Only 7 more sleeps to go, but in the meantime some general questions . . . . . . .

[Allroad_2013]

As the title say's, only seven more sleeps to go before we collect our new Allroad next Thursday. This is roughly two weeks earlier than we had been quoted at time of order, so either production is up or sales are down!

Just a few general'ish questions:

1. Where is the best (cheapest) place to buy Audi accessories (boot mat, mud flaps, etc.)?

2. What is oil consumption like on the 3.0 V6 TDI? I seem to remember from a few years back they had a bit of a reputation for consuming engine oil at quite a rate. I had a 2.4V6 petrol A4 10 years ago and it used to consume a litre of Castrol Edge every 1200 to 1500 miles and at the time I estimated it was costing the equaivalent of an extra 4p on a litre of petrol.

3. What's the geneneral concensus on "running in"? I didn't bother with my current car (tho' I didn't / don't thrash it from cold). It seems that a bit of hard(ish) use early on, helps to bed it in. Just wondering what others views are.

4. Why are owners manuals not available for download? They are for just about every other VW/Audi brand (haven't checked Bugatti mind). I've read the brochure enough times to make it a candidate for my specialist subject on Mastermind, so would have really liked to get to know the controls better during the wait.

I'll post some pics once I get it home next week.

[Whippy53]

There is no need to run in in the conventional sense, don't rev excessivly, don't let it labour, let the oil circulate for a few seconds before moving off. Too much kid glove treatment will do more damage than good. Get to 1000 miles then drive it like you stole it!

[johnsimcox]

1. Where is the best (cheapest) place to buy Audi accessories (http://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_nkw=audi+accessories) (boot mat, mud flaps (http://www.shopzilla.co.uk/rd2?t=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chainreactioncycles.com%2FS etProperty.aspx%3FShippingCountryID%3D1903%26Curre ncyISO%3DGBP%26PartnerID%3D2771%26ReturnUrl%3DMode ls.aspx%3FModelID%3D11679&mid=126294&catId=100001031&atom=100001036&prodId=&oid=4159680532&pos=1&bId=18&bidType=2&bAmt=70b005e67cee82d9&cobrand=2&rf=af1&af_assettype_id=10&af_creative_id=6&af_id=11444), etc
See what your dealer will do in terms of a discount on accessories before you pick up the car. You are in the strongest position then to get a deal. Failing that (or in preparation for that discussion) look on e-Bay. Some Audi dealers will on occasion sell parts this way. Also look to buy from sellers in Germany, for many parts they are the same but often cheaper even once you have paid the postage.

2. What is oil consumption like on the 3.0 V6 TDI? I seem to remember from a few years back they had a bit of a reputation for consuming engine oil at quite a rate. I had a 2.4V6 petrol A4 10 years ago and it used to consume a litre of Castrol Edge every 1200 to 1500 miles and at the time I estimated it was costing the equaivalent of an extra 4p on a litre of petrol.
Audi say that 1 litre per 1000 miles is within normal operating tolerances. My car has done nearly 9000 miles and I have not had to put any oil in, others report needing to put a lot of oil in. Also note the A6 no longer has a dipstick as standard instead relying on a display in the MMI system. You can retrofit a dipstick if you want though as the hole where it goes is just plugged. Also Audi no longer supply the cars with a litre of oil in the boot. Worth asking your dealer to give you one.

3. What's the geneneral concensus on "running in"? I didn't bother with my current car (tho' I didn't / don't thrash it from cold). It seems that a bit of hard(ish) use early on, helps to bed it in. Just wondering what others views are
Agree with previous comments. Don't thrash it for the first 1000 miles or so. How you treat it early on may have a bearing on the oil consumption

4. Why are owners manuals not available for download? They are for just about every other VW/Audi brand (haven't checked Bugatti mind). I've read the brochure enough times to make it a candidate for my specialist subject on Mastermind, so would have really liked to get to know the controls better during the wait.
No idea why Audi won't embrace the electronic age. For a while they put the manual on a DVD which could be accessed through the MMI but they have stopped doing that

[Bloater]

Agree with the running in, I asked and was told no need. Also I got the DVD of the handbook, now loaded to the MMI, car is 2 weeks old so they haven't stopped doing it for everyone.

