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Hi,
I was wondering if any of you has ever checked how big/wide are the gaps between body panels of your A6? In general mine seem not too big, however I often see lower class cars that seem to have much smaller distances between panels...Anybody messured what are the spaces for example between front door and back door or the trunk/bonet from each side?
Would be interesting to get your feedback on this.
Dear Tadziak,
I've watched your posts about wind noise, ACC control, auto lights not having a crystal ball and now body gap dimensions. I generally think myself a little picky but I have to say that this is my 5th Audi, I'm generally happy with it - as I have been with all the others. Nothing's perfect, even a Lamborghini or a McLaren, but I know my car represents good design, good build quality and good value on re-sale. Compare the build quality with a BM or Merc.
Try to look on the things that don't annoy you and you might grow to love it.
Can't argue with that! :D
But in way of a comment lets just say that I've never noticed any excess body gaps, even during the many times I've washed and polished the car, and I'm pretty critical.
Next time I go out to the car I purposely won't be looking at the gaps! :D
That's a wise and good post. I'm aware that it's not healthy to look for problems or unperfections, it's better to enjoy the things, because nothing really is perfect. However when you buy an expensive car, an electronic device or whatever else, you want to make sure that you get 100% of what you paid for. Meaning, if there are let's say 100 A6 C7 cars and some of them are quieter, the other have better acceleration, other have nicer aligned body or smoother working gearbox - then it's annoying. And unfortunately, we are living in a world when no two products are really the same. So I want my car to be as good as this model can be in every aspect and I'm trying to make sure if everything is 'within' specs or something needs to be corrected by the dealer.Quote:
Originally Posted by k6rff
Well I usually notice things like that even if they don't really bother me. My car sits in a car park at work with an A3, a Merc AMG coupe, two Volvos, a Toyota and a Suzuki. Panel gaps wise I would say they are all pretty similar apart from the Suzuki which is noticably better, but then it is all round a pretty abysmal car and frankly I would rather be seen getting out of a sheep.
My A6 is on a par with my previous XF Jag panel fit wise but the Audi is defo superior in paint quality. All round I think Audi sit within the pack, as to differences from car to car there is far less of it with automated manufacturing so I wouldn't worry too much about it, if we put our cars side by side I bet we would have to squint to see too much of a difference.
OK, who is manufacturing these 'lesser cars' with their narrow gaps? Should I be looking at buying a Ford Focus or how about a Vauxhall Insignia - or even a Suzuki perhaps?
i like the sheep analogy - just about sums it up.
If you are driving around in an Audi it won't take long for smaller panel gaps to be come far less relevent if you get into that Vauxhall, Ford, or Suzuki. I am not detracting from those cars, however, it is a different segment. Car manufactuers filter down product and what is the top of the tree in a Vauxhall ? Insignia,I don't know, but I think it is, Audi- A8 or R8, depending on your inclination. Bit of a difference there.
As to the Suzuki, it is a very neatly put together little car but it is populated with cheap plastic, the tinny sound when you close the door makes you think you would be better protected in a carrier bag if you had a smash, and it is noisy + uncomfortable.
Your A6 is a different world.
suzuki's are also pretty appalling when it comes to getting parts and information. even autodata has not a lot on any of them, so if you want to do a timing belt on an 05 plate alto, yo have to guess how to do it. a lot of stuff is main dealer only and not all computers will interrogate them.
You just need a tipex pen! :dunno:Quote:
Originally Posted by zollaf
that what i do. luckiliy the one i look after is so easy to do you don't even need tippex. but its things like tensioner torques . the main point is that the suzuki might do 70 mpg, but is a really nasty little car with no aftermarket support. people who own vags just don't reaslise how fortunate thy are with the main dealers, tps, ecp, gsf, vcds and the rest of the aftermarket world. this more than makes up for large panel gaps.
talking of panel gaps, you wanna see a landrover. some are so bad that a thin person doesn't even need to open the door to get in.
I think that I might have instigated this. I have no axe to grind re that Suzuki, it is cheap, reliable, and put together very well. The point I made was it might win the panel gap contest but if I had to shuffle down a motorway for four hours I would be picking up the A6 key every day of the week.
they also rust spectacularly. only the other month this one decided to collapse one side of the front suspension when the spring turret plate thingy at the top of the strut let go.
I have to agree with that Z. I find main dealers for some marques are especially unhelpful. The local renault dealer refused to give me an engine code unless I booked it in for a scan. The Opel dealer simply left me on hold when I rang for info. Forums for some makes are more about style than substance. Luckily for VAG owners there's sites like this. The level of expertise and free advice and how to's is unmatched.Quote:
Originally Posted by zollaf
It's not your fault they made the bizarrely and inappropriately named Suzuki Swift!Quote:
Originally Posted by ScottyA6
The panel gaps on my car all look pretty consistent, but then they do on any modern car. Modern manufacturing techniques result in much tighter tolerances than used to be the case in the 70s, 80s and 90s. All manufacturers (even those of "lesser" cars) use much the same process to stamp panels, weld bodies and align panels.
Whilst I'm sure that's true, when a dealer has been poking about with said panels, you can lose the quality of the lines quite easily.Quote:
Originally Posted by rickerby
There was a car on Watchdog, a Ford Focus I think, which had a badly fitting hatch, which even after adjustment had inconsistent gaps. You'd think that with jigs, robots etc. this wouldn't happen but it clearly did in that case and so even in this day and age with the manufacturing/assembly methods used it does happen.
This is how badly aligned were the panels of my VW Passat CC (100% new from factory). The hood was not even aligned with the grill lines, Front door was way heigher than the rear etc etc. So now I'm a bit overly-sensitive ;)
Attachment 22706Attachment 22707Attachment 22708
Is it a cut & shut :dunno:?
that passat must have been involved in a shunt and been rebuilt to be that bad. yes, even brand new cars are often full of filler.
I don't want to trash the forum with another thread, can anyone tell me what is that funny sound like something ticking in the back of the car, when I shut my door (from the outside)? It sounds like something in the trunk is doing 'tick tick tick' a few seconds after I close the door. Is it alarm related or something is locking/unlocking?
I get a sound of air trying to escape when I shut the doors and it appears to come from the rear of the car, could that be it? Not a ticking as such.
This I also hear, funny sound, like when you open a can of air ;) I checked it again - this 'tick tick tick' is not always when you close the door, seems random - sometimes when you open them, also when opening the car with the key/remote at the begining, but also not when I try locking it and unlocking again. Weird.Quote:
Originally Posted by Wuffles
Does it have vacuum central locking?
Not just something cooling down? Brakes? Are they glowing? Are you a rally driver?
No, no - my car hasn't been moved in a few days, it's just standing in the garage, so no way anything is cooling down or anything like that. It's definitely something to to with locking/closing the car - I suspected even key sensor (the car must know whether it's inside or not).Quote:
Originally Posted by Wuffles
So you could be an American rally driver. I see. This is lost in translation, I apologise.Quote:
Originally Posted by tadziak
Do you have Advanced Key?
Not that I know what Advanced key is or does, you could say yes and it won't help me in any way. Just a thought.