Great result Tony.. Now get out and drive it like you stole it :)

Aw shucks, thanks very much folks. As I read through the new posts in this thread, I couldn't help but grin like a Cheshire cat!

I've emailed Audi about taking the car back in (so I'm not expecting a response until I chase it!).

I've still got to formally book the car in for the accident repair. I'll get the wheels refurbed at the same time... That shadow chrome nonsense really bothers me!

At some point, I need to also take it in to have the exhaust swapped for the OEM variant.

All in all, I think it'll be mid-October until I can truly enjoy that car.

Del, I'd be very interested to know the procedure for a carbon clean. I can't say I'm especially mechanically-minded, but having spent what I've spent on the car this year, I'd love the prospect of actually being able to keep some of my hard-earned!

I will be doing mine at some point in the near future and will post up a how too then.

Have followed this thread for a while I am glad to see this is resolved.

Well done for sticking with it

Great result Tony, so glad you got it sorted satisfactorily +++

I could sense your despair when it was all going wrong, and having been there with mine, it feels like the best thing to do is get it sorted and get rid, but once you're back behind the wheel and grinning like a Cheshire Cat again all misdemeanors are soon forgiven and forgotten.

Enjoy!!

... like a glass of water after you just crossed the desert ...

+++

I've been watching this thread for a while and even if I was more and more terrified of the end result with each page, it was great to finally read a positive outcome. I genuinely couldn't be more happy for you.

I said this before, but I will throw my 5p into this pot again. I've got no doubt Mackies are good in what they do, BUT... Audi's master tech guys I know and who know these cars in and out aslways said to me one thing when it comes to gearbox service on 8's - avoid oil change on these gearboxes using the sucking machine. This can cause problems and sometimes big ones.
The best way is to just drain the old oil, change the gasket and the filter and fill it with exactly same spec OEM oil from Audi like it was when it came out from the factory. With the new oil gearbox will be going thru adapatation and this will solve most problems if there were any. It won't obviously fix any serious mechanical or electronic damage.
One thing which I have seen working over the time in person on A8s and Q7s suffering from hard shifting and slips was Lucas gearbox maintainer/additive.
It takes approx 500miles to see the difference but it's truly great product and 100% safe.

Really Marcin? - wouldn't you expect an Audi master tech to say that? Personally, I'd trust Mackies ahead of an Audi employee any day. What problems have they described?

They both are ex-Audi master technicians who got feed up with Audi's bullsh1t and way of doing things to suck as much money out of your pocket even on the smallest job.
I'm not saying that Mackies are bad at all, actually the opposite, I'm just commenting on D3 gearbox serving +++

In my time with a 3.0 TDI D3, I had Audi Dealers change the ATF and Pan Filter 3 times; 60K, 120K and 180K miles. I changed to a D4 last year and the D3 had nearly 230K miles at that point. The gearbox was as smooth when I got rid as the day I bought it.
Maybe I was just lucky but it was this ability to take high miles that convinced me to buy another A8.
Obviously an S8 would be driven harder and may be put more strain on the gearbox depending on how its been treated.