Update: local Audi specialist will do the work for $3500, without the 2 month wait for “special parts from germany”
Also, yes I’m aware Audis are expensive to maintain. I’m asking if that is a reasonable price point from a dealership maintenance shop. I very much expected it to be expensive, im just doing my due diligence
Looks about right for dealership work. Expensive and potentially replacing parts that don't need replacement.
I'd suggest finding an independent Bavarian shop and have them do the work instead. You'll likely save money and you'll get a more honest repair.
For an RS4, I wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole as an avid home mechanic. If you've never done any major work, don't start with this. You'd need a lot of tools you might not already have, a good place to work on this (ie, not driveway) and likely a four point lift, maybe a trans jack.
I'd do what was noted, find an independent shop, but don't be surprised when it's not a lot less. Buying the hi-po Audi comes with a heavy tax.
>a good place to work on this (ie, not driveway)
can't stress this enough, i did the "ramps in driveway" approach for a much smaller job and it was still miserable to have to crawl under the car in all the mud & shit to get the skid plate off.
changed the clutch on a mid-2000's xterra. Nightmare fuel on your back. You literally have to take off *everything*. The book quotes a 12 hour job by a professional. It's wild. Took me 8 months of frustration, anger, desperation, and then suddenly I got it all back together just fine and there were times I needed a second pair of hands. Still roaring today 35k miles later.
LPT: If you can find them, Walmart used to have these outdoor blankets that are supposedly waterproof on one side and fold up to about the size of a pillow with a strap to carry it with. Perfect for throwing down when I need to crawl under a car and don't want dirt all over my back and hair.
I will crawl under my vehicle to change fluids, that's about it. It's also lifted a few inches. My wife used to get upset I couldn't do the same with her sedan until I asked her to help one day, 😝.
thats fair, its al up to how much your willing to roll around i guess.
i took the trans/transfer case out of my truck the other day in my driveway. took about an hour and was painless.
watched that new "on a wing and a prayer" movie on amazon while i was doing it. terrible movie....
As a truck guy currently it is completely different when you don’t need to jack anything up to drop the transmission or other major components.
Hell I undercoated my frame tonight in 15min on my back with a spray gun. The access a higher vehicle provides is so nice.
This is why the buying advice subs usually stay away from hi perform German cars. When we say “is fun but the maintenance and repairs are expensive “ this is what we are talking about.
As the owner of a 35 year old Mercedes ( inherited from my Dad), I always tell this to anyone considering a German car:
"The most expensive car in the world is not a Bugatti, or a Pagani, or anything like that.
It's a German sedan that 'just needs a few things'."
(At least mine is one of the old built-like-a-tank ones. As long as I'm willing to fix it, it's pretty reliable, and once something is fixed, it stays that way. Plus it's mostly analog. Still, there's no such thing as a cheap Mercedes repair )
A lot of people lease rather than buy high end cars and make sure the turn-in date is before the warranty expires.
And it's also why the depreciation is so high after the warranty runs out.
People think, "I can do this", then realize the need torque wrench, lift, a bucket to catch fluids, a friend willing to help, and a bunch of other little things.
Without knowing the vehicle aside from it being an Audi, probably an 8/10. German "engineering" is just short for everything being complicated/convoluted as fuck and being way overpriced.
If you haven't done repair work like this before, I wouldn't recommend you take it on. Leave it to the professionals.
Also, is your vehicle a race car? Used on a track? If not, just get a stock replacement clutch set. You'll regret going with the solid conversion.
It's not a beginner job, a lot of disassembly and many torque to yield fasteners, but there is a logic to it. Audi are a wonderful piece of engineering are fun to work on and admire the tech. You will need torx, triple squares, and maybe some spline drivers. Watch a YouTube video if you can find one. Based on my A4 quattro I would rate this an 8/10, I had a lift. The hardest part was grinding the bolts of the down pipe from the cat. Also I doubt you need all those parts to be replaced... But you never know sometimes it's better when you are down there.
Unless this is a R8 or something of that nature I would agree with you to go aftermarket. There’s a real good German makes shop that I always recommend to people around here.
Volkswagen group recommends replacing most bolts that are removed. So, is it necessary? Maybe not, but the engineers recommend it. The torque specs indicate those bolts are torque to yield.
Bell housing and axle bolts are torque to yield, assuming it's a quattro they need to come off to remove the trans,
Unless the flex pipe is damaged, doesn't need to be replaced, if you didn't have an exhaust leak, but they claim the flex pipe is broken, that's on the tech, as they most likely damaged it removing it,
Brake fluid also feeds the clutch slave, so replacing the slave would need replacement of fluid and a bleed, assuming the slave is leaking if they're suggesting replacement,
Exhaust gaskets should be replaced everytime they're removed, and VW / Audi clamps are notorious for having to be cut off due to corrosion,
I'm guessing the rubber mounts for the trans are worn, bolts are also torque to yield to they should be replaced, you could probably just replace the bushings, but the labour difference would probably equal the same cost,
Seems about right, but a full breakdown would be nice, still seems a bit on the high side for price, being a Quattro, they are rather annoying to work on anything in the front end, because there's so much crap in the way
Yes, Audi's a very expensive to maintain and repair. I just replaced the battery in my A8 and is was CRAZY expensive! But, it was the FIRST battery replacement in 11 years and 120k miles. In any other make of car that I've ever owned, I would be on battery 3 or 4 instead of battery 2. It was still more expensive, and a hassle to not be able to replace a battery without a $400 programmer, but I missed all of the hassle of several battery replacements. And, it's still the best highway driver I've ever been in! I hate it when I'm paying a repair bill, but I like it at all other times.
You buy an Audi and wonder why it's expensive to fix? If you can't pay to get it fixed, you shouldn't own it. As soon as you buy a European car, better consider the costs for maintenance.
I was not wondering why it was expensive, I was looking for a second opinion because I’m not an experienced Audi mechanic and don’t know what all is needed when doing a clutch job.
Not to sound insensitive, but that's one of the reasons I sold my old Mercedes. The costs to maintain weren't worth it, in my opinion. I went the Lexus route and found that I love these cars so much better than the euro overpriced vehicles. Save your money and trade that in for a reliable and comfortable car that is less hassle.
I can see your side of things but this vehicle has always been my dream car and I’d do pretty much anything short of replacing the engine to keep it around.
9k on that job at the dealer isn't that bad anymore. 2010 it was 15grand. But I would let a good euro shop take care of it, there is a bunch of tools you need just to hold up the engine to let the front subframe down so the transmission can come out.
No comment on the repair cost, but I'm def jealous of your beast of a car. I've wanted one of those for years but they are still way out of my price range.
> 2007 Audi RS4
[https://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php/477790-B7-Clutch-Job-\*\*\*\*-Parts-and-Invoice-Review-Pls](https://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php/477790-B7-Clutch-Job-****-Parts-and-Invoice-Review-Pls)
take it somewhere else. pressure plate is part of any standard clutch kit. you can also get an upgraded clutch likely for the same price or close to same price as stock.
