Am I Mad?

[Andrew]

Been after a FSI to replace my wife’s 21 year old Clio.
Sat on the market for three months and now have a fair idea of value, but does anybody understand the market
prices(?) they seem all over the place – patience is the key.

Could not resist this one on a recent ebay auction as it was in the next village only three miles away.
Advertised as a non runner - leaking water pump and rusted discs from some time standing.
I paid just under £500, a price too much in my opinion! but somebody else badly wanted it and forced
the price up by an extra £100 I would like to have paid, grrrh!
(Frantic last 20 seconds of auction bidding but I am streetwise on how to bid to win.
Nobody on here I hope, but maybe we should have a mechanism to prevent it – nice idea but probably impossible to achieve)

Why do I want a FSI? Because I have one already which I will call my good A2 - 55 plate, 72K miles in good order.
A recent large garage bill has prompted me to return to doing my own repairs and servicing and I simply wanted something to learn on. I am retired and have plenty of time and storage and it does not matter if it goes wrong (£500 is not a huge sum of money) - at least I will have a good collection of spare parts!

The parts idea went out of the window when I viewed the car. No dented panels or gouges, okay maybe a few light scratches here and there, but in fact it’s on a par or better than my good A2. Apart from paintwork everything else needs work.

Here it is.



The interior is a wreck and badly needs TLC

The Boot

Comes with three interesting enhancements.

1. A modern minimalist look to tools, i.e. next to nothing.
2. Curiously I cannot find any Audi part numbers on the pieces
of cardboard that wedge the battery in position.



3. Added compost for heat/noise insulation.



The Cabin

Much the same ...

A driver's seat benefiting from extra ventilation holes.



and more ...



Two more pics of damage

Damn! I think I have run out of upload limit - I will continue in a new post.

Andy

 

[Dave M]

No you are not mad... this A2 will be a great retirement hobby and the interior parts will hopefully be cheaply available from members.

 

[Andrew]

To continue ...

Careless hoist/jacking



Broken boot trim



Time to put my new car in my rear garage. (I also have a centrally heated front garage!!)
I am fortunate in that my rear garage is essentially a double garage and the house's previous
owners son ran a mechanic' s business from it and so comes with full depth pit and a 3 ton engine hoist
that runs along a steel I-beam. The downside to the rear garage is access is tight.

Need nerves of steel and to breathe in.



More later to report but on the plus side the car has (which my good A2 does not)
electric rear windows and fog lights which work. Ummm, feel a transplant coming on.

Also feeling a trip to South Wales coming up.

Andy

 

[oneflewover]

Does it have a tow bar, although I can't see the cut out for it in the rear bumper, that tool tray in the boot is for a tow bar.

 

[Andrew]

Does it have a tow bar, although I can't see the cut out for it in the rear bumper, that tool tray in the boot is for a tow bar.

Yes, no tow bar.

I know exactly what should be in the boot as my good A2 is identical and comes with a full complement of tools.

Thanks for your interest. - Andy

 

[Andrew]

...to continue

Got the car safely down the side of the house and called it a day.

Next day thought I would take a look at the engine ....could not open the service flap!!
Pull handle all floppy and no amount of fiddling about behind it would open it, broken cable? Got it open in the end by making a lock pick. What I did can be found in posts 14,17,19 in this thread http://www.a2oc.net/forum/showthread.php?28314-Service-flap-not-opening/page2

I will come back and fix this later, for now I've removed the latch on the flap so I don't lock myself out.

To my surprise it looks ok, I expected worse - jubilee clips, missing bolts etc., but it looks quite tidy.

Here it is



I don't think I've said its done 112k miles, about two thirds of its lifespan so good for another 50k? I have owned a FSI for 8 years and know about some of its weak points.
Which get me to the notorious flap problem. I would expect any FSI over 60k to more then likely to have the problem if its not been sorted.

Time to run VCDS. Lo and behold

Address 01: Engine Labels: Redir Fail!
Part No: 036 906 013 F
Component: MED7.5.11 4628
Coding: 00051
Shop #: WSC 02138
VCID: 122BEA385E4E8BD14F-515E
WAUZZZ8Z73N019265 AUZ7Z0B2226119

5 Faults Found:
17439 - Intake Manifold Tuning Valve (N316)
P1031 - 35-00 - Setpoint Not Reached
17446 - Heater Control Circuit for NOx Sensor
P1038 - 35-00 - Open Circuit
17912 - Intake Air System
P1504 - 35-10 - Leak Detected - Intermittent
16684 - Random/Multiple Cylinder Misfire Detected
P0300 - 35-10 - - Intermittent
16688 - Cylinder 4
P0304 - 35-10 - Misfire Detected - Intermittent
Readiness: 0110 0001

I think I would have been disappointed if it did not crop up! Deep engine mining coming up.

I am guessing a strip down of the input manifold, a good clean, have the injectors professionally cleaned, replace broken components, and numerous new gaskets/seals will sort everything except the NOX fault. Have not read up yet on 17446 but imagine a new sensor will sort it - unless anybody can enlighten me different.

