1998 A6 2.8 with 311k miles
#1
06-19-2008 | 02:51 PM
Thread Starter
|
1st Gear
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 6
From:
1998 A6 2.8 with 311k miles
Ihave a 1998 a6 2.8 with 311k miles.
Three questions.
1. How large is my gas tank, how many gallons does it hold.
2. My cruise control no longer works. Before it stopped working altogether I used to have to put my turn signal on for it to work. Now it does not work at all. Is this an expensive repair.
3. Where can I get a manual for my vehicle. I bought it used and it did not come with one.
Three questions.
1. How large is my gas tank, how many gallons does it hold.
2. My cruise control no longer works. Before it stopped working altogether I used to have to put my turn signal on for it to work. Now it does not work at all. Is this an expensive repair.
3. Where can I get a manual for my vehicle. I bought it used and it did not come with one.
#2
06-19-2008 | 08:15 PM
6th Gear
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 10,989
From: the Ohio State
RE: 1998 A6 2.8 with 311k miles
1. I think it's about 13-15 gallons I forget exactly, but I want to say 15.
2. do your lights still work? it might be just as simple as replacing the combo control there or something greater, post this question in the A4 section for a better answer with more detail.
3. The Stealership, the classifieds here, or maybe get a Bently manual
oh and welcome, you just became my hero because usually my car is doubling other peoples miles with my 197K but you make me look like a young gun.
2. do your lights still work? it might be just as simple as replacing the combo control there or something greater, post this question in the A4 section for a better answer with more detail.
3. The Stealership, the classifieds here, or maybe get a Bently manual
oh and welcome, you just became my hero because usually my car is doubling other peoples miles with my 197K but you make me look like a young gun.
#3
06-20-2008 | 02:13 PM
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 944
From: Boardman, OH
RE: 1998 A6 2.8 with 311k miles
Wow... that's awesome that you are driving a car with that many miles on it. I love my little Avant with 80k miles on it and hope to at LEAST double that mileage before I am done with it. Question? How is your interior holding up? Is the driver's seat still in good shape? What about the driver's side door panel and such?
#7
06-23-2008 | 11:55 AM
Thread Starter
|
1st Gear
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 6
From:
RE: 1998 A6 2.8 w 311k miles-30 MPG
The good news:
1. Interior is "OK" seats are starting to show wear but still fully intact (no rips/cuts).
2. Cup holders are shot, center one between the seats broke 2yrs ago and the dash board one can not longer handle the weight of a full cup of coffee (dips very low, looks like it could "snap" off). The card holder is jambed, too many coins, a couple got stuck in it so it does not open.
3. Front seats still work fine although when I move the dirver seat it "squeals". The 3 seat alignment "memory" mechanism no longer works but since I am the only driver it doesn't really matter.
4. Back seats are fine, dash board still intact although the "heads up display" is a little hard to read now, door panels are good, I suspect the lighters still work but I don't smoke so I have never used them, (except to charge my phone), radio still works, environmental system still works, and most important, the seat warmers are great!!
5. The outside of the vehicle is also "OK". The antena rusted off last year but I still get normal reception. The passenger "rocker" panels are gone but that is due to bad body work repair. I took the car in for service and one of thekids that work in the car washtook a turn too tight and hit one of their guard rails. It "indented" the passenger back door and they never fixed it right. The rocker panel fell off on the back passenger side and then the front passenger side follwed about a month later.This was a certified Audi dealershipthat did the work too!! The hydrolick hood extension rod no longer works either, whenever I open the hood I have to "prop" it up. There is a little rust on the drivers side door near the bottom and also where the antena used to be, but other than that the car is pretty much rust free.The mirrors are also "fogged up"with a rust color film but they are stilluseable. The mirror adjustment button still works "kinda" but I don't adjust the mirrors very much anyway.
The bad news:
1. I have replaced the front tie rods about twice in the last 4 years.
2. I had to replace the universal once, about two years ago.
3. I have just replaced all 4 wheels, I cracked three of them this past winter, I live in the Midwest and ourlast winter and related road conditions were prettybad thisyear. The good news is that I took the 4th wheel and had a the best tire puton it so nowI have a "real" spare tire vs the lousy "doughnut" that came with the car.
4. Replaced one alternator, one hose related to the radiator, a stone cracked the winshield washer bottle so it only fills up about half way and I can't "wash" the headlights, (I had the washer sensor deactivated because it was constantly "dinging"and driving me nuts)
5.I have save the most important bad news for last, I have an oil leak that no one can really find. I have spent about$1k to have new seals and other stuff tightened but the leak is still there. It hasnot gotten major yet but I can occasionally smell the burnt oil. I suspect I may even be burning some oil also.Thecombinationof the two oil issues istranslating to about a quart ofoil per month so at thispoint I am not too worried.
Now the awsome discovery!!
1. I am getting 30 miles per gallon... that's right I said 30!!. There is however a method to this
maddness.
a. I do all highway driving. I dirve 180 miles per day, 90 miles each way to work and I have only three "Stop" signs and one trafic light.
b. I driveunder 60 miles per hour,Itry to stay between 55 and 60.
c. I drive with no air conditioning on. I have turned off the environmental system. I crack the passenger windows a little, just enough to get a breeze comingthrough the car. In the mornings when it is coolit's fine butthe ride home canbe a little "toasty".
