Did I Screw up? Audi Eats 4 Belts in 5 Weeks

[@WatchWesWork]

Walden by Henry David Thoreau: www.gutenberg.org/files/205/205-h/205-h.htm Astro Nano Impact Torx Bit Set: amzn.to/3Df8rBO OTC Belt Install Tool: amzn.to/3QAM2lF

[@montestu5502]

“You do not own an Audi, it owns you.” That’s what I got out of the first few pages of the book.

[@Oh-Jay52]

AUDI aka Another Useless Drive Invented !!!

[@evilkidd174]

Civil Disobedience is my motto and middle name.

[@IR-nq4qv]

When it came to talking about and describing nature, I got to say that guy was Thoreau. I have no doubt he would've worn a Die Hard ball hat as well. You saved the day and the princess, that's all that matters and its still a win win in my books

[@mphilleo]

A gentleman and a scholar. Hat tip to you, Wes.

[@johndeerekid167]

As a Euro auto maintainer, the sight of a Üro Parts box alone can make a guy blackout into a rage induced coma. May God have mercy on your soul. And FCP Euro is by far the best place to go for OEM euro parts. And everything is warrantied for life.

[@johnerdis5094]

This is why I love your channel. One day it's a 70 year old relic tractor, the next a 90's USA pickup and the next a euro nightmare. Not many mechanics on the tube will tackle all comers, but Wes will.

[@constitutionalUSA]

Don't forget the cub cadet and the dishwasher

[@DanEBoyd]

@@constitutionalUSA And all of that CAD stuff in the early videos...

[@feron450]

Between Wes, South Main Auto, and Rainman Ray. I have a trifecta of great mechanics that happen to be on youtube to watch and learn from.

[@Moe_Fogerty]

I was excited to hear a Thoreau reference! "If a man get no more from his employer than pay, then he is truly cheated."

[@minadams2337]

This has to be my #1 favorite Intro- Honesty and Snarkiness at its finest!!

[@ElisamuelResto]

As an Audi owner that works on his own car and talked with many others that do the same, these things are a nightmare. Fun to drive, expensive to maintain and you end up questioning a lot of design decisions.

[@rkan2]

Don't pick the big engines, torque converter automatics, cvts and some dsg models and youll be fine ;) 1.9 TDI manual all the way. Of course if you are in the US you might not be left with many optuons hehe.

[@pheffr]

I had a B5 Passat. I have never harbored an ounce of prejudice in my heart, but I don't think I can forgive the German people for that monstrosity.

[@wim0104]

Sounds like you are in the same fleet as the great-in-a-way ship Subaru! That Quattro and WRX legacy!

[@robertdominiczak6523]

I have a Jeep Wrangler,had it 22 years no breakdowns also have a UAZ 405 van petrol gas not broken down yet but if I do the parts are dirt cheap and they can be fixed on the side of the road in fact you could rebuild it on the side of the road so simple.

[@mikkei3532]

it is not for stupid people and stupid mechanic

[@Domnaek]

As a workshop owner in Germany, I have to say the same about availability of parts for american vehicles... I had a 1996 Chevy Van in the shop a couple of weeks ago. I couldnt even source the proper Oil filter from any of my suppliers. But yeah its true, Audis are a nightmare to work on. Especially the V6s and V8s. You have to have baby oranghutan arms to do any work in the engine bay :D

[@ericrotermund1004]

Cars in the $50-60 k range Are all pretty hard to work on in my experience. Seems to me a good argument to buy a Tesla. At least you know ahead of time you cannot have parts and they aren’t really repairable. They drive better than most in the same price point.

[@randyirons1058]

As a technician and a former Audi owner, I felt your frustration. "Maintenance Position" ends up having a double meaning. I loved driving the car, it was comfortable, fun and handled like a dream. When maintenance time came you understood where the term "10 pounds of S#^T in a 5 pound bag" comes from. Over-engineering at its finest! Here's hoping you and Mrs. Wes had a fun date night after all of that. I look forward to your content each week. Thanks for sharing your time.

[@gmcman355crazy]

Maintenance position and assume the position is the same when working on German over priced junk lol

[@TsunauticusIV]

I can hear “assume the position” in Fisto from fallout voice right now. 😂 Audi. 🤮 can’t believe he agreed to work on an Audi. He must be desperate to go broke. 😂

[@garrettschweitzer7138]

@@TsunauticusIV good thing you left a Fisto comment because otherwise it would have been me.

[@TsunauticusIV]

@@garrettschweitzer7138 PLEase ASSume THe PosItiOn 🤖 🤜 💥 😯

[@feron450]

Porsche and Audi both win an award for being stubborn. The 911 with the rear engine took decades to finally make it great. And audi with the engine so far forward that the front clip has to be removed to replace a drive belt. Man those Germans don’t give up on their bad design choices they just engineer it into complicated oblivion. But man are they fun to drive when they aren’t broken.

