cen

I brought my 99.5 Avant for the first service this past week, and here are some comments which might be of interest. I have not had a chance to speak to the dealer regarding a followup call, but did speak to the independent research company (i.e., two followup calls - one from the dealer and one from Audi).

The car has not been driven much, and this service was performed at the 6-month point rather than the 5000 mile point. The six month interval began at the end of August, but the car spent just over a month on a ship to the US and I had some difficulty registering the vehicle in California (until I got the EPA and Audi involved), and has not been driven much.

As stated on the invoice, the dealer uses 10-30W Pennzoil engine oil. Following the service, the oil level was at approximately the midpoint ("can add oil") level, as measured before leaving the dealer and when returning home. This was about the same level as when the car was brought in. I didn't add oil during the six month period. I was going to ask about switching to synthetic until evaluating all the forum feedback and deciding to wait until the car is completely broken in.

It did not seem that the tires were rotated, unless the dealer managed to do so without disturbing the brake dust. I was not concerned about this because the car has just over 3000 miles, so I can do it myself later.

The car was not washed and the interior was not cleaned. I have noticed that many participants in the forum don't want the dealer to touch their car, and I don't know if it was because many requests had been made not to wash the car.

I asked that the windshield wiper operation be checked. It seems that there is low pressure from the jets and the wiper blades are not lubricated until they have already done one cycle. It seems that to get fluid, I have to hold the lever so long that the headlight washers are activated. I did not see any improvement following the service, although the invoice indicated that the nozzles were adjusted and operation was rechecked, OK.

The service manager (Kevin Johnson, not Hector from Rector) was friendly. I had gone in about three weeks early to make an appointment because of information on the forum. When I got to the dealer, my name wasn't on the list, but that seemed to be because the information on the car was incomplete, since it had not been purchased in the US. I did not ask for a loaner vehicle, but from what another service manager was saying to another customer, Audi will not pay for a loaner unless the maintenance is anticipated to take the whole day or more. I was planning to wait for the service anyway. If I had stated that I was going to wait when making the apppointment, the service manager said that my car would have been done sooner. Completion was expected right after lunch. The car left the waiting area just before noon. I didn't mind waiting since I had homework to do anyway. (Yes, I'm in school full time. Yes, I'm unemployed, but looking for a job. No, I'm a military retiree.)

I noticed one of the tire stem caps missing when I got home. I checked all the others, and they were very loose. One seemed to be engaged less than a turn, so I suspect the missing one fell off on my way home. Not that tire stem caps are a big deal ...

I guess I've gone on long enough, but I just wanted to cover some points which have been covered, such as the oil question. Overall, due to the simplicity of the maintenance, I am satisfied, and won't make more specific comments on the maintenance quality of this dealer until something more involved is required. I would go back to Rector, based on comments on the forum and this experience, even though there is a closer Audi dealership further down the Peninsula.

Charles E. Norona
99.5 1.8T Avant, manual, sport
but I drive a Saturn to school, on odd jobs, and on job hunting trips

quattrogirl

I've been a Rector customer for my (almost a) year of A4 ownership. I'd say they're running 75% right now. They've had a change in management and perhaps that's causing them to forget the finishing items. Not rotating tires and not filling fluids when it says they did on the record is UNACCEPTABLE- call Hector and take the car right back.
ON the car wash issue - I learned this myself from experience- ask them for a wash "coupon" if they don't have time to do it that day. It's a voucher for an interior wash & vacuum at the place down the street they take the cars to themselves.
I've had struggles with brake pad replacement (Audi was out of stock, I had aftermarket pads, they put them on but wouldn't give me a replacement OEM set, bitched to AoA and new pads gratis are here finally...) but generally Rector's service team is responsive and pays attention to the small details. Hector or Dan Spignola are the Audi advisors I deal with, both have done pretty much "whatever it takes" to fix the niggly problems with my car.
Give em one more chance, then try the dealership in Santa Clara....

my $.02
Christine Scholl
99.5 2.8 QMSC

cen

It is good to know about the wash "coupon". Perhaps a normal person would have asked about it, but I had already been there all morning (at my choice).

As for the oil, based on forum comments, I thought that it was good to have it somewhere in the normal range (above "must add" mark) rather than overfilling. My thought was that having the oil topped off before bringing the car for service might contribute to all the overfilling reports. I'm not trying to justify the overfilling as acceptable, but just offering some explanation.

I did plan on going back and discussing my questions next week.

I noticed that if I am not satisfied with Rector, you suggested Stevens Creek (I forgot the name). So, perhaps it is useful for someone looking for a place for Bay Area service to note that there is a dealership in between Santa Clara and Burlingame that is not a leading choice.

Thanks again for supplementing and balancing my input. I posted it so someone would have an idea of what to expect there (e.g., Pennzoil), and not as a complaint.

Charles Norona

quattrogirl

On the oil thing, I know overfilling is a BAD thing to do- my 2.8 burns around a quart every 2-3 months, this is "normal"....
I have switched to synthetic myself - I bring in 8 quarts of Mobil One (5-30) to Rector and they gladly use it for me.
Hmm there is one other dealer on "the other side of 101" in East Palo Alto, but trusted sources in the NorCal A4 Club (now NorCal Audi Club) have had SERIOUSLY NEGATIVE experiences there, so I'll stick with what works.

Hey, if you're not doing anything tomorrow (Sun the 5th) and want to have fun in the rain, head up to 3-Com Park- there's an autocross. Check the Racing Forum for a post from Corey Smith for the details. The Audis run in the CSP group, which is from noon to 4/5/6 pm.

- Christine Scholl