A6 2.4 engine codes and common problems

[DropKickMurphy]

Hi all,

as a long time VW Golf owner i am looking to upgrade to something slightly larger now that i am commuting further and have a new baby.

I have been looking at an A6 Avant 2.4 FWD - in particular a 1999 T reg model with 115k on the clock priced at £1800. can anyone advise me what to look out for when going to view it? i have read the posts about the plenum chamber blockages and will make sure i pull the battery out to check this when i go and look at it; is there anything else i should look for?

what is the cam belt change interval? i know its 4 years/60k on a 1.6 golf but not so sure about a V6 Audi.

finally can someone tell me the differences in the 2.4 V6 engines? i see that there seem to be 4 different codes for the 2.4:

AGA
ALW
APS
AML

what are the differences? are any better than any others? i dont know which code it is, but know where to look when i go and see it.

thanks for your time

DKM

[paul b]

Auto or manual? If it's auto use the search box for "Multitronic". If it's not don't bother.

60k or 4 years is the general rule I stick to for pretty much any car. Although the water pump and thermostat is a recommended change on the 1.9 TDI at the same time because to access them you have to take the belt off, though it may not be the same on a petrol 2.4 V6.

I suspect the engine codes may be something to do with what gearboxes they are bolted to. The 2 variants of 1.9 TDI, the AWX and AVF, are exactly the same but have 2 different codes because the latter is bolted to a 6 speed box as opposed to a 5 speed. But there may be more to it.

Check the CV boots, mine were cracking at ~70k miles. Cost to repair is only £30 in parts (genuine, Audi dealer supplied) if you do it yourself, providing the CV joints aren't knackered too by running it with cracked boots with no fluid/grease in them.

Otherwise just do the normal stuff, check it has a smooth tickover, check the VIN and engine code match what's on the car (the timing belt cover usually has the engine code on a label stuck to it).
Paul

[DropKickMurphy]

gearbox wise its a 5 speed manual, i assume it will have a weak 2nd gear like all other VAG cars? i'd prefer to get a manual rather than an auto.

i will have to examine the history when i go and see it, hopefully there will be some. is there any way to tell if the belt has been done ever? are replacement belts any different visually?

thx for the explanation re the engine codes, basically whatever code it is will have a 165-170bhp engine then? i think i may pop down tomorrow and have a look, but wanted to go and see my mechanic (independent VAG specialist) for a once-over. he's not about at weekends so thought i'd arm myself with some inside information

I have a OBD2 lead with the shareware version of VAG-Com on a laptop, will I be able to scan the car for fault codes or does the car have a different diagnostic port?

is the price about right? obviously i will ask for 12m MOT and ideally some tax as well included in the price, but doubt it will have been serviced so that would be the first thing to tackle, is it possible to home-service these engines?

DKM

[Niall76]

There should be a sticker on the underside of the bonnet which states the timing belt change. They're easy to service. No weakness in 2nd gear. Check everything electric and make sure it all works etc.

[DropKickMurphy]

went to have a look at it today and i'm not that impressed tbh - lots of things are broken and i would guess they are quite costly to repair.

list is as follows:

- ABS light on dash stays on
- Broken drivers side wing mirror
- Oil warning light on, not sure how long this has been on for
- Digital display on the dash was mostly broken, only about half the lines which made up the dispay were working
- Glovebox handle and locking mechanism broken
- electric window regulator on passenger front window broken - the window went down but had to be forced back up. i didnt try any other windows!

can anyone give me an estimate of how much the above would cost to put right?

there was no service history whatsoever either

thanks

DKM

[Niall76]

Walk away mate, walk away.

There is a chap on here selling a 2.8 quattro for £1800.

It's a far better car and looks really nice......

Look here:
https://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/s...ad.php?t=88004

[paul b]

Yeah, walk away. If the seller was happy for you to scan the car with VAG-COM (your OBDII cable and VAG-COM shareware will work, although it will be limited as to what it tells you... it's the nature of the shareware software) then you would have a better idea as to what's wrong with it. It could be as simple and as cheap as a brake switch but it might be as expensive as an ABS ECU. Hence why VAG-COM comes in handy.

The car for sale on here sounds like a better alternative, looks great for an A6 at £1,800!

EDIT: Answering a couple of your previous questions, yes, you could service this car at home if you know what you're doing. Filters and oil, same as any other car really.

There's no way of telling if the timing belt has been changed, ok yes there should be a sticker but there rarely is. Visually they look the same. If there's no history of it and no receipts provided for the timing belt work I'd work on the assumption it hasn't been done and would change it myself at the earliest opportunity.

Paul