Audi Allroad - the Dad Wagon.

[djim]

So I’ve just done a buy and thought it might be of interest to some of you. 

No dramatic collection fred as the friendly driveway dealer seller agreed to deliver from Derby down to Sussex but here are some pictures. I’ve seen very few of this generation of A6 on AS, probably as they are to most eyes boring as hell and just fairly mundane tutonic motoring but I’ve always loved this age Audi, and I’ve wanted one of these for a few years to scratch the same itch that my outback did. 

This one is an 03 Allroad in 2.5 v6 TDi and Spanish gearbox. An unusual interior that I’ve not seen before in one of these, presumably a special order of some kind, and a few mod cons which mostly work. It has lots of good bits, air suspensions goes up and down with no issues, nearly new Pirellis on every corner, and the engine feels tight with just over 100k miles in its 20 years. It is trying hard to be an actual colour, a fetching sort of burgundy red which looks brown or even black depending on the angles, and it has only had one previous owner from new who, unbelievably, took it to Audi for every single service and MOT, so a whopping 19 stamps in the book including 2 cambelt changes.  Naturally I won’t be continuing this run of ludicrous expense and will try and do stuff myself or send it to my friendly local mechanic. 

 

 

There are a few things on my snag list already, the drivers door actuator doesn’t sense if the door is open, (TADTS) meaning the car regularly tries to lock with the keys inside, the gearstick mechanism is very dry and rattly, there are various bits of trim that want replacing or fixing, the paint is scratched and quite dull in places – the car shows signs of not being regularly cleaned and possibly parked under a tree for much of its life when you look closely- and various soft touch plastics have gone all sticky and gross and want sorting. Also the steering wheel is absolutely minging with some kind of thick black sticky residue all over it. It does clean off but is so thick and gross I’ve just ordered a replacement second hand wheel for £25. 
I'll try and keep this thread updated when I do stuff as I will be dailying this for all commuting, kid and dog hauling duties.  When it was new I hear the Allroad was the one of the most unreliable cars in North America so there should be lots of fun bits to do. 

 

[crad]

38 minutes ago, djim said:

 

rare aussie spec???

[Popsicle]

I've always liked the look of these, a mate had an 03? reg brand new and as he always does he ticked every option, I thought he was mad as the 330d 51 reg BMW he had was a cracking car, but this was in a different league, much more quieter, smoother and comfier. I always though maybe when they get old enough I'll give one a whirl, just never got round to it.

The mate who had one currently drives a year old Bentley convertible, we went to school together, needless to say he's doing better at life than I am 🤣.

[djim]

21 minutes ago, crad said:

rare aussie spec???

LOL, I wish, thanks, now edited. 

[djim]

Thanks @Popsicle, I know what you mean, it has taken 20 years of depreciation for me to afford one 🤣. It's not super refined compared to a decent modern but it is a nice place to be and the build quality shows through. 

[Dave_Q]

Nice, I did run one of these but only for about 6 months, I sold it when the clutch started slipping as it just wasn't worth doing at the time, it was never big enough for 3 kids in the back really.

Think the major bork point would be the diesel pump, those 2.5v6s are a bit known for it and they ain't cheap. And the never ending cycle of replacing front suspension arms but those are at least cheap.

Mine was about £700 with deflaty suspension, I replaced 2 airbags with eBay specials for £50 a corner and rebuilt the pump with a £15 seal kit. If it goes to all 4 heights and doesn't drop overnight then you've nothing to worry about on that front.

I liked it, I think these are from a time when this was still a proper premium product that someone went out and paid £40k or whatever for in 03 rather than opting for a £500 vs £400 a month car borrow arrangement like they are now.

Does it have the low range gearbox? Mine didn't, it was only available on manuals and then as an option, will be handy if you need to tow your actual house anywhere.

[Popsicle]

1 minute ago, djim said:

Thanks @Popsicle, I know what you mean, it has taken 20 years of depreciation for me to afford one 🤣. It's not super refined compared to a decent modern but it is a nice place to be and the build quality shows through. 

