Revolv0’s Salvage Rescue S6

A6 All/ S6 All
#1

Hello All

I purchased a 2007 S6 with 73,000 miles, from the Manheim auto auction. It was a one owner car, with full service records, one accident reported. The dealer service descriptions were terribly vague, so I don’t know exactly what has been repaired.

Wanted a more refined car with power, comfort, and a great exhaust note.

The car has hideous aftermarket 18” rims with new continental DWS’s (no TPS), and a lean bank one check engine light. The black interior is fairly clean, with the non-sport seats (bummer). These issues resulted in a very lower starting price, which I had won.

I spoke to the original owner since he had left his info in the contact list. I know it may have been creepy on my part, but I needed to know about the extent of the accident damage. I was relieved to hear it was a very minor fender bender on the rear bumper, however he did confess he ran over something that messed up the bottom of the front and rear bumper. Luckily, the actual undercarriage was untouched.

The previous owner mentioned the car was running very poorly before he sold it, and Audi suggested an intake manifold, amongst other thing he couldn’t recall, to fix the lean code.

The car drove very neutered (obviously). I suspected the intake manifold needed replaced at the bear minimum.
Fast forward to today. My friends friend is a tech who did a quick assessment with his diagnostic tool, and suggested the PCV valve was the issue. With hesitation, I picked up a new one to try, since it’s easy to swap. No luck. Car started idling rough.

Last night I was reviewing Counts intake manifold DIY, and during step one of removing the 2 PCV hoses off the passenger side intake tubing (before the throttle body), the #1 connector he warned about being fragile, was broken. The line going into the intake port wasn’t even plugged in and could t be since it wouldn’t latch. I macgivered some zip ties to hold the hose in the port it belonged to. Thinking this may have been the fix, I reset the CEL, and fired up the car again.

The engine seemed to buck in park/idle and seemed pissed off. Once warmed up it seemed to idle better. I drove it to see if the CEL would take off, to get the car inspected, and it immediately came on this afternoon again.

Reading some of the lean code issues on this and other forums, I suspect that the gasket on either the Y pipe going from the throttle bodies is leaking, the intake manifold gasket is leaking, carbon cleaning was needed AND / OR the IM itself is just shot.

Items I have accumulated/on order right now:

JHM IM
JHM IM Spacer
Additional IM gasket
10 NGK 5592 plugs
10 Hitachi injectors with injector seal kits from FCP
Bentley Manual
Injector extractor/install tool
Carbon cleaning brush set
( by next week I’ll get a Ross-tech VCDS, PM if you have even one vin left to sell)

I am going to hold off on coil packs for now (I know I know), but I want to inspect the manufacture date and see if I can ohm them out to determine if they are defective.

Concerns about the car running WORSE after installing the new PCV and hose back on, is setting in. Did I buy a dud? I plan on pulling the front end off and beginning the IM removal, carbon cleaning, injector replacement, and plug replacement.

This is all new to me, as I’ve never worked on an Audi before. Key thing is to have the tools and manual to do the first large project ( harbor freight did not have M8 3 square sockets).So far, this community has been super helpful.

Plans for the car, get it to run correctly. I am open to other places to check for the vacuum leak for lean bank 1, but I feel confident it is in the IM. Counter argument: if it was the IM, wouldn’t both banks be lean?

Yes, I need a proper Ross-tech VCDS. I hit my budget for the car for the month and figured I address the items I was going to do anyways, In my hopes of fixing it.

Get a custom 3” exhaust made as my reward for wrenching on and fixing this car. Yes, I’m getting ahead of myself, but I work well if I have treats to work towards.

JHM tune, JHM pulley by end of year.

At 100,000 miles, do an engine out service, replacing chain guides, pulleys, O2 sensors. Gut the cats before placing the motor back in.

Wish me luck. :wink:

#2

Sounds like your off to a good start.

Don’t fret on the lean code and CEL. These cars never run well when they run well on cold start. The car warm feature and SAI cause all kinds of havoc. Also when you reset the ECU the cars tend to run the worst until the fuel trims sort themselves out.

