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There may be a 25K extension of the factory warranty available for a few $$$.$$ -- from Audi.
Then you would have a 75k policy -- as I recall you must have the car be "in warranty" and all service records and intervals current.
And yes I saw several "old" Audis just today and they seem fine -- of course I base this assumption because they were being driven at the time here in 93 degree Cincinnati with their windows up, which I assume means that their AC is even working. Just recall the few posters
who have had 5 figure repair needs OUT OF WARRANTY. Admittedly it has been a minority, but I keep insurance on all the important stuff -- and think that this may be a prudent course of action -- IF it is indeed avail to you.
And I am crossing my fingers!
I follow this board for a couple of reasons, beyond sheer entertainment: 1) Is there anyone who has owned an Audi for long enough to have accumulated six figures of mileage and still thinks it's worth having?, and 2) I was very pleased with my Audi rentals last year in Europe (twice), and am willing to give the brand the benefit of the doubt.
On item (1) I'm still waiting, and suspect that I will be for some time. Regarding item (2), it's clear that these people can build good cars.
Always hopeful. . .
It seems most of the people on this forum discuss 0-4 year old cars. High mileage cars are usually older than that. You may have already checked out the form on Audi World for older A6s (I have not). In case you might be interested, here is a link:
http://forums.audiworld.com/a6100/
Cheers,
m.
It doesn't cover everything, has a $100.00 per visit deductible on covered items.
Is this extra warranty a waste of money? It is like buying many other forms of insurance. I guess you could ask yourself.... how many repairs does $2300 pay for on the Audi 2.7T? At $88.00/hr. labor + parts markup, it won't take long!
Thanks for your input.
One medium "issue" would easily cost 4 figures to repair.
Even something relatively minor like changing the xenon headlight runs $300-$400 for the part and atleast $100 labor.
I have also been informed that changing out the 5-speed tiptronic runs almost $9000!! The dealer doesn't see the "tip" die often, but they do see it happen.
I plan to keep my 2.7T for 100,000 miles or more if possible, so I decided to try the extended warranty route.
http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/comparison/articles/71177/article.html
Happy Trails...
I bring my car to dealership ( "Audi of Huntington Valley" in Philadelphia) and 4 days they are trying(?...) to determine what the problem is.
Is somebody had any electrical problems in Audi 2002?
Has anyone done an assessment of the recommended service intervals and determined maintenance items that could/should be done more frequently?
By the way - I remain very pleased with this car (2.7T, 6-speed).
Personal opion/observation....
Love the car, it replace my '96 Infinity I35T which my wife now drives (we are dumping her old minivan - so she is thrilled!).
I appreciate all the great insights that this site offers and it is only Links list now so I can check often.
Thanks for the input! (I'll let you all know what I'm up to later, hint: remember the oil leak)
I have the navigation system and despite it's small screen and no moving map, it has been remarkable, 98+% reliable and very easy to use. I wouldn't leave home without it.
The reliable comment would be true of any system that uses the Bosch Maps -- I cannot comment on others. Audi and Merc use Boshc and the maps are updated annually, which helps, but from time to time the instruction says proceed to the nearest road when I think I am on what should be a recognized road. Doesn't happen often but it has happened a couple of times and hence the 98+% remark.
Have you ever brought the 4.2 up to limiter speed, probably about 125 mph? The fastest I have experienced w/2.7T is 107 mph w/ lots left!
Do you believe the limiter is just a "stop" on the pedal wire or is it more sophisticated than that?
I have driven every one of them to at least triple digits -- the problem is I will not do so in anything other than very light traffic, for obvious reasons. Here in Cincinnapolis, it is, sorry to say, pretty hard to feel responsible and safe at speeds above 80 anymore (traffic is thick, that is). So many cars, going way too fast for their capabilities. I am 51 and hope I am only half way done, if you get my drift.
When I am going 80+ and am passed, regularly, by the modern day equivalent of a Pinto, I get scared -- and I'm fearless. And it is strange, this car is almost always driven by a twelve year old wearing a ballcap that is on his head backwards.
Somebody save me.
P.S. the only thing that really bothers me anymore is "passing on the right." I think jail time is the appropriate punishment for such behavior. Yet goin 70 in a 55 will get you in a heck of a lot more trouble with the police.
After driving in Germany and reading the book, "American Autobahn" I am firmly convinced that the single most dangerous (sober) driving "technique" is passing on the right. I can think of NO excuse for this behavior. But, the left lane bandit is a problem -- don't you think?
