1998 Audi A6 from UK and Ireland - Comments

Three of the suspension arms were gone when I got the car (at 36,000 miles), were replaced when I complained about the knocking.

CD player skipped continuously, CD changer brackets were incorrectly mounted.

Oil level is showing incorrect level, when the engine is filled with amount of oil that is spec'd in the user manual (and by Audi) the dipstick shows oil level 1" above maximum.

Car has now started to cut out when the engine is hot.

When broken down at the side of the road due to the heat problem the hazard warning lights stopped working after about 10 minutes!!!, flasher unit has gone faulty too...

Lovely handling car.

Very comfortable, good handling.

Good performance from 1.8 engine for such a big car.

Very expensive to maintain.

Main dealers in Dublin are terrible to deal with, getting spare parts is a painful ordeal, the service is not carried out according to the service manual (greasing hinges etc).

I have not owned my 1999 Audi A6 Avant long (bought it used w 33K miles) but I am very experienced with vehicle maintenance. Thus I would like to comment about the oil level concern/complaint. It is nearly impossible to drain all oil out of a engine as there is no way of "tilting" the engine in all directions to evacuate all of the oil. With that said one should never look in a manual as to the required capacity and then add that stated amount oil into the engine and then check the level. One would almost always be adding too much. The capacities are there to guide you in how much oil you should have available for the "change". If it says the capacity is 6.9 liters for example one should have about 7 liters available and add say 4 liters to the crankcase, then check the level. After that add until it is topped up to the proper level. Just a helpful hint in proper procedures, no mean or insults intended.

Even when drained, most engines retain around half a litre of oil in the castings and components. You will only ever get the recommended amount in when the engine is filled for the first time (i.e. at the factory). This applies to all engines, not just Audi.

Fill according to the dipstick reading, not the manual. If it reads over maximum, the engine has too much oil in it, and constant overfilling will overstress the oil seals on the engine and cause oil leaks to spring up all over the place. The engine will also burn more oil which will eventually destroy the catalytic converter and leave you facing a serious bill.

Modern engines may be tough and need virtually no maintenance, but what maintenance there is has to be done to the letter.

My 2.8 avant year 1998 has now done over 140000 miles. It has had routine maintenance, cam tensioner gaskets, driveshaft boots, cam belt, pulleys and water pump. Brake rotors do tend to warp and it is due it's second set soon. Overall it drives like the luxury car it is and I expect to keep it until 200000 miles. People still prefer to travel with me than in newer cars. It is safe, fast and quiet. Overall I am very satisfied and would recommend one. (Provided however that you understand that just because it is expensive to buy, it doesn't mean it is maintenance free!)