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

So Euro! Definitely accurate on getting Euro parts...online only and it takes days!

[@ericrotermund1004]

Yes they are pure trasha

[@IBenZik]

@0:58, I had a 1989 Ford 150 Econoline with a 5 liter engine. Went through 6 fan belts in about 3,000 miles. Filed under Wisconsin lemon law. When the engine was on the drilling jig is was cockeyed and one of the items was not straight. IE not parallel with the crank pulley. All I asked for was a brand new engine and Ford said no. Cost Ford $90,000 to buy back a $28,000 van. I feel your pain.

[@WatchWesWork]

I had a 350 Chevy like that once, but it was just a bracket that could be replaced.

[@gman2974]

Sounds to me the customer knew there was a serious problem eating belts if it came to you without belts. The customer should tell the whole story.

[@bigskydude8068]

EXACTLY....😏

[@dev-debug]

Was thinking the same thing.

[@GarryFishermusic]

Right no belt is the evidence the problem was preexisting. I would like to now who was the last shop mechanic for that prize auto .

[@andreooooo934]

Jobs like that just arnt fair. Have had a couple vehicles come in with intermittent issues and customer leaves out crical information

[@ronaldderooij1774]

So what? It ate a belt, it needs repair. That is all the customer and the mech have to know. It is up to the mechanic to figure out what is wrong with it.

[@jeffcarruthers2605]

I spent a long period of time during my tenure as an automotive tech with VW/Audi/Porsche starting in 1973. The downward spiral really started in the 90s. Same problems over and over again. As a flat rate tech, this proved to very lucrative. It reached a point where I just got sick of these cars. The Porsche dealer I worked for also had a Subaru franchise. The most striking thing I remember was when a Subaru came in for a minor or major service, 90% of the time that was the only item on the work order. The German brands had the service and at least half a dozen more items. Always the same things. I could diagnose each item on the way out to get the car. Any time I hear the German engineering thing, I just laugh at anyone who believes it. You want to know the truth about a particular car? Talk to the guys and gals who work on them.

[@deezelfairy]

I speak mainly as a forklift mechanic but these are my observed main differences between German and Japanese engineering... Germans engineering - as complicated as it can be for the sake of it. Their engineering all seems to be ego driven, d@&k waving, 'look how clever we are' Japanese engineering - as complicated as it needs to be but no more. The Japanese are very good and keeping focus on the requirements of the thing they're building - not automatically over-engineering everything like its being sent to the moon.

[@sebastianbrrrr7372]

Sad but true. I am German and I usually don't touch any German car built after 2000. Same with Volvos though, my favorite brand.

[@Martin.Wilson]

I had a 2006 BMW 325ix and found it to be the most ridiculously over-engineered car I'd ever seen. In the 5 yrs I owned it, I don't think 2 weeks went by without a dashboard light coming on for something. When my wife would ask what the service light was for, I told her that it was linked our bank account and lit up whenever we had too much money in the account. That did it for me and German cars

[@deezelfairy]

@@sebastianbrrrr7372 It's a crying shame, my only car is an '88 VW mk2 golf 16v. Its easy to work on, not overly complicated and build quality is excellent. Has 205K miles on the clock and runs like a champ, that was old school German engineering and it was excellent.

[@deezelfairy]

@@Martin.Wilson It's almost like the Germans have an 'immaturity' with electronics - they just have to stuff it into everything for the hell of it. The Japanese seem to have a lot more 'maturity' with how electronics are applied - they will use it to their advantage if it's appropriate but seem to stick to simpler solutions if it's practical.

[@Rapsgarage]

I once owned a Porsche 944. I complained to the dealer about the cost of parts. His response was "be glad it's not an Audi". I made sure to never buy any German car again. This was in the early 90's...

[@seastacker8582]

Great cars to lease and give back before the problems start. Total nightmare in terms of ownership. Also… The Critical Drinker….A++. Love that channel.

[@aserta]

Well, yeah, because it's a high maintenance car meant to be taken care off at every tweak and twist. Keep them happy and they work, ignore them even a little and you might as well try to drive a pedal car.

[@ckm-mkc]

@@hoppingrabbit9849 It's the price you pay for high performance, high spec cars. Most people don't understand that manufacturers only care that it lasts the warranty period - after that you are on your own. Parts & repairs are expensive and people buy these cars cheaply and don't do the maintenance because its "too expensive". The result is that problems stack up and you get giant repair bills. As another YT said, old luxury cars maybe cheap to buy but their maintenance cost is proportional to their high original price tags....

