Hello everyone, I have been searching this forum for awhile now and finally decided to make my first post here.
I recently just bought a 2004 Audi A6 2.7t quattro s-line and I love every bit of it. Rides like new, really. But the only downside is that it has 104,000 miles on it. After doing an abundance of research on Audi's before I bought it, I found that is truly was not that big of a deal. The service records on the vehicle were very appealing and it was bought and kept in Florida for half of its' life. I live in Ohio now so the AWD capability will be a very nice feature once it starts to snow.
So what I am asking is firstly, there was no timing belt replacement done to this car before I purchased it.. when is the best time? Should I wait for signs of it, ex; misfiring, or replace it basically asap.
Next; For repairs, do you suggest an audi dealership? Or will a private mechanic do just fine for a smaller price?
3rd; How often should I change the oil.. I read on here 5k with full synthetic, is this correct? I may be driving to Buffalo (4 hour drive) and am debating to get it changed before that haul.
4th; Any other recommended maintenance to do at the 100k mark?

I plan on keeping the car for another 50-60k miles on it. I am on somewhat of a tight budget, at least for a few months until I graduate from college. This car is my new baby, so I want to treat it right. I guess a picture will be coming up once I get a good one.

Thanks for all of your help!

J

 

The timing belt should be replaced every 70-80k miles, if you go any longer your just asking for trouble. As far as the repairs go, if you find an independent audi mechanic that will do your repairs cheaper I would say go for it. Thats what I did in the past. You are right with the oil, it should be changed every 5k with full synthetic. As far as any other 100k maintenance, I would say that if there is nothing wrong with the car then you should be fine. Wheel bearings, control arms etc. would sometimes need replacement at that time, but it is obvious when they actually fail.

 

Absolutely get the timing belt done. You are looking at $1000-1200 from an indie shop and ~$1500 at a dealer. I've done two of them at 90k intervals and have 196k on my 2.7T. There should be an owners or maintenance manual with listed services. I do not recall if anything special is required at 100k, but I am a strong believer in preventive maintenance and replace the differential fluid every 60k. The manual calls for replacing the brake fluid every 2 years and I doubt it has been done if the TB was not done. Sounds like the prior owner tried to save and I hope you got a good deal. You live in a very cold belt and I strongly encourage Mobil1 0W-40 and change it every 6-8k miles.

An older Audi with high miles is not the best investment for a college student on a tight budget. Hopefully it will survive until you can get a good job and afford to do the work properly. If you do, it can last far longer than another 50-60k.

 

Sounds, like you are in the same boat I am OP. Bought my 04 A6, with 112,000 on it, and am a tight budget college student as well. I need to do my timing belt and everything here real soon, because one of my tensioner bearings is dry, and whining. Luckily, I know a former Audi mechanic who will help me do it at a pretty decent price. I just need to get all the parts. Not to derail your thread or anything, but is the blauparts comprehensive timing belt kit any good?

 

My first TB kit was Blauparts and it was excellent. There is an additional tensioner you should buy that was not part of the kit at the time -- ask. For the second TB kit I let my indie shop provide parts so they were under his "warranty".

 

^^^^^^^

what they said!

the timing belt on an interference engine is NOT something you want to gamble with.

I did my own with what they are now calling the "Ultimate Plus" kit from ECS tuning though I did not use the cam and crank seals that came in the kit because mine were not leaking. I am by no means a mechanic but I can turn a wrench and only had some minor problems DIYing it. It did take me an excessive amount of time but I wasn't in a hurry to get it done.

 

Thanks for all the advice! My car has been running flawless, except for a quiet squeal coming from the timing belt (I think) because of it being so cold lately. I have a trusted mechanic that my family has been using for years for car repairs whom is a mobile mechanic. He said he would do it for 200 . Should I tell him to do the water pump as well?

PS. Does anyone have a PDF torrent or link for the user manual for my car (2004 2.7t quattro sline?).

I will get a pic of effi up soon, she has mean aluminum rims and a nice tint .

 

when you do the timing belt. do the water pump thermostat, the tensionors. if you do one and not the other your looking at basically removing the belt once again to reach those parts and its going to cost more. i suggest you buy the whole kit from blau parts or ecs tuning. if you let you mechanic do it make sure the water pump he uses has a metal impeller. the plastic is not durable so on and so forth.

if the tranny fluid has not been changed do it now.

 

Awesome, that's exactly the information I was looking for. I will make a list and follow your recommendations. Thanks for all the help!


ps. Any good links for the manuals? Still looking but can't find any free ones out there.


J

 

The squeal could be sign of a roller or tensioner going bad not spinning fast enough because it's packed with dirt and moisture.


Also time to change every fluid in your car
Valve cover gaskets and plugs
Brake fluid
Transmission and filter (difficult)
Final drive
Rear diff
Front diff
Coolant
as many coolant hoses as you can get to - There are so many in tight places you will never get them all

Check your CV joint boots for cracks
I change my front boots at 100K and repack my CVs

sounds like a lot, but you'll be free and clear for a while after that