Can't help with the other questions though

[MFGF]

When did Audi stop supplying the top-up oil in the boot? My car came with a bottle in April 2012. I haven't had to touch it so far...

MF.

[johnsimcox]

When did Audi stop supplying the top-up oil in the boot? My car came with a bottle in April 2012. I haven't had to touch it so far...

MF.
My June 12 (MY13) car did not have it and I queried it with sales guy on the handover and was told that they no longer included it but he went off and got one for me from the parts department

[Pausten]

I collected Allroad on Monday. - Got oil didn't get first aid kit, or DVD - But think it is an oversight by dealer. - They seem to borrow stuff from one car to the next.
Also only got blue Iphone interface cable, - not aux or Android cable, which I want.
What MMI cables did everybody else get?
This is biturbo - No oil consumption in first 500 miles. Last 3 x 3 litre Q5's didn't use oil.
(CORRECTION: First aid kit was in rear arm-rest. I was looking for it in the storage net on right hand side of boot).

[Y90USF]

Do they do an android lead??

Sent from my GT-I9305 using Tapatalk 2

[AGW82]

Do they do an android lead??

Sent from my GT-I9305 using Tapatalk 2

I'm guessing he means the USB lead, as most (if not all) Android phones use Micro USB...

[johnsimcox]

I collected Allroad on Monday. - Got oil didn't get first aid kit, or DVD - But think it is an oversight by dealer. - They seem to borrow stuff from one car to the next.
Also only got blue Iphone interface cable, - not aux or Android cable, which I want.
What MMI cables did everybody else get?
This is biturbo - No oil consumption in first 500 miles. Last 3 x 3 litre Q5's didn't use oil.
In the sealed bag I got the blue lead and the USB lead so I assume that should be standard issue, I then asked for the red lead and was given that without surrendering the blue lead.

[diecastsink]

2. during first 17k before service, the MMI oil display dropped from full to 2/3 or so, there was no need to top up with supplied bottle.
Previous 4F with 176 kW engine I put maybe once half a litre, before every service after ~ 18-19 kmiles, run it for five years.
Maybe worth of following the level first thousand miles, theoretically the consumption should be more at the beginning.

Follow the level also when approaching the service, it can dramatically speed up the service when oil gets old and dirty.

[abuelbanat]

Mines was delivered 3 weeks ago and came with a litre of oil in the boot.

[retired99]

Mines was delivered 3 weeks ago and came with a litre of oil in the boot.

I notice you have the HUD option. Waiting for my car to be delivered, due end of July so quite a wait yet, and have specified HUD. Had this on my previous car (BMW 5 Series) and liked it not least because the central instrument cluster display on the BM required effort to read, combination of my eyesight and small font used. I find the A6 DIS much clearer and wondered what you thought of the HUD given that pretty much the same info is displayed on the HUD as the DIS.

Recently looked at an A6 fitted with HUD and thought the installation looked very aftermarket with the unit sitting on top of the instrument binnacle appearing very much like an after thought. The BM unit was recessed into the dash and basically invisible.

[abuelbanat]

I'm loving the HUD. First time I've had it so I'm impressed by the function.

I find the whole colour DIS very impressive. Love the crisp display, font size seems about right and it's very clear. I tend to flick between the onboard computer functions and media. The navigation options are also useful and with the HUD showing navigation prompts it all works well.

Have to agree with you on the installation - that would be my one gripe with this. It sits atop the dash very much looking like an afterthought. One tip I'd give is with the brightness (adjustable via the MMI). If you set it too bright you see a square background to the HUD display which is a distraction when all you want is the info on show. I have mine turned right down to the lowest setting which still makes the info easily readable but without the background glare.

[retired99]

I'm loving the HUD. First time I've had it so I'm impressed by the function.

