Thread: need adivise for purchasing 2015 A6 C7 3.0T

[kienaudi]

hi guys, I'm new to this forum so please redirect me to any thread that already answered part of my questions. My first car was an 2000 A6, I owned it for 3 years and absolutely loved it. Now I'm about to pull the trigger on my second car, another A6 lol. Here is the link for the listing including the CARFAX report: https://www.crownbmw.com/used/Audi/2...725ccb1b41.htm

The dealer is 450 miles from my location and I don't have a car at the moment so I'm purchasing this car online and will have them ship it to me. For this reason, I couldn't have a test drive with the vehicle although the dealer assures me the car was inspected/detailed before listing and have no issue (they have quite good review and rating online).

My questions are:
1. Is this even a good deal at $14500? Given that the car has 126K mileages, 2 previous owners and clean title.
2. The car has full service report on CARFAX but I hardly see anything repaired or replaced on the report. Is this something I should be worry about?
3. What should I ask the dealer to minimize my risk from buying this car online? Should a virtual appointment with the car (walk arround, listen to engine starts) do any help?
4. If I decided to pull the trigger, what should I checked after taking the car delivered to me?

Thank you for reading my post and have a great day!

PS: I originally posted this in the Chatter box, repost here for more attention. Thanks Mod.

[sepheroth86]

I just posted in your other thread. [>_<]

Deleted that post and reposted here:

I bought my 2012 A6 Prestige with Innovation Package (night vision, HUD, cooled seats, LED headlights, etc) a few years back for $12,500. At the time it had approximately 135k on it.

At around 145k I had to have the front control arms replaced. Bushings wore out. The dealership service writer told me that it was an uncommon occurrence for these cars.

While I am far from an expert on pricing these cars, I think that 14,500 might be a bit high for what appears to be a relatively low optioned car.

The 3.0t is a fantastic engine, and has been relatively maintenance free for me (currently close to 160k). Doing an Engine and Transmission flash will REALLY wake them up.

On an unrelated note, the first Audi I ever owned was a 1999 A6 Avant. It was a great car to me, has 275k on it. I had kept it as a backup but have decided to sell it soon. lol

[kienaudi]

thanks for your reply! Although this car doesn't come with any of the Innovation Package you mentioned above but it kinda checked all the box I needed (3.0T, Adaptive Cruise Control, Active Lane Assist and 3-spokes steering wheel). I couldn't find any C7 3.0T with Adaptive Cruise Control and clean title below this price, plus the car look really clean to me. How does your 3.0T perform at the moment? Where can I do Engine and Transmission flash after purchasing?

[choy188]

I feel like that many miles is not really a good idea, when I was looking for mine there were a few that were 2012-2013 cars with about 100k miles for around 14-15k, I ended up getting a great deal on a 2012 with the innovation package for 16k with 78k miles and had a recent timing chain service at the dealer

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[kienaudi]

thanks for sharing Choy! I'm obsessed with a6 (also RS7) and can't find anything cheaper with the combo I want (3.0T, ACC, clean title), I'm poor lol. I am willing to put a few more k if any issue arises. How much do you have to pay for the timing chain job? I hope audi fix the timing chain on 2015 version [:p]

[kienaudi]

for anyone pass by I wanna ask for a recommendation for mechanic check job in PA?

[choy188]

thanks for sharing Choy! I'm obsessed with a6 (also RS7) and can't find anything cheaper with the combo I want (3.0T, ACC, clean title), I'm poor lol. I am willing to put a few more k if any issue arises. How much do you have to pay for the timing chain job? I hope audi fix the timing chain on 2015 version [:p]The timing chain issues were mainly on early 2012 cars so you shouldnt have to worry about it on 2013+ cars. I believe the work order I found in the car was about 7k but I'm sure it would have been cheaper if it was not done at a dealer. Regardless the easiest way to tell if the timing chain tensioners are starting to fail is by listening for a rattle that happens at cold start. It should only last for 1-2 seconds or something according to audi but I would be wary if you hear it at all. If the sound takes more than say 3 seconds to go away, I would probably just walk away.

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[kienaudi]

Thanks! I decided to flight down there to get the car. I will pay attention for the noise on starts. Can the timing chain issue be detected by any other way?


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[choy188]

Thanks! I decided to flight down there to get the car. I will pay attention for the noise on starts. Can the timing chain issue be detected by any other way?


