Shitting in the shallow end. *A2 fixt*

[cort16]

ooft, angry little bugger glad you didn't drive into a canal or anything.

[Missy Charm]

This?

All you need is this:

for an easy fix...  

[Jim Bell]

A plan was duly devised to make this rig roadable. Not by me mind, but by car fixery legend @Jimbob McGregor .

The "have tools, will travel" hero volunteered to have a good go at getting the homicidal, suicidal, genocidal Audi A2 in fit enough shape to drive to the garage. 

That meant getting the arms off. 

A man of great taste and endeavour ariveth. 

 

Hup!

Decent arse. 8/10. 

 

That's not good 

 

Actually that isn't even attached at all. 

 

 

It came out easy. Well, this bit did. 

 

This bit decided it would prefer to remain attached to the car. 

 

 

Oft you fuck then, you absolute wishbone-end. 

[Dick Longbridge]

Wow. What's it like on the other side? 

Have a listen to this gem by Doves, which was specifically written about Audi A2 front arms.  

 

[Jim Bell]

Out with the old, in with the new. 

New ones are cast, rather than pressed like the originals, so they should see us all out. 

 

Unfortunately at this point, the new arm became reluctant to push into the bush. 

Ever helpfull I suggested pulling it in with a ratchet strap. 

"Great idea. Do you have one?"

Me: no. 

 

So. We hopped in the veg munching puglet and headed for the nearest trading estate. 

 

 

Wood knob

 

Summer Strap shopping. 

 

Attempts were made to pull it home from a couple of angles but to no avail. 

 

So we paused for a pie break and a think. 

 

Emboldened by my earlier idea, I suggested pushing it into the nearest sea. A man not to be beaten, @Jimbob McGregor suggested taking the aluminum mounting console door dah off, then fucking it home in the press. Which is in his garage, an hour away. 

That's a better plan. 

So close but yet so far. 

 

That sounds like a great plan. 

End of day one. 

[Jim Bell]

8 minutes ago, Dick Longbridge said:

Wow. What's it like on the other side? 

Have a listen to this gem by Doves to chill out a bit.

 

It looks similar, but not failed yet. Definitely needs changed on the other side too. 

The ball joint didn't want to play on the drives side so the plan was to get the passenger side done, so it's drivable, then drive it to Jimbobs garage and do the rest there. The press will be needed for sure. 

[Jim Bell]

After being pressed up, the rest bolted back up without incident and the car is now back on the path to full health. 

 

That looks less deadly. 

 

[Jim Bell]

It's now well on its way to the garage and will be enjoying a second wishbone, top mounts and a good look over by a fastidious professional. 

Can't thank @Jimbob McGregor enough. Man is a fine fellow of the highest order. Car would have been immobile indefinitely without his skills and determination. 

 

[MorrisItalSLX]

49 minutes ago, Jim Bell said:

That's not good 

 

Actually that isn't even attached at all. 

 

 

It came out easy. Well, this bit did. 

 

This bit decided it would prefer to remain attached to the car. 

 

 

Oft you fuck then, you absolute wishbone-end. 

[SiC]

Thank fuck that bush came out without the bolts snapping. If they're anything like other VAG console bush bolts, they love to snap for fun into the subframe and a straight forward job becomes an absolute nightmare.

[Jim Bell]

On 19/05/2024 at 22:47, SiC said:

Thank fuck that bush came out without the bolts snapping. If they're anything like other VAG console bush bolts, they love to snap for fun into the subframe and a straight forward job becomes an absolute nightmare.

That was most definitely a concern. 

Thank all the large and small gods that there was no snapped bolts or stripped threads. 

Touch wood, hail Mary, turn around touch the ground, skinchies no revengies, as theres still one side to go. 

[beko1987]

Looks like a twat of a job but that old arm was certainly enfuckerated! 

Hope you see an improvement when done 🤞

[2flags]

Well sir, there's fucked, then there's M&S fucked!!!! Jesus that looks bad. Glad everyone is okay!

[MrBig]

I've tripped over this thread a little late, so this has probably been answered already but.... where the juddering cluck has that car been living?!? Did a previous owner park it in the sea every night?

[Tayne]

Audi's reputation for build quality and longevity is somewhat overblown. 

[inconsistant]

Ooh just spotted this thread… hurrah you’ve got an A2. They’re aluminium so no rust you know. Now I’ve said that I’ll go back and read the last couple of pages to see how you’re enjoying rust free old car ownership.

[SiC]

4 hours ago, Tayne said:

Audi's reputation for build quality and longevity is somewhat overblown. 

It is 19 yrs old now...

Plenty of similar aged cars have died already because of rust. 

[Tayne]

2 minutes ago, SiC said:

It is 19 yrs old now...

