New Family Car - Audi S6 V10 Content
Discussion
As some may have seen in my other readers ride thread - I had decided to sell my Mazda 6 MPS. I needed something with more space (ideally an estate) and something that could tow a caravan so we could take the kids on more holidays (I have previously borrowed my parents car for this which was less than ideal).
She sold straight away to my tuner who had been looking for another one. Here she is parked up at the new owners;
For anyone he didnt read my thread on it - it ended up at around 400bhp with a fully forged engine, Larger Turbo + all the stuff that goes with that, full mount/bracing upgrade, bilstein suspension etc etc. Needless to say - it was a fun car but was somewhat less kind on the NVH side of things!
So, for the new car I decided on two main criteria - It had to be an estate and it had to have more than 4 cylinders. Due to my annual mileage being so low (8-10k) I have the luxury of not having to look at diesel lumps.
Budget was around 10-12k. I initially looked at a variety of different things including Range Rovers and E55 AMG's. I decided I didn't want to consider the Range Rovers just yet due to the potentially horrific bills. I also had to rule out the E55 AMG's as they wern't type approved (for towing). Unfortunately looking at type approval ruled out a lot of the more interesting cars - No AMG, M or RS models
I also ruled out the E90 3 series as they were a tad too small for what I was after.
I have always liked the A6 Avants and have a bit of a soft spot for rather normal looking cars with stupid engines in them. Enter the V10 S6. I did a limited amount of research so as not to put myself off, however from what I did read, coking issues aside and they tend to be pretty solid (gearboxes also need servicing)
These are very few and far between so seeing some was a bit of a challenge. In the end I found a couple of saloons locally that I drove to get a feel for wether or not I would even be interested (they are a bit marmite). Happy with what I found the hunt for an Avant began.
As much as I like cream/beige leather my wife is not a fan. With two young kids it also may not be the best choice :lol:
These are generally pretty well specced but my must haves were heated memory seats, DAB and BOSE. Nice to have's were Parking, Keyless, Phone Prep.
Ended up finding an example in budget in what I think is a great colour combo, Daytona grey over black. It came with all my must have's plus rear parking, cruise, phone prep, rear heated seats, factory privacy glass and heated steering wheel (this is a marvellous thing!). The two options i missed out on was keyless and front parking. Condition wise - its a one owner from new car with full history. Just been serviced and MOT'd, full alloy wheel refurb and very good bodywork with no parking dents etc.
Also has a full set of Audi Approved Pirelli Pzero tyres and new discs/pads. The car is on just over 80k. The test drive revealed that it pulled very well and cleanly throughout the rev range and was definitely the best performing one I had driven.
Initial impressions;
Its a completely different car to the MPS and its interesting considering they are both 10 years old. The interior on the Audi is leagues ahead and really does feel very solid with little to no squeaks or rattles. The seats are superb and its a lovely place to spend time. Its also way quieter and more relaxed on longer journeys and generally feels much less "stressed". The engine makes a glorious noise and is deceptively quick. It's definately slower than the mazda - taking around a second longer to complete the 60 - 100 dash - but it just does it so effortlessly in comparison. The steering is also not quite as direct/connected as the Mazda's but it suits the more laid back nature of this car
I havent had a chance to really push the handling side of things but for a big heavy car it has impressed me so far with it finding tons of grip. I'm currently finding the gearbox a great companion to the engine and it really suits cruising around. You can put it into manual and whilst its slower to respond than newer auto's I don't find it an issue - you can leave it in 3rd or 4th and just use the engines flexibility and low down torque to make for great progress. I havent found myself using the sport mode too often - its very sensitive on take off. I find i'm usually in manual mode or Drive. The ride can be a little harsh on less than perfect roads but its not something thats bothered me so far, time will tell.
