so im looking into buying a new car..not sure what i want but im considering an audi a4. i just looked at and drove a 96 2.8 quattro 5 speed. Nice car, has about 140k on it. A few conscorns. What does the clutch normally feel like on these cars? It seemed to have a long throw before anythign happened. Example...if the total play in clutch from floor to being up all the way is 10 inches, it seemed nothing happened untill about the last 2-3 inches...is that normal? seemed to grip fine and disengage fine, just felt wierd...Also audio...has the original radio, said bose when i turned it on, but it didnt have a cd changer...are the cars pre wired? could i just go to the dealer buy an audi cd changer and plug it in? What abrout keyless entry? was it available in 96? is it a plug in item as well? car has the key only..lastly..oil leaks. are they common on these cars? i saw and smelled what seemed to be an oil leak. oil (presumably) was leaking onto the maniforld and burning off...on the driver side it was abot 1and a half inches wide and right in line with the motor mount...similar on passenger side..any thoughts? any problem areas on these cars? i also noticed the dash around the passenger airbag was peeling away a little...cosmetic id assume? carfax is clean with the current owner being the second with prety good records of service


thanks

 

The 2-3 inches in your clutch is called freeplay. It is normal.

 

no, its like all the clutch action is within 2-3 inches from all the way up, going from the floor up, there is more like 5 inches (or so it feels) before the clutch starts to engage...normal?

 

Ya a4 clutches engage high. Skip it though and get either a 97+1.8t or 98+ 2.8. 96-97 was the slowest years for the 2.8. If you have any intentions on doing go fast mods get the 1.8t.

 

If i do any mods theyd be modest...nothing wild...Im a college kid who is becoming a mechanic, and wants a fun car but one that gets decwnt mpg...i plan to drive 700-1000 miles a week...The mods i have in mind would be exhaust (cat back prob) cold air intake, and maybe lowering the car, if its possible with quattro...i think id rather the 6, although i havent driven a 4. i had a toyota and i got tired of the high revving 4. it was fun sometimes but the car had no power untill about 4000rpm... Where are good places to get preformance parts?

 

+1 If you are going to get an Audi, get a good one. Turbos are the way to go. Quattro is the shiz. I got my 97 1.8TQ 5sp for $6k with 71k miles. IF you look youll find good ones

 

im looking...if you know anyone with a v6 or a 4 for sale in the new york-long island area let me know

 

http://longisland.craigslist.org/car/345355730.html

This looks worth taking a look at. Id take it to a local dealer and pay the $120 to look it over completely.

 

If you want a fun car with good potential, definitely get the 1.8T. With a chip, its faster than the 2.8 and gets better gas mileage. There are also lots of other engine mods for the 1.8T while there is almost nothing for the 2.8. I personally have owned both the 2.8 and currently have a 1.8T, and I like the 1.8T sooooo much better! Just find one that has been taken care of and it will treat you well. Oh yeah, quattro is a must!

 

i swear i was looking and didnt see that a4....i will try to look and drive that....whats the difference between the 7 spoke and 5 spoke wheels? which came with which package?