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Audi A6 Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • jodarjodar Member Posts: 53
    I can't believe what you were told. My pads and rotors were changed by the dealer during the free 50K service period. I'd go to another dealer maybe, but if you consulted Audi Customer Service and received that answer, perhaps I was lucky then.
  • erickplerickpl Member Posts: 2,735
    I could see the rotor not being covered (though BMW does cover it in their service program). However, with the excessive heating from the pads, you have an argument that some defect in the brake system led to the excessive heat. This defect caused the rotors to run hotter than normal and led to the warping.

    Be civil, polite, and professional. It gets you a lot further. :) Let them know you understand their position, but emphasize that you wouldn't be asking for this if they had been wearing normally. This situation definitely sounds like abnormal wear.

    -Paul
  • wattson1wattson1 Member Posts: 15
    A6 and S710a do NOT at all.

    i am going to try the siemens
  • wattson1wattson1 Member Posts: 15
    just returned my S710a. di dnot sync with Audi A6 on bluetooth. Great phone, lot of features but ...
  • mdavis1mdavis1 Member Posts: 1
    I am steamed! I have an Audi A6 3.0. Recently found absnormal tire wear and took the vehicle to the dealer for alignment. They couldn't get the rear end back to align within factory spec. Service Manager was sure it was a defective part as there had been no impact, and he had seen it before on other new Audis. He called the factory rep, who refused to honor the warranty. The factory rep (who never looked at the car) said there must have been an impact.

    The Service Manager called me, told me he was shocked by ther response and suggested I call Audi Customer Service. I did, but after a week and a half's run around they told me they would never over-rule the factory rep.

    I love the car, but I will get rid of it, never buy another Audi product, and make sure everyone I know learns of my poor experience. I am the oly one who has ever driven the car and attest to the fact there has been no impact. They basically are calling me a liar and the Service Manager incompetent, on the basis of someone who hasn't even bothered to get off his butt to look at the car!
  • duffy4duffy4 Member Posts: 18
    The advance key worked for 500 miles, and stopped. I had it repaired and it worked for about 1000 miles and stopped again. I have 750 miles before my 5000 mile visit and will get it fixed again.
  • liferulesliferules Member Posts: 531
    lemon3,

    It appears your car is a lemon. Have you looked into your state laws in claiming it as such? You should be able to get AOA to buy it back or replace it for you if its had so many repairs in just over 2 years...
  • scubadavescubadave Member Posts: 1
    My engine sounds like an air raid siren :mad: any ideas :confuse:
  • marleybarrmarleybarr Member Posts: 334
    If you have run your oil level low, your turbos could be "cooked". The oil feeder lines to the turbos could also be obstructed and/or have come loose. Any oil on the garage floor?

    That "dentist drill" noise could signal turbo failure. You didn't mention how the vehicle is running. Also, turbos have to be replaced in pairs. $$$$$$
  • rangerwalkerrangerwalker Member Posts: 18
    It is likely a fan problem. I had to replace an aux fan component (under warranty) - siren noise went away (on the allroad, which has since been returned off lease). May want to search on audiworld - quite a few siren-noise postings - many fan-related, some turbo problems.
  • rplrpl Member Posts: 2
    a totally unreliable car; great ride, comfort. looks, acceleration, mileage; the 2003 isn't any better - RPL
  • gulfccinc03gulfccinc03 Member Posts: 1
    my headlights, air conditioner, turn signals, winshield wipers, and horn all do not work at the same time... the corner lamps light up, and for me to drive at night, i have to pull back on the high beams to have light to annoy opposing drivers... i'm not sure what the problem is... i've been told that it might be the ignition switch??? i don't know... the problem happened once in the past, but worked fine after a day or so... but now it doesn't work, with it working once for a few hours the other day... what problem could this be? if anyone knows, please reply! i will greatly appreciate this!!!
  • markcincinnatimarkcincinnati Member Posts: 5,343
    Brake rotors have been practically THE ONLY issue I have ever had with our 28 Audis since 1977.

