New RS6 owner:)

[MichaelJP]

Hi all,

Just taken delivery of a new RS6 Avant. Traded in a BMW E46 M3 with SMG + 19" wheels. The RS6 does not feel as nimble as the M3, but to me it feels far faster even though I'm running it in. Maybe it's just the monster torque.

Nice to be back behind a V8 though - I had an M5 before the M3 and never really liked the chainsaw rasp of the M3 6.

Here are some photos of the beast:-

RS6 Pics (http://community.webshots.com/album/35392399GSfqzI)

Cheers,
- MichaelJP
(UK)

[Snow]

Nice! That Mugello Blue colour (english spelling?) is just stunning... And the toned rear windows are a good idea too!!

Happy driving!:incar:

[JP4]

Originally posted by MichaelJP

The RS6 does not feel as nimble as the M3, but to me it feels far faster even though I'm running it in. Maybe it's just the monster torque.

Nice to be back behind a V8 though - I had an M5 before the M3 and never really liked the chainsaw rasp of the M3 6.

Cheers,
- MichaelJP
(UK)

MichaelJP...can you tell us "Yanks" what your manual says about break-in period and suggested procedures? Also...what type of oil does the factory put in the new engine and what do they recommend?

Thanks,

JP4 :addict:

[Benman]

nice to have another owner on the forum. all of us in the U.S.
who are waiting will have some questions to make the wait a
little easier. like: how's that power feel?:cheers:

ben:addict:

[urquattro83]

Nice car and a beautifull color!!!!
Enjoy the audi-power !!!
Enjoy quattro !!!


Simon

[MichaelJP]

Originally posted by JP4
MichaelJP...can you tell us "Yanks" what your manual says about break-in period and suggested procedures? Also...what type of oil does the factory put in the new engine and what do they recommend?


The manual recommends that for the first 1000km not to drive faster than 3/4 of top speed, not to use full throttle and to avoid running the engine at "full speed", presumably meaning max rpm.

Not sure what oil is in the engine, but there is a 1 litre bottle of Esso Ultron synthetic oil for topping up purposes. As there is no inspection service presumably there is no special oil for break-in purposes.

- MichaelJP

[MichaelJP]

Originally posted by Benman
nice to have another owner on the forum. all of us in the U.S.
who are waiting will have some questions to make the wait a
little easier. like: how's that power feel?:cheers:

ben:addict:

Even though I'm keeping below 4000rpm, the power feels amazing:) And the engine is so refined, very smooth and very strong. Oh, and it sounds fantastic - like muted NASCAR:)

The RS6 is certainly one to drive in thin-soled shoes - you can drive pretty swiftly just on a breath of throttle.

Overall it is an amazing quality product - I don't think I've seen a better built car, and I have owned Porsches, BMWs and Mercs in the past. No squeaks, no rattles.

Definitely well worth the wait:)

- MichaelJP

[Benman]

MichaelJP,

thank you very much for that juicy little tid bit of info. nice to hear
your thoughts on build quality compared to the other cars
mentioned. i've driven the new E class and was not impressed
with the fit and finish compared to the A6. and as for porsches
(and i'm a BIG fan) i can't believe the amount of silver painted
plastic that they use instead of REAL aluminum. for a car that
runs $40,000 -$55,000 (for boxter) and $90,000 on up (for 911s)
you'd think they'd use more REAL aluminum like in the RS6.
oh well, i guess they think that the performance is enough.:D

oh wait, the RS6 has got that too:cheers:

ben:addict:

[JP4]

Originally posted by MichaelJP
The manual recommends that for the first 1000km not to drive faster than 3/4 of top speed, not to use full throttle and to avoid running the engine at "full speed", presumably meaning max rpm.

Not sure what oil is in the engine, but there is a 1 litre bottle of Esso Ultron synthetic oil for topping up purposes. As there is no inspection service presumably there is no special oil for break-in purposes.

- MichaelJP

Interesting....do you think that would be 3/4 of 250 kph (where the speed limiter is set) or 3/4 of 300 kph (the REAL top speed)? :race:

That's great that they provided a bottle of oil for topping up purposes as I'm sure it will use a little for the first couple thousand km's. My 4.2 did. The fact that they provide synthetic oil would lead one to believe that's what they put in the crankcrase at the factory.

