Working man's quattro - Audi TT - Car rejected, getting a refund

[hairnet]

2 hours ago, Peter C said:

Eh? I’ll tell you what I am - confused!

artee fartee pics :D

 

[inconsistant]

On 11/1/2020 at 2:57 PM, Peter C said:

Nice pix! You've also cleared up something we were wondering about... whether one of the chrome T's from the TT had fallen off...

[DaveDorson]

I said to Sarah about scratching the TT itch come Spring/Summer next year and she gave an approving nod.

 

I suspect that means they're the next car to rocket in price before I buy one.

[Peter C]

3 hours ago, hairnet said:

artee fartee pics

 

Despite posting hundreds of photos of my jalopies on AS, I've never had a photo put forward for the calendar. Maybe one day....

[Peter C]

53 minutes ago, inconsistant said:

Nice pix! You've also cleared up something we were wondering about... whether one of the chrome T's from the TT had fallen off...

I didn't notice the part missing badge at first and thought that the red T is like a red i in TDi. I know now but don't propose to do anything about it.

[hairnet]

3 hours ago, Peter C said:

Despite posting hundreds of photos of my jalopies on AS, I've never had a photo put forward for the calendar. Maybe one day....

you never know

 

[Peter C]

My Sunday afternoon drive was fun but didn't test the TT in stop start traffic conditions. My journey to and from the office yesterday involved a 25 minute journey during which I stopped about 20 twenty times and didn't get to drive faster that 35MPH. On a couple of occasions I felt a slight hesitation (I wouldn't call it a misfire, it wasn't anywhere near serious enough) whilst gently pulling away in first or second gears. I know that the ignition system on these 1.8T engines has to work hard and that plugs and coil packs are consumable items. Whilst in bed last night, I had a look at EPC's website and ordered a set of Bosch plugs for £14, which included the comical Halloween discount code. A set of four coil packs, post discount, cost £140, possibly more depending on which type I need. Not wanting to spend that much money without knowing whether I genuinely need the coil packs and more to the point, which ones I should buy, I decided to change just the plugs today.

The plastic engine cover comes off easily. The engine is dirty but dry. The coil packs were numbered with white paint, which suggests that they have been removed at least once in the past.

The coil packs on my engine just lift out once the multi-plug is disconnected. Nice and easy.

Plug No 1 came out easily enough but a fair amount of oil dripped from the thread and the ceramic part of the plug was stained. Evidently, I have a leaking oil seal / cam cover gasket.

All four plugs and coil packs came out easily enough, no drama. Plug No 3 was loose and I mean LOOSE! Odd.

New plugs went in ok.

Do these coil packs look ok? I guess there's no way of knowing just by looking at them.

All the coil packs have the same numbering, including 51/02. My car is registered in early 2003. Could this mean that my TT is fitted with the original coil packs? If so, I guess they need changing?

With everything re-fitted, I started the engine and it idled and revved just fine. I'm off for a 80 mile work trip tomorrow, let's see how it goes.

 

 

[hairnet]

6 minutes ago, Peter C said:

 

 

Plug No 1 came out easily enough but a fair amount of oil dripped from the thread and the ceramic part of the plug was stained. Evidently, I have a leaking oil seal / cam cover gasket

 

this happened on the mazda when i serviced it - i wondered why and didnt know that caused it - i hate recessed plugs

fank oo

[AndyIggs]

Hesitation could be due to one or more of the coils gone, quite a common issue and easily sorted, best doing all 4 too for piece of mind as they will all eventually go.

Is the EML on and have you done an OBD scan? Sometimes shows up as a miss-fire if its early signs.

[Agila]

I had a denso coil pack replaced on a lexus rx, it has blistered on the shaft (nobody wants that) like too much heat etc.

I think you are probably right on the age, week 51 of 2002 year sounds logical, like the dot code on tyres. I'd probably just change the plugs for now and see if an eml code comes on in a few months. 

[Peter C]

3 minutes ago, AndyIggs said:

Hesitation could be due to one or more of the coils gone, quite a common issue and easily sorted, best doing all 4 too for piece of mind as they will all eventually go.

Is the EML on and have you done an OBD scan? Sometimes shows up as a miss-fire if its early signs.

