In all honesty, how mechanically inclined must you be to do this seemingly straightforward procedure? My auto repair experience amounts to watching someone change pads on a GM vehicle, changed my own oil, and I might have rotated tires once four years ago.

I considered taking it to a shop to have this done (because there are little problems with the car I'd like another opinion on) but the indie shop near here (Greenville) couldn't/wouldn't diagnose why the car's gas mileage is reporting 5.0MPG or 22MPH average speed, 135mi/empty on every fill up, etc. Though the limited VAG-COM scan you can do with the freeware version says something about the fuel mixture being too lean. Anyway, I digress...

I found a couple of tutorials on audiworld and I suppose I have the other two forum userbases for support as well if I completely fuck it up. The only thing that worries me, is not being able to determine whether I should go ahead and replace the rotors (I think someone on audizine is doing custom sets F/R for 300 shipped) or if I would need to bleed the system for any reason. One of the tutorials I considered using http://www.audiworld.com/tech/wheel39.shtml

'01 A6 2.7T

[Edited on October 1, 2007 at 2:17 PM. Reason : link]

10/1/2007 2:13:47 PM

the snob thing was a joke =\

10/1/2007 8:06:54 PM

It's not hard at all. I have a Jeep and there were tons of forums to show you how.

Low on the difficulty scale.

Now I'm sure some folks are going to have another opinion but thats theirs and you have mine.
Good luck.

10/1/2007 8:19:15 PM

that link looks like it covers pretty much everything, go for it. only potential problem i see is sometimes a screwdriver won't compress the pistons back in enough to get the new pads in. depends on how bad off the old pads are. if that happens, you'll need to remove the caliper and compress the piston with a large C clamp or one of the clamp tools made specifically for that.

10/1/2007 8:27:28 PM

is that in the tool set you can borrow from autozone ?

10/1/2007 8:29:44 PM

not sure. i know you can buy them pretty cheap at advance, 10 bucks or so iirc.

10/1/2007 8:34:49 PM

Not hard to do on most cars with simple tools. You may need a piston compressor. On my car though it's a major PITA.

10/1/2007 9:22:19 PM

oor a large set of channel locks for the piston. that way you dont have to remove the caliper most of the time

10/1/2007 9:24:08 PM

i've compressed them with big c-clamps, big vise grips, and now i picked up that compressing tool from harbor freight for 5 bux. we'll see how it works, but i'm sure it'll be easier than what i've used in the past.

10/1/2007 9:37:21 PM

Quote :

"big c-clamps"

are what I use on mine, pretty easy and fast

10/1/2007 11:28:04 PM

It really isn't that difficult.
Though I would strongly recommend a big c-clamp over a big set of channell locks. It is better for the piston.

10/1/2007 11:36:42 PM

the front calipers you can compress with a C clamp, the rears must be twisted back as you compress them...so youre going to need a tool you can twist them with, you can get a generic one at autozone or someplace like that and it will fit to your 3/8" or 1/2" ratchet, i forget which one.

but at any rate you absolutly must twist the rears back in or you risk seizing that bitch up...

10/2/2007 7:16:47 AM

Also, if the piston is too hard to press in, open the bleeder screw a little, enough to let a little fluid out, and it will compress much easier. Just make sure you've got something to catch the fluid. I use a tiny hose that goes into a bottle. You can use a one-man-bleeder kit for this as well. You may need to bleed the brakes after if you let any air in.

10/2/2007 10:26:05 AM

how much do you think this should have cost at a local shop?

[Edited on October 17, 2007 at 7:46 PM. Reason : Front (4/side) and Rear]

10/17/2007 7:45:10 PM

you can do it dude, start up the job and bounce questions off of us if you have any.

10/17/2007 8:31:07 PM

sounds like he's already had it done and wants to make sure he didn't get ripped off... or he's done it and wants to see how much he saved. i'd say $300-500 would be fair depending on who supplied the pads and what brand.

10/17/2007 8:35:42 PM

I supplied the pads(Pagid $123) and decided not to do it myself since I ended up purchasing rears as well (good thing too, they were the most worn) and I wanted the mechanic to check out a few things, too which he failed to give me any usable advice on anyway.

