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a1dmo1
29-09-2016, 01:09 AM
Hi all I have just received my audi a4 avant 1.4tfsi sport. I have had it a week and the fuel consumption seems terrible... I have even been driving it like a grandma for the past few days and still only get low 30 mpgs? is this right?

Also my windscreen wipers have stopped working and when I lock my car the indicators no longer flash.. have I got a duff one?

Guest 2
29-09-2016, 06:43 AM
First one is easy to explain - it's a new engine and will be super tight as things haven't heeded in yet. This will improve up to about 10-15k.

Second one get it back to the dealer, you have a warranty, use it.

Eshrules
29-09-2016, 07:13 AM
I'm with Chris on both points - a brand new car takes time to loosen up, there's many arguments for and against the breaking in of an engine but typically, I've seen the best economy from mine at around the 12k mark - usually 12 months of predominantly motorway driving (and thus easier to break in, imho).

You don't tell us what mix of urban:extra urban your mileage is, how long the journeys are or if you've completed any brim>brim calculations to calculate your true MPG - you've probably not been able to do the latter having only had it a week but it would be useful to know all of the above.

It's also worth bearing in mind that book figures for your car are:

40.4 urban
58.9 extra urban
51.4 combined

source - http://carfueldata.direct.gov.uk/search-new-or-used-cars.aspx?vid=391931

taking into account the typical 20% reduction from book>real world MPG and assuming it's been mainly urban driving when you've checked the DIS for the MPG readout, it doesn't look like you're far adrift of where you should be.

I'd expect to see IRO 45mpg when used mainly on the motorway (extra urban).

Sam
29-09-2016, 09:28 AM
Same engine in a less prestige (and smaller) vehicle is giving me ~40mpg (calculated, not indicated) over 12k miles and I drive like I stole it - which I did, but don't tell anyone.

Ignore book figures.

a1dmo1
30-09-2016, 06:42 AM
First of all Thank you all for the replies! it is still at audi and i havent heard anything back yet but they have given me an sq5 as a courtesy car which is bloody lovely! I have been playing around in it and testing out the power(330bhp) and according to the trip computers, annoyingly I am getting much better mpg in this beast than my a4! haha.
You know I have a funny feeling that it could be bonnet catch thing as just before It was collected I had a quick look and opened and shut the bonnet and it seemed to be fixed. when the AA scanned it, it came up with about 10 different faults.

Eshrules
30-09-2016, 06:56 AM
I'm not sure a faulty bonnet catch would cause poor MPG - it would appear your A4 is getting the MPG it ought to ;)

Sam
30-09-2016, 09:10 AM
First of all Thank you all for the replies! it is still at audi and i havent heard anything back yet but they have given me an sq5 as a courtesy car which is bloody lovely! I have been playing around in it and testing out the power(330bhp) and according to the trip computers, annoyingly I am getting much better mpg in this beast than my a4! haha.

Along with ignoring book figures, ignore the trip computer figures too.

Empty the tank, reset the odometer, fill the tank, note the amount of fuel, drive normally, note the mileage, calculate.

Alternatively sign up at Fuelly.com, making sure you change your mpg to UK.

spellsinger
30-09-2016, 11:40 AM
... Empty the tank, reset the odometer, fill the tank, note the amount of fuel, drive normally, note the mileage, calculate....

Do this a few times and you should get a) an accurate (average) reading, and b) work out the percentage difference and Audi should be able to tweak the computer so it is more accurate.
(this is assuming the computer isn't accurate in the first place, I can't comment on the current system but they used to be "optimistic" in their MPGs)

Sam
30-09-2016, 02:35 PM
(this is assuming the computer isn't accurate in the first place, I can't comment on the current system but they used to be "optimistic" in their MPGs)

It isn't and they still are, very ;)

spellsinger
30-09-2016, 10:27 PM
It isn't and they still are, very ;)

Blast! I knew I needed to check mine!

a1dmo1
03-10-2016, 11:25 PM
Hi just to update you, I have got it back, they recon it was the bonnet latch by the sounds of the issue. as no faults came up regarding wipers or locking.
Received it and they had "kindly washed" my car leaving it looking like it was washed using a bag of sand! soo many micro scratches and a few scuffs on it also! I am livid with them as it was only a week old and i have cleaned it properly and waxed it the morning that it was taken in so there was no need to wash it and cause such damage to the paint work!
they have agreed to have it taken to there body shop to have a machine polish but not until the end of the month as that is when they have a courtesy car free (say they need it for a week).
Im in the right mind to complain as that is ages away...what would you do?

