[uncletone]

Well after spending sometime on here and having already posted, I suppose we'd better make the effort and introduce ourselves.

After looking to replace her ladyships current vehicle, we came across, or should I sat she came across a 64 plate 2008 Allure with a 1.6 Diesel Engine and some sort of Semi-Auto box, EGC in French.

After the test drive she expressed her delight and desire in emptying the company bank account to the tune of £13999 for a car with 2099 miles on and Jan 2015 registered. Seemed a bargain ......sort of!

So after much Forum discussion we have taken the plunge and she collects it next Friday.

Having driven Audi's(3x TT's & 1 Avant, for the last so many years, covering on average 30k per year, with only small niggles but no bits falling off, I was never a great contributor to the TT Forum, basically I didn't have much go wrong or to report.

Somehow I don't think that will be the case now, so look out for contributions and reports from the "Sunshine State of Cornwall"

Tone

 

[burty]

Welcome. That sounds like a good deal.Enjoy your 2008.

 

[uncletone]

Thanks Burty,

I look forward to sharing a few Wi-Fi Words with you.

Tone

 

[Frank Bullitt]

...I was never a great contributor to the TT Forum, basically I didn't have much go wrong or to report.

Somehow I don't think that will be the case now, so look out for contributions and reports from the "Sunshine State of Cornwall" 

Tone

I wouldn't be so sure - I've spent long enough around VAG forums to know there's plenty that goes wrong out there (even though, touch wood, my A2 hasn't been one) but the 'reliability' of French cars is much over-played and so long as they are looked after there shouldn't be too many issues. Most issues I read about are down to poor maintenance and/ or things not being dealt with when they first crop up.

 

[uncletone]

I think you might be right there Frank.

I'm a stickler for adhering to service schedules and someone, she will remain nameless, thinks I tend to go over the top, hence why even tho the Audi TT is on an extended service schedules I like to do one in between and be a little pro-active.

Its that philosophy that has probably kept my cars away, to some degree, from the dealers unintentionally.

 

[Frank Bullitt]

My A2 was on VSI which being older was just when the car called it I n - my first service was at 20 months and 21k, the second service another 22 months and 23k; I then went straight to France and when we came back the car was indicating another 31k until the next service! I spoke to a local specialist who told me that VSI on TDI's wasn't an issue but crankshafts could wear at 120-150k so since then I've been doing a VSI service every 12 months and as my mileage dropped to 8kpa I now just have it on fixed servicing.

The issues caused by the PSA 1.6HDi being stretched are well documented on the internet, typically as some early cars had intervals of 2 years/20k; the sump design and 3.5L size means regular servicing is essential and even reducing to 12.5k and 2 years for a number of years mean many low mileage cars suffered; when we bought our Picasso I specifically wanted a car that had been serviced every 12.5k within a year of each other rather than low milers that had gone up to 2 years; keeping the servicing every 10-11k and 10-12 months helped keep that car reliable. I'd suggest 2008 owners service their cars regularly, as the old saying goes - oil is cheap, turbo's aren't...

 

[uncletone]

Hi Frank,

I totally agree, you cannot beat regular oil changes. Especially with Diesels and ones with small sumps.

There isn't enough oil to carry the rubbish from the combustion process around, so the oil becomescontaminated very quickly, which can be
disastrousfor turbos as you say, and the engine in general suffers.

Even if you only change the oil and filter every 10k miles or once a year, it will pay dividends in the long run.

The only advantage of a
small
sump is that the engine gets to operating temp. quicker helping with fuel efficiency and
emissions, and of course the fleet managers budget for servicing.




Even with petrol engines there is something to be said for regular oil and filter changes. One of my first Audi TT's was a 3.2 V6 Quattro with the infamous DSG Box. it was a couple of years old with only 15k miles on. Had a Audi service history but only 1 service had been carried out. Which was by the book. I then had it fully serviced with a complete "Fluid change " and I mean complete. The Haldex drive and Gearbox weren't recommended until 40k, but still I had them done. Although engine oils were scheduled every 18k again I stuck to the 9k mark. The reason for this over exuberance of servicing. the engine was prone to camshaft chain stretch, meaning a major o/haul and the gearbox would explode at 65k.

That car went on to do 140k miles without so much as a hiccup. Cost a fortune in servicing at the dealers tho'.



Like you say the internet forums are littered with tales of engines and gearboxes in their prime giving up. Regular oil & filter changes aren't that expensive, but a lot of the other bits are if it blows.

If I was faced with a choice of two identical cars, one had 40k miles on the clock, with indifferent servicing and the other 100k miles but serviced religiously with lots of TLC, for me it would be a no brainer, give me the 100k car any day.