[@stxrynn]

Don't you have to play German marching music at low volume when you garage them? Just like a lullaby to keep them happy? I think I read that somewhere.... Or was it an open can of sour kraut near the radiator? Getting old and CRS.... gotta love it. Whoa!!!! maybe it was Rammstein that was supposed to be playing "softly"....

[@silasmarner7586]

I've leased once before. The car was good but the Service dept. was TERRIBLE. I almost got into a fistfight with the service rider (writer) manager. THere was screaming and yelling. It was a 2015 Jeep I think ( I forgot). The car was great, but I knew there's be problems and I ain't puttin' up with that kinda nonsense. The Jeep management took my letter of complaint, crumpled it up and threw it away, I'm sure.

[@awakenotwoke1973]

Go away now!

[@handyhippie6548]

the more i watch your channel, the happier i am that i changed my career from auto tech, to carpenter 25 years ago. i still work on cars, but i choose what i work on, not simply whatever a customer brings in to me. i both salute your fortitude, and pity your situation. go team wes!

[@stevesideris8364]

As a former BMW owner, I sympathize with you Wes. This video brought back my PTSD.

[@silentepsilon888]

you mean PBMWSD?

[@pi1797]

I thought it would PTBMWSD… 😂😂

[@mikeb1]

Wes is the best mechanic by far that I've found on KZbin. As someone in the UK who has owned 2 V6 Passats (which are basically the same as the Audis with the same engine), I've found them very reliable - my first did over 200k miles with no major issues at all - but most Passats and Audis are 4 cylinder diesels and the designers were squeezing a big engine into a small space with these V6's. Even "big" European cars are smaller than a lot of US cars. I am impressed with how easy some US cars seem to be to work on, but the fit and finish also seem to be a bit poorer in comparison sometimes. You pay your money and make your choice... If this car did have a front end collision which was not repaired properly, that's hardly Wes's or Audi's responsibility.

[@lolatmyage]

US cars have the bias of often being either large SUVs or pickups, both of which are stretching the max size of cars that could fit on European roads. It is no surprise that VAG produces cars that are horrible to work on by fitting a V6, V8 or V10 + all the luxury accessories into something the size of a Camry

[@Daydreaminginmono]

Subtle art of losing money, LOL nice one wes, thanks for another vid!

[@rlansdell7925]

You are my favorite channel. I am so grateful for you Wes.

[@jeffreyleonard9800]

That crank pulley separation is a very common problem on that engine. I knew what was wrong when I saw the title of the video. The separated pulley really gets out of alignment when it gets wet with the engine running (like driving in the rain). They actually make one piece pulleys so you only need to replace it once.

[@henryD9363]

An Audi engineer had an extra 20 work hours to fill. So he designed the two part pulley.

[@toma5153]

Recommend pinning this comment. Maybe there's a TSB as well. For future Audi owners looking to KZbin for help.

[@klydolph2]

Nice video. I have a 2002 Passat that has tested my sanity numerous times. One thing to check; on the alternator - the pulley is not just a pulley. It is a one way thingy - drives the alternator in one direction, but just freewheeling in the other direction. These will cease up more or less with time and put a lot of stress on other components driven by the belt, including the belt itself. Mine ate up the bearing in the tensioner pulley before I found out the cause. Made a lot of strange noises too. I've been out with the front of the car so many times I think I can put the front of das Auto in service position in my sleep. But what really tests your patience is when you have to go inside the doors to replace locks, window elevator mechanism etc. That can be a bad bad job. And I can confirm that all plastic you touch will break - sometimes it will break by just looking hard at it. I have no idea how german engineering supposedly has such a good rep. Thats not my experience.

[@lolatmyage]

With a 90s-00s+ VAG product, the locks are either broken or about to break.

[@danmackintosh6325]

@@lolatmyage Barrels seized but all locks working on our 2 golfs for over a year... maybe I ought not have said that, I'll go out and find one or both has drained it's battery just to spite me

[@ericrotermund1004]

Didn’t need to say anything more than I have a Passat. I don’t get why anyone would buy one

[@diesel1024]

I have a 2001 Passat, 2.8 30V. I'm not sure if it's where I live, or that it is stored in a garage, but everything has held up without issues, especially the interior. Only have ever had to do engine work and I do it all myself. Only broken plastic trying to rush getting things off, or pulling too hard, like I tend to do. I have a buddy with 5 Passats down in Arizona, he tells me he buys window regulators in bulk due to the heat destroying them.

