My 2005 A6 3.2 Quattro

[AudiSport]

After much debate, and a few months out of Audis, I finally decided to pull the trigger on this 2005 A6 3.2 Quattro. It is so nice to hear a petrol engine again after the E60 520d I've been driving. I really enjoyed the feel of the 520d, although the gearbox was it's downfall and with the 8-mile commute to work and back - petrol made more sense!

So, here it is;






Heres the options list, although I have no idea what the majority of them are?
E4J = "S-line"
0GG = Emission standard EU4
4UF = Drivers and front passenger air bag with front passenger air bag deactivation
6XL = Exterior mirrors: with memory function, automatically dimming, electrically foldable/adjustable/heated
5SJ = Left exterior mirror: convex
6TS = Right exterior mirror: aspherical, large viewing field
1KW = Disc brakes, rear
J1U = Battery 450 A (95 Ah)
1ZL = Disc brakes, front
1BV = Sports suspension/shock absorption
3FE = Electric slide/tilt sunroof with sun screen/sunblind
5TG = Decorative aluminum inserts, dulling
7X4 = Park distance control, front and rear
F0A = No special purpose vehicle, standard equipment
8GV = Alternator 180 A
0G7 = Tiptronic
0YK = Weight range 10 installation control only, no requirement forecast
0JJ = Weight category front axle weight range 9
T14 = 6-cylinder gasoline engine 3.2 L Unit 06E.A (ALU)
3NZ = Rear seat bench unsplit, backrest split folding
8EC = Bi-functional headlight with gas discharge lamp, for driving on the left
U1B = Instrument insert with mph speedometer, clock, tachometer and trip odometer
X2B = National sales program Great Britain
1N3 = Speed-related variable steering assist (Servotronic)
2FQ = Leather trimmed multi-function sports steering wheel w/ Tiptronic
8Q3 = Automatic headlight-range adjustment dynamic (self-adjusting while driving)
9Q4 = Multi-function display/on-board computerwith check control
8Z5 = Not hot country
D2G = 6-cyl. gasoline eng. 3.2 L/188 kW (24V) FSI, homogeneous base engine is T14
7Q2 = Navigation system with color screen
CH9 = Alloy wheels 8J x 18
7K0 = Without tire pressure warning light
4X4 = Side air bag, front and rear with curtain air bag
2K1 = Reinforced bumpers
3L4 = Electric seat adjustment for both front seats, drivers seat with memory system
4KC = Side and rear windows in heat-insulatingglass
3Y0 = Without roll-up sun screen
4K2 = Radio remote controlled central locking "SZV"
5D7 = Carrier frequency 868 MHz without panic button
1SA = Without additional front underbody guard
Q1D = Sports front seats
4GP = Windshield in heat-insulating glass withsunshield and viewing window for vehicleidentification number


The car has covered 65k miles, and feels very tight. Two owners, and the majority of the history is Audi main dealer. Not sure if that is good or bad : /
More importantly, what an engine! It is so SO smooth, yet when you put your foot down it really comes to life! I have been achieving 30mpg on medium runs, although I have no doubt this will be close to 16 / 18 on my short drive to work. I changed the alloys from the original 18s as I love the 19'' RS4s.

I do however have a few questions, which I would love your input on;
1. From the above options, do I have Bluetooth? I can't connect my iPhone, and just see 'Telephone is not installed'?
2. If I do not have Bluetooth connectivity, what is my best option? OEM retro-fit or Parrat?
3. My Parking sensors don't work, although the parking sensor button flashes when parking - is this going to be a faulty sensor, or an expensive unit under the passenger seat?
4. My front cigarette lighter doesn't work, where should I look first?

5. Are there any other things I should check/do - gearbox oil?
6. Milltek? Bit pricy for me, although I fear the drone noise associated with custom exhausts after a bad experience with one years ago on a Calibra!
7. I need four tyres soon, any recommendations? Vredestein?
8. I would like to tint the rear half windows, although keep it OEM looking. What density / percentage should I ask for?

No need to answer all the questions, just chip in where you can : )

Thank you all in advance!

[AudiSport]

Maracus said:

Nice choice!

I can answer some of your questions:

I don't think you have bluetooth. Can't help on a recommendation, sorry.

As for the 'box oil, it's a costly oil change. May be worth keeping a slush fund and checking it doesn't leak. Mine was on 76K when i sold it. I had no issues with it at all.

For the parking sensor fault, if you select reverse and listen for them clicking. The one that isn't clicking is the knackered one. (This was the case with my 2008 A6).

I had Kumhos on my 3.0TDI, and found them pretty good if you don't want to spend top dollar on the A* brands.

Check the rear wiper works along with the washer jet. If the fluid isn't coming out of the jet then it could be leaking into the boot.

Thanks for the info / Kumhos are £118 fitted on Asdas website right now - seem great value, and good reviews online too. Are they okay road noise wise ?

Rear wiper and washer yet works, although the wiper is a little floppy, and seems to drop from the correct finish position.

