New to the forum

[alfissimo]

Hello,

New to the forum. Mainly dabble in Alfa Romeo's and just sold my pristine 2005 Audi allroad 2.7T to move up the chain to the RS6. I will be purchasing my friends RS6 with 64K miles on the clock. He just replaced timing belt, water pump etc.. All OEM stuff, New brake rotors and pads (OEM), new Miltek turbo back exhaust, new intercoolers (larger), removal of fogs, and new MTM wheels. I will be making the purchase in Jan. Hope to gain a lot more insight on the car. Owning my audi allroad was pretty simple. Nothing serious even though I dumped 6-7K into it. Nothing major. My friend says no issues with the RS6 and really is more reliable than the allroad and easier to work on than the 2.7T. He has a huge shop in phx. Thanks!

[Bigglezworth]

My friend says no issues with the RS6 and really is more reliable than the allroad and easier to work on than the 2.7T.The posted photo looks like a fine example and well kept. Still has fogs though which you indicate were removed for the Wagners. That aside, I hate to break this to you, but you're friend is misleading you... This car is significantly more difficult to perform a number of repairs on. Not to say you shouldn't own one, but as they get older they require more maintenace - and unless you're a wrencher, be prepared to shell out some $$ for things. 64K is low yes. As you add to that, you will need to do certain preventative maintenance and yes - reactive repair....

There are a HOST of threads on maintenance and the like. Lots of suggestions on what to do at certain intervals so as to benefit $$ wise.

[alfissimo]

Yes, older pic. Intercoolers just installed. I don't remember details of them. Maybe I misunderstood him, I realize the motor is more difficult but from memory it allows more room to work. Maybe easier for him since he works on high end cars all day long and has 2 allroads, and this car as well as a slew of others in his airplane hanger. I will ask him to clarify. He knows what he is talking about, I know that for sure. I wrench a lot. Not a problem. Preventative maintenance is my middle name. I spend more money on that than actual problems. I know with the low mileage I drive as well that that 35K mile timing change and brake interval is not a big deal for me. I am looking forward to owning it as my allroad was fun but looking for something more unique like my alfas! Thanks !

[CBeau]

Does the phrase "place engine in service position" mean anything to you? Good luck. But in all seriousness enjoy.

[DHall1]

Go get the car now!

Let me know when you want to meet up at the Pavillions some Saturday

Post the vin in the sticky thread

[alfissimo]

I have owned a coupe of audis, so yes. I know how to work on these things and my buddy will give me pointers if needed. It will be a learning process over the 2.7T and hope to enjoy many years of it and being on here. I am not some yahoo who decided, oh cool a fast A6!! I am in to rare and unique cars and what I love about this is the sheer stealth beast it is. I love that it was semi hand made, built by Quattro and cosworth. I also own an Alfa Romeo 164 S(QV) recaro and own a Alfa Romeo parts business. I also dabble in Audi parts (VAG) as well. Anyway, thanks for the warm welcome.

[alfissimo]

I am buying it in Jan. You obviously know the car?

[lswing]

..but from memory it allows more room to work.

Couldn't be further from the truth, ha, wait until you open the hood! Other than that, welcome! You've found the source for reliable info. Looks like a very nice car, but much more expensive parts wise, like 2-4x, and probably that much longer to do the same repair.

Transmission, what about the transmission, and how good is your friend? Transmissions like to fail in these, and factors depending will run you about $5-10k for all the parts/labor. Lets just hope your friend didn't just install the Wagners, get a bit more power, and then start to have trans issues.

I'm assuming if he bothered putting Wagners on it's tuned? Thats another quick way to reduce the life of the current trans.

Also keep in mind the following may pop up soon, Google the terms; coolant pipe failure, replace with Bufkin pipe; CCT or camshaft adjust tensioners; TC/Trans; and always random sensors and wearable items.

[mgmarsh39]

Welcome! Here are some suggestions from a first year owner.

1. Take $10,000 from your savings and put it in the trunk. This will be used to run the car
2. Enjoy!

:)

[DHall1]

You will be fine! In over 9 years of owning 6 of these I have not put 10k in the group.