I'm currently looking on Autotrader at them - all your fault!

I still reckon it'll be a cracking motor to waft around in and soak up the miles.

Quality matching tyres, one owner from new, serviced every year at Audi, working air suspension - looks like you've found a needle in a haystack mate.

I'm sure the one my mate owned had a similar interior, it had a sporty name, cricket, baseball, tennis or something like that, its 20 years ago and my memories not that good 🤣.

The daft twat only bought it as he'd been embarrassed getting stuck in the muddy car park field at Glastonbury, in his rear wheel drive BMW, so he wanted a four wheel drive for next years visit!

[hairnet]

Plum.

[EyesWeldedShut]

I was reading this from bottom to top (humour me) and I was thinking 'Outback clone' and then I got to the opening post - indeed may your itch be scratched. Nice looking car - enjoy

[Schaefft]

I actually see way more Allroads for sale than normal C5 A6 Avants. Surprisingly both my A6s turned out to be excellent cars I invested nothing into before selling them for significantly more than I paid. I did however entirely avoid the diesels and air suspension, the latter only being a thing on Allroads. Not necessarily a little hugely hard to sort system, it's just that the bags are all at the end of their life now.

Is the interior black? Audi offered some amazing colors in these.

[cort1977]

The unreliability in the US thing is down to the air suspension I think.  Wasn't unusual to see one leaning forlornly outside garages.  Good cars overall though I reckon.

[abelw44]

Bloody hell that's a handsome looking beast! And what a colour! Seems like a cracking buy with all those service stamps - I am extremely jealous!

Sent from my Nokia G11 using Tapatalk

[djim]

10 hours ago, Dave_Q said:

Nice, I did run one of these but only for about 6 months, I sold it when the clutch started slipping as it just wasn't worth doing at the time, it was never big enough for 3 kids in the back really.

Think the major bork point would be the diesel pump, those 2.5v6s are a bit known for it and they ain't cheap. And the never ending cycle of replacing front suspension arms but those are at least cheap.

Mine was about £700 with deflaty suspension, I replaced 2 airbags with eBay specials for £50 a corner and rebuilt the pump with a £15 seal kit. If it goes to all 4 heights and doesn't drop overnight then you've nothing to worry about on that front.

I liked it, I think these are from a time when this was still a proper premium product that someone went out and paid £40k or whatever for in 03 rather than opting for a £500 vs £400 a month car borrow arrangement like they are now.

Does it have the low range gearbox? Mine didn't, it was only available on manuals and then as an option, will be handy if you need to tow your actual house anywhere.

Thanks, I'd not heard about the diesel pump being an issue, I'll investigate further as that sounds like fun if that goes south. No low range gearbox on this, I've only ever seen one in the wild with the low range, a twin turbo, but not on this. I'll not be doing any proper off road unless something goes very wrong.

 

10 hours ago, Popsicle said:

I'm currently looking on Autotrader at them - all your fault!

I still reckon it'll be a cracking motor to waft around in and soak up the miles.

Quality matching tyres, one owner from new, serviced every year at Audi, working air suspension - looks like you've found a needle in a haystack mate.

I'm sure the one my mate owned had a similar interior, it had a sporty name, cricket, baseball, tennis or something like that, its 20 years ago and my memories not that good 🤣.

The daft twat only bought it as he'd been embarrassed getting stuck in the muddy car park field at Glastonbury, in his rear wheel drive BMW, so he wanted a four wheel drive for next years visit!

Thanks, I hope I've found the One Good One, we will see if the VAG gods smile on me.  I'm putting 250 miles on it later today which reminds me, I'd better tell Green Flag I've bought it. 

 

1 hour ago, hairnet said:

Plum.

Funnily enough, fucking plum is what my GF called me when I showed her what I was buying. 