[AudiSport]

Dr G said:

That's a really well specified car, the options are (from your list):

Dimming/folding/memory mirrors
Parking system Plus
Visibility pack (Xenons and LED tail lights)
Electric seats with driver's memory
DVD Nav
Sunroof

If that's from the sticker in the service book they tend to miss a lot off.

For bluetooth retrofit either the Audi gear or Kufatec equivalent; the on dash things look so out of keeping and cheap in an A6 which has a lovely cabin.

Thanks DrG! Yes, the spec came from the sticker in the service book. To be honest I would have preferred a black, dark grey or dark blue one, but the spec and petrol 3.2 won me over, and I decided I could learn to love the silver. There just doesn't seem to be many of this engine about, so I snapped this one up. It has a lot of chrome, including the door handles - which I'm un-decided on. May look into getting these bits wrapped in black. What do you think?

What's involved in fitting Kufatec kit? Do I have the mic / speakers in place already?

[AudiSport]

Maracus said:

I found the Kumhos fine for road noise, no worse than most. £118 is a good price!

Great, I'll be giving them a go in a month or two.

[AudiSport]

Dr G said:

You appear to have genuine 19" Le Mans wheels also (first available late 2006).

I bought the Genuine Le Mans alloys on TheBay as I love the look of them compared to the 18'' RS6 alloys. I actually bought them before I had collected the car! Couldn't wait to get them fitted the following day after picking up the car;




All subjective, but I think they transform the car.
Please PM me if anyone is interested in a full set of five 18'' RS6 alloys in perfect condition with nearly new tyres.

[AudiSport]

Dr G said:

Kufatec:
http://www.hazzydayz.com/audi-fiscon-bluetooth-han...

Audi:
http://www.hazzydayz.com/mmi-2g-bluetooth-handsfre...

Vinyl wrapping the shiny bits is fiddly and easily marked/damaged. If you're looking to make a silver car appear more aggressive/assertive try the satin grey finish from a late Audi on the wheels. The contrasting colour against the body really lifts and freshens the appearance.

Thanks for the links, and your advice on a more aggressive look - your spot on with your perception of my reasons. The Le Mans alloys are in good condition, so I'll wait until they need a referb - great idea through. I think the main problem is the chrome door handles! Could I get them painted, or would I be better off finding someone breaking a Silver A6?

[AudiSport]

Pablo16v said:

Nice purchase. I've also just bought a 2005 3.2 A6 Avant but non-quattro and without the sunroof, but the rest of the specs are similar. 63K miles on the clock and a comprehensive service history. Like you I need to find a way of pairing my phone.

The 3.2 engine is a real peach and the noise it makes is fantastic.

ETA: The option codes show mine originally came with 19" wheels, not sure which type though, but it currently has 18" after-market C6 RS6 replicas which I guess might've been an attempt to improve the ride quality. They suit the car though so I'm keeping them on for the time being.

Edited by Pablo16v on Wednesday 18th March 12:47

Edited by Pablo16v on Wednesday 18th March 12:50

Yes, the engine is wonderful. It is never going to be the quickest, but the immediate power, smooth delivery and progress acceleration is perfect for my driving style - and short journeys.

Any photos?

[AudiSport]

Dr G said:

Probably could be re-painted. Get a secondhand set of a breaker and have them all painted so you can do a quick swap.

Potatoshop of wheels and optics:



If you squint the dark/light contrast looks good I think.

Ah thanks for doing that! Well after a week or so with the car the silver has really grown on me. And, the chrome is bothering me less. I think for now I'm going to do nothing.

Although.... I am tempted to pop into my local exhaust specialist to enquire about some new back boxes to help me hear a little more of that engine. Is Milltek the only way forward, or is it just about releasing a bit more sound?

[AudiSport]

Andy JB said:

I prefer the original RS wheels you had & would be much easier to keep clean. My BBS split rim 19" o/e multispoke wheels are a real pain to clean.

Also I would refrain from doing colour changes to the car - silver suits it, I had a C5 in silver & was much nicer than my Phantom Black C6 - but its all subjective.

Its a slippery slope modifying a classy car.....

I hear you about the modifying, I'm very much in favour of the OEM look, and will hold fire for the minute.

However, how easy the alloys are to clean is secondary to the looks, for now. I'm still only in my 30s! ; )

[AudiSport]

bigkeeko said:

Lovely car and nice choice of motor.

A nice stainless exhaust will make it something to love even more.

Will I just need to change the back boxes? I fear that honorific drone noise that you get from bad set-ups..

[AudiSport]

Yes, I've been amazed at the discounts available for tyres online!

[AudiSport]

Have noticed a slight problem since I've had the car... If the car is warm, and I stop for 15-30minutes to grab some shopping etc, when I go to start it up it takes to attempts. It will often fire up and die on the first turn of the key. Second time it always fires up straight away. Any ideas?

[AudiSport]

^ Looks great! I'm amazed they build this model/engine in non Quattro format. I'm sure that will be interesting in the wet!

