The unofficial RS6 buyers guide.

[el_ringo]

Hi

If you are looking to join the "RS6 club" then I hope the information below will make picking the right car easier (and reduce repeated help posts). I don't claim to be an expert and if there is anything I have missed I'm sure the other regular members of the forum will add bits below.

There is only one rule when it comes to RS6 club and that is you don't talk about the cost to your other half (if applicable) because you will be in trouble! These cars are very expensive to run.

Most cars at the time of writing are for sale around £18,000 with some low mileage examples perhaps a little more. If you are struggling to raise the cash to get one then an RS6 is not for you. It will cost at least 30% of the purchase price to run in the first year and a lot more if anything should go wrong. If you have the cash then read on....

Getting the right car is vital, don't let a high mileage put you off because these are perhaps one of the best made cars of their time, but like any car they do have bits go wrong. The only issue you will have with the >100,000mi cars is getting a warranty much beyond that. They are a great safety net but some are not worth the paper they are written on.

A good service history is vital, but beware many bits beyond the regular services are expensive and may have been missed off. The 10k/12mth service is about £250 and the 20k is £400 odd (prices are based on independent garages - more detail below)


Here is a check list of the major bits that you should look out for in no particular order:-


Cam belt

The current thinking is ~4 years or 40,000mi. This will cost around £1200 and make sure the thermostat, water pump, rollers and tensioners have been done at the same time. The labour to change those is the same and you will also know the coolant has been done. (some garages quote a very cheap belt change but then miss out those extras)

Brakes

This is variable but they can last 20,000mi or just a day if you take it to a track! There are two types of disc; the drilled and the non-drilled. The drilled are more expensive so budget £700 for a pair at front and £500 at the back.

Gearbox

Not a lot you can tell unless on a test drive, but they do break and cost the price of a small car when they do. Check the changes are smooth and once warm the lock-up clutch should engage and rarely slip. (it won't lock when cold)

Suspension

You will read a lot about the Dynamic Ride Control (DRC) but one thing is for certain it WILL fail! A growing majority will recommend that this be replaced by an aftermarket coil over. They are more firm than DRC and the three most common are listed below. The DRC springs are black but the coilovers can be identified by the colour of the spring but expect it to be covered in dirt!

KW v3 - (yellow) v.firm, fully adjustable (but not on the car), won't corrode
Bilstein PSS9 - (blue) firm, rebound adjustable, and some corrosion issues in the past
H&R - (red) lowest cost, less firm, not adjustable but may sag when fully laden



Other bits that you need to look out if the car passes the above are:-


Tyres

Again variable depending on how hard you drive the car but as a minimum it will be £150 a corner. Some brands can rub so choose carefully and avoid very soft compounds.

Intercoolers

The seals can leak causing a loss of boost. Although this doesn't sound too bad it can over-work the turbos and cause them to fail and cost ~ £1000 OEM more for higher performance coolers.


MAF, N75, DVs

These three parts are key in getting sound performance. No set guide about when to change them but renewing them every few years will keep the car sharp.

TPMS

Tyre pressure monitors, handy to have but if these are dead look at £350 plus fitting for new ones. Many people just turn the system off.




Modified Cars

You will also find many of vehicles that have been modified in one way or another. As long as this has been done well don't let this put you off. You will probably find that you will do the same in time. I won't go into detail but here are the most common ones:-


ECU remap

Reprogramming the engine will unleash the cars full potential. Expect 10% more power and 25% torque. Lots of companies offer this e.g. MTM, MRC and Custom Code maps are just three. The gearbox may also need reprogramming.

Exhaust & Cats

Can be done in various stages depending on how much you want the car tuned but most would agree the car sounds much, much better!

Suspension

As above with the coil overs but bigger anti-roll bars e.g. Hotchkis transforms the car in the bends. Not essential, but recommended.

RNS-E

The later version of the stereo and sat-nav, modernises the car but quite expensive if you add Bluetooth and digital TV. If you want to get this done look up craigyb on the forum he is very knowledgeable and upgrades lots of units.



There are more upgrades such as brake cooling ducts, larger brakes, aero wipers, filters etc. They are beyond the scope of this guide though.



Pre-purchase Inspections

Get an expert to look at the car first; many of the nationwide inspection companies will not do high performance cars. I would recommend the guys mentioned below.


