New owner with a few questions
 

Greetings All!

Last week I purchased a 2002 A6 quattro, for ~$11,800. It has 57k miles on it, and an extended warranty til 72k/2010. It has practically every option except the solar panel on the roof, navgation, traction control, etc. First of all did I get a good deal on it? It seemed like a fair price considering other askin prices in the area and the NADA data on what cars were going for at auction.

I had it inspected by a mechanic before I bought it, and everything checked out except I will need to replace the outer CV Boots, which have cracked. Labor sounds expensive (200-250 per part boot or so), but I found the part online for $15 bucks:
http://www.autohausaz.com/search/pro...V%20Boot%20Kit
Anyone familiar with autohaus parts or their quality? The specific part brand is Loebro.

Anyway, as a new audi owner, I don't know much and am looking for advice. I understand Audi's require more maintenance and attention then the Japanese cars I have driven in the past. I read the manual 3 times, and am planning on having it serviced every 3000 on the dot. So I am all ears for general advice, things to watch out for, early signs of trouble, etc.

Thanks guys!

Hopefully 2.7T? 3.0s are good motors but they are b__tch to work on. Price seems reasonable though. As for the boot kit, they are pretty much all the same. It will last you about 50K miles.

I used to drive a Japanese car, a Honda to be exact. No doubt that my Audi required more attention than the Honda (a lot). But my audi drives extremely better. You will really enjoy the car. I say treat her better and she will treat you good.

Welcome.

Actually it is the 3.0. I heard other people say the exact opposite - good, the turbos are more expensive to maintain or break down more or something like that.

Thanks for the headsup on the bootkit!

I think he might mean that 3.0's are a b_tch to tune, i know all about this with a 2.8. I thought my car was hard to work on untill i looked under the hood of a 2.7t at my dealer, there really wasnt any room to work on that car. I cant imagine working on a 4.2! beware of front suspension and valve cover gaskets/cam seals, they will leak and stink you out of the car if the heat is on!

50K miles on a boot???? I expect closer to 100K plus.

I usually just replace the half shafts with rebuilt ones. That way both the inner and outter boots are done at the same time and I know the CV joints are good.

I probably won't do much work on the car or tuning, unless its something that would improve reliability.

Is there anything I can regularly check in regards to the valve cover gaskets/cam seals, or any early warnings. Or is that something my mechanic will have to check for when I get it serviced.

Hmmm - is that a better option. whats the cost of that? Replacing the boots will cost me 500-600

Well if the boot is out, it is really simple to replace the outer CV joint. Roughly $100 give or take a few for one side part. All CV joint kit comes with the boot. If you are paying 500 to 600 on single boot replacement, then I think you are paying a bit too much. Both, I can see.

What I meant related to the motors are that 3.0 are more complicated to work on. Yes, since being a naturally aspirated motor, they are more reliable compaired to a 2.7T, but I hear you need a PhD on rocket science to just replace the serpentine belt.:)

Well the part i only like $30 bucks, but the labor is around 250 or so per boot. Is that a bad deal? Should I shop around? Should I get anything else done while the mechanic is in there?

That is not unreasonable, per side cost. It will probably take someone about an hour and a half per side. Going shop rate for a reputable German shop can be $130/hour easily. So the rate that they are providing is not that unreasonable. Ask them to check the CV joints too. If they are bad or in a process of going out, then you should just replace them.