First post, first Audi.

Quick intro:
Me-
Professional Photographer in the Tampa area.



Before this car, I owned 3 Nissan 240sx' and used to drift extensively.



I'd like to think I know my way around a wrench, but I've been proven wrong a few times.

The Car:



1998 A4 2.8 Quattro Avant
5 Speed
118,xxx miles (I think, more on that in a minute)
$2,900

Google kind of sucks for these cars, so I ordered the Haynes manual for this car tonight. Hopefully that can shed some light on some of these issues.

The Bads:
Needs new CV axles- previous owner bought axles but never put them on. No sweat.

Speedo doesn't work- means my mileage is probably way off. Buying the new sensor tomorrow. No idea how to put it in.

LCD display is FUBAR'd-

Found this article, but I'm hoping someone can recommend something less tedious I can try. Soldering is not my friend, but I know a guy who can do it.

Pretty nasty exhaust leak- not much to do about this one until I get under the car to track it down. More on this later.

A lot of exterior trim pieces are cracked or missing, specifically the pieces along the bottom of the doors. Nothing to do but buy those.

Other than all that jazz, the car is in pretty legit condition. Somewhere in the near(ish) future, there's plans of coilovers, control arms, exhaust, and maybe the PES Supercharger kit (in that order). All in all, I'm excited about this car and the prospects of badassery in my future.

 

First of all, awesome username. I almost spit coffee on my lap top when I saw this thread lol.

Secondly, very glad to see another avant on the scene, looks like you've got a good starting point for a really nice car. Even with the issues you described, $2900 is a damn good price for the car.

Good call on the Haynes manual. You might also download the PDF version of the Bentley linked in the FAQ sticky at the top of the B5 Forum. I seriously use mine all the time, and it's free.

CV joints are no problem, you'll be able to do that in a weekend. Make sure you use new axle shoulder bolts and double or triple check the torque spec on them. It's something ridiculous like 150 ft/lbs plus 180* or something. The axles should have come with new shoulder bolts, but if they didn't you can pick them up here.

The lower moulding issues you have are very common and easy to fix. Best thing is to buy all of them at the same time, because you're gonna have to replace all of them eventually anyway, and you'll save money this way.

As for the center LCD screen, that's also very common. Mine is the same way. I usually just turn it off and try to pretend it doesn't exist, but there's a guy on Audizine goes by "Kompressed" who sells the center screens. You can also get them on eBay. It's kind of intimidating to replace because you have to rip out the center console and there's a lot of very precise soldering that needs to be done. If you think you're up fer it, I'll track down the classifieds ad where he's selling them.

Welcome to AF!

 

Thanks for the welcome, and thanks for the tip on the moulding.

Compared to the 240, removing the gauge cluster in this car is a breeze. In the 240, you actually had to remove the steering wheel and drop the whole column to get the trim piece out without cracking. I damn near pulled the A4 cluster out this morning while driving.

I also found this last night. It's just a matter of maning up and learning how to desolder. I almost considered just buying a new cluster... but seems like I'd have more fun just burning that $1000.

In the mean time, I'll check that Bentley on replacing that vehicle speed sensor.

 

Last thing I forgot. Heater core was bypassed because, I can assume, it failed. I live in Florida, so that's really not the end of the world.

 

You can find used clusters in the classifieds on the cheap, but the problem there is that the mileage will always be off unless you have it re-coded, and almost all of them have the same problem anyway. Replacing the screen in yours is definitely the way to go. Its on my list of things to do, there are just a lot of things higher on the list right now.

 

I wasn't sure if the mileage was dictated by the cluster or by the ECU itself, given it's digital. Looks like that decision is done lol.

 

Yeah its stored in the cluster itself. If you don't care what the mileage reading is then i guess its a moot point, but if you ever decide to trade or sell the car, telling somebody the mileage is off by 60k because you swapped clusters sounds really shady lol

 

Couple things I'll add here. You're basically due for a timing service so figure that into your plans. Best price for a quality kit is www.fcpgroton.com - several of us, including myself and CCA4, are using it and it's legit. Also, if you don't have them, buy or order a set of triple-square bits for the axle job. It's a 12-point bit in 8mm size that you'll need for the diff-to-axle bolts. A torx will fit but a lot of guys have stripped the bolts trying to use them so get the bit set (I ordered mine from www.germanautoparts.com for less than $15, and it came with 6,8,10, and 12mm which is all you'll need for any triple-square on the car).

 

Previous owner just did the timing belt, so I think I'm set there for a little while. I will check out those triple square kits. Thanks.

 

Long as you have documented proof and not just the PO's word, you're good to go then.