    My 2000+2001 A6 4.2's combined had the rotors replaced 9 times (free).

    My 2003 allroad was turned in with 46,000 miles on it and original everything (insofar as the brakes were concerned.)

    My 2005 A6, at 2,000 miles has the best brakes of any Audi I have ever had and may have the best brakes of any car, period, I have ever known.

    The 1998 - 2002 A6 based cars seemed to be fraught with terrible rotors. Even my 1997 A8 went through two sets (also free).

    Oh, I forgot -- the other item that seemed to be unreliable and expensive (but always paid for) was the power steering column -- my A8 had three of them, my first A6 4.2, one and my 2001 A6 4.2, two.

    I see that the Audi Advantage has been dumbed down -- Mercedes no longer offers free maintenance and BMW's program means, to me, NEVER EVER EVER buy a used one (15,000 oil change intervals --- please!)

    These all inclusive warranty programs must've cost a fortune. Having said that, I think Mercedes gets around their current way of selling cars by offering the "Audi Advantage" (from yesteryear) as an extra cost option.

    Frankly, I'd be happy to pony up a little bit for the lack of the "$80 wiper blades" and the $400 rotors, etc.

    My understanding is that you can get ONE set of replacement rotors (within the first 12 months) then it is considered wear and tear.

    Even the new Audi Advantage won't cover wiper blades after 12 months. Gone are the days of three new sets of wiper blades annually. I don't know about your experience with German cars, but every little thing on them is BREATHTAKINGLY expensive!

    I love Audis, despite some of the horror stories here -- but the ONLY way to afford any European car (based on what you read) is to lease them regularly -- and never buy them. Kinda like computers -- my customers are always planning their new replacement IBM servers (and 99.9% of them are leased).

    I read that Audi is at a point where nearly 1/2 of its customers lease. I suspect this is true for BMW and Mercedes, too.

    You've been warned. :shades:
  • bondguy1bondguy1 Member Posts: 231
    Where does it say that about wiper blades only being replaced once. I believe you but if they were going to cut something out, that's a cheap one to leave out.
  • duffy4duffy4 Member Posts: 18
    What gives? On my 2001 A6 wagon the steering wheel moans when I turn to the right. It goes away when the car is warm. Should I be concerned? I checked the steering fuild and it is ok
  • h3_navh3_nav Member Posts: 1
    I seem to have a clear/oily fluid leaking from about the middle of my 1999 A6 Quad between the dual mufflers. I don't have access to a lift and the dealer says noting is leaking; yet there is a puddle under the car about 2 in in diameter everytime I move car. Any thoughts?

    Thanks
  • cmiragliacmiraglia Member Posts: 1
    My 2003 Audi A6 with 41K miles and no maintenance problems to date suddenly and without warning shut down while I was driving. Fortunately I was in jammed traffic at a light so no one hit me. The initial computer testing showed nothing and my car is now at the dealer for diagnosis and repair. This incident was so strange and potentially dangerous that I am concerned. Has anyone experienced a similar incident? Do this year and make have any history of this? Thanks, CMiraglia
  • jcarverjcarver Member Posts: 1
    Does anyone know the source of this problem from these symptons? If so, what solution is recommended, and what are the approximate repair costs?

    Check engine light is on.
    Car after reversing will jolt suddenly when shifting to drive.
    Car not shifting in automatic properly. First gear doesn't appear to work.
    Tiptronic is not working.

