DRC - request of show of hands

[LIRS6]

I am going to the dealer on Monday ref DRC - can I please have a show of hands from anyone who has had any DRC issues/failures - I would like to demonstrate to the dealer that this is a very real problem. Thanks in advance

[Hy Octane]

Me!
Remember, those here represent a small number of RS6's out there.. In my travels to get this DRC system repaired, the two dealers I went to both reported to me that they had done " several" DRC replacements when I asked if they had done this yet.. I suspect many are driving around with improperly repaired suspensions and arent car savvy enuff to realize its wrong.. My SA did tell me when I asked that some of the owners had reported to him that the ride seemed 'softer' after the repairs..
I would estimate that half of the RS6's allocated for California have been in for this problem..
I feel for you with what you are getting ready to experience..
Good Luck..

[Rupert]

ME too!
After only 5k miles.
It's much better, although I am getting a vibration through the accellerator pedal now at 20k miles.

[Aronis]

Hand is up.

Just call my car Tigger....loves to bounce.

Mike

[shimmy]

yes had some replacements due to two leaks on front shocks at 20k miles.

[chutia]

Hand is held up high! sold mine after 3 months, due in large part, to inability of dealership to properly diagnose it and then no parts availability!! Sucks for such an otherwise fine car.

[dpiggee]

Gentlemen,
Count me in. Had entire DRC system replaced after 20,000 miles. My mechanic did an excellent job repairing it, but the ride has never quite been the same.


Dpiggee

[gjg]

if you count Europe than I had shocks/CV replaced on our rs6 avant. My + is ok at 60,000 km, no problems whatsoever

[Aronis]

WTF does that mean.

If I do an "Excellent Job" and the patient still dies, have I helped him.

If it were "excellent" it would ride like NEW.

Mike


Originally posted by dpiggee
Gentlemen,
Count me in. Had entire DRC system replaced after 20,000 miles. My mechanic did an excellent job repairing it, but the ride has never quite been the same.


Dpiggee

[dpiggee]

Mike,
I guess the best way to explain it is this; the mechanic at International Audi in West Allis, WI, has been so helpful with diagnosing the many problems that I have had with this vehicle, and I have up to now received so much good service from him that we know each other on a first name basis, and because I have always had a loner vehicle available when my beast was out of service, and finally, because he is the only mechanic that I will let touch my baby, I tend to be more of an optimist about the condition of my car. It could be a lot worse, and excellence does not always mean perfection. Excellence service, excellent results,(exception, DRC) and excellent effort. Mike, my father died of a heart condition. When he was rushed to the hospital, he was revived twice, once by the paramedics, once by the doctors on staff at the hospital. And even though he did not make it, I did not sue the hospital because he died. He received excellent care and treatment.

[Benman]

Originally posted by dpiggee
Mike, my father died of a heart condition. When he was rushed to the hospital, he was revived twice, once by the paramedics, once by the doctors on staff at the hospital. And even though he did not make it, I did not sue the hospital because he died. He received excellent care and treatment.

My condolences on your father and you make and excellent point for all of us.

Ben:addict:

[dpiggee]

Benman,
Thank you. I really like the men and women of this forum. You have taught me so much about my beast, and all of you are very friendly and courteous. I apologize for briefly going off-topic. I am curious to know how many others have had problems with the DRC system, and if we will have enough to approach Audi about a possible recall.

[iconcls]

Originally posted by dpiggee
all of you are very friendly and courteous.

Apparently, I have been absent of late.

[Aronis]

When ranking any service you need to look at Effort AND Outcome.

With a HUMAN you can do everything perfectly and the patient can still die.

The point I was making is that even when you do everything you can in a medical situation - to most observers your only as good as the outcome.

With a defined mechanical system, designed by a human, prototype built by a human, mass produced by humans, if it fails it should be able to be returned to factory new condition by a human with proper training, proper understanding and proper effort, unless some other major UNCHANGEALBE part has been damaged such as the Frame of an Auto for example That would be an EXCELLENT Job.

Now I understand you were talking about EXCELLENT SERVICE - I have to agree there, perhaps, since they provided a high quality SERVICE, treated you nicely, etc......I was confused by your Rating of Excellent yet the OUTCOME was not Excellent.

Now I have to ask the big money question.....



Did they ADMIT that it was not quite back to NORMAL?



