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Sedans Audi A6 Audi A6 Maintenance and Repair
1202 messages, Last post on Nov 30, 2009 at 6:58 AM
You are in the Audi A6 Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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Replying to: stephanie5073 (Nov 07, 2009 2:49 pm) Please forgive me for saying this but: Don't ever apologize for things that you don't understand. It's your car, your money and if it does not work it's your car/responsibility,OK.  Now lets see if we can shed some light on the problem. a. You have the same car I just purchased in August of 09. I've worked in the Auto industry as a service adviser for ten years. My experience covers Porsche, Mercedes Benz, Volvo, Toyota, Fiat, Ford, Chevrolet,BMW and a 1932 Ford coupe. b. I hope you've since got your car back and it's working now and it did not cost you an arm and leg. I say that because when you tell all of us that "You brought your car in to a shop 5 wks ago and they replaced your right timing chain and the problem is still there, you must know that you got taken. Not Good !! unless you have really deep pockets.  So here are some first rules for "Novice Car Owners": "Knowledge earns Respect" Believe me when I say that Automotive technicians & service advisers will respect you more if you can show them you have knowledge about your vehicle. a. There's another web page on the net, which I am not affiliated with, called "The Car Bible" Go there start reading as often as you can, learn as much as you can, take notes, make a folder and use it as a reference for your next trip to "THE SHOP" Purpose: If you don't want to spend a fortune on repairs then you need to get smart about your Vehicle/investment. b. Take or call your local "Audi Dealership" and ask them to print out the entire list of features on your car from the Vehilce ID document with the chassis number on it. Take it home, read it top to bottom, become familiar with what you have and what you don't have. Don't worry about all those codes in the left column. It did not cost me anything, you should not have to pay for that either. c. This is really the first rule: Don't ever assume that "The Shop" or New car Dealerships know everything about every car they sell or service. d. If you just recently bought this car and it was purchased from a dealership, hopefully Audi, that's where you should take the car. Why because even though it's four years old, it "Might have a warranty". VW & Audi have an internal Warranty program, Car Life and Car Plus, and if you purchased your car from Audi then you may very well have purchased and paid for a warranty when you purchased the car. Go to the Audi Web page http://www.audius.com/ and read all the information on the Audi Warranties, Car Life and Car Plus. Also check your purchase contract and see if they gave you a certificate for a warranty. e. If you have a warranty from Audi then it should cover a number if things. I have a Car Plus warranty for two years and it covers complete drive train, electrical items except for normal wear and tear parts like brake pads, mufflers etc. f. Find a friend who knows allot about vehicles and computers that you can trust. Why because it's going to take you a while, 6 months or so to get smart about what you purchased. The Audi A6 year 2005 is a "New Generation Vehicle" for Audi it has more computers in it than most small business, fiber optic cables, computer programs that run everything from the head lights to the engine and transmission. This is not really a bad thing because it helps to makes the car more efficient, safe and reliable. OK, at the moment you've got a problem, a noise, from under the hood. But as they say in Germany "The word (Auto) starts AOW and ends with OHHHHHHHH". g. Here's your first question when you return to the dealership: What did the Error Control Units (ECU) error codes tell them about the potential problem with your car? Why this question ! Because everything that's important in that car works off of electricity & computers that store "Error Codes" in memory chips that tell the technicians what the cars been doing. And the only time that information gets read is when they (Audi) hook there test computer to the plug under the steering wheel and read the codes. Note: At this point I'm not sure exactly how we should proceed, , is your car in the shop or is it fixed. So please be patient, as I don't have any magic dust, it's difficult at best from where I sit to diagnose your "Noise Problem", so my suggestions will have to remain general and for future use. Actually, Stephanie, I think I'll stop now as, I'm tired. I hope you get the idea and that I have not offended you. You've purchased a great car. I had a BMW for 20 years and I put thousands in it before buying this A6. It's the greatest Automobile I've ever owned. You certainly have good taste. And taking care of "THE CAR" is part of the deal.  PS: If this is still an issue drop me a line with more information. Best Regards jkAudiA6 |
