Buying a leggy Audi A6 3.0 TDi - false economy?

Buying a leggy Audi A6 3.0 TDi - false economy?

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youngsyr

Original Poster:

14,742 posts

191 months

Thursday 29th March 2018
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Hi all, I expect to be driving around 10,000 miles next year in our family car, mainly around town, so the current 5.2L S6 doesn't really make much financial sense.

With that in mind, I was looking to replace with a 3.0 TDi and saw you can pick up older (10 years), leggy examples (150k+ miles) for very little money (£4k-£5k).

My concern is, that I've never run either a diesel or very high mileage Audi before, so am I saving a few quid up front only to be met by massive bills down the line?

Can anyone give me a rough idea of what kind of additional maintenance (in addition to the routine) such a car might need and perhaps an idea of costs?

Thanks for any help offered.smile

Dr G

15,159 posts

241 months

Friday 30th March 2018
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Whilst C6 A6s are tough buggers we're talking about the sort of age where 'old car' stuff creeps in. The facelift car (09 on) is probably the safest bet, though with some of the early gremlins already worked through.

Specific to that car:

DPF doesn't last forever (although I've seen plenty go way higher than 150k without issue)
EGR doesn't last for ever (100-150k is usually their window)
Inlet manifold flaps (expensive new but repairable and if yours are badly worn refurbished ones aren't expensive)
Electrical gremlins (relating to MMI/Nav)

More generally:
Suspension wear - 150 is the sort of mileage where you can expect bushes, bearings, dampers to be near the end of their useful life. Even if your MOT man doesn't tell you to replace them they're going to be feeling a bit soft and baggy.

Buy a car that's been loved and hold in mind that there will be some wear related maintenance and you'll be laughing. By one that's been owned by a skinflint and it'll cost more to bring up to a decent standard than a better one would have been anyway.

We've a fair few customers who've owned C6s for years and have no need/desire to change them. The relatively small amount of money a good one needs on maintenance is still a lot less than the depreciation on a new one would cost.

thebraketester

14,192 posts

137 months

Friday 30th March 2018
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3.0tdi isn’t the most economical of engines. I would expect sub 30mpg on shorter stop start journeys.

Evanivitch

19,808 posts

121 months

Friday 30th March 2018
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A 3.0TDi is the last thing you want for 10kpa around town.

blueg33

35,590 posts

223 months

Friday 30th March 2018
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Evanivitch said:
A 3.0TDi is the last thing you want for 10kpa around town.
I agree. Terrible mpg round town and when cold, up to 40mpg on motorway. Mine averaged 36mpg.

Look out for knocking drop links, corroded contacts in rear lights, check all functions if the mmi.

I put 118k miles on my car from new with virtually no issues. Traded it in for £6500


Dr G

15,159 posts

241 months

Friday 30th March 2018
quotequote all
I missed the 'around town' line!

There isn't a fundamental problem with that but as already mentioned, short urban journeys in a big, heavy, powerful car will yield mid 20s on juice. Short journeys will shorten the life of some components also.

Big diesels are really best at covering miles.

Dr G

15,159 posts

241 months

Friday 30th March 2018
quotequote all

youngsyr

Original Poster:

14,742 posts

191 months

Friday 30th March 2018
quotequote all
Evanivitch said:
A 3.0TDi is the last thing you want for 10kpa around town.
Err, try a 5.2L V10. low single digits on premium fuel around town. ;-)

youngsyr

Original Poster:

14,742 posts

191 months

Friday 30th March 2018
quotequote all
Dr G said:
Thanks for this and your advice above, but the car in the link is double the price of late 08 3.0 Tdi's and is only 1 year newer, still over 100k miles and is petrol, I'm confused as to why that's a better option?!

Also, I wondered if you could clear up an equipment query I have - I believe that late 07 / early 08 3.0 TDi's have DPFs, but I'm also told that the code 7GN in the logbook means there is no DPF fitted.

The car I'm looking at is a September 2008 3.0 TDI A6 LeMans and has the code 7GN - so, does it have a DPF or not?! confused

Evanivitch

19,808 posts

121 months

Saturday 31st March 2018
quotequote all
youngsyr said:
Err, try a 5.2L V10. low single digits on premium fuel around town. ;-)
At least you can make vroom vroom noises at the traffic lights with a V10.

TTmonkey

20,911 posts

246 months

Saturday 31st March 2018
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Mines a 2011 with 140k, does 37mpg but I rarely use it 'around town'.

No major m chanical isssues but the MMI doesn't produce any sound somis effectively useless, looking at 1400 to fix at an Audi garage. But it's a great car.