No EML and I haven’t done an OBD scan. I don’t have a reader. As I’ve said, it’s not a misfire and the engine runs perfect 99.99999% of the time.

[AndyIggs]

Just now, Peter C said:

No EML and I haven’t done an OBD scan. I don’t have a reader. As I’ve said, it’s not a misfire and the engine runs perfect 99.99999% of the time.

I'd definitely recommend one  or look into VCDS (Vag-Com) which is really indepth diagnostics.

Probably best leaving the coils if its not that bad. Definitely look at getting the cam cover gasket done though.

[ChampionRabbit]

The VD500 (that's a race nobody wants to win!) Is a pretty decent and cheap obd2 reader that also does VAG codes/modules if vcds looks too much like hard work. That said, vcrs is super for stuff like (as I just did) turning off the stupid auto locking doors etc.

[omegod]

That's a lot of oil for a plug to be swimming in, same on Omegas and makes them misfire like f*ck 

[Peter C]

10 hours ago, omegod said:

That's a lot of oil for a plug to be swimming in, same on Omegas and makes them misfire like f*ck 

I know that water ingress causes misfires but would a spark plug react adversely if it came into contact with oil?

[Fraz]

Having owned far too many vehicles with this engine I would suggest that what you’re experiencing is the start of a coil pack dying. 

 

Personally, I’d drove it until the hesitation/misfire is constant then it’ll be easier to identify which coil pack is going/gone. 

 

The other option being replacing all 4 at considerable cost. 

[Minimad5]

Driving mine yesterday, and it seems to have developed a small 'hum' from the rear, how hard are wheel bearings on these?

[Peter C]

I've ordered four new coil packs. Rather than being disappointed by ECP when they end up suppling the wrong parts, I ordered the bits online via Autodoc in Germany. Their website contains OE reference numbers and I got the right bits for £30 less than ECP's discounted price. Once they arrive, fitting should take 10 minutes. 

[Peter C]

Found this on the internet:

https://wak-tt.com/guides/ttc.pdf

Might be of some use to a fellow TT owner.

 

[Peter C]

Got in the TT this morning, it fired up straightaway, I got comfortable, switched on the heated seat, switched on the radio, turned on the lights.... got as far as the end of my road and found I had virtually no clutch pedal. Pedal travel was limited and it felt very spongy. Bugger. 

I texted the guy I bought it from (trader) at 8:30am asking if his mechanic could take a look at it. He called me back straightaway and said that's fine if I can get the AA/RAC to tow the car to his workshop. I had a work appointment in Windsor at 9:30am so I pulled my trusty W124 out of the garage.

Post work appointment I arranged to meet with my wife at home so that she can follow me to the trader's garage and bring me back home. I drove the TT approx 20 miles, with no clutch pedal, fortunately not having to stop once. Admittedly, most of the journey was via the M40 but there were 5 locations on route where I may have had to come to a standstill. The TT is now with the trader and will be looked at this afternoon / tomorrow. My money is on the clutch slave cylinder. Place your bets.

[SiC]

I'm glad I'm not the only one that buys a car and have teething trouble not long into ownership! Every car that I've bought in the last 5 years, that I can think of, has needed something shortly after buying. This includes vehicles bought from friends and family.  Irritates my wife but I just put it down to the fact cars are complicated machines with many moving parts and I'm good at finding things that aren't 100%.

A common one for me is thermostats. A good proportion of cars I've bought have needed them replaced. I guess many people don't look too closely at the temp gauge and don't know what's normal or not. 

[Tadhg Tiogar]

3 minutes ago, SiC said:

I'm glad I'm not the only one that buys a car and have teething trouble not long into ownership!....

*hollow laughter*

[ChampionRabbit]

33 minutes ago, SiC said:

I'm glad I'm not the only one that buys a car and have teething trouble not long into ownership! Every car that I've bought in the last 5 years, that I can think of, has needed something shortly after buying. This includes vehicles bought from friends and family.  Irritates my wife but I just put it down to the fact cars are complicated machines with many moving parts and I'm good at finding things that aren't 100%.

A common one for me is thermostats. A good proportion of cars I've bought have needed them replaced. I guess many people don't look too closely at the temp gauge and don't know what's normal or not. 