    Car has 58,000 miles and has these other unrelated problems. Driver window that sticks at 75% up then reverses, and rapid dashboard
  • cmcvpcmcvp Member Posts: 1
    This message is to warn any prospective Audi purchasers/leasers about my horrible Audi experience.
    I have never had so many different and major problems with one car, as I have with my 2003 A6 2.7T. I have been back to the service department over 15 times for 12 different problems.
    The horror story started at 1200 miles! I only have 20,000 miles on the car now. Although the following parts have been replaced, I am still having addition problems with the car: left front headlight, turn signal switch, headlight switch, central locking control-3X's, various emission sensors, engine temp sensor-2X's, both valve cover gaskets, both turbos-read remove engine, battery, starter, alternator, remote key batteries-2X's. I could go on and on. The car has been in the dealer's service department for a total of 41 days.
    Before anyone preaches to me about calling Audi of America, the Better Business Bureau, or my local State District Attorney's office, forget it. It's all been done already, to no avail. I just missed the Lemon Law's limit of 18,000 miles/24 months.
    I am writing this message to warn people who might be considering buying/leasing an Audi. DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!
    Besides all of the problems I have experienced with the car, Audi of America has been totally apathetic regarding my situation. I had written a very comprehensive letter, including all the service documentation, and requested they either replace the car or terminate my lease because they could not furnish a vehicle free of defects for which I am paying.
    I will NEVER buy/lease another Audi/VW/Porsche vehicle.
    If anyone would like to discuss this matter further, feel free to contact me.
    Oh, if anyone from Audi is reading this, as you had read my previous posts on Audiworld, you know what I want. Just terminate the lease. As most people would agree, it isn't asking too much.
  • kirby2010kirby2010 Member Posts: 136
    jcarver - I have the 2001 2.7T w/6-speed so I can't address all your questions but two are pretty close to home. The sticky front window is very possibly a cracked window rail. These are nylon - mine cracked last winter and I had the same symptoms. I could get the window closed with a little push by hand. There are many reasons why the check engine light could come on - my service department old me there more than 1500. One common reason is a loose gas cap. Tightening the cap won't make the problem go away but another fill-up will do the trick. I also had a failed heat sensor that caused the light to come on.
  • marleybarrmarleybarr Member Posts: 334
    Experienced the same problem, a piece of rubber became caught in the fan blades, must have been a $500.00 repair.
  • rplrpl Member Posts: 2
    problems never end; service too expensive; left high & dry way too often

    guess the most frequent trade-in for Infiniti in Hartford CT/Springfield MA: AUDI

    tell Audi to take your car back or leave it there after a talk with your lawyer; a credit naughty? who cares if your credit is good; you can enter a rebuttal on your credit reports; secure your deal on a reliable car & dump the Audi
  • jim_mckeonjim_mckeon Member Posts: 17
    I had this same issue as well with my 2001 2.7T. The mechanic said it was the "camshaft chain tensioner gaskets." Cost me over $1200 to replace a $20 part. Why does Audi design the engines such that simple repairs require the whole thing be disassembled?
  • jim_mckeonjim_mckeon Member Posts: 17
    My problem: when starting the car 'cold' - i.e. it hasn't been started in the last 12 hours or so, not that the temperature is cold - the engine shudders and gasps, like there's something obstructing the fuel injector. If I rev the engine for a second it catches, and the problem goes away.

    My mechanic said that Audi has a technical service bulletin on this, and that it recommends checking the temperature sensor as well as replacing the spark plugs and fuel injectors. This will cost in the vicinity of $2000, which is way more than I will spend to fix a problem I can live with. The issue is that I would like to sell the car, and I'm afraid this may make it unsaleable.