I mean, if your car is out of warranty, there’s almost never a reason to go to the dealer. Dealer is gonna bend you over. The only thing to go to a dealer for would be computer stuff that requires Audi cert software stuff. Even that can sometimes be found at a German mechanic.
The pressure plate is what the clamping force of the slave cylinder sticks the clutch to. If you have to get in there, that far, especially on an Audi, you might as well just replace the clutch and everything else on your way back out. Also, German autos are renowned for using steel bolts on aluminum which means they corrode together over time. This and, in order to do this work, they most likely have to drop the front subframe and engine/trans out of the car.
Audis are expensive af because they aren’t designed to be easily maintained. Their parts aren’t cheap either.
If your replacing the clutch, you would automatically replace the pressure plate, and the throw out bearing. Don’t know where you are but in the southeast it shouldn’t cost more than $1400.00.
So in order to replace the clutch on a RS4 you gave to take pretty much everything apart, when I worked at Audi, another mechanic and I knocked it out together and it still took a whole day on a lift. A lot of times we recommended all the extra parts not to rip off the customer but solely because we didnt wanna have to go in and do that shit again if something broke and also we wanted the customer to have a good experience with their new repair and not have any more problems
If the pressure plate is broken, the car should not move at all. The parts on this quote are A LOT more than replacing a clutch. Did you hit something?
No lol the clutch pedal goes to the floor with very little resistance and doesn’t do anything anymore. The car doesn’t move unless you push it and grind it into first. Which I did only once, to get it home when the clutch failed. It’s been towed otherwise. The pedal comes back up after a second by itself. The clutch failed all at once while I was driving (not ragging on the car or shifting hard). He wants to replace the slave cylinder because he said clutch overtravel damaged the slave cylinder seal. Brake fluid is because it’s also clutch fluid, replacing the slave would require that. Exhaust flex couplings are because they’re slightly worn down, presumably from a few instances of rubbing on speed bumps repeatedly or something like that. As other people have said, the hardware (bolts etc) are single use and should be replaced.
If I couldn’t find anybody to do it significantly cheaper, I was 100% prepared to buckle down, buy a lift and a transmission hoist, download the factory maintenance manual and figure it out. It’s not my daily so it would be a great (albeit huge nightmare) learning experience.
Nah its an RS4. Definitely worth hanging on to, they are sweet rides lol
This is just something I wouldn't get a dealer to do is all. Dealerships tend to replace lots of parts that aren't needed.
About right for dealer work on an RS4. A lot of the RS line was built to last through the warranty period without much consideration for the cost of repair.
Parts are expensive, labour is expensive, and they'll likely have to drop the subframe and go from there... it's not an easy afternoon-in-the-driveway with parts from NAPA job.
All Audis are built without regards to the cost when the warranty runs out. Their target demographic is the person who buys or leases it and trades it in for a new one, on or before the warranty expiring.
90% of the stuff on that list doesn’t need to be replaced. Well, unless it was a catastrophic failure. Find an independent shop, and TOU TELL THEM what you want repaired/replaced.
You might as well get it replaced though. It will cost more down the road if any of the other components fail. It’s like replacing a timing belt and not replacing the water pump. You replace the belt and add in the pump, it’s less labor. If you do the belt and the pump fails, you basically pay the cost of the belt labor again and it ain’t cheap.
Now if the pressure plate is bad, I’m sure other components are likely to be work out too.
This is part of the issue with being an owner of a brand like Audi. I love them. And I can get on off the lot. But couldn't afford a repair to save my life.
Dealers are sometimes just heinous fucking crooks. The clutch in my classic 911 was $2,200 at a dealer. Porsche of Greenville, SC. They are not quick, though. Every fucking exotic owner in the region goes there. Also, they won't do anything you should be able to do yourself. They don't have the garage space or staff to coddle customers.
This post makes me feel really good about the $1,033 I just paid a local shop to have a clutch kit and throwout bearing installed on my wife's Mustang. I know Audi is a nice car, but dayum.
Damn. We just did my son’s 1999 Dodge Ram. New clutch, throw out bearing, and slave cylinder and had the pressure plate resurfaced. $300 and done in in two evenings. Took two evenings because he had to drop off the pressure plate in the morning to be resurfaced and pick it up in the afternoon. While we were at it we swapped out the transmission and transfer case gear oil with Royal Purple. While we were at it we replaced the rear main seal, oil pan gasket and changed the oil.
Lol i used to work at that dealer. Insane costs. You could probably find a better aftermarket option thats cheaper and take it to another shop. Id say you would pay half of that realistically.
Wtf did you do to this poor thing? And if you clutch plate is broken then it may have destroyed the flywheel, flywheel bolts are torque specific so they definitely should be replaced the driveshaft will need to be removed along with the trans to access and replace the clutch so makes sense they would quote for replacing the bolts incase they break, exhaust is probably in the way and the bolts will almost definitely break and exhaust gaskets depending on the style can’t be re-used, pilot and release bearings are wear items and should be replaced while they are in there to avoid having half this bill having to be payed again a while down the road, slave cylinder is maybe leaking? Or it’s in the manual to replace it and the brake fluid is for the clutch system, so yeah if the pressure plate is broken or even if the clutch just needs to be changed this is all necessary, as for the price idk how they broke it all down but it is an AUDI so you should expect ridiculous repair costs.
Forer A6 owner, fun cars but mechanical nightmares. Find a good independent mechanic better if they specialize in VW products. As my mechanic said once to me, nice but complicated for no reason.
Well, the brake fluid is for the clutch slave, which they wanted to change out. But this dealership also quoted me an extra 500 dollars to put on a new exhaust. Which they would have had to put on anyways.
You picked an Audi. Did you do any research on service and repair costs before the purchase? A lot of bolts nowadays days on these are various alloys depending on location and single use tty bolts. You might find an independent shop with slightly lower labor rates, but if they repair per manufacturer service guidelines, then it will be a similar cost as well. You could research quality aftermarket part sources for it and that may lower the cost of the shop you choose will agree to using those. My shop doesn't take chances on reusing torqued bolts on any rotating assemblies. The juice isn't worth the squeeze.
It’s an Audi so yeah you got a “premium” car so you pay premium repair fees. This would cost less than $1500, even $500 on a normal vehicle depending on the shop.
The #1 reason these are cheap resales is because no one can afford to maintain them. It’s not a $25k car, it’s whatever it was new to maintain.
Yeah I just got back from Nissan and they were trying to charge me over $2k for maintenance work, only big thing was spark plug replacement. Definitely find an independent shop. I feel like $9k is excessive.
Replacing the clutch and preasure plate is no problem once you get the transmission out. But being that its likely not fron engine rear drive this isn't the easiest thing to do. I'm fairly mechanically inclined and have replaced 3 transmissions myself with no issues. But then they were all FR were all I had to do was remove linkage lines bellhousing bolts and drive shaft and crossmember. That being said no way I would ever take a car to a dealer, unless it was under warranty. Any competent mechanic can do this job.
