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Tim Hancock 04-22-2008 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueSideUp (Post 3901882)
I've done two 1.8T timing belts and can say they are very easy to change. The front of the car comes off easily.

All I can say is that IMO, needing to pull the front bumper, carrier along with draining the antifeeze every time something on the front of the engine needs serviced/replaced is ridiculous. Ever change a torn CV boot on the front right of an A6 Quattro? I have....having to partially dis-assemble the suspension to replace a boot is pretty labor intensive compared to any other car I have ever worked when it comes to pulling half shafts.

Another fun one was finding out I needed to buy the Vag Com software to change the auto trans oil. (I had a leaking $600 trans cooler :() When topping off the tranny, one must fill the trans and top it off till it spills out exactly at a certain temp and you have to have all four wheels in the air and run the car while monitoring the temp reading with the Vagcom software.

Another fun one was attempting to syphon fuel from a topped off tank when the $400 in-tank ($250 for the 2.8 guys) fuel pump gave up the ghost on my wife one day (which required a flat bed tow because towing a tiptronic Quattro even a short distance is a big NO-NO. I ended up just pulling the cover under the seat and letting about 8 gallons spill out into my 5 gallon drain bucket.

Installing sport suspensions is never fun, but on the Quattro Audi....well lets just say more quite a bit of suspension dis-assembly is required.

Speaking of suspension parts, you have to love Audi's multiple control arms that all are known to go bad prematurely. I have replaced three so far...the first time you have to remove the upper pinch bolt, you can always count on some choice words. Oh yeah, if it happens to be the front upper left, you have to drop the suspension again as the inner bolt cannot be removed with out lowering the strut assembly out of the way.

Oh and how about those power window plastic clips....not too horrible of a job to replace, but replace them you will if you happen to buy are car that never had about the third revison of those parts installed at some point.

Of course many have had more than their fair share of electrical issues...so far I have lucked out in that regard (at 135K, I know it is coming ;)).

My latest issue is that there is a bad oil smell when idling at a stop light. It most likely is coming from the valve covers and cam seals. The gasket kit for those is "only" about $150 and while I am in there (it of course requires tearing the front of the car off), I will put a new timing belt, water pump, crank seal, Audi "certified" antifreeze in there just to because it will be opened up and I am unsure of how it was done at 80,000 miles (all inclusive timing belt/waterpump kit is "only" about $450).

I better shut up now before I start wanting to dump it and buy a nice 100,000 mile 5 series BMW for my wife like I should have done in the first place ;):D.

FastCarFan 04-22-2008 06:55 PM

Shhh...don't tell Jim, but we picked up an A4 Avant for my wife about 3 weeks ago & we love it. It is gorgeous -- dark silver (I forget the actual name of the color), very nice wheels. We were looking for a wagon (did not want an SUV or minivan) for hauling stuff/dog, with AWD for ski trips.

We had leased 2 Passat GLX 4Motion wagons previously & loved them -- the 2005 had absolutely zero problems in 36,000 miles. However, to get a new Passat with 4Motion you have to get a totally loaded car (with a 280 hp engine, if I recall correctly, far more than my wife wants/needs) -- the MSRP is $39,000! The A4 Avant quattro had a sticker price $4,000 less than a Passat 4Motion, they let me use a loyalty coupon because I was (sort of) trading in an Audi & -- this is the beautiful part -- they gave me a "conquest" incentive because I was "trading in" a non-Audi. We used the title of my '88 911 as the conquest car, even though I didn't trade it in. So we got a loyalty incentive because we were buying another "Audi", & a conquest incentive because we were "trading in" a non-Audi.

So far, with almost 1,000 miles on it, we absolutely love it. It has good power (we got the turbo 4, not the V6), is great on the freeway & it even has paddle shifters. Did I say it is gorgeous? My only complaint is the front seats are too flat -- feels like you are sitting on them rather than in them.

