I'm a woman with my first car, AUDI80 TDI from '93. It's an estate. It has had the cam belt changed at 150.000 miles. I do about 22.000 miles a year and it has just clocked 200.000.

Every time I'd taken it to a garage something other than what I took it for has broken. And it's difficult for me to talk my own case being a woman, a first time car owner, a foreigner (Danish) and also the fact in itself that it's an old car. No prestige in fixing it. I've never, ever had or asked for a discount though.

The only exception from bad garage stories was when she needed to go to the electronics mechanics that made a PERFECT job. The old AUDI got the whole lume in the front changed. 585 pounds but my friend who had had another blonde moment in my car paid that. Long story ask me if you want to know.

 So last week, in a VERY blond moment I backed my poor AUDI straight in to a house! You may laugh!

 If you want to hear my excuses keep on reading. When I bought her the rear mirror was fixed in a funny way with some double sticking adhesive. So it finally gave up when I was in the middle of a VERY stressful removal from Wales to England. Well I didn't consider it an urgent problem to solve as I would be having the car full of stuff and furniture so had to rely on side mirrors anyways. So temporarily storing furniture in my friends garage, couldn't get over the kerb side to her drive because of heavy ice (yes, I've heard about 'Driving to the Conditions'! But couldn't she have told me she used to use the handbrake as soon as she was over the bump with her own car BEFORE I drove into her house?) I was blondly worried about not damaging the hedge on my right. I've got a hyperactive parking sensor that - honestly - sometimes even gives alarm just because it's got raindrops on it! Yes, for real! It has never, ever let me down till that day! So the car made it to a full stop as it couldn't move the house and at the same time my parking sensor worked!

Nothing happened to the hedge. Nothing happened to the house.

 So that's the short story about why I will be seeking advice on bodywork and glass fiber work during the next couple of days!

 Love from CluelessGirl!

PS. The WORST garage story was when they kept her for 13 days to change the radiator. I paid 385 for a non-original radiator. Then I one by one discovered: they’d forgotten to put the plastic grills back in the front, they’d shattered some plastic shield underneath the radiator, the base shield was coming off under the car, it’s leaking a quarter of a pint every 250 miles approx.  and the dip stick holder was broken. No, none of it was broken before; yes I’m certain none of it was broken before! When I looked in to consumers’ rights and the trading standards and wrote a letter in the end they fixed the base shield and the dip stick holder. The radiator is still leaking somewhere. But it holds the temperature well!

 Hi cluelessgirl, welcome to the forum

Sorry but i did laugh when you backed into a house ,sorry again

Thanks Dave! And yes, I might!

Thanks to u too for the welcome, Davelincs! Don't be sorry you were allowed to laugh!

Welcome clueless ! welcome to the sight

Welcome! Unlucky about the house - least theres no damage to that!

I've got to ask, how did you manage to back it into the house?  (C'mon guys, don't start on me, some of you were really thinking it!)

Welcome to the forum!

I have to confess I"m quite a wuss, when the bills REALLY start clocking up everytime the damn car goes into a garage, I start looking for a new one - you can tell my car loyalty isn't high

Good luck with getting the 80 sorted

C

leach76:

Welcome clueless ! welcome to the sight

Look how i have spelt site!! what a dumb ass,sorry

 its a wonder the moderators haven,t picked up on it leach

 Fanks ure grate

Thanks - I think?

Listen young man, it DOES not say that by signing up to this site you need to be an excellent driver so BE NICE to me here, all right!

Anyways, to answer your question:

A. I didn't drive to the conditions!

B.  I've previously had my wheel trimmings stolen when parked in the centre of Chester and they also took the arial and might have tried to break the rear wiper as it since then only wipes one third on right side of the window so I can only hand clean it when not driving. Yes, I've taken it to the garage twice but they couldn't or wouldn't fix it! So the rear window was 100% NOT transparent after 49 miles in salty, slitty roads. But I thought it wasn't important because of C.;

C.The rear view mirror has always been hanging from a double adhesive piece of tape since I bought Sophie and decided to give up just 2 days before my BIG moving, but I decided it wasn't urgent to fix it as I would have the back of the car full of furniture and stuff so would rely on my side mirrors anyways.

D. I'm not very experienced in driving backwards and when in my 4.th attempt to get over the very icy kerbside bump I dind't think about using the handbrake to stop the car.

E. My normally hyperactive parking sensor has never, ever let me down before that day. It did let me down!

CkB:

I've got to ask, how did you manage to back it into the house?  (C'mon guys, don't start on me, some of you were really thinking it!)

Welcome to the forum!

I have to confess I"m quite a wuss, when the bills REALLY start clocking up everytime the damn car goes into a garage, I start looking for a new one - you can tell my car loyalty isn't high

Good luck with getting the 80 sorted

C

http://uk-audis.net/photos/cluelessgirl/default.aspx

Hi again everybody, I'm ready to get your help now!

