Tell me about Audi A4's.......

Vipergrün · 09-25-2005, 05:34 PM

I am thinking about purchasing a used A4, probably the 1.8t. The car will be a few years old. What should I be aware of when shopping? Are the turbos reliable? I'll be doing most, if not all of my own maintenance.

Thanks for comments and information.

-brad

HardDrive · 09-25-2005, 06:11 PM

I have the same engine in my Volkswagon 62k and it runs well. A few problems with faulty sensors, but thats just par for the course with VW/Audi.

Wolf1 · 09-25-2005, 07:09 PM

These Audi's...as well as the Passat's tend to require replacement of the outer tie rod ends and upper balljoints pretty early in life.

The outer axle boots tend to crack prematurely also.

As far as the engine.......if it doesn't leak and the T-belt has been replaced, it should be ok.

Another weak spot is the radiator. It tends to leak down the sides of the tank.

Overall.......good car.

creaturecat · 09-25-2005, 07:25 PM

these cars can be trouble esp with the 1.8t - major problems with the oil getting "coked " causing bad things. Never buy one unless it will have warranty for the time you intend on keeping the car. Not a good car IMHO

SpeedracerIndy · 08:09 PM

Coking is not a problem if synthetic oil is used. My A4 has 55k miles and I just removed the turbo and inspected the oil lines. No coking. Contrary to what some think, the 1.8t is bulletproof. The bottom end is good for something like over 400hp from the factory. Lots of forged internals. The weak spots are: front control arms and tie rods (there is a recall for control arms on some), waste gate actuator failure on the early 1.8t's ($170 fix if you DIY), I’ve heard of radiator problems, but have inspected mine and it still looks new. Also the timing belt should be replaced at around 60k miles (not 90k as the factory states). The warranty has been increased to 100k miles though due to timing belt failures (it's usually the tensioner that goes, and there's an update that's more reliable). So far, I have had very good luck with mine. Plus, for about $300, you can get an extra 50 hp, and 90 ft lbs of torque over stock, just from a chip upgrade. It's not a Honda Civic. Maintenance is more expensive, repairs can be expensive, but it's an Audi, not a Honda. The price of entry and maintenance have been worth it for me. I had a few people tell me stay away from a used Audi, and I'm glad I ignored them. Then again, I like to tinker and it doesn't bother me to have to yank a turbo in an afternoon (which I did a week after I bought it). Warranty would probably be a good idea too.

One more thing, gas mileage hasn't been quite as good as I expected, and it takes premium. I get ~22 city, 30-32 hwy. Heavy car, quattro, small motor I guess.

HardDrive · 09-25-2005, 09:34 PM

I guess I should add that I love the engine.

Mine is the tamest setup they made, 150hp. I have always been impressed with the low end torque. Pulls strong even before the turbo spins up. The throttle be a bit 'non linear', but mines a daily driver, so I don't care.

MFAFF · 09-25-2005, 11:40 PM

For some reason Audi installed turbos tend to spin on longer than others.....

And so unless you slightly alter the end of drive routine to make engine off the very last thing you do.. so lights/radio off, unbuckle.. tidy up first.. you will cook the turbo pretty quickly...as oil supply stops the instant the engine goes off...

Still managed 140K on a turbo prior to rebuild..

Other than the inevitable senosr issues and some interior electrics being 'creative' they are pretty good...

Mulhollanddose · 09-25-2005, 11:58 PM

S4...A4 is boooooring

SpeedracerIndy · 09-26-2005, 05:29 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by MFAFF
For some reason Audi installed turbos tend to spin on longer than others.....

And so unless you slightly alter the end of drive routine to make engine off the very last thing you do.. so lights/radio off, unbuckle.. tidy up first.. you will cook the turbo pretty quickly...as oil supply stops the instant the engine goes off...

Still managed 140K on a turbo prior to rebuild..

Other than the inevitable senosr issues and some interior electrics being 'creative' they are pretty good...

Yep, it starts making boost as low as 1500 rpm to help reduce turbo lag. They have almost done away with the lag, and it's supposed to be even better with the 2.0T FSI motor.

Eric 951 · 09-26-2005, 06:55 AM

Coil Packs--tend to go south.--ususally have went early enough in the cars' life to be covered under warranty--may want to check just to be sure.

Vipergrün · 09-26-2005, 07:58 AM

Thanks for the replies. I am looking at "affordable" A4's, mainly for commuting in the winter.. I'll probably get something with > 60K miles that has already had the timing belt replaced. Sounds like this is one case where older may be better than newer cuz issues will be resolved.

