Has anybody changed their own oil on the new 2005 A6 yet? The sound absorber is a lot harder to remove now. The sound absorber on my 2001 A6 had 6 metal quarter-turn fasteners (3 in front and 3 in back) and 4 plastic quarter-turn fasteners (2 in each wheel well). Each of these fasteners could be removed with a stubby standard screwdriver, though if you weren't careful you could strip the channels, which were wide and shallow, especially on the metal fasteners.

The plastic fasteners in the wheel wells on the 2005 A6 have very shallow, plus-shaped channels. Also, there are now 3 per wheel well instead of 2, and with the 18" wheels/tires there is even less clearance to fit a tool in there (it might be almost as bad with the 17" wheels, I don't know).

A regular screwdriver is of no use on these. As a test, I was able to remove 3 of them using the edge of a flat socket wrench that came with a motorcycle repair kit, but it wasn't ideal and I practically stripped 2 of the 3 anyway by the time I put them back. So far I haven't tried to completely remove the sound absorber, since I'm not quite ready to change my oil yet.

There must be a special tool that the Audi techs use to remove these fasteners. Does anybody have any recommendations? Also, the sound absorber now has more metal fasteners and there is a smaller absorber behind the main one that appears to lock into the main one with a slot and tab. It appears that it would be necessary to remove the smaller one first (and re-install it last), in order to pull the main absorber far enough back from the front bumper to lower it from the car. Does anyone know a good way to remove the sound absorber?

Also, what is the torque spec for the oil drain plug, and do you need to replace the washer or does it have a permanent washer like on the 2001 A6? I used 30 lb/ft for the oil drain plug for my 2001 A6 2.8, never replaced the washer, and performed at least 10 DIY oil changes over 4.5 years without any leaks developing. But this new 3.2 FSI engine might be a whole new animal. It's got the replaceable oil filter element instead of the canister. Oh yeah, are you supposed to lube the oil filter cover O-ring with a thin film of oil like the gasket on canister-style oil filters?

So, to sum up, I am looking for:

1) Procedures (and tools) for removing the sound absorber(s)
2) torque spec for oil drain plug
3) any special advice on dealing with the replaceable filter element (it looks easy enough - I got a 36mm socket from Advance Auto Parts and the new filter & O-ring from the dealer)

I have been scouring the internet for DIY oil change procedures. There are some good ones out there but I can't find any related to the specific headaches associated with the new A6. Any help is greatly appreciated.