arsbrocca

Hello everyone! Two weeks ago I purchased a 2004 Audi A6 Quattro 2.7T S-Line with 104K miles, clean CarFax and AutoCheck, previous owner had all major services completed (timing belt replacement kit, new water pump, etc.).

The car has been running tremendously well, no issues at cold start, brakes are good, steering is good, all interior electronics are working fine, no issues whatsoever.

I live just outside Detroit, MI. This weekend I took a road trip down to Chicago, IL and again had no issues at all.

Halfway back, which was the same day... my CEL came on, at first I was a bit worried, assuming the worst, but after a few minutes of panic I realized it was most likely something minor.

Any ideas as to what it may be? I'm taking it in Tuesday, 10/17 for its 105K service as well as an oil change and tire rotation. Obviously the dealer will run the code for me to see what the issue is but I just want to hear what anyone in the forums think.

The trip took place Friday, 10/13 and was roughly a 570 mile trip total (a few stops here and there). CEL is still on, but I haven't noticed anything while driving the car since.

Thanks!

georgeb944

Hard to tell without codes. Could be anything, including transmission codes, etc.

You could take it to Autozone/OReillys/Advanced Auto and they will read the codes for you, but not as accurate as VCDS or VAGCOM reading.

arsbrocca

Thanks for the quick reply, would you suggest I purchase my own reader to save me the time from bringing it in?

Harleyguy

Would depend on how much value you place on your time. I think it is around $300 for a hardware/ software combo for Ross Tech. There are cheaper readers like from Autel that are under $100 but aren't as thorough. A steady amber CEL is probably emissions related. Could be anything from bad gasket on fuel filler cap to bad secondary air pump, rotted vacuum lines, etc. Pretty common on these. Generally the scanners that the autoparts stores use will pull most codes but will not tell you much outright. You will have to search the codes on Google or similar to get specific. You need a VAG COM specific scanner to read all the modules on Audi ( transmission, abs, engine, etc). The better the scanner the higher the price. Most on here swear by Ross Tech.

clancy

Agree with the Ross Tech. But only if you intend to do some of the routine maintenances and routine repairs. This an be an expensive car if you do not do some DIY and find a good indi Audi shop for the rest. I am sure there is an independent Audi shop in your area. I would stay away from the dealer unless you don’t mind sky high repairs. Most Audi dealers are not your best choice on a 13 year old car. There have been literally thousands of post here on the C5 A6 2.7car covering nearly every routine issue. Spend some time here and learn to search the archives for issues.

arsbrocca

Thanks for all the information guys, I'll be digging through the forums tonight, if I have any further questions I'll be sure to ask.

Really appreciate the quick feedback!