Klaus Von Richter

Yeah, I used the torque angle of 90*. Just because they call for a torque angle doesn’t mean it’s torque to yield. You realize torque angles are a more accurate way to measure torque than a torque wrench.

Every bolt stretches when it is torqued, not just torque to yield. That’s why every fastener manufacturer declared bolts as a one time use item.

to know if it’s a torque to yield bolt, you need to compare the torque force from your angle to the bolt diameter and bolt grade. When Audi tells you that a 6mm bolt is torque to 5 NM then 90*, that’s isn’t torque to yield. It’s just the basic torque of 12NM for a mid grade (class 8.8) 6mm bolt. Just because you are setting torque with an angle doesn’t mean it’s torque to yield.

I re used my cam girdle bolts with no problem. The few I would not are actual head bolts and crank main bolts. Otherwise you are fine.

Don’t listen to me, I’m just a Turbine mechanic with over a decade of experience.

Sallad

That’s sort of what I’m trying to say... the cam girdle bolts are not tightened enough to actually stretch the bolt.

kelisko

These bolts are cheap and available. The car maker clearly says in their manual to replace them. There must be a reason. Getting to these bolts isn't easy. Why not just replace them and have peace of mind? Common sense!

I would advise anyone working on these cars to replace bolts when it is required by the manual and you think you can afford and procure them. Like I said above, you may be just fine with old bolts but you can also end up breaking them or causing a play or a leak. I once broke one of my rear strut mounting bolts. I wasn't even torqueing it that much. That day, I learned my lesson.

People curse these cars all the time. Why? Because they (or the ones who work on them) do not follow the official maintenance guidelines and end up making an unreliable piece of garbage out of their vehicle. As an African DIYer with no direct access to tools and replacement parts, driving sometimes in some of the worst conditions on earth, I have to say that this is a great and well designed vehicle that still stuns me every day. It will perform well and last as long as you perform the maintenance "right".

Sallad

...official guidelines? Like how Audi claims that the tranny fluid is a “Llifetime” fluid, lol

You have to remember that car manufacturers are not always thinking of the customers best interests, but more interested in your wallet.

Audi doesn’t make all the parts for these cars, they assemble them.

kelisko

I hate to go off-topic but yeah, they said lifetime and I believe that unless proven wrong. What most people don't understand is what "lifetime" means. It is not your lifetime as a human being and it is not the lifetime of the car as a whole. It's about the "lifetime of the part assembly" the fluid lubricates i.e. the lifetime of the transmission itself. This means whether you flush the fluid or not, this won't really change anything and the transmission will fail when it has reached its end of life whatever you do. In fact you risk compromising the integrity of the transmission by doing the job wrong and using the wrong type of fluid whereas it is not even necessary. Just read about how people flush their transmission fluid. Nothing accurate, no offense intended to those who did this. They are just following the crowd. Sometimes you have to stop, wonder why people do things and take a decision for yourself. I have decided not to follow the crowd and to believe what the car maker says. I never serviced my transmission and it was never serviced. I am close to 300,000 km and I am a very aggressive driver but my transmission is doing just fine.

You would say the transmission's manufacturer states otherwise. That's what they have come up with after testing the transmission in their specific environment with their fluid. Well the transmission on this car operates in a pretty much different environment where a set of fine-tuned sophisticated systems assist it all the time. Furthermore you don't know what kind of fluid Audi originally put in there. What would Audi gain from replacing transmission's they do not make and gain profit from? Why would they keep saying the same thing about the transmission installed on their newer cars? If you can't trust what the car maker says about their product, why do you use the product at all?

Sallad

Im just saying, take everything with a grain of salt.