Coolant gone, ok to fire up the engine for 10-20 secs?

[Mr Footlong]

Ok, the dream is dead I am afraid. Rich from RD garage sent me the below last night regarding the findings on the old girl.

Despite me having a deeeeeeep history file for her and going in for regular services and checks/replacement parts whenever I was told by SJB Autotech mostly (RD did some occasional work on her too and I know that work was faultless), I am not sure that SJB took perfect care of her (especially when the gearbox died on the way back from them after having a gearbox service too ) and the 3.x years sitting on the drive unsurprisingly took its toll -

"Hi Nick

We’ve spent several hours going over the car for you today

So it needs

OSF window regulator – obsolete
Headlight washers not working – needs stripping to confirm what the issue is.
All door locks have faults logged – all obsolete
Wipers are poor
Airmass meter seals have failed and the air mass meters are original, I’d advise getting these replaced as these fail regularly, unable to test these without the engine running – parts are obsolete
All vacuum pipes require replacement
The auxiliary belt tensioner looks to have seized – obsolete
Cambelt? I’d guess its due.
Gearbox has various oil weeps which will need sorting when its rebuilt
Front anti-roll bar threads are stripped and a 2nd nut has been added to try to secure it but it is still loose – requires fabrication.
OSF brake hose is twisted and the rubber grommets are split.
Rear suspension lower arms require replacement as the bushes have failed – obsolete
All 8 front suspension arm bushes are perished and worn and will require replacement.
The coolant leak is deep within the V of the engine, it will require stripping – I’ve had a look at what it might be in there and every part I looked up is obsolete.
Front tyres are worn
The airbox thread are stripped in the inlet manifold so with require a thread repair to those.
The rear view mirror will require a glazing company to reglue the mount back on the screen.
Service items such as brake fluids will require replacement.
Exhaust is miss aligned
The airbox grommets are missing/broken – obsolete
The sunroof seals are not obsolete!! They are however back order so not sure how they would take to come in.
Things like the lights could do with restoration of the lenses

I don’t have any contacts for the gearbox repair, I’d say TTE are probably the best for the turbos. I think this list is the tip of the iceberg, once we get stripping I would expect this to double, there will be a lot of unseen issues.

I’ve had a word with my RS man about this job and he is reluctant to take this on. He used to work at the Phirm and believes Tim & Paul are far more set up for the older vehicle that require this level of restoration. They will be able to do the software, they’ll know someone for the gearbox repair and be able to do the little bits of fabrication required far better than we are set up to do. They will more than likely has little bits in stock like the airbox rubbers, even if they’re 2nd hand.

We have spent some time on this but as we are not taking the job on I will not charge you for any of our time spent looking at it. I’m happy to store for a bit longer for you and can help getting it anywhere you wanted if required"

RD are great, they aren't a charity and I will be paying them for their time.

I just need to figure out what the hell I do with her now, gutted but our time with her has come to an end

[Shoppinit]

It does read like they don’t want the job. Feels like some of the comments are overly pessimistic.

Still, i get why you don’t want to go down the restoration route.

[TechNick]

To me, sadly, that lovely list sounds like 3-4 years of C5 ownership all rolled up into 1... which would kinda make sense.

FWIW, The Phirm have been helping to maintain mine for the past 9(?) years, and always have plenty of older VAGs being worked on (with, no doubt, many 'obsolete' parts).

Although you may be reluctant / it'd be impractical to DIY, things like the window reg, for example, may actually be relatively straightforward to fix (the last time one went on my 2001 Cupra, I cobbled together bits from the remnants from the last time I replaced one, and had obtained a replacement from a breakers yard).

Totally understand if you didn't want to invest the time/money/effort, but may be worth getting the 2nd opinion from The Phirm before drawing a line under it altogether... after all this time(?).

