Pothole !

[sixlargebeers]

Happy New Year to all of you !

My S3 went through a horrendous (judging from the noise anyway - it was dark and I couldn't stop to have a look) pothole yesterday evening. There is no damage visible to my untrained eye but it was quite a thump (front offside wheel took the brunt of it). Tyre and wheel both appear to be OK but clearly that doesn't mean there is no damage.

I get on well with our local Kwik Fit manager (having been a customer for years with various cars in the family) - I'd happily take it to him to assess the damage unless any of you felt that with a "specialist" and fairly new car (65 plate with under 2K miles) I would be better off booking into Audi dealer for a once over. Obviously it's not going to be a warranty claim, although I will be visiting the location to see if I can get a decent photo as I might try to claim back any costs from the Council if there's any significant damage.

Any thoughts ?

 

[MA3RC]

Get the tyre checked out first, if there is no damage then the cars suspension should be okay as well.

You would've definitely knocked the tracking out I'd have said. So worth getting that done as you'll end up with uneven wear to the tyre tread.
You'd be able to notice any flat spots in your alloy whilst driving along, you'd feel judders through the steering wheel.

 

[Stevier88]

I hit a pretty nasty one a few weeks back, no visible damage but the steering was pulling slightly to the left. I took it in to a McConechys 5 mins from where i live as its convenient, despite being slightly nervous leaving it with them i dropped it in, wheel alignment and camber was out quite a bit. Service was great from the guys and dropped it with them again a week later to fit new tyres.

Definitely worth getting it checked out as above if the alignment is out you'll end up with uneven tyre wear.

 

[steeve]

Agree with Ma3rc get the tracking checked, it doesn't take much to change the settings. Also check tyre with wheel in the air and look at both sides of the tyre and wheel.

Many years ago I was forced up a low kerb by a lunatic driver to avoid a collision. Was only when I had a tyre changed some time after I found the inner rim flattened.

 

[sixlargebeers]

Thanks for the replies guys. Yep I guess tracking is the most likely "non-visible" damage. I'll get the car into Kwik Fit ASAP.

 

[RichardT]

I had a similar experience when my car was a few weeks old. Hell of a bang and down went the tyre.
I took it to our local tyre dealer and they checked everything out. Cut on the inside of the tyre, so had to have a new one. But wheel and tracking fine thankfully.
Reported to the council but no response.

 

[MA3RC]

A few years back I hit a pothole and it buckled my alloy and the tyre sidewall had a tennis ball sized lump in it. A new tyre was a must but they managed to repair the alloy which saved me a few quid. You may also want to make sure your back tyre didn't go down the pot hole as well. To be on the safe side

 

[sixlargebeers]

Car booked into Kwik Fit first thing on Friday. I'll report back what they find......!

 

[Don76]

Car booked into Kwik Fit first thing on Friday. I'll report back what they find......!

I'm guessing 4 new shocks, 4 springs, 4 tyres, alignment, discs and pads, AC recharge etc etc.

I'd take it elsewhere.

 

[Shawn8V]

I'm guessing 4 new shocks, 4 springs, 4 tyres, alignment, discs and pads, AC recharge etc etc.

I'd take it elsewhere.

Make sure your tyres are filled with Nitrogen if your going to Kwik Fit

 

[sixlargebeers]

Just read these posts from Don and Sawn having been at KF first thing this morning.
Don - you are a terrible cynic ! The wheel and tyre were fine but needed re-alignment on three of the wheels - total just under £100. Pleased with the service and thought the alignment guy knew his stuff - although I suppose he could have been blinding me with science
The manager did say he reckoned the alloygators had saved me from some rim damage as the gator had been caught by the edge of the pothole.

All in all, I am pretty happy. Had the wheel/tyre been knackered I'd have been pursuing it with local Council (Glasgow). I will re-visit the site and see if it has been filled and if not will report it. Someone else will not be so (relatively) lucky.

Shawn - I noticed the adverts in their blurb for nitrogen tyre inflation. Claims to increase tyre life, improve handling, reduce fuel consumption, maintains pressure longer than normal air and disperses heat more effectively leading to less rolling resistance. No idea what they charge - will ask when I take my son's VW in for exhaust work next week.....

 

[Simon L]

Just read these posts from Don and Sawn having been at KF first thing this morning.
Don - you are a terrible cynic ! The wheel and tyre were fine but needed re-alignment on three of the wheels - total just under £100. Pleased with the service and thought the alignment guy knew his stuff - although I suppose he could have been blinding me with science
The manager did say he reckoned the alloygators had saved me from some rim damage as the gator had been caught by the edge of the pothole.

All in all, I am pretty happy. Had the wheel/tyre been knackered I'd have been pursuing it with local Council (Glasgow). I will re-visit the site and see if it has been filled and if not will report it. Someone else will not be so (relatively) lucky.

Shawn - I noticed the adverts in their blurb for nitrogen tyre inflation. Claims to increase tyre life, improve handling, reduce fuel consumption, maintains pressure longer than normal air and disperses heat more effectively leading to less rolling resistance. No idea what they charge - will ask when I take my son's VW in for exhaust work next week.....

That's a pretty decent outcome mate

......as you say, one in the eye for the 'cup half empty brigade'.......!!

 

[veeeight]

I'd only ever go to Kiwk Fit if it was one of the branches that had the Hunter Hawkeye 4 wheel alignment system installed.

And someone who knew how to operate it.
They have to know the car, what options it had, type of suspension, and whether it has ACC or not (makes a difference to the alignment options).


http://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/get-one-thing-sorted-then-something-else.222785/#post-2220339
https://www.kwik-fit.com/other-products/wheel-alignment

 

[sixlargebeers]

Thanks for that Veeeight - yes it was the Hunter 4 wheel system - I could see the colour display on a tv screen in the waiting room as he worked on it. I did see ACC option come up on the screen as he worked through the data and admittedly I wasn't asked if my car has it (it doesn't). It doesn't have mag ride either. Given your comments I might drop by over the weekend and just check that he entered the correct parameters......

 

[sixlargebeers]

Veeeight - yes it was the Hunter 4 wheel system - I could see the colour display on a tv screen in the waiting room as he worked on it. I did see ACC option come up on the screen as he worked through the data and admittedly I wasn't asked if my car has it (it doesn't). It doesn't have mag ride either.

 

[sixlargebeers]

I might drop by again over the weekend and just ask what parameters were entered into the Hunter before he started....

 

[sixlargebeers]

Oops - thought my first post hadn't shown up so posted earlier version then another - same idea !