I have found a guy around me that does not know anything when it comes to computers or internet, so with that said....he has a 2001 S4 that he listed on Craigslist (yes, this was his first experience with internet, and his friend id it for him) he listed it for part out....but the car is still complete he just listed it yesterday evening. So i called him up and he said he would like to get rid of it for $4600 obo so i naturally asked him what wrong with it...he said it has a head gasket issue and he said that it does run but once he found that water/coolant is leaking into the oil, he stopped using it, so he drained the oil and coolant and refilled, and he did not notice the leak again untill he actually drove it he said for about 200 miles then the oil STARTED to get a little milky again, so he just left the car along as is...........


What do you guys think???? im thinking of jumping the gun here as I already have whats on my sig, have done the timing belt/water pump myself, changed my rear and front control arms, have my own vagcom and all, so im not a newbie with vw/audi, just dont have years under my belt as some of you veterans probably have. Im not new to mechanics either, as I have changed head gasket on a 4cyl gm car and replaced heads on my first (sniff sniff) baby, 85 trans am firebird which was a 5.7 TPI. Obviously a different realm than vw/audi, but somewhat similar none the less. Is there something special i need to know about the S4's 2.7T's when it come to taking off the head?

I would appreciate any and all replies, thanks especially from you pro's like: mike-2pt, aledelic, onepoint8tee, kriptonik, CCA4, chocalotstarfish, ImTheDevil and any others i missed.............thanks again

 

Finding coolant in the engine oil is never a good sign. It seems like you are best off trying to diagnose the car's issues with what you know about the car, assuming worst case, and making an offer accordingly.

I know nothing about the S4, but generally speaking there are 3 scenarios where coolant could get into the engine oil.

1 - Blown Headgasket. This is what the owner is claiming and it could be true. I would say that if S4's are prone to BHGs then this is a likely scenario. Usually cars with BHGs tend to smoke A LOT. Check out the car, and ask the seller to turn it on, let it warm up and rev it. If it's a BHG, there will be lots of smoke.

2 - Cracked block. This probably means new engine. Coolant that circulates that through chanels in the block may be escaping through cracks, and seeping into the lube system.

3 - Failed turbo. I'm just throwing this in and have no idea if it's reasonable. I know my 1.8t's k03 is oil and water cooled, so its possible the 2 could be mixing if a seal is bad. These are usually loud and easy to detect if the engine is running.

If I was in your situation, I would check out the car and try to diagnose it. I would insist that the car has a cracked block and make an offer accordingly. If evidance points to BHG, then I would try to find a middle ground with the seller.

Just my newb advice - good luck!

 

S4's are not prone to head gasket leaks unless like the 2.8 you are well into 200k miles, or it had badly overheated at some point. It could be the oil cooler- in that case this would be an ABSOLUTE STEAL. Is there oil in the coolant tank as well? Miles?

 

i actually dont know the mileage but i will definitely ask, and I will ask about whether he overheated it or not, I actually did not ask that specific question.....what a retard i am.

Your right onepoint, i actually never thought of the coolers, thanks also to waltma, those are the likely scenarios that went through my head as well, and the second one is what has me hesitating, as that would be a big loss for me to take up, im kinda praying for onepoint's idea though, it just sounds so deliciously fiendish it just makes me think whether i want to get for profit or just keep it.......i just love my avant so much, especially after installing my sound system so stealthly as i did......

 

#1 I'm not a pro (thanks tho) I just talk A LOT! off topic forums ftw!
#2 if you can try and figure out what find of leak it is like 1.8t said that be awesome!
#3 buy it and since you got such a good deal, sell me your avant at a good deal

 

haverhill mass??? im grabbing the front bumper/grills and gauge cluster from this car. the dude told me he already has the side skirts off and one of the fenders... so i dunno if you still plan on grabbing this thing, but if you do you better move fast before its in peices. the car has 122,900 miles on it by the way. its a damn shame, but hey, now i get the s4 bumper i been wanting for my avant.

 

Yea, sorry to burst your bubble dude, but the car is already getting stripped down. I scored the front bumper, all the grills, both foglight assembly's and the gauge cluster for 350 bucks (front bumper has a crack in it)... Pm me for the sellers contact info if you guys are looking to grab parts. the car is in haverhill mass right on the nh border

 

well there goes that theory......i guess ill jump on the wagon as well and ask for other stuff i might need.............congrats on the bumper purchase pretty good deal you got