I recently purchased a 99 1.8Q with 140,000. The previous ownerdidn't have it very long, and was no help as to the age of the timing belt and such. There was a carfax report that showed that the car spent most of its life and several trips to the repair shop in Maryland. Do you think Audi keeps any records, maintinence history tied to the VIN? If I called them do you think they would help give me info on the car?

 

I tried Audi for info on my car and they told me they don't have records for any non dealership maintenance. It may have only been warranty issues they keep they keep as well, it has been a long time since I talked to them. At 140,000 mi. you are at about twice the recommended change interval. The strands inside the belt degrade and break with out any warning. The belt will look good from the outside but still break. I would change it as the alternative is expensive. There have been a lot of broken belts on this forum. B.

 

Change the tb, wp, roller, tensioner, oil, and oil filter regardless of what the previous owner said. Maintenance now is money saved later, especially if you end up with sludgy oil or a FUBAR'd engine when the tb breaks.