Hey guys I might be buying a 1997 a4 1.8t or a 1998 a4 2.8 v6

ive searched and for the most part it seems the only problems would be timing belt and water pump. what are the common problems they have?

how much has owning one cost you (repair wise) and how long have you owned it

got to convince my dad to get it :P his mechanic friend says that with the 1.8t sometimes the turbo will get messed up and its almost impossible to check it. also most small problems to get it fixed would be pricey because its audi

 

A lot. It takes about 5 minutes to check the turbo for shaft play. Find a GOOD independent euro shop to take both cars to and have them checked out. If you ever plan on modifying your car get the 1.8t.

 

your mechanic friend said its impossible to check for a bad turbo? no offense but it seems its time to find a new mechanic...

but jsut from what ive been told if u want reliability, go with the 2.8... i hear they are virtually bullet proof other than the acchiles heel (timing belt)... thats just me... i cant say whether or not quattro is better than fwd because i have fwd... but i couldnt picture it being worse though either haha... so just make sure u check for maintenance records and mileage and other common things... and best of luck... whatever u do... get a 5 speed haha

 

Yeah I didnt really know anything about the turbo part but my dad said the mechanic said that unless the same guy maintained the car and checked the turbo, a random mech wouldnt be able to see if theres a problem with it?

also the seller described it as this
I am selling my 1998 Audi A4. 5 speed MANUAL transmission. Excellent condition. Looks & runs great - inside & out. Very clean interior. Leather interior. All scheduled maintenances. Power windows, Power locks, climate control. To sum it this vehicle is in excellent shape. Price is firm. Really motivated to sell as I am relocating overseas.

* 116,000 miles,
* New water pump and timing belt at 92,000 miles,
* Never been in any accident,
* No ignition problems or anything of the sort,
* LA to SF with 1 tank at 75mph,
* Amazing on the road,
* Classy Leather interior in nearly perfect shape,
* A/C and heater - very powerful,
* Electrical driver seat,
* Moonroof,
* Original Radio Cassette + original 6CD charger,
* At least 50K miles of driving before considering any additional service,
* Oil changed every 3K miles.

all for 3500. for a 2.8 that is but I kind of want the 1.8t to fix up