I have a 1997 A6 Quattro wagon with 221,000 miles on it. I like the ride, even though it is showing its age.

I can't decide if it is worth putting $700-900 to have the radiator replaced. I've shopped around for prices from shops that supposedly have good reputations (Unfortunately this happened 250 miles from my home) and that is the range I've found with the highest bid coming with a 2yr guarantee on parts and labor (labor anywhere in U.S.)

It had a new timing belt put in about 8K miles back. I've had to top off the coolant over the past year and it seems that there might have been a stress crack in the radiator but now there is hole and it won't hold coolant at all.


There are definitely somethings that are currently defunct on the car: no more cruise control, and the moonroof doesn't work properly. I've been willing to deal with them and no longer miss them much :-)

I'd be SO appreciative of any advice about now. I'm out $90 at this point for the diagnostics.

Thanks so much.

 

So, I see that there have been a number of views of my query/conundrum but no one has yet weighed in. Did I, perhaps, unwittingly ask what might be viewed as a 'dumb' question? Am I oblivious to the self-evident answer? I had thought that there was a chance that some knowledge re life expectancy, cost/benefit etc. that eludes me or with which I am not familiar could exist in the community.
Thanks again :-)