So its time to do 105k service on my 2001 2.7 biturbo A6. Yay... I went to the dealership and asked for a standard timing belt and waterpump replacement as well as possibly doing brake pads and rotors.

They told me $2000 for the labor and parts for the belt and waterpump and $1500 for the brakes and rotors.

ECS has them for $200. for $1500 I might as go with big brakes.

So my question is how hard is it to change the timing belt on the A6? I've done it on a toyota truck durring a lunch break at work. But thats a truck. Is the labor on the A6 really worth $2800? I'm ordering a book regardless but it doesn't seem to be worth it. Is it really an 8 hour process (Especially for an experienced audi mechanic because thats what the dealership told me)

I'm an Airplane mechanic by profession so I have a mechanical background. Just moderate with cars. Any feedback would be great.

Oh... And what tool do I use to get the stupid break caliper off? It looks like a torx bit but the bleeder valve seems to block it. -_-

 

It's not a lunch break job more like a Saturday.

There are a lot of good write -ups and How to's you can read.

Blauparts has kits that come with instructions and I suggest just buying the tools instead of renting. You will more than likely need them again.

You will definitely save money!

 

The timing belt is definitely a doable job. I used an DIY that I found online around here somewhere (audiworld tech article IIRC). I believe the standard labor estimate is six hours for the timing belt. It took me over 20 hours when I did mine. I can turn a wrench but am by no means an experienced mechanic. It is pretty straightforward, just takes a whole lot of labor removing parts to get to the guts of job.

 

Brake caliper covers are held by 2 hex bits. The calipers are held by 2 standard bolts to the bracket. You can undo either ones to access the pads. I recommend that you replace your rotors while replacing the pads. For the rear pads, you will need a standard brake tool that allows you to spin and push at the same time.

As for the timing belt, yes it is a 8 hour job. If you are really experienced then you can do it in 6 hours or so, but I wouldn't rush it. I really REALLY recommend that you get proper tools, including cam lock bar, crank lock pin, and a gear puller that you can use to pull the cam gears off. While at it, be sure to replace the cam seals.

This is a website with DIYs.

http://www.audidiy.com/c5a6.html

Be sure to loosen the cam gears and tension the belt properly.

Also Blauparts kit comes with a DIY. Be sure to really study it before you dig into it.

FYI, Audi vacuum hoses and lines become really brittle after awhile. Be really careful when removing plastic breather hoses and vacuum related lines. It is a good idea to keep some vacuum hoses.

 

Thank you guys for the feedback. I'm getting a shopping list together and I'll have a home project. I'm just glad I don't have to yank the motor out or anything like that. Though I wouldn't mind upgrading the turbos. X.x

 

Just did mine on my C5 2.8 . it was a lot of work but it is no meand hard .... took me and hour to get the bumper and cover off .. now I can do it in about 5 minutes. I just took my time and did it over a long weekend and was no big deal really. I used the Blau instructions and it was very straight forward.

 

Ok. That's good news then. I'll order a kit and get started. Thanks for the input