All,

Hope you can help. I'm no mechanic.

I bought an 01 A3 1.8T recently.

I had it inspected prior to purchase and was told that there was uneven wear on the front brake pads and that they needed replacing. When i picked the car up I drove it for about 20 miles and it was really hot above both wheel arches and there was a mechanical smell coming from there too.

I reduced the cost to reflect this and had Audi fit the new pads. I asked Audi to have a look to see if anything could have caused the uneven wear and they said that they could see nothing.

I had taken the car straight from purchase to be fixed by Audi so the first time I drove it properly was when I picked it up from them.

The car seems to pull to the left (not when braking just when driving). I've checked the tyres and the pressures are correct and there doesn't seem to be uneven wear on them (they both have a good amount of tread on).

The steering wheel seems to sit slightly to the left when driving straight. If we hid a stretch of road that slopes off to the left then the wheel will turn itself almost half a lock to the left. Additionally when driving straight pulling the wheel to the left is free and easy while pulling to the right is stiff and offers some resistance.

If I set the car straight and release my grip within a few seconds it will drift left.

I took the car back to the seller who check that whether the brakes were sticking on one side which they were not.

They've suggested I check the tracking (which they said they had done already). The seller is now trying to tell me that the car is old and this is to be expected. Basically they've got my money and aren't interested they are telling me there is nothing wrong with the car.

Does anyone have any suggestions what the issue could be other than:
- Tyres (pressure)
- Tyres (wear)
- Tracking
- Brake caliper sticking.

It would be great to go to the seller and suggest what they look for as they aren't interested in being proactive.

Many Thanks.
Darren.

 

Check the control arm to see if it is loose. Make sure your Shocks/Springs are not shot/loose if you have one totally dead shock it could cause that it would be noticable when you grab the car under the wheelwell and lift it it should be easy to bounce. also make sure that the alignment is GTG, set your wheel straight in a parkinglot and put it in reverse, see if you go straight back or cockeyed. other than that without picture we are kinda at a loss.

 

It could be in the tires. Try moving the front tires to the rear and see if the pull goes away. If not it could the camber is off.
Good luck anthonyz
tony@zippyoil.com