Sent from my iPhone using Audizine Forum (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=87676)Not really, it's usually the tensioners that go first and once those go the chain has too much slack and can jump timing, if that happens the car will throw a timing code at which point it's too late. I would look up some videos on youtube of a 3.0tfsi motor with startup rattle, it's quite obvious and will come from the back of the engine. Be sure to keep the hood open when you listen for it, this rattle is the same reason I got rid of my 06 a6

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[430hps4]

The timing chain issues were mainly on early 2012 cars so you shouldnt have to worry about it on 2013+ cars.


I disagree with that. My 2014 has the issue. I try to minimize it by using 0w40 and BG EPR and BG MOA when doing my oil services

[choy188]

I disagree with that. My 2014 has the issue. I try to minimize it by using 0w40 and BG EPR and BG MOA when doing my oil servicesI should have been clearer, it's not guaranteed that it will fail but usually cold start rattle is the first sign of tensioner failure, its kind of a lottery as to whether it will eventually fail or not and how long it takes. For example there's cars that will rattle their whole lives and not have an issue and there are cars that will fail. But warm start rattle is probably something that is more indicative of near future failures I guess. Sorry for not being clear on that

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[prestige.phantom]

I should have been clearer, it's not guaranteed that it will fail but usually cold start rattle is the first sign of tensioner failure, its kind of a lottery as to whether it will eventually fail or not and how long it takes. For example there's cars that will rattle their whole lives and not have an issue and there are cars that will fail. But warm start rattle is probably something that is more indicative of near future failures I guess. Sorry for not being clear on that

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You're right about it being a lottery. My car cold start rattles sometime and doesn't others. Ive had it warm start rattle maybe once or twice. Dealer seems to think the car is fine (I've had multiple inspections and nothing mentioned of it). If it lasts more than 3 seconds. Thats where I would be very concerned. Anything less than that, have the car inspected and you should be fine.

[choy188]

You're right about it being a lottery. My car cold start rattles sometime and doesn't others. Ive had it warm start rattle maybe once or twice. Dealer seems to think the car is fine (I've had multiple inspections and nothing mentioned of it). If it lasts more than 3 seconds. Thats where I would be very concerned. Anything less than that, have the car inspected and you should be fine.Yeah I'm speaking from past experience, I got my C6 4.2 with 139k miles and it didn't start to rattle until about 142k but by around 145k it would rattle on warm starts

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[oopsy]

2 things

1) the dealers pre-listing inspection is not reliable. If you haven’t already, you must insist on a pre purchase inspection from a neutral party. Audi dealerships will do this for you, and there are traveling inspectors that will go to the dealership if they won’t take it for you. I’ve caught 500+$ repairs every time I’ve done this.

2) I was tossup between 2015-2016 years. FYI CarPlay setup on a 2016 is way easier and smoother. I lucked into that getting a 2016 (not knowing this(, but given the relative similar price between them, consider only getting 2016+ if that matters to you.


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[kienaudi]

I really like carplay also! I think the C7 can be retrofit using a carplay kit (~$250 ish on Amazon). The C7.5 from 2016 have carplay built-in so it just need a reprogram service to active it (from what I read on here). The dealer gave me a reasonable offer and I couldn’t find any cheaper A6 (with the combo 3.0T, ACC and clean title). I will ask them today about the PPI. Can u tell me how long and how much for a PPI from Audi dealer?


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[prestige.phantom]

I really like carplay also! I think the C7 can be retrofit using a carplay kit (~$250 ish on Amazon). The C7.5 from 2016 have carplay built-in so it just need a reprogram service to active it (from what I read on here). The dealer gave me a reasonable offer and I couldn’t find any cheaper A6 (with the combo 3.0T, ACC and clean title). I will ask them today about the PPI. Can u tell me how long and how much for a PPI from Audi dealer?


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I would second this. I didn't PPI my car, and ended up with with a few hundred in maintenance to get the car 100% up to my standard. PPI should be 1-2 hours of labor so ~150-300. WORTH IT

[oopsy]

Prices vary. Only takes a couple of hours. Audi dealers quoted me anywhere from 200-400. Local mechanics it’s about 1-2 hours of shop time. 100% would insist on PPI though.


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[A665]

A few years back, I discovered a clean 2010 S8 for sale online with an asking price of $12K, if I recall correctly. It had about 75k miles, was clean & straight, and I was very tempted to buy it. I quickly came to my senses after talking with some contacts who know about maintenance & repairs on this vintage S8, since the ongoing costs of repairs & maintenance were likely going to be higher than I'd counted on. It's one thing to drop $12k-$14k on a vehicle; it's another thing to potentially pay out $3k+ every year just to deal with operational issues.