 

1 hour ago, Schaefft said:

I actually see way more Allroads for sale than normal C5 A6 Avants. Surprisingly both my A6s turned out to be excellent cars I invested nothing into before selling them for significantly more than I paid. I did however entirely avoid the diesels and air suspension, the latter only being a thing on Allroads. Not necessarily a little hugely hard to sort system, it's just that the bags are all at the end of their life now.

Is the interior black? Audi offered some amazing colors in these.

Yep, the suspension is definitely a concern, I'm surprised it has lasted as long as it has but I've not had a chance to poke around yet and see if they are original. If it does go south in a literal sense it will likely be eBay specials for me but so far so good and it definitely wafts over the potholes much better than my last car. 

Yes, black interior though it looks grey in the pictures. It would have been nice to have a more interesting colour, I've seen quite a few in green leather which I actually quite like but beggars can't be choosers. 

[djim]

4 minutes ago, abelw44 said:

Bloody hell that's a handsome looking beast! And what a colour! Seems like a cracking buy with all those service stamps - I am extremely jealous!

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Thanks, the colour was a big part of the decision. I was a bit dubious about the service history but it does seem legit and the book has run out of space for stamps now. Apparently the owner got a free MOT from Audi each year which must have saved* some money 🤣

 

[horriblemercedes]

My mum had one of these brand new. BP04 TLZ

 

I've come to appreciate recently what a nice car it was. Hers was a 2.5 TDI automatic. It went in 2006 for a Q7

 

I looked it up once and I think the Allroad only made it to about 2008. I wonder what happened there 

[hairnet]

56 minutes ago, djim said:

 

 

Funnily enough, fucking plum is what my GF called me when I showed her what I was buying. 

 

 

no. PLUM.

[Dave_Q]

I don't think the diesel pump is a major concern, just that it was one of the only things I came across that could throw up a car size bill.

So much is written about the air suspension being complicated or scary that I was genuinely surprised how simple it all was once I got under there. The compressor is about as complex as a Halfords 12v tyre inflator, there is a valve block to divert the air to the airbags which seemingly doesn't go wrong much, then there is an airbag at each corner and plastic lines to them which you can undo with an open ended spanner.

Other than a VCDS, the main diagnostic tool it needed was soapy water to check for leaks. And I actually found replacing the airbag less difficult/dangerous than a regular metal spring.

I'm convinced that these have got a rep they don't deserve for being complicated and/or scary, I'm sure it will do you well.

[sutty2006]

There’s a C5 that drives past me most days with its nose scooting along the floor like a sniffer dog. 
 

I like my c7. It’s a nice place to be. Best of luck with it! 

[djim]

@Dave_Q I agree, I did some "research" when I was looking to buy it (being careful to avoid anything off-putting obvs) and found a couple of videos of the air shocks being replaced and it doesn't look hard if you have a lift. Probably a bit more involved with the addition of 20 years of corrosion but still not rocket science. Anyway that lies no doubt in the future but for now it is still wafting around nicely. 

Did the first proper test of 220 miles yesterday, 50% motorway the rest A road and local, without issue and got nearly 35 mpg's indicated. That is certainly better than I feared assuming it is remotely accurate. 

 

 

[Datsuncog]

Crikey, what a nice-looking big thing. Great colour too!

Funny, these wagons were never on my radar whenever I was seeking/ running similar AWD load-luggers a few years back.

I fixated on a getting myself a Volvo XC70 (despite warnings of them being both needy and thirsty) but ended up with assorted Subarus (and, despite further warnings, confirmed them to be somewhat frilly and thirsty, albeit with very willing engines).

But this... mmm. Yes, I could.

**Stares into middle distance, thoughtfully...**

Following this thread with interest!

