Greetings All,

A noobie from NYC here. I do not currently own an Audi but hope to join the fold within the next couple of months. I currently drive an old Ford Bronco so to say this is going to be a radical change for me will be a major understatement! To be honest I love my truck and would love to replace it with another but at this time my situation calls for a change. Reality dictates that I switch to a car, with the biggest factors being gas costs and size. Some might say that this isn't the most economical choice out there but when you consider the fact that I'm currently getting about 5-6 MPG in the city and maybe 12 MPG on the highway this will still be a huge improvement for me (even with running premium). I did not want to switch to a car and will definitely miss the space of my truck. That said, when I came across the A4 during my searches I was very intrigued.....here I could get a sporty German sedan with all-wheel drive and creature comforts that I have deprived myself from for years along with a classy styling that I find very appealing. I realize that I'm not going to be blazing off the beaten path with an A4 but it should still do a great job getting me to and from the slopes.

Okay, now on to my questions. I have searched this site and others with very little success. My biggest question by far is:

"How can I tell if the timing belt (and related items) have been replaced if there are no service records available?

"Is there anyway that I can tell if the control arms have been replaced? (Again, if there are no records on hand)

"I am used to doing many of my own repairs on my truck (the most recent being replacing the rear end and replacing the front rotors and calipers), should I be able to handle repairs such as the timing belt on my own?


I'm currently interested in the following: 1998-2001 A4 2.8 Quatrro w/5sp and the all-weather package. I'm looking at these because besides fitting into my price range, I feel that from what I have read this will prove to be the most realible set-up along with giving me the 5sp that I have missed and the features of the all-weather package that will fit my needs. I'm thinking that since what I find will probably be close to or in excess of 100,000 miles that I should probably just plan on doing the timing belt and accessories immediately no matter what. I'm also thinking that a full tune-up, replacing all belts and fluids might be a good start. I don't want to over do it but then at least I will know my starting point. Any thoughts or input???

Thanks for taking the time to read this. I hope in the future to not just ask questions but to be able to help out and contribute to the forum (so far I have found this site very informative and the members seem like a good bunch).

Thanks again,
John

 

Without service records it will be hard to tell if the car's timing belt has been changed. You can remove the belt cover and flip the belt over. If the belt is worn/cracked then you can bet it hasn't been changed.

you can find instructions for diy at http://www.audiworld.com/tech

 

you can look at the belt and check for cracks or even just see if the print on the belt is worn....audi timing belts need to be replaced every 60-70k miles...if any work was performed at a dealership, they will have service records in their system that you can get, but sometimes they'll only release the records to the owner who had the work done. there are a few things that should be replaced with the timing belt, search the forums from the last few days and you should find a few helpful threads on that...

 

I realize that there are a few things to be replaced at the same time as the TB such as the water pump & tensioner, I'm already looking at the kits available such as the ECS Tuning Ulitimate Timing Belt Kit - V6 30v ES#2015, I also figure that I would change the snub mount at the same time. I don't mind doing the work for the sake of peace of mind, but at the same time I don't want to spend unnecessarily either.

 

sounds like you've got a pretty good idea of what needs to be done...the ecs ultimate tb kit is awesome....i would also recommend replacing your front cam shaft seals (5 bucks each from ecstuning) while you're at it...your best bet is to talk to the previous owner and see if you can track down any records for the car (contact previous mechanics, find out which dealership, if any, he took the car to)....it may be coming up on a timing belt change, or you might have a good 30k miles left, it's hard to tell without receipts....there is also a "service action" on the front lower control arms for B5 A4s...but usually they will require you to show at least some previous maintenance records...

 

Thanks, yeah I try to do my homework first and in fact I really enjoy the research. In terms of the front cam shaft seals....how difficult are they to change? So long they aren't too involved I would definitely add them to my list. Why would previous maintenance records be required for the "service action" on the control arms? I've seen mention of "DV"??? I forget what it stands for.....is that something that I should look into also?

When I start shopping in another month or so I basically have 3 options:

* 1. Classified ads - private sellers
* 2. Classified ads - used car lots
* 3. My friend who owns a used car lot and promised to hook me up at auctions

I'm wondering which offers me the best deal....

* 1. Gives me the best chance of learning the car's history and getting access to service records.
* 2. I've found some "good" deals but I don't have a very good level of trust and doubt that much will be available record wise.
* 3. My friend admits that he rarely gets any service records or history with the cars he buys at auctions. The potential for savings is good at the auctions. I have to make a decision quickly at an auction and don't have much time to research the cars. A positive though would be that I could apply my savings towards some immediate maintenance.

I'm basically torn between options 1 & 3.....any thoughts???