Plenty of similar aged cars have died already because of rust. 

The new (to me), more fuel efficient (than my last car) Audi. by Tayne, on Flickr

 

This was mine, bought at 11 years old with one year remaining on the anti-corrosion warranty.

The local dealer did a £2k rust repair, at the expense of Audi UK, as a gesture of goodwill because obviously an Audi wouldn't require a warranty repair.

At the time there was a 120 page thread on one of the forums detailing all the "gestures of good will" that Audi UK had stumped up for 8L owners.

[Jim Bell]

21 hours ago, MrBig said:

I've tripped over this thread a little late, so this has probably been answered already but.... where the juddering cluck has that car been living?!? Did a previous owner park it in the sea every night?

Hello fella. 

It's bonkers. If you Google Audi A2 wishbone snap, there's loads and loads of results for the same thing happening. I don't think it's anything any previous owners have done wrong, more like a bad design. The pressed wishbone lasted 130k and 19 years ish but the design seems to have them rot from the inside out so they look ok, pass mots fine, but then just snap one day. 

[MrBig]

3 hours ago, Jim Bell said:

Hello fella. 

It's bonkers. If you Google Audi A2 wishbone snap, there's loads and loads of results for the same thing happening. I don't think it's anything any previous owners have done wrong, more like a bad design. The pressed wishbone lasted 130k and 19 years ish but the design seems to have them rot from the inside out so they look ok, pass mots fine, but then just snap one day. 

That's genuinely scary!!

[Jim Bell]

34 minutes ago, MrBig said:

That's genuinely scary!!

Well it gets scarier man. They used that design and those exact parts on a whole host of VAG products from around that time, not just the Audi A2. 

VWs, Skoda's, Audi's probably even Seats all got the same set up. 

[inconsistant]

Aside from the minor issue of it trying to kill you to death,  I’d be interested in your impressions of the A2.
I tend towards them being flawed genius. Glad I owned one but couldn’t live with one long term.  

[Jim Bell]

5 minutes ago, inconsistant said:

Aside from the minor issue of it trying to kill you to death,  I’d be interested in your impressions of the A2.
I tend towards them being flawed genius. Glad I owned one but couldn’t live with one long term.  

I'm in the early stages of ownership but definitely really like it. I'm not sure if this will alter in the medium to long term as I generally don't keep cars very long. 

It's a genuinely interesting concept and design and a comfortable and economical thing to drive. I guess the final verdict will hinge on how reliable it turns out to be. 

 

And how many more times it tries to kill me I guess. 

[wesacosa]

must have been desperately trying to get cost out of them to try and minimise the reported loss on each vehicle they made. They even made AC a cost option part way through the lifecycle 

[Jim Bell]

Project Drive, VAG edition. 

[inconsistant]

The A2OC are a friendly and helpful bunch but they’re absolutely obsessed with specs and options. Not just the big stuff like leather seats and glass full length sunroofs but even anything from false boot floors to arm rests and other items of minor convenience.  Kind of like how Mini owners are obsessed with personalising their cars by obsessively removing chrome and adding stripes I suppose.

Those alloys you’ve put on it (pepperpots?)  are great and really work on the A2. Much nicer than the standard 5/6 spoke flat faced alloys like our one had imho.

Have a photo of our A2 with a red car. Geekfact: both these were built at the old NSU factory 20 yrs apart.

[inconsistant]

Puddles sound weird in an A2

[inconsistant]

So does rain.

[Jim Bell]

Just a quick update to confirm that the A(nus)2 lives on. 

It had some time away with @Jimbob McGregor getting the other wishbone and top mount done, so now not only is it safe to drive, but it also doesn't go PADOOOOIIIINNNNOOOING!! when you apply lock anymore. A droplink was changed so the rattling over uneven ground has gone. The rear alarm sounder was also removed, as it had been doing some unwanted beeping. Audis seem to like to beep. And I don't like the beeps. Tracking was eyeballed and it feels straight enough to me!

Driving it today after a couple of weeks away, I was reminded how good it is to drive. I mean, it's shit, don't get me wrong, but it's just fun. It's sprightly enough when you press the comedy GO pedal deep enough, sounds like a Kubota having consensual sex with a hammer and is a very comfortable place to sit while the world trundles by. 

It's MUCH improved. 

I give it seven out of ten. This score may increase after a remap. 

 

 

 

 

[SiC]

What's the mpg like? Don't these use ridiculously little amounts of fuel?

I've got accustomed to ignoring the beeps that German cars love to do. My Z4 inexplicably beeps at me only sometimes when I turn the ignition on to give me a fright. Other times it's perfectly happy with life. Absolutely no indication on what fuss it needs.