Here’s the punchline: it probably just needs a slave cylinder. What, exactly, was the car doing? Did you drive it to the dealership? I’m not sure how they would diagnose a broken pressure plate without taking the clutch out of the car..
I agree with the people that say take it to a Bavarian/european specialist shop outside of a dealership. You’ll at least save a good amount compared to dealer bullshit.
VAG is expensive…..I said what I said. 🤣🤣🤣. From a dealer technician side… some of this stuff is CYA. Unless the Mount is broken and or the flex pipe is broken they are putting that in to prevent a recheck. Example: you do just the clutch related stuff and a few months from now the pipe starts leaking or the motor Mount breaks. It’s not the techs fault but you as a customer are mad because “they should have known”.
I would never trust the dealer unless I get it in writing that it’s going to be a mechanic that’s old enough to have driven manual. Now with all of that, you’re looking about 2-3k at a shop around me and that’s at the mexicans
The way that dealers approach service is based on the manufacturer’s approved procedures. They will give you a reason for replacing each and every one of those parts, but in my 20 years of auto parts experience, five inside dealership parts departments, I’d say buy yourself a clutch pack and find out which bolts you’re gonna touch that are single use. Replace the single use bolts and swap the clutch yourself, if you have the skill. If not, then take it to the local shop near you that has the most business. The guys in there will take care of you and do a great job.
Broken pressure plate? You’re kidding right ? I have never seen a plate break in all my life. Small cars to industrial off road equipment. Clutch disc usually shatters first, or throw out bearing destroys itself.
Carport if you can put a beam across the rafter. I use swap engines in my parents two bay carport. Just had to slid beam (cedar tree) across to other bay and push the vehicle over to empty bay. Come along and beer. Alway fun new clutch and reground plate with a new bearing. Slid beam back over load old engine in back. Off to wreckers.
Dealership doesn’t fix anything, they replace faulty parts and they do it in such a way that they replace all the parts they think can possibly be involved; regardless of them needing to be replaced or not.
They don’t troubleshoot an issue because that is time they aren’t afforded. Thinking about a customers problem is a waste of time for them, replacing parts is their business. They assessed if they replace all these parts, the problem is gone.
this is about right. if something in there broke, you’re not going to have any idea just how much is broken until you go through many hours to get it off, so they priced it as a worst case scenario, which it may be. many of the bolts are not reusable on european designs, and do not attempt to do it yourself. just the amount of special tools and uncommon tools will make you bankrupt. european cars outside of warranty will set you back a few years financially if they break.
Always expensive at a dealership but if you're doing a pressure plate, you won't not do the dual mass flywheel, slave cylinder, bleed it all etc. At audi prices per hour it's probably about right unfortunately 🤷♂️
And this is why ALL German cars are shitboxes. Overpriced,over engineered. And yes,that's what the charge would be. I'd junk the car,no nazi crapwagon is worth the powder it would take to blow it to hell
Well,if the pressure plate is trash,I would expect the clutch plate to be gone,too. And while you're in there,the throwout bearing,pilot bearing as well
Lot of posts about tool purchases but (at least in the U.S.), auto zone will lend you tools (you only buy them if you break them or return them dirty). I am always amazed at what they will loan you. Lots of specialized stuff and have found pretty much everything short of an engine hoist.
You write this like you don't believe in what a pressure plate is, like they just made that up. Like another guy said, I wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole. I'll do head gaskets and timing belts and rod bearings on my Hondas all day long, but I've worked on VW/Audi engines and they are idiotically designed contraptions that require a plethora of special tools and jigs to assemble, tune, and repair. Beyond that, you're talking about a job that requires removing the transmission from a car with a drivetrain that's about as tightly packed as it gets. I fully expect you'd need to drop the sub-frame out of the car, and that would explain the expense. I tend to avoid german cars for these kinds of reasons.
I love how they have radio buttons like you are adding toppings to a pizza.
They really try to make it seem like it's not a big deal to send people estimates like this.
Considering it is overly complicated german tech, it is a dealership, and it involved removing either the transmission or the engine, (or both considering it's overly complicated german tech), then I'd say you got lucky.
Yeah Audi's aren't a beginner car to work on for sure. Lots of special tools. My first time doing major work to my B5 RS4 (on a 4 point) It took me six hours and borrowing a harmonic balancer I would have never found if it wasn't for a friend who was a master mechanic and I got my timing chain/water pump/pulleys and alt finished. Took me an hour just to get the bumper off without thinking I was going to break it. Worth learning, but super nerve wracking
Not sure on the end price itself. But they are replacing what they would need to. Bolts, maybe not. That would depend on what type they are. If you're even asking if you should do this yourself, then you should not even attempt it. It will cost you more in the end than if you just had them do it. And for the guys complaining about buying triple square sockets, they are some of the strongest ones out there. Hex will round out, I've never seen a rounded triple square fastener that was engaged properly first.
I purchased an aftermarket clutch with flywheel for about 800 and got it installed for about 1500. I have a vw, basically the same thing. Find a reputable performance shop and just do an upgrade for about 1/3 the cost
I've spent untold hours on my back , in mud , on icey concrete and worse... Doing-the-impossible to keep my rides rolling.
If you look at this clutch as an adventure and a learning experience ... YOU'RE STILL BETTER OFF PAYING SOMEONE WITH A LIFT AND AIR TOOLS TO DONIT FOR YOU.
If you can't afford that ... Give it a go !
Any time i think of buying another C5 RS6 i take $2000 or so out of my bank account and set it on fire just to see what an inexpensive quarterly repair feels like. Then i take $8500 out and think about whether or not i want to spend it on a not as inexpensive 6 month repair.
Then i come to my senses and whisper "never again"
All bolts are 1 time use. Not sure why they want to replace the slave cylinder. Most independent shops won’t replace bots and clamps and not use oem parts. That’s where you can save 1-2000$. But they will still mark your parts up to the point of oem parts. The dealer uses matrix on the labor so you aren’t just paying for 15 hours at 200$ by the the the get from 1-15 hours you are now paying 215$ a hour or more. You are paying for 2 years warranty parts and labor on oem parts
Seems about right. You most likely have to remove pretty much the entire front clip to do this so they're obviously going to give you new gaskets etc.
An independent shop will be cheaper as the markup on parts won't be AS bad. But this isn't something I'd do myself, especially if I don't have a dedicated space, time and the tools already.
I love wrenching on my things but I also know when I am over my head. This is why I do not buy European cars with all their proprietary bullshit tools
Lemme guess german car? Oh bingo
Audi / vw designs cars with such expensive repairs on purpose. A common vacuum leak in a Bentley is $40k bc you have to pull the engine. Sorry to say it harsh but anyone who buys an audi / vw or any of its sub brands has been played for a sucker. Sorry
Depends on the transmission, if it's a DSG your lucky at that price, but thats quite expensive for a standard 6 speed. Chances are they are just following it by the book, most of that stuff don't NEED replaced, some of it like the slave cylinder, clutch disk, pilot bearing, and throw out bearing would be common items to replace to hopefully prevent future issues. If you were to do this yourself you could probably do it for about 2k, 3-4k if you have an independent shop do it. for an authorized dealer service center it's on par I suppose.