[Capt Ric]

Footlong,
That's a shame, but I guess not a total surprise, especially as it's not been used for a while.
Probably not economically viable, unless one is able to do much of the work oneself.
Maybe get anotherone that has had much of the work done?
Maybe this one (not mine) https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/155762615830 ... R4DN8aXaYg

[Ian_C]

If the gearbox has to come out, and the engine may have to come out too, maybe it's an opportunity to go absolutely mental and do a manual conversion?!

*glass half full approach

[Mr Footlong]

Footlong,
That's a shame, but I guess not a total surprise, especially as it's not been used for a while.
Probably not economically viable, unless one is able to do much of the work oneself.
Maybe get anotherone that has had much of the work done?
Maybe this one (not mine) https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/155762615830 ... R4DN8aXaYg

Thank you very much for that link, but I would want to take a load of stuff off of mine and put on that one, along with the fact that it sounds like the gearbox was kept standard (that is the biggest putoff, along with Shopp's wet dream steering wheel ). That irks me, but good on the guy for fixing her up

If the gearbox has to come out, and the engine may have to come out too, maybe it's an opportunity to go absolutely mental and do a manual conversion?!

*glass half full approach

Hahahahahaha, good god no.

[Shoppinit]

along with Shopp's wet dream steering wheel ).

Admit it, you're secretly jealous. Hence your obsession with it.

[Ian_C]

If the gearbox has to come out, and the engine may have to come out too, maybe it's an opportunity to go absolutely mental and do a manual conversion?!

*glass half full approach

Hahahahahaha, good god no.

Time to asset strip all your tuning parts off the car [if you have the originals to put back on?] and sell her as a sold-as-seen "trailer away" going concern? Sad times

[Mɐʇʇ]

@Nick, If it was me, and I wanted to put the car back together, a little bit of patience on ebay would get good used parts for many of those.

And for many of parts, e.g. aux belt tensioner, you can get a febi or vaico one right here: https://www.autodoc.co.uk/spares-search ... 5B2%5D=199
Or one of the door locks : https://www.autodoc.co.uk/bugiad/10827711

Both of whom are decent enough quality (if you recall, I reckon Vaico was the OE supplier of the cam chain tensioners).
Or an abundance of used genuine ones on ebay: https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from ... ondition=4

So might require a little patience, but it's all doable if you're so inclined - as Ben says, I just reckon they don't want the work, or at least the aggro of sourcing NLA parts from Audi.

[Mr Footlong]

Matt, the problem for me now is that I have gone from hating every second of my job and having very valid grievances regarding promises that were made me and me killing myself for them in return, to the company acknowledging that to an extent and giving me the chance to actually get something back from all of that hardship over the last decade.

I am working harder than ever to try to make that a reality (assuming that I am not getting stiffed again, don't think I am as things are much better now) and with a golden equity carrot being dangled in front of me that could be life-changing for us, I am so limited on anything I can do outside of work and will be for at least the next two years until the next investment round/company floatation.

I didn't need to put all that detail down, but I am both stupid like that(TMI-wise), and I wanted to genuinely show that it isn't for the lack of wanting to as we would love to have her all sorted. The reality is that she would just sit on the drive rotting away for another two years at least due to no time for me to get heavily involved and I don't want that for her.....

[TOPMAN]

I don't write in forums, I typically use other forms of social media to get the information that I need for my S6 and RS6. Iv'e been lurking since about 2003/2004 - it was AudiWorld that sent me here originally. There is great knowledge in this forum and as these C5's get older, this place is like a goldmine of valuable info.
Iv'e first noticed this FootLong shaving foam chap and his C5 RS6 many years ago and was impressed with his mods and general ownership of the car. It's true to say that it was posts like his that made me buy my own RS6. I thought he had sold his C5 years ago, but then I stumbled across this post (looking for historic info). At first I thought COOL, he's still got it! It's been off the road and he's gonna get it back on the road. But then this last post is crap, so I wanted to try and help in some way.

