Could be Audi A4 Owner... Q's?
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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1
Could be Audi A4 Owner... Q's?
Hey everyone, new to this forum and I just want some info before I purchase... (Yes I know about the search button, so I will try not to be one of those....)
Background. Getting rid of an 1998 Explorer Sport 4.0, 4x4, 150k Miles. Gas guzzling, and dying describe this. Now, it still runs great but can't afford the gas for how much I drive. Averaging 2500 miles a month...
Well, looking to get an 1996-2000 Audi A4 2.8 Quattro. Now, I want some clarification... Everyone tells me these things have alot of problems and expensive problems at that. I work on my cars and some others to, most problems I know of are caused by the driver. Never had the pleasure of working on an Audi yet but will do if I get one. Can anyone tell me if these claims are myths? (I do think they are false, and if any common problems? i.e. On my X, the Xfer case shift motor ALWAYS got dirty and stopped working, and I had to clean it)
Thats my main concern but anyone have any advice while shopping? I live in Florida, my budget is $10000, I'm not looking for performance. (Chevy > All :P) But the A4 is a great car, decent-good gas mileage... and AWD... Love it. Well, ANY and all advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
Jon
Background. Getting rid of an 1998 Explorer Sport 4.0, 4x4, 150k Miles. Gas guzzling, and dying describe this. Now, it still runs great but can't afford the gas for how much I drive. Averaging 2500 miles a month...
Well, looking to get an 1996-2000 Audi A4 2.8 Quattro. Now, I want some clarification... Everyone tells me these things have alot of problems and expensive problems at that. I work on my cars and some others to, most problems I know of are caused by the driver. Never had the pleasure of working on an Audi yet but will do if I get one. Can anyone tell me if these claims are myths? (I do think they are false, and if any common problems? i.e. On my X, the Xfer case shift motor ALWAYS got dirty and stopped working, and I had to clean it)
Thats my main concern but anyone have any advice while shopping? I live in Florida, my budget is $10000, I'm not looking for performance. (Chevy > All :P) But the A4 is a great car, decent-good gas mileage... and AWD... Love it. Well, ANY and all advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
Jon
5th Gear
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 6,508
From: South Bay
RE: Could be Audi A4 Owner... Q's?
there are two different 2.8 motors...the 12 valve from 96-97, and the 30V from 98-01...both engines are good, reliable engines, the only main difference is the heads.......you might have some trouble finding a 30V for under 10k, but you can easily find a 12V for well under that...the 12V is not powerful, and it's not very modable, but it is one of the most reliable engines in audi's history, and it's also very smooth and quiet.
if you search the forums for "common" in posts made by me, you'll find all you need to know about common problems/issues.......control arms are the biggest issue with B5s, outer tie rod ends, proper timing belt maintenance is very important on these cars, there are small issues like cruise control switches, coolant temp sensors...like i said, i've posted many more issues and areas to watch out for in the past...here's my 'cut and paste' response for what to watch out for....
if you search the forums for "common" in posts made by me, you'll find all you need to know about common problems/issues.......control arms are the biggest issue with B5s, outer tie rod ends, proper timing belt maintenance is very important on these cars, there are small issues like cruise control switches, coolant temp sensors...like i said, i've posted many more issues and areas to watch out for in the past...here's my 'cut and paste' response for what to watch out for....
ORIGINAL: bentframe
make sure the suspension is good....worn control arms will squeak, tie rod ends will clunk when you hit bumps, cv joints will click during low speed turns (if you're on the gas), open up the oil cap to look for signs of oil sludge (this is especially important with the 1.8Ts)...do the same for the power steering fluid, as well as the coolant. sometimes people top them off or refill them with regular fluids and that can cause big problems including sludge issues....test the cruise control, the switches are known to fail (typically it's an easy fix, a good way to knock a few bucks off the price
). make sure the sunroof is fully functional as well as windows (check each door's switch individually)..listen on the freeway for a humming/grinding sound for failing wheel bearings..oh, and leave the radio OFF during the test drive, test the speakers before or after driving....also consider the mileage on the timing belt, they need to be done every 60-90k miles....search the forums, there are TONS of threads on all this stuff...
make sure the suspension is good....worn control arms will squeak, tie rod ends will clunk when you hit bumps, cv joints will click during low speed turns (if you're on the gas), open up the oil cap to look for signs of oil sludge (this is especially important with the 1.8Ts)...do the same for the power steering fluid, as well as the coolant. sometimes people top them off or refill them with regular fluids and that can cause big problems including sludge issues....test the cruise control, the switches are known to fail (typically it's an easy fix, a good way to knock a few bucks off the price
). make sure the sunroof is fully functional as well as windows (check each door's switch individually)..listen on the freeway for a humming/grinding sound for failing wheel bearings..oh, and leave the radio OFF during the test drive, test the speakers before or after driving....also consider the mileage on the timing belt, they need to be done every 60-90k miles....search the forums, there are TONS of threads on all this stuff...
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