My B7 Saga......

[pakratt99]

So I'll try and keep this short, just needed a place to vent and was hoping someone else is having a similar experiance to me. I purchased a 2006 B7 A4 2.0T with a Stick as a CPO car coming off lease and having about 23k on the clock. Car has always been properly maintained, Amsoil Oil and Filter every 10k, and have performed all the service intervals spot on and to manufacturers spec. Car has an APR 93 Chip and Exhaust along with a Carbonismo intake. The car is currently sitting at about 76k.....

In the two years I have owned the car it has been towed (Audi towing via the CPO policy) 3 times, twice for coil packs and a third time for an intake flapper valve being stuck. Beyond this I have had it back at the dealers anouther 10-12 times for other various check engine lights due to related other issues.

About a week ago I had a check engine light come on, called the dealership, and they scheduled me for a morning apointment in a day or two. I was thinking it was anouther torn DV (Due to a whining sound under boost), dealership does diags and finds the turbo is gone. While I was waiting to be told this I saw the tech drive by twice with blue smoke POURING out the exhaust as he is test driving it. Car wasn't smoking at all when I bring it in, and I'm pretty sure some of the "Testing" they did on the car finished off the turbo (Something about Audi testing requiring the wastegate to be held shut???) They give me a bit of a run around as the car does have an exhaust but they go about ordering a new turbo and installing it.

Today I get a call and they want to do an oil change on the car, which makes sense after having the turbo issues, they call me back later to tell me they found a lot of metal in the filter. Also there is a knocking noise in the top end, there hyphothesis is that some of the metal filings from the turbo have clogged one of the oil ports and now taken out the cam chain tensioner or the cams themselves, they won't know till later today when they crack the top end. I'm also told that they are wondering about my oil change intervals and would like me to demonstrate that I have performed adequate service on the car (I have hand written records along with all invoices on the oil I purchased).

Just wondering if anyone has had a similar experiance, I know people on the board have much higher mileage than I do without major issues and I expect some problems but this is gettin insane. Also does anyone have any advice about how I should proceded and what to do if the dealership balks at anything???

[vdubjetta02]

my old jetta went to the shop easily 30 times in 4 years of ownership.... i had nothing but problems with it and just assummed i bought a lemon... i know VW/Audi do often have more problems than other car manufactures. It is kind of a luck thing i feel with these cars

[grimlock]

Sucks dude, hope that they can fix everything up for you. Sometimes when it rains, it pours . Btw, even though Audi says 10k between oil changes is fine, many people here (myself included) prefer to do them every 5K miles, especially when you get up higher in mileage like your car. It may end up costing you less in the long run. Good luck!

[akaEsCo01]

Actually most dealerships around my way prefer you do the oil change every 5K. The Audi warranty only covers the oil changes every 10K but that doesn;t mean those are the oil oil changes the car needs. I used to get a letter from Cherry Hill Audi in between my 10K services to get an oil change as they highly reccomend it. And they are the worst dealership to deal with ever, but they at least knew that much.

[SEXICÄN]

Audi Tech's arn't going to be able to tell what the problem is till they replicate it and verify it. If you don't want an Audi tech to check your car out, don't bring it to an audi dealerhsip. They arn't gods, but they know how to fix things (Most of the time).

[Tusin]

Like others have said, 10k is no good. Could be the cause of the turbo failure. But due to the fact that Audi states 10k you should be good with warranty.

But what exact oil are you using? I cannot remeber but is amsoil and your weight of amsoil on the Audi approved list?

[Shwabmyknob]

Who is your service advisor? Jason or Patrick? I would say that "balking" at them will get you no where fast. The techs are factory trained and know what they are talking about most of the time, considering they are sent to school every now and then and work on these things day in and day out. Trust me when you get your car back it will feel like new. Do you have a boost gauge in the car?

On a side note:
Sexican, are you going to Germany next month for the A8 launch?

[pakratt99]

I've dealt with both Jason and Patrick as the whole process has gone on and I wasn't implying that I was balking at them just that I am worried they are going to try to get out of fixing the car on a technicality. Things like I do my own oil changes (Its Amsoil 5w-40 Euro Spec which does meet Audi Requirements btw) and they want me to document when I did them and to somehow show the interval which is a little hard if they want anything more than my own hand written car log. I don't have a boost gauge in my car, honestly didn't put one in because I was afraid it would give the idea that I was racing the car and somehow void a warranty.

Also it seems really odd to me that Audi would warranty a car for 100k yet put in place an oil change interval which would now allow the turbo to last this distance. I don't see how it would ever be a cost benefit for them to do so.....

[Shwabmyknob]

I forgot you said it was CPO, Its a tough situation. I mean whats to say the increased boost from the chip didn't cause the turbo to go, its not likely, but there is no way to prove it. Also documentation helps out sometimes, as I've seen people who go to jiffy lube or something and they put the wrong filter over and over which will shorten the life of things. Jason and Patrick are both great and will try and help you as much as they can even though it may seem like they aren't. I'll talk to the tech to and see what they can do for you and what the scoop is. Hopefully its covered, but if Audi gives us a tough time you have to be understanding that its not always us that make the call.