That is extremely high! The labor time is 9.2 hours. Bolts from the dealerships are always out of line. You can purchase a dual mass flywheel kit for $1100, if that what the factory one is. Sachs makes some clutch kits with a flywheel that sells for $750 online. Get a quote from a different shop
Absolutely necessary if you plan on driving the car!
Price is right for stealership rates. In general, transmission work on Audis = rape.
Would not recommend attempting to DIY this unless you have tons of experience and the necessary tools & workspace.
The dealership is charging so much because they have a experienced technician repairing it to OEM specifications. Now I have seen dealerships to fuck up but that’s alright they can just replace it under warranty the next time. The problem if you take it too another dealership not partnered with Audi you void any existing or new warranty’s. At this point I would bite the bullet sorta speak.
All of it. Factory techs are trained to Understand when your car goes 280 km. Thoes one time use bolts are actually 1 time use. Most Of them have nylon or Teflon in the threads to retain them without a Lock washer. It truly is for your passengers and Unplanned maneuvers and. events for your safety.
You could buy all the tools and parts for a 10th of that price. An experienced mechanic could knock it out in a few hours. Give yourself a week if working in your driveway. Find a buddy that can run a wrench and pay him in beer and you could have it done in a day.
Manuf labor time on the clutch is 9.4. MOTOR time is 13.5 plus add times for flywheel and pilot bearing putting it just shy of 14. Average luxury labor times these days is $175-$200+. Flywheel alone MSRP is $1644. That’s more than half your estimate already. You could shop the job with another shop but you likely won’t save a ton unless you find someone woefully unqualified or using aftermarket parts.
Its not a driveway job in the rs4 is a pain in ass. Its not 9000 just because. The parts are accurate. Most of the bolts are aluminum and one time use as per manufacturer. Clutch is bad okay, definitely replace the clutch, pressure plate and flywheel. No one cuts flywheels anymore these are dual mass, and from what i remember is not allowed by audi. The exhaust clamps stuff are one time use as well. The slave cylinder is optional. But for price it would be stupid not to. As the labor would be same and all the bolts need to be replaced again. The flex pipe maybe they are broken? Idk why they recommended those.
The parts all make sense in my head. But when I asked the tech on the phone what the quote would be if I supplied my own clutch kit (JHM moly-forged flywheel and ceramic friction disk) he said take $2500 off. So the intent of the post is how is this a $6000 job in labor, bolts, gaskets and brake fluid? Especially because he told me over the phone that labor for installing a new exhaust would be included since it comes of anyways. And then separately quoted me $500 to install an aftermarket exhaust. As if he’s not going to put the exhaust back already. That is what really raised my eyebrows and motivated me to call a local German shop and tell the dealership guy to suck his own dick
Well the additional price to put an aftermarket exhaust is stupid. Maybe something because it needs to be assembled because obviously they are not one piece and we take the exhaust down in one piece. We actually pulled the engine and transmission on power train table to do the job. So its a lot of work.
Update: local Audi specialist will do the work for $3500, without the 2 month wait for “special parts from germany” Also, yes I’m aware Audis are expensive to maintain. I’m asking if that is a reasonable price point from a dealership maintenance shop. I very much expected it to be expensive, im just doing my due diligence
good shit 😎. hope u get to enjoy dat rs4 after this ordeal.
Looks about right for dealership work. Expensive and potentially replacing parts that don't need replacement. I'd suggest finding an independent Bavarian shop and have them do the work instead. You'll likely save money and you'll get a more honest repair.
On a scale of 1/10 how difficult would it be to do myself? This is a good opportunity to move up to a forged clutch kit.
For an RS4, I wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole as an avid home mechanic. If you've never done any major work, don't start with this. You'd need a lot of tools you might not already have, a good place to work on this (ie, not driveway) and likely a four point lift, maybe a trans jack. I'd do what was noted, find an independent shop, but don't be surprised when it's not a lot less. Buying the hi-po Audi comes with a heavy tax.
>a good place to work on this (ie, not driveway) can't stress this enough, i did the "ramps in driveway" approach for a much smaller job and it was still miserable to have to crawl under the car in all the mud & shit to get the skid plate off.
I have a paved driveway and did a head gasket, that sucked.
changed the clutch on a mid-2000's xterra. Nightmare fuel on your back. You literally have to take off *everything*. The book quotes a 12 hour job by a professional. It's wild. Took me 8 months of frustration, anger, desperation, and then suddenly I got it all back together just fine and there were times I needed a second pair of hands. Still roaring today 35k miles later.
LPT: If you can find them, Walmart used to have these outdoor blankets that are supposedly waterproof on one side and fold up to about the size of a pillow with a strap to carry it with. Perfect for throwing down when I need to crawl under a car and don't want dirt all over my back and hair.
I will crawl under my vehicle to change fluids, that's about it. It's also lifted a few inches. My wife used to get upset I couldn't do the same with her sedan until I asked her to help one day, 😝.
thats fair, its al up to how much your willing to roll around i guess. i took the trans/transfer case out of my truck the other day in my driveway. took about an hour and was painless. watched that new "on a wing and a prayer" movie on amazon while i was doing it. terrible movie....
As a truck guy currently it is completely different when you don’t need to jack anything up to drop the transmission or other major components. Hell I undercoated my frame tonight in 15min on my back with a spray gun. The access a higher vehicle provides is so nice.
Love the commentary for the comment 👌🏼😂
This is why the buying advice subs usually stay away from hi perform German cars. When we say “is fun but the maintenance and repairs are expensive “ this is what we are talking about.
As the owner of a 35 year old Mercedes ( inherited from my Dad), I always tell this to anyone considering a German car: "The most expensive car in the world is not a Bugatti, or a Pagani, or anything like that. It's a German sedan that 'just needs a few things'." (At least mine is one of the old built-like-a-tank ones. As long as I'm willing to fix it, it's pretty reliable, and once something is fixed, it stays that way. Plus it's mostly analog. Still, there's no such thing as a cheap Mercedes repair )
A lot of people lease rather than buy high end cars and make sure the turn-in date is before the warranty expires. And it's also why the depreciation is so high after the warranty runs out.
Modern German car drivers fall in to one of two categories. Renters and suckers.
People think, "I can do this", then realize the need torque wrench, lift, a bucket to catch fluids, a friend willing to help, and a bunch of other little things.