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Replying to: allmet33 (Mar 20, 2009 7:49 am) I've had my A6 Quattro since Aug 09, a 2005 model, First sold in July 04. I mention this first as that's the transition date in Europe for the "New Generation Model"I,E,.The larger grill and longer chassis/body styling with the Audi designation code (4F C6) or similar. I'm not sure the cooling fan is the origin of this noise, my sound is more like a Werrrrrr! (Winding down) as you mentioned. The cooling fans in my A6 are mounted on the rear side of the radiator and activated by Temperature sensors which monitor general engine temperature. My sound only occurs during engine shut down not during normal driving. The Coolant temperature is regulated by the Thermostat in the water/coolant system. So ! if your "Engine Temp Gauge is within Normal Operation range then two things must apply; A. The Thermostat is working (opening and closing) based on Coolant water temperature. B. The overall Engine Temperature is in a nominal range so the Fans are not even activated to pull additional air through the Radiator thereby reducing the coolant/Eng.Temp. That's why I don't think it's a Radiator Cooling Fan noise. My ears tell me it originates from the middle of the car, which leads me to believe it's a normal Audi Transmission noise. Personally I like to think it sounds more like a Airliner Turbine Engine Shut down. Final note, if you have the vehicle maintenance records, from the dealer/previous owner you will be better informed about your new purchase.  Sounds to me as though you have sensitive hearing as I do, not always an advantage when it comes to complex mechanical devices. Or to put it another way: Don't worry Be Happy Best regards jkAudiA6
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Replying to: jodar (Jan 12, 2005 9:24 pm) Ref: "Just a Vanity Cover & Serves no purpose" Another confirmation "Ethics Gone astray" that car owners should take to heart.  I've worked as a service adviser for ten plus years and I always took pride in the fact that I wanted to find the problem that would make the customer (a.) happy (b.) want to come back. But I found that on two different occasions in my "Service Adviser Years" the dealers did not want us to spend to much time searching for a noise or the reason a part feel off. Quiet simply, it just does not pay. In all fairness to the dealerships the service department, most often, is the only constant income and the technicians are on a commission bases as are the parts guys and Service Advisers. More to the point, that Ground cover as it's referred to in Formula One Racing is critical to the overall Aerodynamic Coefficient performance of the Vehicle. Audi would not spend money on a part if it was not needed to improve performance and efficiency. The answer you got is a joke don't you think:  Think about it ! how many people do you know that would actually crawl under a car, for "Vanities Sake" to look at your Ground cover?  Final Note: In the middle upper and pure luxury class vehicles you are getting new technologies and your paying a price for that. What they, the Mfg's, don't tell you is that these toys are Highly technical machines and need, in some cases special tools including computers and software to diagnose and replace parts. Notice I did not say repair parts. To put it another way! "the throw away mentality of the early seventies, developed in Japan, has reached the Automotive industry." If mine ever falls off, you can bet I'll go back and pick it up, first because it's mine and second because it probably cost more than I want to pay to replace it. These are the primary reason's I try to learn as much as I can about my $60,000 Dollar Vehicle before I accept an answer like that. It is, in my opinion, an a-front to ones intelligence to even suggest such a thing. Best Regards jkAudiA6 |
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Replying to: jkaudia6 (Nov 23, 2009 2:29 am) To date, the car is running great, getting ready to turn 75k miles. In the back of my mind, the only real concern I have is the transmission fluid. Everyone affiliated with Audi says the fluid is a lifetime fluid and does not get changed, but in my last two that have had a version of Shiftronic, the fluid required replacement around every 30k miles. Happy Holidays!!! Mike
