Hello Everyone,

Im interested in purchasing an 1997 Audi A4 B5 for 2800
The owner says the CEL(check engine light) comes on and off randomly and we took it to Pep Boys and the check engine light came out with the code: p0116 which is Engine Coolant Temperature.
Is there any other information I should know about this code.

Is this problem expensive to fix?

Should I still purchase this Audi A4?
(Is 2800 a fair price?)

 

Whats the milage, condition of the car? Any pics? What all has been replaced? 5spd or auto?

 

The interior is pretty good. Nice black cloth interior. No ripped seats or broken panels. The exterior has a few minor scratches little and one little dent.
149k miles, automatic transmission. Im not sure what has been replaced in the car but it has new rims and good tires.

 

Find out what maintenance records the car has. Also when was the timing belt last changed, expensive repair if it has not been done.

 

is it a quattro?! if its not a quattro i wouldnt buy it ;p
ohh and if it has 149k the second timing belt job is due soon which is expensive.

 

I drove it and the engine and transmission sounds good
yes, its a quattro.

ill ask the owner about the previous maintenance of the car.

 

make sure all oil changes where done on time, timing belt, and water pump were done.

 

that CEL is iffy. take it to a mechanic (audi/ vw specialist) and have him look at it. everything else sounds good but TBH 149,000 is alot and that 2800 is guaranteed to not stay that way with some maintenance it will probably require. if i were you, find one with lower mileage. or reduce the price. see a mechanic

 

I really wish people would stop de-valueing our cars. It's understandable that when you're purchasing something you want the lowest price you can get, and when you're selling something you want the most you can get. It's so discouraging to see Audi fans telling people to stay away from a car that has high mileage or low ball the price.

What needs to be understood is that these cars are getting old and mileage should be expected, but it has been my experience that the cars withstand the use of being driven everyday- maintained properly or not. You're driving the value of these cars down everytime you tell someone what you "think" something is worth without actually seeing it.

And a t-belt job is only a couple hundred dollars- only slightly higher than any other car. Stop being scared of t-belts and change them.

 

A timing belt kit literally costs about $300, and the job is estimated to be about 10 hours by any shop... specialist or not. The job easily costs over $1,000 and usually a reputable place will want to replace the water pump, thermostat, and reseal the cylinder head while they are in there increasing the price.

I 100% agree with this. Someone the other day posted that a VW with the same year and similar mileage will sell for a greater price than an Audi. I attribute this to everyone's comments on maintenance and part cost which is the largest tarnish on the Audi namesake... It has come to the point that people think that our cars cost more to even have the oil changed - I know this is the case in some cars like the W12 A8, but I have begun to hear people who don't know anything about these cars claim such things like the light bulbs cost more for the halogen headlights, or that you need to use special windshield washer fluid.

I think the major issue on this forum and the like, is that people mostly post when things go wrong, involuntarily contributing to the defacement of Audi; just imagine if people posted every day "The car is running fine today, not a single warning light!" I have also seen a post where someone said that their troll the B5 forums to see what they can expect will happen next to their own car. This makes me think there are some people with a sort of car-related hypochondria. Parts' lifespan depend on what environment they have been placed in, and how well they have been treated in that environment. What if that car was placed on an oval track inside a dome at 70 degrees Fahrenheit on its date of manufacture, and driven 50 miles per day until it reached 150,000 miles? It certainly wouldn't have the same problems that my New England weathered A4 has, which are very minimal indeed. We also should note that a lot of people who post on this forum have altered their car's performance in some way, contributing to their components' probability of failure, even if they drive it like Miss Daisy's chauffeur.

The bottom line is that I would be wary to buy any car with 150k miles on it, and yes the parts do cost more, but should you be able to buy a Camry for more money? I sincerely don't think so...

I am also not trying to insult anyone here... You are all nice people, I just think there may be a misunderstanding with the value our cars should have; I would say this is because we all already have one and are somewhat spoiled due to this fact.

Does this make sense to anyone, or should I just go watch a Lifetime move?