OSF window regulator – obsolete - Available new complete from many aftermarket companies (no motor) for about £30 - original Audi still available from Audi Tradition for about 180 euros.
Headlight washers not working – needs stripping to confirm what the issue is. This is not a big problem, all parts available and a quick job for anybody with a few skills.
All door locks have faults logged – all obsolete - Available new complete from many aftermarket companies for about £40 - original Audi still available from Audi Tradition for about 220 euros.
Wipers are poor - So what, buy new from Halfords etc etc
Airmass meter seals have failed and the air mass meters are original, I’d advise getting these replaced as these fail regularly, unable to test these without the engine running – parts are obsolete MAF seals are available new from Audi Tradition for about 18 euros each (you need 2). C5 RS6 Air mass meters are used on many Audi models A6, A3 TT, Seat Leon. Many companies selling them. I'd buy a quality component such as Bosch at about £100 each. Original Audi are available from Tradition for 455 Euros each (you need 2)
All vacuum pipes require replacement - I doubt this, the small hoses and valves under the inlet manifold rarely fail. There are a couple on the top side that sometimes go, but are easy to change. If they found an air leak it's more likely to be the SJP (suction jet pump) under the inlet manifold.
The auxiliary belt tensioner looks to have seized – obsolete - Available new complete from many aftermarket companies for about £50 (FEBI Bilstein) - original Audi still available from Audi Tradition for about 127 euros.
Cambelt? I’d guess its due. If the car has been sat idle then this is a wise decision. You should do all idler pulleys and water pump at the same time.
Gearbox has various oil weeps which will need sorting when its rebuilt No comment really, if you are having the box rebuilt/uprated then these will be fixed at the same time.
Front anti-roll bar threads are stripped and a 2nd nut has been added to try to secure it but it is still loose – requires fabrication. Not a big problem, next!
OSF brake hose is twisted and the rubber grommets are split. New hoses start at about £15, not a big problem, next!
Rear suspension lower arms require replacement as the bushes have failed – obsolete - Aftermarket replacement bushes are about £25 for a set of 2. Or you could buy a complete aftermarket arm for £80. Complete new arms from Audi Tradition are 100 euros each
All 8 front suspension arm bushes are perished and worn and will require replacement. You can get front suspension rebuild kits which include all 8 arms, links, trackrod ends and all bolts starting at £200 but I'd pay the extra for quality like Lemförder who made them for Audi for £390 - didn't check tradition, no need.
The coolant leak is deep within the V of the engine, it will require stripping – I’ve had a look at what it might be in there and every part I looked up is obsolete. - I am currently doing an inlet manifold refresh on my car as the SJP has popped open. All pipes, pumps gaskets are still available from aftermarket and also Audi Tradition.
Front tyres are worn Buy new
The airbox thread are stripped in the inlet manifold so with require a thread repair to those. - Easy fix for a mechanic
The rear view mirror will require a glazing company to reglue the mount back on the screen. Cheap fix any glazing company can do it for you
Service items such as brake fluids will require replacement. - Service items are service items and need doing, but much of the above includes service items (timing belt etc)
Exhaust is miss aligned Easy fix
The airbox grommets are missing/broken – obsolete - available from LLLParts in the UK for £3.5 each you need 2
The sunroof seals are not obsolete!! They are however back order so not sure how they would take to come in. Available from LLLParts in the UK for £121
Things like the lights could do with restoration of the lenses - Easily fix and best results from a bodyshop

I hope this helps in some way? I don't know your real name, but if you were in some of the FB groups I'm in, then you would know most of the details I have provided.
It's taken me nearly 2 hours to get all the prices together and write this bloody thing, but I truly hope you keep the car and get help if you can't do it yourself.
I recommend Steve Green from Quattro Clinic in Derby if you can't do all this yourself. He is a C5 RS6 and all older RS model specialist. He both buys and sells whole cars, also fixes them.
Audi Tradition are a bit funny when it comes to shipping to UK as they prefer to send to businesses. But here in the EU (I'm in Finland) they send to personal addresses. I order from them about once a month, so can be your middle-man if you are struggling with them.
Last but not least, if you do decide to strip it for parts (hopefully not) then I would like your rear tail lights. I have family all over the UK who can collect etc etc.
Best of luck
Regards
Craig

