KNOWN FAULTS · Audi

Audi A6 (C7) 3.0 TDI V6 common problems.

2011–2018 · Diesel

Sources are not verified in real time and no entry confirms that your car is affected.

3 known faults with sources

V6 TDI rear chains, intake flaps and leaksTiming / intake / leaks

Engine / equipment: 2.7 and 3.0 TDI V6 (EA896 and EA897): Audi A4, A5, A6, A7, A8, Q5, Q7; VW Touareg, Phaeton and Amarok; Porsche Cayenne, Macan and Panamera
Period mentioned: 2004–2018
Symptoms: Chain rattle for the first seconds after a cold start; power loss or limp mode from the intake flaps; coolant or oil loss in the engine V; EGR faults with rough idle.
Possible cause described: The timing chains sit at the rear of the engine, against the bulkhead, and their tensioners lose pressure. The intake flaps use plastic linkage rods that wear. The coolant valve, oil cooler gasket and EGR are packed into the engine V and leak with age.
Check for the garage: Listen to a cold start (a rattle lasting more than 2–3 seconds is a bad sign), check flap operation with a diagnostic tool, look for leaks in the engine V and check the oil change history.
Cost cited in the source: Tensioners and chains: approx. €2,000–4,500; EGR with cooler: €1,000–1,500; oil cooler gasket: €300–600A rough figure from the original database, not an up-to-date quote.

Mileage cited in the database: 100,000–150,000 km. This is not a maintenance interval and does not predict a failure.

Applies if: Only if fitted with the air conditioning system described.

A/C not cooling: N280 valveClimate control

Engine / equipment: Air conditioning with clutchless compressor and N280 regulating valve (combustion VW, Audi, Seat, Cupra and Skoda from 2006)
Period mentioned: 2006–2026
Symptoms: The air does not cool or cools intermittently (for example only at motorway speed), and sometimes the compressor rattles with the A/C on. Codes 01232 (N280 valve), P2612 or 00898.
Possible cause described: The compressor regulates its output with the N280 solenoid valve, its most common failure point. Audi issued technical bulletins over a manufacturing fault in this valve on Sanden compressors. Its connector can also become brittle and corrode (especially without the engine undertray), or the wiring fails.
Check for the garage: Read the codes and N280 control current with VCDS or ODIS, measure its resistance (about 10 ohms) and check the connector and wiring before replacing parts. If the valve or compressor is replaced, the whole circuit must be flushed.
Cost cited in the source: N280 valve: a cheap part (about 30 dollars) where sold separately; new compressor with circuit flush: considerably moreA rough figure from the original database, not an up-to-date quote.

Applies if: Only if fitted with the automatic gearbox described in the record.

Audi Multitronic (CVT) gearboxAutomatic gearbox

Engine / equipment: Multitronic continuously variable gearbox (01J and successors) in front-wheel-drive Audis: A4 B6/B7/B8, A5 8T and A6 C5/C6/C7
Period mentioned: 2000–2014
Symptoms: Judder or vibration when pulling away (especially uphill), a slipping feeling at low revs, jerky acceleration and limp mode with limited speed; sometimes a burning smell.
Possible cause described: Known failures of the variator chain and pulleys, the hydraulic and electronic control unit and the clutch pack. Audi issued service bulletins, and forums report failures even with the recommended fluid changes, although poor maintenance speeds them up.
Check for the garage: Read the gearbox codes with Audi-compatible equipment, check the fluid change history and, at a specialist, judge whether fluid and a clutch adaptation are enough or the control unit or variator needs repair. With limp mode or a burning smell, stop driving.
Cost cited in the source: A UK specialist says a judder checked early usually costs a few hundred pounds, while ignoring it can end in a full rebuild.A rough figure from the original database, not an up-to-date quote.