ATL4.2 the unknown is part of the Audi experience just enjoy it. If it was predictable it would not be exotic or fun. Many have tried but you'll never tame the beast!

As for VAG - there is absolutly NO reason to not own one. The cables are $10 on Ebay and the software is free. I paid more for a cup of coffee in Beverly Hills a few weeks ago. If ya can't afford the $10 you certainly can't afford an Audi.

 

The only reason some of us are working on them every weekend is because we just bought them with High miles and are servicing the living crap out of them. I personally would rather work on the car in my garage on my day off not in a parking lot 5 hours before I need to go to work!
Like I said my car ran fine other than a small start up rumble I fixed. Now I think I'm Done. I'll have to start a thread on exactly what I did all of it was preventative maintenance not repairs.

 

Well, it seems some of you confuse normal maintenance with breakage. Here's a news flash. Timing belts need to be replaced between 60k and 100k, ON ANY CAR. It is more critical on any car with an interference engine, and this is one. Tires, brakes etc. do wear out. This does not constitute a problem. You can get brakes that last longer, ditto tires. But you'll give up some feel and grip.

That said if these things are going wrong way early you have another problem, like alignment or improper installation. Or you drive like a nut?

These cars are complicated and don't respond well to lack of maintenance or cheap fixes. My A6 C4 avant (truck wrecked it, 185K) was much better than the '99 A6 C5 Avant I drive now, who's previous owner thought oil change was an option. So I'm paying for that. Bought it at an Audi dealership and didn't expect to get f**ked. Stupid, huh? Oh well, she sure is a beauty! My wife's A4, which I have maintained since new has been much better (look ma, no leaks!). PROPER MAINTENANCE IS KEY! Get those service records!

So this car (C5) has a continuing oil leak problem which I'll get to this summer. Other than that, the usual tie rod, CV boots etc., but not too bad (115K). Had a water pump go south which I put in at the 90K TBS. Not Audi's fault. Stuff happens.

Buy OE or OEM parts. Don't use some other coolant, use Audi G12 or equivalent Pentosin. The days of 1 coolant does all are over. Google "GM Dexcool", or "Subaru head gasket failure". These are examples on what might go wrong from badly formulated coolant. And for Pete's sake, use good oil.

My experience with dealers ranges from one that was about a 70%er, meaning they got it right 70% of the time at a very high price. Another, where I bought the C5 was totally inept. "Fix the symptom not the cause" (3 effin' times!). And a third that charged for replacing a tie rod that they just shot full of spray lube... Funny how it failed 6 months later. Took it out myself and brought it to the service mgr.. Gee, how'd that happen? They made good, but there does seem to be a problem here?

Find a good independent Audi SPECIALIST or DIY (but do it right). Or maybe you're lucky, have the cash and happy with your dealer. Me, I just do it myself.

I like the (corporate) Audi service satisfaction questionaire... "was your car returned clean? How was the coffee?" Kind of says it all doesn't it!

Oh and guess what? I like the car! If I didn't I'd light the bastard on fire!

 

twoquattro -- Like you I purchase high milage Audis and enjoy them forever The last two were a 200QT that was purchase with 210 K miles and I drove it to 350K (It was the best vehicle I ever owned) and my current one 97A6 Avant (C4) purchased with 180K and currently has 210K - I never had a C5 but did have a 5000 and 90 --I'll probably stay away from the C5 because of all the problems people talk about.

But I agree with EVERYTHING you said!!!

 

NH:
Near as I can tell there are two areas in which the C5 (or the 2.8 30V) are problematic. The crankcase venting system is complex and tends to get clogged. This results in oil leaks at the valve covers, cam tensioner seals and possibly the oil pan seals. The best defense is regular oil change with quality oil. The clogs come from oil deterioration, aka sludge. This is not strictly an Audi problem, but the 2.8 30V is succeptible because of several constriction points in the breather system. David Hoerl has written a great article pertaining to the system.
See it here: http://www.audiworld.com/tech/eng.html
if the link is not direct the article is: A6 (C5) ventilation system explained.

The other area of consternation is the 4 link suspension. It's a complicated design that gives wonderful steering feel, but because of the complexity it's hard to troubleshoot. Many people (and shops) just replace everything when there is an issue. Naturally this is costly. Whether it's worth it is up to you, I have no problem with replacing what's gone wrong and what's about to go wrong and leave the rest. This is largely a cash on hand vs. convenience issue. I am not a big fan of the shotgun approach to car maintenance, I've got other things to spend my money on.

There really aren't a lot of cars that I would like for the amount of time that I've liked my Audi's. Quirky? Sure, every one. A new Avalon might be super dependable, but it's a snooze. Fugly too.

'85 4000S- 185,000 miles, sold in fine condition, a really nice car, very economical, should have gone forever;
'98 A4 Quattro(B5) 2.8 30V Sport Suspension 5 spd. manual, 105K, current, in many ways my favorite;
'96 A6 Avant Quattro(C4), 187K rear ended by a Ford Super Duty pulling an horse trailer, rebuilt and sold (full discloser) probably should have kept it, they run forever.
'99 A6 Avant Quattro(C5), 115K current, Black with tan inside. Beautiful and practicle car.

 

I looked on ebay but I thought the ones for $10 were a scam or something. According to Ross-Tech I need the CAN-BUS wire (like $150 on ebay). You mean the other ones will work?

 

I knew that my 2000 2.7T wouldn't be a maintenence free box like my girl's Cavalier before I bought it. I do inspections on a daily and weekly basis. Anyone who is in the military and has done PMCS knows what I'm on about. But, I'm a gearhead, I love the speed, the luxury, and the safety. I haven't had a breakdown yet. With the complexity of this car, everything else is part of the game.

 

I don't know about the CAN-BUS .

 

Mary Poppins has the answer to the Audi repair dilemma.

She says - "A little bit of sugar makes the medicine go down."

So all we need to do is make lemonade

 

You know, I've had many friends who claim that their cars NEVER need any work. Funny, but when I ride in those cars they usually seem, well... poorly maintained?