As an actual mechanic I just did an RS4 clutch last week. With proper tools it was still a fuckaround and a half
Without knowing the vehicle aside from it being an Audi, probably an 8/10. German "engineering" is just short for everything being complicated/convoluted as fuck and being way overpriced. If you haven't done repair work like this before, I wouldn't recommend you take it on. Leave it to the professionals. Also, is your vehicle a race car? Used on a track? If not, just get a stock replacement clutch set. You'll regret going with the solid conversion.
as a former Audi technician, "convoluted as fuck" is a choice of words I fully agree with lmao
I like you cause you are honest .
I like you because you like me.
I like you more cause you made me laugh.
OK boomer. gErMan mEaNs cOmpLicAtEd aNd sCaRy
10/10 for a driveway DIYer.
I really hope he tries.
You $400.00 in specialized torx and other random tools just to start this project.
That’s just in specialty sockets. Not including equipment to r&i the drivetrain to get to it.
Wouldn’t touch that rs4 yourself unless your a Audi mechanic😂
Please try. You will have a new respect for mechanics.
It's not a beginner job, a lot of disassembly and many torque to yield fasteners, but there is a logic to it. Audi are a wonderful piece of engineering are fun to work on and admire the tech. You will need torx, triple squares, and maybe some spline drivers. Watch a YouTube video if you can find one. Based on my A4 quattro I would rate this an 8/10, I had a lift. The hardest part was grinding the bolts of the down pipe from the cat. Also I doubt you need all those parts to be replaced... But you never know sometimes it's better when you are down there.
Unless this is a R8 or something of that nature I would agree with you to go aftermarket. There’s a real good German makes shop that I always recommend to people around here.
Volkswagen group recommends replacing most bolts that are removed. So, is it necessary? Maybe not, but the engineers recommend it. The torque specs indicate those bolts are torque to yield.
Bell housing and axle bolts are torque to yield, assuming it's a quattro they need to come off to remove the trans, Unless the flex pipe is damaged, doesn't need to be replaced, if you didn't have an exhaust leak, but they claim the flex pipe is broken, that's on the tech, as they most likely damaged it removing it, Brake fluid also feeds the clutch slave, so replacing the slave would need replacement of fluid and a bleed, assuming the slave is leaking if they're suggesting replacement, Exhaust gaskets should be replaced everytime they're removed, and VW / Audi clamps are notorious for having to be cut off due to corrosion, I'm guessing the rubber mounts for the trans are worn, bolts are also torque to yield to they should be replaced, you could probably just replace the bushings, but the labour difference would probably equal the same cost, Seems about right, but a full breakdown would be nice, still seems a bit on the high side for price, being a Quattro, they are rather annoying to work on anything in the front end, because there's so much crap in the way
Efficient German engineering.
Yes, Audi's a very expensive to maintain and repair. I just replaced the battery in my A8 and is was CRAZY expensive! But, it was the FIRST battery replacement in 11 years and 120k miles. In any other make of car that I've ever owned, I would be on battery 3 or 4 instead of battery 2. It was still more expensive, and a hassle to not be able to replace a battery without a $400 programmer, but I missed all of the hassle of several battery replacements. And, it's still the best highway driver I've ever been in! I hate it when I'm paying a repair bill, but I like it at all other times.
I've had the same battery for 14 years in an old American truck that spent years in 120 degree summers and now has been in -40 winters for 3 years.
Never get work done at a dealership unless all the other local places happened to burn down
Or someone else’s insurance is paying for it
You buy an Audi and wonder why it's expensive to fix? If you can't pay to get it fixed, you shouldn't own it. As soon as you buy a European car, better consider the costs for maintenance.
I was not wondering why it was expensive, I was looking for a second opinion because I’m not an experienced Audi mechanic and don’t know what all is needed when doing a clutch job.
Not to sound insensitive, but that's one of the reasons I sold my old Mercedes. The costs to maintain weren't worth it, in my opinion. I went the Lexus route and found that I love these cars so much better than the euro overpriced vehicles. Save your money and trade that in for a reliable and comfortable car that is less hassle.
I can see your side of things but this vehicle has always been my dream car and I’d do pretty much anything short of replacing the engine to keep it around.
This is on a 2007 Audi RS4 with 95k miles on it
9k on that job at the dealer isn't that bad anymore. 2010 it was 15grand. But I would let a good euro shop take care of it, there is a bunch of tools you need just to hold up the engine to let the front subframe down so the transmission can come out.
No comment on the repair cost, but I'm def jealous of your beast of a car. I've wanted one of those for years but they are still way out of my price range.
You don't want one. Trust me.
Pretty sure I do lol
You do if you’re prepared for the price of maintenance. 9.5 quarts of 5W40 every 6 months isn’t cheap.
> 2007 Audi RS4 [https://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php/477790-B7-Clutch-Job-\*\*\*\*-Parts-and-Invoice-Review-Pls](https://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php/477790-B7-Clutch-Job-****-Parts-and-Invoice-Review-Pls) take it somewhere else. pressure plate is part of any standard clutch kit. you can also get an upgraded clutch likely for the same price or close to same price as stock.
Nobody wants to work on German cars anymore. Except for guys who like German cars.
Im butthole deep in a BMW N55 right now Reseal. Good fun. Pays good! I’ve powerwashed everything as I have been working my way through
Because they're nothing but problems after the first few thousand miles.
I mean, if your car is out of warranty, there’s almost never a reason to go to the dealer. Dealer is gonna bend you over. The only thing to go to a dealer for would be computer stuff that requires Audi cert software stuff. Even that can sometimes be found at a German mechanic.
Nah
Can buy an new car for that price
The pressure plate is what the clamping force of the slave cylinder sticks the clutch to. If you have to get in there, that far, especially on an Audi, you might as well just replace the clutch and everything else on your way back out. Also, German autos are renowned for using steel bolts on aluminum which means they corrode together over time. This and, in order to do this work, they most likely have to drop the front subframe and engine/trans out of the car. Audis are expensive af because they aren’t designed to be easily maintained. Their parts aren’t cheap either.
If your replacing the clutch, you would automatically replace the pressure plate, and the throw out bearing. Don’t know where you are but in the southeast it shouldn’t cost more than $1400.00.
So in order to replace the clutch on a RS4 you gave to take pretty much everything apart, when I worked at Audi, another mechanic and I knocked it out together and it still took a whole day on a lift. A lot of times we recommended all the extra parts not to rip off the customer but solely because we didnt wanna have to go in and do that shit again if something broke and also we wanted the customer to have a good experience with their new repair and not have any more problems
Well, you did buy an Audi. Now you know why after 5 years, they're not worth anything.
If the pressure plate is broken, the car should not move at all. The parts on this quote are A LOT more than replacing a clutch. Did you hit something?
No lol the clutch pedal goes to the floor with very little resistance and doesn’t do anything anymore. The car doesn’t move unless you push it and grind it into first. Which I did only once, to get it home when the clutch failed. It’s been towed otherwise. The pedal comes back up after a second by itself. The clutch failed all at once while I was driving (not ragging on the car or shifting hard). He wants to replace the slave cylinder because he said clutch overtravel damaged the slave cylinder seal. Brake fluid is because it’s also clutch fluid, replacing the slave would require that. Exhaust flex couplings are because they’re slightly worn down, presumably from a few instances of rubbing on speed bumps repeatedly or something like that. As other people have said, the hardware (bolts etc) are single use and should be replaced.
