Buying a 2002 A4
 

Hey everyone!
I'm new to the Audi world - will be buying a 2002 A4 1.8T on Monday. It has 120,000 miles on it and has the common sludge issue. Oil pump and pickup have been replaced in the past 2 months.

I'll be flushing with ATF and using full synthetic from here on out. Will see if that works, otherwise will have to bite the bullet and drop in a new (used) 1.8T. A bit of a gamble on my part, but the price is right.

Sludge issue is due to previous owner, who put in syn during irregular (20K +)oil changes, but topped up with regular oil when low. Not too bright.

Any other tips?
Thanks!
Al

Congrats on the A4. Those engines take alot of abuse and you may not need an engine swap. You should remove the valve cover and inspect the camshaft adjuster. Make sure the plastic chain guides, chain and cam sprockets look ok. You can also remove the cam caps and inspect for any wear on caps or cam journals. Sometimes these get damaged on cars with a sludge problem. You may also want to replace the oil feed line to the turbocharger or at least check to make sure it is not restricted.

Good luck!

Well, so far it's been all good news. Bought the car earlier this week.
Scanned for codes, there were 2. Oil level sensor and driver door speaker.

Added 1 litre of ATF fluid to the engine oil, and idled it for 45 minutes. Pulled the drain plug while it was still hot, swapped the filter out, and filled with Castrol 5w50. Scanned again, and only the speaker code remains. :D

I'm loving the way it drives - so quiet! And tight!

A few annoyances yet to be resolved:
- heat doesn't blow/uneven at best (heater core flush next weekend, might also replace thermostat since car doesn't warm up to 90C even after 10 minute drive)
- fan control adjusts by itself
- some buttons are peeling (especially Hot and Cold buttons)
- need to spend some time detailing the interior
- a couple bulbs to replace

No complaints, considering what I paid for it!!

glad to know its working out!

peeling buttons are pretty common-i've replaced a few.

and the fan control WILL adjust on its own if you are using the "Auto" function of the climate control. Once it senses the cabin has reached the set temperature, the fan will turn down.

How would I replace temp control buttons? Find at a wrecker, or fix them?

AFAIK, 'auto' setting is not being used. Will confirm tonight.

I'm loving the milage improvement over my previous vehicle ('98 Mazda B4000) - almost double!

I have a few pealed buttons myself is there a trick to fixing them??