Test drive Audi A4 B6 2001 - 2004 sedan

A sign of good tone

Deprived of excessive bourgeois of the Mercedes and the imposed aggression of BMW, cars with four rings on the radiator enjoy the reputation of sophisticated vehicles for intellectuals.

It is generally accepted that Audi is bought by those who do not like Mercedes and BMW because of the rear-wheel drive. In part, these are so fundamental opponents of the classical scheme. But when buying a prestigious car, the main thing is not technical features, but an image. In addition, in Russia, the Audi brand is not burdened with the criminal past, since it came to our market after the completion of the transition period. As a result, the possession of Audi was a sign of good tone.
 
Today we will talk about the most popular Audi of the last years of the A6 model, which was born in 1997. Even if you have been looking at the six for a long time, it is not easy to make a choice. Two bodies, two types of gearboxes, two transmission schemes and a whole palette of motors will be dizzy
 
Corrosion should not be
Audi-A6 does not fundamentally varying levels of configuration. There is a base and there is custom -made equipment. Most A6, once sold in Russia with new ones, have an automatic gearbox, a quattro transmission and rich equipment, including skin, seats and other Sibaritic things.
 
But our cars are still young and will begin to actively appear on the secondary market about a year later. Therefore, most likely you will have to deal with cars from Europe.
 
Among Europeans there are many cars with a manual box, and Croatro still needs to be searched. The configurations are also quite motley. You can guarantee only four airbags, an electric package and a fabric salon with aluminum or wood. Most machines have installed climate control and a factory audio system. Often there are heated seats, hatch and rear parking sensors. But regardless of the decoration, the A6 salon is very solid and phenomenally spacious behind why the machine is popular as personnel.
 
Choosing between sedan and station wagon (advanced), you can only be guided by your own requests. Neither one nor the other suffer from specific sores. In any case, the fully galvanized A6 body tolerates salt attacks. The appearance of corrosion on it after 45 years indicates poor -quality repairs. The equipment of the body showed itself quite reliable (everything that is hidden under the iron shell). There are few characteristic failures, and they are eliminated with little blood.
    
Follow the gutters
After the autumn leaf fall and summer fluff, clean the drainage of the ventilation system. Otherwise, melt or rainwater can pour electronic automatic transmission control units and a comfort unit. If their connectors have time to rot, the blocks will have to be changed. Everyone costs $ 400600. Also follow the drainage of the air conditioner evaporator (what is in the cabin). Otherwise, you will swim in the cold pool.
    
Electrical equipment
When checking the body of the body, pay attention to the operation of the windows especially the driver. If the glass goes up tight or rests halfway, and then spontaneously drops down, then plastic guides are destroyed. They do not sell them separately, so you have to change the windshield assembly. In addition, on the cars until mid -1998, the locks of locks from the inner door handles sometimes jump out and the airbag bulb lights up. To restore the operation of the castle, it is necessary to remove the upholstery and return the thrust to the place. And in a malfunction of the pillows, the electrical cut under a driver's seat is guilty, suffering from moisture. After repairing the connector, as usual, it is necessary to erase the malfunction code. If the Moscow roads do not stop sprinkling with salt, after three to four years the glass cleaner trapezoid will acidify and contacts in the front turn signals will rot. Resuscitation helps for a short while. Both the trapezoid and the plafones will have to be changed.
    
What is the price
Replacement of the glass windows mechanism $ 200
Replacing the glass cleaner $ 150
Replacement of the turning point (1 pc.) $ 40
    
What do gasoline motors complain about?
Regardless of the oil appetite of your engine, it is not worth saving on the quality and terms of oil replacement do not like valves. If some of them pound, you will have to change everything. One costs $ 29, and there are five of them for each cylinder
 
Candles on all engines are designed for 60,000 km, but in our conditions more than 30,000 are rarely nursed. The timing belt, regardless of what is written in the instructions, is better to change 90,000 km and, as usual, along with the rollers.
 