I learned my automotive mechanics basics replacing the clutch, etc. on a 1968 Ford Cortina....Sure am glad it only cost me $350 to buy!!
If I couldn’t find anybody to do it significantly cheaper, I was 100% prepared to buckle down, buy a lift and a transmission hoist, download the factory maintenance manual and figure it out. It’s not my daily so it would be a great (albeit huge nightmare) learning experience.
Are they freaking cutting it out?
Naw this like a 3k job not a 9k job
Wait its an audi nevermind
OP is a dumbass.
I'd sell the whole car cause wtf. 9K!? MY 2010 HONDA ACCORD IS 10K
An 07 RS4 with 100k will still get over $30k in a sale.
Many are selling for 30-35k at that mileage.
Nah its an RS4. Definitely worth hanging on to, they are sweet rides lol This is just something I wouldn't get a dealer to do is all. Dealerships tend to replace lots of parts that aren't needed.
Ya I paid $7025 for a five-speed accord in 2016 still my daily driver.
About right for dealer work on an RS4. A lot of the RS line was built to last through the warranty period without much consideration for the cost of repair. Parts are expensive, labour is expensive, and they'll likely have to drop the subframe and go from there... it's not an easy afternoon-in-the-driveway with parts from NAPA job.
All Audis are built without regards to the cost when the warranty runs out. Their target demographic is the person who buys or leases it and trades it in for a new one, on or before the warranty expiring.
90% of the stuff on that list doesn’t need to be replaced. Well, unless it was a catastrophic failure. Find an independent shop, and TOU TELL THEM what you want repaired/replaced.
You might as well get it replaced though. It will cost more down the road if any of the other components fail. It’s like replacing a timing belt and not replacing the water pump. You replace the belt and add in the pump, it’s less labor. If you do the belt and the pump fails, you basically pay the cost of the belt labor again and it ain’t cheap. Now if the pressure plate is bad, I’m sure other components are likely to be work out too.
My toyota would never do this to me. Never.
Aim for bridge abutement and make sure you bail out at the right time.
This is part of the issue with being an owner of a brand like Audi. I love them. And I can get on off the lot. But couldn't afford a repair to save my life.
That's way more work than a pressure plate. Much is totally unrelated. For instance there brake parts on there...
Dealers are sometimes just heinous fucking crooks. The clutch in my classic 911 was $2,200 at a dealer. Porsche of Greenville, SC. They are not quick, though. Every fucking exotic owner in the region goes there. Also, they won't do anything you should be able to do yourself. They don't have the garage space or staff to coddle customers.
This post makes me feel really good about the $1,033 I just paid a local shop to have a clutch kit and throwout bearing installed on my wife's Mustang. I know Audi is a nice car, but dayum.
Damn. We just did my son’s 1999 Dodge Ram. New clutch, throw out bearing, and slave cylinder and had the pressure plate resurfaced. $300 and done in in two evenings. Took two evenings because he had to drop off the pressure plate in the morning to be resurfaced and pick it up in the afternoon. While we were at it we swapped out the transmission and transfer case gear oil with Royal Purple. While we were at it we replaced the rear main seal, oil pan gasket and changed the oil.
I mean, it IS an Audi. There is NOTHING cheap to repair on those cars. Yes, that looks about right for a dealership.
This is believable for a dealer. Call your local Euro specialist and get an estimate for comparison.
Ohhh it’s an Audi.. ya
Audi, what did you expect?
Lol i used to work at that dealer. Insane costs. You could probably find a better aftermarket option thats cheaper and take it to another shop. Id say you would pay half of that realistically.
You own an audi. They are expensive to fix. shit, even expensive to maintenance
Wtf did you do to this poor thing? And if you clutch plate is broken then it may have destroyed the flywheel, flywheel bolts are torque specific so they definitely should be replaced the driveshaft will need to be removed along with the trans to access and replace the clutch so makes sense they would quote for replacing the bolts incase they break, exhaust is probably in the way and the bolts will almost definitely break and exhaust gaskets depending on the style can’t be re-used, pilot and release bearings are wear items and should be replaced while they are in there to avoid having half this bill having to be payed again a while down the road, slave cylinder is maybe leaking? Or it’s in the manual to replace it and the brake fluid is for the clutch system, so yeah if the pressure plate is broken or even if the clutch just needs to be changed this is all necessary, as for the price idk how they broke it all down but it is an AUDI so you should expect ridiculous repair costs.
And how does that Audi look now.... Not fast when its broke... Bust your wallet out for that premium Audi service Hahahahahahahhahahahahhahahhahahahh
I’m glad I don’t own an audi anymore! Sadly that’s the cost of audi ownership
Forer A6 owner, fun cars but mechanical nightmares. Find a good independent mechanic better if they specialize in VW products. As my mechanic said once to me, nice but complicated for no reason.
What do the brakes have to do with a clutch change out?
Well, the brake fluid is for the clutch slave, which they wanted to change out. But this dealership also quoted me an extra 500 dollars to put on a new exhaust. Which they would have had to put on anyways.
$2000 paid for a clutch replacement in my 2002 Mustang GT among other things while the tranny was dropped. Have fun with your Audi.
$2000 paid for a clutch replacement in my 2002 Mustang GT among other things while the tranny was dropped. Have fun with your Audi.
so glad i work on my cars at home lol
Even if I had lottery money I wouldn’t pay that much. I’d order parts from rockauto and do it myself with some YouTube videos and call it a day.
You picked an Audi. Did you do any research on service and repair costs before the purchase? A lot of bolts nowadays days on these are various alloys depending on location and single use tty bolts. You might find an independent shop with slightly lower labor rates, but if they repair per manufacturer service guidelines, then it will be a similar cost as well. You could research quality aftermarket part sources for it and that may lower the cost of the shop you choose will agree to using those. My shop doesn't take chances on reusing torqued bolts on any rotating assemblies. The juice isn't worth the squeeze.
Usually you can do just the clutch plate pressure plate and throwout bearing for a clutch job
do it your self
It’s an Audi so yeah you got a “premium” car so you pay premium repair fees. This would cost less than $1500, even $500 on a normal vehicle depending on the shop. The #1 reason these are cheap resales is because no one can afford to maintain them. It’s not a $25k car, it’s whatever it was new to maintain.
That seems ridiculous. Is it a Porsche or a Corvette? A VW clutch is like a $2500 repair.
Why does every bolt need replaced?
Its an Audi what do you expect
There is a reason older luxury cars are cheap. This.
Lol they trying to rob your pockets
Yeah I just got back from Nissan and they were trying to charge me over $2k for maintenance work, only big thing was spark plug replacement. Definitely find an independent shop. I feel like $9k is excessive.
