First service after buying

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Tesh

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Hi everyone,

It's my first post on here and need a little advice, please.

So I bought my first Audi. It's a 2010 A3 2.0 TDI 170 bhp S Line, with 79,700 miles. Nice to drive and looks great too (Still pinching myself after buying it!!) It came with an RAC check, which came back all is good. I also asked the garage where I bought the car from about the cam belt, to which I was told it would be ok until at least 100k miles!

I took it to my local Audi garage for a free 'Health Check' and it came back with the following advisories:

Cambelt and water pump due - £825.24
Front brake disks and pads (Lipped and 75% worn) - £269.00
Rear brake disks and pads (Lipped and 70% worn)- £269
Air con service - £130
Brake fluid due - £59
Front wiper blades - £37

Having paid a lot for it I feel a bit hard done by now after being advised that so much further needs to be spent on it :(

Can anyone please advise if they know of a reputable independant Audi specialist, in and around Reading - Berkshire, who can maybe carry out the work cheaper than Audi themselves?

Also do I have a 'leg to stand on' if I was to go back to the garage where I bought the car from, and demand some of the costs to cover the work that's needed, as I feel I was given wrong information?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you
 
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Welcome along.

Firstly, it really should be up to you to check these things before you buy including when the cambelt should be changed. It's every 5 years or 75K (not 100k). That price from Audi is way over the top. Audi dealer near me quoted me about £450 for the cambelt so the water pump won't be much more.

Discs and pads, again, should have checked these as it's easy to see when looking at a car, espeically if you have a lip. Can get these done cheaper elsewhere too.

Remember, nothing is actually broken, they are all wear items so you don't really have a leg to stand on with the garage you got it from but you can certainly get these done much more cheaply than those prices, even from another Audi dealer, if not a local speicalist.
 
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I don't mean to sound mean by the way. It's the harsh reality of life with used cars unfortunately.
 
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Oh it's ok, no offence taken.

It is a harsh reality :( To be perfectly honest I don't know much about cars at all and I put my trust in the car garage (big mistake I know!)
I was told that if I take out a warranty package with the car then I'd be able to get the cam belt changed under that warranty. But when I rang the warranty company after buying it they said I can only claim under the warranty if there was a mechanical failure, not wear and tear. Feel like a fool now, as again I trusted what the car garage said and I should have checked myself.
 
Does the car still have any Manufacturers Warranty left? How much service history does it have & what's been stamped as done? The front pages of your Service Book will give an indication of Cambelt Service intervals for your specific engine! The rest is just wear & tear.

Although the rac inspection may have missed something, I doubt the car is as bad as Audi are making out & most likely won't need so much done to it immediately anyway.

Brake fluid should be changed every 2 years iirc - but that's a fairly cheap quote anyway.
Brake disk lipping is normal to a degree, it really depends on the level of wear before it becomes a safety issue ...so that would just be a recommendation.
Pads at 70% could do with renewing, but it's not an emergency & you'll see a few thousand miles from them before they start grinding the disks - even so, you can get them done at most places for less.
Wipers are two a penny from Halfords, AllParts, etc.
Air Con Service - Halfords can do it cheaper.
Cambelt & Water Pump I'm not sure about because I don't have a Diesel - but the Petrol engined 2.0T is recommended at 100+k.

Audi Prices are always going to be exorbitant & the only thing on your list I might recommend going direct to them for is the Cambelt\Water Pump change if needed. But as long as you don't have an Audi warranty to worry about, go elsewhere for the rest.

You don't say where you're located, so Google "Independent Audi Specialist" and give the nearest to you a ring. I'm close to NW London and used Audi VW Specialist Centre to do my DSG fluid & filter for half the cost Audi wanted ...but I didn't get a courtesy car. ;)
 
Hi Artimus,

I don't believe the car has a Manufacturer's warranty left as it was registered in March 2010.

So far it has had 4 services at roughly every 18k miles (last one was November 2012 & since then has done 5,500 miles).

In the front of the service book it says 'Replacing toothed belt' for 2.0 TDi models @ 133,000 miles. I've had a look at the individual services and there's a 'cross' marked in the toothed belt box, in the 'Additional work: yes/no' section. Which, indicates that it was changed. This was at 37,536 miles.

I'm a bit confused now! (wish it was simpler)
 
They usually mark when something hasn't been done, so is the X in the yes or no column? I would think it's in the no column, or they wouldn't be recommending it be changed again so soon - unless they fear for the water pump - in which case it would be worth changing the belt whilst they're in there.
 
i could have all of the above done with genuine parts etc
for well under a grand
 
It hasn't been marked yes or no, so I'm not sure. I've attached a picture of the service stamp. Is this clearer?
Service stamp
 
and you can always call up the dealer from the stamp and ask whats been done for eaxh service
 
Bez101,

How much would you charge for the above? Or maybe just the cam belt?

