Late 1990's Audi A6's. yes! no!

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mugenb20b, Dec 20, 8:35am
I could say the same about late model Nissan engines.

thejazzpianoma, Dec 20, 8:44am
As good as some of those Nissan's are I would take the Audi every time over a chain driven Nissan once the km's get up there.

the_don_61, Dec 20, 11:08am
Audi A6 (2.4!) V6 uses more petrol around town as a daily driver than a Nissan V8 4.5L.buy $10-20 a week.same sort of mileage.

30-40 a week in the Nissan
50-60 a week in the Audi

Audi has more of a racing car feel and you dont notice its FWD. If you drive normal.
Nissan way better for towing

scotty20001, Dec 20, 11:54am
there is something wrong with the 2.4 i can assure you all though not very powerful they are good on fuel, i know this as i had one for 3 years, that is one thing the 2.4 has going for it, i just wish it had a timing chain instead of a blasted cam belt, and the thermostat is in a stupid place but apart from that the engine is fine, though if i was going to buy another Audi of the same era i would go for the 1.8t engine they just pull so much better then the V6's.

the_don_61, Dec 20, 10:33pm
Well you got me, I thought power from the Audi V6 was ok, about the same as aFord Capri V6 3.0 GT. LOL and used just as much gas as the old Granada

vtecintegra, Dec 20, 10:36pm
The 1.8T isn't any quicker than than 2.4 V6 though.

As I said above the 2.8 (or better the later 3l) is the one you want

thejazzpianoma, Dec 20, 10:52pm
I actually like the cambelt setup. It means that at this age if the car is still going its had at least some servicing!
Just wondering how you went about changing the timing belt!
Lots of people try to just reach down which is a pig, or they might just use the "service position".
Pulling the front off is my preference, sure it takes a little more time but makes the job such a pleasure with everything perfectly accessible. Using belts also helps with economy, not only do you have less drag its easier to keep valve timing accurate over time.

thejazzpianoma, Dec 20, 10:55pm
BTW, no offense intended here nor is this directed at anyone in particular.

But I do find it a bit funny that for people who like to work on cars no one seems to like to work on cars! (If you get my drift!)

Maybe I am a bit to "James May" but I really enjoy setting a car up properly with its "Big Service" every 5 years or so. Its not even about the cost saving just such a pleasure doing a job properly and the satisfaction of knowing everything is tickety boo.

mugenb20b, Dec 20, 11:20pm
Oh, don't get me wrong, I love working on cars, but I'm not a fan of spending 8 to 10 hours straight to do a major job on our family car (that will never happen anyway as Hondas are easy to work on). Which is all OK though as long as friggin' Repco send the right parts to start with. Replacing a cambelt kit on our Odyssey takes me around 5 to 6 hours if I take my time and make sure everything's spot on, which will happen next winter. And there's enough room in there to do everything right. If I had an Audi, I would want to own another family car, just in case the job turns to custard, so time would not be an issue.

male_timaru, Dec 20, 11:57pm
why would the job turn to custard - what would you do wrong making it turn to custard - why so much more on an Audi!Mechanics turn jobs to custard rather than vehicles .

We all know you can overtighten a nut or bolt on ANY car and the job's gone to custard no matter what brand make or model!

candii06, Dec 21, 4:41am
hahaha i bet the efini is jealous. its been the daily runner for over 10 years. until now ;) audi all the way

mugenb20b, Dec 21, 6:15am
Don't be stupid.
You could get a box of parts, let's say cambelt, idlers, oil seals, tensioner etc. Now, you spend a few hours disassembling the front end of an Audi. Once it's in the service position, you remove timing covers, fan belts and crank pully. You open the box of parts, only to find that some are wrong (as you can't always tell you have the right parts until you actually remove the whole timing cover, you see). Guess what! The job has now turned to custard. Would you mind putting the car back together again so you can use it for the weekend! No. I don't think so.

mugenb20b, Dec 21, 6:16am
^^^^^^^^ Another idiotic comment.

mugenb20b, Dec 21, 6:17am
Only a muppet is capable of such things.

mugenb20b, Dec 21, 6:21am
Yes and no. Depends on the magnitude of the job. Anyway, what I'm saying is, I would not do a big job for someone on certain makes and models of cars. If it's a big job and the car is mine, no problem.

thejazzpianoma, Dec 21, 6:22am
I don't see the big deal over a couple extra hours every 5 years. But each to their own.

BTW, if you do get an Audi. where possible don't buy your parts from Repco.

thejazzpianoma, Dec 21, 6:24am
This is the thing, not having a go here but thats what happens when you use Repco.

I am yet to ever have this happen to me because I source parts from a specialist. Repco is not only grossly over priced but they are hopeless at providing the right parts.

Also, I recommend NOT using the service position, take the whole front right off. Up to you of course but it makes for a much nicer job.

Obviously, I am refering to your own personal vehicle here where you have the luxury of waiting for an overnight courier for parts. I appreciate that when working on someone elses car sometimes Repco is about the only local option for same day parts.

thejazzpianoma, Dec 21, 6:28am
Here's another thought to ponder, despite ordering countless parts form overseas over the years. it occours to me I have never been sent a wrong part or ordered an incorrect part.

Thats the joy of shopping cart systems where you enter the make/model/year/engine and sometimes even vin. Its really quite difficult to go wrong, about the only traps I have nearly fell in are RHD/LHD parts like headlights and cabin filters.

mugenb20b, Dec 21, 6:35am
Alex, I've never done a cambelt on a V6 Audi, but I've seen it done, once.
Like I said, it's not an issue if it's my own car that I could slowly play around with, I just wouldn't do it for someone as a perk. Taking on a cambelt job on our family car is not an issue with parts as I know the car inside out. As for Repco, I can't argue with that. They are just a joke 60% of the time, but our garage deals with them, so not up to me. I do get big discounts through the workshop though.

mugenb20b, Dec 21, 6:36am
The pack of bunnies at Repco manage to screw this up in style, most of the time.

thejazzpianoma, Dec 21, 6:44am
I am in agreement there.
Incidentally be wary of Repco's "Discounts" they often don't even come close to bringing things down to what retail should be.

Take my favorite example of the air flow meter for the Vectra. You get $150 or so off with your trade account. but you are still buying a $150 item for $800!

male_timaru, Dec 21, 7:26am
so what's to say that wouldn't happen with your honda - if it is (as you state) staff error or part no error - no need to make it personal jees - just saying 99% of the time it is the mechanic who turns the job to custard not the vehicle itself!

male_timaru, Dec 21, 7:31am
Why would this be any different if the job turned to custard on a honda you were workign on . Why is Audi so special!

As said above not being personal - i just don't follow your logic - in one breath you go on about a job taking so long and you'd be happy to on your own personal car, etc, etc then stating that if you owned an audi you would want a 2nd car . why do you not have a 2nd car if owning a honda!Surely you're in the same boat if the job goes south in both cases!or do you suddenly live closer to the store to get parts cos you own a honda - this is the part i don't understand in your argument .

not being awkward - just trying to find out what you mean by you would HAVE to have a 2nd car if you owned an Audi .

thejazzpianoma, Jun 30, 8:17pm
I am in agreement there.
Incidentally be wary of Repco's "Discounts" they often don't even come close to bringing things down to what retail should be.

Take my favorite example of the air flow meter for the Vectra. You get $150 or so off with your trade account. but you are still buying a $150 item for $800!

I sympathise though, you don't get to choose who your work deals with and even if you did sometimes Repco is the only quick option.