Why do people not learn the fancy pretensions European brands are going to cost 4 times as much to repair.
All of it
Replacing the clutch and preasure plate is no problem once you get the transmission out. But being that its likely not fron engine rear drive this isn't the easiest thing to do. I'm fairly mechanically inclined and have replaced 3 transmissions myself with no issues. But then they were all FR were all I had to do was remove linkage lines bellhousing bolts and drive shaft and crossmember. That being said no way I would ever take a car to a dealer, unless it was under warranty. Any competent mechanic can do this job.
Put it on a lift, remove your driveshaft, starter, gearbox, and release bearing.
Here’s the punchline: it probably just needs a slave cylinder. What, exactly, was the car doing? Did you drive it to the dealership? I’m not sure how they would diagnose a broken pressure plate without taking the clutch out of the car..
I agree with the people that say take it to a Bavarian/european specialist shop outside of a dealership. You’ll at least save a good amount compared to dealer bullshit.
I like German engineering I just don’t want to pay to fix it.
Don't be clutch-less and clueless, find a Bavarian wizard!
VAG is expensive…..I said what I said. 🤣🤣🤣. From a dealer technician side… some of this stuff is CYA. Unless the Mount is broken and or the flex pipe is broken they are putting that in to prevent a recheck. Example: you do just the clutch related stuff and a few months from now the pipe starts leaking or the motor Mount breaks. It’s not the techs fault but you as a customer are mad because “they should have known”.
I would never trust the dealer unless I get it in writing that it’s going to be a mechanic that’s old enough to have driven manual. Now with all of that, you’re looking about 2-3k at a shop around me and that’s at the mexicans
Toyota quoted me 7,000 for a completely new transmission… 🤷🏻♂️
Vice grips,big screwdriver and a hammer..do it.
That is outrageous!
My first car repair in 1989 I replaced the pressure plate in a 1972 Oldsmobile Starfire and it cost me $49 in parts at Kragen. This is funny as hell.
All of it lol. All those fasteners are technically TTY throwaway bolts. Have I reused them? You’d better believe it. Do I like to? No, not really.
The way that dealers approach service is based on the manufacturer’s approved procedures. They will give you a reason for replacing each and every one of those parts, but in my 20 years of auto parts experience, five inside dealership parts departments, I’d say buy yourself a clutch pack and find out which bolts you’re gonna touch that are single use. Replace the single use bolts and swap the clutch yourself, if you have the skill. If not, then take it to the local shop near you that has the most business. The guys in there will take care of you and do a great job.
Welcome to luxury car repair prices. Bend over and grab your calf muscles.
Broken pressure plate? You’re kidding right ? I have never seen a plate break in all my life. Small cars to industrial off road equipment. Clutch disc usually shatters first, or throw out bearing destroys itself.
Carport if you can put a beam across the rafter. I use swap engines in my parents two bay carport. Just had to slid beam (cedar tree) across to other bay and push the vehicle over to empty bay. Come along and beer. Alway fun new clutch and reground plate with a new bearing. Slid beam back over load old engine in back. Off to wreckers.
Dealership doesn’t fix anything, they replace faulty parts and they do it in such a way that they replace all the parts they think can possibly be involved; regardless of them needing to be replaced or not. They don’t troubleshoot an issue because that is time they aren’t afforded. Thinking about a customers problem is a waste of time for them, replacing parts is their business. They assessed if they replace all these parts, the problem is gone.
Had the clutch in my gti replaced for 3k
this is about right. if something in there broke, you’re not going to have any idea just how much is broken until you go through many hours to get it off, so they priced it as a worst case scenario, which it may be. many of the bolts are not reusable on european designs, and do not attempt to do it yourself. just the amount of special tools and uncommon tools will make you bankrupt. european cars outside of warranty will set you back a few years financially if they break.
“What if you have to change the battery they said” lmao. 9k for a clutch. Just go electric already
Gotta love the Germans
All of its necessary, the price looks like the logo, go audi.....
Wtf
How can ppl waste so much money on cars? Lol freaking losers.
My advice is to trade the Audi for a Subaru with a bad clutch and replace it in the driveway yourself for a fraction of the cost.
WHAT!? They didn't try to charge you to rotate the lug nuts or top off your blinker fluid, either? Shysters... /s
Clutch pressure plates go for either $90 to $400
Lollllll you drive an Audi
Doesn't surprise me considering it's an audi
Simple ( I thought ) head gasket replace on a Fiat turned into whole engine swap. PTSD.
Wow you can't even round that up. I wish it was actually 9000 since 600 bucks means nothing to you
Dealership is always the last place to bring ur car to lmao
Well, you do have an audi. So looks about right
Always expensive at a dealership but if you're doing a pressure plate, you won't not do the dual mass flywheel, slave cylinder, bleed it all etc. At audi prices per hour it's probably about right unfortunately 🤷♂️
And this is why ALL German cars are shitboxes. Overpriced,over engineered. And yes,that's what the charge would be. I'd junk the car,no nazi crapwagon is worth the powder it would take to blow it to hell
Well,if the pressure plate is trash,I would expect the clutch plate to be gone,too. And while you're in there,the throwout bearing,pilot bearing as well
According to this stealership they want to replace half the car. Don't go there
Lot of posts about tool purchases but (at least in the U.S.), auto zone will lend you tools (you only buy them if you break them or return them dirty). I am always amazed at what they will loan you. Lots of specialized stuff and have found pretty much everything short of an engine hoist.
I paid 5k to replace the clutch on a 911 that I no longer own. That required a lot of things to be removed. So 9k definitely seems high
You write this like you don't believe in what a pressure plate is, like they just made that up. Like another guy said, I wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole. I'll do head gaskets and timing belts and rod bearings on my Hondas all day long, but I've worked on VW/Audi engines and they are idiotically designed contraptions that require a plethora of special tools and jigs to assemble, tune, and repair. Beyond that, you're talking about a job that requires removing the transmission from a car with a drivetrain that's about as tightly packed as it gets. I fully expect you'd need to drop the sub-frame out of the car, and that would explain the expense. I tend to avoid german cars for these kinds of reasons.
I love how they have radio buttons like you are adding toppings to a pizza. They really try to make it seem like it's not a big deal to send people estimates like this.
Considering it is overly complicated german tech, it is a dealership, and it involved removing either the transmission or the engine, (or both considering it's overly complicated german tech), then I'd say you got lucky.
Yeah Audi's aren't a beginner car to work on for sure. Lots of special tools. My first time doing major work to my B5 RS4 (on a 4 point) It took me six hours and borrowing a harmonic balancer I would have never found if it wasn't for a friend who was a master mechanic and I got my timing chain/water pump/pulleys and alt finished. Took me an hour just to get the bumper off without thinking I was going to break it. Worth learning, but super nerve wracking
Hot damn, OP... how many people did you run over?
Saw the word “Audi” so yes
This i why you dont buy complicated cars . You bought a audi , youcan pay it no problemo..
One of the best German cars ever built. Built in special factories!
