firmiboy

I am considering purchasing a 2001 Audi A6 2.7T from a dealer in New York. He has been servicing it since the car had 40K miles on it and it currently has 140K. He is asking for $6500 for it but I heard Audis have horrible repairs. He is a family friend and insists that he takes care of all his Audis and that it will run for a lot more miles and I will only need basic repairs. Could that be true? Are 140K miles a lot of miles?

Note that he has replaced a ton of things on the car before he put it out on the lot for sale such as the water pump and timing belt. He has all the records for every single repair and oil change since 2004. He swears by it! The car has been driven in a small city with no major traffic and mostly highway.

Here are the options included with the car:

Rear seat A/C & heat vents, Interior lighting w/courtesy delay, fade-out, Backlit instrumentation-inc: coolant/oil temp gauges, tachometer, electric 160-MPH speedometer, voltmeter, Front/rear reading lights in headliner, Anti-theft vehicle alarm system w/interior monitoring sensors, Dual zone automatic climate control system w/sun sensor/activated charcoal filter, Digital odometer w/service interval indicator, Dual illuminated visor vanity mirrors, 4-assist handles w/slow retraction feature, Leather-wrapped steering wheel/shift ****/hand brake lever, Front/rear carpet floor mats, Pwr windows w/pinch protection/front/rear 1-touch down/1-touch up/pwr retention/driver door master control switch, Full center console w/storage bins/cup holder/rear air vents/pwr outlet, Remote locking w/selective unlock, trunk release, panic alarm button, White/red illuminated instruments w/automatic brightness control, Puddle lights/active reflectors on all doors, Rear window defogger w/timer, Remote trunk release on driver door, Folding front center armrest w/angle adjustment/storage compartment, Diversity rear window radio antenna, Fold-out cup holder locations-inc: dashboard, center console, rear center armrest, Adjustable tilt/telescopic steering column, Illuminated lighter/ashtray/trunk/locking glove box, Pwr central locking system w/windows/sunroof convenience close feature/ selective unlocking/trunk/fuel filler door locks, Fold down rear center armrest w/first-aid kit, Tool kit, 33/66 split fold rear seat w/locking seatbacks/3-adjustable headrests, Cruise control, Pre-wiring for 6-disc CD changer-inc: trunk mounting bracket, Four trunk tie-down eyelets w/luggage net, Front/rear foot well lights, Driver info display center-inc: active auto check system, outside temp gauge, 5-function trip computer w/open door/trunk-lid pictogram display.

Drivers Front Airbag Dual Front Airbags Side Airbags Side Head Air Bag
Anti-Lock Brakes Security System Keyless Entry Rear Defroster
Traction Control Variable Wipers Fog Lights Xenon Headlights


Shall I buy it or not? How much should I count on for repairs?

Just Me

Audis are both high maintenance ( repairs are costly) and durable ( given repairs they will run and run and run). in general, well cared for cars a far cheaper to keep in the long run.

So your friend's advise is sound.

Now, what is normal maint? I budget - for any car - $1000 - 1200 annually beyond the usual tires, oil etc. - for true repairs. A timing belt service on that car - every 75k mind you - is about $1100-$1500 depending on who does it. Control arsm will periodically fail at a few hundred, all in, per incident.

OTOH, a 2.7t can go 200-250k and still be solid. But more stuff will bgin to go.

Is this a manual (indestructible, aside from clutch) and automatic (less so)?

G

firmiboy

It's automatic. Will I have transmission issues?

meternerd

Yes, it will have tranny issues. My 2001 2.7T Tip was just rebuilt for $3500. 115K miles. The torque converter lockup clutch quit and mileage dropped. Won't pass CA smog with the code present. Common problem due to faulty seals on the actuating cylinder. O2 sensors at 116,000. Changed myself, but a major pain. Secondary coolant pump leak (located beneath intake manifold) about the same mileage (another major pain), along with auxillary belt tensioner (not too much of a pain). Timing belt changed by me at 100K miles (lots of work but renting tools makes it fairly straighforward). Coolant temp sensor also changed by me (easy). Now all is well and no codes. If you can do most of the work yourself, I say go for it. Very nice car, but it can be a money pit if the dealer has to do all the work.

Just Me

well, saying the auto "will" have problems is extreme. But a) they are under-sized if you really drive them hard, and b) if they dont get regular fluid and filter service, they have more trouble. If its been driven nicely - maybe no issues. If you do get a tip, dont abuse it and do a service, with OEM fluid ONLY, repeat ONLY every 30-50k miles. About $150 at a good shop.

G

massboykie

Hi Firmi

Although the maintenance is more expensive on these cars, you can save yourself a lot of money if you are willing to get your hands dirty. Also keep in mind that everything will cost more on an Audi, parts and labour. I guess the same will be true for BMW, Merc etc...

Here are some more info on the 2.7T. These first two docs are for the S4, but the engine is the same so most of it is relevant.

http://www.vaglinks.com/Docs/Audi/B5...Newbie_FAQ.pdf
http://www.vaglinks.com/Docs/Audi/B5...uyersguide.pdf
http://www.vaglinks.com/Docs/Audi/C5...uying_Tips.pdf

Hope that helps

Cheers
Massboykie

PPGOAL

I just turned 178k on my 2.7T and I consider it reliable. Replaced an alternator at 60k, clutch and flywheel at 75k (after chipping) a couple front axle boots around 150k, and today it is in the shop for the first upper/lower control arm replacement. I use Mobil1 0W-40 every 7-8k and replace the tranny and differential fluids on a 60k schedule. It's going in for it's second TB in a couple months. It still has the original battery and shocks. The only complaint is the brain is a little senile and reads temperature in centigrade instead of F.

I5

I have 190k on mine here's the list of latest things done in the last 6mo. - (This is on top of usual maint.)

Both turbo's
Coolant Fan Clutch/Fan
Aux Fan
T-Belt/Water Pump/etc
Tensioner Pulley/Serp. Belt
Aux Pump
Turbo Return lines
Front Control Arms
Tie rods
Too many sensors to remember - Mostly for coolant system.
and finally Alternator

I would check the records to see if the Turbo's and the coolant system have had any issues or been replaced. As the turbo's are expensive(I paid $3500 for rebuilt ones installed) and any issues with the coolant system are a real PITA to diagnose, meaning replacing lots of parts and still may have issues.