Steve Q

Welcome to the forum Nathaniel :) you'll find the members on here are a friendly bunch and will help you with any questions you have :) you've got a very nicely spec'd a3 by the way :) cheers steve

Your most welcome :) glad I could help :)

Glad you got sorted Sam :) that website sounds useful for others! When you get a chance why don't you upload a pic of your a6 :) Cheers steve

How about lowering it not on the floor lol) and putting slightly larger wheels? Or just spray the wheels you have black? You couldbalso do a remap to increase power slightly and a sports exhaust ;) one think you could do is have a black or carbon fibre wrap on the roof to contrast with the white paint work. Oh and some s3 style mirrors which will be either chromed or an aluminium finish. Hope my suggestions weren't too stupid! Cheers Steve

Welcome to the forum :) nice looking a3 by the way! you'll find the members on here are a friendly bunch and will be very helpful :) cheers steve

Your welcome! :) will deffo hit other cities and even counties. Il be doing a similar article on the Low Emissions Zones for other eu countries such as Belgium and Germany in the near future. Yep it will be! London, Birmingham and Nottingham are some of the first.

Lol, well the Range Rover evogue, mini, Jeep Wrangler and others have all been copied! We might be able to get cheap a8's, r8's and rs6's lol

Well said Dan. As Dan says the 1.6tdi engine holds 4.3 litres. Be careful with over filling the engine. Your clearly not stupid as you've changed the oil so you don't need me to tell you, you can do damage by over filling it. (Not meaning to tell you how to suck eggs!) cheers Steve

Glad I've been of some help :) With no proven work carried out I would personally avoid. I'd go for one with proven service history. Put it this way my a6 has been owned by my family from new and we have ebery invoice, receipt and bill. Even for tyres! This is the type of history you want but hard to find! But these are the best cars. Cheers steve

Hello Harry, welcome to the forum :) youll find the members on here are a friendly bunch :) what age of a3 are you looking at purchasing? As always, check the service history and see if and when the cambelt/water pump was changed as this can cost you anywhere from £400-£600 to have done. Again check to make sure all electrical items work such as windows as the motors will not be cheap. This includes the aircon, as as aircon pumps/condensers can be expensive to fix. Also check to make sure the Quattro system is working. That may sound daft but if it's not working properly it will be expensive to put right. Is it manual or auto your looking at? If manual, make sure the clutch feels ok and it's not heavy or slipping. Check to see if this has been done in the service history. I would doubt it due to the miles. But again it won't be the cheapest job to sort. If your looking at an auto make sure the gear changes are smooth both in auto mode and manual mode. Also check the service history to see when the gearbox fluid was last changed as neglect in this area can be costly. A gearbox oil change will probably cost around £200 at a guess. Also with autos, if it has paddles on the steering wheel make sure they are changing the gears smoothly. Then lastly check and listen out for any whines from the turbo as again this will be costly to fix. Appprox £1000. I would advise you try and have an inspection carried out on the vehicle. Companies such as the AA and RAC offer this service. It's also worth doing this because if the seller refuses or tries to make it awkward then just walk away! Remember there are plenty of a3's on the market! ;) i hope iv not scared you! Just don't want you to be stung! An a3 s line Quattro that has been well looked after and maintained is a cracking car and you won't be disappointed! :) cheers steve

Welcome to the forum :) nice looking a3 you have there! What mileage is on it? you'll find the members on here are a friendly and helpful bunch! :) I would say: stainless sports exhaust, lowered and 17 or 18" rims :) oh and a remap! ;) cheers steve

your welcome :) glad I could help :) cheers steve

Thought I'd show you all this. This is a copycat of the Audi A6 made by the chinese firm Jac and is named the Refine a60! It is designed and sold for the Chinese market. I can't imagine audi bosses loosing sleep at night over this! Heres the link for the full article from the motoring press https://www.carnewschina.com/2016/01/27/this-is-the-jac-refine-a60-sedan-for-china/ cheers Steve

As i Say, we all lives Audis here and we are all passionate about the brand! The a6 is a cracker by car and so glad your pleased with it :) If the weather here in Leicester is anything to go by then it will be rain, rain, rain in Portsmouth! Cheers steve

Welcome to the forum :) there is no snobbery here! All the members are a friendly bunch and will help you with any questions you have :) i have a 2002 Audi A6 which my dad bought new and I love it! Doesn't matter about the age of the Audi as all the members in here love Audis!! Cheers steve

