gobridge

I would appreciate any insights on cold weather starting. I've heard a few instances of people not being able to get their TDIs going when it got really cold.

Superfly_A6

Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) is <$10/gallon. I'm not sure what is the capacity of the DEF tank in the Audi, but it should not cost more than $60 for every 8-10k of driving.

DennisMitchell

The AdBlue tank is filled at your service intervals and is supposed to last up to 10,000 miles.

It is generic, so if you need to top off, go to your auto part store and the price should be reasonable.

This is what I understand at this point.

audi40

AdBlue or DEF (diesel exhaust fluid) is basically part of the system required to meet emissions standards:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel_exhaust_fluid
It is scheduled to be refilled @ every oil change and you can find the fluid on-line for < $50 total for the 5 gallons required to fill the tank, so not that expensive compared to the cost of an oil change itself (the AdBlue refills are included in the price of AudiCare and cost is the same for the TDI vs 3.0T).

DennisMitchell

No problems here and it was down to 5'F last week.

To date the stories seems to same as gas vehicles. You can run into bad fuel and the freezing issues that might appear. We are all monitoring but the Q7 TDI and European experience do not suggest problems.

audi40

As Kris mentions, I believe low 20 mpg's is about avg for the 3.0T in mixed driving (I averaged about 21 mpg in my 2010 3.0T over 45k miles). With 6,500 miles now on my TDI, I'm getting about 31 mpg (almost 50% better than my 3.0T). In my area, diesel is about $.20/gal more than premium so based on driving 15,000 miles per year, it will take me about 4 years to recoup the added cost of the TDI; however, this wasn't a motivating factor for me as I simply liked the longer range (less fuel stops) and torque of the TDI.

Brooklyn

Good point on the increased range, and 31mpg is nothing to sneeze at. I'm averaging 20.6 in my 3.0t here in DC area traffic.

in2dwww

Kris:
I'm a huge fan of the TDI, but I'd like to know if you think Audi Care is worth it for the TDI. I don't think it is. Do you agree?

To supplement other user's AdBlue questions:
You can get AdBlue, strangely, at Sherwin-Williams stores as well as VW, Audi, BMW, and Mercedes dealers. AdBlue is the same as diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), but apparently it's a brand-name of DEF. It's developed by Mercedes and available under collaboration among other auto makers. The significant reason for using AdBlue is the packaging of the fluid allows for easy fill-ups with the proprietary filler neck design within the AdBlue bottle. You can get DEF from truck stops also, since most diesel engines need DEF. You might have seen signs that say "Bulk DEF available" at many gas stations and truck stops. Bulk DEF is cheap but I think the dispensers are mainly for the big rigs - so there's no easy or spill-free way to refill the ~7 gallon AdBlue tanks in the MB, Audi, VW, and BMW cars and SUVs.

You do not want to get DEF on the paint and all diesel cars have a different location for the DEF filler. The VW Passat, for instance, has a tank in the trunk and the filler is in the trunk under all the panels. It's a messy job to refill the tank in the Passat. If there's a spill, it crystalizes like road salt and that's not good for the paint - you'll want to clean that up. However, the Audi A6's DEF filler is right next to the fuel filler, making it easier to fill and clean if not refilling with the AdBlue bottle.

With the A6, you'll get warnings when you approach 600 miles left on the AdBlue DEF tank. When you deplete the tank, you'll have no way to restart the car until you put at least 1 gallon of DEF into the tank. This is to comply with US emissions regulations.

There are two DEF tanks, in sequence (small and large tanks), and one of the tanks has a meter to measure the fluid level. The level can only be adapted with VAGCOM. Even if you grab a .5 gallon bottle of AdBlue and fill the tank every 2k miles, for instance, the car will not recognize the fluid because it's measuring the contents of the larger tank and comparing that to the metered sprays from the exhaust. Even if the tanks are full and you didn't readapt, the car will still be counting down. So DIY for DEF is going to require VAGCOM or a visit to the dealer for a fluid level reset.

I spoke to my service guy and he said that if I wanted to DIY my oil changes and DEF/AdBlue, he doesn't have a problem resetting the DEF reading for free. A full and adapted DEF tank should last about 10k miles, depending on many factors such as engine speed, load, and temperatures.

in2dwww

http://microsites.audiusa.com/ngw/13...e-Brochure.pdf

To supplement other user's AdBlue questions:
You can get AdBlue, strangely, at Sherwin-Williams stores as well as VW, Audi, BMW, and Mercedes dealers. AdBlue is the same as diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), but apparently it's a brand-name of DEF. It's developed by Mercedes and available under collaboration among other auto makers. The significant reason for using AdBlue is the packaging of the fluid allows for easy fill-ups with the proprietary filler neck design within the AdBlue bottle.[/QUOTE]

horchisme

Thanks Kris. After reading numerous articles concerning the acceleration I was wondering if Audi put out optimistic figures to enhance sales of the car. However from reading your previous articles I know that you will give us the straight goods without input from either Audi or Car and Driver. Regards,

Horchisme