There are still 3 in the garage out there

some say I don't drive all 6 at the same time but the law of averages still apply. I do drive them all just in varying degrees


I have owned a coupe of audis, so yes. I know how to work on these things and my buddy will give me pointers if needed. It will be a learning process over the 2.7T and hope to enjoy many years of it and being on here. I am not some yahoo who decided, oh cool a fast A6!! I am in to rare and unique cars and what I love about this is the sheer stealth beast it is. I love that it was semi hand made, built by Quattro and cosworth. I also own an Alfa Romeo 164 S(QV) recaro and own a Alfa Romeo parts business. I also dabble in Audi parts (VAG) as well. Anyway, thanks for the warm welcome.

[alfissimo]

Ok. Like I mentioned I could have misunderstood him and or it is easier for him to work on. I am not worried too much, I have done all the work on my allroad and all my other cars. Luckily I get parts wholesale and have a good friend who worked for audi in Germany! Transmission is fine. He replaces fluid every year, TQ may have been replaced but have to confirm. Car is in stellar condition. He is a master mechanic and has done all the work. I am not really worried about it. I realize things will come up and that is why I am here. I am not worried about this car or the expense. My allroad was nothing but good to me. Had minor things to repair as I kept on maintenance and preventive maintenance hence no real issues. You know these cars can be a nightmare!! Mine is solid. Just sold it for $10,500 with 136K miles on the clock. I will know this car like the back of my hand by this time next year! ;) Thanks

[alfissimo]

His quick response: Transmission is good. Wagner intercoolers because they are much more efficient than stock. It has full turbo back milltek exhaust. EVOMS BOVs. Software. For me easier but most people would disagree. Although those people probably never have worked on one. Transmission life will not be reduced due to wagners. That is false! lol! The intercoolers add power yes but not enough to effect the transmission. Transmission is designed to handle up to 700lbs torque. Poor service history is what kills them and this one has been serviced yearly!

[nubcake]

Transmission is designed to handle up to 700lbs torque.

False claim.
Everything else is reasonable.

[alfissimo]

So, let me ask you, what is the spec? Did audi max out the transmission torque. I just can't imagine them doing that. I believe the RS6 uses a larger torque converter which can handle 700+lbs.

Another source: Some consider the torque limit (durability in mind) for the 5HP24A (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B017TGPS7W) trans at 800 Nm (600 lbft), so lets stick with that. That puts the theoretical peak HP at 7000 rpm at 800 whp (with 15% loss a chp of 920 hp). Backing off and using 600 lbft at 5500 rpm (realistic goal? Maybe, if allowing the turbo to reach peak boost for the torque at a higher - say 3000 rpm vs. 1950) will equate to 620 whp and 720 chp). THAT would then be the 'right' RS6 setup for my taste.

[LIRS6]

You are excited about the purchase, and well you should be. I had mine from new for 10 years, let it go 2 yrs ago at 149k miles - still miss it. No transmission issue save TC replaced under warranty, but I treated it like a princess - no tune, never tracked. The comments that you are getting here are all valid - but hopefully will not apply to the example you are buying. Just be aware that if there are issues, they can be expensive to cover. Scour this forum as much as you can, the contributors are knowledgeable, sympathetic, and most important - empathetic!! Enjoy

[alfissimo]

I am not real interested in the upgrades on this car but they are there. It's around 100 more hp than stock. I don't race and I don't drive like an a-hole. I treat my cars well. I am not an idiot either so I will do my homework and if I find a stock one in good condition I will scoop it up. But this one is in nice shape and everything done by a master mechanic who does know his shit.

[lswing]

His quick response: Transmission is good. Wagner intercoolers because they are much more efficient than stock. It has full turbo back milltek exhaust. EVOMS BOVs. Software. For me easier but most people would disagree. Although those people probably never have worked on one. Transmission life will not be reduced due to wagners. That is false! lol! The intercoolers add power yes but not enough to effect the transmission. Transmission is designed to handle up to 700lbs torque. Poor service history is what kills them and this one has been serviced yearly!



Hahaha...this guy is full of it...the transmission and TC were beefed up a bit, but they have still failed regularly when a car is tuned to around 500/550 engine hp. I've gone through two transmissions. How does this guy not mention the brand of tune? Yes, Wagners only add a bit more power/reliability...I was suggesting that it was tuned, which will REDUCE the life of the trans, plain and simple.

