I have LOVED and regularly maintained my A6 3.0 FWD. It now has 96k miles and I have to replace the catalytic converter before November, the timing belt change (105k mile mark) is coming up in the next 3-4 months and the power steering pump is "straining."

I am out of warranty. If I trade it in now the converter is the only active problem. If I let this play out... I can do these things one at a time over the next 6 months, but it will be approx $6500 in repairs on a car worth almost that much. I could drive it into the dirt and would get even less on a trade in.

What are the opinions here on the board? I have not had a lick of a problem in hte 5 years, 70k miles I have owned the car. Will it become possessed as soon as I put this money into it? Will it continue to do well for another 4 0k miles? I had hoped to get another 100k out of it, but that may not be realistic..

I'd love to hear your opinions...

Doc

 

I LOVE guys like you!!

They get to about 100K, find that it is going to take almost what the vehicle is worth to do some standard maintenance and are worried about the cost of the next big problem.

You know the cat has to be done to pass emissions and if you don't do the TB your taking a big chance that you'll trash the motor sometime soon. You start looking for someone that has to have an Audi and is willing to pay $6K or so, but the CEL keeps getting in the way.

Then I show up and offer you $3K. At first you tell me to go away, so I hand you my phone number and leave. You begin to think about it and you finally call me. I tell you that I researched the cost to fix the CEL and TB. It was significantly more expensive than I thought but I might be interested if you could go $500 lower. Usually you counter with "Let's split the difference." and I own your Audi.

I take it home - Purchase a cat for $700 and install it. Then I get the TB kit for around $350 and either do it my self or have an indy do it for around $600 labor. By then I've got $4400 into an Audi and I drive it for another 200K miles doing minor maintenance like brakes, TB, tires, and oil changes.

You take the $2750 I paid you and use as a down payment for a Toyota. Within 30 days the throttle sticks and you bend the front end. You get hurt and have to spend weeks in the hospital. Toyota says that it was not their problem because you wore the brakes out trying to stop and the government's new health care system refuses to pay because it was an accident - not a medical condition.

You loose your home because you can't pay the medical bills, your wife leaves you for someone with money, and your kids become beach bums.

All this just because you were afraid to fix your Audi and live the good life!

All this time, I'm still having a great life riding in a fantastic Audi, laughing at the guys in the Toyotas, and enjoying my family.

So why don't you just give me your Audi (you said that it was worth about what it would cost to fix it), forget the Toyota, and try to hold onto your family.

 

Someone is grumpy today

If you can do the work yourself, as NH pointed out you can save a lot of money. If not, it might be worth dumping, because I think you have the CVT transmission in your FWD 3.0 A6. Your going to be due for shocks, control arms and all sorts of cheaper regular maintenance over the next 4 years, which any car will have of course.

If you do decide to sell it, I think we know someone who is interested.

 

I'm NOT Grumpy!!!!

If it has the CVT trans forget what I said about offering $3000. In that case you should offer me a payment of $750 to take the vehicle off your hands but since I didn't say anything about your owing me money when you gave the vehicle to me I'll stand by what I said.

See I just saved you $750!!

 

WOW

Nothing like beating on a NOOB. LOL

 

Option 1: Sell it to a high school kid who doesn't know anything about the car at a market rate. Don't do any work in it prior to selling it.
Result 1: You have a load of cash, but can't sleep at night, because you just took advantage of a high school kid. Hope for the best that Karma doesn't catch up with you.

Option 2: Sell it to a high school kid and his father who doesn't know anything about the car at a lower price. Disclose all the information.
Result 2: You have a bit less cash but you feel okay at sleeping at night. In addition, you just improved a father/son bonding working on a car. Although they have no idea what they are doing, they still enjoy the personal experience.

Option 3: Sell it to a person like NH_USA. You get even less money.
Result 3: You just made someone else's day!

Option 4: Fix it and drive it for another 5 years.
Result 4: You still have a solid car that is comfortable and safe. Unless you have money to buy a new car or are willing to get in debt, you will not find a comparable car at the price that you will get on your car.

 

Option 5:

Build a new car from scratch - would cost you less $$$ and time.
Achievement that could look great in your resume...

 

Hey OP,

No one asked you yet if you are remotely interested or capable of doing work on the car.... are you?

This would be a big factor.

I just bought and A6 with 137K on the clock that needs brakes and some other work, but I plan to do it all myself.
A lot of the parts from online sources are 1/2 the dealer prices and if you can do the work, should make the decision for you (keep it)
If you can't, unless you live in the middle of nowhere, you should be able to find a good independant like MH said to fit the parts.

Where do you live? If you're not california, you may even be able to pass an emissions test without a cat. $600 saved.

 

AHAH I offered to save him a whole $750 not a measly $600 ... LOL


When he began talking about $6500 to do the TB and convertor it was apparent he was talking with a dealer and not considering getting his hands dirty.

As for removing the cat - Most states require emissions testing and some even tie the tester into a central computer so you can't bypass the system.

 

Guess that's shows I'm a noob too!

I have passed an emissions test back in the UK without a cat, but that was with a small ford with an aftermarket turbo setup and a piggyback ecu so I was able to mess with the ratio and map before going to the MOT station then put it back afterwards.

Several people with mustangs claim to have passed emissions testing without cat's though, maybe before a certain year the rules are different?

I would have offered the OP 3K for his A6 too, but I needed a wagon.