Hope this info is useful :) Emissions standard Applied to new passenger car approvals from Applied to all new registrations from Euro 1 1 July 1992 31 December 1992 Euro 2 1 January 1996 1 January 1997 Euro 3 1 January 2000 1 January 2001 Euro 4 1 January 2005 1 January 2006 Euro 5 1 September 2009 1 January 2011 Euro 6 1 September 2014 1 September 2015 Euro 1 (EC93) Implementation date (new approvals): 1 July 1992 Implementation date (all new registrations): 31 December 1992 The first Europe-wide euro emissions standards were introduced in July 1992 and the regulations weren’t anywhere near as stringent as they are today. That said, the fitment of catalytic converters became compulsory on all new cars, and Euro 1 required the switch to unleaded petrol. Back then, only hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxide were tested, along with particulate matter in the case of diesel engines. Over the years, the regulations have become stricter and the limits lowered. Euro 1 emissions standards (petrol) CO: 2.72g/km HC + NOx: 0.97g/km Euro 1 emissions standards (diesel) CO: 2.72/gkm HC + NOx: 0.97g/km PM: 0.14g/km Euro 2 (EC96) Implementation date (new approvals): 1 January 1996 Implementation date (all new registrations): 1 January 1997 Euro 2 reduced the limits for carbon monoxide and the combined limit for unburned hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxide, as well as introducing different levels for petrol and diesel engines. Euro 2 emissions standards (petrol) CO: 2.2g/km HC + NOx: 0.5g/km Euro 2 emissions standards (diesel) CO: 1.0g/km HC + NOx: 0.7g/km PM: 0.08g/km Euro 3 (EC2000) Implementation date (new approvals): 1 January 2000 Implementation date (all new registrations): 1 January 2001 Euro 3 split the hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxide limits for petrol and diesel engines, as well as adding a separate nitrogen oxide limit for diesel vehicles. The warm-up period was removed from the test procedure. Euro 3 emissions standards (petrol) CO: 2.3g/km HC: 0.20g/km NOx: 0.15g/km Euro 3 emissions standards (diesel) CO: 0.64g/km HC + NOx: 0.56g/km NOx: 0.50g/km PM: 0.05g/km Euro 4 (EC2005) Implementation date (new approvals): 1 January 2005 Implementation date (all new registrations): 1 January 2006 Euro 4 emissions standards (petrol) CO: 1.0g/km HC: 0.10g/km NOx: 0.08g/km Euro 4 emissions standards (diesel) CO: 0.50g/km HC + NOx: 0.30g/km NOx: 0.25g/km PM: 0.025g/km Euro 5 Implementation date (new approvals): 1 September 2009 Implementation date (all new registrations): 1 January 2011 The big news for Euro 5 was the introduction of particulate filters (DPFs) for diesel vehicles, along with lower limits across the board. For type approvals from September 2011 and new cars from January 2013, diesel vehicles were subject to a new limit on particulate numbers. DPFs capture 99% of all particulate matter and are fitted to every new diesel car. Cars meeting Euro 5 standards emit the equivalent of one grain of sand per kilometre driven. Euro 5 emissions standards (petrol) CO: 1.0g/km HC: 0.10g/km NOx: 0.06g/km PM: 0.005g/km (direct injection only) Euro 5 emissions standards (diesel) CO: 0.50g/km HC + NOx: 0.23g/km NOx: 0.18g/km PM: 0.005g/km PM: 6.0x10 ^11/km Euro 6 Implementation date (new approvals): 1 September 2014 Implementation date (all new registrations): 1 September 2015 The sixth and current incarnation of the Euro emissions standard was introduced on all new registrations in September 2015. For diesels, the permitted level of NOx has been slashed from 0.18g/km in Euro 5 to 0.08g/km. A focus on diesel NOx was the direct result of studies connecting these emissions with respiratory problems. To meet the new targets, some carmakers have introduced Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR), in which a liquid-reductant agent is injected through a catalyst into the exhaust of a diesel vehicle. A chemical reaction converts the nitrogen oxide into harmless water and nitrogen, which are expelled through the exhaust pipe. The alternative method of meeting Euro 6 standards is Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR). A portion of the exhaust gas is mixed with intake air to lower the burning temperature. The vehicle’s ECU controls the EGR in accordance with the engine load or speed. Euro 6 emissions standards (petrol) CO: 1.0g/km HC: 0.10g/km NOx: 0.06g/km PM: 0.005g/km (direct injection only) PM: 6.0x10 ^11/km (direct injection only) Euro 6 emissions standards (diesel) CO: 0.50g/km HC + NOx: 0.17g/km NOx: 0.08g/km PM: 0.005g/km PM: 6.0x10 ^11/km Information courtesy of the RAC https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/know-how/euro-emissions-standards/ Cheers Steve