[Capt Ric]

Craig,
That's a very helpful post and well worth the time you spent researching it.
As cars get older it's helpful to have the skill or at least access to someone who has at reasonable cost to keep them on the road plus a bit of patience.
I've had my RS6 for 12 years and despite the occassional frustation, still loving it. ( it's mostly been reliable and not too expensive to run)

[TOPMAN]

Craig,
That's a very helpful post and well worth the time you spent researching it.
As cars get older it's helpful to have the skill or at least access to someone who has at reasonable cost to keep them on the road plus a bit of patience.
I've had my RS6 for 12 years and despite the occassional frustation, still loving it. ( it's mostly been reliable and not too expensive to run)

Thanks. Iv'e had my S6 for 20yrs and my RS6 for 3yrs. Almost all parts for these cars are still available, if you only know where to look Compared to more modern cars, these are quite simple to work on and like you say, mostly reliable. I do need to do my SJP which is going to be a 10hr+ job in the garden, but it was expected at some point (they always fail). I love the car, it's about 600bhp and 800Nm now and it's more than enough. Maybe I'll post some photos if I can figure out how to

[steve2003rs6]

Craig. Nice write up. Great info. Many thanks for sharing.

[Mr Footlong]

I don't write in forums, I typically use other forms of social media to get the information that I need for my S6 and RS6. Iv'e been lurking since about 2003/2004 - it was AudiWorld that sent me here originally. There is great knowledge in this forum and as these C5's get older, this place is like a goldmine of valuable info.
Iv'e first noticed this FootLong shaving foam chap and his C5 RS6 many years ago and was impressed with his mods and general ownership of the car. It's true to say that it was posts like his that made me buy my own RS6. I thought he had sold his C5 years ago, but then I stumbled across this post (looking for historic info). At first I thought COOL, he's still got it! It's been off the road and he's gonna get it back on the road. But then this last post is crap, so I wanted to try and help in some way.

OSF window regulator – obsolete - Available new complete from many aftermarket companies (no motor) for about £30 - original Audi still available from Audi Tradition for about 180 euros.
Headlight washers not working – needs stripping to confirm what the issue is. This is not a big problem, all parts available and a quick job for anybody with a few skills.
All door locks have faults logged – all obsolete - Available new complete from many aftermarket companies for about £40 - original Audi still available from Audi Tradition for about 220 euros.
Wipers are poor - So what, buy new from Halfords etc etc
Airmass meter seals have failed and the air mass meters are original, I’d advise getting these replaced as these fail regularly, unable to test these without the engine running – parts are obsolete MAF seals are available new from Audi Tradition for about 18 euros each (you need 2). C5 RS6 Air mass meters are used on many Audi models A6, A3 TT, Seat Leon. Many companies selling them. I'd buy a quality component such as Bosch at about £100 each. Original Audi are available from Tradition for 455 Euros each (you need 2)
All vacuum pipes require replacement - I doubt this, the small hoses and valves under the inlet manifold rarely fail. There are a couple on the top side that sometimes go, but are easy to change. If they found an air leak it's more likely to be the SJP (suction jet pump) under the inlet manifold.
The auxiliary belt tensioner looks to have seized – obsolete - Available new complete from many aftermarket companies for about £50 (FEBI Bilstein) - original Audi still available from Audi Tradition for about 127 euros.
Cambelt? I’d guess its due. If the car has been sat idle then this is a wise decision. You should do all idler pulleys and water pump at the same time.
Gearbox has various oil weeps which will need sorting when its rebuilt No comment really, if you are having the box rebuilt/uprated then these will be fixed at the same time.
Front anti-roll bar threads are stripped and a 2nd nut has been added to try to secure it but it is still loose – requires fabrication. Not a big problem, next!
OSF brake hose is twisted and the rubber grommets are split. New hoses start at about £15, not a big problem, next!
Rear suspension lower arms require replacement as the bushes have failed – obsolete - Aftermarket replacement bushes are about £25 for a set of 2. Or you could buy a complete aftermarket arm for £80. Complete new arms from Audi Tradition are 100 euros each
All 8 front suspension arm bushes are perished and worn and will require replacement. You can get front suspension rebuild kits which include all 8 arms, links, trackrod ends and all bolts starting at £200 but I'd pay the extra for quality like Lemförder who made them for Audi for £390 - didn't check tradition, no need.
The coolant leak is deep within the V of the engine, it will require stripping – I’ve had a look at what it might be in there and every part I looked up is obsolete. - I am currently doing an inlet manifold refresh on my car as the SJP has popped open. All pipes, pumps gaskets are still available from aftermarket and also Audi Tradition.
Front tyres are worn Buy new
The airbox thread are stripped in the inlet manifold so with require a thread repair to those. - Easy fix for a mechanic
The rear view mirror will require a glazing company to reglue the mount back on the screen. Cheap fix any glazing company can do it for you
Service items such as brake fluids will require replacement. - Service items are service items and need doing, but much of the above includes service items (timing belt etc)
Exhaust is miss aligned Easy fix
The airbox grommets are missing/broken – obsolete - available from LLLParts in the UK for £3.5 each you need 2
The sunroof seals are not obsolete!! They are however back order so not sure how they would take to come in. Available from LLLParts in the UK for £121
Things like the lights could do with restoration of the lenses - Easily fix and best results from a bodyshop

