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Good luck...
Getting Some Lemon-Aid From Your Lemon Maker
After the February incident, Baillargeon Audi in Euless, TX. charged $287.61 to repair it!!! They suggested that whomever had last changed my oil had not secured the splash pan adequately. WRONG! The oil change place assured me that they had secured it.
The next time the oil was changed (9/05), I took the car to a different place and personally ENSURED that they SECURED the SPLASH PAN TIGHTLY, after I told them what had previously happened. They told me that the splash pan was not going ANYWHERE, and I watched as they tightened it the 2nd time, just to make sure.
Sure enough, the splash pan AGAIN came off under the vehicle while my sister was driving my parents on the freeway. It is a miracle no one was killed. Again, I had to pay for towing, etc. This time, I had the car taken to University Park Audi. The service people there said that the splash pan was missing 3 screws (which I KNOW had been attached, as I saw them), and that the likely reason the splash pan continues to come off is because the front end of the 1998 A-6 sits SO LOW to the ground. Thus, every time I park against a curb or hit a small bump in the road, the splash pan hits the ground, loses screws, and ultimately falls off. The dealership service folks said that this low front end problem has been fixed in newer models, but persists in older models.
No doubt, this problem will continue to occur, and I pray that no one is seriously injured or killed next time.
HAS ANYONE ELSE HAD THIS PROBLEM?????
After the February incident, Baillargeon Audi in Euless, TX. charged $287.61 to repair it!!! They suggested that whomever had last changed my oil had not secured the splash pan adequately. The oil change place assured me that they had secured it.
The next time the oil was changed (9/05), I took the car to a different place and personally ENSURED that they SECURED the SPLASH PAN TIGHTLY, after I told them what had previously happened. They told me that the splash pan was not going ANYWHERE, and I watched as they tightened it the 2nd time, just to make sure.
Sure enough, the splash pan AGAIN came off under the vehicle while my sister was driving my parents on the freeway. It is a miracle no one was killed. Again, I had to pay for towing, etc. This time, I had the car taken to University Park Audi. The service people there said that the splash pan was missing 3 screws (which I KNOW had been attached, as I saw them), and that the likely reason the splash pan continues to come off is because the front end of the 1998 A-6 sits SO LOW to the ground. Thus, every time I park against a curb or hit a small bump in the road, the splash pan hits the ground, loses screws, and ultimately falls off. The dealership service folks said that this low front end problem has been fixed in newer models, but persists in older models.
No doubt, this problem will continue to occur, and I pray that no one is seriously injured or killed next time. Is this the same as the A6 Underbody Engine Cover???? Any suggestions?
My alternator failed again for the second time in just over one year. In fact, it was just two days after the one year warranty period! The dealer replaced the first alternator with a rebuilt Bosch unit and charged almost $1500 to replace it last year, which my warranty company paid minus the deductible. This year, I had another repair shop do it for about $500. The mechanic explained that the alternator had frozen up and was dirty and probably damaged from road water, salt and other contaminents. So, my advice from this experience is to keep the belly pan. It pays to price shop, even the dealer. I got two different quotes at different times from the same dealer. Ebay and some Audi parts companies may have it for less.
- The original owner pointed out that the check engine light is on and has been on for some time. He told me that the dealer couldn't find any problem with the car (and it runs fine with no warning messages), but that it would cost a bundle to reset the sensors and get the light reset. Should I pay it for the peace of mind?
- The car seems to be in perfect working order. Should I take it to a mechanic for a thourough inspection? Should it be an Audi dealership?
- Do you really put premium gas in it?
- Any helpful hints generally?
Thanks for your help. Best, Richard
I follow the service recommendations except that I get the oil changed at 5000 miles and the tires rotated at the same time. This has been a worthwhile investment in my opinion. Sometime ago there was a lengthy dialogue on this site regarding the merit of frequent oil changes. My view is the 10,000 recommendation is a compromise between Audi engineering, the marketing people who wanted to offer free maintenance during the warranty period, and the budget realists.
I also always use premium. The car has done well. Nearly five years and right at 70,000 miles. No mechanical problems. I did have a starting problem which turned out to be an intermittent electrical problem with a sensor somewhere. I also had a cracked window rail which made the window impossible to close electrically - it needed a push.
I'm in the market for a new car but this is too much fun. Good luck.
I called my nearest Audi service center and asked them for recommendations for any necessary service and to help me get on a routine schedule. I am hoping that if I take care of the little problems and service it regularly, it will stay in good shape.
It is obviously fun and educational for me to chat about the car, so please let me know if you have any other thoughts. Best, Richard
What is the problem - Motor, regulator or switch?
