Audi for life 1987

I just bought my first b6 a4 3.0L 6spd. Just wondering how reliable the 3.0l is? I called my Audi dealer to order some odds and ends for the car and I asked him what he though of the 3.0L. He then asked me my professional opinion or my own opinion? I said your own opinion. He was like there junk. He asked me what my last car was and I told him it was a 2001 2.8L. He said i should have never traded cars. I'm a little worried now. Any help or info would be great thanks. Oh the car i bought has service records and is a one owner.

Ryan

mayhem100

My 2002 3.0 has been pretty good. Trouble spots I've noted in the last 40k miles are timing belt, rotting vacuum hoses and some of us have had low oil pressure problems...the pressure problems seem to be caused more often than not by a clogged up oil pickup rube screen.

What specifics did the guy give you and was he a salesman or service guy?

So overall I'd say its pretty reliable. Its been a more reliable car than my 02 Nissan Altima that I bought new.

Audi for life 1987

hey thanks for the input. He was in parts. He said coil packs/cam chain adjusters/ timing belt/ and a bunch of other things that i forgot. What he said kinda scared the sh** out of me. I really like the b6 better than my old b5.

lyleswk

Timing belts on any car are not "issues", they are routine maintenance, just like an oil changes. Lot's of makes have belts and they all have to be replaced. I am still trying to figure out why some manufacturers use belts and some chains, but that is an aside.

Coil packs are an issue, but really easy to fix.

Maybe there are some 3.0 owners that can chime in (I have a 1.8T), but I don't think the oil pressure sludge issue is anywhere near as prevalent on the V6 simply becuase it is not turbocharged. And cam tensioners? I think that is more of an issue with the 1.8T again becuse of the sludging issues.

What you got is one guy's opinion who would probably swear off all car makes except what he is driving and if he changes makes, will swear off what he used to drive; I am convinced this is some sort of self-importance mechanism (I know, too much psycho-babble). Any car is going to have trouble spots, yes even Hondas and Toyotas. Some are expensive to maintain becuase of the training required to learn them (anyting German). Audis are beautiful cars to drive and the interior materials are nice to spend time in. Notice these things next time you get in a "cheaper" car. Assuming you did your due diligence when you bought the car (full records), just enjoy your car.

a44me2

Chains are more durable but make more noise and create more drag on an engine than a belt. So manufacturers use belt or chain depending on their goals for thier car. Belts are also a great way to make money down the road .

My experience with the 3.0 is that they develop annoying vacuum leaks, and the PCV valve can cause serious oil leaks on cold winter days (-15 C). Watch for white-yellow deposits on your oil fill cap, it means you have an air leak somewhere. If your car pukes oil on a cold day unexpectedly, your PCV has frozen shut due to cold air passing seals or a cracked vacuum line putting water in the oil.
Engine sludge does not seem to be an issue and the rest of the car seems solid.

mayhem100

Those are pretty much issues that apply to all A4's, not just 3.0's.

As noted above, TB service is maintenance...don't push it and do the service when it should be done and you'll be fine. The 1.8's seem to go through coils A LOT more than the 3.0's...in any case though, there is a recall on both motors.

Overall I'd venture the 3.0 is more reliable than the 1.8, but since most of the A4's out there (and especially on the enthusiast sites) are 1.8's it could just be the ratio of 1/8's to 3.0's.

Audi for life 1987

Thanks for your input i just changed the oil and dropped the pan and it didnt look good must have a leak. Thanks alot for the input.

theodore

i have an 04 with about 58k on it. i've had a ghost problem that i think i fixed. the dealer said it was camshafts and threw a 3k plus job at me. i took the car back and continued driving until it died on the side of the road. did the normal checks and found the motor wasn't getting fuel. replaced the pump and haven't looked back. i've had a coolant leak and a dead fuel pump and thats it in 58k miles. i have done the coilpacks, plugs, battery and one cam sensor only during troubleshooting of my ghost, and none had fixed it. enjoy and drive the car.

andrew

philnav1

I have a 2004 A4 3.0 auto with 62K, and it's been a tumultuous relationship. Dealer replaced 3 fuel filters because of excessive noise I heard. I still think it is the fuel pump, but not fault codes yet so I'm going to leave it alone. I've done lots of maintenance some expected some not. I replaced both front and rear brake pads, coil pack, fuel line, radiator hose cause of coolant leak, wiper arms and motor on driver's side cause of excessive noise, rear brake and parking lights, front passenger parking light twice, and other things that were covered unter my extended warranty. I've treated the car very well and kept on the maintenance. I haven't had good luck with mine, but my brother's a 2003 a4 3.0 hasn't had any problems. Mine must be a Monday car I guess.

wmoor086

2003 A4 3.0
129K KMS (~80K Miles)

So Far I've Replaced:
Power steering pump
Catalytic converters (under warrantee)
Timing belt (preventative/expected - no water pump)
Cam sensors
Coil Pack (under warrantee)
Front strut mounts
Front, rear brushings
Every conceivable oil seal
Oil pan
Oil cooler
Driver seat memory controller

All in all, in my opinion a lovely car, but when it rained, it poured! All my repairs (aside from seat memory controller) occurred between 128 and 129K KMS. I imagine thats somewhat reasonable in terms of the vehicles expected life-span. Knock wood, no electrical problems!