Have 129K miles on the car and just found out it needs a new clutch assembly with flywheel. Dealer is quoting 4200. 2 questions:

1) Recommendations for an indy shop in the greater Boston area? Will have it repaired and can not spend $4200
2) How common is a complete clutch failure on this model with 129K miles. The car has been well maintained.

thanks

I'm going through the same pain with a 2003 A6 2.7T MT6 that was GIAC chipped in October at 78k miles. My shop (not dealer) recommended an AWE Stage 2 clutch kit ($779) and estimates 6 hours of shop time to replace. If I need a flywheel, a 12lb lightweight will double the cost of the parts. So somewhere between $1300-2100. But I live in the boondocks of western Michigan.

$4200 sounds like a rip-off. OEM parts should be about half the price of performance parts.

The Stage 2 clutch is probably overkill unless you're running big boost (Stage 3 K04's) or doing serioous autocross.For $1200 you can get the Euro spec RS4 clutch kit complete with a lightweight AWE flywheel http://www.awe-tuning.com/pages/shar...p;IL=clutchkit
This setup will handle a lot of power without sacrificing driveability.

No changes other than the GIAC chip. I did ask my indy for a performance clutch and he recommended the stage 2. He should know about the R4 version as he owns an S4. The stage 2 is rated over 350hp which should more than handle the 318hp I should be making from the GIAC. The pressure plate is significantly stronger than stock, though not sure how it compares to the R4 version.

Also, I saw your note after he had already ordered the clutch for me. I'm just hoping I don't need the flywheel.

I'll try and post back the results - how it shifts and pedal effort.