If the car is really lean and has a leak and it probably does its going to run even worse when you clear the codes and start hooking things up.

Yes you really are going to need a vag com. With most Audis I would say you can get away with a cheaper alternative but not with this car.

The V10 S6 and S8 are monsters when you get a few JHM parts put on them but its maintenance maintenance maintenance…

Replace your oil sperator. Check the drain hose coming off the separator. Chances are the original owner or owners since you did ZERO maintenance so consider replacing all of the spider PCV hoses and look for all of the supporting hoses and lines.

Exhaust wise I would seriously consider getting the JHM 2.75" exhaust when your ready. Its a hell of an exhaust and if your a return customer who already has a long list of parts from them they generally give a loyalty discount on big parts like that. It sounds fantastic and really clean. No drone or issues there. TONS of performance.

AND NEVER forget to ASK questions and ask more. We have a small but very educated community. We push out most if not all the trolls and its just lots of car guys looking for good fun fast running cars without the drama.

#3

I would love to be able to get the JHM exhaust, but with so many other things needed on the car, I want to budget for additional repair items. Oil separator will be on my list. Will this work : https://jhmotorsports.com/oil-separator-pcv-or-breather-vaico-for-q7-c6-a6-d3-a8-touareg-w-v8-and-c6-s6-d3-s8-w-v10.html

I will have the shop use an x pipe, resonators and mufflers to get it as close as possible.

On the subject of maintenance, a YouTube video done by “ car wizard” showed him using an HVAC rubber seal (green) for the cam actuator cylinder. I would love know other seals which can be “upgraded” in this manner. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hNqvhCpLZ_k

I wish Greg5OH had a bill of material when he did his engine rebuild series, as I would accumulate all the bolts/fasteners and seals he used during the process.

#4

OMG I couldn’t make it though the wizard video. That one guy was just too creepy. I would have down voted it but I didn’t want to upset the fact the one guy was doing some decent things.

Here look to this thread for REALLY REALLY good info. I don’t know that you will need most of these parts but there are a lot of good part numbers listed

http://audirevolution.net/forum/index.php?topic=4869.0

#5

The wizard shows the replacement seal he uses. He does a decent job of explaining at least.

That engine rebuild link is incredible, I read all 5 pages this morning lol.

The oil drain coming off the separator(aka PCV right?), do you have a part number?

Every time I try to attach a photo, it shoots me down, saying I have a full folder. Can I not upload directly from iPhone? Image has been compressed to 45 KB. Wanted to ID the upper hose coming off the passenger intake, before the throttle body.

Thanks!

#6

http://audirevolution.net/upload-media

Upload this way.

#7

Little update:

Got a message from my mechanic buddy who’s looking over the car:

“Yea ive been messing with it. Pretty sure the pcv took care of the lean concern, fuel adaption values are good right around 5%, when i checked it at the auction they were maxed out at 25%. I think whats going on with it now is the cam adjusters are going bad. Im still messing with it to confirm this but when it runs rough the valvetrain gets very noisy and i can clear it up with quick revs which is likely resetting the cam phasers. Im trying to catch it a datalog but these older cars dont let you log information as well as the new ones.”

Cam adjusters sounds very bad, should I suggest anything to look at? Is he off base diagnosing the lean code?

#8

6/5 Update to the car

This is an incredible car… I am left in awe of its performance and character. I wake up each morning this whole week, with the delight of knowing I get to drive it for 45 minutes to work.

85000 miles, i purchased the Meyle HD control arm kit, and replaced the tie rods as well. The mechanic had alot of trouble with the bolt which holds 2 control arm knuckles with a single steel bolt going through an aluminum casting (knuckle?). 2 blow torches and an air chisle later, it was out. He busted the one holder securing the one ECU in place, when doing the passenger side… Not sure what to do to fix it.

The repair and quality alignment completely transformed the handling of the car. I’ve sadly driven it with all bushings shot since 73000… Better late then never. If you have one of these cars, make sure the bushings are okay! The car no longer nose dives and under-steering as it did before, and can be pushed MUCH harder.