V6 and V8
Structurally, they are all the same and differ only in the working volume and number of cylinders. There are no characteristic diseases behind them. There is only one recommendation for maintenance: when replacing the timing belt, it is advisable to change the water pump at the same time. It will last a little longer. But only when replacing the belt to the pump is allocated only 0.6 of the normochs, and if it is changed separately for 4.7 hours. The price list indicates the price of a belt replacement with a pump.
 
1.8 and 1.8-turbo
Having bought the release machine until mid -1998, ask the mechanics to find out what sample the Terms of the Term belt are old or new. An old -style tensioner is subject to immediate replacement, because it can cause a belt break.
 
Another general age disease of both engines failure of the rheostat of the throttle of the throttle after 100,000 km. An attempt to reanimate the rheostat will only take time: the throttle block must be changed.
 
Now, in particular. The atmospheric motor until mid -1998 suffers from a poor launch in raw weather. The ailment is treated with reprogramming the injection computer and replacing the nozzles. Well, on a turbo engine, a turbine dies by about 150,000 km. When this happens, it is advisable to replace the oil pipe with her. If it is overwhelmed by poor -quality oil or untimely replacement, a new turbine will not last long.
    
What is the price
Replacing engine gaskets (4-cyl./V6) $ 190/510
Replacing candles (4-cyl./V6) $ 70/130
Replacing the timing belt (4-cyl./V6) $ 380/630
Tenpers of the timing belt of a new sample $ 166
Replacing the throttle block $ 500
Reprogramming of injection and replacement of nozzles $ 770
Replacing turbine $ 1450
Replacing the oil supply tube $ 100
 
Gas gun, jet shell
Like most German gasoline engines, Audi motors have good oil appetite. The most capable 4-cylinder specimens can eat up to 500 grams per 1000 km, and V8 to a liter! Moreover, the lion's fraction of the oil does not go through the snotty gaskets of the pallet, the front and valve covers (although over time they still have to be changed), namely in the fumes. Since such consumption is laid in the factory standards, you can not worry about the engine repair at the expense of the seller. Better take care that the oil canine always lay in the trunk, and regularly control its level.
 
Of the entire gamut of engines, the most optimal for A6 is indisputable, a V-shaped six-ms of 2.4 liters. Six cylinders, 165 forces what is needed for a solid business class car. At the same time, the volume of this engine is laid in a sparing customs category up to 2500 cm. And fuel consumption does not go beyond the reasonable framework: 915 liters with a manual box and 1017 with automatic.
 
A more powerful 193-horsepower V6 with a volume of 2.8 liters is not so popular. But not because of fuel consumption, he consumes maximum per liter more. The reason is the price: the three -year -old A6 with the engine two and eight costs about $ 3,000 more.
 
Those who want to save a 4-cylinder 150-horsepower 1.8-turbo is addressed. It feels like it goes a little worse than the V6 2.4. But it is cheaper when buying (about $ 2000), maintenance and operation, consuming 813 l/100 km. True, the final savings may not be so significant. Who knows in what condition is the turbine? If it is already on the way, $ 12001400 will need to be added to the price of the car at once.
    
The real prospect of staying with an empty tank threatens the owners of the Quattro (only Cvattro), the sensors of the fuel level on which they go crazy with our gasoline. And since the quattro tank has complex shape, three sensors are installed in it, and all three must be changed. This is $ 320 with work. The Germans have known about the epic with sensors for a long time and twice changed their design. The last option, they say, is reliable.

There is no need to talk about the atmospheric 125-horsepower one and eight in relation to Audi-A6. With him, a solid six that a gas gun, outwardly indistinguishable from the present. The purchase of such a machine is not justified by any savings.
 
But recently, the first reactive shells appeared on the secondary market, the production of which began in 1999 a 230-horsepower V6 2.7-biturbo and 300-horsepower V8 4.2. The most reactive version of the S6 with a sports chassis and forced up to 340 liters is soon expected. With. V8. All cars with V6-Biturbo and V8 engines are equipped with all-wheel drive.
 