Hehe I promise it wasn't a dig or anything, I really did just want to know how you managed it... You're damn right about the rules not stating that, else I'd not be here after I managed to drive my golf under the back of a tow track - we all have bad moments

Now, what was the help request - or did you post it somewhere else?

C

You might be right about just buying a new (used) car.

But I feel attached to the old one and I like that it's a 1.9 engine.

And the MOT isn't due till August so will reconsider it then.

CkB:

I've got to ask, how did you manage to back it into the house?  (C'mon guys, don't start on me, some of you were really thinking it!)

Welcome to the forum!

I have to confess I"m quite a wuss, when the bills REALLY start clocking up everytime the damn car goes into a garage, I start looking for a new one - you can tell my car loyalty isn't high

Good luck with getting the 80 sorted

C

Got stopped by the police last night so now I really have to get that rear bumper off!

So far I've bought  Haynes Service and repair manual; tried to follow the desription on:

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=80556&page=2 Thanks again for the tip DaveMK!

And I've got the first 4 bolts out of the bumper, see photo gallery. But the look a bit short so maybe the weren't the right ones?

I'm stock now partly because:

a. It's diffucult for me to reach with one arm under the car and one arm in the boot when I try to get the rest of the bolts off.

b. I can't see how to get the inner trim panel out of the sides of the car boot the get better access to the bolts.

I follow daveMK's suggested links and also Chapter 11 in Haynes, 'bodywork and fittings'.

How do I get the inner trimmings out?

How many bolts would there be in all on the rear bumper to remove? (Station car)

CkB:

Hehe I promise it wasn't a dig or anything, I really did just want to know how you managed it... You're damn right about the rules not stating that, else I'd not be here after I managed to drive my golf under the back of a tow track - we all have bad moments Smile

Now, what was the help request - or did you post it somewhere else? Smile

C

 http://uk-audis.net/photos/cluelessgirl/picture15421.aspx

Erm, if you're Danish what are you doing over here?  Shouldn't you be driving into Danish houses over there?

Anyway. More importantly, where in Denmark are you from?

Rustynuts:

Erm, if you're Danish what are you doing over here?  Shouldn't you be driving into Danish houses over there?

Anyway. More importantly, where in Denmark are you from?

I've lost my way back to Denmark by now

Aarhus.

Ah, I know Aarhus. Been there a few times when we've been on holiday over there. Usually stay near Silkeborg if we stay on Jutland as it's fairly central and close to Legoland for the kids.

Lovely country. And very nice people aswell.

The rear bumper is now OFF!!

Driving to Leeds today for a new second hand rear corner light.

And then my Isopon38 project to go, feeling confident!

 Well done. Doing abit of research and homework can save you alot of ££'s

stevee:

 Well done. Doing abit of research and homework can save you alot of ££'s

THANK YOU, Stevee!

CluelessGirl:

The rear bumper is now OFF!!

Driving to Leeds today for a new second hand rear corner light.

And then my Isopon38 project to go, feeling confident!

Nice one, congrats!!

What's the plan for the filler?

davemk:

CluelessGirl:

The rear bumper is now OFF!!

Driving to Leeds today for a new second hand rear corner light.

And then my Isopon38 project to go, feeling confident!

 

Nice one, congrats!!

What's the plan for the filler?

Plan.... Erh? Dunno, I'll wait till it's dry outside and then follow the instructions.

Might be Saturday.

Should I get terribly stuck I'll start a new thread in here and ask the experts. If I may?

I think he means "what are you planning on filling" rather than "How are you going to do it".

Yup, I meant what are you filling

davemk:

Yup, I meant what are you filling

http://uk-audis.net/photos/cluelessgirl/images/15360/original.aspx

See the photo, the little hole in between the bumper and the lights.

I'm getting new, second hand corner lights by mail today! (20 pounds).

Should I maybe start a new thread elsewhere if I'd like to ask advice about bodywork and painting?

Ahh, yep I see it. I thought you were trying to repair the bumper using filler.

davemk:

Ahh, yep I see it. I thought you were trying to repair the bumper using filler.

 

Might be clueless about cars, but I do follow other people's advice (read:  Halford's in this case!)

My 4X4 working colleague had a look at it and said simply superglue would be enough? The crack in the upper part is smaller than 2 inches. On another site someone mentioned about plastic wellding.

Your answers in here a much more appreciated than you would ever know, Dave! Feels a bit lonely sometimes with that car fixing yanno...

That looks as though it's already been repaired with filler once before.

Anyway, as regards filling, build the repair up above where you need it, and use tools to sand / remove the excess filler back to where you want it.

Rustynuts:

That looks as though it's already been repaired with filler once before.

Anyway, as regards filling, build the repair up above where you need it, and use tools to sand / remove the excess filler back to where you want it.

Tnx mate, will do.

Might have no experience what so ever but will make up for it with persistence and patience!

Have a nice weekend!