Point is, don't just look at the cost to purchase; look at the total cost of ownership. The cost of ownership of a C7 or C7.5 A6 doesn't truly compare with that of a D3 S8, but the point remains.

I'd be very careful about selecting my dream car if the only one I can afford has upwards of 125k miles. The only way I'd go that route is to make sure I have full visibility as to expected costs of maintenance & repairs, and I can swing those costs without high anxiety. So, good on the OP for looking into these issues online here, and make sure you do your homework locally at your Audi dealer and/or independent European shops.

[choy188]

A few years back, I discovered a clean 2010 S8 for sale online with an asking price of $12K, if I recall correctly. It had about 75k miles, was clean & straight, and I was very tempted to buy it. I quickly came to my senses after talking with some contacts who know about maintenance & repairs on this vintage S8, since the ongoing costs of repairs & maintenance were likely going to be higher than I'd counted on. It's one thing to drop $12k-$14k on a vehicle; it's another thing to potentially pay out $3k+ every year just to deal with operational issues.

Point is, don't just look at the cost to purchase; look at the total cost of ownership. The cost of ownership of a C7 or C7.5 A6 doesn't truly compare with that of a D3 S8, but the point remains.

I'd be very careful about selecting my dream car if the only one I can afford has upwards of 125k miles. The only way I'd go that route is to make sure I have full visibility as to expected costs of maintenance & repairs, and I can swing those costs without high anxiety. So, good on the OP for looking into these issues online here, and make sure you do your homework locally at your Audi dealer and/or independent European shops.This

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[kienaudi]

Thank you all for your great and sincere advises! The dealer is OK for me to take the car for a PPI and I just set the appointment at the nearby Audi dealership (cost ~$300). I hope everything checked out [:p] *knock on wood*
I'm at the point of a car purchasing process where "there are plenty of fish in the sea but this is the only fish I really want" lol.

[6yyy]

for anyone pass by I wanna ask for a recommendation for mechanic check job in PA?

I know you are located in State College but if you find yourself in the Central PA area and want to get it checked out, Huber's Auto Group in Ephrata is a fantastic group of guys. A lot of them have modified VAG vehicles in the past or currently drive them, and they've never done me wrong.

[kienaudi]

I know you are located in State College but if you find yourself in the Central PA area and want to get it checked out, Huber's Auto Group in Ephrata is a fantastic group of guys. A lot of them have modified VAG vehicles in the past or currently drive them, and they've never done me wrong.

thanks so much for your recommendation! I really don't mind 2.5hrs driving to get there if there is serious job need to be done.

[choy188]

Thank you all for your great and sincere advises! The dealer is OK for me to take the car for a PPI and I just set the appointment at the nearby Audi dealership (cost ~$300). I hope everything checked out [:p] *knock on wood*
I'm at the point of a car purchasing process where "there are plenty of fish in the sea but this is the only fish I really want" lol.Definitely have had that feeling, good luck man!

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[momNpops]

Not sure how close you are to a Carmax. They offer 7 day refund or swap for a different car. Or 30 days no fuss full refund, but the checks in the mail type thing. Also you can have your dream car shipped cost depends on distance nationwide. From free to 1000. I think I seen.

[momNpops]

We wanted to test drive a 2016 S4 from Seattle shipping would have been free to Spokane but they wouldn't get it to the dealership in time before I went back to work. So we settled for 2017 A6 3.0t that they had on the lot. We are happy. Bigger car, same engine.

[Valpo A7]

We purchased our 2012 A7 with 142K on the car and a clean car fax from the dealer that sold it new and serviced it its whole life.

It had the cold start timing chain tensioner rattle but I did not know that was the issue. Read about it and basically found out at the time it was considered just a nuisance problem.

Initially it had a front right brake that was hanging up and making noise. Fixed all that at home with no more issues.

Normal oil change, air filter, spark plug changes as the car continued to age.

At some point the N509 valve went bad. This is the check valve for the coolant flow to the transmission oil cooler. It failed open so I fixed it when I could make the time. Bought an aftermarket part for $50 instead of $200 from the dealer.

Time for rear brakes and I was able to find a kit and swapped all 4 corners out for ceramic pads with cross drilled and slotted rotors.

Around 204,000 miles I had to fix the timing chain tensioner nuisance problem since it had advanced and the engine codes would not allow it to pass emission. This repair was involved. I had to pull the motor to replace the chains since they were on the backside of the engine. While the engine was out I replaced the motor mounts and replaced the fluids for both differentials and transfer case. Put both new belts on the engine while it was out.