manimal69
04-10-2016, 12:27 AM
Certainly make a complaint with the manager of the Audi branch. When I had an issue with my Audi being ordered incorrectly, I tweeted Audi UK and they direct messaged me back a couple of hours later to see if there was anything they could do to help.
Once they have polished it I would expect them to at least give you some High quality Audi cleaning products for free.....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Eshrules
04-10-2016, 07:06 AM
Hi just to update you, I have got it back, they recon it was the bonnet latch by the sounds of the issue. as no faults came up regarding wipers or locking.
Received it and they had "kindly washed" my car leaving it looking like it was washed using a bag of sand! soo many micro scratches and a few scuffs on it also! I am livid with them as it was only a week old and i have cleaned it properly and waxed it the morning that it was taken in so there was no need to wash it and cause such damage to the paint work!
they have agreed to have it taken to there body shop to have a machine polish but not until the end of the month as that is when they have a courtesy car free (say they need it for a week).
Im in the right mind to complain as that is ages away...what would you do?


Certainly make a complaint with the manager of the Audi branch. When I had an issue with my Audi being ordered incorrectly, I tweeted Audi UK and they direct messaged me back a couple of hours later to see if there was anything they could do to help.
Once they have polished it I would expect them to at least give you some High quality Audi cleaning products for free.....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The only issue I have with this is in regards to whether or not they were asked not to wash it.

To Joe Bloggs, those scratches mean nothing - they'll see a nice clean car, a kind gesture from the dealer and be on their merry way.

If you didn't ask them not to wash the car, you can't really drag them through the mud for doing so.

Most detailing/valeting enthusiasts know dealers can't wash cars to their standard and always make sure the dealer knows not to wash the car.

If the OP is such an enthusiast, having only had it a week I doubt he's had chance to have a proper go at the paint with a machine and correct it properly anyway - so if nothing else they've just made his job a little bit more difficult.

Personally, I wouldn't send the car back for them to polish it, I'd polish it myself.

satsu
04-10-2016, 03:23 PM
It isn't and they still are, very ;)

So far (5k miles) my computer Is averaging 5.8% over the actual, which is exactly the same as the B8 averaged over its 62k.

I've only seen a range of 4-9%, which is rather better than the B8's 0-16%, although some of that was probably down to the B8 being a right sod to fill up properly!

zollaf
04-10-2016, 03:39 PM
or employ the services of a local car detailer who will have the kit and knowledge to maching polish it back to a mirror finish and even apply a ceramic coating that will keep the paint looking its best for years. expensive but worth it if you want a shiny car.

a1dmo1
04-10-2016, 11:48 PM
The only issue I have with this is in regards to whether or not they were asked not to wash it.

To Joe Bloggs, those scratches mean nothing - they'll see a nice clean car, a kind gesture from the dealer and be on their merry way.

If you didn't ask them not to wash the car, you can't really drag them through the mud for doing so.

Most detailing/valeting enthusiasts know dealers can't wash cars to their standard and always make sure the dealer knows not to wash the car.

If the OP is such an enthusiast, having only had it a week I doubt he's had chance to have a proper go at the paint with a machine and correct it properly anyway - so if nothing else they've just made his job a little bit more difficult.

Personally, I wouldn't send the car back for them to polish it, I'd polish it myself.

I have never had a car from a dealer before so have never had to ask not to wash my car as Id presume they wouldn't, especially when I take it in freshly waxed.
If I ask them to look at the wiper then I presume that they are going to look at the wipers.
I shouldnt have to ask them "not to clean my car" in the same way I wouldnt leave a note asking them not to change my tyres for me. but if that is the done thing, then I shall remember that and do it for any future visits. Thank you.

Well my paintwork was spotless as it was brand new, no swirls or marks at all and I am happy with that, and to get it back scratched up is not on.
I had spent my morning waxing the car to protect it and was happy with how it looked, so why should I waste my time having to correct the paint when it was good when I handed it over.

On a plus note I seem to be getting better mpgs according to the trip computer, managed to get 40mpg on the same trip i usualy get arount 33mpg.
I have filled it up so will try and get a more accurate reading by calculating fuel used.

a1dmo1
04-10-2016, 11:52 PM
I have messaged Audi Uk explaining my situation and they rang saying that they are going to get a manager to call me. So will wait and see what they have to say
Any tips on what I could ask them/any form of compensation for my time wasted.

Eshrules
05-10-2016, 07:54 AM
I have never had a car from a dealer before so have never had to ask not to wash my car as Id presume they wouldn't, especially when I take it in freshly waxed.
If I ask them to look at the wiper then I presume that they are going to look at the wipers.
I shouldnt have to ask them "not to clean my car" in the same way I wouldnt leave a note asking them not to change my tyres for me. but if that is the done thing, then I shall remember that and do it for any future visits. Thank you.