Anyway, it was 140 to put them on and if anyone cares, I posted some of the shit to AW/AZ since this shop thinks the oil leak i smelled wasn't significant enough to warrant repair.

Quote :

"1) I smelled oil from the driver side wheel well when idling. The mechanic said they had found a very very small oil leak near the transmission/driver side axle but that it was nothing to worry about getting fixed. 2) Sometimes when starting, it sounds like one or both of my turbos are spinning up louder than when I bought the car. They said none of the oil lines or turbos were leaking, but also that the k03s should only need/see 17-18 lbs of boost. 3) Could not figure out why the cruise control does not work. The instrument cluster MPG/MPH/H/MTE are all wrong. When the battery is disconnected from the car, it's 275-300 miles on a full tank, but as soon as you drive a mile you have watched it drop and stabilizing at 135 per fill up. This is the same with resetting the instant speed and mileage stabilizing at 5.0MPG. I only have the Shareware version of Ross-Tech's software (Waiting on my activation key, however.) But there was one fault code that they let me see and now that I look over it, it seems I can look up these codes on my own in the meantime. VAG-COM Version: Release 409.1-US Chassis Type: 4B - Audi A6 C5 Scan: 01,02,03,08,15,16,17,35,36,37,45,55,56,76 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Address 01: Engine Controller: 4B0 907 551 Q Component: 2.7l V6/5VT 0003 Coding: 06752 5 Faults Found: 17544 - Fuel Trim: Bank 1 (Add): System too Lean P1136 - 35-00 - - 16805 - Warm Up Catalyst: Bank 1: Efficiency Below Threshold P0421 - 35-10 - - - Intermittent 17546 - Shareware Version. To Decode all DTCs P1138 - 35-00 - Please Register/Activate Readiness: 0000 0000 I've asked about one or two of these before I think, but I figured I would include them all in one thread. Ultimately I'd like to throw APR flash on it, but not until I figure all this mess out. Any help would be most appreciated. Thanks --Removed two irrelevant codes dealing with low voltage battery and engine start failure re: immobilizer (Dealer repairs/reprograms ECU before I buy from independent mechanic and just happens to forget to ask me if I have a spare keyfob) The last one isn't listed in the ross-tech wiki, but +- a number to the code does."

[Edited on October 17, 2007 at 8:51 PM. Reason : .]

10/17/2007 8:43:11 PM

that's a good price. it may not be a leak worth fixing... a small amount of oil can give a strong smell, especially if it gets on hot parts like the exhaust.

if it's gear oil getting by a cv shaft or grease from a cv joint, they are both some of the most awful smelling stuff that's in a car. especially if it's old or burnt.

so, i wouldn't immediately be concerned about a leak unless you're leaving puddles around or the bottom of the car looks like an oil bath, etc.

as for the cruise, speedo, and computer issues, my first guess would be a speed sensor acting up. it's really hard to say though, could be other things too.

10/17/2007 8:58:41 PM

Yeah, the CV boots are definitely starting to wear, I do know that for a fact. I just didn't think they could leak oil anywhere hot enough to burn it and replicate that smell.

10/17/2007 9:09:05 PM

i can't say i recall off hand exactly how the exhaust is routed in those, but on many cars it's possible for an inside cv boot to get a tear and fling some grease on something. the stuff just smells in general too... without burning.

from the mechanic's description though, it sounds like they were probably talking about a cv shaft seal where it goes into the transmission. which makes sense, if you know the cv boots are aged then the shaft seals are too.

could be an engine leak running down somewhere in that area also, too many possibilitys to speculate really... my main point was is that it could be a small/insignificant leak causing the smell. strong smell =/ big leak. like i said, the easy way to tell is just keep an eye on what you're leaving behind where you're parked and check the fluid levels whenever you get gas. or, take a peek under it... if you see oil glistening everywhere, it's more than a small leak.

10/17/2007 9:21:09 PM

cv shaft seal = cam tensioner seal?

