01B5 1.8t main issues
#1
08-22-2013, 02:14 AM
01B5 1.8t main issues
Hey everyone, new to this forum.
I'm planing on getting one soon and Idid my home work on them, but Iwant to hear it from you guys who either has or had one.
What are the major concerns Ishould have or expect? Also the cost of maintenance. I'm going for DIYs (future mechanic) but Iknw there might be somethings Imay not be able to handle.
Iwant to hear some of your problems & solutions or the current status of your 01 1.8t.
(I'm going to baby my Audi, so no worries about mistreating it.)
I'm planing on getting one soon and Idid my home work on them, but Iwant to hear it from you guys who either has or had one.
What are the major concerns Ishould have or expect? Also the cost of maintenance. I'm going for DIYs (future mechanic) but Iknw there might be somethings Imay not be able to handle.
Iwant to hear some of your problems & solutions or the current status of your 01 1.8t.
(I'm going to baby my Audi, so no worries about mistreating it.)
#3
08-22-2013, 06:09 AM
I'm just going to copy my reply from another thread, should give you a good idea of what you're looking at. Also might want to read the FAQ and the newbie guide. Wall of text incoming!
Welcome! The newbie guide has lots of great info in it, but to add to it with my personal experiences...
In no particular order:
1. Start getting ready to change your timing belt again. Recommended service interval is 60-80k, so if you're doing the work yourself now is a good time to start collecting parts. If you're not, now is a good time to start collecting money. If you're going to do it yourself, get a kit with all the goodies including a new thermostat and a water pump with a metal impeller. Also a good time to do cam/crank seals.
2. Control arms- At that mileage most of them should have been replaced already. If they haven't been, they probably should be. Indicated by creaking/clunking when going over bumps.
3. Shocks- Same deal here. They're probably all blown already, and if not they're getting there. Push down on each corner right above the wheel. If it bounces more than twice they're shot.
4. Oil filter/change- First thing I always do with a new car. Even if it looks new, change it anyway so you have a baseline to work from. Full synthetic every 3-5k miles is fine unless you have pre-existing sludge issues. There are two filters for the 1.8T, make sure you get the big one. Mobil-1 part number for the big filter is M1-301
5. Fuel filter- Everyone puts this off, don't put it off. Book interval for this is 20k miles, but you'd probably be fine doing it every 50k. It isn't a difficult job, and a filter is like $10, so there's no reason to put it off.
6. Coil packs- Common point of failure and common cause for misfires. They were recalled a while back, so you get a free set from the dealership if they haven't already been changed. Best to do them all at the same time.
7. Air filter/cabin filter. Everyone seems to forget that these need to be replaced, especially the cabin filter. If it's all gunked up it can cause your heat/AC to smell weird.
8. Wheel bearings- Another common problem as these cars get older. Kind of a pain in the *** if you don't have the right tools and a press, but you can pull the spindle and take it to a shop to have the old bearing pressed out and the new one pressed in. Usually identified by a groaning or "wub wub wub" noise on the outside wheels when cornering
9.CV joints- Again, common failure items. The joints can be had individually for <$100 and you can change them yourself. If you want to replace the whole axle shaft, go with reman OEM or Raxles. Stay away from the Chinese **** like EMPI and FEQ. They're known for using wrong-length axle shafts and shitty joints. AMHIK.
10.Last, but not least, the turbo- At 260k miles, it likely doesn't have a ton of life left in it. Pop the turbo inlet hose off and check for shaft play. There shouldn't be much. If you can wiggle the shaft in/out or up/down/side-to-side, start looking for a replacement. A used K03 or K04 with low miles is a direct bolt on, as is a Frankenturbo hybrid. The former can be had for a few hundred bucks in the classifieds here, on Vortex or the zine. The latter will run you about $1k for a kit including a new manifold and turbo inlet.
