Niggling points - Plastic deterioration and Engine Mgt light

[Ells109]

My RS has some particular unsightly plastic wear, especially on the aircon 'temp down' button but also around the driver's door handle. It looks as though the previous owner had some hand cream or mucky fingers that has attacked the veneer. Anyone else seen this problem and have a solution?

I looked at replacing the button on the aircon unit only to be told that the whole unit would have to replaced at a cost of 600 quid!

Secondly, my engine mgt light has come on yet again. Walton Audi have had a look several times and put it down to what they described as an anomaly in the fuel/air mix. Normally the light would come on after a change in driving style; motorway to country roads etc but it now seems to be on permanently. It isn't red so I don't think it needs to go in to Audi (for them to make up a price to check it and reset it!) but I would like to know what others have heard, if anything, about this issue.

[GardinerG]

I looked at replacing the button on the aircon unit only to be told that the whole unit would have to replaced at a cost of 600 quid!

Get a second hand unit off eBay or from a breakers, buttons pop off easily. I did this. As for the driver's door handle, it's part of the inner door card and has to be replaced as a whole. Not cheap!

As for the other, have you done a fault scan using VCDS or similar?

[Rilla]

The 'soft touch' covering on the door handle was peeling on mine too, i got fed up of looking at it and got the mrs to pick it all off with her long fingernails, its just shiny black now, not as nice to touch but hey, cheaper and easier than a new door card!

[Shoppinit]

^^^ same here. Looks great.

[philroach]

it is a very common problem , even the new audis suffer from it , and tres expensive to renew
bro-in-law has a 2006 A6 , and had his done on warranty , think ours might be a little old for that , have to rely on the finger picking technique !

[johnny11]

I looked at replacing the button on the aircon unit only to be told that the whole unit would have to replaced at a cost of 600 quid!

Get a second hand unit off eBay or from a breakers, buttons pop off easily. I did this. As for the driver's door handle, it's part of the inner door card and has to be replaced as a whole. Not cheap!

As for the other, have you done a fault scan using VCDS or similar?

my minus button has worn too, can `t even see see the minus now, so do they just pop off that easy then pop the new one on?

[GardinerG]

Yes, practice on the 2nd hand unit first so you know what you are doing. Pry the buttons out gently, new one clips straight in.

[vinny]

hey ells109, the engine light can be for many reasons - ive done some homework on the air/fuel mixture faults in the last month on the cars here, so post what the vag readouts are, and ill point you in a near as damnit direction...
PM me if easier....

[ecain63]

Picked mine off too. Though some of it is a bugger to shift.

[onlinesys]

Mine too on the +/- buttons for aircon and switches on door handle plus colour off at the side of the headlight switch. Try to do a touchup but outcome sucks!!

[marmite]

Mine is all peeling off waas lucky enough to get a drivers door panel for £50 delivered..so got a spare panel with peeling handle
going to give it to a mate who does interior repairs to see what he can with it