So, I just bought this car a couple days ago. I fell in love when I sat in it but I have so many questions and comments and worries and joys already. The car has so many miles on it, but it seems like the previous owner did a really nice job keeping the car running as long as it has. I just want to know if i should stop spending money on beer and start saving up to give it a good going over or if I should be ok for a while or what. I know the usual problems, and it does seem to have a couple small electrical foibles, but nothing that is, so far, spoiling my joy of owning this amazing car. Should I just prepare to live underneath it for a while, or am I in for a rude awakening?

 

save some money up imo i recently bought a tt and it was sitting for a wile and the electrical issues can add up but once there replaced and fixed that should be the last of them remember keep ahead of the curve maintenance is an Audi's best friend just think of your car as a high class euro b**ch who always needs something...haha it can be little things like filters and plugs or if neglected a lot more i find regular maintenance and regular use to be the best for any vag car i own a few and all of them with alot more millage then yours and non give me any issues ....well other then my newest addition my tt which needs a go over to get it to par before its good

 

125k is a pretty sweet spot as far as price vs. repairs needed, IMO (as long as you do your homework when you buy the car).

If you need the car to make life happen, you should have $2k in savings or credit available to fix some unlucky problem. If you have another car, take your time to learn about a problem and try to fix it yourself to save some cash. You can even drink beer while you do this!

I figure about $125 average per month in parts for my A4's, and I do all the work myself. Some years more, some years less, but still cheaper than a car payment.

 

thats a lot of repairs per month is that electrical ? or mechanical parts ?

 

That's my all-in number I use: repairs, routine maintenance, tires, everything except gas. Parts have been almost exclusively mechanical, knock on wood, but higher cost items like bearings, TB kits, Cam chain tensioner, etc. But like you said, now that I personally have given the cars a go over and fixed things prior owners probably neglected, I hope my monthly average will go down.

Although the sunroof ghost has shown up in the B6, plan to tackle that per the DIY this weekend (hopefully an no part fix).

 

Thanks guys. Well, the update is such. As if to answer my question, she threw a code light on the way home from work today. I immediately checked it out and my reader says "Secondary Air Injection System: Incorrect flow" O2 sensor?

 

dame thats alot but im sure the total cost will go down as u slowly replace all the parts but what do you mean gosh moon roof ? is it anything like the audi tt window issue ? my windows go down an inch when i open the window but does not always go back up when i close it requiring me to open and close the door a gazilion times

 

The roof switch gets a mind of its own sometimes. Driving down the road you hear a little bit of mechanical action going on above your head and look up and notice the roof has tilted open at the rear to the 'vent' position. A few seconds later it closes all by itself. The (hopeful) fix is here, basically bending the contact tabs a bit to get rid of the 'ghost'.

 

Check you vacuum lines first, that has been my problem when a SAP code has popped (again, knocking on some wood).

 

oh well that seems simple enough my issue is with the actual door windows sadly im not shure how to fix that but ill get around to it