Other VCDS faults appeared , eg 8 in climate control, but I will leave those for another day.

Frustratingly it will have to wait because I have a couple of months of intense contract work to complete, but at least it should provide the funds in August when I get back to it. So apart from an odd hour here and there and acquiring parts I need the car will be put to bed.

Andy

PS Please look at my wanted post http://www.a2oc.net/forum/showthread.php?32781-Various-Parts-For-Am-I-Mad

 

[Sootywg]

...

To my surprise it looks ok, I expected worse - jubilee clips, missing bolts etc., but it looks quite tidy.

Looks like a great project!. Looking at the picture of the engine bay, I would say you need to do a cooling system flush, the brown colour of the expansion tank suggests the use of the wrong type of antifreeze, this can lead to sludging and corrosion.

Geoff

 

[Birchall]

A new NOX sensor is a lot of money, so check the connections in the compartment under the passenger floor, the plug ggoes into a control box on the right hand side as you look into the footwell from the door.

Mine was disconnected by a previous owner!!!!!

Steve B

 

[Andrew]

Thanks for the advice Sootywg and Steve,

The coolant will be drained for the water pump replacement (and while there might as well do the cambelt and death pipe) and will take your advice and flush.

Will check the footwell (August!), there is a good thread on nox sensor replacement I have read on the forum- does not look too bad to do , about £150ish I think from one of your recent posts.

Thanks - Andy

 

[Pinkythelabrat]

Death pipe?!?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Birchall]

Death pipe?!?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The coolant pipe that runs along the back of the engine is prone to leaks and breakage as they age. The result can be an overcooked engine and head gasket / head warping issues, hence the term "death Pipe".

Whenever doing any work on the engine it is good practice to check the state of that pipe and replace f there are any signs of aging, because there is a lot of labour involved in replacing it when it starts to leak / fail.

Steve B

 

[Andrew]

Evening,

I believe death pipe cost is £30ish, so if you have the opportunity while doing other things and you don't know its age replace it regardless. Mine went and it caused a lot of grief with some bizarre symptoms. Highly inaccessible - some good information on old threads.

Andy

 

[Andrew]

Hi All,

As expected the car is untouched sitting were I left it two and half months ago for the duration of my contract work, now finished, and I am a free man. A couple of weeks catching up in the over grown garden and finishing some other DIY and I will get back to the car.

In the meantime I have not been idle, accumulating 15 parts (mainly from A2Steve - thanks) and have spent, about £140, the Concert radio/CD player is still outstanding - anybody help?

Then Monday after midnight, idly browsing ebay, I came across a listing for a full set of leather seats described as in good condition but in need of a clean. They had only been on for a few hours and I thought a reasonable price at £250 so I impulsively grabbed them - blame the alcohol.

Turns out the seller's wife A2 SE had some problem that he threw a lot of money at it, failed, and decided to break to recoup something. Not a club member, he tells me he was not without skills/experience and even a mechanic friend with £15,000 of diagnostic kit could not nail down the problem. Stripped down the head, new throttle body and numerous other parts but never solved. I told him he should have asked on here and solved it in 5 minutes!! Anyway too late now chunks have gone, Bose, carpets, door cards, carpets to name a few and of course my seats. His wife had the car for 5 years and loved it and sorry to see it broken – sad.

Spent 10 minutes with baby wipes on the driver's seat before these pictures. Coops finest at £1.00 for 80 incredibly cheap. Thought I would show you the driver's seat as this of course is by far the most wear. Not my first choice of colour - darkish grey whatever that is called but it will do fine. I know i will lose the lumbar thingy of the current sports seats but I never use that anyway. Anybody interested in a set of sports seats with a knackered driver's seat?? (pics higher up) - thought not. Back to the new seats - driver’s bolsters are reasonable maybe a little soft with age (I know they are still available at a stinging price) and some "wrinkle veins" but I am happy.



Now why I am posting. I have never had leather and simply used baby wipes because I know they would not be laced with chemicals like industrial wipes and not damage the leather. Any treatment advice most welcome:-

Either

DIY products

Or

Recommended professional services.

I have read some old threads but I just want to check what is current.

Andy

PS My rear double garage.

 

[JIGSAW]

I use pampers baby wipes myself, used them on my leather sofa for the last 15yrs or so and never had any issues , added bonus they moisturize the leather too

 

[Dave M]

You have got a real bargain Andrew and they look in good condition. Platinum sports seats are also quite rare !.

 

[murdo]

Johnson's baby wash and baby lotion are rated for leather seats. Good enough for a baby's skin etc . Use a soft brush to agitate . Use warm water /baby wash solution sparingly and a clean microfibre cloth to remove moisture . Then treat with baby lotion to moisturise.

A hair dryer and a little massaging with your hand should also improve the common sagging in the storage net on the back of the seat .

All sounds very tactile doesn't it !!!

 

[Andrew]

Thanks for the replies, baby products it is then.