Plans for it - service the gearbox! then get a towbar fitted along with updating my thule roofrack fittings and getting an iphone adapter for some more music options. Other than that it will be left well alone....... except maybe an exhaust
She sold straight away to my tuner who had been looking for another one. Here she is parked up at the new owners;
For anyone he didnt read my thread on it - it ended up at around 400bhp with a fully forged engine, Larger Turbo + all the stuff that goes with that, full mount/bracing upgrade, bilstein suspension etc etc. Needless to say - it was a fun car but was somewhat less kind on the NVH side of things!
So, for the new car I decided on two main criteria - It had to be an estate and it had to have more than 4 cylinders. Due to my annual mileage being so low (8-10k) I have the luxury of not having to look at diesel lumps.
Budget was around 10-12k. I initially looked at a variety of different things including Range Rovers and E55 AMG's. I decided I didn't want to consider the Range Rovers just yet due to the potentially horrific bills. I also had to rule out the E55 AMG's as they wern't type approved (for towing). Unfortunately looking at type approval ruled out a lot of the more interesting cars - No AMG, M or RS models
I also ruled out the E90 3 series as they were a tad too small for what I was after.I have always liked the A6 Avants and have a bit of a soft spot for rather normal looking cars with stupid engines in them. Enter the V10 S6. I did a limited amount of research so as not to put myself off, however from what I did read, coking issues aside and they tend to be pretty solid (gearboxes also need servicing)
These are very few and far between so seeing some was a bit of a challenge. In the end I found a couple of saloons locally that I drove to get a feel for wether or not I would even be interested (they are a bit marmite). Happy with what I found the hunt for an Avant began.
As much as I like cream/beige leather my wife is not a fan. With two young kids it also may not be the best choice :lol:
These are generally pretty well specced but my must haves were heated memory seats, DAB and BOSE. Nice to have's were Parking, Keyless, Phone Prep.
Ended up finding an example in budget in what I think is a great colour combo, Daytona grey over black. It came with all my must have's plus rear parking, cruise, phone prep, rear heated seats, factory privacy glass and heated steering wheel (this is a marvellous thing!). The two options i missed out on was keyless and front parking. Condition wise - its a one owner from new car with full history. Just been serviced and MOT'd, full alloy wheel refurb and very good bodywork with no parking dents etc.
Also has a full set of Audi Approved Pirelli Pzero tyres and new discs/pads. The car is on just over 80k. The test drive revealed that it pulled very well and cleanly throughout the rev range and was definitely the best performing one I had driven.
Initial impressions;
Its a completely different car to the MPS and its interesting considering they are both 10 years old. The interior on the Audi is leagues ahead and really does feel very solid with little to no squeaks or rattles. The seats are superb and its a lovely place to spend time. Its also way quieter and more relaxed on longer journeys and generally feels much less "stressed". The engine makes a glorious noise and is deceptively quick. It's definately slower than the mazda - taking around a second longer to complete the 60 - 100 dash - but it just does it so effortlessly in comparison. The steering is also not quite as direct/connected as the Mazda's but it suits the more laid back nature of this car
I havent had a chance to really push the handling side of things but for a big heavy car it has impressed me so far with it finding tons of grip. I'm currently finding the gearbox a great companion to the engine and it really suits cruising around. You can put it into manual and whilst its slower to respond than newer auto's I don't find it an issue - you can leave it in 3rd or 4th and just use the engines flexibility and low down torque to make for great progress. I havent found myself using the sport mode too often - its very sensitive on take off. I find i'm usually in manual mode or Drive. The ride can be a little harsh on less than perfect roads but its not something thats bothered me so far, time will tell.
Plans for it - service the gearbox! then get a towbar fitted along with updating my thule roofrack fittings and getting an iphone adapter for some more music options. Other than that it will be left well alone....... except maybe an exhaust
Edited by a7x88 on Friday 22 September 13:55
Edited by a7x88 on Monday 6th December 08:01
So this was my drive to work, I didnt go over 2000rpm;
Bit of an unfair example here as it a 2mile 10 minute drive.