I started this process about two weeks ago and my mileage has been pretty consistant so far. The last two tank fulls calculated out to30mpg "on the nose" and this last fill up was 29.65. I have been doing the calculation manualy at each fill up. My mileage meter is now at 26.6 mpg and it has moved from 26.1 to 26.6 in about two weeks. It will be interesting to see if it eventually cathces up with my manual calculations. (it is lower because my earlier mileage was about 23.5 whenI used to drive around 70 +).
My goal is to keep the car to $500k miles, (I like not having a car payment). I figure as long as my repair costs are less the $5k per year, (my car payment used to be $428 per month), I am ahead of the game....am I crazy?....no, but I am cheap!!
By the way the gas tank size of 18.5 gallons seems right and I tried to blow out my cruise control devise with "air" but it did not seem to work. whenmy manual arrives this week I will check the fuses........thank you all for youradvise.
1. Interior is "OK" seats are starting to show wear but still fully intact (no rips/cuts).
2. Cup holders are shot, center one between the seats broke 2yrs ago and the dash board one can not longer handle the weight of a full cup of coffee (dips very low, looks like it could "snap" off). The card holder is jambed, too many coins, a couple got stuck in it so it does not open.
3. Front seats still work fine although when I move the dirver seat it "squeals". The 3 seat alignment "memory" mechanism no longer works but since I am the only driver it doesn't really matter.
4. Back seats are fine, dash board still intact although the "heads up display" is a little hard to read now, door panels are good, I suspect the lighters still work but I don't smoke so I have never used them, (except to charge my phone), radio still works, environmental system still works, and most important, the seat warmers are great!!
5. The outside of the vehicle is also "OK". The antena rusted off last year but I still get normal reception. The passenger "rocker" panels are gone but that is due to bad body work repair. I took the car in for service and one of thekids that work in the car washtook a turn too tight and hit one of their guard rails. It "indented" the passenger back door and they never fixed it right. The rocker panel fell off on the back passenger side and then the front passenger side follwed about a month later.This was a certified Audi dealershipthat did the work too!! The hydrolick hood extension rod no longer works either, whenever I open the hood I have to "prop" it up. There is a little rust on the drivers side door near the bottom and also where the antena used to be, but other than that the car is pretty much rust free.The mirrors are also "fogged up"with a rust color film but they are stilluseable. The mirror adjustment button still works "kinda" but I don't adjust the mirrors very much anyway.
The bad news:
1. I have replaced the front tie rods about twice in the last 4 years.
2. I had to replace the universal once, about two years ago.
3. I have just replaced all 4 wheels, I cracked three of them this past winter, I live in the Midwest and ourlast winter and related road conditions were prettybad thisyear. The good news is that I took the 4th wheel and had a the best tire puton it so nowI have a "real" spare tire vs the lousy "doughnut" that came with the car.
4. Replaced one alternator, one hose related to the radiator, a stone cracked the winshield washer bottle so it only fills up about half way and I can't "wash" the headlights, (I had the washer sensor deactivated because it was constantly "dinging"and driving me nuts)
5.I have save the most important bad news for last, I have an oil leak that no one can really find. I have spent about$1k to have new seals and other stuff tightened but the leak is still there. It hasnot gotten major yet but I can occasionally smell the burnt oil. I suspect I may even be burning some oil also.Thecombinationof the two oil issues istranslating to about a quart ofoil per month so at thispoint I am not too worried.
Now the awsome discovery!!
1. I am getting 30 miles per gallon... that's right I said 30!!. There is however a method to this
maddness.
a. I do all highway driving. I dirve 180 miles per day, 90 miles each way to work and I have only three "Stop" signs and one trafic light.
b. I driveunder 60 miles per hour,Itry to stay between 55 and 60.
c. I drive with no air conditioning on. I have turned off the environmental system. I crack the passenger windows a little, just enough to get a breeze comingthrough the car. In the mornings when it is coolit's fine butthe ride home canbe a little "toasty".
I started this process about two weeks ago and my mileage has been pretty consistant so far. The last two tank fulls calculated out to30mpg "on the nose" and this last fill up was 29.65. I have been doing the calculation manualy at each fill up. My mileage meter is now at 26.6 mpg and it has moved from 26.1 to 26.6 in about two weeks. It will be interesting to see if it eventually cathces up with my manual calculations. (it is lower because my earlier mileage was about 23.5 whenI used to drive around 70 +).
My goal is to keep the car to $500k miles, (I like not having a car payment). I figure as long as my repair costs are less the $5k per year, (my car payment used to be $428 per month), I am ahead of the game....am I crazy?....no, but I am cheap!!
By the way the gas tank size of 18.5 gallons seems right and I tried to blow out my cruise control devise with "air" but it did not seem to work. whenmy manual arrives this week I will check the fuses........thank you all for youradvise.
#8
06-25-2008 | 08:24 AM
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 944
From: Boardman, OH
RE: 1998 A6 2.8 w 311k miles-30 MPG
Good luck with your car! Sounds like you most certainly have gotten your money's worth out of it. I am hoping to pull 200k miles out of my 03' Avant. Currently I'm at 81k. I want to drive this car for a long time. It's nice looking, versatile and if I keep the speed down to 55 or so I get about 29 mpg out of it on the highway where I do most of my commute.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