Depreciation is hard though.

youngsyr

Original Poster:

14,742 posts

191 months

Saturday 31st March 2018
quotequote all
TTmonkey said:
Mines a 2011 with 140k, does 37mpg but I rarely use it 'around town'.

No major m chanical isssues but the MMI doesn't produce any sound somis effectively useless, looking at 1400 to fix at an Audi garage. But it's a great car.

Depreciation is hard though.
Thanks, the car is less than £5k, so that's the most I can lose on it depreciation wise, which is part of the reason for buying it. A newer and less leggy high spec A6 will lose that in 3 years and 40 odd thousand miles anyway and the leggy one will still have some value at that point.

Your MMI sounds like the infamous blocked rear washer jet problem, is that what Audi diagnosed?

I bet you can get it fixed for a lot less than £1,400 too.

TTmonkey

20,911 posts

246 months

Saturday 31st March 2018
quotequote all
youngsyr said:
TTmonkey said:
Mines a 2011 with 140k, does 37mpg but I rarely use it 'around town'.

No major m chanical isssues but the MMI doesn't produce any sound somis effectively useless, looking at 1400 to fix at an Audi garage. But it's a great car.

Depreciation is hard though.
Thanks, the car is less than £5k, so that's the most I can lose on it depreciation wise, which is part of the reason for buying it. A newer and less leggy high spec A6 will lose that in 3 years and 40 odd thousand miles anyway and the leggy one will still have some value at that point.

Your MMI sounds like the infamous blocked rear washer jet problem, is that what Audi diagnosed?

I bet you can get it fixed for a lot less than £1,400 too.
There was no sign of water damage or contamination on the unit housed in the boot beneath the rear wash supply, but it was Changed anyway. I think there were several issues, and the next suspect is the DVD unit in the glove box. Problem is they are hard to find cheap, second hand, so still looking. No way spending £1400 on it. Not in one go anyway!

It's an extremely comfortable (even with s-line) car, very practicable, and very sure footed car. Love the torque and the laziness of driving. With the auto and Quattro, it just took the recent snows with ease, never spun its wheels even going places which had not seen any grit with surefootedness.

I think I'll keep it now I've suffered the horrid depreciation, until it throws a real expensive problem. Just need to get the MMI working, currently use a portable blue tooth speaker for entertainment!!!! hehe

blueg33

35,590 posts

223 months

Saturday 31st March 2018
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On mine it was the Bluetooth unit that stuffed the mmi up, twice. Both fixed under warranty though. After the second fix it was fine.

Dr G

15,159 posts

241 months

Saturday 31st March 2018
quotequote all
Urban use won't break a diesel but it isn't the best for them and will shorten the life of certain components; most notably DPF and EGR. The urban economy of cars like this is nothing to write home about.

I'm not familiar with that option code but if you send me the reg/chassis I'll punch it in and see what I can see.

steve2

1,771 posts

217 months

Saturday 31st March 2018
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Mine is a 57 plate and I have the code 7GN and no dpf which is good news for me as I tend to do short runs to work, the only thing wrong with mine is the swirl flaps problem which I’m hoping I can get rid off shortly with a couple of new bits

TTmonkey

20,911 posts

246 months

Saturday 31st March 2018
quotequote all
blueg33 said:
On mine it was the Bluetooth unit that stuffed the mmi up, twice. Both fixed under warranty though. After the second fix it was fine.
What did the failure look like on yours? Mine all works apart from no sound comes out!!!!

blueg33

35,590 posts

223 months

Saturday 31st March 2018
quotequote all
TTmonkey said:
blueg33 said:
On mine it was the Bluetooth unit that stuffed the mmi up, twice. Both fixed under warranty though. After the second fix it was fine.
What did the failure look like on yours? Mine all works apart from no sound comes out!!!!
No sound, cd wouldn’t play, phone didn’t work

TTmonkey

20,911 posts

246 months

Saturday 31st March 2018
quotequote all
blueg33 said:
TTmonkey said:
blueg33 said:
On mine it was the Bluetooth unit that stuffed the mmi up, twice. Both fixed under warranty though. After the second fix it was fine.
What did the failure look like on yours? Mine all works apart from no sound comes out!!!!
No sound, cd wouldn’t play, phone didn’t work
My cd and phone work, apart from no sound from either. Satnav works too.

Tom P

4 posts

71 months

Monday 2nd April 2018
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Dr G said:
Hi

I noticed this one just looking around as I also might be replacing my aging C5 to something newer and possibly not a diesel anymore. Not familiar with this engine which may be reliable but I suspect it would not return more than say 25mpg on average if that, would this be FSI or TFSI as stated?
Looks a cracking motor...