    Anyone else have this issue, and come up with any economical fixes?
  • drewarddreward Member Posts: 13
    If you have one of the newer Audis with the SD card based music system for playing MP3 files you may have noticed that some songs play and some don't. This is a result of some incompatabilites between standard MP3 file formats and the Audi. I have written a program which fixes the files so that they all play you can download the program from Audi file cleanup program enjoy!
  • bondguy1bondguy1 Member Posts: 231
    I have Sprint PCS and have the older Sony Ericsson T608 Bluetooth phone. I can dial calls on my cellphone and when I push talk on cellphone, it works through cars speakers handsfree. I can hang up call from phone by pushing end or using end button on car. But, I can't get my phonebook into the cars system and system won't let me answer a call incoming from car...I have to push talk button on cellphone and then it's connected through cars speakers. Is this a compatibility issue? I went to the Audi site and they say T608 isn't proven for A6...I just figured if the phone is linking up to use speakerphone, it should do all other functions as well. Any help would be appreciated.
  • civic4civic4 Member Posts: 33
    You can fall in love with the car and continue to pour money into these vehicles only to find that the repairs mount successively upon each other or you can realize that the choice to stay with an Audi beyond its statistical lifespan is not a wise one, better to buy a new one, (obviously an option for those who can really afford these cars), or realize this nameplate is just for those who can afford them. I made the mistake of falling in love with my Audi 90, A4 and A6 4.2, which was recently sold BEFORE the fateful 50K appeared on the odometer. I finally learned that no matter how nicely a car drives, and how attractive it may be, it is only as good as its reliability....and any decision to extend the lifespan of a vehicle that costs so much to repair and breaks again, shortly after that repair, cannot be a vehicle one should ever consider to put in their garage bay. Unless, you are a multi millionaire who can afford to turn your car in every 3 years for a new one. Good luck to all who decide to pour dollar after dollar into these very attractive and seductive cars, but remember, I warned you,....... I was you..............now, I own a civic.
  • marleybarrmarleybarr Member Posts: 334
    Who do you think funds the new beautiful silver remodeled"aircraft hanger" Audi dealerships going up all over the country with a greeter who opens your car door as you pull into the service bay and guides you to the marbled service counter where an employee wearing a tie sitting behind a state of the art computer directs you the waiting area w/ leather couches, wide screen TV, coffee/beverages, internet/fax/phone and even a play area for the kids while AoA uses $1196.00 worth of labor to install a $4.00 gasket (their cost). Now you know why!
  • mchurchmchurch Member Posts: 2
    Audi has a list of phones that work and what features of the phone will work with the Audi. Some will only allow voice connection and some will not download the phone book. I will tell you that Audi's list is not complete or up to date. I have a new Motorola Razr and all the functions including downloading the phone book, called numbers and missed calls works perfectly. If you must stay with Sprint, and they do not have a phone on the Audi list, go to the store and borrow loaners or demo phones of the bluetooth phones and pair them up until you find one that works. That's how I ended up with the Motorola.
  • bondguy1bondguy1 Member Posts: 231
    The problem is Sprint's choice of Bluetooth phones is (1) unless you buy a huge Treo which I don't want to do. Now that they merged w/ Nextel, I'm hoping for better selection of Bluetooth phones.
  • stormy111stormy111 Member Posts: 16
    After 2 years, about $9k worth of repairs, at least 10 times to the garage, and being without the car for close to 6 weeks, the dealer has thrown up his hands with a recurrent airbag light problem and called in the zone rep to look at the car. What can I reasonably expect from Audi in a situation like this? With the airbag light active, I can't sell the car. Would they buy it back, take it in trade or just walk away? The entire system was replaced (main wiring harness, bag, computer, spiral spring, sensors) is under Audi warranty for another 6 months since the last $5k repair, so they are on the 12 mo/12k hook for the repair and loaner car. (The !4 with CVT I have for a loaner is not bad.) The car is a 2000 A6 2.7 T with 88k miles. I won't let my wife drive the car with the light on since the system is deactivated. I haven't been involved this deeply with a car manufacturer since my Dad had his '69 Plymouth Fury 383 engine replaced because Mopar stuck a 440 cam in it...
  • marleybarrmarleybarr Member Posts: 334
    I have the same "air bag light on" with my 2000 A6 2.7T, 80,000 miles. The dealer claims a $900.00 air bag control module replacement will shut off the light.
  • halofanhalofan Member Posts: 37
    Well, FYI I have an 05 A6 3.2 that is currently at Audi for the 3rd time in the 5 months I have owned it for an AirBag light. They replaced a seatbelt ignitor last time because that it was what the "computer" told them. Today, I was told by the service manager "this is a problem, and we're keeping it until it's fixed". That's nice to hear, but that's what I was told last time. It's not very comforting to spend 50K and hold your breath every time you turn the key wondering if the stupid light is going to go on. So far not so good with my 1st Audi. :( :lemon: ?
  • kgarykgary Member Posts: 180
    I had the same problem in my 05 4.2. It turned out to be a rear seat sensor.
  • marleybarrmarleybarr Member Posts: 334
    My "airbag" light came on at about 75,000 miles. Over at the Audiworld.com A6 website, they are claiming that the airbags will still deploy, the light means that the system is" out of alignment." What this means, I don't know. AoA won't repair this issue under any kind of warranty explaining that the car is too old and my limited extended service plan good until next July also excludes anything including the airbag system. I think I'll solve the problem by placing a piece of tape over the light, kind of the same thinking as "ignore your teeth, and they will go away."
  • miguel991miguel991 Member Posts: 1
    I am in the same positon with my front end - I have had my brakes pads and rotors replaced / turned 6 times in the past one year since owning the vehicle - Audi says I am hard driving the car and this is why I am going through pads/rotors at this rate - please.