With 8-cylinder A6, everything is clear. Even used, they are addressed to someone who knows why he pays a lot of money. But Buturbo can introduce the customer of an ordinary V6 into the temptation of the buyer: think, I will give the extra three pieces. But what a buzz from 230 horses! I do not argue, this herd is raised as if drawn in 8 cylinders. But just do not forget that sooner or later two turbine will emanate on Burbo.
 
and two kerosene in addition
We have already said that in our conditions the purchase of a used car with a diesel engine is not economically justified. Nevertheless, the A6 diesel A6 brought from Europe find their buyers. If you are pleased from them.
  
Most likely, a 4-cylinder 110-horsepower turbodiesel with a volume of 1.9 liters or a 150-horsepower 2.5-liter V6 will be installed by the machine. Both are equipped with direct injection and high -pressure fuel pump (TNVD) with electronic control. The strengths of these engines are fuel efficiency (even by diesel standards), confident cold launch, smoothness (especially in V6) and a long service life of fuel nozzles. However, the diesel of the audi is quite highly compiled and, as a result, are demanding of the quality of fuel and maintenance.
 
   
You have to change on each

 
 
The weakest levers of the pendants are the lower front (1). On relatively decent Moscow roads, they live an average of 30,000 km. The remaining levers of the front suspension are the lower rear (2) and upper (3) about one and a half times more durable. As a result, on each (carried out after 15,000 km) you have to change at least a couple of levers. If you buy original, only two lower fronts will get up at $ 480. And all eight will pull $ 1300. Given their small resource is expensive. It makes sense to buy a good non -original, for example, Lemferder or Phoebee, the whole kit will cost $ 600700.

The All-Folkswagenovsky 110-horsepower AFN turbodiesel consumes 69 l/100 km and looks very good under the hood of Passat or Audi-A4. But for a heavy A6, it is still weak, especially with an automatic box. But the mechanics characterize it as a relatively unpretentious and rather maintainable motor. In any case, in maintenance and repair, he promises to be a little more expensive than a gasoline 1.8-turbo. In 1999, AFN was replaced by a more frisky and burdened 115-horsepower engine of the same volume of the AJM model, equipped with pumps instead of tnvds. But he is still young and there is no statistics on it.
 
In terms of characteristics for Audi-A6, a 6-cylinder diesel is much better suited. In dynamics, it is not inferior to gasoline V6 equal volume, and even a 2.8-liter motor exceeds in burden. At the same time, the diesel drinks only 812 liters per hundred. But, unfortunately, he turned out to be too moody and expensive in operation. As a result of savings, he will not bring you any. Well, if it does not ruin.
 
Not so terrible quattro
Even on the usual front -wheel drive A6 in winter, you will experience much less problems than in classic Mercedes and BMW. Nevertheless, a real audi is an all -wheel drive audi. On A6-Kvattro, the correct all-wheel drive is used with the distribution of torque between the front and rear wheels equally. Depending on the road conditions, the center differential Torsen can change the moment from 25:75 to 75:25. Hence the good cross -country ability and predicted behavior on a slippery road.
 
However, in the secondary market, buyers do not really insist on all -wheel drive, fearing a possible expensive transmission repair. In fact, there are no complaints about her. Neither the handout with a torson, nor the cardan shaft, nor the rear axle gearbox do not die without outside help. Oil in Thorsen and the rear gearbox is flooded for the entire service life. Therefore, you only need to control the condition of the anthers not on two, but on four drives. And even after 100,000 km, you may have to change the adapts of drives not only the anterior, but also the rear gearbox. Agree that replacing a pair of extra seals is not worth a conversation. Therefore, if there is an opportunity to overpay about $ 1,500 for a Quattro, do not miss a chance to buy a real audi.
 
Testronics age is not enough
So, we found out that the choice of the drive is only a matter of your financial capabilities. It remains to decide on the gearbox.
 
Eastern package
The body of the six hangs quite low above the ground. You can feel confident on our roads only by car in Russian specifications, which has an increased 20 mm road clearance. Even a standard European suspension requires a driver’s driver. And if a sports is installed, on which even an empty car lies on the road, riding is turning into real torment. Since the growth of the road clearance in the Russian woman is not provided with spacers, but longer springs and shock absorbers, it is possible to raise the car brought from Europe only by replacing these parts. A set of original springs and shock absorbers from the eastern package costs about $ 1,500. If it is expensive for you, you can take an unoriginal in length. Fast in $ 800900.

