About to see a big bill!!!!!

[pimpinyourmum]

I'm torn. About 2 weeks ago my RS6 dropped into limp home mode on the way home. A 3 hour mess around with the RAC/recover truck ensued.

Turns out the Intercooler pipe had disconnected from the car. Unfortunately when driving home all was not well. Idle was lumpy, boost restricted and the car was holding back.

I've just heard back from the garage that the drivers side intercooler is broken having received what looks like a "knock" somewhere.

1: I've just been quoted £810 for a new intercooler from Audi. Is it worth looking at alternatives and what benefits might I see?

2: It is also lightly leaking from a breather pipe at the back of the engine I'm told possibly caused when the gearbox was removed from the car previously. £75 for the pipe. Nothing I can do here but replace it really.

The garage hasnt worked up the labour yet but it wont be good I suspect.

3: He also told me the power steering pipes were leaking slightly (something to do with where they meet the oil cooler i think he said) and he warned me these are not cheap either. Anyone know what this might be and the likley financial pain of tackling it? Is it worth fixing or just leave it?

It makes you wonder whether the thing is worth more in bits? With RS6 values languishing where they are (although they look to be firming slightly recently?) I begin to wonder if it's better to sell 'as is' or fix it up and wait for the next bunch of pain?

Wouldnt be bad if I used the thing much but with a company car and a couple of classics it just doenst get the use it once did.

Anyone any thoughts?

[Shoppinit]

Dunno, doesn't sound that bad.

But if that kind of level of expense worries you you'd better hope nothing serious happens!

Where are you based? I'd be a bit worried about terms like "leaking breathers" and power steering pipes that sound more like ATF cooler pipes. Might be worth your while getting a specialist to do the work.

[pimpinyourmum]

I know this bill isnt the worst but it's already stung me for £3700 for the gearbox last year. It's the £/mile calculation that sounds bad.

I know it needs reear brakes too plus I want to get the suspension arms done as they have begun to rattle over bumps and other surfaces. The cumulative bill will be nasty and its whether its worth investing the monye into it. there's little point doing the intercooler etc if ultimately I wouldnt keep it. It's either sell it cheaply as needing a few jobs doing or go right through it and make it perfect. the thing is they arent worth enough 'perfect' to justify that expense. So if i went through it I should really keep it for the long term. Not a bad option of course.

The garage (Audi specialist but not RS specialist) said they smoke tested the car and the pipe was leaking only very slightly where it was rubbing against the gearbox. Thats fine and its an obvious one to replace but they said it will have little influence on the cars driveability compared to a leaking intercooler.

The power steering thing doesnt sound great. He said something about how they can go where the pipes meet the oil cooler i think he said.

[Shoppinit]

Sounds like your decision is already made. These cars are sometimes a labour of love. If your heart's not in it, then you're probably going to resent spending that money.

[pimpinyourmum]

Sounds like your decision is already made. These cars are sometimes a labour of love. If your heart's not in it, then you're probably going to resent spending that money.

I havent made my mind up as much as I sound as I really enjoy the car but you are bang on the money about the heart needing to be in it. Suppose other 'toys' have arrived and the '6 has been sidelined. Thing is it's never driven 100% since I bought it. always some job doing and because the daily is a brand new car you hear every little squeak and sound in the '6 because you arent used to hearing anything.

I should have gone right through the car when I did the box and had it perfect but i look back and can always remember there being something on the damn list to do

Perhaps I just need to hear that exhaust note again and everything will seem rosier??

[Mɐʇʇ]

Just to mirror what that man said - it's a nigh on 100K car, don't expect it to be easy or cheap to maintain - that engine really is shoehorned in there (new oil pressure sensor sir - that'll be engine out) but is the reason why we all buy these cars. The only way you can make em a bit cheaper to maintain is spend the time learning to be good with spanners, and sometimes you'll then find yourself fixing the other jobs done incorrectly by specialists or even main dealers.

FWIW, there is a power steering cooler feed & return entering at the bottom LHS of the lock carrier. The flexible pipes are nothing special, although I can't remember what the "other" end of them is - I think one is just a piece of pipe into the reservoir with jubilee clips both ends and I'd expect the other probably comes from the rack - but don't know what union it has on the rack end. Either way, they're just normal crappy piece of (low pressure) pipe so if one has split, just replace or shorten it beyond the damage and put a joiner in. Just make sure it's not a high pressure pipe from the pump - they run mega (1000psi?) pressure so need to be the right pipes for the job.

Finally, if it's a leak in one of the ali cooler pipes (whichever cooler it is, even AC) then JB weld, a bit of aluminium tube slit down the side and a pair of jubliee clips can be your friend. This is a "repair" rather than replace, but I just used this technique on my old Saab condenser which sees 175 psi and it works a treat.

Dunno, doesn't sound that bad.

But if that kind of level of expense worries you you'd better hope nothing serious happens!

Where are you based? I'd be a bit worried about terms like "leaking breathers" and power steering pipes that sound more like ATF cooler pipes. Might be worth your while getting a specialist to do the work.

[pimpinyourmum]

I think that's all fair enough and thanks for the pointer on the pipes- ill get the garage to be more specific about which ones they are.

I had one of these things when they were new and remember vividly the invoices that were going back to Audi UK under warranty. Of course 10 years on even more is going wrong with them!! I'm open to it but when the bills keep coming and I'm not using the car it's a pain...

To answer the earlier question i missed I'm based in Lancashire. Anyone know a decent garage to use (apart from Unit 20)?

[R5XVB]

Feel your pain...

I've spent thousands this year on recon turbos, exhausts, brakes, blah blah. On remounting the engine the garage got the lambda(s) wrong so returned for fixing the resultant misfire. On road testing the car starting making an horrible noise so was trailered back..., potentially a big end bearing kind of noise or slapping belt they say. Oh for F's sake, I'd be cheaper leasing a new RS6 under warranty at this rate.

When they're good they are feckin' awesome but the other eleven months.