I had them replace those before selling me the car. And yeah, i understand the endless possibilities, thanks for sharing some

Quote :

"1 -- Valve cover gasket leaking. VERY common. Every 2.7T S4 has had this problem. It's annoying but not a HUGE deal. You should get it fixed eventually if it gets worse and should add a quart of oil in between changes. Also could be cam tensionser seals, but you'll usually notice smoke as well as the smell. 2 -- When the oil is cooler and not flowing as well, and in colder temps, the turbo's will be audible while spooling / in vaccuum. It's normal. 17/18psi is normal for a chipped S4. With a chipped S4, you should bee seeing 18-19psi spikes, settling to 16-17psi and tapering off to 13psi by redline. 3 -- I don't think the instrument cluster is wrong, I think you have bad EGT Sensors which is causing you to really rich and killing a lot of fuel. The on board computer will take into account a number of factors to determine MPG, etc. Bad EGT's and or 02's will heavily weigh on that. Looks like you need to replace those and get an APR flash and you'll be good to go. Good luck! --Adam"

[Edited on October 17, 2007 at 9:25 PM. Reason : AZ]

10/17/2007 9:22:37 PM

Quote :

"cv shaft seal = cam tensioner seal?"

nah, not related at all... the cv shafts are what connect the transmission to the wheels and drive them. there are seals where the shafts slide into the transmission on each side. they keep transmission fluid/oil from coming out. as they wear out, they can seep some by.

Quote :

"When the oil is cooler and not flowing as well, and in colder temps, the turbo's will be audible while spooling / in vaccuum."

this is correct. you may just be noticing it more with the cooler morning/evening temps we've had recently.

Quote :

"I don't think the instrument cluster is wrong, I think you have bad EGT Sensors which is causing you to really rich and killing a lot of fuel. The on board computer will take into account a number of factors to determine MPG, etc. Bad EGT's and or 02's will heavily weigh on that."

i don't agree with this at all. if i'm understanding correctly, you're speedometer and cruise control also aren't working correctly, in addition to the mpg and mileage figures being screwy. maybe i read wrong?

10/17/2007 9:31:27 PM

The analogue? speedometer works. The computer cluster stats are all fucked up including the one that gives instantaneous MPH. Cruise does not work, correct.

10/17/2007 9:39:28 PM

have you manually calculated mileage and ensured it's not actually that bad?

10/17/2007 10:06:19 PM

I do burn a lot of fuel, but I've had it 00032 (sports mode/1st redlines) for a while so I wasn't sure if it was my lead foot or not. The past two 700+ mile road trips I've taken yielded around 300-350 per fill up. That was anywhere from 15 gallons to the full 18. I think I calculated the actual highway mileage at 21 which seemed a tad low.

10/17/2007 10:09:12 PM

Quote :

"On my car though it's a major PITA."

Talking about the S14? No it isn't.

Go for it man. You'll get raped at a shop.

[Edited on October 17, 2007 at 10:15 PM. Reason : haha late fucking post]

10/17/2007 10:15:04 PM

Quote :

"2) Sometimes when starting, it sounds like one or both of my turbos are spinning up louder than when I bought the car. "

perhaps in the morning, for about 2 minutes after startup?

10/17/2007 10:47:51 PM

great, fucking flat tire 1 mile from my house pull into a car wash to change it and my lug nut safety key mysteriously decides to vanish somewhere into one of my wheel well storage areas.

10/18/2007 5:45:50 PM

At least it wasn't 4am on the way back from Chicago in a new car..in freezing rain, with no fucking lug wrench or key.

That sucked, btw.

[Edited on October 18, 2007 at 5:56 PM. Reason : oh, and it was in west virginia]

10/18/2007 5:56:34 PM

im starting to think that i'm half retarded. The piece im presuming to be a key is about a 1 inch threaded cylinder with a hole on the opposite end.

but the last bolt won't come loose and the wrench keeps slipping off



lawl, this is just a convenience thing for weaklings to put the tire back on eh?


[Edited on October 18, 2007 at 6:29 PM. Reason : .]

lol 15m and it's done, two mechanics i asked for this "key" must have had a good laugh

[Edited on October 18, 2007 at 6:45 PM. Reason : methinks i should be grounded from garage =\]

10/18/2007 6:23:25 PM