Fast forward less than 3,000 miles after putting the engine in I broke the flange on the passenger side catalytic converter. This repair while the engine is in has proven to be absolutely no fun. 98% of it is an easy job, getting that upper inner nut onto the stud has totally kicked my ass.

Seems that the cold start rattle is common for this engine but very few actually progress to where the chains need replaced.

Even with my latest luck we still love the car and don't regret buying it. Now if I would have had to pay over $6000 to have the work done then my thoughts would be much different.

[choy188]

Yeah I'm surprised the previous owner shelled out the 7k to fix it considering I paid a little over double that number

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[kienaudi]

A few years back, I discovered a clean 2010 S8 for sale online with an asking price of $12K, if I recall correctly. It had about 75k miles, was clean & straight, and I was very tempted to buy it. I quickly came to my senses after talking with some contacts who know about maintenance & repairs on this vintage S8, since the ongoing costs of repairs & maintenance were likely going to be higher than I'd counted on. It's one thing to drop $12k-$14k on a vehicle; it's another thing to potentially pay out $3k+ every year just to deal with operational issues.

Point is, don't just look at the cost to purchase; look at the total cost of ownership. The cost of ownership of a C7 or C7.5 A6 doesn't truly compare with that of a D3 S8, but the point remains.

I'd be very careful about selecting my dream car if the only one I can afford has upwards of 125k miles. The only way I'd go that route is to make sure I have full visibility as to expected costs of maintenance & repairs, and I can swing those costs without high anxiety. So, good on the OP for looking into these issues online here, and make sure you do your homework locally at your Audi dealer and/or independent European shops.

Totally got it. I'm willing to spend 2-3k a year to keep the car running smooth. Hope the PPI tomorrow will tell me what to be expected. Thanks so much that's my dream car. I like you writing style.
But..but the smile when I drive it will be pricelesss lol

[choy188]

Totally got it. I'm willing to spend 2-3k a year to keep the car running smooth. Hope the PPI tomorrow will tell me what to be expected. Thanks so much that's my dream car. I like you writing style.
But..but the smile when I drive it will be pricelesss lolIt's honestly amazing, make sure it's got a good set of tires on it too sometimes dealerships will just throw on a set of iron man's or ling longs and just say it's got new tires, I bid you and the car good luck

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[kienaudi]

It's honestly amazing, make sure it's got a good set of tires on it too sometimes dealerships will just throw on a set of iron man's or ling longs and just say it's got new tires, I bid you and the car good luck

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from the pics I can tell it has the Cooper CS5. Do you think it's good enough? Thank you for your support through this!

[choy188]

from the pics I can tell it has the Cooper CS5. Do you think it's good enough? Thank you for your support through this!They're pretty decent, definitely not a top tier tire but it's definitely okay, make sure you check the inner wear especially on the rear although the ppi will likely tell you that regardless

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[kienaudi]

We purchased our 2012 A7 with 142K on the car and a clean car fax from the dealer that sold it new and serviced it its whole life.

It had the cold start timing chain tensioner rattle but I did not know that was the issue. Read about it and basically found out at the time it was considered just a nuisance problem.

Initially it had a front right brake that was hanging up and making noise. Fixed all that at home with no more issues.

Normal oil change, air filter, spark plug changes as the car continued to age.

At some point the N509 valve went bad. This is the check valve for the coolant flow to the transmission oil cooler. It failed open so I fixed it when I could make the time. Bought an aftermarket part for $50 instead of $200 from the dealer.

Time for rear brakes and I was able to find a kit and swapped all 4 corners out for ceramic pads with cross drilled and slotted rotors.

Around 204,000 miles I had to fix the timing chain tensioner nuisance problem since it had advanced and the engine codes would not allow it to pass emission. This repair was involved. I had to pull the motor to replace the chains since they were on the backside of the engine. While the engine was out I replaced the motor mounts and replaced the fluids for both differentials and transfer case. Put both new belts on the engine while it was out.

Fast forward less than 3,000 miles after putting the engine in I broke the flange on the passenger side catalytic converter. This repair while the engine is in has proven to be absolutely no fun. 98% of it is an easy job, getting that upper inner nut onto the stud has totally kicked my ass.

Seems that the cold start rattle is common for this engine but very few actually progress to where the chains need replaced.

