csh1234

Hi all, I need to remove my front passenger seat ('98 Sport), are there any airbag related issues? I had a look in the workshop manual, there was lots about earthing airbag ignitors etc...just wondering if anyone has done a seat removal without all the special tools etc..? Cheers Chris

Thanks for the views. Any idea of what real world mpg I would be looking at, assuming 50 mile each way daily motorway runs...

Hi all, Looking at buying an A6 TDI to go with our S8 :-) Need to do some miles for work, and can't bear the cost of the petrol! I am trying to decide between the 1.9 and 2.5 TDIs - I am tempted by the 2.5 as I think I would prefer the extra torque. Is the 2.5 generally a good engine, any specific problems to look for? I will probably try to find a 6 speed manual to give better mpg at motorway speeds... Cheers Chris

I would not normally even consider messing with safety related stuff, but in this case I can't see what would be the potential downside, other than deploying the passenger airbag when it would not have actually been required? The alternative does seem to be to spend £££ I will give the bypass a go, if I can figure out which of the two wires go to the sensor...

Did anybody work out how to do this? I guess it must be two of the wires on the small green connector under the seat? I would have thought a straight bypass of the sensor would work. What is the likely risk of this, I would have thought the worst case scenario would be the passenger bag going off without anyone in the passenger seat, and the seatbelt pretensioner firing? Does not sound like a major disaster, and got to be a cheaper option than replacing the sensor...

Many thanks all, got the sensor out, cleaned it and no more ABS problems! (so far...) Cheers!

Hi all, I have a problem with the ABS system on my PF 4.2QS, basically the ABS is cutting in on front right wheel during low speed stops, with ABS light then staying on until engine switch-off. VAG.COM is saying that there is a problem with front right sensor, and doing some reading it sounds like a dirty/dodgy sensor is confusing the ABS system during low speed self tests, hence ABS activating when it should not. So......question is how do I get the sensor out of the hub to clean/replace it? Any tips and dos/don't would be much appreciated!

Yes thats the really sad bit, sounds a bit niave, but I though us 8 owners were a bit better than that (I do still believe that 99.999% are!). The bit I don't get is the windscreen trim, assuming they got it out in one piece, why would anyone need a 'new' (replacement) trim? I am hoping I might be able to get one from one of the breakers.....I guess the windscreen will still be waterproof without as the bonding is still intact...

Hi all, Not posted for a while, still enjoying the S8, but quite unbelievably two nights ago some ***** nicked the two grills below the front bumper (next to the spot lights) and the windscreen surround! I found one of the plastic surrounds for the spotlights broken on the ground, obviously they pulled it out getting the other bits off, but the rest has gone. I am gutted, the cost for replacements from Audi is horrible, and none of the breakers seem to have any. I hope this is a one off, not a sign of things to come....do I replace the bits or sell the car and buy a Mondeo... On the off chance anyone has any of these bits lying around please drop me a pm. Car is a year 2000 S8. Thanks Chris

Cheers guys for all the suggestions. I think the only real option is to get Audi to check it - otherwise I will always just be worried...

I think you are right - only problem is that to checkit I guess they would have to remove the covers, check the belt tension, check the torques (especially on the tensioner pulley), then reassemble. I would expect the cost to be not far off that of actually doing the timing belt replacement. Maybe I am being old fashioned, but I am seriouly fed up of paying people to not do their job properly. I have very little confidence in the legal system of actually getting any sort of recompense for this shambles. Maybe I should just bite the bullet and get Audi to redo the whole job.

Totally agree with you, I do actually like working on cars, but not fixing other peoples mistakes (especially when I have paid for them!) - problem is I have no trust left in them to actually fix the problem(s), and it is an hours round trip to take the car over there. I would rather spend an hour making sure it was done properly (myself) than spend it driving to and from. I am thinking about how to get compensation for wasted time - and more, if I find out they have used pattern parts..

Right. Got the car back, it was a dodgy tensioner, but I cannot guarantee it was an Audi part (although the garage says it was - I did not actually see the packaging). Cambelt is now tensioned properly, and seems fine. But....having looked at the car in daylight this morning the lower timing cover was not replaced properly and was rubbing on the water pump pulley!! I am having some problems working out how it is supposed to fit as when I put it in what would appear to be the correct position (based on clip locations and aligning with the alloy sides of the timing case) it rubs on the crankshaft pulley...I am seriously loosing the will to live on this! So, does anyone have any photos of the front of a 40v engine, preferably with and without the timing covers fitted? The only ones I can find are for the 32v engine, which is actually quite different. My guess is that a pattern water pump has been fitted (despite being told it is genuine Audi) and it is missing a small alloy lug used to hold the lower timing cover above the crankshaft pulley. Any help, advice and pictures would be most appreciated!

You are all quite correct, and yes I am worried, which is why I very nearly got it AA'd to Audi. I don't know what to think - I guess I will check it again in the morning before taking it home. The actual timing belt system is very simple. If the tensioner is OK the only other things I can think of are; the wrong belt has been fitted (too long), or the tensioner torque settings are wrong (not allowing the tensioner to move freely). I think I will do it myself next time...and have a beer this evening!

Hi all, I deccided to get the cambelt done on my newly aquired S8 as a precaution, even though it has les than 70k miles, but is 9 years old. Took it to local Audi specialist yesterday, had belt, tensioners, pulleys and waterpump done. Drove home last night - noticed slightly odd noise - not loud, just not what I remembered hearing before - bit like a new tight fan belt. I assumed it was just because a new ribbed belt had been fitted, and it was possibly a bit stiff. However....started the car this morning, there was a short noise like a slipping fan belt. Sixth sense kicked in and I deccided to remove the engine covers and top timing belt cover - just to check.... The new timing belt was tensioned on the ouside of the cam pulleys but had virtually NO tension through the 'V' and was only just touching the waterpump pulley - I am amazed the car did not overheat as there would have been very little friction to drive the pump. The belt was so loose it had rubbed on both the outer plastic casing and the metal backplate. I 'spoke' with the garage this morning and had the car AA relayed back to them this afternoon. To be honest I had all but deccided to sent it to the local Audi stealers as I had lost so much confidence in the garage, but they convinced me to at least let them have a look and try to find out what had gone wrong. I stayed with them to dismantle the front of the engine, it appears the new timing belt tensioner has failed. Basically it does not stay tensioned, under load it simply retracts. This is (apparently) a genuine Audi part. I have left the car with them overnight to await a replacement part in the morning. Not a good day, I have spent basically the whole day phoning round trying to sort this out. Generally I do all my own car work, on this occasion I decided to let someone else do the job, which I have also spent the day regreting! However * if * it does turn out to be a faulty part I thought you guys should at least be aware - especially anyone thinking of doing the job themselves.. Could have been worse - at least the engine does not appear to have been damaged, all in all I have been lucky!