Thanks much for the info! :cheers:

[Thilo]

Just a short comment. In my manual is written that you should use a oil with a (i only know the german word) viskosität of 5?-40.

And just in an emergency you can use 0.5 liter of 5?-35.

When i checked what i was supposed to use for my BMW 535 i was really surprised. There 5?-30 was enough.

Cheers
Thilo:cheers:

PS : There is also a second phase from 1000 to 1500 km. Where you should increase speed and rpm. When the police will stop me, i will show them the manual and tell that i HAVE to drive that fast.:hihi:

[Erik]

Welcome!

Interesting to see that so many choose that aluminium interioir.

[JP4]

Originally posted by Thilo
Just a short comment. In my manual is written that you should use a oil with a (i only know the german word) viskosität of 5?-40.

And just in an emergency you can use 0.5 liter of 5?-35.

When i checked what i was supposed to use for my BMW 535 i was really surprised. There 5?-30 was enough.

PS : There is also a second phase from 1000 to 1500 km. Where you should increase speed and rpm. When the police will stop me, i will show them the manual and tell that i HAVE to drive that fast.:hihi:

Thanks Thilo. FYI the english word for viskositat would be viscosity.

Is the manual more specific on suggested rpm's during the first and second phase of break in or does it just say "you should increase speed and rpm"?

I was stopped by the police one time when I was 17 year old(many many years ago) for speeding. The officer asked me why I was driving so fast. I told him I had to drive faster to try to keep cool because it was so hot and I didn't have air conditioning. :eek: Needless to say he didn't buy that one and promptly issued me a speeding ticket. As well he should have! But I'll remember your suggestion Thilo and keep the manual handy. Surely that excuse is better than mine was!
;)

JP4

[Thilo]

Hi JP4

No, the manual only says for the first 1000 Km not more than 2/3 of top speed (don't ask me if they mean 250 or 300) i think they are talking of 250.

And for the next 500 km they say to increase slowly to the max.

Greetings
Thilo :addict:

[JP4]

Thanks Thilo. Keep us posted on your new baby! We're dieing over here for all the info we can get to keep us happy while we anxiously wait for ours. I know...I know...get a life! :rolleyes: ;)

[GoFastKindaGuy]

At the risk of stating the obvious, several points on proper break-in and operation of performance engines in general:
1) Always, always, always run at light load (no heavy foot) until all the engine fluids are fully circulated to all the little corners of the engine and are up to operating temperatures. (This always taxes my self discipline.)
2) Don't ever let the engine either over-rev or lug -- both forms of extreme loads are harmful to the greasy bits.
3) Vary rpm: Don't run for extended distances at constant rpm -- engines are fluidly moving organisms, not rigid metal -- constant speeds can yield high wear spots as component dynamics take a set. Cruise control is the bane of proper break-in. I never set mine until I have at least 500 miles on the odometer.
4) Be patient with break-in. It takes time for all the mating surfaces to get happy with one another. Patience now makes for a long happy life and higher performance.
5) Run recommended lubricants and gas. Too much lubricity can be as bad as too little. Good gas can sometimes degrade in the stations big tanks and one gets less than what one paid for. While today's engine management systems detune the engine for the actual fuel quality, we are not going to get the performance we are paying for.
6) Make an early oil and filter change. Most of the raw edges come off the engine internals in the first few hundred miles. I always change oil and filter after the first 1000 to 1500 miles. Cheap insurance for cars I love.
:race: For what it is worth.

[jconley]

Very good advice...One thing to add, for turbo charged cars-

If you drive it hard, LET IT COOL!!!

I always drive my cars hard, but with a turbo I alays idle down for several minutes, or I drive like my grandmother for the last 5 miles


:)

[JP4]

Those are good rules of thumb for proper break-in. Thanks for the refresher course! :0:

[AudiWorldMember]

There have been many long discussions on break-in on Audiworld. As I recall, Audi uses a special "break-in oil" which supposedly conditions the engine components. As such, the consensus was that changing the factory oil early was a mistake. The "hard edges" that were referred to above no longer exist in modern engines. I don't know the correct answer, but am just relaying what was previously discussed.

[GoFastKindaGuy]

Good point on turbo cool down -- not bad advise on any engine, but even more important on turbos because of the latent heat.