On the mechanics, I recommend that you pre -ride. The fact is that Audi, like most German cars, has a very long -term clutch pedal, which not everyone likes. In terms of reliability, the box with a lifelong supply of oil is impeccable. When the time comes to change the clutch, it is better to buy a set of LUK or SACS (Sachs). Original unreasonably roads $ 500650.
 
Automatic 5-speed box with manual switching mode Tipronics is characterized by logical and soft operation. But, alas, not durability. Even with proper operation, the friction resource is approximately 150,000170,000 km. By this time, the oil in the box is getting dark, slippage and jerks begin during switching, and death occurs immediately after changing the oil. Most likely, the small resource of the box is due to an too optimistic interval of oil change of 120,000 km. Naturally, not a single jail burgger will reduce him on his own initiative
    
Diesel chores
Diesels of Audi contain a lot of advanced technologies. They use a turbine with a variable geometry of the shoulder blades, which provides maximum engine efficiency in all modes. True, with this design, the life of the turbine is determined not only by natural wear (with proper operation of approximately 150,000 km), but also by possible problems in the mechanism of rotation of the blades. If the shoulder blades jammed in one position, the turbine cannot work normally. But the use of cunning nozzles with two -stage injection (preliminary and main) is justified without any reservations. They significantly soften the operation of the motor and even in our diesel fuel serve 150,000200,000 km. With such a resource, one does not have to complain that the sprayers in them are fixed and the nozzles have to be changed assembly.
 
On the AFN engine, regular attention is required by the trim of the knee-la and the central bolt, which is attaching it. The rubber damper of the pulley can be stifled to a run of 150,000 km, on which it is ordered to change the pulley (be sure with the gear of the timing belt and the bolt!). If you install an old bolt or tighten it not according to the technology, over time it will weaken and the timing stem will turn. The result is a meeting of valves with pistons ... By the way, a timing belt with a roller in our conditions is better to change after 70,000 km.
 
On the V6 diesel, you need to regularly check the cooling system fan. Luft appeared? Change the WISKOWT with the bearing. If the decayed fan reaches the radiator, the costs will be incomparable. The TNVD on a 6-cylinder diesel, unlike AFN, is a non-combination, and in the event of a malfunction it has to be changed assembly. Moreover, he can fail even after an unskilled replacement of the fuel filter or an inept attempt to merge from it. It is worthwhile to get into the highway of the Na-Sos is ready. When replacing the timing belt on this engine (after 90,000 km), not only three of its videos must be changed, but also five rollers of the auxiliary assembly belt and the belt itself. The fact is that the broken drive belt on the diesel V6 is tightened under the timing belt and then the destruction of the motor.
 
In order for diesel audi to plunge you into large expenses as little as possible, you must adhere to the following rules. Serving the engine only in the cinematic service of the audi or in a specialized diesel center. Moreover, in our conditions, not after 15,000 km, as the instruction requires, but strictly after 10,000 km, changing all filters on each, regardless of their condition. Use oil only prescribed quality and monitor its level. Do not jam the engine immediately after stopping so that the turbine has time to cool. And at least once a year, rinse the fuel tank.
    
What is the price
Replacing turbine $ 11001350
Replacing nozzles (AFN/V6) $ 580/830
Repair of HTVD (AFN) $ 500900
Replacement of the pumping unit (V6) $ 1950
Replacement of a crankshaft pulley (AFN) $ 390
Replacement of the viscous factor of the fan (V6) $ 290
Replacing the timing belt (AFN/V6) $ 200/650

You will probably have to repair the box. After you give $ 12002000 for this procedure (if you contact the automatic service without intermediaries), make it a rule to change the oil in 40.
 
Aluminum Adolf
In the mid-90s, the German auto industry covered the suspension revolution, as a result of which complex multi-link structures made of aluminum appeared. This bowl and the Volkswagen concern did not pass. First, Audi-A8 and A4 received the anterior aluminum multi-leaf. Then the Passat and A6. And the revolution, as you know, does not do without blood.
    
