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Another C5 Allroad

Nice! I have a 2003 All-road. It has a leaking thermostat housing. I have an aluminum version to replace the stock plastic one. The car has 190,000 miles on it. After reading your post, I’m going to wait 20-30 thousand more miles and replace the timing belt and thermostat housing at the same time.
Mine also needs a bunch of front suspension and steering work. I’m going to rip into it this winter, once it gets so cold I can’t drive it my fuel injector o-rings start leaking, ah la space shuttle challenger. Good luck with yours. I’ll update with pictures when I actually do something.
 
Nice! I gained a thermostat housing leak when I did my timing belt, I have to top off coolant after 5-6 heat cycles. It seems to leak worst on shutdown from warm. I haven't torn the front down again yet. On my LONG list of projects.
 
My coolant leak is not consistent, it only leaks sometimes. I just add coolant when the light comes on.
 
Drove the Audi to work this morning. Snow covered roads, slippery, slushy; the car was in its element. Absolutely great traction and control. Good reminder why I have it.
Now, just have to find the time for the front end and steering work... and everything else.
 
I have nothing of substance to add. I drive this car to work every day. 48 miles round trip. 20 mpg. Front end is worn out, especially the right side. Air suspension works, but leaks down and can’t catch up sometimes... or something. The right front has a bad level sensor, I think that may be my entire problem. The engine leaks oil and coolant, but not alot. It has a new clutch but has developed a weird chatter on engagement that I think might be a bad transmission mount or something with the worn out front end because it gets better if I run at the lowest suspension setting. I really like this car, I intend to rebuild the front end this winter and keep driving it.
 
if level matters, I'd check the CVs. operating angle differences and all.

my coolant leak is annoying, and I need to do a clutch. I'll get an RPM flare if I put my foot in it below 3k. Awfully tempting to put K04 turbos and a tune on it. Still need to address evap and SAI codes too.
 
My only code is a clutch travel sensor error. I believe I can adjust the sensor to fix that. I also have the suspension error light on. I only have a simple code reader, I know I need to get the cable and software to go deeper and do any tuning. I’m fairly intimidated to do that. I replaced the clutch 2 winters ago and got rid of the dual mass flywheel. I considered going to catless downpipes but didn’t. Such a cool car with so much possibility, but such a money pit!
 
I've had a VAG-COM since my very first TDI, things would be so much more frustrating without the ability to make minor coding adjustments and see sensor values. It really points be back into VAG cars for dailies since I don't have those abilities on other platforms. I have a charging system thing going on with my Ram, would be so nice to just be able to log voltages and see what's seen vs what I see in the dash lights to track down where the problem is (a pulsing overcharge, intermittently, at 2-4Hz... Annoying)
 
Ok. I’ll bite the bullet and get with the program. Literally
 
What do I need to get? Is it just the software and an interface cable? Where is the best place to purchase what I need?
 
software and interface, yeah. the software license is in the cable. no-name cables have some limited functionality, I'm not real familiar with those. Probably come up used once in a while on enthusiast sites when people move on?
my usb hex+can hasn't failed me yet, it was the newest thing 15 years ago when I got it.
https://www.ross-tech.com/vag-com/
 
Rotated the tires on my Audi last night. Scoped out my coming project while I was at it. Struts and air springs and brakes are ok. Everything else is worn out. Tie rod ends, ball joints, sway bar end links. My main oil leak is up high on the drivers side of the engine, but too low to see from the top of the engine.
Should all be do-able, just takes time and money.
 
I put Delphi arms on the front of mine, they were all hammered. the rubber is already showing cracks after 8-10 months. I was not religious about tightening bolts at ride height, so do be sure to do that when you replace.

I own an alignment rack and still haven't aligned it, either. but did take care of a loose rear toe link bolt.
 
To follow up on my underwhelming posts, rather than invest all the time and money needed to get my Audi in good shape, I sold it.
 
for shame for shame. now who will help keep my thread alive as I ignore my car??

it needs an axle shaft. Likely won't get many summer miles since it's not in good enough shape to car show. Hood needs a buff and fender flares need love to look straight enough to bother with. Will keep dairying my rusty TDI wagon that I love nearly as much while I dream of turbo swaps.
 
Will keep dairying my rusty TDI wagon that I love nearly as much while I dream of turbo swaps.
turbo swap on the alh?
I can't recommend a big wastegated turbo enough. Goes from something that falls flat on its face at 2500 to a car that actually pulls with the tach wrapped around well past where it stops reading (which is only like 5200).
 
that was a reference to k04 on the 2.7.

the rusty wagon has a 17/22 that I got an OK deal on. it lights around 2k and makes me hate front wheel drive. I have to drive it semi-carefully, it will surge in exact right conditions around that transition point. it had injectors and a tune already when I bought it and I adjusted nothing after the turbo swap. the other parts of its map are close enough, and it'll give a light haze at 30psi full tilt without going past 1200˚ so it's not too far off...

it's quick enough that I think it's fun, but I've never had anthing proper fast. I just like the way the C5 is planted and the lack of drama the awd gives, even if it feels (and is) 2x as heavy it uses the weight nicely.
 
vane turbos are way too much work to map right, thus the rec for the wastegated dinosaur turbo, lol
and yeah, fwd means it'll only ever be quick from about 40 on up

sucks how little room there is on the allroads, kinda stuck with twins rather than a simple big single
 
yeah they're packaged insanely tight. Could MAYBE do a low single front where one intercooler is and run through a front-mount intercooler. Probably no room for anything but race-ready front dump exhaust though. I know people have stuffed LS motors in them, maybe with pushrod sized heads some room would clear up. Knowing me I'll run it as is until it doesn't then do something expensive, time consuming, and stupid...
 
Sounds like the perfect Audi owner attitude. I’ll be feeding my German car addiction by living vicariously through you...I did see a neat Mercedes the other day.
 
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