[@lolatmyage]

@@diesel1024 how many miles? I bought one with 120k and the locks were all pre-broken lol

[@donaldpeterson9521]

Experience is a hard teacher, BUT you never forget the lesson. Glad that you made the video, you have probably helped a number of people to understand the kind of problems that mechanics run into. Some design engineers should be shot on sight to prevent this kind of stupidity. The new cars with their shields and plastic nonsense should have a service person's viewpoint in mind when making products. Nice to see that an auto mechanic who makes a reference to Thoreau, you are a unique person. Love your sense of humor!

[@maritimezhang]

Tell the crybabies to stop letting the government interfere with car standards. Only then will less plastic be used. Customers want speed, government want fuel efficiency, as a result more plastics!!!!!!!

[@karlaudi9104]

@@maritimezhang This car was built for a world where it is legally required to be inspected every year for safety and mechanical soundness. While spending much of its time traveling on freeways with no speed limits.

[@terryraymond7984]

My VW was made in 1981 very little plastic has 200,000 miles on it and runs like a champ 🙂

[@Robert-S-]

As soon as I saw the shredded belt I immediately knew you had an alignment issue with another pulley. I've run into this 2x over the years personally, once was the balancer seperating like you saw here, and the other was a power steering pump failure where the shaft had enough play in it to allow the pulley to wobble. Luckily in both my cases, there was a much easier access pathway than you experienced. Glad you finally found the problem, and here's hoping that car doesn't continue to haunt you.

[@LAactor]

I thought the same thing and immediately thought of VGG's thrown belt off that monster rod he's got. His wasn't front end damage but bolt on remote mount accessory position, but basically same difference. Don't guarantee collision cars.

[@lutomson3496]

Ive also had supercharger problems causing the belt to slip intermittently over time shredding belts..

[@jarretpeart2833]

I feel your pain Wes. I am not a mechanic by trade, but have done all my own work for most of my life. My wife's dad bought her a used 1987 5000cs turbo quattro when she was still in college. I can't remember specifics of the problem, but it is the only vehicle that ever actually brought me to tears working on it. I think it was some kind of fuel issue that I could not figure out. A junkyard headlight was $300.00 in the mid 90's. I gave it away after it caught fire in the driveway.

[@Martin.Wilson]

My best friend is a mechanic. I called him one day when he'd been working on an Audi for hours and casually asked him how it was going. His response was "I'm having the kind of day that would make God kick his dog through a hedge". That pretty much sums up working on German cars.

[@johnbellas490]

I had an Audi at one time and found out the time in ordering parts and waiting for them as well as the high and difficult maintenance of said parts like you have already mentioned, because of all the above I will never own another Audi!! I want to thank you Wes for doing all that you do to make these interesting videos!! I thank you and your wife very much!!

[@46bovine]

Yes, I agree. Thanks Wes.

[@dustywhite7195]

Spent more money on maintenance in two years than I paid for the car

[@gmcman355crazy]

You taking care of the customer like that will make you more money because you will have a word of mouth that your a good honest mechanic :-)

[@lisashiela9137]

At least you found something wrong. It's really bad when a comeback returns and you cant find nothing. Regardless we have a "can not work on" list and Audi is one of them due to many things beyond our control.

[@brianm9007]

This intro is your best one yet! I've watched it at least a dozen times, and laugh just as hard every time!! You're the best, Wes!

[@ncplantdoctor]

This video brought back memories of when I brought a brand new 1971 Audi 100LS back from Germany with me. In 30 K miles, I replaced 4 alternators because of burned out diodes. I also had bent valves twice after dealer visits and when I showed my German language repair manual to the shop forman, we realized that the lash settings in the English manual were too tight. And the timing chain liked to jump a tooth. Never a good buy to own an Audi.

[@robertmedina6875]

Oh you guys are such a cute couple! Family is awesome! Love your channel! Keep those videos coming lol

[@jamesbt2003]

I feel your pain and love the sarcasm when your working on everybody's crap! Keep on trucking!

[@johnburch6927]

You have got to be one of the most calming channels I watch. Thank you for being very methodical, structured and level headed......the exact opposite of me, most of the time..lol

[@grendel1960a]

i had a volvo that shredded a belt, I was lucky, I caught it when the belt was still 1/4" wide, put on a new belt, and next time i checked a few days later it had gone down by 1 rib in width, careful observation finally led me to the cause, the crankshaft pulley (damper pulley) was moving side to side the same as the one you showed, the issue was it only did it when it had warmed up, when cold, the rubber part stuck back together, only breaking free when it warmed up, so as soon as I saw the issue I thought crankshaft pulley, once its got you once, its something you will check as its the most likely cause (another cause can be a seized alternator clutch pulley (dont ask))

[@toma5153]

Wes has helped a lot of independent garages: Decline this job and direct the owner to the dealer.