I find the whole colour DIS very impressive. Love the crisp display, font size seems about right and it's very clear. I tend to flick between the onboard computer functions and media. The navigation options are also useful and with the HUD showing navigation prompts it all works well.

Have to agree with you on the installation - that would be my one gripe with this. It sits atop the dash very much looking like an afterthought. One tip I'd give is with the brightness (adjustable via the MMI). If you set it too bright you see a square background to the HUD display which is a distraction when all you want is the info on show. I have mine turned right down to the lowest setting which still makes the info easily readable but without the background glare.

Thanks for that.

Really undecided: buy the HUD, forget the HUD and keep the money or forget the HUD and spend the money on another option(s).

If I take the last option, spend the money onother options(s) I think it would be a choice between better wheels ( currently the standard 18", its an Allroad) or the Quattro Sports Diff which is claimed to improve the handling.

Still, with delivery that far away I have time to choose.

[johnsimcox]

Thanks for that.

Really undecided: buy the HUD, forget the HUD and keep the money or forget the HUD and spend the money on another option(s).

If I take the last option, spend the money onother options(s) I think it would be a choice between better wheels ( currently the standard 18", its an Allroad) or the Quattro Sports Diff which is claimed to improve the handling.

Still, with delivery that far away I have time to choose.
You may not have that long. As soon as they allocate a build week your specification is basically locked (it is at that point that all of the orders to the various suppliers for the different bits that make up the car are made) in and it is very difficult/impossible to change unless you are prepared to go the back of the queue

[retired99]

You may not have that long. As soon as they allocate a build week your specification is basically locked (it is at that point that all of the orders to the various suppliers for the different bits that make up the car are made) in and it is very difficult/impossible to change unless you are prepared to go the back of the queue

According to my salesman the order remains 'spec amendable' until about 4 weeks before build date. After this point changes are impossible. In fact I've made a change without affecting the date. Spec change could make a difference to the date due to parts availability as you say.

Dealers rely on this 'spec amendable' status to improve delivery dates to customers, they put orders into the system and then change them to meet a customer requirement.

Having said that I intend to go with a final spec in the next couple of days.

[Allroad_2013]

Just a quick update on one of the questions I asked in the opening post:

I sent Audi an email asking why their owners manuals weren't available to download and today someone called and left a message to say that they had had a few comments the same as mine and that marketing were planning on making them available "this season" which he thought would be Q3/Q4 this year.

Too late for my pre delivery information fest', but worth keeping an eye out for later this year.

[EvilPostIt]

You may not have that long. As soon as they allocate a build week your specification is basically locked (it is at that point that all of the orders to the various suppliers for the different bits that make up the car are made) in and it is very difficult/impossible to change unless you are prepared to go the back of the queue

Its not quite as simple as going to the back of the queue. Once the order is in a confirmed status that car is arriving at that dealership no matter what. To go to the back of the queue would effectively mean that 2 cars have been ordered, I found this out the hard way and it added 3 months to the delivery time as it was to be built at the end of Jan an is now being built next week.

[Simplysukh]

Mine is being built next week too....I Cant believe how long this wait feels....

[EvilPostIt]

Mine is being built next week too....I Cant believe how long this wait feels....

I ordered mine in December, its been a long wait! Mine went to "Comm Status 2" on monday which means it will be built towards the beginning of the week.

[Simplysukh]

Im not entirely sure the exacts.. im suppose to get a call from the dealer today. So fingers crossed...

I ordered start of Jan, so i know the feeling...!

[Allroad_2013]

I ordered mine in December, its been a long wait! Mine went to "Comm Status 2" on monday which means it will be built towards the beginning of the week.

That seems a long wait - is there anything particularly unique with your spec to delay it for so long?

We ordered ours on the 1st Feb and collect it tomorrow. It's an Allroad to our spec. and it arrived approx 2 weeks early.