Even with my latest luck we still love the car and don't regret buying it. Now if I would have had to pay over $6000 to have the work done then my thoughts would be much different.

Thanks for your details reply! I’m sure your partner love the car because she knows for sure her man doesn’t have space in his mind for other woman given all the worked you done for the car lol


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[kienaudi]

Oh and the 12 A7 is such a beauty, my stomach dropped when I saw it first time in the airport when I was college student. Imho this generation is way more cooler than the on going one. Kind of timeless brutal design likes the old BMW series 6.


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[nick1980]

Who said control arms arent a normal wear item?
Every audi that's used need some ,lol

[Valpo A7]

Who said control arms arent a normal wear item?
Every audi that's used need some ,lol

Seems to be hit or miss. My 12 A7 is on 95% original suspension. Previous owner had 2 wheel bearings replaced otherwise its stock. Somehow I think I am on the original PCV, water pump, and t-stat as well. My motor mounts were stock when I pulled the motor for the chains.

[choy188]

Seems to be hit or miss. My 12 A7 is on 95% original suspension. Previous owner had 2 wheel bearings replaced otherwise its stock. Somehow I think I am on the original PCV, water pump, and t-stat as well. My motor mounts were stock when I pulled the motor for the chains.I think you got lucky, I've seen a lot of people on here do em around the 60-100k mark

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[Vinng86]

I think you got lucky, I've seen a lot of people on here do em around the 60-100k mark

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He's not the only one for sure, I think there's a lot of confirmation bias since the forum is going to skew towards people reporting issues than those who don't have any.

I'm at about 100k, still pretty much stock everything, even stock wheel bearings and motor mounts. Only pro active thing I've done is transmissions fluid filter/oil.

[Valpo A7]

There are quite a few on the forum that have gone stage 1, 2, or 3 and that puts a lot of stress on the drivetrain components. Naturally those people will report a higher number of component failures.

Myself I am perfectly happy with the stock power of the 3.0, I can and have gotten in plenty of trouble stock. The car cruises at 85 MPH @ 2,000 RPM.

[kienaudi]

I just test drive the car now. The car has been sitting on lot for 2 days, no rattling on cold/warm starts. The speaker doesn’t sound good to me (cracking voice on call over bluetooth). I will update after the PPI.


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[kienaudi]

It drives amazingg though. In love with the engine already.


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[kienaudi]

Wow the PPI came back with 11 different code, the things I need to replace are:
- both left and right side motor mounts
- both side of front control arm bushings
- valve cover gasket -leaking oil
- PCV
- catalytic converter
- all 4 tires because they are at the state that is not safe to drive
Estimated cost: $10k
WOW


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[choy188]

Wow the PPI came back with 11 different code, the things I need to replace are:
- both left and right side motor mounts
- both side of front control arm bushings
- valve cover gasket -leaking oil
- PCV
- catalytic converter
- all 4 tires because they are at the state that is not safe to drive
Estimated cost: $10k
WOW


Sent from my iPhone using Audizine Forum (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=87676)Yeah... I would stay away from it or try to knock like 5k or more off, obviously the dealer is going to charge 10k for that stuff but even an indy shop I could see that being a 5k+ bill

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[5000S]

I would pass on that one, the dealer will not do the fixes, and spendy. Take your time and shop around, cars are out there, I bought mine off Carvana, a lower mileage A6, and
I am very satisfied. Everything including the inspection was right on.

[Valpo A7]

Unless they are going to fix all the issues then walk away from it. None of it is really major by itself but the total combination of you are unable to do the work yourself then it’s simply not worth it. Sad thing is that if you walk and they don’t fix they will not change the price and someone else will pick it up thinking they bought a nice car.

[kienaudi]

I’m still knocking my head on the wall to make a decision, I really like the car. The dealer pointed out that even the PPI from Audi dealership couldn’t find anything wrong with the engine/transmission and the things need to be replaced is common maintenance for high mileage car.

They made me an offer of $13k7 for the car. I post the PPI report here so pls if anyone has an idea of what’s really need to be replaced right away and how much does it cost if I do it at other mechanic shop? Thank you so much.
219899

219900


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[choy188]

I’m still knocking my head on the wall to make a decision, I really like the car. The dealer pointed out that even the PPI from Audi dealership couldn’t find anything wrong with the engine/transmission and the things need to be replaced is common maintenance for high mileage car.