I hope this helps in some way? I don't know your real name, but if you were in some of the FB groups I'm in, then you would know most of the details I have provided.
It's taken me nearly 2 hours to get all the prices together and write this bloody thing, but I truly hope you keep the car and get help if you can't do it yourself.
I recommend Steve Green from Quattro Clinic in Derby if you can't do all this yourself. He is a C5 RS6 and all older RS model specialist. He both buys and sells whole cars, also fixes them.
Audi Tradition are a bit funny when it comes to shipping to UK as they prefer to send to businesses. But here in the EU (I'm in Finland) they send to personal addresses. I order from them about once a month, so can be your middle-man if you are struggling with them.
Last but not least, if you do decide to strip it for parts (hopefully not) then I would like your rear tail lights. I have family all over the UK who can collect etc etc.
Best of luck
Regards
Craig

Hi Craig

Sorry for the delay in replying to your highly detailed post, I really appreciate it and I am just sorry that I can't use that info myself. This month brought a surprise CIO/CISO into work, along with a surprise new CFO in the same week and with my side of the company having been the most financially-strangled over the years by the board and me pushing the hardest for a decent budget finally, it has been total carnage for me and no sign of stopping. I really hate this side of the job, not something I ever signed up for really, I am an engineer.

Basically, my head is back to spinning again and both wifey & I are back to living & breathing work. I just don't have any time spare at present or for the foreseeable to put into this . I tried my specialist, who has historically always been prepared to get involved with fixing her and they don't want to do it unless forced this time around, I can't leave her rotting.

On top of that, I have signed off on finally sticking a loft conversion on our gaff and have gone bigger than I was expecting on the plans, pushing past the £100k we allocated to it.

She is up for sale (not advertised anywhere yet). I realistically think that she is worth the £5k lowest that I will take for her, as she has a good few choice parts on her (inc things like the ridiculously expensive OE oil cooler I had fitted around the same time that the gearbox then died) that are in demand and go for good prices historically when you look on eBay at items that actually sold.

Going back to time and what that is worth to me, I don't believe that I can be dealing with parting her out from my driveway. I am getting her brought back here (GU16 Mytchett) this/next week, unless someone goes to see her and wants to tow her from Shepperton. I currently have the spare TC and the OE rear light clusters sitting in my garage.

CheeRS and sorry,

Nick.