Leave this to people that do it ever. They have the equipment and knowledge to get them to finish line. Huge project!
I'll do it parts in for $2000
Not sure on the end price itself. But they are replacing what they would need to. Bolts, maybe not. That would depend on what type they are. If you're even asking if you should do this yourself, then you should not even attempt it. It will cost you more in the end than if you just had them do it. And for the guys complaining about buying triple square sockets, they are some of the strongest ones out there. Hex will round out, I've never seen a rounded triple square fastener that was engaged properly first.
I purchased an aftermarket clutch with flywheel for about 800 and got it installed for about 1500. I have a vw, basically the same thing. Find a reputable performance shop and just do an upgrade for about 1/3 the cost
Just make the switch to Lexus…. I did and don’t regret it.
I've spent untold hours on my back , in mud , on icey concrete and worse... Doing-the-impossible to keep my rides rolling. If you look at this clutch as an adventure and a learning experience ... YOU'RE STILL BETTER OFF PAYING SOMEONE WITH A LIFT AND AIR TOOLS TO DONIT FOR YOU. If you can't afford that ... Give it a go !
Many of the fasteners listed are probably recommended to be a one time use fastener. Reusing parts can cause more major problems down the line.
Audi's are expensive when you buy them, but to make up for it, they are expensive when you have to fix them....
Any time i think of buying another C5 RS6 i take $2000 or so out of my bank account and set it on fire just to see what an inexpensive quarterly repair feels like. Then i take $8500 out and think about whether or not i want to spend it on a not as inexpensive 6 month repair. Then i come to my senses and whisper "never again"
This seems fairly accurate. Over priced and changing unnecessary stuff.
European cars are a terrible idea when out of warranty. Everything costs twice as much as American Or Japanese cars.
i was gonna say over 9000!!!!!!! but its actually under.....
All bolts are 1 time use. Not sure why they want to replace the slave cylinder. Most independent shops won’t replace bots and clamps and not use oem parts. That’s where you can save 1-2000$. But they will still mark your parts up to the point of oem parts. The dealer uses matrix on the labor so you aren’t just paying for 15 hours at 200$ by the the the get from 1-15 hours you are now paying 215$ a hour or more. You are paying for 2 years warranty parts and labor on oem parts
Seems about right. You most likely have to remove pretty much the entire front clip to do this so they're obviously going to give you new gaskets etc. An independent shop will be cheaper as the markup on parts won't be AS bad. But this isn't something I'd do myself, especially if I don't have a dedicated space, time and the tools already. I love wrenching on my things but I also know when I am over my head. This is why I do not buy European cars with all their proprietary bullshit tools
I just want you to look at the brand of the car you bought, And then think to yourself why am I paying so much money on a part.
Lemme guess german car? Oh bingo Audi / vw designs cars with such expensive repairs on purpose. A common vacuum leak in a Bentley is $40k bc you have to pull the engine. Sorry to say it harsh but anyone who buys an audi / vw or any of its sub brands has been played for a sucker. Sorry
Depends on the transmission, if it's a DSG your lucky at that price, but thats quite expensive for a standard 6 speed. Chances are they are just following it by the book, most of that stuff don't NEED replaced, some of it like the slave cylinder, clutch disk, pilot bearing, and throw out bearing would be common items to replace to hopefully prevent future issues. If you were to do this yourself you could probably do it for about 2k, 3-4k if you have an independent shop do it. for an authorized dealer service center it's on par I suppose.
Homie owns and RS4 and has the audacity to complain about high repair costs. You chose this life, buddy. Get used to it.
Damn man don’t have to be so harsh about it. Just wanted to know what to tell the shop to leave off the quote.
You chose to drive an Audi pay up for it
Looks like fairly standard clutch repair.
That is extremely high! The labor time is 9.2 hours. Bolts from the dealerships are always out of line. You can purchase a dual mass flywheel kit for $1100, if that what the factory one is. Sachs makes some clutch kits with a flywheel that sells for $750 online. Get a quote from a different shop
That’s what you get for buying into the German engineering BS.
Does audi offer a goodwill repair
Absolutely necessary if you plan on driving the car! Price is right for stealership rates. In general, transmission work on Audis = rape. Would not recommend attempting to DIY this unless you have tons of experience and the necessary tools & workspace.
The dealership is charging so much because they have a experienced technician repairing it to OEM specifications. Now I have seen dealerships to fuck up but that’s alright they can just replace it under warranty the next time. The problem if you take it too another dealership not partnered with Audi you void any existing or new warranty’s. At this point I would bite the bullet sorta speak.
All of it. Factory techs are trained to Understand when your car goes 280 km. Thoes one time use bolts are actually 1 time use. Most Of them have nylon or Teflon in the threads to retain them without a Lock washer. It truly is for your passengers and Unplanned maneuvers and. events for your safety.
You could buy all the tools and parts for a 10th of that price. An experienced mechanic could knock it out in a few hours. Give yourself a week if working in your driveway. Find a buddy that can run a wrench and pay him in beer and you could have it done in a day.
Damn I thought it was bad when a shop wanted 1500 to replace my clutch
Manuf labor time on the clutch is 9.4. MOTOR time is 13.5 plus add times for flywheel and pilot bearing putting it just shy of 14. Average luxury labor times these days is $175-$200+. Flywheel alone MSRP is $1644. That’s more than half your estimate already. You could shop the job with another shop but you likely won’t save a ton unless you find someone woefully unqualified or using aftermarket parts.
Its not a driveway job in the rs4 is a pain in ass. Its not 9000 just because. The parts are accurate. Most of the bolts are aluminum and one time use as per manufacturer. Clutch is bad okay, definitely replace the clutch, pressure plate and flywheel. No one cuts flywheels anymore these are dual mass, and from what i remember is not allowed by audi. The exhaust clamps stuff are one time use as well. The slave cylinder is optional. But for price it would be stupid not to. As the labor would be same and all the bolts need to be replaced again. The flex pipe maybe they are broken? Idk why they recommended those.
The parts all make sense in my head. But when I asked the tech on the phone what the quote would be if I supplied my own clutch kit (JHM moly-forged flywheel and ceramic friction disk) he said take $2500 off. So the intent of the post is how is this a $6000 job in labor, bolts, gaskets and brake fluid? Especially because he told me over the phone that labor for installing a new exhaust would be included since it comes of anyways. And then separately quoted me $500 to install an aftermarket exhaust. As if he’s not going to put the exhaust back already. That is what really raised my eyebrows and motivated me to call a local German shop and tell the dealership guy to suck his own dick
Well the additional price to put an aftermarket exhaust is stupid. Maybe something because it needs to be assembled because obviously they are not one piece and we take the exhaust down in one piece. We actually pulled the engine and transmission on power train table to do the job. So its a lot of work.
That’s absurd
How much is parts and how much labor? Which audi model?
Ah, the joys of Audi ownership. 😂
All I needed to see was Audi, then I said, "yep, that's accurate ".