rxpclb

raj99

No timing belt, you have a chain. But you should inspect the chain tensioners, if possible. Also, all the usual maintenance item's: suspension, control arms, struts, etc...Wear and tear and lack of maintenance on these items can become very expensive, especially if your in an environment which tends to be harsher.

stuffinder

A couple other things! My 1st C6. '06 w/180K had both front wheel bearings replaced between 160-175K, also replace AC comp/drier at 200K and alternator & 2 cam sensors. Those were main non-maintenance items before I sold it at 220K
My wife's '07 Avant purchased with 115K has required high-pressure fuel pump, air bag crash sensor, intake manifold widgets (indy installed cleaned used unit), now at 165K
My '08 Avant purchased w/127K has required front suspension links, both front wheel bearings and both front door lock actuators, now 178K

uberwgn

rxp, I think you go into the purchase understanding all sorts of things may be needed. We've got a 2006 wagon with 141k miles - - had been a great car. However, keep in mind the oil leaks, carboning-up of the intake paths and all the other stuff related to the suspension, struts...all of it.

We have an annual state inspection and I know in the not too distant future that they're going to fail the car for various reasons even though the car appears very clean. At that point, we'll retire the car as repair costs will (vastly) exceed the value of the car.

A6Gary

Here's my experience with a 2006 A6 Avant, which has the adaptive air suspension option. I purchased this Audi off a 3-year lease in September 2008 with 26,378 miles - it now has ~89,400 miles. In the 63K miles of ownership over nearly 10 years, I've obviously had to replace the expected normal maintenance items, e.g., brake pads/rotors, filters, oil, TPMS sensors, spark plugs, rear shock absorbers. But I also had to replace unexpectedly a Bank 1 lower intake manifold @ 80K miles, the right front wheel bearing at 76K miles (first wheel bearing replacement on any of the 7 VAG cars I've owned to date), and the still-to-be replaced defective ECM due to the PITA DTC P2404 EVAP issue. With the 2008 A6 Avant with that many miles, I would also expect to see embrittled plastic vacuum lines, headlight wiring, and the plastic corrugated breather lines off the valve covers. Depending on how and where it was driven, the front struts and rear shock absorbers may also need replacement. Of coarse, if the current and previous owner(s) have kept up the maintenance, then these items may have already been addressed. For the carbon build-up issue on the intake manifold/valves, I did a cleaning when I replace the lower intake manifold, followed by a Seaform treatment immediately prior to oil/filter service (once a year). With the C6 platform, there are also have been a number of reports about the failed immodbilzer module on the steering column. If this module fails, the official Audi AG repair is to replace the complete steering column for a low cost of over $2.0K. I don't know what the frequency of this module failure is. However, there is a work-around that a company repair the module for $400 should this occur. I have also seen that this module fails on the Q7 model as well.

In spite of the issues I have experienced, I still enjoy the pleasure of driving the A6 Avant. So, if you decide to go ahead with the purchase of the Avant, just be aware of these items, as well as what the uberwagn, raj99, and stuffinder have noted. If you have good DIY capabilities and VCDS, you can minimize the cost of ownership when and if things start failing.

rxpclb

A6Gary

In addition to the clicking sound, you can check the relative condition of the upper tensioners with VCDS in Block 093 under Basic Settings. If the angle difference between the intake and exhaust in either Bank 1 (passenger's side) or Bank 2 (driver's side) exceeds ~8 degrees, then the upper tensioners are starting to fail, and should be replaced. For example, I checked the values today in my 3.2L V6 with 89,579 miles. Bank 1 values were -1.1 and 1.1 (sum = 0), and Bank 2 values were 1.8 and 2.4 (sum = 4.2). These values have been steady for some time, so I don't have any issues yet.

Audi specifies that oil must meet standard VW 502 000 (or the newer VW 505 000) for their engines. In my area, the only oil I find that meets this standard is Mobil 1 0W-40 Euro Formula synthetic, so that is what I have been using since I purchased the car. I also change the oil/filter within the 10K/1-year maintainace interval. In my case, I reach the 1-yr limit in about 6.5K miles, so I have never changed it at the 10K mileage point. So, using the proper oil and changing as Audi specifies certainly should help the life of the upper tensioners. However, there is no definitive proof that one can do any preventative maintenance to prevent the failure of these tensioners, which is a weak design component in the chain drive system.

beep-beep

"A couple other things! My 1st C6. '06 w/180K had both front wheel bearings replaced between 160-175K, also replace AC comp/drier at 200K and alternator & 2 cam sensors. Those were main non-maintenance items before I sold it at 220K
My wife's '07 Avant purchased with 115K has required high-pressure fuel pump, air bag crash sensor, intake manifold widgets (indy installed cleaned used unit), now at 165K
My '08 Avant purchased w/127K has required front suspension links, both front wheel bearings and both front door lock actuators, now 178K"


three C6 avants in the family... one word for you sir: "respect".

stuffinder

Well, just two now! I kinda put my "toe in the water" w/'06 w/180K, bought it cheap $5k, figuring I'd have to throw a bunch of money & parts at it! Since it worked out pretty well I bought the '07 w/114K for $11k for my wife to replace her POS '99 A6 Avant! That 2.8 always leaked & plastic bits were breaking, ctrl arms were crap! I'd bough it from the estate of a rich lady in W Palm Beach who used it as her "boat car" back and forth to her Marlin boat! She uesed her Bentley for most stuff! Thought I had a winner as it only had 40K. Dealer stamps through warrantee then she must have taken to EArl's around the corner. Major PITA! The '07 still doing good at 165K, just ordered new rear brakes from emiparts.com, Textar pads & Zimmerman rotors.

The '08 I bought a little over two years ago w/127K for $12K Sline Prestige w/uber rare sport seats. Now at 178K.
These cars aren't as much fun as my chipped '95.5 S6 Avant but more comfortable & easier on my knees & ears!