Re: '95 A6QW questions

[Andrew Duane USG <duane@hunch.zk3.dec.com>]

Hairy green toads from Mars made Mark Gajewski say:

> I'm new to the list and am searching for a '95 up A6Q wagon.  I found
> one that seems nice, but have a few concerns/questions about it and Audi
> quattros in general.  Here goes:
> 
> The front tires on this particular vehicle are really chewed up.  Chunks
> of rubber are are actually "pulled" off of some of the tread blocks.
> This combined with a tire-grinding-on-pavement kind of noise that occurs
> when turning very sharply at slow speeds (like when doing a u-turn)
> makes me suspicious about the front differential.  The dealer says no
> way, that it has a viscous differential and therefore there is no way it
> could be locking up slightly or whatever.  On top of this he claims to
> have never had Quattro AWD system problems in the 15 yrs. he has been
> dealing with quattros.  Does this sound like he is trying to dodge a
> problem and a potentially expensive fix, or are problems with quattros
> really that uncommon?  Is the tight turn tire scrubbing on pavement
> noise normal?

The noise is normal in almost zero-speed turns (Torsen). But the
chewed up tires are a sign of a badly messed up alignment. You need
to find out *why* it is so badly messed up. Accident? Damage? Neglect
and lots of potholes? Maybe the PO likes doing donuts in parking lots.

In general the Quattro drivetrain is absolutely bulletproof. 200K
miles and more are not at all uncommon (my 100Q has 175K, drives fine).


> Do the door mirrors on the A6's tend to make lots of wind noise at
> speed?  In this particular vehicle there was a lot of wind noise, but it
> didn't sound like a bad door/window seal...just outside wind noise.

Most Audis (and VWs too) make a lot of wind noise. Audi doesn't
spend lots of weight and money sealing everything up as tight as
Honda or Toyota. Just a fact of life.


> A mechanic acquaintance is advising me to stay away from Quattros due to
> extreme cost in maintaining/repairing the drivetrain.  He claims the
> auto tranny alone is something like $7K and must be shipped in from
> Germany?  Sounds like balone to me, but could it be true?  I know this
> is the Quattro list so I don't expect a totally impartial answer, but
> are the Quattros troublesome?  I prefer to work on my own vehicles, but
> after poking around under this one, I do feel somewhat intimidated.  Are
> these cars repairable by a decent backyard mechanic or are we talking
> dealer visits here?  What sort of mileage can I expect to put on this
> car before major trouble/rebuild time?

Can't say about the tranny, but the drivetrain is about the ONLY
thing on an Audi that is bulletproof. The rest of the car can bleed
you dry in maintenance :-) They do require upkeep, and sometimes
parts are expensive and/or difficult. This list is a godsend.

> Anyone in the Northeast selling and A6Q wagon in case this one doesn't
> pan out.  Thanks in advance for any info/recommendations you might
> have.  Coming from a long line of VW ownership, I love the way the Audi
> feels...but it's a lot of money and I'm just trying to make sure it's a
> wise move.

I moved from VWs to Audis, never regretted it. My A6QW is our third
quattro, already picking out our fourth.

-- 

Andrew L. Duane (JOT-7)			duane@zk3.dec.com
Compaq Computer Corporation		(603)-884-1294
110 Spit Brook Road
M/S ZKO3-3/U14
Nashua, NH    03062-2698

Only my cat shares my opinions, and she's too psychotic to express it