I located a 2002 A6 with very low miles (71K) for $8850...It's the 2.8T Bi turbo with AWD.

It looks to be in great condition - the only "wear" I could find was that the emblems were worn off many of the center console buttons (heat, air, etc). Carfax has complete records - it did have a cam replaced at ~35,000 miles but other than been taken care of religously.

Anything specific about this model year that I should be concerned about? The mileage and price seem very good so I'm a bit skeptical.

 

the interior wear is typical even for very well-maintained cars. Turbo will probably need replacing in next 15K or so miles? Price seems pretty good and miles are low for a 2002. I have a 2003 4.2 with 103K miles.

 

Interesting that you said that - I just got off the phone with a German repair shop and he said it will probably need the bi-turbo's replaced. $2500 in parts and 40 hrs of labor...ouch!

Was this a typical issue with this model of car?

The other car I was looking at was M-B E320...this may scare me into the Benz....

 

expect to get around 23-25 mpg on highway

 

so is this a 2.7 Turbo or 2.8 non turbo. Just saw the number.
If turbo, yes, the job to replace is big and my guy said it would be about 5-5.5K to do it. (cheaper than dealership). Audi's are not cheap to repair and service. Maybe Turbo's aren't bad yet. Also will have Timing Belt change and stuff with it within next 15K miles.

Strong power in that car and many mods available (2.7) that is.
More powerful that the Mercedes and will hold road better, but fun costs money.

 

The 2.7T is easily the most mod-able engine of the C5 A6s. Unfortunately, it's probably the most troublesome as well (more things can go wrong). There's a sticky thread in the A6 section for that specific model. Tons of good advice.

Also, ecstuning.com carries full K04 turbo kits (better than the factory K03s) for just over $1500 now: http://www.ecstuning.com/Audi-C5_A6-...K04/ES1892048/. You can spend more (RS4 variant, for example) and there may be some more parts costs associated with it, but you can get the parts for well under $2500. There are lots of other parts sources as well....check the links for A6 owners for more sites.

As far as labor goes, I've never priced turbo replacement so I can't say that 40hrs labor is wrong, but it *sounds* like it. Anyone else able to comment on that? I can say that ymmv as to when turbos need to be replaced. If the previous owner was good about oil changes and letting the engine warm up and cool down before/after hard driving, the factory turbos may last well beyond another 15k miles. I'm over 99k on mine, bought it with 66k about two years ago, and the turbos are going strong. There are others here who've gone much longer, others less. There are other frequent trouble areas (aux water pumps, temp sensors, climate control fans, etc.) that I didn't know about until I had trouble with them and knew what to search for. Most don't have all the problems, but everyone has some of them. Read around the forums and know what to expect. Good luck with your decision!

 

Dude - the turbos ARE NOT about to go bad. The turbos can last the life of the car, 250,000 miles, as long as you change your oil on a regular basis and use good synthetic oil. Why everyone says that turbos go bad is beyond me.

The buttons in the center stack should not be worn. I have 142,000 miles on my car and the buttons look brand new. I would bet someone used the wrong cleaner on them.

Check for oil leaks as the cam seals, valve cover gaskets and etc. good bad. They are not easy to replace (on the 02 2.7t, especially!).

Both the Audi and the M-B are expensive cars to maintain. Be prepared to spend money or to spend time. Large amounts of time as even the easiest job is a PITA! However, patience and perseverence will get you through.

Good luck.

Bob

 

Correct. Turbos can last a long time. Maintenance is key. As for buttons, I keep my car very well and there were some places, not all, but particularly "high traffic" places that the rubberized coating paint wears off. Light switch is common as well. Seen it again and again in dozens upon dozens. there is even a thread hear about replacement paint or coating. Good that it hasn't happened to you. Turbo job could be up to a week in a smaller shop.

 

Unless you hear a whinning noise or it's smoking out the exhaust, you're turbos are fine.

Look under the car (take off the large plastic belly pan) and look for oil leaks. While you're down there, check the front suspension as well. Those are 2 problem areas for these cars.
You'll want to look at the rear diff and make sure it's not leaking. Also check the coolant (should be nice and pink).
Drive it, smell the engine compartment for burning oil.

Do you know if the timing belt has been changed? if not, be prepared to spend $1K to have someone do it, much more if at the dealer.

I have an '03 and it's the most fun car I've ever owned. More fun than American muscle or a mercedes (I've owned them all), and it gets around in the snow like no other car I've ever owned.

 

Agree with everything said here completely. Timing belt is likely upcoming ( who knows maybe you can negotiate the price based on this info ) and learn about the torque converter issues and how to change the tranny fluid assuming you have the automatic trans. Also nothing but the very best in fluids including fuel , plan on it and no exceptions !! Enjoy your new ride !!