Replacing the leaking hoses is inexpensive. But if a hydraulic power pump is buzzing evidence that the former owner loved to twist the steering wheel in place to stop a more serious waste. But the steering rack, unlike many cars Ugh, Ugh, Ugh, so as not to jinx it.

As it turned out, this light multi -tower skeleton works normally on perfect roads. And on our autobahns, he understands how the adolf left unattended in the school office of anatomy for one change. But even if friends scare you with an exorbitant cost of repair, they say, a set of front suspension levers costs almost one and a half thousand green, do not despair: a good non -original will cost at least half the cheaper.
 
Block enemy of the machine gun
On the release machines until mid -1998, a violation of contact in the electronic control circuit of an automatic box is possible. Road salt enters the connector under the floor of the body, the box loses its connection with the engine and rises into the emergency mode (all signal lamps light up on the instrument panel). After repairing the connector and cleaning of the malfunction code, the box gains performance. In addition, negligent installers of the checkpoint of the checkpoint can deprive you of the pleasure of independent selection of programs. By making a hole under the pin of the selector lock, you can damage the electronic fee of manual switching, and the box will turn into a regular machine. A new fee costs $ 195.

In addition to the levers, steering rods with tips and front brake discs, which withstand only two sets of pads, do not differ in endurance. There are no complaints about other chassis details. The shock absorbers are surprisingly durable. The bearings of the front hubs can face thousands to a hundred, but this is normal. The rear suspension of front -wheel drive machines is extremely simple and completely trouble -free. A more complicated kvattro double -wrapping requires attention more often, although it is also enough hard. In addition, unlike the front suspension, not the levers in the collection change here, but only the silent blocks.
    
What is the price
Replacing brake hoses (2 pcs.) $ 130
Replacing hydraulic power hoses (2 pcs.) $ 270
Replacement of the pumping pump $ 490

At the release machines, until mid -1998, the front stabilizer racks and aluminum steering tips, which were barely enough for 20,000 km, caused rustles. The upper rear springs pillows can tap up to 2000 years of production. If on the car brought from Europe there are still details of the old -style, once change them to new ones and forget them. It is not expensive.
 
The brakes are all right too. Abs sensors are reliable. Salt from salt does not wedge. Only rear brake hoses require attention, which after four years or 100,000 km usually begin to get wet in the places of fastening to calipers. By the same time, high -pressure and return rudders can flow hoses. But on the hoses you will not go bankrupt either.
 
Buy?
As you were convinced, even a used Audi-A6 is addressed to a provided person who can satisfy his considerable requests. Of course, no one forces you to use the services of a branded technical center. If you are served in an independent workshop specializing in Volkswagen and Audi, and where it is justified, use non -original spare parts, the costs given here can be reduced one and a half times. But cheap in the A6 content will still not. Like any initially expensive car.
 
If such a statement of the question suits you, you can begin to look closely. When in Moscow alone, 5070 photo renovations on the sale of used A6 are released weekly, the anarchy of prices is inevitable. One distiller puts a three -year -old V6 2.4 liter from Germany and Tipronika for $ 18,500 with a trade. Another as a similar car asks $ 23,000 and not a cent ... so that the six 1999 with such a motor cost $ 18,500, it must either go through a serious body repair in the Baltic states, or to the declared run of 70,000 km should be added twice another by 70,000 km. If you want to get a good three -year -old car from Europe with real mileage up to 100,000 km, prices, depending on the gearbox, drive and configuration, should look like this:
 
1.8 tons and 1.9 tdi $ 19,00022,000
V6 2.4 and V6 2.5TDI $ 21,00024,000
V6 2.8 $ 24,00027,000
V6 2.7-Biturbo $ 29,00031,000
V8 4.2 $ 34,00037,000
 
Recently, used cars from Germany began to carry official Audi dealers. They try to take machines with moderate mileage from the local officials and really perform not only cosmetic, but also technical pre -sale. You look at one car replaced by some pendants levers, the other brake discs, the third also has a timing belt. True, there are about $ 10002,000 more expensive cars than in the market. But guarantees should cost something.
 
Alexander Konov, photo of Alexander Sadovnikov
 
 

Source: Magazine "Limousine" [10/02]