He then flew by me and I decided to let him play cop-bait and hang back while he cleared the path.
I was concentrating so hard that when I looked at the speedo minutes later I was indicating 102. It felt little different from 80--Audi makes truly great high-speed machinery. I backed off a little but I would've had a great excuse--"Officer, I mistook the route marker for the speed limit"(it was Rte 101).
I agree with you Mark about the junk that travels @ high-speeds on our roads. It is truly scary when you are for example, passed on the right by a semi doing 85. There are quite a few posters in here that think it's cool to do triple digits driving minvans, small pickups and the like (see "How fast would you drive if the interestates were deregulated?")
You're right as well about passing on the right (strictly verboten on the Autobahn) but given the number of LLCs there is often no alternative.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
The feeling of safety at high speed that you get in Germany on the autobahn is, I am certain, because of the simple practice of passing only on the left.
Those of us who would like the interstate speed limits increased by say 10 - 20 MPH would only "vote" for such an increase if there would be a crackdown on passing on the right. Huge fines, not for speed, but for improper passing would pave the way for a rise in average speed -- and do so safely.
Hmm, maybe a night in jail for second offense passing on the right -- then we could really crank up the speed on our American Autobahns.
Right now, though -- I feel absolutely unsafe at any speed (with apologies to Ralph Nader) in heavy freeway traffic because you never know "which lane the lunatics are going to be in and pass on." And, no state highway patrol person seems keen on ticketing for passing on the right.
We need lane discipline -- big time.
Now back to Audi discussions, already in progress.
Now I drive 55-60 mph in the left lane behind someone who couldn't even pass the driver's test again!
I took the car in for service today for the brakes. There was a definite shimmy when the brakes were applied at over 70mph. They turned the front discs which were "scratched" and were slightly warped. The problem has diminished but is still present. How have other readers corrected this problem, or is this going to be a recurrent problem?
Thanks for your input.
But since you will be the one that have to look at it everytime before you get into the car. How do YOU like it? I think that's more important.
If you have a pre-'02 2.7T or a 4.2, warped rotors are very common. Last time I had access to a TSB on the issue, it said to try turning the rotors first, if not successful, they will be replaced.
I happened to see an article in the Aug. 5 issue of AutoWeek (traditional, paper version - I think it is on-line also) where they drove an Allroad with a selection of modifications that sound like some you are considering. If you have not already seen it, you might be interested.
Just f.y.i.
Cheers,
- Ray
Who is still hoping that someone will market a W8 cat back system . . .
I liked it and still plan some modifications -- I am not totally up to speed on what I need to get the "biggest bang for the buck." A chip? Yes no brainer. 18" wheels and 245 45 x 18 tires? Yes, ditto. New exhaust? Maybe. Bypass valves? Again, maybe. "Y" pipe? Beats me.
I have sent e-mails requesting information -- so far the biggie is the chip -- which I have had experience with -- in a 2000 1.8T that was in my wife's TT (+20% HP and +40% torque).
I've not seen anyone here on edmunds who has chipped his/her 2.7T, but I understand it is pretty common on the S4 which, as you know, has (had) essentially the identical 2.7T under the hood.
The "bypass valves" appear to reduce turbo lag greatly -- which I imagine would be a very good thing once the 2.7T has been "stage one" chipped.
Anyway the chipping and valving etc would be under $1000 -- the exhaust is over $1600 and provides minimal power effect although it does provide some sound, a little HP and some cosmetic changes -- when coupled with a chip the effect is at least an addtional 10HP, but the chip, by itself, adds 58HP -- seems pretty pricey for a small gain especially since I will have at most a 36 month lease.
The wheels and tires, too are over $1500 but the handling improvement is supposed to be quite noticable and positive.
So, I solicit your advice -- chip alone, chip + "valves", chip + valves + exhaust?
Wheels and tires seem like an easy decision. . .so that really is not a question.
If you have any experience with your 2.7T, I would be all ears, as the saying goes.
I have chipped only 1 of the Audis I leased -- the dealer did it for me. Some dealers are offering chipped and otherwise modified cars as "dealer/performance" options. My dealer will, from time to time, put ground effects, aftermarket wheels, tires, etc. on cars and mark them up -- they go fast.
