I posted this yesterday in the A4 B5 forum and I was given the advice to post here to try to find someone more local to help us out. What is below is what my original post said, but I am putting it here so you may see why we need your help. We are looking for a second opinion. If you or anyone you know can look at this car, do the work or just give an opinion, we'd love to hear from you.

"I'm sorry I am butting in on my husband's account, but I am so upset. We bought a 2001 Audi Avant Quattro with the 1.8T with 161,xxx miles on it a little over a month ago. We have learned a ton from this forum and have done a bunch of maintenance on this car. We paid $3000 for it and put in hundreds more in new spark plugs, coil packs, O2 and oil sensor, 2 oil changes and oil filters as well as a ton of other stuff. We knew the timing belt was going to need to be done and we were pretty sure the cam tensioner was bad. Today, we took the car to an import mechanic shop, who insisted we get an oil pressure test done first and foremost. In the end, they couldn't do it, because they said the fittings were unlike any they had ever seen. They did everything they could to convince my husband to get rid of the car because the amount of money to do the timing belt and cam tensioner, as well as what they insist must be done - oil pickup tube and transmission fluid (not sure if that is a flush or change or what) would be so many thousand dollars that we should just forget it. They put the fear in my husband about the cost of a new engine and transmission and all kinds of other things they say are on the verge of going out. Believe me, I don't know much about cars, but this is a nice car - drives nice, looks nice, etc. I just don't know why they are so worried about it. They did everything to talk my husband out of putting any money in this car. They kept saying about how many miles this car has and how it will be a money pit from here on out. I don't get it. Here is where I am so upset: How in the world are we gonna get out of this car what we have in it? We had to save for months to buy a car outright, any car, but we found this one and fell in love with it. I'm not asking for advice on how to change my husband's mind. I really don't know why I am writing all this, other than you are a bunch of really knowledgeable guys and I trust your insight.

Julie"

 

GIAC - Dealers

APR - High Performance Development for Audi, VW and Porsche Vehicles.

 

I owned a 2001 A4 1.8t AWM for 8 years and 160K miles. I sold it to my G/F's sister two years ago. This engine is known to sludge its oil. Use synthetic 0W-40, 5W-40 or 10W-40
synthetic oil to prevent sludge. Carry extra ignition coils. Get them from ECSTuning. Buy a code reader for VAG. The timing belt job was done at 174K for the second time. There was a cam code. The mechanic told us to bring the car back if a cam code returned, to change the cam chain. It hasn't come back.

OEM / Performance Parts for Audi, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Mini, Porsche & Volkswagen - ECS Tuning

audi code reader | eBay

 

Julie,
If your transmission fluid has never been changed, and the trans. is shifting acceptably, don't change it.

https://wiki.bentleypublishers.com/d...ance+Schedules

This tuner might be able to service your car;
http://bobhindsonracinginc.com/SiteR...ocName=Contact

 

Thank you, Crazyhawk. We are taking the car to a shop in Topeka tomorrow. After talking to him on the phone, I think we found someone who know what they are doing.