And hard edges still exist in modern engines. Parts are still machined. Surfaces still have to mate up. Some manufacturers do the early change out right after the dyno or engine/driveline/chassis run-in (if there is one). If break-in oils are shipped out with the engine by the manufacturer, then follow their recommendations. Personally, I replace filter and break-in oil with a new filter and more break-in oil, then change out at the first, originally scheduled interval.:bye:

[AudiWorldMember]

If break-in oil is available, sure, then there is no issue. In the US, I don't know of any source.

The hard edges that you are talking about come from various milling and drilling processes as well as from castings. In modern day CNC milling, the likelihood of little bits of metal coming off in an assembled engine are almost nil. In the "old days," changing oil before the first 1000 miles was common practice. I think it was considered scheduled maintenance in Volvo in the US.

If it was so important, why wouldn't the manufacturers still recommend doing it? Certainly, it would be cheap insurance.

[GoFastKindaGuy]

With all due respect, this is only a suggestion for the meticulous. Follow the book, and you are unlikely to go wrong. I just prefer to improve my odds from "unlikely" to "damned unlikely." No mandate, just old school experience updated with daily new school feedback.

ps: my company is a performance engine manufacurer, and we do recommend early change. In fact, we do the first change before an engine ever leaves here.:bye:

[dabull]

My salesman told me this week that all Audis come with synthetic oil and that during Audi provided services synthetic oil is used. I am ashamed to say that I just found this out after three Audis.

[Finnus]

Guys,

Thanks for the "care & feeding" instructions for our new babies - we want to give them every advantage in life!

:addict:

[AudiWorldMember]

No disrespect here either. Just a friendly exchange of ideas. :) Both of us have the same end goal.


Originally posted by GoFastKindaGuy
With all due respect, this is only a suggestion for the meticulous. Follow the book, and you are unlikely to go wrong. I just prefer to improve my odds from "unlikely" to "damned unlikely." No mandate, just old school experience updated with daily new school feedback.

ps: my company is a performance engine manufacurer, and we do recommend early change. In fact, we do the first change before an engine ever leaves here.:bye:

[GoFastKindaGuy]

Agreed.

By the way, I went out to AudiWorld website after your suggestion and checked out the break-in discussion thread. The "long post" on the Saturn engine break-in is a really informative read. Thanks for the tip.

Now, if we just had some RS6s to break-in! :incar:

[krm]

Congrats, Michael! She's a beaut! Given you have spent some time behind the wheel of the M5 and M3, what's the first noticeable difference you feel in driving the RS6? Might be too premature to ask, but hope after your break-in you will give us a comprehensive report on those differences as well! Thanks and may the Audi beast bring you many miles of enjoyment.

:cheers:

[MichaelJP]

Originally posted by krm
Congrats, Michael! She's a beaut! Given you have spent some time behind the wheel of the M5 and M3, what's the first noticeable difference you feel in driving the RS6? Might be too premature to ask, but hope after your break-in you will give us a comprehensive report on those differences as well! Thanks and may the Audi beast bring you many miles of enjoyment.
:cheers:

This is from my other post re. M3/RS6 comparisons;


Originally posted by MichaelJP

This video really surprises me, so I'll add my thoughts, particularly as I have just traded in my '02 E46 M3 SMG for an RS6 Avant.

EVO magazine in the UK gives the following figures:-

RS6 0-60mph 4.8 sec 0-100mph 11.6 sec
M3 0-60mph 5.1 sec 0-100mph 12.3 sec

Now these figures are quite close, but the RS6 comes out on top.

I'd also make the following points:-

- In normal use, the RS6 feels *so* much faster to me than the M3. Because you don't have to rev the engine to get massive acceleration you get the feeling that the RS6 is alive and ready to go at all times. I also like being able to go fast without everybody looking round, staring and thinking "what a d***head!".

- So the M3s torque is high up the rev range, this means you must use all the rev range to use it properly. That means lots of noise and straight-6 rasping. Subjectively I think that makes the car feel slower than it really is, because it seems to be working so hard.

- The figures are close, but you could get those RS6 numbers all day with ease - no doubt to get them the M3 used its electronic launch control, which is extremely quick, but you wouldn't want to use it too often as you'd lunch the clutch in pretty short order.


The biggest differences I've noticed so far:

- instant torque available just off throttle in the RS6.

