Hey guys,

I have an '02 A6, bought new,that now has36K miles. One problem after another. This car has already blown 2 coils. Now it's a constant issue with the dreaded "check engine light". It's been brought back to the dealer 3 times in 2 months for this same issue. They're not really sure how to fix it but now, they say maybe it needs to have the 2 cam adjusters replaced for $3100!! WTH? First time they said it was a clogged intake (something or other??), then it was because the oil was very dirty (again, whatever, as I've changed the oil on this car 5 times in 6 years with synthetic, remember only 36K miles!!). Now they say replace the cams. I understand it's out of warranty, but shouldn't an Audi be expected to last longer than 36K miles?

Should I just cut my losses and consider it a life experience tonot trust Audis? Or should I continue investing money in this lemon of a money-pit?

Do other A6 owners have better luck with their cars? How many miles is average before junking?
Dealer and Audi Corp are of no help. Sure, they say they'll call you back, but they don't. They say they'll work with me, but I'm forced to pay for rental, even though I've paid twice before for fixing this same problem.

I'm just so heartbroken. I talked my husband into letting me buy the Audi because I wanted a car I could trust, have confidence in. Sure, now his junky '94 136K mile Firebird (that he drives 100 miles everyday) is laughing at my crappy import that's dead. It's just wrong.

Is this happening to anyone else? Thanks for any advice or input.

 

Is the dealer refering to any codes? Ask the dealer to show you the trouble codes. If you share that with us, then we can tell you what is wrong with it.

The dealer should be able to tell you exactly what is wrong with it. If they are not being clear, either they don't know what they are doing, or they are trying to pull a fast one on you. (Probably the secong choice). If they are being unclearm then I would take the car to another dealer, or better yet, a local independent mechanic who specializes in Audis or Germans. An independent mechanic is always cheaper a dealer, from my experience.

 

Thanks for the advice. I'm having a heck of a hard time trying to find anyone that wants to work on this car. And I'm in Houston! Crazy. No one wants to touch it.

As for the codes, they have the codes, but said "we've been working with Audi Corp trying to find out what needs to be done to clear the code. They said that when you change the Cams, that usually takes care of the 'check engine light'." Yes, I think it's hit and miss. They said they were trying to clear it off doing all the cheap stuff first before they went to expensive repairs.
The kicker is that they wouldn't even give me a loaner car while it's in the shop, again for the 3rd time. Great customer service skills there, Audi. So to add insult to injury, we're renting a car, too.

Again, thanks. I'll keep checking on finding another repair shop.

 

I would get rid of it; 36k and the dealer can't fix the problem? New cams??? That is crazy.

I have 120k+ on my A6 and it outperforms anything I could replace it with - repair costs have not been out of line with other cars I have had (although I do alot my self).

If you are at the mercy of the dealer for this I'm not certain it's the car for. No make of car should be ruined with 36k on it.

 

They are BSing. If they are indeed saying that the issue is related to the cam shaft adjuster, they don't need to replace the cams. They are NOT working with Audi of America, and they never do for simple repairs. If they really don't know, then they shouldn't be working on your car in the first place. You should file a claim with Audi of America, BBB, and take your car to another shop.

Demand that you want to see the trouble codes and see the corresponding description for the codes. They have a hand held device that hooks up to the bottom connector of the driverside knee space. This is called OBD II port. They should show you the codes, while the reader is hooked up to your car. Write those down, and ask them to show you the corresponding trouble description. If you share those code with us, we can comment on it.

Experienced and knowledgeable repair shops rarely play guessing games. They just don't start replacing things hoping that it would make the trouble go away. Each trouble code has targeted components that can cause the issue, and they should only refer to those items for possible cause.

And for your future reference, let us know what model your car is. Whether the car is 2.7T?, 3.0?, 4.2? Tiptronic? and etc.

Anyways, I am getting the feeling that they are playing games with you. I maybe wrong, but that is just my 2 cents.

 

Just for future reference, it is NOT acceptable to change your oil less than once per year. The general rule for petroleum based oil is 3,000 miles or 3 months, and for sythetic generally you can go up to 5,000 miles or 5-6 months, but averaging over a year per oil change is not good.

I'm not saying that has contributed to your issues, but I can understand why they would tell you the oil is dirty under those conditions.

 

My car is a 3.0 V6.

I have been dealing with Audi Of America. They're not much help either. They told me that the dealer "should have given us a loaner car as they are cars that Audi has bought" because of all the trouble with the repeat problems for the same issue. But no, the advisor sent my hubby to get a rental car, not a loaner.

I'm not giving them one more penny. They won't back up their product, and their level of service is not what I would have expected from Audi. Lesson learned.

I'm going to try to get the codes and see if they'll give them to me.
We're going to pick up the car tonight and I'm not sure what we're going to do with it. Nice. Practically brand new at 36K and dead in the driveway.

Thank you again for all the info. I really appreciate it.

 

Really? Seriously. I was told to change it every 10K miles with the synthetics. I do know that Audi has since changed it's recommendation because of all the Engine Sludge issues on the A4s and TTs. But back in 2002, I remember them telling me to bring it in onea year to change it out, at the yearly checkups. And especially as I was only putting on about 5000 miles a year, I was well within the recommended criteria.

Thank you so much though. I'll keep it in mind for my next car.


ETA: BTW, I had changed the oil 3 months before this last oil change. Only had put on about 2000 miles on the car, so I don't see how it could have been very dirty. They said the Royal Purple had a LOT of detergents and that might be why it was so dirty?

**heavy sigh and eye roll**

No. I don't believe them.

 

I have an Audi A6 quattro 1998 with 195k on it and it runs like a champ, changing a CV joint this week and thats it.

 

I hate you!


Ok, so I'm still really angry. I can't reach my advisor as he never answers the phone. I left him a message to just leave the car, and hubby will pick it up.

As I sit here fuming, I find this:






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Hee. Am I angry enough to spend $6.00 on the domain www.MyAudiLemon.com? Yes. I think I just might be. LOL