Well my paintwork was spotless as it was brand new, no swirls or marks at all and I am happy with that, and to get it back scratched up is not on.
I had spent my morning waxing the car to protect it and was happy with how it looked, so why should I waste my time having to correct the paint when it was good when I handed it over.

Not to doubt what you're saying but I find it very difficult to believe that a brand new car, delivered via truck, into a main dealer who then completed a PDI and service wash, was sporting flawless paint. It just doesn't happen - certainly not at this pricepoint - IMHO.

When you received the car, had you requested it be delivered virgin? IE, transit wax and covers still present?

You give the impression that you're into car cleaning but I'm not sure just how far into that you go - detailingworld is a useful resource for all things car cleaning and you'll see from there what I'm driving (ha!) at here.

In regards to giving a customer a courtesy wash as a goodwill gesture, in a bid to try and restore faith in that dealership - you can't really compare that to changing parts you didn't authorise the changing of. It appears this dealership has appreciated your frustration with having a car for a week before a simple fault reared its head. They've fixed the fault and washed your car and hoped that would leave you happy. For most of the general public, it would.


On a plus note I seem to be getting better mpgs according to the trip computer, managed to get 40mpg on the same trip i usualy get arount 33mpg.
I have filled it up so will try and get a more accurate reading by calculating fuel used.

Brim>brim (as Sam explained) is the most accurate and only reliable way of measuring your MPG. I did ask a few questions above about your type of journey etc, those would be useful to know in addition to your brim>brim calculations.


I have messaged Audi Uk explaining my situation and they rang saying that they are going to get a manager to call me. So will wait and see what they have to say
Any tips on what I could ask them/any form of compensation for my time wasted.

Honestly? I wouldn't bother yet - if you seek compensation at this very early stage before you've encountered any serious issues, you're much less likely to get a positive resolve. Work on fixing the things you consider an issue, a few hours lost for some very simple faults are to be expected with a brand new car. Too often people assume a brand new car will be at its most reliable - it's often not.

a1dmo1
05-10-2016, 12:17 PM
I'm not making myself out to be some kind of car detailing expert. But It doesn't take one to clearly see that compared to the condition of the paint when I dropped it in it Is now far worse.

As far as "flaws" with the paintwork when I received it. I went over it with a fine tooth comb during bright sunlight and also with a light (shows up the lightest of scratches) and there were none. Only a few spots of wax residue which, when wiped came off.

I had also given the car a full wash myself and applied a coat of meguiars ultimate liquid wax for additional protection.
Again(being a brand new car so me being very fussy) checking that I had not caused any scratches during the process.

That was just a quick example to voice my annoyance and not knowing that they did other stuff to your car that did not need doing, unless stated otherwise.

Yes that's what I'm going to do re the mpg.
Only short journeys about 20 -30 minutes on a mixture of dual carriage ways (sat at 70mph) and 40mph b roads. I guess I'm trying to compare it to my old 1.9tdi passat which would get around 50mpg driving at a much, much hastier rate.

I'm not trying to complain to them about reliability. I'm annoyed that because of their poor quality of workmanship (washing) they have tarnished my otherwise lovely looking paintwork. Which in my head (being passionate about the condition of my vehicles) has taken away from its looks.

Eshrules
05-10-2016, 02:15 PM
I'm not making myself out to be some kind of car detailing expert. But It doesn't take one to clearly see that compared to the condition of the paint when I dropped it in it Is now far worse.

As far as "flaws" with the paintwork when I received it. I went over it with a fine tooth comb during bright sunlight and also with a light (shows up the lightest of scratches) and there were none. Only a few spots of wax residue which, when wiped came off.

I had also given the car a full wash myself and applied a coat of meguiars ultimate liquid wax for additional protection.
Again(being a brand new car so me being very fussy) checking that I had not caused any scratches during the process.

That was just a quick example to voice my annoyance and not knowing that they did other stuff to your car that did not need doing, unless stated otherwise.

I didn't say you were? I said you appeared to be into car cleaning - you don't need to be a detailing expert to be into cleaning cars.

My point was that a brand new car will have swirls and scratches in the paint - they're just not finished in the same way a detailer will with a polishing machine. It's a fact of life.

Sunlight and lamps only show up the most obvious of swirls & scratches, to see the true condition of paint you need a good quality garage setup or something like the sun gun(other lights are available).

Just out of interest, how did you wash the car? Was a wash mitt and grit guard used in the 2 buckets after the pre wash? You'd be surprised just how easily a scratch or two can be inflicted onto the paint.

I wonder if some pictures of the scratches inflicted by the dealer would be helpful here?