We have just got back from the christchurch way in the new forest (I live in reading) and fully loaded up making good progress up the M3 I we got 23mpg. Around town in stop/start traffic i'm lucky to see high teens. Overall average is currently 19mpg
Bit of an unfair example here as it a 2mile 10 minute drive.
We have just got back from the christchurch way in the new forest (I live in reading) and fully loaded up making good progress up the M3 I we got 23mpg. Around town in stop/start traffic i'm lucky to see high teens. Overall average is currently 19mpg
V5 shows a maximum unbraked towing weight if 750kgs and a maximum braked towing weight of 2100kgs. Considering the caravan is 1300kg ish loaded it should be more than fine ??
Some crude sums shows that it would have around 130bhp/tonne towing a loaded caravan - about the same as a 320d!
Some crude sums shows that it would have around 130bhp/tonne towing a loaded caravan - about the same as a 320d!
Douglas Quaid said:
How much?
A smidge under 12 which I thought acceptable for the mileage/condition.Thanks for all the comments! Will keep this updated with running costs and hope it doesn’t ruin me! So far it’s made a month!
Forgot to add - it also has the electronic reach/take adjustment which works with the memory key. So handy, especially when I share it with my wife who likes the most uncomfortable driving position known to man! The convenience entry where the wheel moves up and out of the way is a bit of a gimmick though.
Most people are probably bored of stuff like this but I’ve never had so many gadgets on a car!
Edited by a7x88 on Wednesday 20th September 19:01
r129sl said:
Delete the badges, strip the window tints and fit concealed exhaust outlets and you have the perfect all purpose car.
I keep flipping between wanting to remove the badges and keeping them. I occasionally also fancy fitting 2.0tdi badges at the rear 😂I’ve never been a fan of dark tints, but since having it the baby seems to sleep for longer on journeys so they will stay for now (plus I don’t know if it Is something I can just peel off like aftermarket tint?)
tomsugden said:
If you live in Reading and ever need anything doing to it, talk to Tim at the Phirm. He's a proper enthusiast and his work is exceptional
http://www.thephirm.co.uk/
Thanks for the recommendation - been looking for a reliable local garage for a whilehttp://www.thephirm.co.uk/
1781cc said:
Nice car, but at your mileage I'd seriously recommend getting the carbon clean, flaps delete and remap.
My S8 went in with 74K and made 360bhp on the dyno, clean, flaps and remap later... 480bhp on the dyno - graphs and photos on my thread.
If you scour eBay, second hand miltek non-red systems come up for £500 occasionally, sounds sexy as hell
The difference is night and day, and well with the outlay believe me. Economy is also better by 2mpg as well
Do you mind me asking where you had the work done and the cost? I planned to get the gearbox serviced then to look at the carbon cleanMy S8 went in with 74K and made 360bhp on the dyno, clean, flaps and remap later... 480bhp on the dyno - graphs and photos on my thread.
If you scour eBay, second hand miltek non-red systems come up for £500 occasionally, sounds sexy as hell
The difference is night and day, and well with the outlay believe me. Economy is also better by 2mpg as well
IforB said:
Good work. Did you buy this one from Velvis?
If so, I had a look at it a little while ago, but I just couldn't quite summon up the required courage, so well done you!
I did yes. Really nice people to deal with and clearly car enthusiasts so it was definitely one of the better buying experiences!If so, I had a look at it a little while ago, but I just couldn't quite summon up the required courage, so well done you!
I don’t know if it’s summoning up courage or just blind naevity!
rtz62 said:
snip
Fortunately that badge is under the bonnet, exterior wise it has the V10 logo on the wing and the S6 badges on the back/front grill. Definitely not as discreet as it could be though. RE the gearbox - it’s the ZF 6 speed used in loads of stuff. As long as it’s serviced there are no major issues..... unlike the CVT style autos slung in most of the other C6’sThanks for all the comments 
On the Lamborghini engine... unfortunately from what I understand there is very little shared with the lambo engine at the time. It’s actually more closely related to the Audi V8. Compared to the Lambo it’s stroked and bored but also a different angle (90 I think instead of 80 something).
