Tigger

Hi @SlacksMeridian, My car's slightly newer than the one you're specifically asking about, but here's my contribution... Mine's a 2017 A6 Avant - S Line - Black Edition (C7.5) (V6 3.0 TDI 272PS), so the most powerful of the three V6 Single-Turbo offerings (215, 242, and 268bhp), fitted with the 7 speed S-Tronic gearbox. I've had it three years now, with the only 'major' issue being the "in-Vee" water leak mentioned by @56Doc above... The part for that is around £40 and if you can replace it yourself then you're Golden! Sadly, I lack the space to strip the top of the engine down and gain access to it, so it cost me £650 in labour from the Audi lads to fit the part... The car's done 120,000 and is still going strong - I'm having the time of my life with it. Absolutely smitten. I came from a 2.0 TDI (Ford Mondeo) that gave me around 40mpg and the figures for this one said around the same - so with the extra 1 litre, 2 cylinders, and the potential fun they offered I was hoping not to spend much more on fuel... However I was getting around 35mpg on a daily commute that had 2 miles of urban driving and 30 miles of Motorway - each way - daily. So I joined the community here and searched various other forums too and came to the conclusion that a Superchips ECU Tune for the engine would provide better mpg in general, and a little 'extra fun' when desired. The figures given for mine on the Superchips website are: Manufacturer claimed BHP & Torque 268 BHP & 585 Nm (432 ft lbs) After Superchips Remap 334 BHP & 688 Nm (507 ft lbs) So, in theory, a gain of 66 BHP and 103 Nm (75ft lbs). I have not measured it - either before or after - so cannot verify the figures. What I can tell you is that I now get at least 3mpg better economy, even with a relatively heavy right foot - even more so in 'economy' mode. And from the lights I can now beat RS4's & RS5's - much to their anger and disappointment when it says A6 TDI on the back of mine! If you are going to go this route then in looking up the info above I saw they have a 'January Sale' on - almost half price! But most likely tomorrow is the last day! Regarding the S-Tronic Gearbox; I had the same concerns around power/torque limits but I did my research and found on a variety of Forums people had applied the same tune to the same car with the same Engine & Gearbox with no adverse effects. If I floor it from the lights it does give a tiny bit of a whine in First at full load, but it did that when I bought it before the Map was applied and I put it down to (relatively) high mileage @ 109k miles. The additional power/torque certainly did not change the sound it makes in any way... I do use a fairly heavy right foot from time to time, just for the fun of it when the roads are empty, but i have never done a Sport Mode 'Launch Control' take-off as I am concerned I'll break something... Just flooring the pedal from the lights is more than enough... And I've done this with the car in Dynamic/Sport mode, fully loaded with 5 people and luggage, with no adverse effects - other than the temporary mental wellbeing of the passengers that were not expecting it! LOL! I wish you fun and happiness in your new baby, and hope it brings you the same smile on your face that I get from mine - for many years to come... Best Regards, Tigger