This is only the second real problem I have had with the car in 30K miles and I bought it used at 45K miles.
Love the car but won't use dealer due to $$$$$. I use Universal Imports as they are much easier to deal with and they are a little less than dealer prices.
With winter in Rochester, this is an important issue. Thanks
John
The last visit the service writer suggested it was a safety feature! Nice, for a 45K car. Since my lease is up shortly, I will not get to follow this saga any longer.
There is a reason for the "check engine" light, it should be investigated.
The car does seem to run better on Premium and the engine is designed for 92+ octane.
As far as the Audi dealer inspecting the car, your post sounds like you have already purchased the vehicle. I would havew the oil changed immediately and monitor all fluid levels weekly when filling w/fuel. For service, I have used local independent mechanics and the dealer, depending on the problem with the car and the warranty status of the issue.
Usually, a good local mechanic that knows the Audi will charge less than the dealer with his sky-high overhead situation.
Whatever you do, do NOT ever bring your Audi under any circumstances to a 10-minute oil change place, they don't understand your car, (or any car, IMHO) and you will be sorry.
I would change to 0w-40 full synthetic oil, noticed a big difference in winter starts and takeoff.
I have had pretty good luck. 30K miles this year and only repair work was frozen caliper. Pricey fix at about $600 for new caliper and brake job.
Anyway, things are back to running correctly and I am happy.
John
Bought a used 2003 A6 2.7T from a dealer about 3 weeks ago, the car is great, but I am experiencing a few problems, any help advice would be appreciated.
1. There is a vibration between 45mph and above, seems like wheel balancing, could it be something else?
2. the horn does not work, however the panic mode does sound off, and do does the wimpy one in the back when you alarm the car
3. A warning light went on, this was for the auto leveling headlights, but it went on only once, and now does not comeback, so is everything ok then?
Any ideas if the above items are covered by warranty? I have the Certified upto 100k warranty, the car has 52k miles on it right now.
Thanks
The round navigation scroll wheel on the MMI has come completely loose (as in, it comes off in your hand) and needs to be repaired or replaced.
Can anyone advise if they have had (or heard) of this problem; and how long this type of repair will take and if they need the car over night?
That's astonishing. How did you discover that?
There may be another reason too for the battery being weak. The A6 has software which controls when the battery is charged, and how soon the recharging process is commanded to commence.
I found this out after I kept noticing that the battery level indicator in the MMI would show that the battery was very low despite my having driven the car for one hour and a half -- more than enough time to charge it up past the levels the MMI screen displayed.
Audi did a software adjustment No problem since. This might have been covered in a TSB, not sure (Audi technical service bulletin).
In any event, you may want to ask your dealer whether or not your car's battery management software was checked during prior visits for service.
-Paul
Do you know if they had to take apart any of the floor mounted console, and replace the underlying scroll stylus that the wheel mates with, or did they just glue (?) another scroll wheel on?
You mentioned volume in your post. Are you talking about the little console mounted volume wheel on the right hand side, or the larger, centrally mounted MMI main control scroll wheel?
I am a bit concerned that such an integral part would be failing so soon in its service life. I would like to see Audi extend the warranty for the MMI. I would also like to say premium gas at $1.75 a gallon. Which do you think is more likely?
;-)
I could not agree more. Very good advice and your analysis is right on, IMO.
By the way, starting this month, my Audi dealer in Southern California will start using ELF brand full synthetic oil -- Excellium LDX 5W-40. This oil was made to meet Audi's exact specifications for the late model A6 engines (They have other grades that match other VW/Audi engines as well). Based on my research and conversations with distributors, this is the "Ferrari" of Motor Oils. It appears superlative in every respect.
The only two worthy competitors would be Mobil 1 Extended Performance (0W-40) and Amsoil (5W-40) -- both of which are true, PAO ester based synthetics. All the others including Castrol Syntec, Valvoline SynPower, and even the standard Mobil 1 now contain quantities of highly refined organic crude oils.
Given that this ELF Excellium Synthetic was specially formulated for and produced at the request of VW/Audi (and thus has their formal seal of approval), and that it's a 5W-40 pure synthetic*, and that ELF (Europe's Oil Comanies Total/Fina and Motul brand oils) has decades of Formula 1 race car experience and oil manufacturing, I will be going with the ELF at my 5,000 mile interval, and every 5k after that. The best oil, and prudent drain intervals, equate to the cheapest engine longevity insurance money can buy. That's my humble opinion, anyway.