The TC is fine on these, it's the small clutches in the trans that are the real issue. This trans is simply a beefed up version from the A6/S6 which was rated for around 350/400, just keep that in mind.

I'd still say get the car if the price is right, it's an amazing ride, although aging. IF you can do all the wrenching then you save %50 right away which is huge.

Most honest sellers on here would tell a different tale from the guy you're buying from...or maybe he isn't that educated in the details. Just a warning...

[alfissimo]

I suppose I should not have brought it up without really knowing all the upgrades and info to a tee. I have know this guy for years and he is honest and has been in business in Scottsdale for a long time working on high end race cars and high end cars period. I know he is not fooling me, I just have been texting him so the info may be limited. He use to run EVOMS in scottsdale as well before opening his own shop again. He is credible and honest I just assume I have limited info. I am going to see the car and talk with him this month. I am 2 hrs away.

[lswing]

I suppose I should not have brought it up without really knowing all the upgrades and info to a tee. I have know this guy for years and he is honest and has been in business in Scottsdale for a long time working on high end race cars and high end cars period. I know he is not fooling me, I just have been texting him so the info may be limited. He use to run EVOMS in scottsdale as well before opening his own shop again. He is credible and honest I just assume I have limited info. I am going to see the car and talk with him this month. I am 2 hrs away.

Sounds about right, and seems like a good plan. Most of what he's done is probably good, but his trans talk is full of it, these things break under power regardless of new fluid or not, just don't hammer on it and it can last a while. I consider it part of the cost of owning the car.

[Aronis]

Welcome! Enjoy!

Mike

[alfissimo]

Thanks Mike!


Also, I understand that he may sound like he is full of it but he is not. The fact that no one has given proper specs for the transmission to rebuttal his claim is a bit discerning. So if he is wrong on the spec, what is the spec and why can't this transmission handle 100 more Hp+/-??
Standard 5HP24A trans is 420NM/315 ft-lb. 5HP24 Nate at Eriksson Industries says he cannot find the specs for the RS6 but he says he knows it is much higher than the standard. That said does anyone have the specs on the 5HP24 trans in the RS6? Hard to deny his claim with no information.

[lswing]

I understand that he may sound like he is full of it but he is not. The fact that no one has given proper specs for the transmission to rebuttal his claim is a bit discerning. So if he is wrong on the spec, what is the spec and why can't this transmission handle 100 more Hp+/-??

As mentioned, it's just an upgraded A6/S6 that was meant for 350, these are specs from Audi. It barely handles 450. 550 breaks it if you drive hard. The HP542A is a notoriously weak transmission, slower shifting too, attested by almost all owners. The clutch packs are super small, like hand size small, and don't handle the power. And if those don't break, the input shaft will. Ha, something will, but it's still an awesome car.

Start here, http://audirssix.com/index.php/extras, look at the Design and Engineering PDF, page 31 I think, very small upgrades.

All I can say is I've broken two, and have seen about 30-40 others fail on here over the last 5 years, almost always when tuned. Just be ready to spend $5-10k if that happens is all.

[Fast Co]

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned a manual transmission swap. Although some have said that 01E isn't strong enough, I believe driving style has a lot to do it. Now that I am older and perhaps wiser than I once was, I drive my RS like I'm the guy who paid for it (which I am). I do not drop the clutch or power shift. My car is also modified (ex-SteveKen) I find it to be an ideal combination.

164S is a wonderful car to drive, my brother had one a few years ago. I have also had 3 Alfas and a Lancia Scorpion (not all at the same time) and never had to replace a clutch.

That looks like a sweet RS6, you're doing your homework. I hope you enjoy it!

[alfissimo]

That's the other option for sure., I rather do a manual swap but I will check this car out fully at the end of the month. Thanks for all the info. I really would like some printed info on the RS6 upgraded trans though. Just for my own knowledge.

I love my 164 but it can be a pain. Fast as hell and fun to drive.

Here is the link to my site where you can see my Alfa. http://alfissimo.com/home/1084-alfa-romeo-164-s-recaro-siena-wheels-and-more.html

thank you all.