I have put suspension modifications -- full S8 suspension on an A8 -- the dealer did it for me, I ordered the parts from Joe Hoppen Motorsports. When the parts came in they were in an Audi box and the writing on them was in German. My dealer sells wheels to "dress up" or for performance purposes -- both Porsches and Audis. One of the local VW dealers adds ground effects and "recaro-like" seats, and leather interiors on cars that don't come (to the US) with leather.
I belong -- and have for over 10 years -- to the Audi Car Club (formerly the quattro club of America). Many of the members have put suspension mods, turbo mods, (one guy put a supercharger on his 2.8 A4 -- and his dealer in Huston did the work), plus tire./wheel mods etc.
I have been to the "TT gathering" where almost 100 TT's came together in one spot at the same time from all over -- 3/4 of them were in some way modified -- sound systems, engine mods, ground effects, special paint.
I read, regularly, the Audiworld pages -- lots of mods there.
OK, the point: the club, the dealer, the folks at the Audi driving school in Austria, are well aware of mods. One of the Audi Car Club's members was a "tuner" and he was given a special Mule S6+ car in 1997 -- it was an Audi "200" with a small block V8 engine and a whole bunch of dials and gizmos to adjust the performance of the car while it was being driven. His specialty was the "breathing" of Audi engines -- which he claimed was the cheapest and safest way to increase performance of Audis. I have not tracked down an official Audi exec to speak to the issue of mods. But, then again, there are mods and there are mods.
My 1997 A8 with the S8 suspension and plus 0 tires and "sport air cleaner." I turned the car in, near the end of the lease (4 months to go or so) to the dealer I leased the car from and remember this was the dealer who modded it. The car barely lasted a week on the used car lot.
My first and so far only chipped Audi, a 2000 TT was traded in 7 months after my wife leased it on a 2001 TT with the 225HP engine, ESP, and the "new" suspension system that Audi replaced the original TT suspension system with. Again, the dealer had installed the chip, and the car sold "instantly."
The cars that I have had "aftermarket" wheels on, I traded in, as is. The 1987 5000 CS quattro had a Nak-speaker stereo system and a Blaupunkt aftermarket head unit and amp -- dealer took it in on trade, no questions asked.
Now, I have never put anything that would generally be considered extreme or "tacky" on any of my leased cars. And, yes, IF my new allroad wheels would fit on the next car, I would probably keep them. My track record on wheels is that what will fit on a 2003 allroad, probably will not fit on the upcoming 2005 A6 TT, which could be in my future -- or perhaps an S4 will be in my future -- and probably the wheels won't "translate from one to the next."
The dealer has been helpful across the board. As to the warranty -- there are many discussions over on audiworld -- my impression is that if something you do causes a failure -- you eat it. My fellow club member who supercharged his A4 has a radiator problem which caused overheating -- there was no provable relationship between the supercharger and the radiator -- Audi fixed it.
The exhaust system, both because of its price and minimal effect on performance is something I would have to have some evidence (persuasive) about to seriously consider.
I had not considered chipping to be something that I would "take out" of the car when I traded it in -- nor do I think it should be, even if it could be, hidden from the dealer.
Indeed, as a final point, if you contact Joe Hoppen, he will direct you to the dealers he works with to install his aftermarket parts, if driving to Florida is not something you care to do.
The car clubs seem to be teeming with folks who mod and who rely on Audi dealers for help. Like everything else, it appears that there are mod friendly and non mod friendly dealers.
There are two BMW dealers here in Cincinnati, and one of them, also, appears to be "into" modification of his customers cars.
Now, if I put flame decals on the car and turned it in that way, I assume I would be "dinged" big time. Wheelsand tires, a chip and possibly a valve or two, tinting the back windows (slightly), and keeping everything tasteful and "impossible" to detect unless you know what you're looking for. . .that's my motto.
So the question remains -- anyone on this board had experience chipping his/her A6 2.7T?
Thanks.
The Audi service advisor stated that "any" modification to the engine would void the warranty. I don't believe this dealer does much custom work like markcincinnati mentioned about his local Audi dealer.
I talked with a service tech at Carousel Audi here in Minneapolis and this guy happens to be a "chip" enthusiast on the side.
Bob is looking for someone who might want to "chip" a 6-speed Allroad. He seems to know all about the issues and technical info concerning Audi and modifying the 2.7T.
Bob could be e-mailed to "service@carouselautomobiles.com" Write for Bob in Audi service.
He is an individual who works in Audi service who happens to be an Audi enthusiast as a hobby.Bob would be a good source of info about Audi chipping, he put one in his own A4 and seemed to be happy with the results.