They made me an offer of $13k7 for the car. I post the PPI report here so pls if anyone has an idea of what’s really need to be replaced right away and how much does it cost if I do it at other mechanic shop? Thank you so much.
219899

219900


Sent from my iPhone using Audizine Forum (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=87676)How comfortable are you with diy? Also 2500$ for tires is an absolute rip off. You can save around 1500 right there at any chain tire store. Upper control arms aren't exactly too difficult to replace diy, motor mounts I'm unsure about, valve cover gaskets are relatively easy. The 200$ for air filters is stupid that you can totally do yourself. The alignment for 150 is not too bad. The pcv is not an uncommon thing on these cars but still, what the dealer claims is "common maintenance" is just bs. Regardless if it's maintenance or not this car would fail any inspections immediately whether it's due to bad cats or tires. I would say unless they're willing to drop it further that car is a bad idea, for 13.7k you can still find relatively decent examples that surely don't need 10k in repairs.

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[Valpo A7]

If they already had a PPI from Audi done, why did they not offer up that information and paperwork to begin with when you said you were gonna do a PPI. My first guess is it did not happen.

-Mounts $300 aftermarket plus labor
-Tires $1200. As long as the current set is at least 4/32 or so it’s okay to drive for now
-Alignment not sure but don’t have it done until after the bushings
-PCV about $250 for the part plus the labor to remove the supercharger. When you do this it would be a good idea to change the water pump and thermostat at the same time. Check the intake valves for carbon buildup and consider a carbon cleaning if needed.
-Valve cover gasket less than $50 as long as you can reuse the bolts. Have to be careful not to break the breather hose. The bolts have a gasket on them and are about $4-5 each to replace. You can usually reuse them. Breather hose is another $160 aftermarket to replace.
-Catalytic converter $400 aftermarket, $700 aftermarket, or about $1,000 from the dealer. Plus labor

[kienaudi]

If they already had a PPI from Audi done, why did they not offer up that information and paperwork to begin with when you said you were gonna do a PPI. My first guess is it did not happen.

-Mounts $300 aftermarket plus labor
-Tires $1200. As long as the current set is at least 4/32 or so it’s okay to drive for now
-Alignment not sure but don’t have it done until after the bushings
-PCV about $250 for the part plus the labor to remove the supercharger. When you do this it would be a good idea to change the water pump and thermostat at the same time. Check the intake valves for carbon buildup and consider a carbon cleaning if needed.
-Valve cover gasket less than $50 as long as you can reuse the bolts. Have to be careful not to break the breather hose. The bolts have a gasket on them and are about $4-5 each to replace. You can usually reuse them. Breather hose is another $160 aftermarket to replace.
-Catalytic converter $400 aftermarket, $700 aftermarket, or about $1,000 from the dealer. Plus labor

I was talking about the PPI that I did at Audi dealer, I brought this report back to the dealer and they pointed out that there is no problem with the engine/transmission.


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[choy188]

I was talking about the PPI that I did at Audi dealer, I brought this report back to the dealer and they pointed out that there is no problem with the engine/transmission.


Sent from my iPhone using Audizine Forum (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=87676)Them saying that is just stupid, yes the engine and s
Transmission are fine, but everything else is broken.

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[prestige.phantom]

I just test drive the car now. The car has been sitting on lot for 2 days, no rattling on cold/warm starts. The speaker doesn’t sound good to me (cracking voice on call over bluetooth). I will update after the PPI.


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If it has the base audio thats normal. If it has the Bose audio, it will happen with certain frequencies or a failing speaker.

[prestige.phantom]

Im shocked that the dealer trying to sell this car would even offer it for sale. I work at a franchise Alfa Romeo / Maserati Dealer. If we took that car on trade and it needed even half of that work, we would've sent that straight to auction and let it be someone else's headache.

That being said. As most everyone else has pointed out, you could probably knock it down to somewhere between $5-6,000 at decent indy shop and ordering parts online.

Personally I'd recommend you order parts from FCP Euro if you plan to keep the car, because if anything ever fails again you get it replaced for free.

Tires are NOT EVEN CLOSE to $2,500.

$220 for filters is stupid (under $100 in quality FCP parts and extremely easy to do yourself).

And an Indy could easily get close to halving the labor costs.

If you absolutely must have this specific car then it's possible to make it slightly more affordable, however, I WOULD STAY FAR AWAY. Think of it this way. Lets say you can knock the dealer down to $13,000 out the door you still have to spend a minimum of $5,000 to fix the vast majority of these issues thats $18,000. I am 100% confident you could find a significantly lower mile, much higher option car for $18,000. You're better off buying a good car with you $18k than spending money to fix this bad one IMHO.