[CBeau]

I know a little bit about cars, street, road racing and otherwise (although by no means a trained automotive engineer = my armchair quarterback disclaimer) and I would go as far as to say that mating that trans "beefed up" or not, to that powerplant was a pretty substantial design / engineering flaw / oversight / half-assed move whatever you want to call it, esp. for a flagship "hey everybody look what we did" press-darling of a model. I've often thought that were it not such a low production car it may well have become a bigger class-action type issue for them. As for manual swap I love the idea too and pondered it pretty hard and scoured all the great info on here and my take is it ain't so simple but obviously doable bc been done many times, but my real litmus test on that one is... seems that most who do it, even successfully and get it right, don't keep their cars long after. I love my RS6 (even as its sitting idle waiting for the transplant of the mo "beefed up" rebuilt replacement trans sitting next to it), and I want to keep it and keep loving it, so I've accepted the notion to leave it as it was built (untuned) and just keep it serviced and as pristine as possible and enjoy.... I'll be mad scientist on other more tinker-friendly cars of mine, i.e. over engineered Porsches and AMG full on viscous auto trans' legit built for 1000+ ft. lb.s. Other than trans / TC I'd say most of the other maintenance things are normal par for the course for any aging performance car.... its just the shit is kinda really packed in there.... like really!! That's the only real issue for me and all you have to do is open the hood and look around to see that fact comes with the territory. But its a hand-built super low production cool ass iconic car so F it!! Deal with it and enjoy or kick it to the curb..... there has been plenty of both roll through this forum since I've been watching it. Incl. some people you read their history of loving and loyal posts and you'd think they'd NEVER get rid of their beloved RS6.... but many do. Give it 10 more years, any one of them still in fine condition will really be a cool car. If that translates to any $$ appreciation is a different story, they might, but I wouldn't bet on that.... but maybe never know. Its the rare cars that most typically go ape shit at some point in price, like long hood (69-73) 911s, they all bring descent money now (Ts, Es and Ss) but the Ss are the ones that are crazy $$ and they aren't that much different than the others at all, just the production #s much lower = more coveted. I digress. Enjoy the car.... but you'll see. Looks like a nice one.

[alfissimo]

I get where you are coming from and your logic is spot on. I am not interested in value later, I am interested in enjoying it and driving it. I keep my cars for a long time, my alfa I have had for 20 years. I also have a Tourareg TDI that I plan on keeping for a long time. I am not a fly by night guy, once I have it I will keep it unless I don't drive it then maybe I see if it gains in value. haha. I know it will be expensive to keep up. I am well aware of that. I will do my normal over maintenance in thing using top quality parts (mostly OEM) and top quality oils, etc... The main reason I got $10,500 for a audi allroad with no upgrades with a 136K on it now, is due to how clean and well maintained it is. I am kind of nuts about keeping things working and maintained. So I believe I will be here chatting a year from now about how great this car is or how my trans blew up. ;) I doubt it though as I never plan to pull it to over 500hp even though it is there. I will change fluid yearly with whatever works the best, typically ZF fluid but I have read another fluid works well. too. Maybe I spend the money on beefing up the trans or doing the MTM tune. We will see. Otherwise I find a non-molested RS6 and bite on that. I think what draws me to this one is it is well maintained, all new OEM brake rotors, pads, timing belt, waterpump and all that done, Milltek turbo back exhaust is nice and I hope it sounds burly along with giving me better MPG. Maybe I remove wagner intercoolers and replace them with OEM as well as OEM BOV's to bring it back down to stock level. 450 Stock is actually enough for me really. No need to kill a tranny. I want the car to drive and not spend 8-10K on a new trans or swap. I know I can do the swap with my friend for around $4K, includes all parts needed. We almost did it on my allroad but that car bores me. ;) Thanks for the info.

[EINHORN]

welcome fellow quattroworldite. Used to lurk on allroad forum when I was looking for one, bought a Q5 dumped the A4.

MobsTTa

[alfissimo]

Haha, thanks! allroad section was pretty good there. I'd never buy an A4...well maybe a 1999 S4 but too small for me. ;) Plus too many kids drive them.

[DHall1]

Bingo!

+1

This car is perfect for you!!! I honestly can't think of a car I would enjoy as much at any cost.





