when changing my oil last night i pulled the intercooler hose to notice about 2-3 oz of oil pouring out. I just bought the car and it looks like the oil hasnt been changed for 10k+. My first inclination is that the turbo is on its quick decent into the scrap-pile. (he other turbo is clean with no signs of oil fly-by.) I know to replace the turbos in pairs.
But now to my questions..

What should i expect to pay when the K03s finally blow? Ive got an installation quote of 1400 but havent been able to find a set of NEW K03s. (any good dealers or websites?)

Also, after looking through the forums, it seems i will be paying somewhere in the neighborhood of $6-7k to do the K04 upgrade correctly. Any thoughts?

I use my A6 as a daily driver and some HP gain will be nice, but i doubt i will keep this car for more than another 50k miles. What do you guys recommend?
thanks.

 

I recommend not worrying about it. a couple of ounces of oil in the intercooler hose is normal. Keep your oil changed with good synthetic and the turbos will outlive your ownership.

Bob

 

Bob,
I really like hearing that, but unfortunately it seems like the turbo is already on its way out. I have only owned this car for about a month and it isnt as "quick" as it should be. I guess if i get a boost gauge on it then i could better determine if the turbo is spooling at all. Do you know another way to test for a single turbo failure?
The car has 90k miles on it so it seems appropriate from what ive read that the turbo is going to go sometime soon. With the oil being jet black with small metal shavings after the turbo (before the intercooler) what would be your estimate to the life remaining in the turbo? The oil in the engine was black but clean of metal. Also, i used Mobil1 0w-40 on this change and i was instructed by my mechanic to switch to 5w-30, does this seem right with you?
Thanks again for your help. Youve posted on a different topic of mine and i really appreciate it.

 

Here is the link to stock turbos.
http://www.ecwerks.com/turbos/stock-...-turbos-2.html

 

Thanks for the link. Is that the best price that anyone has been able to find? K03s are 1650 and K04s are 2250? i know there are other parts required for K04, but i still thought it would be less expensive than that.
Also, is it ok to Chip (GIAC or APR) on a set of new K03s? Will that drastically reduce the life of these "prone-to-fail" Turbos?

 

Also, i found this set of BorgWarner Hybrids. Anyone have success with these?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...TQ:MOTORS:1123

Do the hybrid K03-K04s need any additional hardware upgrades?

 

I chipped my A6 at 74k miles and now have close to 155k. So the turbos weren't anywhere near new when the chip went in. I think the longevity has more to do with the way you drive the car and maintenance, rather than whether it is chipped or not. I would stick with a 0W Mobil1 to better lubricate the turbos on a cold(er) startup. You want that oil flowing asap.

 

The best way to determine the current state of a turbo is to take a look. There should be nice sharp edges on the leading edge of the compressor wheel. There should be no shaft play.

Of course, on our cars that is much easier said than done! The second best way is by a boost gauge but then you would have to put some sort of nipple on each bank and compare the two back to back to see if there is any difference.

The third way is with a stethescope or long screwdriver. Put the stethescope on the turbo, rev it up and listen for any metal on metal sounds. By comparing the two sides you will be able to tell if there is a difference. It might be subtle, but it will be different. Of course, this might fall under the easier said then done category as well!

The last method is to wait until it fails completely, putting money in the bank in the mean time. If it fails, you are prepared. If it doesn't, you have a great down payment on anewer car, when you get ready.

And, yes, I agree, the A6 2.7t is not as fast as it seems it should be. But, then again, it weighs 4000 pounds, has an inefficient drivetrain and has autobahn gearing. If you bought it for drag racing, you bought the wrong car. If you bought it for its snow road capabilities, like I did, you bought the right car!

Bob

 

So is there a chance that, even tho there is a couple shot glasses of dirty oil between the turbo and the intercooler, that the turbo has life left in it? Im already planning for the inevitable clouds of smoke that are sure to come, but im trying to get a grasp on how far gone it really is.

Also since i know that the turbo is going out would it be beneficial to tear out the upper Cat to relieve some of the heat from the turbos? i like the idea of the free-flowing exhaust anyway but if it would prolong the life of the turbos even more, i will do it asap.

And i couldnt agree with you more about the upside of the car. I understand its not a rice-burner and its not a muscle car. My best description would be a luxury sedan with a little bit of an attitude. This will be my first winter with the quattro so im excited to "use" it.

And Bob, do you have any input on the K03-K04 hybrid turbos? Good idea or bad idea on a completely stock system?

 

First you DO NOT KNOW that your turbos are going! My car has produced a couple of ounces of oil in the intercooler lines for the past 100,000 miles! I simply take them off and drain them with each oil change. This does not mean mine turbos are going any time soon!

Second, the removal/gutting of the piggies will only make a difference if you drive hard. If you don't, leave well enough alone. You'll need your money for other repairs!

AS for K04s versus K03s versus hybrids, there are plusses and minusses to each. Stock K03s are easy to come by and you can chip it and be happy. K04s require more for installation and you MUST chip to make it worthwhile. I'm not sure what hybrid options are available for a K03, but I have a hybrid VJ-11/14 on a Mazda that I am very happy with. It installed with the stock intake and exhaust parts but has a bigger compressor wheel.

In both cases, if you have a Tiptronic transmission, that will be your weak point. This is why I have left my Audi alone! It is a daily driver, not a performance car, and gets treated like one. Maybe my fear is irrational, but 3 or 4 thou for a tranny rebuild is not in my budget! Your budget may differ...

Bob