hey all-
i'm thinking about pulling the trigger on a 2005.5 2.0T Avant Quattro 6-speed manual and was looking for a little bit of advice/input before i make the final decision. i scanned the threads and read the Sticky in regards to potential issues, but i was hoping to get a feel for what needs to be done to keep it in good, running condition. the car has about 89,000 miles on it. i test drove it yesterday and it drove like a dream. everything felt very solid on it. i reviewed the CarFax and the only thing that raised an eyebrow was the ignition coil replacement, but further research on this forum revealed that it was a recall issue so that is of no real concern. obviously, it's going to need a timing belt replacement, which will include the water pump and the associated tensioners. from what i read on the Sticky, i should replace the cam follower, the DV, and the PCV. the cam follower definitely seems like a must, as it appears that it is a wear item. what about the DV and the PCV? if these weren't changed right away, do i risk damage to the engine, or is it more about making the car a better performer? i want to spend the money on the necessities first and then move into the preferences.
my main concern is making sure i'm not going to be constantly sinking money into this car for repairs. it looks like as long as proper maintenance is done on a regular basis, these are pretty solid cars.
any thoughts you guys are willing to share would be much appreciated. i don't need to get this car, but if i do, i want to make sure i'm not about to step into a pile of poo.
thanks!
jake

 

Yes, the coil packs were a recall. In fact, some people seem to have had them replaced several times until they got it right.

The cam follower is under extended warranty now. 10 years/120k miles. They're not going to change it just because, though. It has to fail--otherwise, you can just change it yourself if you want.

PCV is pretty easy. I got the BSH PCV Revamp kit because I got a good deal from a fellow member here.

DV. I just waited until it failed. Bought the part for $80 from ECS Tuning and had my mechanic put it in (it's kind of a pain to get to if you don't have ramps or a lift). You will just have little or no boost with a torn DV.

None of those will damage the engine. If the cam follower fails, it will damage the cam and the high-pressure fuel pump, but the extended warranty from Audi covers that.

You have 10-20k more miles for the timing belt. Get it done by then, though. A failure there is not good for your engine.

I love my A4. It's not strictly a money pit, but it's also not the cheapest car to maintain/repair.

 

thanks for the feedback King! i've been scouring the forum for the past day looking for obvious, standout issues, but it looks like as long as the car is properly and routinely maintained, it's pretty solid and reliable.
i'm not a professional mechanic by any stretch of the imagination, but i'm handy enough to do typical maintenance (brakes, oil, plugs, etc.) and i plan on ordering the Haynes or Bentley manual to help me through. i would probably change the cam follower just to avoid the hassle of further damage. it seems cheap and easy enough. the water pump and timing belt will be the first order of business. i have a 2000 VW GTI and i had the pump and belt changed at 80,000 and it now has 117,000 on it. well, something pooped the bed and the belt shred in a spot and bent the valves so i have that being repaired right now and am all to familiar with the grief of a timing belt going bad. i imagine it will be a much more significant headache if it happens on the Audi.
one last question.... when i have the timing belt and pump done, is it a good idea to replace the thermostat, as well? for some reason i feel like i saw that mentioned in one of the threads. i just want to be as proactive as possible.
thanks again for the info!!

 

I think people recommend replacing the water pump at the same time because the part isn't that expensive, but the labor involved in doing it standalone is almost the same. I don't know exactly where the thermo is. Not sure as I haven't gotten there yet.

Get the Bentley manual. I haven't bitten the bullet yet because it's like $100, but that seems to be the way to go. Also, I tend to take anything tougher than changing a spark plug or a headlamp to my local mechanic or the dealership because I'm a wuss and I feel like this car is a pain to work on. I've have a couple of Haynes manuals for other vehicles and I wasn't terribly impressed.

 

yeah... the Bentley manual is pretty pricey, but if it's more comprehensive, i'll probably "splurge" and get it.
thank you, sir!

 

I would try to work the timing belt cost into the purchase with money off or have them do it. I would have it done sooner than later as honestly you never know when it could break and take out the valves.

Definately swap the Cam follower as soon as you buy it as it could be trashed around the 40k mark. No real indicator when it will fail but I have seen early failures as well as minimal wear on higher milage cars.

Just do the PCV and DV up front as small failures could rob you of power but it could be so gradual you may not get a code or notice at times. A torn DV could steal tons of power or maybe only 10 hp. Fixing a 10 hp problem is noticable after the fact for sure. These 2 parts would be under $200 total.

Other than that these cars are not weekly money pits at least in my opinion. I have owned 2 of the 2.0T and 1 of the 1.8t engines with only 1 major incedent. I did take out my cams and had an entire head replaced due to a cam followere issue in the 87k mile range. (I hade warranty thank god)