Chewy379

So I put an order down for an A6 TDI over 4 weeks ago, and now with the diesel fiasco with VW, am wondering what I should do about my order.

One of the main lures of the diesel was its power efficiency plus power combination, if the 3.0 TDI is indeed affected, I may want to opt for the 3.0T SC engine instead.

Any ideas?

NoahWeb

Keep it on order. IMHO, TDI > 3.0T

The UWV report that prompted the EPA to get involved did not review the 3.0 TDI. It is possible that the 3.0 TDI is affected, but no one knows for sure. I posted a link to the report in the other Diesel thread.


I say this coming from an RS4 to TDI. While the TDI does not rev like, or deliver power like, the 4.2L V8, it delivers the torque in a manner that is unbelievable. Fantastic motor! Wish we could get the BiTDI in the states!!

Chewy379

My worry is that if the issue is indeed existent on the 3.0 TDI I'd have to deal with recalls, or it being held at the port, and also potentially (most likely) lower than expected power and mileage after they apply the patch.

NoahWeb

The 3.0 TDI is not affected. Given the timeline that the EPA/VW worked the 2.0 TDI, I wouldn't be worried on my order to delivery date. The stop sale only affects 2.0 TDI's.

A recall happens to any vehicle/product. My Recaro child car seat got one yesterday. IF there were a recall for the 3.0 TDI, than it'd be rolled up into your AudiCare service at 5k. Loss of time? Not likely and you'll be given a loaner vehicle regardless.

Lower power/mileage after patch? Again, look at the link I posted to the University study of the problem. Power and mileage were NOT affected. Simply the emissions were affected in either road/dyno conditions. IF you want more power, than look to APR's TDI tune.

NoahWeb

Oh, and the emission systems between a 2.0 TDI and 3.0 are very different by hardware. It might be unlikely to see a recall period.

There are some other threads on here that get into more detail.

Chewy379

From all the articles I've been reading regarding this issue, it seems that the vast majority say if VW opts for a software patch to fix the emission levels, the performance and fuel efficiency will decrease. I also read the research you posted, it discusses about the emission levels but not about potential patches and its corresponding effects.

dodat

Another angle you should look at is the resale value of this car. Since, the Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn has publicly accepted blame and apologized for the emissions cheat, all diesel engines in the VW family are in question. It is too early to determine the reputation / perception impact but you should definitely take this into consideration if you have an option to modify your order.

NABS4

People have short memories and/or don't care. The GM fiasco is still on-going with regards to the ignition issue. How much has that affected sales? Toyota had that unintended acceleration issue a few years back. How much did that affect their sales? Those two issues were directly responsible for death, so I find that more egregious than VW's current issue. I dare say that Toyota's resale value has not been hurt. There may have been a temporary dip but it quickly recovered.

jjsC6

Maybe you are not old enough know that Audi was the original unintended acceleration victim. And it damn sure did effect Audi sales. At the time Audi was a niche line in the U.S. Whereas Toyota was a huge factor in the U.S. With many millions of owners who consider it the Gold standard of quality.

NABS4

The biggest issue was Audi at the time was that they were ****, let alone the spastic 60 minutes piece that dragged Audi through the mud, which everyone ate up. This is an issue which has tagged VW mostly and peripheraly Audi, but it is not safety related. Again, how much has this affected GM (hardly the gold standard for quality) or Chrysler, which announces a large recall seemingly weekly? The answer is not much.