Hi, new to your forum.
I'm considering purchasing a 2001 A6 4.2V8 quattro with 113,000 miles on it. Price is quite low compared to others I see advertised in my local area and owner claims the vehicle has been highway driven and well maintained.
It has been quite a few years since my last Audi ('93 100 CS quattro and late '80's 5000 TQ before that)and my recollection was that they are very good value when bought used, but, are fairly high maintenance and expensive to fix. Has that changed at all in the last 10 years?

I'm wondering if you folks have a sort of pre-purchase checklist of things with this particular model that are commonly problematic?
I noticed from a few other posts that the coolant sensor switch and the control arms seem to be issues, but, the posts I found were not for the 4.2 model so I'm guessing numerous things I'm reading about don't necessarily apply to this model.
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Can you advise at what mileage you normally change the timing belt on the 4.2?

Thanks for any suggestions or helpful tips.

 

Welcome to the forum 749009!

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Not the coolant sensor switch, no. But the control arms and tie rods are still a concern. The 4.2 engine is pretty solid from what I've heard. I'd put your attention on the suspension and tranny - of course brakes with that high mileage would need to be checked, too.

 

Welcome to the forums!

The timing belt should be changed from 60k-70k to be safe.

 

OK, thanks for that info. Seller is claiming TB was done once, so I'll have to see his receipt to find out at what mileage, but, it should not be due for its second one just yet.
I'll also check receipts to see when brakes were done last as well.

Are there specific warning signs of problems with the suspension or transmission? In other words, if the car drives straight, feels tight and solid, doesn't make any strange noises or movements when doing a tight U turn, transmission shifts quietly and smoothly with no feeling of slippage or unusual noise, can I assume that there are no immediate issues OR are these problems very hard to feel while driving and can only be seen when up on a hoist or having the transmission examined?

 

Walk around the car and push down on the suspension, if it squeaks it needs some work. I would take the car to a trusted mechanic before you buy. Most dealers don't mind if you borrow it for a few hours.

 

Sometimes what a seller tells you over the phone and what you see when you get there are so different, you feel like asking, "So where is the car you described for me over the phone?"
After a short test drive and some time doing background research on the serial number:
1)sitting on 4 Blizzak winters with 50 % wear. No summer tires/wheels and spare rim in trunk has no tire on it. Rims are 17", but, not the 5 spoke sport design. I think you call these the "wineglass" style.
2)car has spent its entire life in the Eastern Cdn. rust belt
3)front bumper badly scratched
4)front underbody badly scratched. Car looks like it was lowered and previous owner kept the upgraded eqpt. He did however put an Audi Sport decal on both front fenders. That has to add at least 7mph to the top end.
5)Driver seat and RR passenger seat heaters don't work.
6)steering wheel trans shifters don't work.
7)pwr. outside mirror switch on the console snapped off.
8)brakes pulsate badly and warning light on dash is showing a low pad wear indicator, I believe. Couldn't check because no books. Eastern car means you can't machine the rotors because of rust, must replace.
9)front end could be a bit tighter. Can't say for sure if it might need control arms.
10)ignition key broken
11)no record of timing belt change.
12) A/C system barely working. Virtually no difference in feel between A/C on or running on "econ". Very difficult to hear compressor engaging...no defined "click" as I've experienced on virtually every car.
13)Considerable wind noise at 75 mph.
14)front windshield badly scratched from worn windshield wiper.
15)secondary dash warning light...either low washer level or low rad coolant...looks like a radiator with 2 streams directed upwards from it.

I stopped there as I ran out of time. With another half hour I'm certain I could have found another half dozen or more issues without much trouble.
Car ran reasonably although engine sounded a little noisy.
Paint was quite decent for a car with 113,000 miles except for the front end.
Missing sport seats, sport rims, so I assume missing the sport suspension as well.
Suspension did not creak when pressing down on front fenders and did not appear sloppy on the road, but, in my mind I'm also allowing for the fact the car has 113,000 miles on it and isn't going to feel like a new one.

Here in my city a very nice '01 A6 4.2 with 40,000 miles and decent Audi factory warranty remaining is worth $35,000 - $40,000 Cdn.
This guy wants $22,000 firm Cdn. so the price is very cheap. And if you aren't familiar with Audi repair costs and were to look at the car very quickly and not do a background search to find out the car was sold through a VW auction in Eastern Canada 6 weeks ago you might believe the story the current seller is telling. Owned the car for over a year, did constant maintenance service work on the car, car is perfect and doesn't need a dime spent on it, car is from Western Canada, etc.

Whoever buys this will likely buy it because they are looking at the price and nothing else.
I doubt it will go to an experienced Audi person unless perhaps an Audi mechanic who has access to cheap parts and his own labour and tools.