hey guys,

I thought I'd bring this topic up here since all we do is discuss Audi this and Audi that

I was wondering what kind of good tips you guys might come up with as far as for checking out an Audi a4 completely before purchasing. Such as.. Things to look for regarding.. serious accidents, control arms/bearing/ball joints,axle, engine, timing belt, steering.. etc..

I am pretty sure for axle-turn left and right make sure no clicking noise also check the boot make sure its not in bad shape.

Control arm/bearing/ball joints- lift the tire, try to move it horizontal back and forth then vertical make sure there is no play in the tires..no hummming sound when driving over 40mph as far as (wheel bearing) check.


any other things you guys can add on? thanks i think this will be helpful for allot of people.

 

I'm surprised something like this hasn't been started and sticky'd already since loads of people have joined this site for pre-purchase advice.


My contribution:

-Check for the original belt diagrams and emissions stickers that are on the underside of the hood. If those aren't present, it is an indicator that it's probably been in a major front end collision and had to have the hood replaced. Unless the hood is obviously after market I.E. a CF hood.

-Check for the correct color of coolant. If the coolant is something other than pink, there may be a leak and the previous owner has just been topping it off with regular green antifreeze since the G12 coolant runs between 15-25 dollars a gallon. Mixing the green with the pink can potentially cause a lot of problems so you'll want to do a flush asap and get the right stuff in there. If it isn't pink or green and is a brownish sludge, there's most likely a bad head gasket which is causing oil to mix in with the coolant and that too can cause a lot of mechanical problems throughout the system.

-Check power steering fluid. If it's low, there may be a leak in the system and if there isn't enough in the overflow reservoir (you'll know it if there isn't, you'll hear a terrible grinding noise when you turn the steering wheel on a chilly morning) you could blow the PS pump which isn't a cheap part and will most likely cause other problems as well when it seizes up, especially if you're driving and all of a sudden you can't control the car anymore. If I remember right, one of the other members had his blow and he thought it was the timing belt snap. If someone could link that thread, as it has pictures of the damage it'll cause if that pump goes out, I think it'd be useful to anyone looking to buy one of these cars to make sure they've got a full tank of PS fluid.

Edit: Here's the link to the thread about not driving with no PS fluid. Let it be a lesson to you

Why you should not drive with no PS fluid

 

coolant can also be purple if they run the g12+ since i think the pink g12 is not going to be made anymore. maybe bring a vag-com to see if theres anything you can't actually see but other than that. see if they have recipts for regular services and things like that.

 

cragman covered a lot of the good stuff, but something i do before buying any car, not necessarily just an Audi, is look in odd places-muffler tips, inside of fenders, pinchwelds, anywhere body panels are joined, etc-for anything that looks out of place. Those are common places for overspray, off-color paint, mis-aligned bolt holes, crap like that, and a good indicator of whether or not the car has been in an accident. Many body shops will cut corners to save time/money and overlook stuff like that.

Picked that one up from the "they don't make them like they used to" speech my dad gives once a month lol.

 

Pay a dealer or Audi specialist to perform a private, pre-purchase inspection on the vehicle. Most shops charge an hour. It's WELL worth the cash.

Ask the owner to take the car to a shop of your choosing. YOU pay for the inspection and request that ONLY YOU get the inspection notes. It's a little easier if the owner allows you to do it yourself. If the owner refuses to cooperate, walk away. Know what you are buying before you make a decision.

Paying an Audi Dealer $120 is nothing when you consider how much money you could save in the long run. Bad arms alone will run you hundreds plus labor if you're not a DIY'er. A T-Belt service can run $1000 at many shops, and if it snaps because the owner said it was done, but it wasn't, it will cost you three times that to replace the head and valve train. A leaky or failing power steering pump will run $400 plus labor. Get the inspection done by someone who knows what to look for.

And of course, CarFax is an industry standard and is your first line of defense against headaches. CarFax should be acquired and reviewed before even seeing the car in person.