I get where you are coming from and your logic is spot on. I am not interested in value later, I am interested in enjoying it and driving it. I keep my cars for a long time, my alfa I have had for 20 years. I also have a Tourareg TDI that I plan on keeping for a long time. I am not a fly by night guy, once I have it I will keep it unless I don't drive it then maybe I see if it gains in value. haha. I know it will be expensive to keep up. I am well aware of that. I will do my normal over maintenance in thing using top quality parts (mostly OEM) and top quality oils, etc... The main reason I got $10,500 for a audi allroad with no upgrades with a 136K on it now, is due to how clean and well maintained it is. I am kind of nuts about keeping things working and maintained. So I believe I will be here chatting a year from now about how great this car is or how my trans blew up. ;) I doubt it though as I never plan to pull it to over 500hp even though it is there. I will change fluid yearly with whatever works the best, typically ZF fluid but I have read another fluid works well. too. Maybe I spend the money on beefing up the trans or doing the MTM tune. We will see. Otherwise I find a non-molested RS6 and bite on that. I think what draws me to this one is it is well maintained, all new OEM brake rotors, pads, timing belt, waterpump and all that done, Milltek turbo back exhaust is nice and I hope it sounds burly along with giving me better MPG. Maybe I remove wagner intercoolers and replace them with OEM as well as OEM BOV's to bring it back down to stock level. 450 Stock is actually enough for me really. No need to kill a tranny. I want the car to drive and not spend 8-10K on a new trans or swap. I know I can do the swap with my friend for around $4K, includes all parts needed. We almost did it on my allroad but that car bores me. ;) Thanks for the info.

[EINHORN]

wife's car, avant 3.slow, dark blue with ecru

TT forum is pretty good there too.

[Bigglezworth]

You will be fine! In over 9 years of owning 6 of these I have not put 10k in the group.

There are still 3 in the garage out there

some say I don't drive all 6 at the same time but the law of averages still apply. I do drive them all just in varying degrees

Dave, what is your cost per mileage? I agree you can't take multiple cars and say they don't cost that much to maintain when you don't put that much mileage on any one in particular.

[Bigglezworth]

Thanks Mike!


Also, I understand that he may sound like he is full of it but he is not. The fact that no one has given proper specs for the transmission to rebuttal his claim is a bit discerning. So if he is wrong on the spec, what is the spec and why can't this transmission handle 100 more Hp+/-??
Standard 5HP24A trans is 420NM/315 ft-lb. 5HP24 Nate at Eriksson Industries says he cannot find the specs for the RS6 but he says he knows it is much higher than the standard. That said does anyone have the specs on the 5HP24 trans in the RS6? Hard to deny his claim with no information. Having owned three of these at once and still owning two after 8 years + of ownership, I personally have had no issues for OEM and even for tuned. At least this has been my personal experience with running what I believe is one of the more agressive tunes available. Perhaps I'm just lucky. The issues that have been experienced by more than a fair share of owners with failing transmissions are largely attributed to the TC problems and a seal inside the body of the unit that fail altering internal oil pressues - not increased power output of the engine (yes a couple of input shafts have snapped, but that has yet to be provem as a week link due to inceased engine power). Ultimately, end result is toasted tranny. As long as the TC is replaced with a Gen 2 version and you don't get the one manufactured on a Friday afternoon or a Monday morning, you should be fine. I have driven mine hard - like it was meant to be driven - and not a problem. That said, it's the second transmission which I replaced with an OEM replacement after the first one crapped the bed. It threw the illfated TC code from the first day I purchased it and I ran it for another 45000 miles over 6 years prior to implossion.

Transmission aside, my comments from the second post to this thread remain. Enjoy your new ride sooner than later. Get some miles on that garage queen!

[DHall1]

I have put 35k on one. No breakdowns

i have put 55k on #2 with one early trans failure. Early vin TC failure at 40k covered under ext service contract $100 dollars. No other breakdowns and now sits at 88k

misc 10k miles on the others and now the Misano that will need a few items dealt with.


Dave, what is your cost per mileage? I agree you can't take multiple cars and say they don't cost that much to maintain when you don't put that much mileage on any one in particular.

