does sound like you're not 100%, happy with the braking, and you need to be. The servo is often forgotten, but without it, brakes are very poor. A small leak on the vacuum side would just feel like they were off a bit.
The test is, (I think), to tee a vacuum gauge into the line to the servo, and check that once vacuum is present, and the turned the engine off, and check that the vacuum holds for a few minutes. If it drops at all, there's a leak.
If this is not the way to check the servo, please say so.
Mac
dj_efk
A2OC Donor
I’ve decided to take it back to the garage for another bleed as I believe there may be a smidge of air in the system still - the pedal was before this last work yesterday absolutely sharp as a button, now it goes a touch further before the brakes are operated - I’ll report back once it’s done and can make the judgement there.
The pedal doesn’t drop at all when the pedal is held.
The pedal doesn’t drop at all when the pedal is held.