    Also, my front end shakes at virtually every speed - funny, they told me my tires were not balanceable - tire store had no problem with the road force balancing to get them true to specs.. funny thing now is after I got my rotors replaced (again) the shake has left.. Audi says the brakes and the front end shake have nothing to do with each other..

    Any thoughts??
  • fendertweedfendertweed Member Posts: 98
    my '01 A6 Avant (59k miles) is one of the best cars I've owned (30+ yrs. of driving).

    Very reliable, still drives like new. Yes, repairs can be costly but you have a well engineered car that will run 150-200k miles with routine care. Other cars at that point are not nearly as solid as the high mileage Audis I've seen over the years.

    Not cheap, but hardly bad cars. I'll take an Audi with 100k miles on it over a comparable Lexus or Infiniti or modern M-B any day.
  • halofanhalofan Member Posts: 37
    Well after one week, that's right 7 days, I have my car back. This time the center seatbelt receptacle was replaced. My dealer, McKenna Audi in Norwalk, CA. was very responsive to my concern over this latest problem, albeit a little slow in getting it repaired. I was told AoA was involved in the fix this time because it is the third such occurrence. I really missed my car, the Toyota Camry I had as a rental just didn't quite have it. Anyway, I hope this is the last I have seen of that Pesky AirBag light.
  • buffalo23buffalo23 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1998 A6 2.8L. Lately, the car will take 4 or 5 attempts before starting. This only occurs after the car has been driven and warmed and turned off. If the car has not been allowed to cool down it will not start easily. The check engine light will come on occasionally and then go off. When idling the car seems to putter and almost die at times. Any ideas?
  • kevlartekevlarte Member Posts: 1
    I just bought the audi no more than a month ago. With only 58,000 miles i was suprised when i was getting off the trurn-pike the other day and exiting the toll it seemed as if the transmission slipped. The gear selections on the screen inverted showing P R N D ect. in black outlined in red. I stopped turned it off and when it got to fourth gear did it again. And would not engage into another gear until i stoped and re-started. So i have been driving in first through thrid and dreading going to the dealer. Anyone know whats going on??
  • toolingdesignetoolingdesigne Member Posts: 1
    Hi ~ I am pretty sure this is the gear position sensor, it should be less then 200.00 to have a shop do it.
  • legendmanlegendman Member Posts: 362
    I am taking ownership of a new, 2005 A6 3.2 sedan this weekend. This will be my first Audi.

    Here's my question and I would appreciate a quick answer if you have one. The car is coming with the 16" tires/wheels which I don't think look so great or drive so well. I am attracted to either the 17" wheel (my first choice) and the 18" wheel (my second choice). I am looking for a tire size that will offer improved performance but not at the expense of ride comfort or fuel economy. I like the look of the 17" Audi rims, and the size seems to be a good trade-off for the reasons mentioned above.