[HPO-DK]

I love the RS6 i have had mine for 18 months and have change a Little bits of parts nothing major.

Pads and rotors,plugs tires but thats just normal,change of oilpan for tranny becourse it was rusty (Live in Denmark) everyone has to do that up here with an old car. DRC was replaced with Bilstein B14 and thats is,tranny was replaced years ago most likely under some sort of waranty.

All in all somewere between 3-4000 $ for labor and parts and i dont care,its cheep to have all that fun in a real sleeper that can do allmost 300 KPH

[alfissimo]

Thank you for all the info and I will make sure I make sure to take care of this car and take care of this transmission. I want to look at a rebuild of it to accommodate more HP. I appreciate all the input, you guys have been great. thanks! Thank you!

[MORS6]

Thank you for all the info and I will make sure I make sure to take care of this car and take care of this transmission. I want to look at a rebuild of it to accommodate more HP. I appreciate all the input, you guys have been great. thanks! Thank you!

Here is the problem with the RS6. I sold mine 11 months ago and I'm sitting here on a Sunday afternoon thinking about it.
Truth be told, had I read this forum before I purchased my RS6, these fine people would have scared me away from ever owning one.
This forum is an amazing resource but ignorance is bliss with cars IMO.
Instead, I got a quick lesson on the RS6. Car had 60K on the odometer when I picked it up.
Check engine light came on less than 300 miles after purchase. I'm certain it wasn't the first time. Sure enough bad TC.
I'd been taken. Oh well lesson learned.
Visited Tozo on New Years day for a TC swap then drove it like there was no tomorrow for another 100 thousand miles. It had a transmission and ECU tune.
It was time to part ways with 170K on the odometer. Just the normal Audi stuff for the next 100k miles. Timing belts, brakes, tires, cup holders, hazard switches etc.
I was planning on getting a 2013 + S6 with low miles to freshen up but ended up with a Kia and RCF. lol
Hope you enjoy.

[Other_Erik]

To the OP: What are the last 4 digits of the VIN? Anything below ~5500 is suspect for the torque converter / trans failure issue. I'm not doubting your friend, just saying that what we've observed of the RS6's we've all seen from years on this board. The torque converter is rated for higher TQ values than the transmission. The 5HP24A was originally touted by ZF as "lifetime fluids", and claims of 600lbft torque daily. They've since changed their tune, no longer saying anything about torque values, and surreptitiously putting out a tech bulletin notice to OE's that fluid should be changed every 60k miles/5 years or shorter for "harsher driving conditions". More to come, and welcome! I truly hope you enjoy your RS6!

O_E

[nubcake]

claims of 600lbft torque daily

Where do you get those skyhigh numbers from?
"Input torque maximum is 420 newton metres (310 lbf·ft)" for 5HP24A at wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZF_5HP_transmission).
And from a random pdf: http://www.thectsc.com/images/pdf/5HP24A.pdf

That is definitely not the case for the RS6 as it comes from factory with 580nm, but it surely shows how wimpy the "ordinary" 5HP24A is.
I'm fairly sure that the "max input tq" for RS6 trans does not exceed 600nm, just can't find any links now.

[Other_Erik]

Where do you get those skyhigh numbers from?
"Input torque maximum is 420 newton metres (310 lbf·ft)" for 5HP24A at wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZF_5HP_transmission).
And from a random pdf: http://www.thectsc.com/images/pdf/5HP24A.pdf

That is definitely not the case for the RS6 as it comes from factory with 580nm, but it surely shows how wimpy the "ordinary" 5HP24A is.
I'm fairly sure that the "max input tq" for RS6 trans does not exceed 600nm, just can't find any links now.

Can't find the links either because ZF has done their damnedest to get that data off the 'net. I'll see if I can dig it out of the extra info that came along with my RS6. A bit of docco from ZF, Cosworth, and QuattroGmbH that I found interesting. More to come if I can find it, otherwise that's the next owners' problem.

[hoam skooled]

I am not real interested in the upgrades on this car but they are there. It's around 100 more hp than stock. I don't race and I don't drive like an a-hole. I treat my cars well. I am not an idiot either so I will do my homework and if I find a stock one in good condition I will scoop it up. But this one is in nice shape and everything done by a master mechanic who does know his shit.
i saw someone say this earlier..if i would have let all the comments sink in too much i would have never bought mine..but i'm glad i did buy it.i came and researched the common issues so i knew what to ask when looking at them .

