Just wanted to share my experience with a recent repair. I was glad (sort of) to see many posts of owners who reported white (or blue) smoke fromtthe exhaust. I had this experience about 2 mo.s back. Then my battery ran dead, and without my radio working (car bought used, radio code removed!!), I noticed there was a distinct whine to the turbo that I had not previously heard. I took it to the dealership about 2 weeks ago (Wakerli Audi, in Idaho Falls). They said turbo was going. Needed to pull engine, and insisted both turbos replaced. Estimated $4,200. I checked with a local (non-dealer shop) and got similar quote, so I had dealer do it. Total price ended up $4,580. They did the timing belt while they had it. replaced all the little lines and gaskets and bolts and clamps, etc, just like dealerships do. I never noticed any drivability problems when broken, so it still drives well with plenty of power. No smoke, though that only ever happened once. My car has under 70k. I did consider the advice of many posters who suggest upgrade to the K04 turbo (higher output), but with a tiptronic, this is not usually recommended. If your car is smoking, whining, or you havebeen told you need a new turbo, this may serve as comparison.

 

I sometimes hear a soft whine when I turn off the A6. I figured this was the turbos spooling down. They seem to pull great over 3500 rpm and there is no excess smoke, other than normal condensation on cold days. What was the symptom that caused you to replace them?