However Lamborghini did end up using this/Audi’s design for their later V10’s so there is some lineage there. Again none of this is gospel, just what I’ve read from various places.
Re the wheels - they are standard on the S6 and were only available to the S6 I believe
@kungfupanda - they look lovely! Glad to hear you enjoyed them and the running hasn’t put you off another
@405dogvan - I didn’t have it checked over by anyone (except the wife!) however I have spoken to the independent who looked after it for the passed 6/7 years. He said it never had any issues during the time he looked after it (aside from a weeping water pump which was changed ~8 months ago) and it was religiously maintained. The owner only traded it in as he ordered a new replacement. I’m sure time will tell! But currently I’m less worried about it than I was the MPS
On the Lamborghini engine... unfortunately from what I understand there is very little shared with the lambo engine at the time. It’s actually more closely related to the Audi V8. Compared to the Lambo it’s stroked and bored but also a different angle (90 I think instead of 80 something).
However Lamborghini did end up using this/Audi’s design for their later V10’s so there is some lineage there. Again none of this is gospel, just what I’ve read from various places.
Re the wheels - they are standard on the S6 and were only available to the S6 I believe
@kungfupanda - they look lovely! Glad to hear you enjoyed them and the running hasn’t put you off another
@405dogvan - I didn’t have it checked over by anyone (except the wife!) however I have spoken to the independent who looked after it for the passed 6/7 years. He said it never had any issues during the time he looked after it (aside from a weeping water pump which was changed ~8 months ago) and it was religiously maintained. The owner only traded it in as he ordered a new replacement. I’m sure time will tell! But currently I’m less worried about it than I was the MPS
Quick update.
Car has been going great and I'm really starting to enjoy the relaxed nature of it.
Expense wise it HAD been fine! Got an engine management light ping onto the dash last week. I scanned it with torque to reveal "intake manifold runner flap stuck in the closed position". Bugger.
Took it to The Phirm as recommended and they will be pulling the intake manifold off to confirm what's up. Best case it's just a circlip or something that's become unattached. Worst case new manifold time. Car is still "in warranty" with a certain aftermarket warranty company who are well known for being brown and sticky. They have already started making noises that if there is any carbon in the intake the warranty won't pay.... Optimistic I am not, however if it is a failed component I will certainly be fighting with them!
Only other thing I've noticed is that when it's cold/wet and making a full lock turn I seem to get grumbling/slight wheel hop from the front, so who knows what that could be!
Car has been going great and I'm really starting to enjoy the relaxed nature of it.
Expense wise it HAD been fine! Got an engine management light ping onto the dash last week. I scanned it with torque to reveal "intake manifold runner flap stuck in the closed position". Bugger.
Took it to The Phirm as recommended and they will be pulling the intake manifold off to confirm what's up. Best case it's just a circlip or something that's become unattached. Worst case new manifold time. Car is still "in warranty" with a certain aftermarket warranty company who are well known for being brown and sticky. They have already started making noises that if there is any carbon in the intake the warranty won't pay.... Optimistic I am not, however if it is a failed component I will certainly be fighting with them!
Only other thing I've noticed is that when it's cold/wet and making a full lock turn I seem to get grumbling/slight wheel hop from the front, so who knows what that could be!
Update on the EML - removing the inlet manifold and reseating everything revealed that the flap motor had also failed. Fortunately this meant it was a pretty straight forward claim through the warranty company who picked up cost of the repair - which was a very pleasant surprise!
Whilst the intake manifold was off I also had them do a full de carbon as the ports/valves were pretty badly coked up. Difference is night and day and it seems to have gained/restored a nice chunk of power!