[AudiSport]

Well the car was in the garage to get a few things sorted this week, parking sensors, faulty cigarette lighter and a rattle in the door. All now sorted, although they couldnt find any issues or faults regarding the intermittent warm start issue. Naturally, they couldn't recreate the problem either!

I did enquire about a gearbox oil change too, and they quoted me over £400! When is the recommended interval to do this? Car has currently covered 66,000 miles.

[AudiSport]

Thanks guys, I agree with the above, it certainly makes sense to change the gearbox oil, rather than the gearbox internals!

[AudiSport]

Pablo16v said:

It’s actually not too bad in that respect. The power delivery is quite progressive so there isn’t any drama in wet conditions, or in the snow we had earlier in the week, although the front Uniroyal Rainsports are brand new so that probably helps.

The service intervals for auto boxes is highlighted in the service booklet. I know the Multitronic is every 40k but I can’t remember if the Tiptronic is the same. £400 is very high though as I just had mine done for £197 at a local Audi specialist and Audi have fixed prices on their website. £170 for both auto boxes.

https://www.audi.co.uk/content/audi/owners-area/se...

I've just called Poole Audi and they 'know' nothing of a fixed price for the Tiptronic box. And, have quoted me £523 to change the gearbox oil, filter and sump plug (inc 8lt of oil). Ouch!

[AudiSport]

Whatever the warm-start issue was, it has stopped now... Perhaps the car just needed some regular use!

All other bits fixed too, just a Parrot visor kit to buy as I can't bring myself to part with just shy of £500 to have BT fitted. Still loving the car, and it is certainly everything (and more) I had hoped it would be. I've also pulled the trigger on some Conti Sports that came up very cheap, so I'll be having them fitted next week.

[AudiSport]

Well some 12-months on I thought I would give a little update for anyone considering buying one of these. There were a few things that needed to be put right when I bought the car, such as a faulty parking sensor and rear wiper motor. However the garage I bought the car from picked up the bill - which was very nice of them! So, I was just left to put a set of tyres on all four corners after changing the alloys.

Initially the car felt very big, however within a few days I had adjusted to the size of the car, and it soon wrapped around my peripheral vision. I was also worried about those quick trips into town on a saturday, and if I would ever get a roadside parking space big enough... Which again proved not to be an issue at all. Yes the car is long, but I've never not been able to park the thing in town, or a multi-story. So there have actually been no negatives to the size of the car. Just positives! Long family weekends away, road trips and family outings - all made so much easier and more comfortable due to the space and great layout of the interior. And the boot.. the boot is enormous, and with the rear seats down there is a huge amount of usable space for moving furniture, dump trips and building materials. Which is ideal when refurbishing your house!

I was initially attracted to the car because of the spec, and to be honest I didn't realise just how good it was until after I had bought it. Things that have made a real difference to my experience are the auto wipers, auto lights, digital radio, electric seats and the sunroof. I would have liked heated front seats and Bluetooth - but I was prepared to sacrifice these. Although I am still looking into some kind of BT retrofit. Overall it still feels modern, the satnav system is very good, the multi-fiction steering wheel works really well and the centre console navigation is easy to use and quick to get the hang of.

Petrol vs diesel was of course a big debate in my mind too. Certainly as I was coming from a 520d that was returning a regular 45mpg. While looking for my A6, I was also looking at 530d and 535d's. In truth I liked the idea of performance and economy. However due to my short journeys I was concerned about dpf and turbo failure - which we have experienced before on our BMW X5 3.0d. So I decided to go petrol on the basis that a £1500 turbo replacement bill would rule out any saving in fuel over the first 12-months and 10k miles. Actually, the A6 has regally returned 22/25mpg on my short run to work, and 35mpg on extended journeys - which is really good considering the size and performance of the car.

So overal, it has exceeded my expectations in every area. It cost less that £300 per year to tax, returns 30+ mpg on a run and has cost nothing in the last 12-months. It also passed it's MOT yesterday with no issues at all. The performance is great, the engine note is wonderful and the quattro system really adds to the overall driving experience. Particularly when you want/need to exit a junction quickly in the wet without any fuss or drama!

Here's a few images following a recent clean;















All in all, a lot of car for the money, and I would really recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, practical car.

[AudiSport]

Well I thought I would conclude this post after selling the car a few months ago. During the two years of owning the car it was just perfect, never breaking down or suffering any major issues. I used it for lots of short runs to work, into town and long weekend breaks with the family. At the weekend it would also be used to transport building materials for our current house project, yet a £15 car wash was always enough to make it look great again. And, the shape never felt dated - the car has aged well.

When I advertised the car on online I received a lot of calls, and sold it within weeks. And, for more than I paid for it two years earlier. I only sold it as I fancied a change, and as I do a few more miles now I went for a diesel. So keep an eye in this section for my new addition.

Overal, a brilliant car. Good looks, performance, running costs and drive. If your considering one, go for it!

Edited by AudiSport on Thursday 6th July 21:27

[AudiSport]

I've read that the 4.2 V8 systems will fit, but I'm not sure how much adjustment will be required.