As of March 31st 2017 France has introduced 'clean air' windscreen stickers, as a legal requirement in some of its major cities such as Paris, Lyon and Grenoble. The sticker is designed to allow the authorities to know the emission levels of the vehicle displaying the sticker based on the euro Emissions Standards. As you can imagine the initiative is designed to low the pollution levels within French major cities. It should also be noted that cars registered before 1997 are already banned from Paris on Weekdays as of 2020 cars registered on or before 2011 will also be banned. The stickers cost as little as £3.20 and vehicles travelling into the above cities without a sticker can be fined up to £117! When ordering your sticker you have to upload a copy of your V5 (log book) document to the database. This must be uploaded in JPEG, PNG or PDF format and the file size must be under 400KB. PLEASE NOTE that on ordering your sticker it can take up to 6 weeks to arrive! Further Info https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/news/motoring-news/law-change-for-uk-drivers-in-french-cities/ Official Crit air sticker (certificate) website https://www.certificat-air.gouv.fr/en (Be careful of independent companies charging up to 4x the amount for the sticker!) Vehicle Emissions Standards Emissions standard Applied to new passenger car approvals from Applied to all new registrations from Euro 1 1 July 1992 31 December 1992 Euro 2 1 January 1996 1 January 1997 Euro 3 1 January 2000 1 January 2001 Euro 4 1 January 2005 1 January 2006 Euro 5 1 September 2009 1 January 2011 Euro 6 1 September 2014 1 September 2015 Euro 1 (EC93) Implementation date (new approvals): 1 July 1992 Implementation date (all new registrations): 31 December 1992 The first Europe-wide euro emissions standards were introduced in July 1992 and the regulations weren’t anywhere near as stringent as they are today. That said, the fitment of catalytic converters became compulsory on all new cars, and Euro 1 required the switch to unleaded petrol. Back then, only hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxide were tested, along with particulate matter in the case of diesel engines. Over the years, the regulations have become stricter and the limits lowered. Euro 1 emissions standards (petrol) CO: 2.72g/km HC + NOx: 0.97g/km Euro 1 emissions standards (diesel) CO: 2.72/gkm HC + NOx: 0.97g/km PM: 0.14g/km Euro 2 (EC96) Implementation date (new approvals): 1 January 1996 Implementation date (all new registrations): 1 January 1997 Euro 2 reduced the limits for carbon monoxide and the combined limit for unburned hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxide, as well as introducing different levels for petrol and diesel engines. Euro 2 emissions standards (petrol) CO: 2.2g/km HC + NOx: 0.5g/km Euro 2 emissions standards (diesel) CO: 1.0g/km HC + NOx: 0.7g/km PM: 0.08g/km Euro 3 (EC2000) Implementation date (new approvals): 1 January 2000 Implementation date (all new registrations): 1 January 2001 Euro 3 split the hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxide limits for petrol and diesel engines, as well as adding a separate nitrogen oxide limit for diesel vehicles. The warm-up period was removed from the test procedure. Euro 3 emissions standards (petrol) CO: 2.3g/km HC: 0.20g/km NOx: 0.15g/km Euro 3 emissions standards (diesel) CO: 0.64g/km HC + NOx: 0.56g/km NOx: 0.50g/km PM: 0.05g/km Euro 4 (EC2005) Implementation date (new approvals): 1 January 2005 Implementation date (all new registrations): 1 January 2006 Euro 4 emissions standards (petrol) CO: 1.0g/km HC: 0.10g/km NOx: 0.08g/km Euro 4 emissions standards (diesel) CO: 0.50g/km HC + NOx: 0.30g/km NOx: 0.25g/km PM: 0.025g/km Euro 5 Implementation date (new approvals): 1 September 2009 Implementation date (all new registrations): 1 January 2011 The big news for Euro 5 was the introduction of particulate filters (DPFs) for diesel vehicles, along with lower limits across the board. For type approvals from September 2011 and new cars from January 2013, diesel vehicles were subject to a new limit on particulate numbers. DPFs capture 99% of all particulate matter and are fitted to every new diesel car. Cars meeting Euro 5 standards emit the equivalent of one grain of sand per kilometre driven. Euro 5 emissions standards (petrol) CO: 1.0g/km HC: 0.10g/km NOx: 0.06g/km PM: 0.005g/km (direct injection only) Euro 5 emissions standards (diesel) CO: 0.50g/km HC + NOx: 0.23g/km NOx: 0.18g/km PM: 0.005g/km PM: 6.0x10 ^11/km Euro 6 Implementation date (new approvals): 1 September 2014 Implementation date (all new registrations): 1 September 2015 The sixth and current incarnation of the Euro emissions standard was introduced on all new registrations in September 2015. For diesels, the permitted level of NOx has been slashed from 0.18g/km in Euro 5 to 0.08g/km. A focus on diesel NOx was the direct result of studies connecting these emissions with respiratory problems. To meet the new targets, some carmakers have introduced Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR), in which a liquid-reductant agent is injected through a catalyst into the exhaust of a diesel vehicle. A chemical reaction converts the nitrogen oxide into harmless water and nitrogen, which are expelled through the exhaust pipe. The alternative method of meeting Euro 6 standards is Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR). A portion of the exhaust gas is mixed with intake air to lower the burning temperature. The vehicle’s ECU controls the EGR in accordance with the engine load or speed. Euro 6 emissions standards (petrol) CO: 1.0g/km HC: 0.10g/km NOx: 0.06g/km PM: 0.005g/km (direct injection only) PM: 6.0x10 ^11/km (direct injection only) Euro 6 emissions standards (diesel) CO: 0.50g/km HC + NOx: 0.17g/km NOx: 0.08g/km PM: 0.005g/km PM: 6.0x10 ^11/km https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/know-how/euro-emissions-standards/ Hope this is all useful :) Cheers Steve