The skipping is exaggerated in the cold weather so I'm going to get alignment checked to be on the safe side. I also suspect that as it's running slightly narrower tyres than recommended (255/19 Vs 265/19) that it may not be helping either.
Whilst the intake manifold was off I also had them do a full de carbon as the ports/valves were pretty badly coked up. Difference is night and day and it seems to have gained/restored a nice chunk of power!
The skipping is exaggerated in the cold weather so I'm going to get alignment checked to be on the safe side. I also suspect that as it's running slightly narrower tyres than recommended (255/19 Vs 265/19) that it may not be helping either.
Edited by a7x88 on Saturday 16th December 07:21
Edited by a7x88 on Saturday 16th December 07:22
Been a while since I updated. With the work above... The warranty ended up funding it all. I paid some extra to have the full carbon clean done while the manifold was off. It felt a lot more powerful when I got it back however unfortunately there was a smell of fuel that would just not go away, it was worse after a more spirited drive too. I took it back to the garage who spent a good while looking over it and concluded that it was a very very slight weep from one of the fuel lines they had removed...
Bad news was that it was the worst one to access so it basically meant doing the whole job again, as the manifold needed to come back off! It was the week before Xmas and I really need the car for a trip we had planned... Thankfully the Phirm went the extra mile and worked some late evenings to get it done ASAP. One of the owners leant me one of their cars so I could still get about too. I appreciate everyone makes mistakes and I was very impressed with how it was handled which is all I could ask for. Needless to say I have since been back for more work.
This time it was some preventative maintenance in the form of a gearbox service. Shifts seem much smoother now with the exception of first to second which always are a tad harsh compared to the rest especially when cold.
I've also got round to having the tow bar fitted, I used the westfalia centre in Bristol who gave me a great price for a detachable one with the dedicated and coded electrics. I also bought the rear diffuser with the pop out panel that comes with factory fitted tow options. No bumper cuts and everything being hidden don't ruin the rear end to much when the tow ball is removed.
Got a small break planned in the New forest at the end of this month so will update then with the towing MPG!
I also upgraded the MMI to the latest SW, installed 2017 maps and managed to pick an absolute bargain up off of eBay - genuine Audi music interface for £50 - they usually go for ~200. Added a Tune2Air Bluetooth adapter and I can now stream Spotify and control it via the MMI.
It's proving to be a great family car and it always puts a smile on my face so I think it will be staying for quite a while yet....
Bad news was that it was the worst one to access so it basically meant doing the whole job again, as the manifold needed to come back off! It was the week before Xmas and I really need the car for a trip we had planned... Thankfully the Phirm went the extra mile and worked some late evenings to get it done ASAP. One of the owners leant me one of their cars so I could still get about too. I appreciate everyone makes mistakes and I was very impressed with how it was handled which is all I could ask for. Needless to say I have since been back for more work.
This time it was some preventative maintenance in the form of a gearbox service. Shifts seem much smoother now with the exception of first to second which always are a tad harsh compared to the rest especially when cold.
I've also got round to having the tow bar fitted, I used the westfalia centre in Bristol who gave me a great price for a detachable one with the dedicated and coded electrics. I also bought the rear diffuser with the pop out panel that comes with factory fitted tow options. No bumper cuts and everything being hidden don't ruin the rear end to much when the tow ball is removed.
Got a small break planned in the New forest at the end of this month so will update then with the towing MPG!
I also upgraded the MMI to the latest SW, installed 2017 maps and managed to pick an absolute bargain up off of eBay - genuine Audi music interface for £50 - they usually go for ~200. Added a Tune2Air Bluetooth adapter and I can now stream Spotify and control it via the MMI.
It's proving to be a great family car and it always puts a smile on my face so I think it will be staying for quite a while yet....
Hey, yea that was me! Pretty sure there can't be many other V10 wagons in reading beside these two!