Hi All, Skip down to TL:DR if you're impatient.... The title of the post sounds a bit grandiose, I grant you, but I am hoping the various Search Engines out there will pick it up and guide people here. I recently updated my MMI MIB2 ("Modular Infotainment Baukasten v2", aka MMI 4G), which is the Infotainment system in my 2017 A6, to version K3663 so that I can have Android Auto (and/or the Apple flavoured 'CarPlay' variant) and also update the SatNav to more modern maps... Coincidentally I also changed my Mobile Phone from an old Sony to a more modern Samsung... I have always absolutely loved the deep, bass-ridden 'Voice' notification 'Ringtone' in the MMI system that - when your Mobile Phone is ringing - announces "You... Have an incoming call..." but all of a sudden, after the software update, it is gone! Dismay! Panic! Grief and mourning! I was gutted. After some searching I found that more modern phones now play out their own Ringtone over the Bluetooth Phone Connection, rather than letting the connected accessory (Ear Buds, Speaker, or in this case - Car) play you its own Ringtone sounds - and if this is the case then the Audi MMI system either hides all the 'Ringtone' settings, or states they are "Not supported by mobile device". But fear not my Audi compatriots - solutions are at hand... TL:DR ------------------------------ If you are happy with your Phone's OWN Ringtone playing out over your car's speakers, but you hear nothing but silence when your phone is ringing, then the chances are that the default volume (Zero!) has not been adjusted since you last paired the current mobile device... Simply arrange for someone to call you on your phone with the car all powered up and paired, then using the Car volume controls (on the centre console or steering wheel) turn up the volume whilst the phone is still ringing until you hear your lovely ringtone reverberating throughout the car. Joy! Problem solved! The setting will be remembered for that phone, regardless as to the settings on the actual phone (if you mute your phone sounds the car will still play out your ringtone when you get a call). ------------------------------ If, like me, you want to hear Audi's Ringtone notification sounds AND you own a Samsung then the following should resolve the issue for you... Pair your phone with the car as normal... Make arrangements to receive a call, as above, and turn up the volume to ensure you hear something - the phone's own Ringtone, probably... Now, on your Samsung phone go to Settings --> Connections --> Bluetooth --> Advanced (using the three dots in the top-right corner of the 'Bluetooth' screen) and look for the setting named "Ringtone Sync" - if it is there then turn that sucker OFF! Next, go back to the 'Bluetooth' screen and switch it off, count to 5, and back on again. You will have to 'Connect' the phone again using the controls on the car and the phone - it will still be paired, just needs to be connected. Finally, on your car's MMI system go to Phone --> Settings --> Volume and you should find that the Ringtone selection and Ringtone Volume settings have reappeared! Simply select the ringtone you desire, and the volume at which you'd like to hear it, and then arrange one final test of being called on your phone to hear your desired choice of Audi Ringtone massage your ears and bring that smile back to your face. ------------------------------ If you don't own a Samsung then I'm afraid I don't know what to tell you... The equivalent of Samsung's "Ringtone Sync" setting is most likely on your phone somewhere - I ask that others who know their non-Samsung phones better to add in the comments below how they turned off that setting for themselves so that we finally have one central repository as to how to fix this annoying situation. (It took me three days of searching, reading, and experimentation to find this myself) ------------------------------ And hey, if you found this useful then maybe you should join the forum here and ask or answer your own questions for each other! This is, after all, the best Audi Owners Forum I've found to date... All the best, Tigger

Hi Anthony, (@anthonywalker198734) I'm terribly sorry to hear of your family emergency - I hope all is as well as it can be, and that things return to normal for you and your family soon... I don't think Gareth meant anything by it really... It can be frustrating putting effort into so many queries to have the responses you give seemingly ignored, and he is very active across the forum as a whole... I don't think it was anything against you personally - more a generalised comment/frustration... But I don't want to speak for him - he can respond for himself. Best Regards, and Wishes, Tigger

That's true Gareth (@Magnet), but we've done our part in trying to help... It didn't take me too long to type my comment... And if someone else finds this later from a Google (or similar) search then who knows how many we will help...? So, personally, I'm not too upset by it... This is just, sadly, how Forums tend to work... Best Regards, Tigger

Hi @Daniel9944, In your in-car entertainment system: 1 - Press the Menu Button 2 - Push the top-right silver button (around the centre 'selection' dial/button) corresponding to 'Setup MMI' on the screen 3 - Scroll all the way down the list to 'Version Information' and select it 4 - If the 'Software version' starts with 'MHI2' then you have the MIB2 type system (aka MMI 4G) and this can be updated to include Apple CarPlay - If the software version starts with an 'HNav', 'HN+', or 'BNav' then you have one of the older MMI 3G variants that cannot be upgraded to include CarPlay/Android Auto. The only option here, I believe, is a rather expensive refit/retro-fit of a MIB2/MMI4G into your car to enable the functionality. If you do have the MIB2 already then there is a post here to view: Best of luck! Tigger