Servicing

Once you have the car it is important the right people look after the car. My recommended independent specialists are Unit20 and MRC. I personally make the 500mi trip to see Martin aka "Grizz" at Unit 20 for all of the work on the car. Main dealers have a mixed reputation but one of note is Camberley Audi - many satisfied customers on here.


Hopefully after reading this you will have the fundamentals of RS6 ownership and enjoy the car as much as I and other forum members do.


Ross

(Edited to tidy up post after phpBB3 upgrade)

[Rupert]

Excellent post

Sticky please!

[HYFR]

excellent write up and should give prospective owners all the info they need

I would add that for rear brakes, there is an option to fit VW Phaeton discs which are significantly cheaper than OEM RS6, but are heavier and are not drilled, and required a washer on the bolt to fit

Also, on the gearbox, Audi claim the oil is for life, this is rubbish and a gearbox service will do it the world of good and help prolong its life, so factor this into your servicing plans (circa £250?)

re. Servcing, the prices quoted are good for Independant, for Main Dealer prices see:
- 10k circa £350
- 20k circa £650

RNSE prices are around £600 from ebay, and these can be installed DIY with the right research

Popular aftermarket exhaust is Milltek, cat back start circa £800.
Choice of resonated or non resonated.
The RS 6 chassis and insulation is fantastic with the non-resonated, the intrusion to the cabin is minimal, but the noise outside is AMAZING

[Daveperc]

Great post - many thanks

I would say that most of us would say that if you have an ECU remap, then the TCU should be done too, if only to protect the box.

On exhaust, Resonated is quieter than non-res

Dave

[HYFR]

oh and onething not mentioned it MPG

if its a concern, forget buying an RS6.

If you do average mix of driving and dont want to lose your license, you will see 19mpg on the DIS (driver information system) which can be slightly out of kilter with the real world, so call it 17/18mpg

On a long motorway run on cruise control at 70mph, its good for 25 - 29mpg

[PhilT]

Thanks Ross. Sticky'ed

[el_ringo]

I knew I would miss out something, I guess I'm so used <20mpg

[Cornishmoocher]

Ross,

Great post, well written and to the point.

Nothing to add.

Mooch

[posheax]

Hi,
New to the forum so please bear with me. Looks like a great source of info.
I'm looking at an RS6 so clearly you guys know your stuff - any advice re an '03 car with 77k miles? Super car, really tempted but would like a few pointers on what to watch out for. Also, miles in a couple of years would be close to, or over 100k - any market then do you think?
Cheers
P

[Cornishmoocher]

Welcome P.

Now for the rant!

Did you read the first post entitled RS6 buyers guide or did it go in one eye and out the other???

sorry fella, but this is exactly why the post was put up, to stop us answering the same question eleventy billion times a day!

If you have any specific Q's about any of the above, then we will all be happy to help, but in general all you need to make a good first appraisal is in the post. After that, well..... And as for values in 5 years time -???????????

We are a great bunch (even if i say so myself- tho you will probably think me a cock), its just unfortunate I got here first, the other lads have more patience where this question is concerned, than me I am afraid.

[spanner1210]

thats a really nice welcome mooch!! im sure he appreciated it! I understand your point, but surely just a helpful bit of advice to read the above guide would have done!

[posheax]

Cheers !?
Like I said, new so bear with me ! Sorry about that. I did read the EXCELLENT first post and replied 'cause thought I was in exactly the right place. My question was specifically about the 77k - and yes the first post helps obviously, just thought someone may have another specific comment re the higher mileage. Re the future value - ok nobody has a crystal ball clearly, but again was really just looking for opinions of you guys who are more familiar.
Apologies if I'm clogging up your board..........
P

[Cornishmoocher]

Yep- sorry, bad 10 minutes, my appologies.

Just had a really shitty phone call with a client...... no excuse i know.

Not clogging up the board by any means.

77k miles is about average now, the engines are fairly bullet proof and will go on for ever if looked after and serviced well. as for residuals in the years to come.... well who can tell? I never thought my car would only be worth 27p now! :lol There is a school of thought that reckons that prices may start to climb as demand is higher than availability- lets hope so!

Sorry agin- I am not normally so shitty!

[posheax]

No worries
Tks for pointers. Like the school of thought re future values - hopefully......
Actually the best tip from Ross was probably to say nothing to the other half !! :lol

[Cornishmoocher]

Oh yeah..... Where the war office is concerend it all cost 40 quid.