It was time to pull the trigger on my JHM tunes… and last week had the ECU 93 octane SAI delete installed, and the TCU done (sadly took them over a month to get it ready, but the V10 support guy more than made up for the bad experience). I immediately drove the car to my trustee mechanic, and he changed out the trans fluid to redline, making sure the temperature in the manual was achived… He fixed a windshield washer leak in the front passenger side bumper, and installed the JHM LW crank pulley. The car is an animal now.

The only complaint i have is that in first gear, in sport mode, sometimes its slams when pulling out. In other words, from a dead stop, the car will rev as if in neutral, before getting into gear, slamming me harshly. Other than that, the shifts are hard, and angry. I feel the trans is healthy for the most part.

The mechanic was shocked by the performance improvement, and health of the engine & trans. He said i had no leaks in the front, and a very small weep he notice in the rear driver side. It was noted that he saw this at the 73k service, and it doesn’t look any worse. It doesn’t leak at all on my floor.

We talked more about the game plan for when im around 110k, for an engine drop. I’ve been waiting to get pricing info from JHM for the headers… but they dont reply. I got an auto reply for another question yesterday that they are having server issues.i was thinking:
All 8 O2 sensors
Gut cats, OR install the JHM longtube headers
Motor mounts? <–Thoughts on this one? Do they fail high mileage?
SAI delete
All of the above items done at the 73k service, carbon clean, injectors, injector seals, park plugs, coil packs park plug seals?
All coolant hoses? New High Performance Radiator, what are the options?
Do the High pressure fuel pumps need replaced?
Time chain serve?
What else should be done when dropping the motor, the mechanic shot down cracking the motor open, based on how the car is currently running.

Next im looking at getting brakes and rotors done. I really want the rs6 calipers and rotors, but cannot find them anywhere. Is there any VAG family BBK for the S6 besides the rs6? I would love the larger (405mm?) rotors. Plan B is purchasing the G4000 adams rotors and getting good pads. Anyone have pad recommendations? I want high speed, highway performance.

Lastly, i want new tires 19" x 275mm, vs. the current 18" x 255". Anyone have any recommendations? I dont understand offsets and such for rim purchase.

Be safe out there.

#9

I have 20’’ 275’s and they look great!
They are the rs6 models they come nice and wide

#10

Great updates. These cars do really well once you spend a few dollars on the maintenance to get them back to proper running order.

Performance wise everyone for years would laugh and tell you there is no improvements to be had. But once you start down the JHM performance path. You realize that there is a monster performance path and JHM is it. You can’t just get a generic tune for these cars it’s JHM or you might as well stay stock.

As for the 1st gear bump it called. Generally that is seen if the transmission fluid is low or the filter is clogged. So next time your in have that checked that should help or fix.

I too would not suggest getting into the motor when you do your 110k work. No need. Do a compression test and that will tell you almost everything you need to know.

#11

I forgot to mention, the car is just under 90,000 miles as of this post.

A few other things I may have forgot, or observed.

The lean code I originally had was mostly due to the a crack in the driver side throttle body. My mechanic fixed a hairline crack by the bolt through-hole. The amount of carbon deposits in the cylinders closest to the front end was really bad.

The multimedia aux connection for my iPhone XS always plays the same song on the top of my play list (alphabetically), which is annoying (yes minor). The passenger door large speaker, covered by the Bose labeled grill, rattled at certain bass frequencies.

#12

I mentioned this to my mechanic, and he suspects the clutches being bad. He mentioned he already did an “adapt”, but if it gets worse, it may need replaced.

#13

Does it happen more or less when the trans is heated up? That’s really too bad to hear and I hope you can fix it easily! Too low miles for that problem. These 6 speed trans are pretty damn durable and reliable. Mine has 127k on it and shifts perfect, mind you it did live its life at high altitude. Does it do it when in manual mode? When if you accelerate from a slow roll vs a stop?