(*If I lived in sub-freezing Northern climates I might consider the 0W-40 Mobil 1 Extended during the frigid winter months)
I happen to know about a couple plans. My local area German independent repair shop, serving BMW, Mercedes, and Porsche sells it. It's called MILLENENIUM Automotive Protection Plan. They have various coverages from just the power train to complete bumper to bumper.
I also know that GEICO sells them too, though you need to have a traditional automobile insurance policy (collision, liability, etc) with them first, before they will sell you the mechanical break down insurance. Their "MBI" insurance may just be for newer cars -- I am not sure. http://geico.com/auto/safety/mbi.htm
Let me say quite clearly that I know NOTHING about the quality of these plans whatsoever, good or bad. Having said that, at least we have all heard of Geico.
Let us know if you are able to find a good plan. I will certainly want one if I decide to keep my 2005 A6 after the warranty ends. I have heard that Audi's get very expensive to maintain!
Here's some of what GEICO says about their plan:
GEICO’s Mechanical Breakdown Insurance (MBI) is designed to protect you from these bumps along the road. After a $250 deductible, MBI covers repairs to all mechanical parts of the car - except for maintenance and wear and tear. That means you'll never be saddled with unanticipated and expensive repair bills.
Special Protection For New Cars: MBI is specially designed to protect your new or leased car that is less than 15 months old and with less than 15,000 miles. Once you've purchased MBI, you can renew it for up to seven years or 100,000 miles (whichever comes first).
Better Than An Extended Warranty: GEICO’s MBI provides better coverage and is cheaper than the typical dealer extended warranty. MBI coverage: Includes all parts and systems-not just the specific list of items covered by most dealer warranties. Saves you money. You pay only a small premium each policy period-not a large lump-sum payment up front. Lets you get your car repaired wherever you like.
I've heard of great warranty companies on the forums but when discussing them with my service rep, was told they hated them and had difficulty getting them to pay the going rate for mechanic repairs, etc... so it pays to ask around. That being said, I also have heard that Honda Motor Corp offers extended warranties on certain manufacturers, including Audi. I've been eyeing it myself lately...
I loved driving the A6 and although I can get a newer A4 for the same price, its just not quite the same feeling......
Comments, Suggestions..?
I think that down deep you already know the answer. This car is trouble. Walk away from this one; better yet, run!
I doubt that I would buy a used Audi that was more than 3 or 4 years old, and then only with a solid warranty attached.
I am sure that there are better cars out there. Keep searching ... you'll find one.
I have an appointment to have Audi take a look and hopefully fix. Does anyone know anything about this (these) issues? Expensive? Difficult?
Today, I got the good news. Obviously, Audi stepped up and made a commitment to me to make me a satisfied customer. The deal should be done, that is, I can choose my replacement and have it delivered in mid-Jan. A couple of words of advice when dealing with Audi.
1. Be professional, if you are angry, don't show it, I think they'd have told me to pound sand if I'd have started yelling at them, then this thing would have taken much longer with lawyers etc...they didn't HAVE to do this right away like this, this could have been a dog fight.
2. I told them how much I love my Audi, and do! And how much I just wanted it to be right. They concurred and told me that they wanted to make me a satisfied customer since this is my first Audi.
3. I told them I wanted to be a loyal customer and wasn't interested in taking the money and buying a competitor.
Now obviously, they can't buy back everybody's car, but I was happy to see them make a strong commitment to me about what Audi is about and trying to do with their new models.
So that's it, a happy ending so far. Since I get an 06, I've noticed some option packages have changed which I should be getting a little more car for about the same money.
That's great news! I'm happy to hear that AOA is taking customer satisfaction seriously. This goes a long way in making future buyers more confident in Audi.
I love Audis .This is my sixth(A6) and I was waiting for my new lease to arrive this week. I was 3,000 miles over the 50,000 warranty, never had a problem and had all regular maintenance, when I broke down. The dealer says its a $6000 repair bill in order to turn in the car. First they said it was the fuel pump,Now it is also the timing chain and they have to rebuild all six cylindrer heads. My research says that they don't even recommend looking at timing belts till 90,000. The dealer won't budge and I have lodged my complaints with Audi of America. They say they will get back to me on Tuesday!
ANY thoughts?
PLUs they have a $500 deposit on the next lease
error codes. If the vehicle is under the emissions warranty limit ( 70K or 80K miles depending upon who you talk to) you
wont have to worry. If not, the repair expense could exceed $350. Physically replacing the part is simple, but it needs to be tuned to the on-board electronics and requires about 1 hr labor at a dealership. :sick:
Never again