c5 allroad

[rsmotors]

Does anyone have any experience of c5 allroad ,[ or does the s4 rs4 section the best place to be],i have been offered one , 99 plate 2.7 twin turbo manual, i assume suspension is generic through the c5 chassis?, and the engine is a detuned s4 engine, going to see it tomorrow,,

[mik15]

as far as i know there are no '99 Allroads produced, first year of production was 2001.

[ahoooga]

Didn't the Allroad have air suspension ?

[rsmotors]

y reg and air suspension

[ahoooga]

In that case the suspension is not generic across the range . I don't think its interchangeable with any other C5 model .
Y reg was March 2001 onwards , so it cant be a 99 car

[Bladerider]

If its a 99 its almost certainly an Audi UK car

Albeit a demo, a central press or internal car or whatever, I dont think very many got sold to the public before 2000.

I had a new 2004 Limited back in the day and it was excellent for what it was. The 2.7 is the same engine as used in the original RS4 although I dont know enough to know if there are specific differences such as forged rods or whatever between the engines like there is amongst the various 4.2V8 Audi engines. What I do remember clearly is that alot of the V6 turbos had heat issues that tended to kill off their rather tightly packed turbos quite regularly as discussed with a couple of previous owners when I had mine.

The air suspension is nice and comfy, a cool little gimmick and I even took mine off roading gently a few times when my Landies were having work done lol I never was keen on the plastic trims hence why i got a Limited as they were colour coded for the most part, but I would have no issue with having another one tomorrow. Rear legroom never was the C5's greatest strongpoint despite the size of the thing and dynamically my diesel Allroad was never that awe inspiring, but then i doubt anyone would expect it to be.

Apart from eating brakes quickly mine never was a problem and never went wrong, I owned it for 2.5 years and over 80k miles.

Hope that helps.

J.

[rsmotors]

great thanks,

[Spunkmeyer]

I have a limited edition 2.5TDI on 135k going well - brakes seem to last well, though you have to watch to ensure the air suspension hasn't failed, raise up to highest suspension level and leave it to check it doesn't sag with loss of air (around £500-600 a corner if they fail) I viewed 4 that all had failed air suspension before I found the one I bought. Or try find one with coilovers but that negates the point of the allroad being capable-ish off-road. Great for country roads and potholes etc ploughs on throug them. A 99 plate I would value of less £1500 though. 54plate was £4k and part ex now is only £2k.

[R5XVB]

I have the 4BH and replaced two front air suspension bags for about £450, if I recall they are Arnott brand. Also there's a good chap on another forum called Andy 'Bagpipe Andy' from South Ayrshire and lived about twenty minutes away, he sells the seal kit for the compressor (makes his own) which are sold via Ebay, he also keeps 2nd hand compressors in stock. Great guy...

The suspension issue is best described by comparing an Eczema sufferer's knuckles when they clench their fist, to the airbag suspension at position 1 rolling the rubber part to open up similar cracks. Once fixed, replace or refurbish the compressor. Mine was eighty quid, new it's around four hundred.

I wouldn't fancy coil overs on the Allroad, I have them in my RS6 to compare as said it defeats the purpose. However do get the Diesel engine remapped, I started off at 180bhp and although never tested on a Dyno it's much better and returns 40mpg if you stay under 50mph, only slightly less at 60mph. Workhorse, 140k miles, still used daily and tight as.

[spurtle]

I've had a '54 plate 2.5TDI for about three years. Air suspension was fine when I bought it but has caused no end of trouble since and still isn't right: a complex system with many components that tend to fail at the same time (e.g. leaky airbags cause wear on the compressor and the valve block). I may have been unlucky but it's been twice as expensive to maintain as my 2.7t B5 S4 - probably £1000+ each year with me doing most of the work.

On the plus side, both allroad engines (2.5TDI and 2.7t) are good, it shifts, and it's comfortable. As above, track down bagpipingandy whose knows everything about the suspension and will help with getting problems diagnosed and fixed.

Personally, wouldn't have another: I'd take an A6 (or an S or an RS, which will do similar mpg) instead.