- gear changes at low revs much faster in RS6 than M3 SMG

- notice more weight through switchback bends in RS6

- brakes much better in RS6, but would like to test on track to really see if they hold up under pressure

- RS6 far better build quality and higher spec interior materials than M3

- Audio system is much better in RS6 than M3 Harmon Kardon

Obviously the RS6 is much more expensive than the M3, but you can definitely see where the extra money has gone:)

The M5 is much closer than the M3 in feel to the RS6 - but again the turbo installation provides a much wider spread of torque. Also for engines like this personally I prefer the Tiptronic - although I do know that a lot of you still prefer the manual gearchange.

- MichaelJP

[Benman]

michael,

thanks for the report on how the RS6 compares to the M3. i
would also imagine it's a closer comparo to the M5. your
coments on how the tiptronic works are also much appreciated.

with how good the new automatics are getting nowadays, i'm
not sure that i need a manual. after all, it's not like a spend the
majority of my time on a race track. i spend the majority of my
time on the freeway or in traffic. but i always make time for a
back country road:D

:cheers:
ben:addict:

[Erik]

The next MB will have an automatic with 7 gears... (and I'm not counting reverse...)

[TheBrit]

Originally posted by MichaelJP
Not sure what oil is in the engine, but there is a 1 litre bottle of Esso Ultron synthetic oil for topping up purposes. As there is no inspection service presumably there is no special oil for break-in purposes.

I'd check that oil out, from experience with one of the first Audi's to use variable service and the S8 and RS 6, I'll say that dealers don't often know what oil to give you for topping up!

I thought Audi had a pretty good tie-in with Castrol for oil (they helped develop variable sevice oil with Audi). I've alwaysd been given Castrol kits. Check your manual for the relevant VW5xx-xx specification and check that the Ultron meets or exceeds it (it should say so somewhere on the label).

BTW, I like your tinted back windows, very nice addition to the Avant. Enjoy your beast! :D

[MichaelJP]

Originally posted by TheBrit
I'd check that oil out, from experience with one of the first Audi's to use variable service and the S8 and RS 6, I'll say that dealers don't often know what oil to give you for topping up!

I thought Audi had a pretty good tie-in with Castrol for oil (they helped develop variable sevice oil with Audi). I've alwaysd been given Castrol kits. Check your manual for the relevant VW5xx-xx specification and check that the Ultron meets or exceeds it (it should say so somewhere on the label).

BTW, I like your tinted back windows, very nice addition to the Avant. Enjoy your beast! :D

Hmm. I'll check that oil type out. What Castrol oil did they give you with yours BTW?

I like the tinted back windows, though the wife says if I'd got it in black it would be the world's fastest hearse!?!

- MichaelJP

[GoFastKindaGuy]

I just heard from my audi dealer that the RS6 is to be delivered with a quart of "Mobil 0" oil in the trunk (I think she meant in a bottle in the trunk) because it is a special, hard to find oil.

Also, contrary to my earlier post, Audi is recommending NOT to change the oil after a short break-in interval. Rather, leave it in for the longer, recommended period. Something to do with proper sealing. I want to understand that logic.

She also confirmed to me from an Audi communication that satelite radio (either XM or Sirrus) will be a factory pre-wired, dealer installed option. Also, drilled brake rotors will make it onto my RS6. She wanted to know how I knew that a day before she got the memo from Audi. She is supposed to know that stuff before guys like me call and ask. "RS6.com/forum," I said.

:deal:

[dabull]

Early builds will not have the satellite radio. The oil topic is interesting. Also, it looks like Audi is holding all of the cars until around mid July, which means that it will be released as a 2003 model about 6 weeks before allot of 2004 models are starting to be released, go figure? :addict: :addict:

[avdh]

Michael

Congrats, I am so envious.....

With regards to you interior and the aluminium trim, what trim do you have for your center console (near gear lever, back of handbrake section & above TV screen)? Piano black?

[MichaelJP]

Originally posted by avdh
Michael

Congrats, I am so envious.....

With regards to you interior and the aluminium trim, what trim do you have for your center console (near gear lever, back of handbrake section & above TV screen)? Piano black?

Andre, on my car that section is no different to the rest of the trim adjacent to it; i.e. matt black textured. I quite like it that way, but I've noticed some people have that bit carbon fibre.

- Michael