[JohnEx]

Just wanted to say to Simplysukh and anyone else waiting for a black edition that the wait will be worth it. Took delivery of mine on 1st March and loving it having done just over 2000 miles. The Bose sound system gets better after a few hours use and I think I've got used to the tyre roar. I was also amazed to see an average of 44mpg (3.0 tdi 245) on the display this morning although I was stuck in a queue of trucks doing around 40 to 45 mph. Just a word or warning though, the Ibis White paint seems very soft and I've already picked up some chips plus a small gouge out of the front spoiler. The one consolation is that the touch up stick is an easy colour match.

[retired99]

That seems a long wait - is there anything particularly unique with your spec to delay it for so long?

We ordered ours on the 1st Feb and collect it tomorrow. It's an Allroad to our spec. and it arrived approx 2 weeks early.

Ordered mine 1st March (Allroad BiTurbo) and have a build date end of July.

Salesman said BiTurbo's have longer lead times. True? I don't know.

Was yours a new order or was the dealer using a car he had in the system which was still in a state where the spec could be changed.

Mine was a new order as there were no 'spec amendables' available.

[Allroad_2013]

Ordered mine 1st March (Allroad BiTurbo) and have a build date end of July.

Salesman said BiTurbo's have longer lead times. True? I don't know.

Was yours a new order or was the dealer using a car he had in the system which was still in a state where the spec could be changed.

Mine was a new order as there were no 'spec amendables' available.

As far as I know it was a new order. The delivery times quoted were the same whichever dealer I spoke to. The reduction of two weeks seems to coincide with Audi upping production.

Audi are really pushing the BiTurbo with a big advertising campaign so I guess demand is pretty strong for that engine.

[Simplysukh]

Just wanted to say to Simplysukh and anyone else waiting for a black edition that the wait will be worth it. Took delivery of mine on 1st March and loving it having done just over 2000 miles. The Bose sound system gets better after a few hours use and I think I've got used to the tyre roar. I was also amazed to see an average of 44mpg (3.0 tdi 245) on the display this morning although I was stuck in a queue of trucks doing around 40 to 45 mph. Just a word or warning though, the Ibis White paint seems very soft and I've already picked up some chips plus a small gouge out of the front spoiler. The one consolation is that the touch up stick is an easy colour match.

Congrats JohnEx! im actually jealous you have yours already lol. Did you go for any options.... I wish i got the 3.0TDI now seeing your average consumption is sooo good...

[JohnEx]

Congrats JohnEx! im actually jealous you have yours already lol. Did you go for any options.... I wish i got the 3.0TDI now seeing your average consumption is sooo good...

I had to re-spec it as Audi changed the contents of the Tech and Comfort packs the day before I ordered it. So, I ended up with the Black Edition plus electric front seats, heated front seats, 4 zone climate, Technology Pack, Storage Pack, mobile prep high (which works a treat with a Galaxy S3 in rsap mode), rear view parking camera, ambient lighting, electric heated / folding mirrors and LED headlights. Now really happy that I stayed with Audi rather than the Evoque that I was considering.

[gilbert frog]

Well, i ordered a 2.0 se auto 4 weeks ago. Just heard this evening from the Dealer that the car has been built, but will take up to 6 weeks to clear customs etc and arrive here...seems a bit long to nip across from Germany.
Hope you all looking forward to your "toy" as much as I am.

[EvilPostIt]

I ordered the bitdi black edition in Daytona grey, but the long wait was down to me changing the order after the order had gone to a completed state. I chose advanced key, heated seats, tech pack & mobile phone prep high (I'm a techy and I like gadgets). Looking to retrofit the rear view camera as I didn't realise it does a split view 90 degrees left and right which would be really help while blindly reversing out of my drive!

[johnsimcox]

Well, i ordered a 2.0 se auto 4 weeks ago. Just heard this evening from the Dealer that the car has been built, but will take up to 6 weeks to clear customs etc and arrive here...seems a bit long to nip across from Germany.
Hope you all looking forward to your "toy" as much as I am.
Unless there is some specific issue with shipping your car 6 weeks from being built to delivery seems a very long time. My C6 was a factory order and it only 2 weeks from being built to my driving it off the forecourt. My current c7 was sitting on the dock in The Netherlands when I ordered it and I had it within 2 weeks and it was in part delayed because of needing to reallocate it from another dealer and also waiting for the DVLA to provide the "new" registration for my old car so I could transfer the number. Would be worth asking the dealer why such a long delay.