That M5 looks lovely, always really like the E6X shape and could it get much better than an NA V10?!?
Would have liked one of budget and type approval allowed! Plate is awesome
Funnily enough we had just got back from the new forest... 16.5 mpg while towing wasn't as bad as I expected!
That M5 looks lovely, always really like the E6X shape and could it get much better than an NA V10?!?
Would have liked one of budget and type approval allowed! Plate is awesome
Funnily enough we had just got back from the new forest... 16.5 mpg while towing wasn't as bad as I expected!
Low teens is standard around town with low 20's on a steady run.
I'll need to have a ride in the M5 as I've never been in one. My only experience is being passed by one at full throttle down the Wokingham road by Sol Joel Park back when they were first released. From the way it was being driven I assumed it came from the local "hire car" company lol
I'll need to have a ride in the M5 as I've never been in one. My only experience is being passed by one at full throttle down the Wokingham road by Sol Joel Park back when they were first released. From the way it was being driven I assumed it came from the local "hire car" company lol
Couple of issues to report.....some self induced!
First, the car wouldn't change out of first gear, unless I used the paddles/manual mode. Then it would also seemingly cut all power.
Thoughts of expensive gearbox rebuilds running through my head were not too pleasant, however a quick trip to the phirm and it was all sorted.
Turned out to be an £11 brake light switch. As the gearbox thought the car was going to be slowing down it wouldn't change up (unless manually told to or you hit redline). A quick replacement and all was well....
Until i noticed that the Airconditioning seemed to stop working, I was increasingly having to demist the windscreen. Having done two compressor changes on my MPS I really didn't fancy doing anything like that on this car and could imagine the potential bill being fairly large. I contacted a local car A/C specialist i've used before (and was recommended off here) - auto air conditioning ltd. He came out to my work and had a quick look over. Car didn't have a full charge of gas but was not low enough to stop it running. Diagnostic scan revealed a faulty pressure sensor which is apparently pretty common on this age of VAG.
20 minutes later he had fitted a new updated design one and topped up the gas and everything kicked in. Nice icy cold A/C ready for the (supposed) hot weather next week
Looks like the electrical gremlins are starting to show up!
Self induced issues - looks like a hole has been punched into the arch liner - i expect from when it went out in the snow. Also while in the new forest a trip through a ford managed to snap off the rear engine shield/undertray. I'm guessing it was missing a bolt or two in the first place as I wasn't exactly hitting it at speed (I had a caravan on the back!). Unfortunately it snapped it so its not salvageable.
Audi parts prices mean a not insignificant bill of £200 for the liner and undertray
They are ordered up and should be on their way from Germany
Someone also left me a nice present in the form of a small car park ding on the rear door
Made myself feel better by giving it a good blast - I dont think i'll ever tire of the noise
First, the car wouldn't change out of first gear, unless I used the paddles/manual mode. Then it would also seemingly cut all power.
Thoughts of expensive gearbox rebuilds running through my head were not too pleasant, however a quick trip to the phirm and it was all sorted.
Turned out to be an £11 brake light switch. As the gearbox thought the car was going to be slowing down it wouldn't change up (unless manually told to or you hit redline). A quick replacement and all was well....
Until i noticed that the Airconditioning seemed to stop working, I was increasingly having to demist the windscreen. Having done two compressor changes on my MPS I really didn't fancy doing anything like that on this car and could imagine the potential bill being fairly large. I contacted a local car A/C specialist i've used before (and was recommended off here) - auto air conditioning ltd. He came out to my work and had a quick look over. Car didn't have a full charge of gas but was not low enough to stop it running. Diagnostic scan revealed a faulty pressure sensor which is apparently pretty common on this age of VAG.
20 minutes later he had fitted a new updated design one and topped up the gas and everything kicked in. Nice icy cold A/C ready for the (supposed) hot weather next week
Looks like the electrical gremlins are starting to show up!