[choy188]

Im shocked that the dealer trying to sell this car would even offer it for sale. I work at a franchise Alfa Romeo / Maserati Dealer. If we took that car on trade and it needed even half of that work, we would've sent that straight to auction and let it be someone else's headache.

That being said. As most everyone else has pointed out, you could probably knock it down to somewhere between $5-6,000 at decent indy shop and ordering parts online.

Personally I'd recommend you order parts from FCP Euro if you plan to keep the car, because if anything ever fails again you get it replaced for free.

Tires are NOT EVEN CLOSE to $2,500.

$220 for filters is stupid (under $100 in quality FCP parts and extremely easy to do yourself).

And an Indy could easily get close to halving the labor costs.

If you absolutely must have this specific car then it's possible to make it slightly more affordable, however, I WOULD STAY FAR AWAY. Think of it this way. Lets say you can knock the dealer down to $13,000 out the door you still have to spend a minimum of $5,000 to fix the vast majority of these issues thats $18,000. I am 100% confident you could find a significantly lower mile, much higher option car for $18,000. You're better off buying a good car with you $18k than spending money to fix this bad one IMHO.Yeah my 2012 was 16k with 79k miles and it has the innovation pack and all that stuff

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[2k16A6]

If you absolutely must have this specific car then it's possible to make it slightly more affordable, however, I WOULD STAY FAR AWAY. Think of it this way. Lets say you can knock the dealer down to $13,000 out the door you still have to spend a minimum of $5,000 to fix the vast majority of these issues thats $18,000. I am 100% confident you could find a significantly lower mile, much higher option car for $18,000. You're better off buying a good car with you $18k than spending money to fix this bad one IMHO.

Listen to this, op. Don’t get too emotionally attached to the car, I’d guess there are many for sale at this very moment that fit your budget with a less colorful history than this one.

Now of course if they knock a bunch of money off, that could change things. For me it would have to be enough to cover the repairs at an Indy shop, plus a little something to compensate me for taking the risk that something else is found to be wrong with the car. Be ready to walk as they are not likely to cut that much. They need a sucker to buy the car. Do yourself a solid and don’t be that sucker.

[5000S]

I do think you need to keep looking, look for one with under 100K, unless you have deep pockets, as that is why the other guy traded it in, he know what was
upcoming to fix the things it needs.

Words of wisdom, "Don't fall in love with anything that can't love you back". [:|]

[Valpo A7]

We have all given you the advise to move on from this car mainly because we are all aware of the problems that came up from the PPI. Now the decision is on you to listen to our advise from already being there with Audi or to roll the dice and buy the car.

[choy188]

We have all given you the advise to move on from this car mainly because we are all aware of the problems that came up from the PPI. Now the decision is on you to listen to our advise from already being there with Audi or to roll the dice and buy the car.Yeah now looking back at it unless there's something standout about the car that you absolutely want (rare color, option packs etc) that you won't be able to find for a while try to talk them down but otherwise find a different car, 13k plus like minimum 5k for repairs is not worth it at all

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[bahula03]

Plenty of good advice in this thread, I'll add my voice to the choir saying that this car seems like a bad idea at just about any price. I think Valpo is the only one I've seen mention carbon cleaning- at 126k, this car should have record of it being done already, and if not it's just going to be one more thing on the list. There's also knock-on stuff like the stress bad motor mounts will put on exhaust flex pipes, or how long the car has been running on a broken (presumably clogged) cat. The PPI (not what you posted, which just shows what they think is fully broken) would also hopefully provide some insight on other wear items like the health/age of the battery and the state of the brakes (the C7/7.5 adaptive cruise uses the rear brakes to regulate speed, so not unusual for them to wear out before the fronts).

It is very much a seller's market right now, so if you don't have urgency in needing the car, the best thing you can do is be patient and wait for the *right* car to come up for sale.

[Devil_Inside]

Walk away, there are way better deals out there. Even if you negotiate let's say $2,000 off their asking price, you will end up spending more than that just to fix the current issues.