1. Wash, clay bar, cut and buff. The paint on these cars is good stuff, it will clean up nicely. (Free, less car washing supplies which any self respecting car guy should already have)
2. Clear corner your headlights (free)
3. Paint lower mouldings (<$100)
4. Lowering springs(Got mine for $100 used)
5. A8/TT brakes. Great bang-for-buck upgrade, you can buy a kit from ECS Tuning for ~$300 or piece together your own for less. I picked up a set of A8 rotors on sale for $80 and got TT carriers from a part out on craigslist for $100. This is the braking setup these cars should have come with from the factory
6. New coolant expansion tank. Vastly improves the looks under the hood and a new tank is $35
7. Goes along with #6, but clean your engine bay. Nothing worse than looking in there and seeing all kinds of dirt and grime and nastiness. (free)
8. Debadge. This is very subjective, but I think taking all of the badges and **** off the trunk lid looks very nice, and its free.
9. S4/RS4 grille. Not free, but they can be found used for under $100
10. Not necessarily cheap, but a chip will wake up your car and you will not regret the purchase price I promise. Another great bang-for-buck mod. Check out companies like Speedtuning, Revo, APR, GIAC, etc. You can often find used ECU's in the classifieds for a few hundred bucks from guys who upgraded to larger turbos. There's a guy on Audizine who sells custom Maestro tunes for ~$200. I'm running one of his tunes and its great. Plus that gives you a spare ECU.
Pretty much covered this in the first checklist above, but in addition:
1. Always carry extra parts. **** WILL break, its just a matter of when. I carry 4 spare coilpacks, a quart of oil, a gallon of coolant, a bottle of power steering fluid, a bottle of clutch/brake fluid, tools, an impact gun, etc..etc...
EDIT: Sorry for the wall of text, but that should get you well on your way
In no particular order:
1. Start getting ready to change your timing belt again. Recommended service interval is 60-80k, so if you're doing the work yourself now is a good time to start collecting parts. If you're not, now is a good time to start collecting money. If you're going to do it yourself, get a kit with all the goodies including a new thermostat and a water pump with a metal impeller. Also a good time to do cam/crank seals.
2. Control arms- At that mileage most of them should have been replaced already. If they haven't been, they probably should be. Indicated by creaking/clunking when going over bumps.
3. Shocks- Same deal here. They're probably all blown already, and if not they're getting there. Push down on each corner right above the wheel. If it bounces more than twice they're shot.
4. Oil filter/change- First thing I always do with a new car. Even if it looks new, change it anyway so you have a baseline to work from. Full synthetic every 3-5k miles is fine unless you have pre-existing sludge issues. There are two filters for the 1.8T, make sure you get the big one. Mobil-1 part number for the big filter is M1-301
5. Fuel filter- Everyone puts this off, don't put it off. Book interval for this is 20k miles, but you'd probably be fine doing it every 50k. It isn't a difficult job, and a filter is like $10, so there's no reason to put it off.
6. Coil packs- Common point of failure and common cause for misfires. They were recalled a while back, so you get a free set from the dealership if they haven't already been changed. Best to do them all at the same time.
7. Air filter/cabin filter. Everyone seems to forget that these need to be replaced, especially the cabin filter. If it's all gunked up it can cause your heat/AC to smell weird.
8. Wheel bearings- Another common problem as these cars get older. Kind of a pain in the *** if you don't have the right tools and a press, but you can pull the spindle and take it to a shop to have the old bearing pressed out and the new one pressed in. Usually identified by a groaning or "wub wub wub" noise on the outside wheels when cornering
9.CV joints- Again, common failure items. The joints can be had individually for <$100 and you can change them yourself. If you want to replace the whole axle shaft, go with reman OEM or Raxles. Stay away from the Chinese **** like EMPI and FEQ. They're known for using wrong-length axle shafts and shitty joints. AMHIK.
10.Last, but not least, the turbo- At 260k miles, it likely doesn't have a ton of life left in it. Pop the turbo inlet hose off and check for shaft play. There shouldn't be much. If you can wiggle the shaft in/out or up/down/side-to-side, start looking for a replacement. A used K03 or K04 with low miles is a direct bolt on, as is a Frankenturbo hybrid. The former can be had for a few hundred bucks in the classifieds here, on Vortex or the zine. The latter will run you about $1k for a kit including a new manifold and turbo inlet.
