Gearbox etc...

[blm70]

Ah well, it had to happen...

Set off this morning to have my rear discs & pads replaced. After a while they called me over to advise both rear calipers had seized and would need replacing before they could sort the brakes out. £300 each from Audi and they couldn't get them until Tuesday.

Told them I'd give it some thought and came home.

Then after about 5 minutes' driving, the gear indicator icons on the dash all lit up and the 'box seemed to remain in one gear. The tiptronic and the paddles wouldn't respond either and pulling away from standstill was like having a slipping clutch although it is drivable.

Restarting the engine puts it pack to normal - for about 30 seconds - after which it goes bad again.

So car is currently parked up while I decide what to do.

Been reading about AmD's exchange 'box service and gave them a call as they are near to me. As well as rebuilding the unit they also uprate certain weak parts and offer a 12 months warranty plus they will repair it up to 3 years/60k although you have to pay for removal/refitting (which won't be cheap.) £3800 (inc. vat) plus any gaskets etc. that may need replacing.

Also aware of MRC and QST although they are some distance from me (especially MSC.)

Asked them about the calipers and they advised they would only get them from Audi too.

I did find some on Euro Car Parts (pictured) for £180 a side. Worth purchasing?

Might try and use the AA Parts & Garage cover too. Every little helps...

I now consider myself a real RS6 owner

[Shoppinit]

Pagid calipers at ECP for £50 each.

Get a Vag Com on your box. Might just be a F125 fault or something fairly cheap to fix.

/ http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/Audi_ ... 851&000048

[blm70]

Thanks - and the calipers will definitely fit the RS6? The piston diameter is quoted as 38mm rather than 43 for the TRW ones. I take it this is OK?

[Shoppinit]

Dunno. There has always been duff info about the rear brakes on the RS6 floating around and I've ordered disks before that were completely the wrong size despite being "for RS6".

I suspect that is the case with the Pagid ones I linked to, but you never know. They kinda look right. You could always order both brands and send back the ones you don't want. Gotta love distance selling laws.

Or pop into a local ECP if they've got one in stock to have a gander.

I'd definitely go for the TRW over the Audi ones. The rear brakes are pretty much only along for the ride anyway.

Also, Audi do a piston refurb kit for the calipers. Can they be that bad that they need replacing completely? I put some new Pagid calipers from ECP on the M3 but only because they were so cheap it wasn't worth faffing around changing the seal and boot on the old ones.

[blm70]

Cool, appreciate your advice

[Heardy]

I fitted some Trw ones to mine earlier on in the year,they were brand new units. (Not refcone ones) Came in the colour too
Think they were around £80-85 plus vat each
Just to add i seem to remember the Audi logo had been ground off those trw callipers its not the first time ive seen that though

[blm70]

Thanks Heardy.

My friend knows an Audi master tech (Bromley dealer) who he used to maintain his old 90 2.3 20v quattro that he owned from 1998 to 2014. He finally came back today to say the guy would be happy to maintain my RS6 and will look into the rear brakes and calipers for me. He also echoed AmD's comments about the gearbox, saying I was "extremely lucky to get that mileage (131k) out of it."

I have checked the T's and C's on the AA parts and garage cover policy and it looks like the whole gearbox is covered; discs and pads are not covered although calipers are not mentioned.

Just need to wait 14 days (took out policy on 01/06) then I can give them a call.

Car is currently parked at my house - so I understand, I have to call the AA (breakdown) first of all who will come and assess the situation. If they can't fix it at the roadside (fat chance) then I have to arrange for the vehicle to be taken to a vat registered garage of my choice (AA will assist with transportation if policy covers this.) If they are part of the Breakdown Repair Cover Garage Network then the garage will contact the AA for payment, and if not I send the full invoice to the AA's claims department for reimbursement, assuming they accept the claim.

Does anyone know if I should drive the car, say, a few miles away e.g. supermarket car park or roadside, then call the AA and tell them the gearbox appears to have developed a fault instead of calling them out to my home address?

[bilko1]

So you are going to commit insurance fraud then? And openly admit it on a public forum.

[jockthedog]

NO WAY the whole box is covered. 'All parts' is most likely the bolts and bushings that hold it in place. Not the box itself. That would be crazy, surely.

I'm new to these boxes but a good flush thru a new filter, with 2 or 3 sets of clean fluid sounds like a first step I'd be taking after figuring out what the codes mean.

[jockthedog]

Been reading about AmD's exchange 'box service and gave them a call as they are near to me. As well as rebuilding the unit they also uprate certain weak parts and offer a 12 months warranty plus they will repair it up to 3 years/60k although you have to pay for removal/refitting (which won't be cheap.) £3800 (inc. vat) plus any gaskets etc. that may need replacing.

3800 PLUS gaskets which are there to replace every time.

I'm in the wrong biz.

What do they give you for the old core if its a replacement deal?

[blm70]

So you are going to commit insurance fraud then? And openly admit it on a public forum.

Not at all, and if I was I certainly wouldn't be posting my machinations online.

My point was that the car is at my home address i.e. it made it there under its own power. If the AA come to my house could they then refuse to progress any claim due to the car not having technically broken down away from my home?

Maybe I'm looking into it too much but never having been in this situation before I was merely asking for advice.

[blm70]

NO WAY the whole box is covered. 'All parts' is most likely the bolts and bushings that hold it in place. Not the box itself. That would be crazy, surely.

I'm new to these boxes but a good flush thru a new filter, with 2 or 3 sets of clean fluid sounds like a first step I'd be taking after figuring out what the codes mean.

Fair point, but as the maximum payout is only £500 (inc. vat) I doubt it really matters, as I will still end up footing at least 85% of the bill.

The box has had several flushes and oil changes which I believe has enabled it to reach the mileage it has (131k) and even if I had it serviced again, the Reaper will still be tapping me on the shoulder whilst pointing to his watch...

As I've decided to keep the car, a replacement box will at least give me some peace of mind, especially as I cover <5k miles per year.

[blm70]

Been reading about AmD's exchange 'box service and gave them a call as they are near to me. As well as rebuilding the unit they also uprate certain weak parts and offer a 12 months warranty plus they will repair it up to 3 years/60k although you have to pay for removal/refitting (which won't be cheap.) £3800 (inc. vat) plus any gaskets etc. that may need replacing.

3800 PLUS gaskets which are there to replace every time.

I'm in the wrong biz.

What do they give you for the old core if its a replacement deal?

A condition of the above price is they retain your old box which will be stripped and rebuilt ready for the next owner with deep pockets

Even at £4k I don't think it's too bad, especially as it comes with a warranty, the internals are strengthened, and a lot of the labour costs involve removing and replacing the box.

Sure, I'd prefer to do it myself and save £££s but this simply isn't an option for most of us...

[blm70]

The car also has an MRC Stage 1+ map which includes the gearbox. I was unsure whether the new 'box would have to be remapped but AmD advised me this was not the case as the gearbox ecu is in the car. Rather glad about that as I didn't want to spend another few hundred on another remap

[Shoppinit]

Hmm... Strengthened...

Yet no details were ever forthcoming about what is strengthened. Unless I'm mistaken?