[@ThatPNWGuy2024]

Worked on one Audi, an A8. Never again. Hard pass. From one Wes to another thanks as always for the videos. Cheers

[@chrislambert2889]

Congratulations on over 200 k subscribers 🎉. And really hope you and the Lady got too see the movie and just chill together.👍

[@nbrowser]

Ahhhh a Four Ring Circus car...Wes I feel your pain.

[@Farm_fab]

I've heard that marriage is a three ring circus. First comes the engagement ring, followed by the wedding ring, which is in turn followed by the suffer-ring.😁

[@horstszibulski19]

@@Farm_fab 🤣🤣🤣

[@danielmurphy9140]

After watching you when I say my prayers at night I thank God he did not make me a mechanic. I was a soldier for 40 years with Vietnam service and all. In Germany, I watched just the feet of a mechanic waving in the air as he was deep into the engine. The temperature was minus 26 degrees. As a civilian, I sold Audi and Porshe vehicles and in the mechanic bay, I heard cursing like I never heard in the Army. Now I know why. We had one mechanic that worked on Porsche only. No one messed with him.

[@j.markkrzystofiak9907]

“Service position” may have more than one implication with this car…

[@ferrumignis]

The customer has to adopt a more subservient position than the dealer...

[@jw4620]

Indeed.

[@Martin.Wilson]

The main service position is bent over the hood with your pants down.

[@deezelfairy]

@@Martin.Wilson Yup, hard and dry

[@mikemaccracken3112]

@@Martin.Wilson 😂😂😂

[@kenball8526]

May the repair gods bless you Wes!

[@dmmaddex]

great display of patience, Wes.

[@jesterr7133]

When you say everything plastic you touch is going to break, you aren't lying. That is absolutely true.

[@rolf_pedersen]

You just saved me from trading in my '93 Chevy S10 on a 2009 Audi...or anything Audi, for that matter. Thanks for the videos!

[@henryD9363]

In the nick of time!

[@brucehayes7251]

My daughter bought a very slightly used Audi,against my protest,she now agrees with my point of view,over engineering implies faultless performance,ha.... And parts,$1500 Aus to replace battery,dealer service to protect the warranty,you couldn't pay me to own an audi

[@tacomas9602]

0:33 truth be told Wes even if so you’re the only channel I watch religiously! You’re a good man Wes! If I was old enough I’d buy you a case of your favorite beverage. Rock on.

[@boowiebear]

Great point about everyone losing with comebacks. Doesn’t seem it could be avoided based on the unforeseen failures.

[@boooshes]

Well, after this kind of job, what a blessing to be greeted by a beautiful smile from your wife. The rest is just forgettable. Thanks for your continued posts.

[@pheffr]

I don't know how different it is for this Audi, but I know that, for my old Passat, if I'm going as far as to put the core support into service mode, I'm two hoses, three wire connections, and a couple of AC condenser mounting bolts away from removing the nose of the car entirely. I just laid the AC condenser to the side and slid the radiator out with the front assembly. Then I didn't have to fight with everything in a four inch gap.

[@sebastianbrrrr7372]

You said it: old. One day VW thought 'what the heck, warranty is 2 years...'

[@lolatmyage]

Yeah it seems like "service mode" is "remove the entire front end" with marginally fewer steps

[@Oddman1980]

When I'm frustrated or tired after working on my project car (a Suzuki Samurai!) I watch your videos, and they always remind me: It could be worse.

[@thelol1759]

Hey Wes, when I owned my 02 TT and did all my own work, I quickly learned that any repair required lots of planning. And it’s one of the few vehicles where “while you’re in there” isn’t just an excuse to spend money. If you can replace it, you need to!

[@thelol1759]

I did the timing belt, tensioner, water pump, accessory belt, valve cover, cam tensioner, plugs, and everything else in their way at the same time. Less than 800 bucks in parts, but after that you’re good for another 75k miles. And you already replaced everything, so there’s nothing left to break 😂

[@atzgfq23]

@@thelol1759 *just finshed changing power steering pump in a chevy 4.2l silverado* simple as simple gets now the replace everything sounds really not fun. at all!

[@thelol1759]

@@atzgfq23 I own an 04 chevy blazer now and wish I had that audi engine in it! the 4.3 vortec sucks!

[@petermolnar8667]

@@thelol1759 Belt so 1.8T? If it has some miles on it, it’s recommended to take the oil pan off and clean/replace the oil pickup due to carbon-ish stuff plugging it

[@thelol1759]

@@petermolnar8667 Interesting, I'd never heard that! I changed my oil every 2k miles when I owned it (excessive, I know) so hopefully that helped.

