C6 S6 - JHM overhaul

A6 All/ S6 All
#86

I could tell you what I think, but you probably already know what I’m gonna say ;D

For that reason, if you know you want to do a certain upgrade, but don’t want to install them until the car has to come apart anyways, maybe consider buying them now and just sitting on them until you either have another maintenance issue that warrants gaining access to said part’s location, or for a rainy day when you have a lot of time on your hands.

I’ve considered buying some spare coil packs, spark plugs, maybe an injector or two, and other low-priced known-maintenence items just to keep them on-hand so that when I need them, I don’t have to wait a week. I plan to keep this car for a very, very long time, so it might be worth it.

#87

I wouldn’t wait on the intake spacers though. This is an item that WILL reduce the overall wear-and-tear on your car. Even if you already did a carbon cleaning very recently, I’d still add the spacers ASAP. This is another one of those things where, yes it will increase performance, but more importantly it removes a TON of heat stress and helps everything else last longer.

As an added bonus, it would be cool to take a peak under the IM only a couple thousand miles after a carbon cleaning, just to see exactly how fast (or hopefully, slow) carbon buildup occurs. Most of us only take a peak inside there when we know for sure we’re overdue for a carbon cleaning, so it would be great to see what we’re looking at mid-way between carbon cleanings. Might give us all a better approximation of exactly how often it should be done.

#88

Yeah, the only reason I haven’t just said here’s my credit card, send me everything, is this: My car will likely be for sale in 6 months. I only had planned to keep it until about spring of next year, when I bought it two years ago. So now, it’s a debate of whether to buy everything & keep it longer, or let it go for my next car, which is already lined up for spring (stage 2 B8.5 a friend has built, and I’ve turned wrench on a bit myself… Hard to pass on a car when you know the history and are getting a great price).

Working multiple jobs to try to get into a position where I can afford a little more comfortable lifestyle in Vancouver is difficult as of late. Leaves little to no time to work on my own vehicles. I’ve had my new brake pads sitting waiting for me to get around to installing them for 3 months or so now… Along with fluid to flush the system. And since the car is under warranty, everything that HAS been done, has been done at my dealership. This is why I’m so keen to get some real hands-on feedback on how the changes affect the vehicle. If it is a big enough change, it may warrant hanging on to this beauty a little while longer.

#89

Understandable. Well I’ll do my best to let you know what kind of beast this thing has turned into!

#90

I think the next few months will tell the tale of what the V10 has in store. I know the thought of a B8 S4 seems nice but to me its a soul less car. If you like it thats fine but I just dont see to many people crazy over the B8. Ive driven a few S6s now looking to find one. So far I can tell that there is nothing like the V10s.

I went in a ride in CVs car and for me that sold me. I think the allure of the V10 will grow more and more as JHM and the great V10 comunity get a chance to show its stuff.

Still i too am interested in hearing what scott has to say. I know I have said it a few times but his car is a great example of what maybe a great car that has gone a little too long between good maintenance work will result in. I have seen a lot of S6 car that never really got any maintenance and the list of needed work was long. But once you really have these cars dialed in they are such fun.

#91

These Audi V10 blocks (5.0 and 5.2) really are a truly special breed. There’s really nothing else on the road quite like them. Yes, they’re “quirky”, but they are also very refined, and Audi put a TON of engineering into them. I honestly feel that it’s the “best” V10 anyone has made. Maybe not the loudest, maybe not the most powerful, but it’s really well-designed, bulletproof, and adds a touch of style and fun to these cars that only a V10 can add.

I honestly wouldn’t ever consider trading for a different car at this point. I see so, so many S4’s on the road, and sure they’re fast but they just really don’t grab my attention. When I bought my C6, I even considered paying a bit more and getting a newer C7 S6, but I just really don’t like turbos that much. I feel like anyone can strap turbos on a smaller engine and make it fast, that’s not that interesting to me anymore. I wanted a monstrous, gas-guzzling, tons-of-cylinders motor in a big all-wheel-drive luxury German sedan, and there are really only 2 cars like that in existence, the C6 S6 & D3 S8.

The 2 next-closest things are the AMG E63 and the BMW M5. You often hear these 3 cars compared. The comparisons always go the same way: “The AMG and the M5 are undoubtedly a bit faster, but the S6 is by far the most enjoyable to drive”. Also of note, neither the AMG nor the M5 are available in AWD. The S6’s all have quattro. I still remember last winter when I was laughing at an M5 sliding all over the snowy highway before finally pulling over to chain up, while I blissfully flew by in my S6 with just regular all-season tires sipping a nice hot coffee ;D You really can’t beat Audi’s combination of utility and performance.

