# what to look for in a 4.2?



## dieselgeek19s (Mar 26, 2005)

what should i be weary of? Ive found a couple in my price range but im worried about mileage, should i be? Are they maintenance traps? any known issues i need to know about before buying one?


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## cd1121 (Sep 5, 2005)

make sure the timing belt has been changed if ovre 90k, i think it is.


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## Snowhere (Jul 27, 2007)

*Re: what to look for in a 4.2? (dieselgeek19s)*

I think the timing belt is supposed to be replaced every 35K miles! Like any audi, it needs to be well maintained. The Po should have plenty of documentation of their maintenance efforts. The control arms should not squeak when you push on the corners. Tiptronic should shift smoothly in both Tip mode and auto mode. You know, the usual stuff, oil changed regularly and no oil leaks or ripped cv boots.
Edit, maybe it is the S5 V8 that needs the belt changed every 35K!?


_Modified by Snowhere at 9:56 PM 9-28-2008_


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## dieselgeek19s (Mar 26, 2005)

so its safe to say other than general maintenance and the timeing belt its good high mileage motor? The one i found has 88k miles on it. Is it gonna last another 100k?


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## Snowhere (Jul 27, 2007)

*Re: (dieselgeek19s)*

Like ANY vehicle, if it is well maintained it will last a long time. If you really want to see the health of a vehicle, you need to do some compression checks. If you really do not know the car or know what to look for, spend the $70 to $100 to have a mechanic that specializes in European cars to check it out. It will be money well spent as it will either give you peace of mind that the car is in good shape, or will identify stuff that needs fixing. Then you can either walk away from the car, or use that information to get the price down, and then just spend the money saved to get her in top shape. 
When I bought my A6, it had 89K on it and needed a lot of minor maintenance work to bring it current. We knocked $2G of the price, and I just put that back into the car. The end result is I am not concerned at all of putting another 75K on the car. At that point, I will most likely drop another couple of grand into her to keep her in great shape. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## dieselgeek19s (Mar 26, 2005)

*Re: (Snowhere)*

awsome thats the stuff i was looking for. with that being said what kind of price should i be looking at for a 03 4.2 with 89k miles? what did you pay?


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## Snowhere (Jul 27, 2007)

*Re: (dieselgeek19s)*

I got it for $10G last spring. Now that the s**t has hit the fan, I would imagine you could get one for cheaper. Plus an Avant usually costs more then the sedan. The 4.2 was more expensive then the 2.8 so it is really tough to nail down the price. mine was literly owned by a little old lady, and besides minor stuff needing to be done and a little major with the timing belt needing replacement, she was babied and in great shape. For a colorado car, she never saw snow. Now I will not continue that, as I intend to use her all the time in the snow, but I am not looking to sell her off after just a year or two.


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## cd1121 (Sep 5, 2005)

i can't recall the mileage, it was realatively low. i paid 17 after tax and gap insurance last novermber


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## derracuda (Oct 22, 2004)

the T-belt does NOT have to be changed ever 35k... that's ridiculous. originally they called for 105k miles, but there were some cases of broken belts and they revised it... i can't remember to what exactly, but 85k is a safe bet in any case, and that's standard for all t-belts anymore.
the auto trannies aside, the cars are awesome... i mean it. they are built solid, drive great, handle very well for a big car (that's not justifying, i mean it.. i can keep up with my buddies in their smaller more capable cars no problem). 
i am selling my car. you may ask why, and the reason is i have 3 other project cars that need money, and other cars yet that i can drive, so i'm making a sacrifice to complete my other dreams.
http://forums.fourtitude.com/zerothread?id=3706869


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## Raudi S6 (Jan 12, 2008)

*Re: what to look for in a 4.2? (Snowhere)*

The RS6 4.2 Bi-Turbo motor needs to be serviced every 35K, the A6 / S6 4.2 non turbo motor is your standard 60K-75K range. The motor is pretty bullet proof. It is the control arms, and tranny that can be suspect. Be prepared the 4.2 is thirsty, but fun to drive. 
Good Luck


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## derracuda (Oct 22, 2004)

*Re: what to look for in a 4.2? (Raudi S6)*

what do you mean by "serviced"? .... i work in a shop that services all models of cars, foreign and domestic, and i'm not aware of a car that requires a t-belt service at 35k miles. minimum is 60k IME. 
spark plugs... i could see, they'll get more abuse in the boosted engine.


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## Raudi S6 (Jan 12, 2008)

*Re: what to look for in a 4.2? (derracuda)*

Timing belt service is to be done at 35K miles on the 4.2 Bi-Turbo motor. What do you mean by shop? Obviously not an Audi dealership then. Most indy shops would not know this and until the Q7 came out, very few Audi dealerships would even touch the RS6, because of the number of repairs that required the motor to be dropped to get to the item. It would cost a dealership about $150K to be set up with the drop table, that is now standard for repairs on the Q7.
I had a 03 RS6 for 2 years, and trust me, it is to be done every 35K miles. I have the Audi maintenance interval sheets to prove it. Do I need to scan them and post for everyone to see. How many RS6's has your shop worked on? 
This guy is talking about the non turbo 4.2 motor so it is not an issue.


_Modified by Raudi S6 at 12:57 AM 10/22/2008_


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## Slimjimmn (Apr 8, 2006)

*Re: what to look for in a 4.2? (Raudi S6)*

lol the drop table... I remember using that on the touareg v10 tdi I replaced the ac compressor on, very fun to use...


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