*Posted this in the new members area as well, but i figure i'll get better feedback in here. If it is an issue please let me know.

Hi. I've always had an infatuation with German auto. BMW has been my wet dream for the better portion of a decade. I recently came into some money (Car accident. Guy had awesome insurance.) so i set my eyes straight to the prize. I was over American made. It had done nothing but disappoint me.

I started with high ambitions, obviously, and went straight to the 3 series. I soon realized a halfway decent 3 series was still right out the window, so i went to my next best option. The A4. I searched for almost a month to find the perfect car. I watched a lot of decent deals go by while waiting for the insurance company. When i finally got my money everything I'd have been swooning over for the past weeks was long gone and i couldn't find anything. I ended up getting a 1998.5 A4 2.8 Quattro. Sadly i bought it on impulse. it was a good deal and it seemed like "an honest guy" Everything looked good when i checked it out, a few bumps and breaks, normal wear and tear. cranked a little long, had a bad shock, air bag light, but everything else was good. The carfax was a bit sketchy but i already had my eyes set on it.

106,600 on the clock paid 3300.









I had thought i lucked out. Little did i know...


I knew it needed some work when i bought it. There was no proof the timing belt wasn't original so i knew i was going to do it. But i figured I could still come in under budget. The first day was pretty good. no major complaints. the second day i learned that it shakes from the rear end at 75mph+ not unbearable but extremely annoying. then the back passenger regulator started acting up, and a turn signal light went out, and it started turning over for 5-10 seconds before sputtering into life, the 6 disc changer reads errors, and the rear end sounds worse. it isn't AS bad as it sounds but this isn't right. I decided to pay the 120 to get a detailed inspection by an audi dealership since i knew they'd have no problem telling me every bit thats wrong with it.


^^^ (lol@Dealership prices)

I plan on doing the majority of it diy to save, but i'm not brave enough to try to do internal engine repairs on an engine i know nothing about. XD

Along with all that delicious repair work when i changed my spark plugs this morning every single one was filled with oil. I knew it needed work but i didn't think it would be this much. But at least now i have a list so i can prioritize. But this is where i need help. I have roughly $1000 left to spend on repairs. The timing belt is a given but that's going to take a big chunk of my repair budget. I'm getting a full kit from ecstuning and the lowest labor quote I've found so far is $428.

So, what do you guys think? Did i get boned? Even with all of the problems i am still absolutely in love with this car. It's absolutely beautiful to drive, and i know when i get all of this repaired i'll only adore it even more. Any tips, suggestions, advice, or anything is appreciated. If you've read this far thank you for taking an interest in my plight. :P

Also i'm in the northeast ohio area if there are any mechanics out there with an honest labor rate.

 

You can do a lot better in most of those cases. Non-critical parts like the door moldings are cheap from a part-out or junkyard car. Skip the ECS timing kit - FCP Groton has a comparable kit for way less. DIY and save a fortune of you are handy with a wrench. It's not terrible. Oil leakage is valve cover gaskets - $22-25 per side and easy. Tie rod ends take 10-15 minutes per side and cost less than $100/pair. Rear springs and shocks are easy and can come from a junkyard for $20 per corner. Cam tensioner seal likewise is cheap and DIY. Go for it

 

Audi/Volkswagen Timing Belt Kit (A4 A6 Passat V6 2.8)

Vs.

Audi B5 A4 Quattro V6 30v > Search > Timing Belt > ES#2015 ECS Tuning Timing Belt Kit - Ultimate - 078198479 V2

I see what you mean, i'll probably skip the ecs kit.

I plan to do most of the suspension and outer engine repairs DiY. Me and my father usually do all of our repairs in the garage.. but this morning was the first time we've ever worked on any non american engine. For the timing job i'm definitely going to get it done by someone who knows what they're doing, i won't even pretend i'm that good with a wrench lol. But i'll definitely look into junk and part outs. I have a fairly large foreign auto salvage down the road from work so i'll look into that. Thanks for the advice. Do you think i'll still manage to make out with a deal on this ride? haha.

 

^ I would make sure you change all the 'while you are in there' parts too that many don't even think about like the thermostat AND waterpump, all the tensioners and serpentine belt, etc.

 

One thing about these cars - they're designed with serviceability in mind in the case of the timing belts. Read through the 1.8T DIY on this site to see - it really is pretty easy to get to the belt. Setting it up also isn't too bad. If you don't have much experience then it's good that you know your limitations - there are plenty of repairs that are harder than a timing belt but few with such dire consequences if you mess up. That said, you might post up in the regional subforum and see if anyone in your region from this site does work on the side or can recommend someone who does. That way you'll probably save a few bucks but will also get a recommendation to go to someone who has the credentials to properly do the job.

Shoot me a PM if you want to talk through some of your options on this in more detail.

 

I'll definitely throw a post up in there. Thanks again for the advice. I can't wait to see what this machine is capable of when it's working as intended.