1. Wash, clay bar, cut and buff. The paint on these cars is good stuff, it will clean up nicely. (Free, less car washing supplies which any self respecting car guy should already have)
2. Clear corner your headlights (free)
3. Paint lower mouldings (<$100)
4. Lowering springs(Got mine for $100 used)
5. A8/TT brakes. Great bang-for-buck upgrade, you can buy a kit from ECS Tuning for ~$300 or piece together your own for less. I picked up a set of A8 rotors on sale for $80 and got TT carriers from a part out on craigslist for $100. This is the braking setup these cars should have come with from the factory
6. New coolant expansion tank. Vastly improves the looks under the hood and a new tank is $35
7. Goes along with #6, but clean your engine bay. Nothing worse than looking in there and seeing all kinds of dirt and grime and nastiness. (free)
8. Debadge. This is very subjective, but I think taking all of the badges and **** off the trunk lid looks very nice, and its free.
9. S4/RS4 grille. Not free, but they can be found used for under $100
10. Not necessarily cheap, but a chip will wake up your car and you will not regret the purchase price I promise. Another great bang-for-buck mod. Check out companies like Speedtuning, Revo, APR, GIAC, etc. You can often find used ECU's in the classifieds for a few hundred bucks from guys who upgraded to larger turbos. There's a guy on Audizine who sells custom Maestro tunes for ~$200. I'm running one of his tunes and its great. Plus that gives you a spare ECU.
Pretty much covered this in the first checklist above, but in addition:
1. Always carry extra parts. **** WILL break, its just a matter of when. I carry 4 spare coilpacks, a quart of oil, a gallon of coolant, a bottle of power steering fluid, a bottle of clutch/brake fluid, tools, an impact gun, etc..etc...
EDIT: Sorry for the wall of text, but that should get you well on your way
#4
08-22-2013, 08:31 AM
I would add one item to the list. Send a first oil change sample to Blackstone Labs for an analysis to see what's going on inside the engine. $35 plus if you contact them they will send you the sample kits for free. Make sure the oil is at maximum temp when you collect the sample. Good information. Blackstone Labs
#6
08-22-2013, 10:31 AM
Thanks guys. You responded alot faster than Ianticipated. Ilooked at alot of DIYs already, so the TB, tensioners, water pump and thermostat and more should be no problem (looked over it countless of times). One more thing, idont know about debaging the car. If Iwas Iwould only leave the Audi emblem on. Also, if iread correctly, some people.say they prefer K03 or 04 over the chips.
Again thanks, this exactly what I wanted to know.
Again thanks, this exactly what I wanted to know.
Last edited by TreWright78; 08-22-2013 at 10:35 AM.
#7
08-22-2013, 07:03 PM
Thanks guys. You responded alot faster than Ianticipated. Ilooked at alot of DIYs already, so the TB, tensioners, water pump and thermostat and more should be no problem (looked over it countless of times). One more thing, idont know about debaging the car. If Iwas Iwould only leave the Audi emblem on. Also, if iread correctly, some people.say they prefer K03 or 04 over the chips.
Again thanks, this exactly what I wanted to know.
Again thanks, this exactly what I wanted to know.
#8
08-23-2013, 12:39 AM
Thanks guys. You responded alot faster than Ianticipated. Ilooked at alot of DIYs already, so the TB, tensioners, water pump and thermostat and more should be no problem (looked over it countless of times). One more thing, idont know about debaging the car. If Iwas Iwould only leave the Audi emblem on. Also, if iread correctly, some people.say they prefer K03 or 04 over the chips.
Again thanks, this exactly what I wanted to know.
Again thanks, this exactly what I wanted to know.
As for the chip, that will depend on your setup. It isn't a matter of preference between K03 and K04 chips, each turbo needs a tune written specifically for it.
#9
08-23-2013, 02:35 AM
My bad Huskerbob, I'm on my phone and it's a really bad habit. And Iwont use a razor CCA4, ihelped my my friend debate his 98' GTi with his heat gun. Came out nicely, except the black "GTi" outline that still remains.
#10
08-23-2013, 06:23 AM
Try dental floss for the de-badgeing. Sort of saw back and forth with it. Clay bar should remove the outlines. Send pics.