Rich76_911s · Rich76_911s's Garage

My parents have an A4. With good snow tires on it it rocks in the snow. We did have a turbo go on us. Luckily it was still under warranty. Due to the blown turbo they purchased the extended warranty. One thing to note is that if you want to work on it yourself is that it takes a lot of audi tools to get anything done. Take for example replacing the rear brake pads. You need some special brake tool to screw in the piston. Not on the front only the rear??? I know my dad wanted to replace the clutch but again he would have needed to purchase specific audi tools to get the job done. I have an Aunt that had expressed interest in selling her A4. It is a low miles car that is probably as good as if it had just come off of the lot. She is a lunatic about keeping cars clean, and in perfect order. So she is probably going to want to get more for it than what most used cars go for. I am not kidding about how maticulous she is about this car. The car is in Pennsylvania though. If you want me to talk to her drop me a PM.

don911 · don911's Garage

We have a 2003 A4 3.0. No problems so far with it but it's sort of a garage queen. A couple oil changes are all that's ever been done on the car. My complaint with the car is the auto tranny is not smooth. It's very jerky on initial accel.
FWIW, I didn't like the lag of the 1.8 turbo, especially matched with the jerky auto tranny.

Tim Walsh · Tim Walsh's Garage

Just got a GTI(1.8T) a couple of weeks ago, one thing I've heard over and over that hasn't been mentioned here is the water pumps. It seems like the waterpumps on the earlier models liked to die a horrible death, occationally taking the timing belt with it($$$). Everything that I've read says to make sure the waterpump is updated/changed at 60K as well as the timing belt.

The 1.8T is a great commuter motor, but mine (180hp model) does seem to run out of breath on the top end, but makes up for it with great low end torque.

craigster59 · craigster59's Garage

I drive an Audi A3 daily and I noticed a few people on the board who own one. Although this is the first year in the U.S. they have been sold in Europe for years. They're a shorter wheelbase than the A4 Avant, lighter, and with a 2.0 turbo and Direct Shift Gearbox in the automatic, pretty damn fast. 200HP but chipped will take you to 253HP. Mightvbe worth taking a look at.

adamred · adamred's Garage

I borrowed an A4 from the dealer when my A6 went in for service. The thing I didn't like was the 4 cyl vibration, I felt like my whole body was vibrating just sitting there...Peppy nice car but that vibration was not comfortable, oh and the hard "pleather" seats didn't help.

SpeedracerIndy · 09-26-2005, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by adamred
I borrowed an A4 from the dealer when my A6 went in for service. The thing I didn't like was the 4 cyl vibration, I felt like my whole body was vibrating just sitting there...Peppy nice car but that vibration was not comfortable, oh and the hard "pleather" seats didn't help.

Interesting. My engine is so quite and smooth I cannot tell it is on when I'm sitting at a stop light. You probably got "the loaner".

gatotom · 09-26-2005, 04:32 PM

My wife has been driving a 98 A4 avant since new with the 2.8l motor. She loves it and I get to pay for the fixing of it.

All in all a good car, the big issues are and it is the same with the 1.8l turbo:

timing belt change no longer than 75,000 miles or you willl hate life, new top end and pistons.

tie rods and control arms, replace them at the same time. there was a recall and if it was replaced no problem.

ABS module unit, a total piece of crap, bosch did a real lousy job of soldering the internal, dealer will tell you buy a new unit for 1200 bucks plus installation. Modulemaster.com will repair the crappy soldering for 250 bucks plus guarentee for 3 yrs, works fine now.

replacing disc pads are a pain in the keester, need some special tool.

hope this helps.

For parts go to ectuning.com, good prices, don't think our sponsor has audi parts.

deathpunk dan · 09-26-2005, 06:26 PM

A coworker has an 04 A4 1.8TQ...much nicer than thwe 99 A4 1.8TQ I nearly bought 3 years ago (but instead opted for a 95 325is..RWD+more hp+coming from a Corrado I was sick of wrenching on VWAG products)...a friend of mine has a modded 01 s4 with enough hp to a stock 996TT fits (have video of this, actually)..needless to say THAT is a much more interesting ride than the A4.

I'd rather have a WRX wagon, but that's just *me*.

paul571 · 09-27-2005, 04:49 PM

I have a 1999 A4 (B5) 1.8 Q with 108K miles on it. Never had any major problems with the car. There are so many mods you can do to the 1.8 T engine to make make it more enjoyable. I would highly recommend install a ECU chip. I have an APR chip (www.goapr.com), and it is worth the money (check on e-bay). If you want more info, go to www.audiworld.com you'll find Audi fans just like the Porsche fans here on this site.