.i found a well sorted one with many new parts before i got it ..i'm still running the DRC and having no issue and like their performance , though i plan on adding hothckis sways . though i got burned on a slipping trans that didnt show its face until it was warm ..like 50-100 miles warm on my way home 1000 miles from purchase . ..after getting home i called the audi dealer that serviced it ,it's whole life and they werent able to send me copies of the repairs they were able to do a yes or no type question and answer session ..was verified the original owner had put almost $25k into it 1500 miles before trading it in ..all the work was done right before his after market warranty was running out , but after he got it back and the warranty was up he traded it in on a new RS7 "because the transmission was failing" was a 1 owner DR in kentucky that owned it and i got it from a broker for $12,900..which i still think i got a steal of a deal even with a trans replacement

..limped it around like that for 5k miles till it got almost undriveable and i had to use the paddles mostly ..i never got it diagnosed but i found a "level 10" Torque Converter with 800 miles on it ,for 300 bux (seller removed it for a manual swap)..found a member of my C5 facebook page that sent me a used trans on a pallet with 9 liters of liqui-moly tech1200 for 640 bux total (yay!!) ..and i have a friend that has a high end independent euro shop that did my labor capped at $2,000 total..though book called for 24 hrs or so ..so in all the fix cost me a little under $3,000.00 .that was almost 30k miles ago ..my car has been without issues ever since..i do also have a CEL that comes on for my SAI pump , but i clear it with my 6 dollar ebay obdll and free phone app every 2k miles or so ..hasnt come on in quite a while actually, come to think of it, maybe it fixed itself..lol.i have racked up a lot of miles in a short time 34-35k miles since first week of March (8 months)..that includes a very snowy northern michigan winter and a hot day auto-crossing (12 runs)

but these people arent lying , there isnt a conspiracy to keep people from buying them , they can get pricey as hell..i got very lucky on my 1 big issue and i also JUST happen to have an extra $3k in my bank after what was leftover from totaling my Phaeton on a deer..so it wasnt too painful ..otherwise getting burned on the trans could have been a major setback .but i also drive it like its a daily driver and not a race car , hit cruise at 5 over everywhere and take off like i'm running out of gas. i use the power mostly for passing and the occasional adrenaline flow to wake me up now and zen . i live in a very rural area (Upper peninsula of michigan "U.P." ) and my fiance' lives in a town i grew up in 180 miles away , so almost all of my driving is highway/expressway . the nearest stop light from my house up here in the UP is 55 miles away .haha , so all these factor into my positive experience owning this car

i'm stage 0 ..still have oem cats and wheels , pretty plain jayne ..i have been planning a stage 1 tune , but i dont want to hurt it, i dont do many if any WOT launches from a dead stop so i'm thinking a few extra PSI from my spools to pass people with less peddle effort shouldnt hurt my reliability i have been enjoying .i'm also in a no test state so i have been waiting for a tune to cut my secondary cats off under the floor without causing a cel to come on .

i will not put another auto in it shall it fail again and i recently picked up an '01 spt pkg A6 2.7 6 spd to use for winter and future trans donor..i have really been enjoying the A6 , it's stage 1 and is quite a quick car for a 2,000 dollar winter beater .gives me an idea of how fun the RS6 will be with that trans .i'm not too worried about breaking the o1e especially my driving habits but my driving habits will require a strong clutch to hold at speed when i pass etc..after the o1e is in i may play with a few more mods , but it's one of the few things i've owned thats actually "fast enough" and i like how tame /almost slow it feels just driving 1/4 throttle or so . quite a jeckle n hyde throttle ..haha ..i drag race snowmobiles and quads and have owned everything from a '72 GTO , road runner , highly modded 5.0 mustang (merc capri RS actually)..etc etc..so i'm not shy about power or fast cars and i really think for a practical daily driver its already "fast enough" out of the box

..but i wouldnt be afraid to get another , just make sure it's got a good story and a good history and dont drive it like you have to prove something , it should treat you well ..way less shop time than my subie phase ..never go back to those..lol