Audi A6 Allroad quattro, 2003, Akaa

Sold for repair — read the listing and watch the videos. The car should be transported on a trailer.

Officially named Audi Allroad Quattro.

Brief fault summary:

I have owned the car for almost exactly one year / 15,000 km. Two (different) faults appeared oddly at the same time while driving:

1. Engine speed fluctuated by a couple of hundred rpm and the drive felt like a rubber-band effect.

2. A ticking/clattering noise started from the engine bay. The noise would disappear at times and then return with varying intensity.

Error codes "P0741 Torque converter clutch circuit performance or stuck off" and "P0011 Camshaft position bank 1 implausible signal" were read soon after the symptoms appeared. Driving continued because no warning lights were on and the car still seemed driveable. P0011 was logged as "intermittent". In Tiptronic manual mode, running in any gear other than 5th stopped the rpm fluctuation. There appears to be an issue with the torque converter lock-up (fault 1).

After arriving, an additional code "P1340 Camshaft pos./crank shaft pos. sensor upper limit exceeded" was stored as "static". Observing with OBDeleven, the passenger-side VVT actuator position (live data channel 91) moves wildly. Most likely the locking pin is worn and the actuator ticks between end positions (fault 2). Disconnecting the solenoid connector does not change the behaviour, so the fault is mechanical. No plastic fragments or other debris were found in the oil filter, which also points to a faulty VVT actuator rather than shattered timing-chain guides.

It also appears the timing chain is stretched: live data channel 93 shows a timing correction of 7° on one bank (fault 3). Sources indicate a correction over 6° suggests an excessively stretched chain.

Whether there are one or two faults in the timing head, the head must be opened and repaired. On this model the timing head is at the firewall side, so the engine has to be dropped to carry out repairs. I do not have the skills for such a major repair, and having it done in a workshop is not economical. Buying a car like this always carries big risks, which have materialised in my case.

More background:

According to the service book a replacement engine was fitted in Sweden at around 177,000 km (2014); the only note is "Ny motor" in a separate service booklet. The car did spend some time in Sweden despite being an originally Finnish car. The new-engine theory is supported by the absence of any earlier timing-head repairs in the service history. The common fault for this engine type is weak timing-chain guides that typically fail between 100,000–150,000 km. It is therefore unlikely the timing head/engine is still original. The engine number would probably confirm this, but it has not been important to me as the car worked well until now.

So far nothing has catastrophically failed, but in this condition the timing head is essentially a ticking time bomb and I do not recommend driving the car. I took a conscious risk to start and move the car in the yard to capture evidence on video:

• That the car starts and moves forwards and backwards.

• The instrument cluster on start—no warning lights, which is a bit odd.

• The air suspension operation—works on all levels 1–4.

• The ticking noise from the engine, clearly coming from the passenger-side timing area.

• OBDeleven live data, especially channels 91, 92 and 93 which are relevant to the timing head.

A running and movable car is easier to sell and for the next owner to repair. Strangely, after the short move in the yard there were no fault codes in the memory.

I have also included a video of the underside filmed in May 2025. The previous owner (2022–2024) replaced control arms and fitted an Arnott air suspension with compressors. The original Continental compressor and shock absorbers are included. They should be in usable condition, which is why the previous owner kept them.

Before these issues the car drove surprisingly well. The only other fault code has been P2198, caused by exhaust leaks.

I replaced the battery in autumn 2025. The car currently has Hankook studded winter tyres used for one winter (DOT 2025). The sale includes a second set of Allroad original rims without tyres (I had not yet bought summer tyres) and a single full-size spare wheel with a rugged General Grabber tyre.

The vehicle has a factory-fitted detachable towbar. Roof bars (Thule), the roof basket and additional lights front and rear are included in the sale.

Vehicle must be collected within 7 days of the auction end unless agreed otherwise - Huutokaupat.com.