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Replying to: allmet33 (Nov 27, 2009 6:41 am) Thanks for getting back to me, appreciated it. As it pertains to your Transmission fluid change: I read somewhere on this page somebody had paid 350 Dollars for a Transmission fluid change. Unfortunately I don't remember if it was a 4F/C6 (Our Model) or an older Audi. That price alone would be enough to cause me to follow the Mfg's  recommendation. But I'm old school as it pertains to Oil changes in general. I know technology has advanced and certainly the transmission does not have all the pollution factors of and engine, it's sealed basically. In my Audi Manual I remember reading something about that too.  I've only been on this Forum a short time but my first impression is that most all of the major problems with Audi's are with the previous (pre-July 2004) or older. In the current "Large Grill" model and related Face lifts, the "TipTronic" as it's referred to in Europe is the one to have. Here is a web page that will fill in most of the blanks regarding do's and dont's (The CAR BIBEL.com). As a final note what ultimately got me turned on to the Audi was it's record of the last 8 years at the 24 hour race  Le Man France. With Seven Straight wins taking second place last year after losing to Peugeot. And the Amazing thing was they've won the last two years with a V10 (Cylinder) Diesel. They will be back with an RS15 next year. Save yourself allot of time and gas unless you enjoy conversing with service personnel. Another Web Page I ran in to a couple of weeks ago. " Erwin.com" is an Official Audi Web Page were you can by manuals, tool recommendations, and servicing information on a flat rate basis. If you have enough time for turning your own Screw driver and enjoy it, go to the horses mouth for the write info. Oooooop's Almost forgot: In the Operations manual it say's don't ever downshift into the "S =Sport Mode" unless your ground speed is less than 5 miles/hr." And my tip: "Don't ever use "Sport Mode" unless you've got lot's of room to Stop and no one is in front of you for at least one mile". Not following the first of these two rules will cost you either a new Transmission or speeding ticket/accident. Well Have a great Weekend. Best Regards jkAudiA6
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Replying to: jkaudia6 (Nov 27, 2009 10:47 am) I had mentioned Shiftronic because that's what is is called in the Hyundai vehicles I have owned (02 Sonata & 06 Azera). I have noticed with those cars that as the miles pile up, transmission shifting becomes noticably different (rougher or delayed) and as soon as the fluid has been changed...smooth sailing. The only difference I've noticed in the A6 is when I'm coming to a stop with the car in manual mode. Right when the car is about to come to a stop, the transmission downshifts into 1st and it's a very noticeable downshift (in my Azera you notice nothing), however in auto mode...there is not noticeable downshift into 1st as you come to a stop. Other than that...the car is running GREAT!!! I am actually getting ready to put it in the shop for the 75k mile "tune-up". I will also be replacing my front rotors (got warped when the inspection was done) and new ceramic pads all the way around. I will definitely be checking out the sources you provided. Once again...THANKS!!! Mike |
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Hey Mike, your on line, OK. I've never owned any other cars except American and German. But here's a pointer on Brakes in the A6 Quattro. This car has a curb weight of just over two (2) tons, that's allot of weight to stop. I live in an area with lots of hills, you go up, or you roll down. I found the TipTronic tends not to down shift when rolling down hill, so simply shift to manual mode and down shift to 5 then 4th as the conditions, speed etc. warrants. I'm sure there are differences between Hyundai and Audi in many areas. I consider them trade offs. Your explanation of how the TipTronic shifts while stopping in "Manual Mode" is correct, and normal (two Maybe 3 Seconds), it's manual mode. When the car is standing still the ECU senses that and shifts the trans to 1st Gear.In Automatic mode it is pre-programed based on Parameter Tables stored in the ECU for the Trans but vehicle speed is still considered. Mike Are you pulling my Leg???? WOOOOOOOO STOP, Tune-up and Ceramic Brake Pads with Steel Rotors: Your decision, but I'd give that a bit more consideration: Here's why! a. Ceramic Brake pads will most likely eat your rotors up unless you intend to install Ceramic Rotors as well. