I just purchased my Audi about 14 days ago for 2k and I have to say that every time I drive it (which is as much as possible) I love it more. I am continually surprised by the comfort and just ease of use not to mention I got 27-33 mpg city the other day. I purchased my Audi with 171k on the body and motor and 4k on the tranny. It is fully loaded with winter and summer packages and has 19" Axis wheels. Everything works perfectly except the heated steering wheel. I am new to Audi ownership and I guess I'm just looking for some guidance. I want to start doing some minor modifications but I don't really know where to start. Maybe a new exhaust( I have a small exhaust leak) and cold air intake? Any specific brands good for mods on these cars? Anything to watch for and maintenance suggestions? If anyone is familiar with Fort Wayne IN and can suggest a mechanic that would be great....I guess these must be rare cars here because the only place I can find to service it is the dealership. Thanks in advance!

 

A8's are very rare to come across anywhere you go, not many people could afford them back in the day. Now that you can buy one anywhere from $500 to $10,000 it's more affordable, but the parts are crazy expensive. I too have a 1997 A8 Quattro and have been taking good care of the car. My advice would be not to alter the intake, etc because it may affect your mpg and engine life overall, especially considering the mileage. At 171k your engine doesn't have much juice left in it and is "tired" - so let it take it easy. Best thing you can do to your car to help it last another decade is to replace every single filter + oil with full synthetic 5W-30/40, seafoam the intake + injectors + engine itself before the oil change, get the tires balances and wheels aligned. Check for whatever is broken and fix it. And remember to put only Premium gas in it. A good idea would be to re-pack your CV joints and lube whatever needs to be lubed. Your fan clutch might be going out so keep your ears open. Do a power steering fluid flush - get rid of the old fluid and replace with brand new one. Should cost you under $50 if you do it yourself. I bet the filter is very dirty - clean it. Also, do a coolant flush (a complete flush, don't just drain the radiator). If the transmission has been rebuilt less than 4k ago you don't need to worry about it. Check if you headrests are functioning and if your rear sun shade works. If not, fix those.

The list goes on and on considering that these cars have been packed with features and are truly great. The steering wheel would have to be replaced. It is possible to fix it, but is not worth time and/or money. You would have to re-stick your engine steering wheel, so you decide.

Let me know if you have any more questions? Oh yeah, and change your spark plugs with Bosch Platinum +4. Should be available at Napa or similar. 27-33 mpg city sounds way too good to be true. I would do a manual check after the tank is empty. I have the same car and I get 20mpg mixed at the best.

 

I agree the MPG I got was little crazy but to clarify it was a combination of rare occurrences. I was driving down town only about 35-40 mph and I didn't hit a single red light so it was just straight easy cruising. Usually I can get anywhere from 17-24 with regular driving. I was just a little shocked and awed that I could get that kind of mpg, even on a lark with out having to succumb to something like a Honda. I looked at Merc E430s for days before I stumbled upon the Audi and it just blew them out of the water. Is there any specific brand of oil you would suggest?

 

Last thing that you want to save money on are filters and oil. For my Audi A8 I always use Mobil 1 Full Synthetic 5W-30 (regular, not the "high mileage" crap) + Bosch oil filter ($23 - cheaper ones are fake). Like I've said before, seafoam your car and you will see amazing results, 200 miles later do the oil change. It will get rid of whatever junk you might have in your engine + clean the injectors. Replace every single filter with OEM ones and you will see the difference right away. Don't use K n N air filter. Their oil filter is okay, but air filter is junk.