Your most welcome Chris :) If it were me I'd go for the 3.0tdi but obviously there are varying opinions on both engines. A vehicle check is a very good idea and the AA, RAC and independent companies offer this service. I think with some companies there are limits in terms of the age of vehicle. I.E if the vehicle is too old or has too high miles they wont come and inspect it. But its worth mentioning to any seller that you would like to have the vehicle inspected by a specialist, as the sellers reaction will give you a good idea on the vehicles condition. If they are reluctant or refuse then Id suggest to walk away. Remember there are plenty of audi a6's to choose from! I would speak to the AA and RAC first as I don't know off hand any audi inspectors if that makes sense. I would try google or even the yellow pages for VAG specalists in your area as I'm sure they can put you in touch with someone. I would say for a cambelt/waterpump replacement you'll be looking anywhere from £400-£600. Oh and I would try and get a car with full service history. (Sorry if I'm telling you how to suck eggs!) Truthfully I'm not to knowledgeable about the auto gearboxes from this era of audis but as a general rule with auto gearboxes make sure that the gear changes aren't jerky and if the car has paddles on the steering wheel make sure they change the gears smoothly. Also on test drive flick the car to manual mode to make sure the car is changing gears properly then as well. Glad I've been useful :) Cheers Steve

Welcome to the forum Christian :) Is it a 2005 model a6 your after? I would check the service history to see when the cambelt/water pump was last changed. Also make sure that the aircon works properly as it can be costly to fix if the pump or condenser has gone (approx £1000). Again make sure all electronic items work such as windows as they too can be expensive to fix. Make sure the car changes gear properly and there's no untoward crunching and the clutch feels fine. (not high or stiff) check service history to see if it has been changed previously. Listen out for any whines from the turbo as they too can be costly to fix (approx £1000). hope iv helped :) cheers steve

Your most welcome for the advice:) we're always more than happy to help :)

I am very surprised that they didn't tell you you could refuse. When I worked for a vw service department I always told customers they could refuse. Hace they said the egr needs replacing or what have they said is wrong?

Welcome to the forum :) You can't go wrong with a stainless steel exhaust. This will make the car sound sporty :) other mods to make it look nice is lowering it on sports suspension kit which will lower the car by around 30mm or coilovers which will lower the car and give a stiffer ride. Linked with this you can't go wrong with a nice set of alloy wheels. Normally 17 or 18 inch wheels are good :) Oh and have a quick look on google images or our club gallery for some inspiration :) hope iv helped cheers steve :)

Looks good Gav :) dont hesitate to ask questions:) cheers steve

Your welcome Gareth :) Oops! you have a very good point, I should have put it in the recall action in the first place! ;) i believe it is the onus on the new owner to sort it cheers steve

Hi Mick, welcome to the forum :) youll find the members on here are a friendly bunch :) dont hesitate to ask questions :) cheers Steve