I'm not trying to complain to them about reliability. I'm annoyed that because of their poor quality of workmanship (washing) they have tarnished my otherwise lovely looking paintwork. Which in my head (being passionate about the condition of my vehicles) has taken away from its looks.

They've offered to fix the fault you claim they've now caused, whilst they were fixing another fault you sent the car back in for. I misunderstood your question regarding the compensation. Just to be clear, what is it you want compensating for? Assuming all faults are fixed at no cost to you of course.

a1dmo1
05-10-2016, 08:01 PM
Okay.
Well without the fancy equipment or garage setup I could see no scratches. and now they have had it and "cleaned it" I can.
So at the end of the day it looks worse than when it went in and that's all that matters.

I washed my car first with a pressure washer Lance,
Then snow foamed and left for about 10 minutes to soften the remaining dirt.
Then Lance again and 2 bucket method with a lambswool mitt.
Then pressure wash again and dry with a microfiber cloth.
There were no (visible to myself) swirls or scratches after this.

I don't think I could easily photograph the swirls and micro scratches but I could try when it is a sunny day.
I will see how they get on with the machine polish of my car to see if I can see any scratches and if it is still not in the same condition that I dropped it in then I would expect some kind of compensation for having to get the paint corrected myself.

Eshrules
06-10-2016, 07:04 AM
Okay.
Well without the fancy equipment or garage setup I could see no scratches. and now they have had it and "cleaned it" I can.
So at the end of the day it looks worse than when it went in and that's all that matters.

I washed my car first with a pressure washer Lance,
Then snow foamed and left for about 10 minutes to soften the remaining dirt.
Then Lance again and 2 bucket method with a lambswool mitt.
Then pressure wash again and dry with a microfiber cloth.
There were no (visible to myself) swirls or scratches after this.

I don't think I could easily photograph the swirls and micro scratches but I could try when it is a sunny day.
I will see how they get on with the machine polish of my car to see if I can see any scratches and if it is still not in the same condition that I dropped it in then I would expect some kind of compensation for having to get the paint corrected myself.

It would be far easier and more straightforward to ask they arrange for a detailer to correct the paint at their cost.

I would advise against using the term compensation when working with them to resolve this issue.

a1dmo1
06-10-2016, 09:28 AM
Thanks for the advice.
It is only because that is what they offered when I complained about it.
I have messaged audi uk and they said an audi manager would contact me (this was 2 days ago, still waiting)
So when they do I may mention to them about using an independent detailer and see what they say.
Thanks again for your input.

a1dmo1
07-10-2016, 08:33 PM
So I got a phone call from an Audi manager today and I mentioned about using in independent detailer to do the work and they recommended that I let the audi body shop do it as then it is covered by audi and if there is any problem with any work that is done then it will definitely be covered by audi.
So I agreed to this.
So will wait and see..
Is there anyone that can recomend a detailing light. (Sun gun or recommed a different one please) in case it is an overcast day which is pretty common in cornwall. and cant check the paint properly.
Regards

Eshrules
10-10-2016, 07:44 AM
So I got a phone call from an Audi manager today and I mentioned about using in independent detailer to do the work and they recommended that I let the audi body shop do it as then it is covered by audi and if there is any problem with any work that is done then it will definitely be covered by audi.
So I agreed to this.
So will wait and see..
Is there anyone that can recomend a detailing light. (Sun gun or recommed a different one please) in case it is an overcast day which is pretty common in cornwall. and cant check the paint properly.
Regards

What the manager has said to you is nothing to do with coverage or prevention of further fault, it's to do with cost.

To rectify themselves, in house will be far cheaper than paying a third party detailer who would get the result you're after first time.

The trouble you've now got is that a bodyshop won't finish the paint to the same level (in terms of correction) that a detailer would.

That in itself presents you with the issue of what would be deemed acceptable in the eyes of most folk. You can't now buy a sungun and inspect the car to a level it wasn't previously - if it passes a naked eye inspection, the dealer will have done all they're obligated to.

If the dealer returns the paint to the level it was previously, you'll have no grounds for complaint - you can't expect a better finish than you began with.

Pushing for a detailer would have saved both the dealer and you a lot of time and energy whilst getting the result you wanted at the same time.

End result of this (to me) will be that the dealer returns the paint to its previous condition, you'll not be happy with it regardless and you'll end up paying for a detailer to give it a once over anyway.

zollaf
10-10-2016, 09:10 AM
i see 2 choices. let audi do it and be happy with the result or pay a detailer to do it (out of your own pocket) and then you can moan as much as you like afterwards. then learn from it and make sure no one ever washes it again.

a1dmo1
12-10-2016, 10:52 AM
The lesson I have learnt is that you have to ask them not to clean it.
Thanks