1997 A4 2.8 - things to watch for?
Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1
1997 A4 2.8 - things to watch for?
I'm thinking about buying a 1997 A4 2.8 FWD. It has 112k miles and seems to be in pretty good shape. I realize that I'm bound to have to spend more on maintenance for an Audi than I would for, say, a Honda - but at this point I'm just curious as to what kind of maintenance the car might need at this point and what it would cost, as well as a general idea of what it would cost to maintain the car each year.
Thanks for any info you can provide.
Thanks for any info you can provide.
2nd Gear
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 722
From: United States
RE: 1997 A4 2.8 - things to watch for?
it is a reliable car.
first off when was timing belt done. dont know get it done asap along with water pump,thermostat and pully. they sell a whole kit on ecs
you will prob have to do all the control arms also found at ecs . i would get the upgraded ones. thoes are the major items.
other than thoes items there will just be your normal.... why did this part break i have no money to fix it, i just spent all my money on mods.
find a local audi/vw shop to do work on your car cause the stealership always likes to over charge
first off when was timing belt done. dont know get it done asap along with water pump,thermostat and pully. they sell a whole kit on ecs
you will prob have to do all the control arms also found at ecs . i would get the upgraded ones. thoes are the major items.
other than thoes items there will just be your normal.... why did this part break i have no money to fix it, i just spent all my money on mods.
find a local audi/vw shop to do work on your car cause the stealership always likes to over charge
5th Gear
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 6,508
From: South Bay
RE: 1997 A4 2.8 - things to watch for?
ORIGINAL: bentframe
make sure the suspension is good....worn control arms will squeak, tie rod ends will clunk when you hit bumps, cv joints will click during low speed turns (if you're on the gas), open up the oil cap to look for signs of oil sludge...do the same for the power steering fluid, as well as the coolant. sometimes people top them off or refill them with regular fluids and that can cause big problems including sludge issues....test the cruise control, the switches are known to fail (typically it's an easy fix, a good way to knock a few bucks off the price
). make sure the sunroof is fully functional as well as windows (check each door's switch individually)..listen on the freeway for a humming/grinding sound for failing wheel bearings..oh, and leave the radio OFF during the test drive, test the speakers before or after driving....also consider the mileage on the timing belt, they should be done every 60-90k miles....search the forums, there are TONS of threads on all this stuff...
make sure the suspension is good....worn control arms will squeak, tie rod ends will clunk when you hit bumps, cv joints will click during low speed turns (if you're on the gas), open up the oil cap to look for signs of oil sludge...do the same for the power steering fluid, as well as the coolant. sometimes people top them off or refill them with regular fluids and that can cause big problems including sludge issues....test the cruise control, the switches are known to fail (typically it's an easy fix, a good way to knock a few bucks off the price
). make sure the sunroof is fully functional as well as windows (check each door's switch individually)..listen on the freeway for a humming/grinding sound for failing wheel bearings..oh, and leave the radio OFF during the test drive, test the speakers before or after driving....also consider the mileage on the timing belt, they should be done every 60-90k miles....search the forums, there are TONS of threads on all this stuff...
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