Need help or advise please

simon martyn said:
Sadly they won't know what on earth the car is, I suspect. My previous statement still stands. Main dealer prices and lack of knowledge...OUCH
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I am a little nervous £75 for the diagnostic
I had worked there with my brother as a valeter and got to know them they're a lot older and experienced than the other mechanics who were in their late teens early twenties
I'm also thinking they could get parts it needs before the mot quicker
And worse case scenario it's walking distance from my drive way if it needs to be sorn temporarily
 
Mark F said:
I am a little nervous £75 for the diagnostic
I had worked there with my brother as a valeter and got to know them they're a lot older and experienced than the other mechanics who were in their late teens early twenties
I'm also thinking they could get parts it needs before the mot quicker
And worse case scenario it's walking distance from my drive way if it needs to be sorn temporarily
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Is there someone on the scan register who may be able to help out at least with just a VCDS scan as a starting point https://www.a2oc.net/community/index.php?threads/free-scan-register.44124/
 
Mark F said:
It runs out on the 8th July, have it booked for the 7th
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Assuming the car is not MOT-able without work, you're probably too close to the date your current MOT expires to get the work carried out professionally beforehand.

£75 is a lot of money for a diagnostic scan, and how much you get from it will depend on the enthusiasm of the person who does it. If someone here can do a scan for you, you'll probably find that more helpful, and not just because it will save you £75.

I've mentioned this before, but you will only get the full benefit of a VCDS scan if your battery is in good order. The declining available current from a battery deep into its second decade will trigger lots of false positive fault codes.

Do you have a multimeter that you can use to check the battery?

It may be more cost effective at this point to cancel the dealer scan, go ahead with the MOT and take it from there.

One positive with your car is that it dates from 2001. This means that warning lights (or their absence) is not a failure point in the MOT, due to the car's age.

I hope you find someone here who is willing to do a scan for you.
 
A colleague from Chichester always uses JKM in Portsmouth for the servicing and MOT on his R32 and highly recommends them. May be not the cheapest but they are extremely knowledgeable and he's never had an issue.
 
Andrew said:
@Mark F,

Looking at the Free Scan map, @herx is only 20 miles from you in Winchester. He has VCDS Lite, but I do not know if it is registered. I would send him a PM.

Andy
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Andrew said:
@Mark F,

Looking at the Free Scan map, @herx is only 20 miles from you in Winchester. He has VCDS Lite, but I do not know if it is registered. I would send him a PM.

Andy
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Andrew said:
@Mark F,

Looking at the Free Scan map, @herx is only 20 miles from you in Winchester. He has VCDS Lite, but I do not know if it is registered. I would send him a PM.

Andy
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steve_c said:
Assuming the car is not MOT-able without work, you're probably too close to the date your current MOT expires to get the work carried out professionally beforehand.

£75 is a lot of money for a diagnostic scan, and how much you get from it will depend on the enthusiasm of the person who does it. If someone here can do a scan for you, you'll probably find that more helpful, and not just because it will save you £75.

I've mentioned this before, but you will only get the full benefit of a VCDS scan if your battery is in good order. The declining available current from a battery deep into its second decade will trigger lots of false positive fault codes.

Do you have a multimeter that you can use to check the battery?

It may be more cost effective at this point to cancel the dealer scan, go ahead with the MOT and take it from there.

One positive with your car is that it dates from 2001. This means that warning lights (or their absence) is not a failure point in the MOT, due to the car's age.

I hope you find someone here who is willing to do a scan for you.
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Thanks for the advice much appreciated, currently in conversation with herx
I don't have a multimeter, thinking to just buy a new battery anyway perhaps
 
If the battery is the original, and it sounds like it is, spend your £75, on a battery, before getting a courtesy of @herx scan, otherwise the scan, free or not, will probably be a waste of time.
Mac.
 
PlasticMac said:
If the battery is the original, and it sounds like it is, spend your £75, on a battery, before getting a courtesy of @herx scan, otherwise the scan, free or not, will probably be a waste of time.
Mac.
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Thanks have just been looking to see which battery would be best for my car but a little unsure still
 
Had already ordered a Varta blue dynamic recommended by the their website cost about £79 including delivery
Just fitted it today
This is a pic of the old one guessing it could be the original
 

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Mark F said:
Had already ordered a Varta blue dynamic recommended by the their website cost about £79 including delivery
Just fitted it today
This is a pic of the old one guessing it could be the original
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That is indeed the original.
 
steve_c said:
That is indeed the original.
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Modern Varta batteries often come with a warning about the importance if removing the vent plugs from either end of the battery when fitting. Unfortunately, that is somewhat misleading, and for the A2 you should only remove the vent plug from the +ve side of the battery, where you then fit the vent tube. The plug at the -ve end should definitely remain in situ. If by any chance you removed both, then hopefully you still have them and can fit one in the appropriate place.
 
steve_c said:
Modern Varta batteries often come with a warning about the importance if removing the vent plugs from either end of the battery when fitting. Unfortunately, that is somewhat misleading, and for the A2 you should only remove the vent plug from the +ve side of the battery, where you then fit the vent tube. The plug at the -ve end should definitely remain in situ. If by any chance you removed both, then hopefully you still have them and can fit one in the appropriate place.
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sorry just had to have a look I don't know much about that
there are two red rings either side, so I can take the one off the positive side but I can't see any vent tubes
 
Mark F said:
sorry just had to have a look I don't know much about that
there are two red rings either side, so I can take the one off the positive side but I can't see any vent tubes
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The vent line should have run into your original battery. There's a photo showing the original battery in post #1 of this thread:

How remove battery?

Hi, I can't work out how to remove the foam as it is one large piece. Any tips?
www.a2oc.net

Fully enlarge that picture. The vent tube is the one that runs in to the left of the Danger / Poison sticker. It is coloured black, but has a dab of yellow on the tip.

I presume that you need to pull out the red ring from the battery at that end and replace the plug with the tube.
 
All sorted thanks for the heads up, I've left the plug on the negative side in, it can't of been connected to the old battery so didn't notice it until now
 
Was going to report some good news as on the way to work this morning since installing the new battery no warning lights came on
But on the way home was the same old engine warning, abs and traction control lights came back
Not sure how worried I should be with MOT coming up in two weeks as being an older car, I read in an earlier comment it won't fail it?

The oil leak also I'm not too sure how bad but one mechanic said it was just weeping from the sump seal and dip stick seal.
Although the same guy said it won't pass an MOT before recommending I put it on ebay for spares and repairs

It isn't leaving anything on my drive anymore since getting the cam carrier resealed, but needs topping up every few weeks
 
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