Just on the AdBlue issue, last year just after I got my A6 I filled mine to the brim and the car said 'No AdBlue - car will not start' (or the equivalent message) and I was stuck! Apparently there is a Light/Laser that shines down through the tank to measure the fill level by reflection of the light off the surface of the liquid in the tank... However, if you absolutely fill it to the brim it makes contact with the lens of the light putting it below the liquid - therefore the light shines, gets no reflection as it is already below the reflective surface, so concludes the tank is empty! No AdBlue - No Start - No go! So one to be aware of... This past weekend I updated my MMI software (to include Apple CarPlay / Android Auto functionality) and my Maps to the 2022/2023 version, so the A14 near Cambridge no longer freaks it out thinking I'm driving through fields! Now, after a long round-trip, it needs a wash...

Hi @scooby1973, See here: Hope it helps... If you need someone else to complete it for you instead then I do not have that information I'm afraid... Good Luck! Tigger

I had my Battery replaced by my Audi Servicing people - wasn't cheap but it did resolve intermittent unusual dash lights... New Battery has to be coded to tell the car it is new and so not to overcharge it... I have an OBDEleven for my car to view/delete codes, as well as perform customisations, if you want/need a suggestions for a cheaper alternative to expensive diagnostics equipment... Hope you get it resolved. You definitely made the better choice with the Four Rings badge! 😋 🤣

Hi @Colspat, I updated my 2017 A6 (details in my profile) this past weekend - just sat in the back corner of a Supermarket Car Park with the engine running whilst the wife did the weekly shop... Be sure to read the instructions - once started the update cannot be stopped - if you do stop it by leaving the car, shutting it down, removing the key etc. then it WILL brick the system and cost you several thousand pounds to put right. That being said, follow the rules, instructions, precautions, and it is simple and easy. I'm also unsure of the rules on posting video links - if I am breaking a rule here then I ask Admins to Edit my post and remove the offending article. I obtained my software(s) from different sources, but this link is a good guide as to what to do: I also updated the Sat Nav Maps to 2022/2023 version after the above software update - before the update it said the latest maps were not supported. This procedure is more forgiving - you can stop/start the car during the procedure and the Maps update will auto-resume... As long as you do not remove the SD Card from the relevant slot in the meantime then the Maps update will complete. (It took around 45 minutes and I made two separate trips in the car) So - Be careful - follow the precations - and you can do it free of charge at your own risk. Good Luck!

Hi Chris, Coolant Leaks Take the plastic engine cover off... Shine a torch down the 'V' of the engine and look for the reflective shine of wet metal and/or puddles down there... (V6 Engine, has two sets of 3 cylinders, and a lot of pipes and cables running down the V that runs front to back between the cylinder heads - for those that might not understand what i mean) Towards the back of the engine there is a valve called the "Cooling System Bypass Line Adapter" - a valve controlled by a Vacuum line that diverts water to/from the Exhaust Gas Recirculation system when required... That's what failed for me recently, and is a commonly known fault for these 3L V6 TDI Engines. The good news is that the replacement valve should cost between £35 and £60 depending upon where you get it from. The bad news is that they have to practically disassemble the EGR system and clear out all the cables/pipes in the V of the engine to get to it and replace it - so Labour to fit the !Removed! thing cost me £600. The result is good though - coolant stays at whatever level is put in... Fault Readers As far as OBD Fault Code Readers - I have an 'OBDEleven' - Google will guide you to it if you're interested... It reads codes, but also allows a fair amount of customisation... I've changed the wipe period of my rear wiper - once every 6 seconds was far too frequent - now it wipes every 20 seconds which is more than frequent enough. I've changed the functionality of the Start/Stop system so that it doesn't revert back to start/Stop being active every time I get in the car - now it remembers how I had it set between each time I use the car. And I've turned on the 'Scandinavian' DRL - where your front lights have the white LED's lit whenever you drive the car, mine has the front white running lights and the tail lights on at all times - basically the same as having the side lights on at all times, which is what I've always done in previous cars. I've also activated both opening AND closing the tailgate via the door button and the remote control. There's tons of other stuff you can do too, if you wish... So yeah, just my thoughts on the matters... Tigger

