Steve-O

Started it in 1st and it lurched forwards and gave it a touch of gas and she just rolled off as normal. Car wont stall if you have the brakes off as there is nothing to stop the engine from turning over

took me a few seconds to work it out - engine off - allows you to move it into gear Once into gear started the car and it bumped itself into motion. didnt like doing it as i am sympathetic to my cars but in this situation it had to be done.

I was considering shifting using engine speed but since the gearbox/diff is rather expensive on the S3 i thought i would give it a miss.

Theres a first for everything....in this case my first breakdown! Problem : Clutch pedal snapped! Upon inspection it wasn't actually the pedal but the metal/plastic behind it that pushes in the master cylinder. I was briefly stranded on the fast lane of the Hemel M1 exit slip (coming from london). I had the misses and my 3 year old daughter in the car and i could see people speeding round the bend towards me and the cars pitching forwards under braking when they realised i wasnt moving. I thought it would be a matter of time before someone hit us at speed. Engine off - into first and bump started. Then some slightly naughty driving stuck in first to get around the roundabout without stopping. Pulled over at a safe spot and got RAC out who came in 15 minutes! The bloke was superb - put a temp fix in by way of a bolt to press the cylinder rod in and got me going again. We were driving on some fairly narrow lane hills coming out of hampstead just earlier - if it had gone there things would had been significantly more stressful having to deal with blocking traffic and raging motorists (myself would be reciprocating probably as it couldnt be helped!!) Never had that happen before - lets hope it doesnt happen again.

In this situation there was no room around the bolt as it was sat in a recess in the head. I tried tapping on a socket but the metal was too hard and I thought about the screwdriver but I just couldn't get enough leverage. It was properly welded tight. When I got it, it snapped loose. A torx socket tapped in might have worked but given the socket didn't make much of an impact I had to admit defeat and do it the hard way to ensure I finished the job. There must be some kind of hardened socket set out there with threads that you can tap on and then use a socket to bite into the metal and release it? Just small versions on locking wheel nut removal sockets perhaps?

Check this out. Was changing the plugs on the S3 this morning and sods law the very last bolt that holds a bracket that obscures the last 2 plugs was chewed up. Not happy. Cue 3 hours cursing and having to buy some expensive metal bits and easy outs. The little s**t finally budged: I was quite pleased i got it out. Replaced them with hex though. Question is : who knows of any genius bolt removal tools for rounded bolts that is less hassle than easy outs? Or any tricks even? Cheers Steve

Agreed Tone. There are exceptions to the rule of course but that is best left to those who like to take a chance. Sometimes what first appears to be cheap can work out costing in excess of a straight one at a sensible price

I think that a lot of people would be interested in viewing that! Myself included

And so the slippery slope starts..... hold on tight....

look at euro car parts - they are having a sale on atm - you never know..

might not be a bad place to look. Its what i would look at if i didnt want to throw money at it.

Yeah so the IAT does record air temps - if thats giving off incorrect numbers that must have a negative effect on the way the engine is fuelled etc... You might be able to remove the sensor, clean with contact cleaner and refit, maybe run a multimeter over to check resistance. A new sensor is only £15 or something i think. I have one on the mx5 now which replaces the MAF. might explain why you dont have a MAF - you have one or the other?

Interesting... so the car drives better/worse dependant on the air temperature. Could be a faulty sensor?

No not at all. in actual fact i think HE 'tried' to decieve me. He had obviously reset the warning light and made out it was intermittent and would come and go. That is not the case now i have owned it for 2 weeks. I am sure the MAF connector was seated just loose enough it looked connected but wasnt which made it drive better than it had right to. When i reseated it, thats when the real symptioms reared their head (occasional hesitation and boost going up and down)and normally some people would panic but it made me feel better as i could see the problem now and it matched the symptoms i would expect. Only thing now is the misses is eyeing the car up. Shes taken the A4 from me and shes not content. I despair. I think she needs a word.

not seen that particular one - i do love a bit of WD! I was looking for the right S3 for a few weeks in terms of mileage and colour etc and when this popped up it ticked all the boxes other than it needed some TLC - having had similar issues on previous cars it didnt deter me that much and used it to my advantage. Another bonus was the service history came through the post last night - turns out it has full audi history up until 2011. I bought it on the basis there would be no history (chap was moving and fully expected the paperwork to 'go missing'). Happy chappy today. Thats one car back in rude health - now i have to turn my attention back to the mx5 and try and sort the exhaust leak and run it through its first MOT since i had it supercharged. Fingers crossed the emissions are ok!!

Love a bit of value. Dropped car off at an audi specilaist this morning to fix the engine management light that kept coming on after i cleared it. I used this to knock the seller down significantly on the purchase price. In my mind i knew whatever it was wasnt a major issue and took a calculated risk. Turns out my hunch was right - new mass airflow sensor (MAF). Other than the diagnosis swapping that out takes all of 15 minutes. Not entirely sure why that warranted the engine management light as the car was pefectly drivable - i think it scared the owner a bit though. This is why i paid well under the market price for the car. His loss my gain Driving home should be a touch more spritely! haha

Made a note in my calendar

When mine was in the other week i had to have 3 new camber bolts up the back. They just get weak and give way when loosening them off. Maybe they removed the visors to increase the power to weight?

You say that Rich but shocks are shocks and springs are springs. If the shocks are fubar then the outcome is the same no matter what car they are on. Your shocks were probably just in better nick or as you say - didnt push the car to a level where the shortfall was realised.

I would expect it to be bouncy and unpredictable towards the limits as the damper is not controlling the spring in a linear and controlled way. Basically not a desirable trait to have on the car. That is my understanding of it anyway.

Thats how i understood it. Its a shame really as they were good and the issue is the same across any springs that are manufacturered like eibach and koni etc etc. The difference is you care about the end result and customer satisfaction - which is fair enough !

Last time it was discussed i recall Tone knocked them on the head as their performance was being judged by people who run them on worn/past it shocks. Sure he will be along to clarify anyway! I run them for a couple of years with no complaints.

Its your fault i have one tony. That bloody demo car!!

Welcome back to MX5 ownership. Theres no contest between the mx5 and smart roadster for the reasons you mentioned above. MX5's cost peanuts to own and run - as long as you dont go silly with them..... Me and Bitchard are planning a track day in a month or two - i suggest you get on it also.

I've had p6000's a few times on various cars - none of them through my own choice. On my old Fiesta Zetec S they were diabolical. Never had such a bad tyre. I happen to have the unfortunate situation that i have 4 almost new p6000's on the S3. I've not really tested them on this car with any anger but i would expect the following : mediocre dry grip and plenty of tyre squeal, and almost ice like handling in damp/wet conditions.... Theres no excuse really - especially when there are other tyres in the price range that would destroy them in most areas. I'm a big fan of goodyear eagle f1's and used them on a few cars. The latest being my A4 estate.They have been superb in every application. They might be a bit more per corner but you get a lot of value back out of them in terms of confidence and ride quality.