Regarding your radiator inquiry, I am working with another s6 buddy who is designing an all aluminum rad for this platform. I put $ in for one for me.

#14

Something else to add. We had a touareg with 230k and the trans slipped. We did 4 trans flushes over course of about 200 miles and finally got it running smooth fyi.

#15

Here’s what I just did on an 08 S6 200K miles:

  1. Mounts - left mount causing a CEL, changing them both, you can probably wait until your next drop, unless you are experiencing symptoms of a failed mount (they are costly)
  2. Spark plugs without a doubt, coils - do you have misfires? If not, not necessary (unless the JHM tune pushes the coils more than the factory tune) If you are asking about a carbon clean, yes unless the last one was done recently. Injectors should be pulled and cleaned, the seals must be changed.
  3. I changed every piece of rubber and O ring and gasket that would require an engine drop, including the coolant sensor. Since I was getting a fault on the Aux pump, I replaced that. I had done the WP at around 170K.
  4. HPFP - unless you have a problem with a pump wait. They are easy to get to and I had to replace the driver side at about 190K miles. The passenger is original. They are also very expensive.
  5. I did all my chain stuff (guides and tensioners) but they were all in good shape even at 200K miles. So, while you could have them done, depending again on any problems/noise I don’t know about, you may want to do this at your second drop at 200K. The parts aren’t a huge cost, but the labor is significant.
  6. Check for oil in the spark plug wells. If you have it, then pull the girdles. Since you are pulling the girdles the cam chain covers will be off, so doing the guides will be less laborious.
  7. Check valve cover gaskets and R&R as needed.
  8. Check for broken connectors and R&R where it makes sense (sometimes there is no repair as was the case with the protrusions missing on the fuel injector bodies)
  9. Replace the front Oil Cooler O rings (unless they have been done recently) - can be done with engine in, though it is a PITA
  10. Whether the AUX belt is on the 73K or not, replace it - can be done with engine in
  11. Flush/Change coolant - can be done with engine in
  12. Flush/Change brake fluid - can be done with engine in
  13. Fuel Filter - can be done with engine in
  14. At around 100K flush/change Transmission fluid - can be done with engine in

I think that is about what I have done over the years, with the big work now on the major items on the above list, including the carbon clean.

Ed

#16

Hey Lake,

After some extensive testing, the transmission problem is as follows:
When taking off from a dead stop in first gear, AND the trans is cold: I get a that delayed, neutral rev, followed by first gear engagement. Trying out different throttle engagements just made the “snap” into gear more harsh or gentle.

When driving the car at full operational temp, first gear works flawlessly. Downshifts from second, at various RPM’s works great, and from a dead stop is perfect. It pulls HARD from first when warm, and shifts into second quickly.

Thoughts? I am thinking another fluid flush is in order to prove out your experience with the Toureg.

SB

#17

I know it’s probably a dumb question, but when you dealt with the fluid, did you follow the instructions about temperature and proper level indication?

Ed

#18

Ed, definitely a good question:

His comment was “Yes around 35-40 C” to top off.

He (thankfully) made an error and confused my car with a guy that had a bad DSG. The clutch pack comment was not for me. Phew.
“The original fluid did not seem burnt that I took out, so I am suprised to hear its engaging poorly. Low preassure is the leading cause to this soft of engagement, generally a fluid level problem, or a burnt holding band, both of which I think we can rule out in your case…”

and

" The fluid definitely is not low, i measured the amount that came out when draining and compaared it to the amount i put back in. It actually took slightly more than came out…"

#19

Yeah but the information I gathered to do mine says nothing about measuring. It talks about dripping and temperature and running the gear selector as you fill and most importantly not letting the transmission getting above a certain temperature.

The Bentley also recommends running an adaptation after changing fluid.

While I know how to add images, I do not know how to attach files like word docs and spreadsheets, otherwise I would attach what I used.

Ed

#20

Small Update 93000 miles.

Ordered and (just) installed adam rotors, with new pads, stainless steel lines, and brake fluid flush. I’ll post some pics soon. Didnt even do the brake in period yet on the rotors/pads.