[@thepolkster46]

I was solicited to put a blower motor in an Audi twenty years ago, and after getting it almost dis-assembled in 100 plus degree heat, having to remove the fascia, and all of bracing for the entire dash assembly to fish out the blower motor that had to be the first part of the vehicle , and every other part of it was added to that blower, like a volvo , but far worse. After getting it almost out after 4 hours, he presented me with a "USED" motor that had more brush wear than the one I was struggling with. I told him , I'm done, enjoy putting it back together yourself, and walked away. You are too good a diagnostician to piss your talents away replacing parts for people who can't really afford an automobile or a truck. Great video, hope you and the other half enjoy the movie and Date night.

[@unclegreybeard3969]

I wonder how much of this work was caused by the vehicle not being repaired properly following whatever caused the front end damage in the first place.

[@rhkavli]

None. Vibration damper separation is quite common both for VAG and other brands.

[@lolatmyage]

It is very much possible that the pulleys were impacted, but were not replaced because they looked fine on the outside

[@andrewmantle7627]

I thought exactly the same thing. Once you whack the front of these things, (or most modern vehicles, you've got endless unseen grief.

[@andrewhorsburgh2549]

You have, without a doubt, a drop dead beautiful partner. Just an old kiwi living the dream. Love your show.

[@tacomas9602]

I can relate to this, it’s like when I initially got my old Allis Chalmers garden tractor going. Went through 4 deck belts and one drive belt for the mower deck before I made new idler pulley brackets and belt guides, lol.

[@DougT25427]

As usual the play by play commentary is priceless. I see you surpassed 200K subscribers... congratulations

[@johnclamshellsp1969]

Great videos as always Wes. Sorry to see you go through a Audi nightmare like this. Its a crying shame Audi or anyone would build a car with a 3.5hr labor to replace a simple belt.

[@cm.5023]

Both belts can be replaced in 30 min. An hour if its your first time. No need to pull the whole car apart.

[@brennanlukas5467]

I believe it’s 3.5 hours as the recommended service procedure includes replacing both belts, the tensioners and an idler pulley I believe

[@elliejackson6907]

@@cm.5023 Does that include replacing the crank pulley?

[@cm.5023]

@@elliejackson6907 belts only.

[@keithmatthews1673]

Audi do not give a shiesse!

[@gospelman7222]

"If you own an Audi or VW car, the plastic parts WILL break" Ain't that the truth! Same problems here in the UK. Best wishes from England.

[@garyjensen4009]

Many years ago I owned an Audi A4 that was in a minor accident and needed repair. I went to pick it up in my Volvo XC70. The mechanic looked at me and said get rid of that Audi, it will cause you grief as long as you own it. Also, never sell your XC70. It’s now almost 20 years later. The Audi lasted a few more years and caused me constant problems for as long as I owned it, and I happily got rid of it. The Volvo I still have and it just won’t die.

[@TheStefanskoglund1]

I drove a normal V70 from 2000 until 2006, but today I practically hate the current V90/XC90. Overpriced and over-sized. For some reason or another i have trouble knowing where the car ends at right front wheel. I want to be able to easily changes wheels myself (winter/summer changeover etc) but the current far bigger ones is far heavier and clumsy.

[@JamesSterling]

Thanks for reminding me why I don't own any VW/Audi products. My last one was a New Beetle I bought for my wife. Wes is right. If it is plastic and you touch it, it breaks. And if it can be made of plastic instead of metal it will be, including hose clamps and water pumps. And everything is designed with no thought for ease of repair or maintenance.

[@nancykitzinger3078]

Thats got to be frustrating as heck! Good job getting it resolved!

[@mikeaho4143]

Great vid Wes. I love the real world struggles that you have. Makes me feel better when I’m struggling with some of my repairs. Thanks for sharing.

[@flocksbyknight]

As an owner of an older VW and Audi, they seem to really eat the parts after 150k. Great for providing content for your channel and headaches for you!

[@mph5896]

Eh, thats like every make/model I deal with. Gm/Ford/Dodge 😉

[@cm.5023]

How so? Any part that lasts that long is going to need replacing regardless of the make and model. That being said I've had an A6 go over 300k with just tires, oil, filters and plugs. One water pump, thermostat and belts. Still ran fine when we got rid of it.

[@denisewebb]

Your work ethic is awesome, so refreshing! Hope you enjoyed the movie.

[@davidryder5265]

One of the best channels on you tube thank you sir

[@Jordan__Sloan]

God bless you brother, wrenching on cars takes a special kind of patience. I just start freaking out and my blood pressure skyrockets

[@gailtaylor1636]

The "later model" (probaby 15 years old), I worked on, they had gotten wiser and ran all the lines on RH side to coolers/condenser. Found could disconnect the fans and all the stuff on LH side of radiator support, then swing whole thing around to the right. Set it all on a jack stand or something. Room to walk right up to it assuming vehicle was raised off the floor some. Could do it all standing up, no bending over. It was worth the extra disassembly for me. Old back.