Thanks Murdo for the netting tip I would never have thought of that. The main problem seems to me to be the chunky top elastic that loops through the top has stretched and needs tensioning. I was thinking of removing the plastic trim into which each end of the string disappears and tying a knot in it to tension and the heat tip to firm up the net. Any comments anyone if the plastic surround comes off easily without great likelihood of breakage????

Andy

 

[Vorsprung durch Technik]

Hi Andy, I would be careful with your leather seats as they are easily damaged if the wrong products are used and of course you'll want them to smell of leather. Have a look at our A2 thread where i carried out a full clean just like your about to do. http://www.a2oc.net/forum/showthread.php?31346-The-Cobalt-dream-machine Go to page 5, it took me many days of cleaning to achieve the high quality results but worth it imho. You could could use gliptone leather cleaner and nourisher as it's decent stuff but more recently I've been using Furniture clinics cleaner and nourisher.https://www.furnitureclinic.co.uk/Leather_Care_Kit#article-photo-carousel It's a little quicker cleaning and the nourisher is the best i've come across and it is what a lot of professionals use as it does a fantastic job of nourishing and really does smell of leather. I'm liking your leather seats, best of luck with them.

 

[Andrew]

A Kind of ‘How To Fit Interior Tailgate Trim’ (Or At Least My Experience)

A Kind of ‘How To Fit Interior Tailgate Trim’ (Or At Least My Experience)

Even though I am retired I do seem have great demands on my time and my A2 project has to take a back seat, but occasionally I do have a little time to get on with bits and pieces. The main engine work lies ahead but thought I would cheat and start on one of the easy bits – interior cleaning.

First step move the car away from a wall so I can fully open the doors. Of course what happens after 4 months left standing? Flat battery. Okay I will charge the battery. Of course the boot is firmly locked and key fob not working. No problem, pull the emergency boot lock release. What emergency release? – literally nothing there! Now the hassle of removing rear seats to gain better access to the battery that way. Anyway charged the battery and the engine started first time, but I do have to do something about the lack of emergency release.

With boot now open I can see one side of the tailgate trim is hanging off – somebody has been here before and not done a good job putting it back. A good yank and the trim is off, 3 missing clips and no sign of the emergency pull cable! Roll forward a few weeks and equipped with replacement clips and cable from A2Steve (thanks) it’s time to put the trim back on.

It’s obvious how to fit but I could not find a ‘How To’ for any tips and thought I would provide something for others in the future.

It quickly became clear that with the boot open, it’s next to impossible to refit without help, ideally three people, and minimum two. How a single person can hold it up in the air, fighting gravity (it never gives up), attach the release cable, line up clips and bang home is beyond me – biceps were screaming after 30 seconds. I gave up. I can now see why the release cable has gone missing.

Need another way …… thought I would give it a go from the inside with the boot fully shut. Turns out to be a very easy 5 minute job.

1. Don’t fancy kneeling at my age even with a kneeling pad, like the comfort of a little stool.

In fact I am of the view that with any job you have to be comfortable to do a good job, if you are not comfortable you are doing it wrong.

2. Think it is worthwhile to mark the position of each clip; I used bits of masking tape after careful measurement.


Without it I quickly lost track of exact clip position when everything is the other way round and back to front.

3. Offer up trim panel to tailgate and let it sit on the boot up stand leaning out at top.

4. Connect release cable. (Still not sure which way round it is supposed to go but I cannot seeing it matter that much)


Really easy, no weight to carry.

5. Check bottom clips are in the correct position (– they should be because after all the trim panel is in its ‘home’ position) and push top flush with tailgate.

6. Lastly each clip needs a VERY firm tap to push home – my weapon of choice my trusty old heavier than normal lump hammer – not much resists this.


A wooden or rubber mallet would be alternatives but I would not use an ordinary hammer without a largish block of wood to spread the impact. (Looks like I am about to do the John Cleese sketch)

7. Test emergency release – it works.

8. Open tailgate and admire the handiwork – or not quite.


One clip at top left is not fully in and the side is hanging about a centimetre down. Peer in with aid of torch and I can see why – clip floppy and hanging out of line with its hole. Can’t get a screwdriver in to correct it from the side because a wiring loom is in the way, but sort it with an 18” length of strip wood from the bottom. One whack and it’s in – by god you know when these clips go in. All nicely neat

Or is it?

Noticed plastic bottom lock cover is half under, half over trim panel.
Loosen it a bit and used a decorating filler knife as a guide when I whacked home again.

(Just struck me – why are they call knives when they don’t cut anything????).

All is now neat.






One of the many jobs to do done.

Andy

PS. ETKA, refers to the the release cable as a Bowden cable, after the chap who invented circa 1902, the flexible bicycle brake cable we know today. You learn something every day.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowden_cable

 

[spartacus 68]

Interesting project. Loving your garage by the way!

The first set of pictures with the interior console. The plastic shelf just under the air-con/stereo. Can't see why that would detached other than the fix for the indicator relay. That is a b***** of a job to remove normally.