[ukgroucho]

Ordered mine 1st March (Allroad BiTurbo) and have a build date end of July.

How long did it take for you to get a build date from your dealer?

I ordered an Allroad BiTdi to my specification April 9th (well I think the order went to Audi on the 10th)... wondering if I should call the sales guy. They suggested it could be Aug / Sept before I see the car.

Glacier white, sports seats, 4-zone climate control, heated seats all around, tech pack, xenons, lighting pack, 75l fuel tank.

I would have added DAB and power tailgate (I have the power tailgate on my 3.0TDi C6 Avant and love it) but those options will be part of the standard build for model year 2014 builds which start week 21 or 22 I believe (sometime mid-May). They are listed on my order with 0 cost against them just to be certain. :)

[ukgroucho]

2. What is oil consumption like on the 3.0 V6 TDI? I seem to remember from a few years back they had a bit of a reputation for consuming engine oil at quite a rate. I had a 2.4V6 petrol A4 10 years ago and it used to consume a litre of Castrol Edge every 1200 to 1500 miles and at the time I estimated it was costing the equaivalent of an extra 4p on a litre of petrol.

My C6 3.0 Tdi Avant used the best part of a liter in the first 10k miles and then settled down... since then I probably add a quarter liter between services, and it is on the variable service which comes out around every 18k miles.

[retired99]

How long did it take for you to get a build date from your dealer?

I ordered an Allroad BiTdi to my specification April 9th (well I think the order went to Audi on the 10th)... wondering if I should call the sales guy. They suggested it could be Aug / Sept before I see the car.

Glacier white, sports seats, 4-zone climate control, heated seats all around, tech pack, xenons, lighting pack, 75l fuel tank.

I would have added DAB and power tailgate (I have the power tailgate on my 3.0TDi C6 Avant and love it) but those options will be part of the standard build for model year 2014 builds which start week 21 or 22 I believe (sometime mid-May). They are listed on my order with 0 cost against them just to be certain. :)

When I first placed the order I was not given a build date as, and I'm probably getting the terminology wrong, there was 'no quota'. Not really sure what that means. He did, however, offer an estimate based on his experience of recent orders. He was overly pessimistic.

If there is no 'no quota' issue I would have thought the build date would be pretty much instantly available.

As part of my discussion with salesman he was able to simulate an order with me watching which gave the build date which would have been allocated had the order been 'live'.

A couple of weeks later I got the 'official' build date. Bear in mind that the build date you are initially given is provisional and it firms up nearer to the actual build date. Your order remains spec amendable up until about a month before build. Be aware that changing the spec can affect the build date if there are parts supply implications.

[EvilPostIt]

A couple of weeks later I got the 'official' build date. Bear in mind that the build date you are initially given is provisional and it firms up nearer to the actual build date. Your order remains spec amendable up until about a month before build. Be aware that changing the spec can affect the build date if there are parts supply implications.

There also seem to be 2 different types of orders. Spec ammendable and not. So if its not spec amendable you wont be able to change. Plus mind is being built next week so no powered tail gate for me :(

[retired99]

There also seem to be 2 different types of orders. Spec ammendable and not. So if its not spec amendable you wont be able to change. Plus mind is being built next week so no powered tail gate for me :(

An order becomes not 'spec amendable' about a month before the build date.

[ukgroucho]

Thanks for the answers.

I do wonder whether part of what they are doing is trying to manage batches of vehicles with common paint / trim and options. You have to believe that they get some of the optional components as batches and won't keep huge stocks of stuff around, there may be different tooling / skills required on the line for some items and paint (I imagine) is something where you want to push cars thru in batches - so set up to do a bunch of black ones etc.

I was lucky enough (years ago) to see the production lines at Rover and Land Rover and never really paid that much attention to how they schedule builds at a macro level... was more interested in the detail assembly stuff that was happening.