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I've never heard of Ceramic brake pads, Rotors yes, I'm not sure what the appropriate composition is for brake pads used with Ceramic Rotors. As for tune-up on an Audi, BMW, Mercedes.......... What are you going to Tune-up? They all have Electronic Ignition, with High Voltage Coils for each Spark Plug. The onboard ECU (Electronic Control Unit) regulates Air Flow, Fuel Volume, Spark Timing, Valve opening and closing, A second Control unit monitors your driving habits as it pertains to shifting of the Transmission and store those perameters in a memory location in the Trans ECU. If your on the 'Audi/VW CarLife or Carlife Plus program, the service intervals are either annually or every two years depending on the last service interval stored in the Service check button on the DASH. For Example, my A6 3.2 l Quattro had 51170 Kilometers (35000 Miles) on it when purchased. First the ECU Error code read out, what has malfunctioned if anything: THEN I'm not do in until next year for 60,000 Kilometer Service, and that's just Oil and Filter, If it turns out to be a major then they would put new Spark plugs in, Air Filter, Interior filter for Air Circulation system, and maybe an Air conditioning Service;i,e, Recharge. The Radiator Anti-Freeze is life time, I believe, that leaves Window Washer Bottle, Brake Fluid Check, Wiper Blades. I'm Sorry, you did not ask me a question. I tend to get carried away with this stuff. jkAudiA6
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Replying to: jkaudia6 (Nov 27, 2009 11:50 am) Yeah...I do go with ceramic pads...yes, ceramic pads can be harder on normal rotors, but that's if you're a hard driver. I've had ceramic pads on my last two cars with no problems at all. I definitely like the idea of less brake dust as opposed to using semi-metallic pads. I do utilize the transmission in manual mode at times to bring the car down from speed. There are differences between the Shiftronic/Tiptronic trannies for sure, but both have seemed bulletproof from what I can gather. The Tiptronic is a faster shifting tranny and geared more for sport-like driving as opposed to the Shiftronic which is merely geared for "spirited" driving. If anything...what I would be getting done is spark plug & timing belt replacement. I guess I'll add getting all the filters replaced at that time as well. I appreciate everything you put out there because it changes the scope of what I was looking at doing before based on what the Audi service advisor was telling me. The only good thing he told me was that the oil change intverval was every 10k miles. Mike
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Replying to: allmet33 (Nov 27, 2009 12:22 pm) Did I mention early on in our first Info exchange that, in my earlier life, I worked as a service adviser? I'm going to keep this short. A. the Audi (July 2004 or later models) A6 3.2 l Quattro does not have a timing belt, it's chain driven between the Crank and Camshafts. b.As for Oil changes, don't use any oil other than what VW/Audi recommend. The current standard is 502 or higher Synthetic only. As for how often the oil is changed has two approaches.I'm paraphrasing here: 1. Either Annual or every XX k miles, which ever comes first, or 2. depending on your chosen guarantee at time of purchase. Go to the Audi web page USA or your operation manual on that. When you do get around to reading from the "CAR Bible" web page they put together a very informative section on Lubricants, and Oil change intervals. Bottom line is VW/Audi MAY NOT cover major component replacement if the Oil changes and servicing were not done in accordance with Mfg's guidelines. That includes the type of oil used. You must certainly know this but in case you don't here's my feed on Dealer and Independent Automotive shops: a. The service department is the primary source of income, especially during poor sales periods. b. The Service advisors, Technicians and parts guys are all on a Base salary plus commission bases. c. The choice between Dealer based service and Independent is a tough call. If you can find an independent that has the necessary diagnostic equipment and software/Training to service your A6 it may or may not be less expensive. It will certainly will void any Mfg's Warranty. I guess this is really the main point: a. In Europe the failure rate for Dealer based service departments is very high as surveyed by ADAC which is the European equivalent of AAA in the States. What this means for everyone driving a car is "If you are not informed about servicing your vehicle the chances are you'll pay for something you did not need. You know the old saying: Have a game plan before you jump in the game.  Good luck JKAudiA6
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Replying to: jkaudia6 (Nov 28, 2009 6:07 am) Thank you again for the insight. I really don't have a problem with going to the dealer for the oil changes, $120 every 10k miles seems resonable. As far as the timing belt, the service advisor informed me that mine had a timing belt...maybe he was wrong, I'll look into it further to make sure. However, if it is a chain...that's so much better as it's one less thing to worry about. Mike |
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