I'm looking at travelling to West Yorkshire weekend after next. Where about are you based?

Cheers
 
Tesh said:
Bez101,

How much would you charge for the above? Or maybe just the cam belt?

I'm looking at travelling to West Yorkshire weekend after next. Where about are you based?

Cheers
Click to expand...

pm me your reg and what you want doing
ill get the price for you the lad has looked after every audi + other cars iv had for the last 20 ish years
and he will give you an honest answer to if the discs and pads need doing
but he is in sheffield
 
VRT are a local specialist to you.
i believe they can do both the cambelt and waterpump for less than £300!. great service and very knowledgeable.

these guys in slough VRT - Home




 
Sorry to hear about it as Tesh. As they say innocent until proven guilty, I now (after my last car purchase) treat everyone as a ******* until proven otherwise :p. The only mistake I made this time around was not joining this forum prior to the purchase and perhaps pay a little less on my A3, but I am happy that the car is really good, mechanically and otherwise.

Harrow is not as far away as Yorkshire and I would advise chekcing out RAC London or these guys. I've been to latter a few times and have seen 2 Audi R8's there for work. They have never pushed me into getting something done and have always given me good advice so I would highly recommend them. I would say get PAGID's breaks and discs from Eurocarparts, take them to the latter and get it sorted.

All the best
 
37 said:
Sorry to hear about it as Tesh. As they say innocent until proven guilty, I now (after my last car purchase) treat everyone as a ******* until proven otherwise :p. The only mistake I made this time around was not joining this forum prior to the purchase and perhaps pay a little less on my A3, but I am happy that the car is really good, mechanically and otherwise.

Harrow is not as far away as Yorkshire and I would advise chekcing out RAC London or these guys. I've been to latter a few times and have seen 2 Audi R8's there for work. They have never pushed me into getting something done and have always given me good advice so I would highly recommend them. I would say get PAGID's breaks and discs from Eurocarparts, take them to the latter and get it sorted.

All the best
Click to expand...

To be honest I would get your tools out change the discs,pads and fluid and if confident enough do the belt,pump and tensioners yourself and forget the ac service as long as the suction pipe is sweating it's fully charged and if not kwick fit is well cheap £50 I think fixed or no cost if not.

go with eurocar parts for your brakes and tps or audi for engine parts.

but don't go with that quote it's a rip
 
I purchased and Audi A3 2006 last year which had just had the cambelt done by Whetstone Audi for around the £450 mark.

Give Dean at 4Rings a call, they run a mobile business and I had him come around yesterday to do my interim service. He flagged up a few things that I need done on the car which I will be getting sorted in the next couple of months.

He does service and repair a number of the forum members car and has a brilliant reputation:

4 Rings Ltd

I am not 100% if he covers your area, but give him a call!
 
Thanks for the info 37.

What is PAGID's breaks and disks? Is it a brand?

So in your opinion do you think it'll be cheaper to buy the parts and ask the garage to fix them? I didn't think that was 'allowed'?

Tesh
 
Hi Chillout,

I don't have any tools what so ever and to be honest I can't do anything to do with cars! Apart from cleaning it and making it look good! The joys of owning a car..........
 
Hi Nanz,

Thank you for that. I shall call and ask.

Cheers
 
Tesh said:
Thanks for the info 37.

What is PAGID's breaks and disks? Is it a brand?

So in your opinion do you think it'll be cheaper to buy the parts and ask the garage to fix them? I didn't think that was 'allowed'?

Tesh
Click to expand...

yes its a brand that you can get from eurocar parts. Haven't personally tried them, but there was an earlier thread about them and they came up as good quality pads.
 
Hi again. Glad to see you shopping around, will be much cheaper for you. Perhaps I shouldn't say this right now but I couldn't help noticing that you are also 10K away from Audi recommending that you change your DPF. Not sure what the cost is on that but it's not cheap. Just a warning, that's all.

Others will probably suggest removing the DPF instead and having a remap but this is not something I know too much about :)
 
Hi A3Kent,

Oh no really. Great! Just what I need. Oh well I suppose it's just one of those things and good thing I still have 10k miles before it needs changing ;)

Removing it and having a remap :think: What is that? lol I should really get a dummies guide to A3's!
 
This is what the DPF is and does. DPF Technology < Owners area

Some people choose to gut the DPF out and do without it and then remap the car to suite. You get better economy and performance as a result.
 
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