[dan95x]

I had the V8 S6 of this shape for a while (in fact I had two, but that is a story of spun bearings for another day) and to be fair a lot less went wrong than I was expecting - It was right at the point where they were basically worthless too, so really it should have been woefully unreliable in every single aspect.  Granted killing the engine on the first one wasnt amazing from a reliability point of view, but I knew it was a dog from the second I arrived to view it, and should never have bought it really 😂

They are a really nice 'solid' feeling car.  Not the most exciting drive in the world, but just 'nice' somehow

I still have the dead estate on my drive, and when I get my arse into gear it will be going to the great scrapyard in the sky, so if you struggle to get silly trim bits etc, shout and you can have them off it, you might just have to wait for me to have a few minutes to get them off  and get them in the post to you 👍

[djim]

Thanks @dan95x I know what you mean, it is definitely a 'solid' drive, it is not going to set many hearts racing but it feels planted and grippy unsurprisingly.

That is really kind kind offer for the bits, there likely are a couple of things that I could do with, I'll come back to you soon cheers!

[PrinceRupert]

I think its a fabulous colour, so many Audis are black or white.

[mat777]

Love the colour and interior on this, and you've found a real unicorn with the service history! Enjoy  

[RoadworkUK]

These are a really good, planted drive. Manual V6 diesel is a nice combo, too!

In a previous life I once took a petrol 2.7T in as part exchange for a grand. It was an absolute weapon but was using A LOT of coolant. Also the rotary encoder volume knob for the stereo only went up.

Also, it had Recaro-branded seats front AND rear, which I thought was cool as.

[djim]

Ruh roh. 

Looks like we got a sinker, the curse strikes. 

11 hours ago, mat777 said:

Love the colour and interior on this, and you've found a real unicorn with the service history! Enjoy  

Yeah, you'd think wouldn't you, pity they didn't service the air suspension 🤣

It's done it to me twice today, both times front right, but it is staying up right now on level 2 and the pump isn't running full time or even very much. 

VCDS says:

 

This is new as I scanned it when it arrived with no faults found. 

Internet research says G291 is apparently a sensor internal to the valve block and the Ross Tech wiki suggests it may be a wiring issue between the sensor and the control module which can cause these symptoms but then so can all kinds of things including worn out pump and various leaks. I think I'll check wiring first and then it is soapy water time, should be a fun weekend project. 

 

 

 

[richdcoll]

I set up an account literally to reply to this thread. Great forum! Didn't know about it.

I too have just acquired an Allroad. Unfortunately for me, it has the dreaded dead diesel injection pump.

 

I knew this when I bought it, thinking it would be easy. I even bought another A6 with a dead auto box to transfer the pump. Not as easy as that as they're coded to the immobiliser!

 

It's going to be worth it as it's one of my attainable dream cars. Always wanted an Allroad, they were ahead of the game when they developed it.

It's crazy!

 

Anyway, looking forward to your posts, and hopefully we can discuss ownership woes together, yay!

[Schaefft]

On 5/30/2023 at 3:48 PM, dan95x said:

I had the V8 S6 of this shape for a while (in fact I had two, but that is a story of spun bearings for another day) and to be fair a lot less went wrong than I was expecting - It was right at the point where they were basically worthless too, so really it should have been woefully unreliable in every single aspect.  Granted killing the engine on the first one wasnt amazing from a reliability point of view, but I knew it was a dog from the second I arrived to view it, and should never have bought it really 😂

They are a really nice 'solid' feeling car.  Not the most exciting drive in the world, but just 'nice' somehow

I still have the dead estate on my drive, and when I get my arse into gear it will be going to the great scrapyard in the sky, so if you struggle to get silly trim bits etc, shout and you can have them off it, you might just have to wait for me to have a few minutes to get them off  and get them in the post to you 👍

Probably another mistake waiting to happen but would you consider selling the car as a whole?

[Mrs6C]

On 28/05/2023 at 21:48, djim said:

the friendly driveway dealer seller

Sorry to see this has happened. You may wish to report this fault back to  said dealer and require them to address it at no cost to you? Seems a bit odd that the the car has suddenly developed* this significant fault within a few days of said dealer delivering it to your door...

[Rust Collector]

20 minutes ago, Schaefft said:

Probably another mistake waiting to happen but would you consider selling the car as a whole?

I'm glad you asked before I did 🤣