@c7-245@DJM911 Apologies for late reply; I didn't see you made contact... Chris, I have the big clunky Bluefin, with the almost old-fashioned dot-matrix style LCD Screen, I've not seen the Powergate3... I also didn't note the file sizes for the original or update files... All I can tell you is that with mine the 'flash' procedure to apply either Original or Stage1 Engine Map takes the same 15 minutes, and it is automated. Bluefin queries the car and detects which Engine Map is in place, and then offers to install either the original or Stage1 map - which ever one is NOT currently installed. Following the Full Dealer Service I mentioned above I had issues with the car being very sluggish, so took it back to them... It was either very slow to build boost and 'go', or when you gave it more throttle to GET it to move it then dropped down 2 cogs and snapped your neck - not much in between, and count to 4 before it pulls away from junctions...! Not at all what my Audi was before the service! I removed the Stage1 Map before Service and reapplied it after - then repeating the remove/reapply either side of them having another look... So the Bluefin has been great for me. ( It turned out that changing the battery had somehow reset the 'adaptations' for the Throttle Pedal, the Engine Induction System, and the Gearbox - they reset everything and forced it to relearn the Throttle Pedal positions, how much boost the Turbo was giving at certain rev ranges/loads, and reminded the Gearbox how/when to change gear - and all is good again. Especially after the Stage1 was reapplied! 😉 ) David, I had the same concerns but I did my research and found on a variety of Forums people had applied the same tune to the same car with the same Engine & Gearbox with no adverse effects. If I floor it from the lights it does give a bit of a whine in First at full load, but it did that when I bought it before the Map was applied and I put it down to (relatively) high mileage @ 109k miles. The additional power/torque certainly did not change the sound it makes in any way... I do use a fairly heavy right foot from time to time, just for the fun of it when the roads are empty, but i have never done a Sport Mode 'Launch Control' take-off as I am concerned I'll break something... Just flooring the pedal from the lights is more than enough... And I've done this with the car in Dynamic/Sport mode, fully loaded with 5 people and luggage, with no adverse effects - other than the temporary mental wellbeing of the passengers that were not expecting it! LOL! I hope this helps... Tigger

Hi Ian, I think the A6 Saloons come with folding rear seats as standard...? Right...? So maybe lay across the folded-down seats with a torch/worklight whilst someone sprays the car with your own Jet Washer...? Just a thought... Best Regards, Tigger

Hi Ian, Last time I had this issue with a previous car (different manufacturer) I took the various boot panels/covers off so I could see the back of the light clusters, wiper motor, internal cavities, etc. I went to the local DIY Jet Wash with a friend and sat in the boot (hatch back) whilst they sprayed the car methodically from one side to the other, top to bottom, until I saw the water trickling in - mine was the rubber seal around the rear screen in one bottom corner... Lift that corner after a week in the sun to dry it all out again, tiny bead of clear silicon bath sealer, and that was it... Lasted until I sold the car 5 years later... Maybe this could work for you...? Best Regards, Tigger

Heh! I do like the OBD11... I also got the top package but my year is almost up... Changing the brightness of my DLR was a godsend - the Matrix LEDs are amazing at lighting the road, but SO directional that signs - especially overhead - don't get much light to reflect... With the DLR lights barely dimming it is much better all-round for reading signs and seeing other reflective surfaces/people. I also set my DLR to 'Scandinavian' - so DLR is both front and rear lights on at all times. Made a fair few changes in other areas too... Along with viewing codes and clearing errors. Good to know it can do this too... Best Regards Tigger

Hi Dee, That sucks... I'm sorry you went through that... All being well not a great deal else to go wrong with the engine as such... Having had all that done, if the rest of the car is still good then I would stick with it... But having been a Ford man all my life, getting my A6 last March was a game changer - a quantum leap - so I'm still in the honeymoon period with mine. Got a £1,000+ bill coming this month, but still in love... I hope it regains your love, and your trust. Best Regards, Tigger