Somehow I doubt it.


Mike

[dpiggee]

Hello,
Actually Mike, my mechanic did tell me that he was not trained in DRC maintenance, and had to use a manual and make a lot of phone calls. After about a month, I received a phone call from him saying all was well. We then had to test the system by the seat of our pants literally. Only the bounce test and the actual test drive were used to check everything. I wish that I had read this forum earlier, because I learned about the proper psi settings here. I also read about the possibility of road salt causing the seals to fail, but I just don't think that the US mechanics have enough training about the DRC. However, no one can really know if the system is back to normal unless you have driven the car when it was normal, or have the proper parameters(tools, psi settings, time). I think that in this case, only the proper effort could be determined, because the proper training and understanding were not here yet. By the way, after I got my beast back, my mechanic was sent to DRC training for only 2 days. I really hope that Audi will determine that there is a system flaw, because this could be very dangerous and expensive. Has anyone else had this problem?

[Aronis]

Originally posted by dpiggee
Hello,
Actually Mike, my mechanic did tell me that he was not trained in DRC maintenance, and had to use a manual and make a lot of phone calls.



There in lies the problem, apparently none of the US RS6 mechanics received that training.




After about a month, I received a phone call from him saying all was well. We then had to test the system by the seat of our pants literally. Only the bounce test and the actual test drive were used to check everything.



The BOUNCE Test? If I push on a fender the entire car bounces like an old taxi cab. The system is very poorly dampened. This is the 'test' a moron could see but no one at my dealership would ADMIT 'it ain't right'.




I wish that I had read this forum earlier, because I learned about the proper psi settings here. I also read about the possibility of road salt causing the seals to fail, but I just don't think that the US mechanics have enough training about the DRC.


Road salt is BS. The real problem was a dissimilar metals in contact at the 'seal.' This causes corrosion due to a flow of electricity set up by the dielectric situation. This causes the corrosion as it happened to cars in CALIFORNIA and FLORIDA which saw NO rpad salt. Perhaps it was the fresh ocean air.



However, no one can really know if the system is back to normal unless you have driven the car when it was normal, or have the proper parameters(tools, psi settings, time).


EXACTLY. But they don't have to drive an RS6 for a few months to realize the handling of any Audi with an "S" in the name should be better than the 3 year old loaner they give you! Or the Friggen Pickup Truck the shop guys drive!



I think that in this case, only the proper effort could be determined, because the proper training and understanding were not here yet. By the way, after I got my beast back, my mechanic was sent to DRC training for only 2 days.


That's funny, did they take your car back and make it perfect after that training? NO.



I really hope that Audi will determine that there is a system flaw, because this could be very dangerous and expensive. Has anyone else had this problem?

Most people at Audi HIDE behind their desks as does James Cruse. No Email address, no mailing address, just a phone number in Michigan. Perhaps he can get off his ass and fly to NY and drive my car and see what happens to the seat of his pants when he has to do a sudden manuver on the highway and the car goes the other way!

I am bitter, it's been 6 months, paying for an expensive BROKEN car. I have wasted thousands of miles of my lease/warrantee period going back and forth, they could have at least extended my factory warrantee for me, as the after market extended warrantee is about $3000.00 and is not as inclusive!

Bottom line, after this lease, Audi can shove their cars.

Mike

[Rupert]

Originally posted by Rupert
ME too!
After only 5k miles.
It's much better, although I am getting a vibration through the accellerator pedal now at 20k miles.

A photo taken today:

Front passenger side: Showing lots of oiliness.

http://i5.tinypic.com/11s2khd.jpg

It looks like I have found the source of my pedal rebound.

... and it looks like the new RS4 has the potential to suffer from some DRC failure too: :o

http://www.rs246.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=54285


... there is a clunking noise ... Diagnosed as the Dynamic Ride Valve needing replacement. [/quote]

[Aronis]

very very interesting RS4....problem is....


Sing it now.....I want out of my friggen lease........hate it.......can't fix it......

Now wait, I drop it off for another try tomorrow.....maybe they will fix it.....RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHHHHHHHHHHHHHTTTT TTTTTTTTTTTT


Mike


hows that song go...Jaded.......

[GmbHouse]

Me... twice.

[minimad]

me, twice, too. PSS9 now serves the beast, no more DRC:noshake: