I drive a 2004 allroad 4.2, certified with extended warranty good for another 18 months, through an Audi dealership.

Can anyone tell me when I am supposed to have the timing belt changed on this car? It now has 77K miles, and when I brought it in for 75K mile servicing was told by Town Motors in Englewood, NJ that the 4.2 model specifically does NOT get its belt changed at 75K.....as opposed to the 2.7 bi-turbo model.

Could someone confirm this for me? Would hate to be in for a surprise from hell while driving one day. When should the belt be changed? I can't get a straight answer on this.

Thanks-

Anton

 

I have an 01 with the 2.7T and am in the process of looking to replace the belt and a few other items. Here's the thing, the timing belt is a sooner or later thing while you can wait to 100K to replace it you might as well do it now if it makes you feel better. I would suggest buying your own parts from ECS tuning (ultimate kit) and finding someone who will do the install. This approach is going to save me $500 and while I know there will be no warranty on the work done its worth saving the $500.

hope this helps

 

There are two different types of 4.2L engines, ones with timing belts and others with chains like the S4 and the allroad. The A6 and A8 have timing belts. To make sure which engine you have here are the pictures of the different 4.2L engines.
1st. With timing belt:

2nd. With the chain which is the one i believe is in the allroad.:

If you have the latter, then no change is necessary. Just change your serpintine belt at around 80k and you really don't have to worry about anything else, you can change the water pump which is chain driven, but i preferre to wait until it breaks, because it could indeed last 200k.

 

Im actually going to stick this thread so other people with the same confusion can see what im talking about.

 

Allroad 4.2s don't have timing belts. They have a double row timing chain which is located at the back of the engine. The original Audi V8s would not fit in the allroad engine bay so in order to install the V8 they had to redesign the allroad engine using timing chains to make the engine more compact. These never need replacing according to my Audi Service Tech. If you have to replace them you will be replacing the entire engine. I you compare the allroad V8 to that other A6s you will notice that the allroad valve covers are more compact (shorter) than on other 4.2Ls.

I have an allroad 4.2 with 98,000 mile on the clock. I am the original owner, have had all services performed on schedule and by an Audi dealer. In have recently pushed the car to 165 mph on the German Autobahn (had limiter removed) and the engine is running as strong as ever. The Audi 4.2 is a strong reliable engine if properly maintained. It suffers none of the problems that plague the 2.7 turbo. Congrates on purchasing the 4.2 and I hope that this helps.

 

Just had a look at my 2005 A6 4.2 Avant Quattro and it looks exactly like the timing chain picture so possibly not all A6s have belts

 

The chain itself may outlast the car but the guides that it threads through do wear out apparently on the S4 4.2, essentially the same engine in that regard. Replacement of the plastic/synthetic guides requires separating the back of the engine from the transmission for access and I have been reading that it's basically around 100,000 miles +/- but could be longer too.

Another thread with some nice parts diagram: https://www.audiforums.com/forum/all...s-help-185684/

 

for the ones with the V8 s4 or allroad... Are your valve covers unpainting and bubbly?

Any of you know where to get the plastic covers? Or aftermarket ones?

Cheers!

 

Sorry about resurrecting this thread, but I just became the owner of a 2004 allroad 4.2L. Before finding this thread/forum I looked all over Audiforum for this answer, good to know.

Mine has 95K miles and I'm wondering if the plastic guides change is as necessary as indicated here.

My valve covers are also "bubbling" but I probably will let them go unless they pose a mechanical problem.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

I have the 2004 4.2 with the timing chains ... 1 of the chain guides went bad ... another was apparently missing ... you have to have the engine removed to fix and then once they're in there they suggest doing a lot of other expensive work ..

if you hear a tapping noise that doesn't seem directly connected to anything else, it may be intermittant or doesn't necessarily increase in volume or speed with the engine ... that is what I heard before they went completely

so if you have a warranty better to have it checked completely, that is ensure there is no discernable problem, before the warranty runs out