[@rhkavli]

Yes. That's the way I usually used too. Actually you could swing the whole pack up on the top of the engine.

[@lawrenceedwards6327]

Twenty years ago, I worked as a delivery driver for a tiny independent auto parts store. I remember walking into a shop where an old timer was swearing a blue streak about having to remove the fender from a Ford Taurus to replace the alternator. I could only imagine old Don Frenzel’s comments if he had to work on that Audi. Great video, as always!!

[@BitterCynical]

I like my Audi A2, I might even somewhat enjoy working on it if I had a proper workshop for it. I like the all aluminum rust proof body and the low fuel consumption. But my experience with local mechanics is such that I might be better off driving a "new" thirty year old rust bucket every other year and doing the bare minimum repairs myself since the older cars don't have everything mashed into a handbasket sized space requiring nearly total dissassembly of the vehicle to change one small thing.

[@ericrotermund1004]

Germans are the worst at this. V6 Honda cars are easy to work on

[@billmalec]

2006 Jetta TDI. Just replaced the belt tensioner for the first time a few months ago. Took me, with limited DIY tools like 30 minutes. Alternator still good. Was easy as can be. 180,000 mostly trouble- free miles. The Husqvarna in my profile pic. 1986. Still going... Carry on...

[@MikeMcAuliffe-g2f]

All I can say is, "God Bless you, Wes", for hanging tough on this one. That model Audi is the 10 pounds in the 5 pound sack engine bay.

[@tda2806]

Would a variable speed strobe light be a good diagnostic tool for belt problems like these, it would allow you to freeze the motion and perhaps see the side to side wobble?

[@silasmarner7586]

That is thinking outside the box, sir!

[@SteelheadTed]

Excellent idea

[@gailtaylor1636]

I was thinking old-school timing light? Easy to think of AFTER you know what the problem is.

[@tda2806]

@@gailtaylor1636 sadly with 'coil on plug' there is no HT lead to inductively trigger from, so the old school timing light is out. A strobe tachometer might be the most general piece of equipment for the task.

[@gailtaylor1636]

@@tda2806 Pull coil out, run a plug wire from coil to plug. I have a set of wires I made for the Ecotec GM coil assembly. Works great to see which cylinder isn't firing. Same idea here.

[@SamColtHolbrook]

Sorry you are dealing with this crap. I wish I had a mechanic/ technician as good as you. I have seen you take on jobs 99% of shops would not touch. Stay Strong. Your a master mechanic!

[@blackdogexcavator21]

And just think, a few years ago you could take the engine out of a Volkswagen Beatle by removing the throttle linkage, about 3 wires, and the 4 nuts that connected the engine to the transaxle. 30 mins of work easily. The enginerds in Deutschland are no better than the ones in the US.

[@neilcowan535]

Love your work, Wes, and your laconic sense of humour: 'Because of reasons' :D

[@knockywigglesworth1909]

No parts in rural Illinois cause farm people are smart. They don't want a VW much less a fancier less reliable VAG car that breaks alot is costly & difficult to maintain... yep, smart!!

[@ollie-lk5dx]

Nice to see someone getting rain we have been extremely short all summer , we have cracks 2'' wide and several feet deep

[@robertdominiczak6523]

When I lived in England I owned mercs bmw and Audi and all the other European crap then changed to American cars and Eastern European cars with no problems, living in Bulgaria now,I own a Jeep and a UAZ van fantastic motors never let me down.

[@funonoldwheels7150]

I love that you referred to the critical drinker! It makes me feel good about my you tube subscriptions

[@lackomalacko]

Actually I've seen a very distinctive decline in quality considering Continental belts. I know a lot of people who's complete engine had to be scrapped because a conti timing belt just shredded on its own after 5000km, with no alignment problems or anything. Even had an issue where a conti accessory belt blew up, and got eaten by the timing belt, so same issue engine scrapped... I don't know where continental belts are manufactured that we europeans get, but I hope its not the same as for you in the US. (I clearly see this is not the case here, just sharing info) Hope it will work fine now, nice job as always, keep it up!

[@lolatmyage]

As far as I'm concerned, potential poor quality replacement belts or neglected maintenance is just another reason to make a non-interference engine. People are going to be a lot happier if their $400 mishap is not a $4000 engine replacement

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Oh no...I switched to Continental tbelt kits because Gates was becoming garbage...what to do now??

[@mikesveganlife4359]

This shows me just how easy I had it when I was working on my 93 SC T-bird. And I thought changing the plugs was challenging. That work for a belt is crazy.