#92

It seems we parallel one another in this regard. I too was considering a C7 S6, but I kept looking back at the C6. Some of the newer tech, as well as the exterior design of the C7, was drawing me in, but the V10 of the C6 kept whispering in my ear and rubbing my bald head. Then there is that exhaust note. Oh that sexy V10 exhaust note. At full song it makes my testies tingle.

As far as the rivals of the S6, MB has never done anything for me styling-wise, and the BMW, while far more appealing to me than the MB, just didn’t tip the scales.

Everything just kept pointing back at the C6 S6 for what I wanted out of a daily, and this is being fully aware of what I was getting myself into with regard to maintenance, or lack thereof from past owners.

Now, as I watch my JHM invoice continue to rise, I am at least given piece of mind knowing everything is getting sorted out in one go. It’s going to be an expensive first hit, but once dealt with, this thoroughbred is going to come out of the gate tough, and with a new owner that’s keeping it in top shape.

#93

Updated the 2nd post again. Another problem was found - the drivers side motor mount is leaking, and the passenger-side one is completely broken in half. Unfortunately this is not a cheap repair. I’ve gone pretty far over budget as it is, so I asked how critical it is to address this. They said it’s not urgent, but sent a picture of the broken mount, and I decided to just replace that one for now, and I’ll address the driver’s side mount when my wallet has rebounded a little in the future. This shouldn’t affect future maintenance/reliability I wouldn’t think, it just might be transferring more vibration at idle than I’d like. But if it’s less than the vibration I had before, then I’m ok with that, because honestly I didn’t even notice any motor vibration before.

So, probably not getting the car back just yet. Not sure how long this will take to swap out.

http://i.imgur.com/jx0HV6p.jpg?1

#94

Nooooooooo!!!

#95

Ouch! I didnt think engine mounts would be crazy expensive. Are they hard to get access to to swap out?

#96

Not sure how hard they are to get to, but yes just the part by itself is something like $350-$400 per side.

I’ll be in Europe all week next week, so unless by some miracle they get the whole car back together, checked over, and tested by friday (I have no idea what state of disassembly it’s in currently), it’ll be a while before any new updates here

#97

Europe welcomes you. Going anywhere nice?

#98

You guessed it! The city of Nice, France, that is… ;D as well as Mykonos, Greece. Just a quick in-and-out trip for work.

#99

WOW that motor mount is done. That wasnt something you would have wanted to drive on. Motor mounts dont get enough attention from most people. Then you get guys that do suspension or other body stiffining work and they wonder why the car still clunks and has a loose feel its a lot of the time due to the motor mounts.

Motor mounts are not easy to get to on any car. Its a big job thats not fun but its good your getting it done. Thats just one more thing on the list of things you can wipe off the list to worry about in the future.

#100

Ya, I can’t help but wonder if that motor mount was partly responsible for my relentless coolant and vac hose leaks. If the motor isn’t sitting right, seems like it could tug on things that aren’t supposed to be tugged on. Combine that with fragile old plastic and rubber and that definitely could cause some issues.

#101

Given a little of the understanding on a few of the issues you fixed on the car that could be part of the issue. There is usually enough play in hoses and other parts to make up for a bit of movement but that one mount was just done it makes for much harsher movements with a greater range so I can see that playing a roll. Its deffinitly good you got it fixed. When mounts go bad it causes a slow but constant reaction. One bad mount causes another one to go bad and it just keeps going

#102

It’s worth noting that the owner of said Veyron SS also owned a 24 Hours Of Le Mans team that won in the early 2000’s. He’s also the man who owns the RS6 I wrote about a few months back. Very cool getting to chat with him and see his cars!

#103

In celebration of my soon-to-be-finished S6 project, I just ordered custom vanity plates! I can’t believe this one was available, it’s almost like not very many people own these cars :wink:

http://i.imgur.com/K1PObWc.jpg

#104

Ha, I too ordered some custom, black plates. Sadly, I have no clue when they will arrive, since CA has a horrible system in place to deal with these. I also may be changing it from what I decided on after being told what someone else thought it meant, and now I can’t see it as anything other than they said.

BTONLND
It was meant to be BoaT ON LaND, playing with the fact that these things are so heavy. They said it looks like ButTON LaND to them, and dammit, it does. So I may have to change that up.

Did you order them online, or did you go up to the DMV? I ask because you mentioned you were able to see that the combination you picked was not taken. I remember years ago you could check that on the DMV website, but I couldn’t find it anywhere and am just assuming that no one else has what I chose.

#105

Nice!

My custom plates took 4 months to receive lol