Self induced issues - looks like a hole has been punched into the arch liner - i expect from when it went out in the snow. Also while in the new forest a trip through a ford managed to snap off the rear engine shield/undertray. I'm guessing it was missing a bolt or two in the first place as I wasn't exactly hitting it at speed (I had a caravan on the back!). Unfortunately it snapped it so its not salvageable.
Audi parts prices mean a not insignificant bill of £200 for the liner and undertray
They are ordered up and should be on their way from Germany
Someone also left me a nice present in the form of a small car park ding on the rear door
Made myself feel better by giving it a good blast - I dont think i'll ever tire of the noise
Funny you should say that.....
Had the dent removed from the door by a local PDR guy so the bodywork is back to being lovely and dent free.
It then decided that having a working thermostat wasn't required. In stop start traffic heading into london on the M4 I suddenly noticed the temp guage climbing (reached about 3/4 and fortunately no dash high temp alert) - pulled over and shut the engine off, Fired it back up 5 minutes later and it was sitting in the middle again. Turned the interior blower onto full heat mode which kept it in check for the remainder of my journey in (and back out again). However the combination of 25+ degrees outside and full heat was not the most pleasant!
Thermostat replaced and all good. Except now it has decided to develop a very intermittent electrical fault,
Occasionally when starting it, it will turn over for much longer and struggle to fire up. When it does the dash looks like a christmas tree. Turning it off and on again resolves in 90% of the cases. The other 10 it just needs a bit longer..... Fault scanner revealed a load of low voltage faults however investigation seem to suggest they are all on the same circuit and run off the same fuse;
2x MAF sensors
Right hand engine mount
Left hand engine mount
Secondary Air Pump Relay
Evap Canister Purge Valve
Initially thought it was my battery but got it tested and its in perfect health (advantage of removing the battery was that my gearbox has obviously relearnt its programming and is now smoother than ever. Shifts are completely imperceptible when cruising)
My inkling is a Relay - it would explain why it only happens when its starting (first energised) and a restart makes everything fine.
Garage suspect similar and its booked in for them to investigate. Ive opened up both relay boxes and cant see anything obvious, but with the lack of proper wiring diagram i'm a bit lost as to where to begin. Relay boxes are also not exactly the most accessible thanks to some moron fitting a V10 in the engine bay....
It also got 4x new tyres - went for Yokohama Advan Sport V105's for the bargain price of £160/corner. I'm normally a big Michelin fan and wanted PS4S's but at nearly £100 extra per corner this seemed like it was worth a shot
In other news - it has been a fitting workhorse for moving our Soapbox cart around being the only car any of us have thats big enough for the body to fit in has meant its come in super useful. It was an idea we had while at Le Mans 2017 and unlike most of these ideas its actually produced something! So we will be hurtling it down a rather steep hill, with various obstacles and jumps in the name of a local kids charity.
Pics of the only properly working thing I can drive at the moment
Had the dent removed from the door by a local PDR guy so the bodywork is back to being lovely and dent free.
It then decided that having a working thermostat wasn't required. In stop start traffic heading into london on the M4 I suddenly noticed the temp guage climbing (reached about 3/4 and fortunately no dash high temp alert) - pulled over and shut the engine off, Fired it back up 5 minutes later and it was sitting in the middle again. Turned the interior blower onto full heat mode which kept it in check for the remainder of my journey in (and back out again). However the combination of 25+ degrees outside and full heat was not the most pleasant!
Thermostat replaced and all good. Except now it has decided to develop a very intermittent electrical fault,
Occasionally when starting it, it will turn over for much longer and struggle to fire up. When it does the dash looks like a christmas tree. Turning it off and on again resolves in 90% of the cases. The other 10 it just needs a bit longer..... Fault scanner revealed a load of low voltage faults however investigation seem to suggest they are all on the same circuit and run off the same fuse;
2x MAF sensors
Right hand engine mount
Left hand engine mount
Secondary Air Pump Relay
Evap Canister Purge Valve
Initially thought it was my battery but got it tested and its in perfect health (advantage of removing the battery was that my gearbox has obviously relearnt its programming and is now smoother than ever. Shifts are completely imperceptible when cruising)
My inkling is a Relay - it would explain why it only happens when its starting (first energised) and a restart makes everything fine.