[@jimurrata6785]

That's a fun heater core to replace as well!

[@mikehynes6632]

Great job Dr. Wes! You have much more patience than me.

[@Sitchinte]

Brave to try and repair Euro car. Thought most mechanics simply avoided.

[@mikebrunner1577]

We will not work on any Euro crap anymore. Stopped years ago. Just is not worth it. You are the Man Wes. I as a viewer, Love your Honesty. Keep up the fantastic work.

[@dakotataylor7909]

Hey wes, interested in how you manage these kinds of situations... Having worked at a euro specialist shop and a dealership that runs away from any euro service, interested to know how you chose to compensate for your "comebacks" on this job. Any way I'm sure you were more than fair as it seems you always are. Try to have a better day than this day seems to have been.

[@mikemaccracken3112]

That sucks for everyone involved. Glad you found the issue with the balancer.

[@davidbillings615]

Wes thanks for being honest. Hope date night went well. I have heard that most of the European cars are really hard to work on.

[@sebastianbrrrr7372]

That is not entirely true, but it is generally a good idea to stay away from everything built after or around 2000.

[@Mind-your-own-beeswax]

You heard wrong mate. All the cars I’ve had over the last 30 years have been European. No car has been any harder to work on than anything else that includes VW’s.

[@deezelfairy]

Meh, not really, plenty of European cars are no worse to work to work on than your average Toyota Camry. I'm sure there are plenty of nightmare US cars as well. I've got a '88 VW golf - very easy car to work on.

[@robertbullcarmichael9856]

There is a company whose name I cant recall right now, that makes a grapple for a crane. This tool will snatch the motor right out of the engine compartment and make it much easier to throw the junk away. It takes lots of patience to work on some of that foreign stuff. My hats off to you. Keep up the great videos and stay safe my friend.

[@TheStefanskoglund1]

which is partly why so many european cars when they get becomes 5-6 years old ends up being flipped by the second owner (first one sells it after 4 years) to someone. And THE US mechanics which is good and not parts-cannon mechanics asks for more money for their work than the current owner is prepared to pay.

[@Farm_fab]

Wes, it might be time for that customer to invest in a bicycle.😁

[@milwsdl39]

Awesome video Wes good to see the Mrs. glad the families doing well thanks for the video

[@staric4863]

I remember the time when Audi were good simple and reliable cars in the 80s and 90s. Now it is a plastic scam. You are pretty courageous and determined to work on such a crappy auto. Thanks for the share.

[@ericrotermund1004]

I agree they used to make a pretty reliable car. With some weak points but fairly clever. I had lots of bosh cis cars they were great. Easy to work on! Vag is trash now

[@waterislife.9204]

That's crazy. But you did a great job fixing it ✌️🙏

[@mattm6834]

If you're going to work on Audis, you need to charge audi labor rates

[@wonjat5]

We have all been there, put a clutch in, and the gearbox (having shown no symptoms whatsoever expires the next day) hope you can at least recover some of the costs. I wondered how many belts had been fitted prior to the vehicle arriving at your shop. Thanks for being game enough to put the video up. 🇦🇺

[@robj2704]

What's worse than a 13 y/o Audi? Very few things.

[@jamesofallthings3684]

A 14 year old audi.

[@suzuki230]

The first 15 seconds of this video are some of the best.

[@CrazyMooseManor]

I'm glad they found a new pulley for you. As a customer I would wait the extra time for a new one to show up. Nothing sucks more than being stranded. I believe it's totally fair for him to pay for the new crankcase pulley. Great video hopefully we won't see it back anytime soon.

[@digi3218]

He should pay for everything. Not Wes' fault his car is stupid 🙂 Just kidding obviously.. got to throw in some free labor to keep up the good customer service image.

[@dansevern3291]

I do appreciate your take on things, more like my perspective than most folks.

[@TheHouseBlog]

Just a home player but have a VW 99' Passat 1.8t. @ 285k miles. Audi/VW are very similar in construction/service, often the same parts, at least in that era. I don't find it very bothersome to work on. Not having a lift or an engine hoist, I like being able to take the front of the car off to get to tall the goodies, and can drop the tranny with just a set of ramps and floor jack if I need to. As all the plastic parts break, getting the front off gets easier each time too 😅. I understand working on these may not be conducive to a successful money making operation though.

[@thelol1759]

I had a 02 TT Quattro with the AMU 1.8t. Loved that thing like you wouldn’t believe, only problem I had with it was the damn convertible top leaking!

[@tannerwhitney]

that's an accurate assessment of the plastic quality. broken wire connector tabs are a fact of life with VWs and Audis - just slide them together and hope for the best

[@ranger178]

yea a new Wes video remember not to buy Audi