    1. Wheels -- How can I buy Audi brand wheels without paying parts department price? The cost on these wheels (not tires) supposedly is $485 each x 5 wheels. The dealer will give me a total credit of $500 for the 16" wheels and tires. Do any of you know where I can find these Audi OEM wheels at a discount -- from a reputable source?

    2. Tires -- From what I have read at TireRack, most of the 17" Michellin, Pirelli, Continental and Dunlop brand tires are NOT great. The dealer wants $210 per 17" tire -- OEM brand, whatever it is. He is perfectly happy to put on any tires I want, including those I purchase on my own.

    Can anyone recommend a good tire/brand for Southern California application -- everyday driving, moderately spirited driving now and then? As mentioned earlier, comfort and noise are an issue. Handling is also important. Treadlife is a concern, though noise and comfort come first. On a related note, Falken tires enjoy a very good reputation (I am considering the Falken Ziex 245/45ZR-17 99Y B) They are sold at Discount Tire (tires.com) for $102.00 each.

    FWIW: I am driving the Yokohama AVS-db2 on my Acura Legend now and am very happy at the price/performance trade off for an Ultra-high performance All Season tire. It's a good handling tire in its category.

    Thanks in advance guys/gals!
  • chriscosmochriscosmo Member Posts: 2
    Question:
    I totaled my car today 2000 2.7t, I hit a tractor trailer tire in the middle of the highway and lost control, I would say I hit the guard rail somewhere around 65mph. My question is why didn’t the air bags deploy? The whole front end is pushed in and the entire passengers side is dinted in as well (to the point were I can not open the doors). Also the trunk of car is push up and out and the back bumper pushed in. I would think that with this much damage at that speed the air bags should of deployed. Any commits suggestions on how I can investigate a faulty system or the possibility that the bags we not even there? FYI. I am the third owner of this vehicle.
  • marleybarrmarleybarr Member Posts: 334
    Sorry to hear about your unfortunate accident. Was the "AIRBAG LIGHT" on in the dash (like my A6) before the accident?
  • chriscosmochriscosmo Member Posts: 2
    No, but at few months back it came on for a few minutes while I had some problems with my turbo which caused the maintance light to come on as well.
  • a4driver2a4driver2 Member Posts: 1
    There are multiple intertia sensors in your car that go off based on a change of inertia in the car. It is a pretty advanced system that will only deploy the airbags if necessary. The reasoning is as follows:

    Why have the airbag deploy if it is not needed? It will only cause potential injury and costs to replace.
  • poc01poc01 Member Posts: 1
    My 2004 Audi avant transmission seems to slip all of the time. It is most noticable in traffic and it seems to slip back but also it can plunge forward. I have never been so aware of a transmission in my 36 years of driving. Nothing about the transmisiion is smooth or easy I feel like it is always struggling or can't make up its mind which gear it wants to be in. I really can't stand driving the car so I am about to take a big loss selling a car only 1 year old but I have no choice because the dealer say all of this is normal. If this is normal then people who pay 40,000.00 for a car must have very low expectations?
  • duffy4duffy4 Member Posts: 18
    I have had a few nagging problems with my new 2005 a6 4.2. The advance key switch has had to be replaced two times inthe first 5k miles. I have also had the gas tank indicator go to zero two times. My car has been in the shop for 1 week. Anyone else having these problems?
  • liferulesliferules Member Posts: 531
    Duffy4, I've heard from others on other forums with similar advanced key issues. It is too bad that the reliability there is suffering. Hopefully they will get all the issues resolved and fix the problem for the owners soon.

    I have had a problem with a warning light for "adaptive light defective", and was told by my SA that this has happened to other customers. It required replacing my front lighting assembly (after permission from AOA).

    Otherwise, (knock on wood), I have had no true mechanical problems (the light problem was merely a warning light, as the lights still worked) on my A6. Lets hope the spoken plan of improved reliability is lived up to...
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