Garage suspect similar and its booked in for them to investigate. Ive opened up both relay boxes and cant see anything obvious, but with the lack of proper wiring diagram i'm a bit lost as to where to begin. Relay boxes are also not exactly the most accessible thanks to some moron fitting a V10 in the engine bay....
It also got 4x new tyres - went for Yokohama Advan Sport V105's for the bargain price of £160/corner. I'm normally a big Michelin fan and wanted PS4S's but at nearly £100 extra per corner this seemed like it was worth a shot
In other news - it has been a fitting workhorse for moving our Soapbox cart around being the only car any of us have thats big enough for the body to fit in has meant its come in super useful. It was an idea we had while at Le Mans 2017 and unlike most of these ideas its actually produced something! So we will be hurtling it down a rather steep hill, with various obstacles and jumps in the name of a local kids charity.
Pics of the only properly working thing I can drive at the moment
Haven't updated this for a while, but the electrical issue is now sorted. No idea what it was but I removed all the scuttle and accessed both relay boxes and ECUs. Couldn't spot anything obvious so put it all back together and booked it in for a few weeks time. While I was there I cleaned the drain holes and a small collection of leaves out too.
Ever since though it has been faultless and hasn't repeated the trick at all. It had all the symptoms of a sticky relay so it may have just freed itself, either that or one wasn't seated quite right and my prodding resolved. Either way it's done a few thousand miles now with daily starts and has been great.
Still need to order the replacement gearbox undertray and drivers arch liner but other than that it's all been good.
I'm starting to do more mileage with work and the expense rate barely covers the fuel so I may need to rethink car options long term. But the S6 is wonderful for wafting down the motorway and is decent enough when there's some clear roads. Loving the NA power delivery over my old turbos - it's just so much fun to wind the engine up and also to have that instantaneous throttle response - it's not as fast but it's much more satisfying. The new Yoko's have removed a lot of the understeer (probably down to the worn tyres) and it's less prone now - there's no getting round the fact there's lots of weight over the front axle though so it's never going to be last word in dynamics.
Managed the 200 miles to North Devon with a caravan on the back admirably although we did find out that Westfalia hadn't worked the split charge relay in correctly so ancillary electrics like fridge weren't working.
Overall its been fairly uneventful and it continues to be a great all rounder - also passed its MOT with no advisories which is always nice!
Ever since though it has been faultless and hasn't repeated the trick at all. It had all the symptoms of a sticky relay so it may have just freed itself, either that or one wasn't seated quite right and my prodding resolved. Either way it's done a few thousand miles now with daily starts and has been great.
Still need to order the replacement gearbox undertray and drivers arch liner but other than that it's all been good.
I'm starting to do more mileage with work and the expense rate barely covers the fuel so I may need to rethink car options long term. But the S6 is wonderful for wafting down the motorway and is decent enough when there's some clear roads. Loving the NA power delivery over my old turbos - it's just so much fun to wind the engine up and also to have that instantaneous throttle response - it's not as fast but it's much more satisfying. The new Yoko's have removed a lot of the understeer (probably down to the worn tyres) and it's less prone now - there's no getting round the fact there's lots of weight over the front axle though so it's never going to be last word in dynamics.
Managed the 200 miles to North Devon with a caravan on the back admirably although we did find out that Westfalia hadn't worked the split charge relay in correctly so ancillary electrics like fridge weren't working.
Overall its been fairly uneventful and it continues to be a great all rounder - also passed its MOT with no advisories which is always nice!
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