[johnsimcox]

Thanks for the answers.

I do wonder whether part of what they are doing is trying to manage batches of vehicles with common paint / trim and options. You have to believe that they get some of the optional components as batches and won't keep huge stocks of stuff around, there may be different tooling / skills required on the line for some items and paint (I imagine) is something where you want to push cars thru in batches - so set up to do a bunch of black ones etc.

I was lucky enough (years ago) to see the production lines at Rover and Land Rover and never really paid that much attention to how they schedule builds at a macro level... was more interested in the detail assembly stuff that was happening.
Painting is definitely done in batches, although they will have more than one paint area so they can do several colours at a time, and for common colours like silver they probably always have that one running. One of the reasons the Exclusive Colours cost so much is that have to clean down the spray area for possibly just one car. As to building in batches, a few years ago I did a project looking at the whole supply chain logistics process for car manufacturing almost from sheet steel at one end through to car arriving a dealer. A really interesting piece of work. A lot of a car's manufacture is now done by third parties away from the factory (although usually nearby) and the parts for a particular car will arrive at the assembly line just in time to fitted to the car. If you stand outside a car factory you will see an endless stream of lorries arriving and leaving as sub assemblies (complete dashboards or car interiors) arrive for build. If something arrives late it can cause serious issues for the manufacturer and bring production to a halt until the parts arrive. Not surprisingly these third parties have very strict service level agreements to ensure this is minimised or it costs them. In theory with the new MQB platform on the Golf/A3 which has been designed so that any vehicle based on it can be built on any production line designed for it you could see a Golf being followed by a Skoda Octavia then an A3 then a Seat Leon and then a couple more Golfs. What this does mean is that the third party providers will also want to work in batch mode to keep costs low so it will be agreed that in a certain week they build A6s with Sunroofs and if you have just missed a Sunroof build run and want that then you will have to wait until they have sufficient number of cars for another batch. The same would be the case with less popular paint colours.

[ukgroucho]

OK so I was not too far off the mark with my cogitating, thanks for the insight.

All of this adds up to "it's pretty hard to guess the build week early on cos you don't know where all the sub-assembly guys are at in meeting their commitments, and even when all of them deliver you gotta factor in the final paint job 'batch'".
I'm sure they have systems that try to do a best guess but it only takes one delivery to be late and a particular vehicle misses the Arctic White paint run and has to be delayed a week or two.

[auroan]

Painting is definitely done in batches, although they will have more than one paint area so they can do several colours at a time, and for common colours like silver they probably always have that one running. One of the reasons the Exclusive Colours cost so much is that have to clean down the spray area for possibly just one car. As to building in batches, a few years ago I did a project looking at the whole supply chain logistics process for car manufacturing almost from sheet steel at one end through to car arriving a dealer. A really interesting piece of work. A lot of a car's manufacture is now done by third parties away from the factory (although usually nearby) and the parts for a particular car will arrive at the assembly line just in time to fitted to the car. If you stand outside a car factory you will see an endless stream of lorries arriving and leaving as sub assemblies (complete dashboards or car interiors) arrive for build. If something arrives late it can cause serious issues for the manufacturer and bring production to a halt until the parts arrive. Not surprisingly these third parties have very strict service level agreements to ensure this is minimised or it costs them. In theory with the new MQB platform on the Golf/A3 which has been designed so that any vehicle based on it can be built on any production line designed for it you could see a Golf being followed by a Skoda Octavia then an A3 then a Seat Leon and then a couple more Golfs. What this does mean is that the third party providers will also want to work in batch mode to keep costs low so it will be agreed that in a certain week they build A6s with Sunroofs and if you have just missed a Sunroof build run and want that then you will have to wait until they have sufficient number of cars for another batch. The same would be the case with less popular paint colours.

Audi must run their paint shop differently then ? On my last factory tour at Ingolstadt, every A4 that went through the paint shop was a different colour. The robots could change colours in under a minute, using a self clean process.