This board my solve the dilemna that I've been trying to solve lately. I'm looking for a nice sport sedan, and I found what looks like a good deal; 2000 A6 2.8, non-quattro, 48k miles, dark pearl blue, well-equipped, $11,000. The current owner has replaced the tie rod ends, valve cover gaskets, and cam adjuster seals already. Right now, there are no apparent problems. What should I look for when inspecting this car? Are these problems likely to recur, and if so, is there anything I can do to prevent them from recurring? I did a search, but didn't come up with what I really needed to know. Any kind of info is appreciated. I'm not buying it to make it fast or anything like that (already have a different toy), but I just want a nice daily driver. What would I be getting myself into as far as expected maintenance. I put about 15k to 20k miles a year on a car.

Thanks,
Eric

 

I understand that replacing some of the vacuum lines periodically can prevent many of the oil leaks; are these vaccum lines difficult to get to and change? How often should one change them?