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green A8
15-03-2015, 10:08 PM
Well that really wasn't part of the plan! I got a phone call this evening from a family member asking if I could service and 'go through' her 'new' car. Non other than a 1999 B5 2.8 Quattro SALOON! 93,000 miles one owner (a retired Vicar) and some service history. Bought in a hurry to replace a slightly knackered BMW 540 that spat out a con rod through the block when it got a bit over excited. And there was me thinking that the family era of running A4 B5 saloons was rapidly drawing to a close, with the final B5 saloon remaining in use due to retire at sometime around the Easter period.

The Audi was bought out of a local paper due to it's 11 months MOT and the fact that it was very local. Apparently it's only going to be used whilst a new BMW is sourced. I get to play with our 'newest' B5 in the morning. I'm told that I will be impressed by it's overall condition.

The spec includes something I've not come across before, leather interior, but with electricly adjustable front seats. I've never known these fitted to a B5 before. Anyone else on here got a B5 with electric front seats fitted? I did once toy with the idea of fitting A3 leccy seats into a B5, but nothing ever came of that, as the car in question was traded in for an A4 B8.

zollaf
15-03-2015, 10:09 PM
something tells me this will replace the bmw. enjoy .....:)

green A8
15-03-2015, 10:18 PM
You could very well be right Zoll. This much I do know without question, the 2.8Q A4 will out climb even the best BMW 540 up the hill to my place in the snow. The poor old Beemer will just sit there with it's wheels spinning happily. Or perhaps scare the driver to death with it's fish tailing antics. Where as the Quattro will just climb the hill, no fuss, no bother and no drama. Snow, what snow?

HAWKS
15-03-2015, 10:26 PM
I fitted leather recaro interior thats electric. My old cloth seats had elec lumbars. The elec recaro seats just plugged in.
Enjoy the Quattro..

Doctle Odd
15-03-2015, 10:50 PM
Sounds like a keeper to me Mr Green

green A8
18-03-2015, 12:21 PM
What a nice little car, very well looked after and with reams of invoices for work carried out over the years. I renewed the oil and all filters none of which really needed doing as all were in pretty good order even the often neglected pollen and fuel filters looked fairly recent, but I replaced 'em anyway. So It's now charging around with Castrol's finest synthetic oil in it's engine, and a nice set of new filters too.

The only 'niggle' is that the front N/S disc is very slightly warped as detected by the TDI test. I'm off down to Audi later on to pick up a new set of discs, pads and flexy hoses. The car's owner decided to renew the lot rather than faff around. It would seem that she's so impressed with the Audi and the way the Quattro drives, that it's going to be kept for much longer than first thought. (It's much better and faster than a BMW 540 through the corners apparently. I said nothing ):D The search for a newer BMW 5 series has been abandoned.

I'm impressed as this relative has only just joined the family due to marriage (poor girl!) It's the first time I've met her since the wedding. She actually KNOWS how to open the bonnet of her own car AND how to check all of the engine bay fluids. Not only that, but she also knows how to check and if required adjust the tyre pressures, she even checked the spare tyre! And, she want's to assist in the fitting of the new parts to her car. That makes her unique among the younger females within the family. I like this young lady, it'll be a pleasure to help her maintain her Audi.

zollaf
18-03-2015, 01:39 PM
awesome. so er, pics. ?

green A8
18-03-2015, 03:30 PM
Well Zoll I've only got a box brownie:D Actually good point I'm hijacking my own thread here.

What is the best digital camera to get nowadays? Without neding to apply to the BOE for a loan! I'm still stuck firmly in the SLR days (wet film) I suppose I'd prefer a DSLR rather than a point and snap device. Years ago I spent many £££'s on lens's and filters and the like. All of wich are now pretty worthless. We did have a small point & shoot Fuji camera up to last year. I hardly ever used it. The wife managed to run it over!! Long story short she placed it on the tailgate of the A7 and reversed the car into the garage, the camera fell off inflicting a lovely scratch as it fell, and got squashed. I was miffed that the rear PDC sensors didn't detect the falling object at all. Blooming high tech usless items that they are. I think we're on our third or fourth set on the A7 as they're always going wrong. Thank goodness for the warranty!

Mind you I always say if you can't reverse, you shouldn't be driving at all! The A4 B5 will be returning for work, so I'll try to get some pics posted of it. At the moment it's a swirlfest but once i've put the rotary and some Menzerna compounds over it, I'm confident that it'll look a lot better. It's got an average depth of paint of 165 microns overall. No signs of any repainting. It's in a nice shade of burgundy pearl effect metallic. I've not seen an A4 in this shade before, seen a few similar A6's though

zollaf
18-03-2015, 03:34 PM
we have a nikon d40 digital slr. a lovely piece of kit we bought 8 years ago. but, we also have a sony experia mobile phone which is basically far better. it can zoom etc.. and do mst of the stuff an slr can do, but can magically upload to the inthernet whilst out on a walk. its a minefield, it really is. best thing with the sony are the panoramic shots it can do.

zollaf
18-03-2015, 03:40 PM
27418 the 'witches cauldron' at moylegove and pendine sands, famous for top gear test driving some cars on it.
27419

green A8
18-03-2015, 03:46 PM
Just a nagging little thought.

I mentioned that the N/S brake disc is slightly warped. Do you chaps think this could be due to water ingress to the servo? I seem to remember 'Crasher' stating that the N/S front brake was usually the first one to bind when this well known problem occoured. This might explain why the disc on that corner of the car is warped.

I have checked the plenum drains and everything is dry and spotlessly clean. I'd say this is a car that has been garaged all it's life. It just occoured to me that we could have the beginnings of a problem within the braking system. I take it that pulling off the master cylinder will show up any corrosion present within the servo?

green A8
18-03-2015, 03:53 PM
27418 the 'witches cauldron' at moylegove and pendine sands, famous for top gear test driving some cars on it.
27419

Blimey! Those were taken with a phone camera? That's impressive, says he as he tries to locate his acutely embarresed Nokia N75 phone! I'm no technophobe as you can tell. Well those pics are certainly eye openers. Thank you for posting them Zoll :beerchug:

zollaf
18-03-2015, 04:59 PM
yep, thats just an example of a panpramic and the pendine one is another feature. it is an amazing piece of kit, 20.7 mega pixels as well. our nikon is only 12. technology has come so fa in the last few years.

Doctle Odd
18-03-2015, 06:53 PM
It's usually the bottom of the servo that rusts from being immersed.

green A8
19-03-2015, 12:05 PM
Thanks for those replies Gents :beerchug:

I'll have a mooch around with the USB camera looking for any signs of corrosion on the brake servo, when the car returns for it's other brake work. If it needs a new servo then so be it. I suppose it would be wise to pop a new master cylinder on whilst we were at it to prevent any further problems. I have got a new MC in stock for a 2.8 B5, so no problem there. Come to think of it I'm pretty sure I've got a new servo for a 2.5 TDi B5 lurking unffitted in the garage. I take it that it's the same part as fitted to the 2.8? Knowing my luck it won't be but you never know luck just might be on my side (for once)