[kienaudi]

I walked away! Thanks all of you so much for talking me out of this. I will reply more once I’m less sad about losing this bet on the car lol


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[choy188]

I walked away! Thanks all of you so much for talking me out of this. I will reply more once I’m less sad about losing this bet on the car lol


Sent from my iPhone using Audizine Forum (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=87676)Good on you for that, I definitely get how hard it is to walk away it took me a few months to finally find a car i liked, even then it's missing some stuff I wanted but that's what I get for not just buying a new corolla

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[kienaudi]

Yeah I got a chance to drive a 2020 Corolla


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[kienaudi]

And it’s like a chicken cage on wheels haha


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[prestige.phantom]

I walked away! Thanks all of you so much for talking me out of this. I will reply more once I’m less sad about losing this bet on the car lol


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Ik it sucks, but I think you made the right choice. If you need help looking for another car, Im sure there are lots of people here that would be glad to help you locate one!

[Alabama]

I work at a franchise Alfa Romeo / Maserati Dealer.

Let your friends at AZ know when your franchise has some great deals for us!

[prestige.phantom]

Let your friends at AZ know when your franchise has some great deals for us!

Don't get too many Audi's in, but always willing to help out the AZ crowd. If anyone sees anything they like, PM me and I'll gladly connect you!

https://www.valentihartford.com/used-inventory/index.htm

[kienaudi]

Hello again! After the failed attempt last month, I still keep looking for another A6 (I was really temped to get a BMW 535i but when it's time to make the decision, I just couldn't get over the A6 lol).
Now back to the story, I found a 2013 A6 3.0T prestige with fully loaded option for $15900 (100k miles, 2 owners, clean title, detailed service record shows the engine mounts were replaced at 65K miles)
I ask for a virtual walk around and the car seems nice. On cold start, I heard the rattling noise probably less than 1 second and the engine noise sounds quite loud to me (idk if it's because of the sales man phone or there is something I should pay attention to).
I post the video on the engine noise on Youtube https://youtu.be/kjjvjwkUbsc . Please give me your opinion whether the noise is something abnormal or not. Thanks so much!

[sepheroth86]

Hello again! After the failed attempt last month, I still keep looking for another A6 (I was really temped to get a BMW 535i but when it's time to make the decision, I just couldn't get over the A6 lol).
Now back to the story, I found a 2013 A6 3.0T prestige with fully loaded option for $15900 (100k miles, 2 owners, clean title, detailed service record shows the engine mounts were replaced at 65K miles)
I ask for a virtual walk around and the car seems nice. On cold start, I heard the rattling noise probably less than 1 second and the engine noise sounds quite loud to me (idk if it's because of the sales man phone or there is something I should pay attention to).
I post the video on the engine noise on Youtube https://youtu.be/kjjvjwkUbsc . Please give me your opinion whether the noise is something abnormal or not. Thanks so much!

I am pretty sure mine sounds like that when running.

I want to say that DI fuel injectors are pretty noisy.

[kienaudi]

I am pretty sure mine sounds like that when running.

I want to say that DI fuel injectors are pretty noisy.

Thanks for the prompt reply! I am finding a pre-purchase inspection services in Boston, MA. I saw a lot of website online offer this service (POMCAR, AIMcertify, True360, CARCHEX...). Do you have any recommendation on which service I should use?

[jrhgto]

I am pretty sure mine sounds like that when running.

I want to say that DI fuel injectors are pretty noisy.

Yes, thats perfectly normal injector noise.

[kienaudi]

Hello everyone, it’s me again. I got my baby delivered 2 days ago. So far everything is good, except the ACC and Audi braking guard is unavailable (probably need a recalibration from Audi). I want to say thank you all again for supporting me through this. Being an immigrant living alone here in the US, your support means a lot too me and I’m very grateful to be part of this community!223453


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[choy188]

Hello everyone, it’s me again. I got my baby delivered 2 days ago. So far everything is good, except the ACC and Audi braking guard is unavailable (probably need a recalibration from Audi). I want to say thank you all again for supporting me through this. Being an immigrant living alone here in the US, your support means a lot too me and I’m very grateful to be part of this community!223453


Sent from my iPhone using Audizine Forum (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=87676)Congrats man!

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[kienaudi]

Thank you Choy!


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[prestige.phantom]

Hello everyone, it’s me again. I got my baby delivered 2 days ago. So far everything is good, except the ACC and Audi braking guard is unavailable (probably need a recalibration from Audi). I want to say thank you all again for supporting me through this. Being an immigrant living alone here in the US, your support means a lot too me and I’m very grateful to be part of this community!223453


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Congrats!! Basically the same spec as mine but with ACC. Hope you enjoy it.

[kienaudi]

Thank you prestige.phantom!


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[RedS-line]

kien make sure you find a good inde shop to service your car. I almost fell out of my chair looking at those price quotes, you come to NJ my guy does those jobs for less than half those prices