My 'new' TT is getting a new thermostat in the next few days funnily enough.

I think you're right; people don't look at it unless they're neurotic about broken cars like me.

[Peter C]

Gents,

I've been spoilt for the past 3ish years, I know. I've made good use of a brand new Korean SUV that hasn't put a foot wrong in 27k miles and, weather permitting, I've been using the greatest saloon car ever made (Mercedes W124), which has never let me down and only cost me approx £3k in repairs and restoration work, which I consider to be a wise* investment.  

I would have been a fool if I thought that a £2k 131k mile 17 year old Audi was going to provide trouble free daily transport, however I hadn't bargained for a FTP in the first week of use. Luckily, I bought the TT from a trader who has been very helpful and all being well the TT will be back in regular use very soon. Trouble is, the TT is in a probationary period and it hasn't exactly covered itself in glory. When I get it back, I will be more worried than ever that it will play another trick on me, soon.

[Peter C]

34 minutes ago, ChampionRabbit said:

My 'new' TT is getting a new thermostat in the next few days funnily enough.

Are you doing it yourself? I've been advised that the thermostat can  be replaced without having to remove the alternator. 

[egg]

18 minutes ago, Peter C said:

Luckily, I bought the TT from a trader who has been very helpful

Liked for this bit. A helpful trader!

[ChampionRabbit]

1 hour ago, Peter C said:

Are you doing it yourself? I've been advised that the thermostat can  be replaced without having to remove the alternator. 

Not sure yet; depends on the weather over the weekend and whether or not the replacement dipstick tube turns up in time since I'm not going to attempt the job without a replacement in case it cracks. If it's very cold or rainy I'll get my favourite garage to do it on Monday or Tuesday.

I reckon I'll (if I do it) take the alternator off since I'd only worry about getting the gasket/ring seated properly if I can't really see what's going on! I'm a worrier.

There are some other stupid jobs that need doing like one of the headlight rear covers is hanging off, and presumably has lost the tags and somehow somebody has managed to snap the bracket on the vacuum canister that sits next to the coil packs so it just hangs there loose. The drop-down ashtray randomly drops down while in motion  due to missing the return spring and various other locating parts.

There are a couple of really good ebay TT breakers who seem very well stocked, and prices are low so daft jobs like the above are pretty viable money-wise...

Fingers crossed for a speedy clutch resolution!

[Peter C]

1 hour ago, ChampionRabbit said:

Not sure yet; depends on the weather over the weekend and whether or not the replacement dipstick tube turns up in time since I'm not going to attempt the job without a replacement in case it cracks. If it's very cold or rainy I'll get my favourite garage to do it on Monday or Tuesday.

I reckon I'll (if I do it) take the alternator off since I'd only worry about getting the gasket/ring seated properly if I can't really see what's going on! I'm a worrier.

There are some other stupid jobs that need doing like one of the headlight rear covers is hanging off, and presumably has lost the tags and somehow somebody has managed to snap the bracket on the vacuum canister that sits next to the coil packs so it just hangs there loose. The drop-down ashtray randomly drops down while in motion  due to missing the return spring and various other locating parts.

There are a couple of really good ebay TT breakers who seem very well stocked, and prices are low so daft jobs like the above are pretty viable money-wise...

Fingers crossed for a speedy clutch resolution!

Bearing in mind how inaccessible the auxiliary belt is and that it needs to be slackened or removed to enable removal of the alternator, I would recommend leaving the alternator in place and working around it. Better still, delegate the job.

[inconsistant]

3 hours ago, Peter C said:

Trouble is, the TT is in a probationary period and it hasn't exactly covered itself in glory.

Yeah but just look at it, it’s gorgeous!

[Andyrew]

Might be an easy fix, these like the golfs have that problem with the clutch pedal braket shearing. Its designed to collapse in an accident or something but fails after a while.

 On a friends golf i took the pedal off got a new clip and re welded the bracket back on.  

I was Fitting the pedal back on in a council estate car park outside his flat. Swearing and cursing and squeezed in the footwell i came out from underneath the dash to be greeted buy 2 large police officers and 3  squad cars surrounding me.  Its seems a neighbour thought i was nicking it.