Based only on this admittedly anecdotal information and personal experience, I would say that Audis -- probably because they are turbo charged (unlike BMW's and most Mercedes) -- attract owners who are pro modifications. Again based only on my own narrow experiences and conversations and readings on the various forums -- most dealers "appear" to encourage or at least condone such behavior.
I am certain official Audi of America policy must be to at least "caution" dealers and owners of the possibilities of denied warranty claims -- especially if a direct, blatant cause and effect relationship can be gleaned. On the other hand, Audi (AG) seems to "celebrate" its owners passion for their cars -- indeed MTM and ABT are huge Audi tuning companies -- they work WITH Audi engineers. And quattro GMBH (?) is now THE high performance "division" -- of der mother company.
Since I don't believe in common sense, I am at a loss of how to describe a "reasonable" (i.e., low risk) blanket definition of how to mod your Audi. I would say common sense modifications are very low warranty risks, if I believed in CS.
The TT that had been modded to 350HP would not fit into that category IMO. In other words, so many things were modded to get from 225HP to 350HP that the warranty is probably at pretty high risk of NOT being honored.
The TT or S4 or 2.7T with a relatively mild "stage 1" chip, however, probably -- I say probably -- will have no more warranty issues than a non chipped version.
At least this has been my personal experience and the experience of many folks I have talked with and read their posts (on the web).
Clearly if I'd been wined & dined by the manufacturer of whatever car I owned (or rented), my opinion of it might be swayed.
Or not.
Audi co-sponsors the driving school -- in the form of a subsidy of the cost (of about 50%).
The classes have to be enrolled in at least one year in advance, sometimes up to two years in advance, they are always near the end of January. You are responsible for your round trip airfare. Audi picks up your living, dining and driving costs and hosts you in the executive dining room at Audi AG for lunch with VP level execs. A factory guided tour and visits to the Audi museum, Audi boutique and Audi showcase are included in this three day program. The cost, is a peanut -- for it includes the driving school, three nites in a five star hotel and all your meals (including drinks) at a 5 star restaurant. Cost in US dollars is about $1200-1300 depending on exchange rate. It is a fantastic vacation.
My wife and I have attended and driven in the school 4 times and have taken the plant tour 6 times and have attended and not driven with the club members once.
We have -- one time -- been Audi's guests 100% paid for on a trip to Switzerland to attend the Women's down hill skiing events in St. Moritz. This trip included air fare, spending money and all meals including a black tie affair to thank 50 customers from all over the world for their business over the years. My wife and I have purchased over two dozen Audis -- at least two people seated at our table (also from the US) had owned 50 Audis each. Audi treats its loyal customers very well.
The programs both paid and comp'd have, to my knowlege, no rival in the auto industry. One gentleman who was with his Audi driving wife quipped, "Mercedes just sells me the cars, they certainly don't treat me like this!" Another one said, I have purchased over 30 Fords and they won't even buy me a damn glass of beer."
Audi, and this is ONLY MY OPINION, treats its customers better than any company I have ever dealt with -- and this is including any product or service, not just cars.
The fact that they make among the best cars in the world is just icing on the cake from where I sit.
One trip through the factory (which I made on my own without subsidy the first time) was enough to convice me of the quality of the cars -- and I say this to this day even though I have had my share of problems (mainly with the brake rotors). Nothing even comes close for the price (and that is an important qualifier -- "for the price.")
There is no baker's dozen kind of thing -- I treat them like I want to be treated -- it works (for me, at least).
And although Audi did treat me well, they did not wine and dine me and then I bought 25 cars -- I had had many Audi's for many years before I received such "fringe benefits." I kept on buying their cars, not because they wined and dined me, but because they treated me fairly and had what I considered and still consider the best bargain in the European car market. I owned one BMW a 1988 325ix which was a great car -- but it cost more to maintain it than it did in lease payments. BMW for me was my first car to have $100 oil changes -- and, my last. Audi picks up all the maintenance on my cars, since 1988 -- the same year as my last (and first) BMW. Beauty Money Wealth -- too rich for my blood and not much good on anything other than dry pavement (and remember my 325ix was all wheel drive).
I think BMWs are great and greatly priced -- to repeat, Audi "for the money, nothing even comes close."
Steve you seem so cynical or perhaps incredulous sometimes. I assure you that I am not affiliated with Audi in any way other than being a loyal customer. It might work for you too.
Or not.