I have a 2000 A6 2.7T I bought recently. The car has been in and out of the shop for repeated engine problems... as soon as it gets out, the engine light comes back on.

There is a warranty but this is unnerving. Any ideas or suggestions on what to look for? Should it go to an Audi dealer, or will indies do a better job?

Well, looking for feedback

Thanks
Gil

 

if you ask in the forum about the BEST place to go in a certain area you're likely to get opinions that vary based on the dealers and the indie shops near you. around here, the dealer would seemingly rather only service VWs if they had a choice, but there IS a shining star in the indie shop world. the last place that i hung my hat the dealer was great. add a city to the question and someone will likely have a "favorite" to send you to. good luck, and take care. rob.

 

Hey Rob, thanks

I'm just dumbfounded by this car... I bought the car six weeks ago and it's spent about two week in the shop. And yes, I just left it there again, it's become known as the boomerang car at the dealer.

Sorry, I'm just venting

Anyway, I live in northern virginia outside of Washington DC, near Alexandria, Va.
Gil

 

to your problem. Whether its a dealer, or an independent, is pretty much a gamble, as both can be either stellar, or totally incompetent. You need to ask around and find out who knows what they are doing in your area. That might be the dealer, or some hole in the wall dive shop. Now its possible that you might have had multiple problems, but you should have been informed of that possibility. Were the engine codes the same when you returned after your first repair? If they cant answer that, then the shop did not do their job. They should have detailed the specific codes, and what they did to remedy them, in detail. This is so that the next time the light comes on, they have a leg to stand on. If the codes are the same as they just repaired than they failed in the repair. If the codes are different then you know there is a new and different problem. Any time we diagnose and or repair a MIL/CEL we always attach a copy of the VAG print out to the repair order. If a customer comes back within a couple of days fuming because the light is back on, we hook the VAG up and scan for codes while he watches. If its the same code, we eat it. If it is different, then the customer knows hes getting the straight story, and he pays to correct the new problem.
What most people dont realize is that there are upwards of 100 malfunctions that will trigger a CEL/MIL. Next time you need to make sure you have the codes in hand that the shop just repaired. This way, you have your own leg to stand on. Ed