Jims5543 04-22-2008 07:05 PM

Pssst!! I loved my A6 Thirty Three months ago too.

Someone complained in the MINI thread (PaulK) that he was upset that a window regulator went on his MINI at 22K miles. LOL!!

When CD Changers go at 5K miles, windows get stuck down at 3K miles and work when you get to the dealership and never give a problem again until your not at the dealership. Sunroof stuck open at 10K miles and now at 22K miles it is undriveable for a month now with electical shorts that cannot be contained.

Then you grow to loath them.

The first few weeks were blissful.

Good Luck guys!!

Be honest and a year from now make sure you tell us how your cars are treating you. I really want to know, especially you guys that bought new cars.

lendaddy 04-22-2008 07:12 PM

Tim,

I'm sorry, I know I gave you a great deal on the car and I in no way set you up for a fall but that cork soaker scared me to death. When I popped the hood on a twin turbo car and couldn't come close to seeing either of them I wigged out :D

BlueSideUp 04-22-2008 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim Hancock (Post 3902174)
All I can say is that IMO, needing to pull the front bumper, carrier along with draining the antifeeze every time something on the front of the engine needs serviced/replaced is ridiculous. Ever change a torn CV boot on the front right of an A6 Quattro? I have....having to partially dis-assemble the suspension to replace a boot is pretty labor intensive compared to any other car I have ever worked when it comes to pulling half shafts.

Another fun one was finding out I needed to buy the Vag Com software to change the auto trans oil. (I had a leaking $600 trans cooler :() When topping off the tranny, one must fill the trans and top it off till it spills out exactly at a certain temp and you have to have all four wheels in the air and run the car while monitoring the temp reading with the Vagcom software.

Installing sport suspensions is never fun, but on the Quattro Audi....well lets just say more quite a bit of suspension dis-assembly is required.

Speaking of suspension parts, you have to love Audi's multiple control arms that all are known to go bad prematurely. I have replaced three so far...the first time you have to remove the upper pinch bolt, you can always count on some choice words. Oh yeah, if it happens to be the front upper left, you have to drop the suspension again as the inner bolt cannot be removed with out lowering the strut assembly out of the way.

Oh and how about those power window plastic clips....not too horrible of a job to replace, but replace them you will if you happen to buy are car that never had about the third revison of those parts installed at some point.

Of course many have had more than their fair share of electrical issues...so far I have lucked out in that regard (at 135K, I know it is coming ;)).

Yes I agree there are a lot of things that can go bad. I am coming from doing the timing belt on east/west engines so pulling the front end off the car isn't a big deal. On a Passat I can get it pulled off in about 30 minutes including dumping the coolant.

I never ripped a CV boot on my car but yes it is a huge PITA to do on many FWD or AWD cars with how they are set up.

For suspension swaps I think I've done ten swaps and at first the Audi front suspension was a PITA but like anything there are tricks to make sure it doesn't drive you to drink. The front control arms do commonly wear out. The main reason is that people don't follow the service manual and center the bushings correctly. So your new arm has a torqued bushing and lasts about 15K miles. As you know they aren't cheap to replace. I'm not sure if the rough roads (washboard dirt for example) wear out the arms prematurely but that could cause some problems I suppose. My Passat had 78K on the stock arms when I sold it (including a number of track days) and they were still in great shape. As far as I know it is well over 100K now on the stock arms, I just always made sure to follow the service manual (unlike a lot of dealers).

So yes Tim I agree these cars can be a PITA like any car, they have certain quirks that you need to work with and some of them have problems. I can honestly say that I found adjusting the valves on my 911 more difficult than changing the turbo on the Passat. Good luck on that 2.7TT turbo change, I'd sell it before that happens!

MOMO3.2 04-22-2008 08:36 PM

We had an Audi A4 Quattro for 5 years, It was basicaly trouble free. We had one default code for an airbag that was fixed by the dealer for free in one day. So, my experience with Audi has been great. The interiors, fit and finish, quality fo materials and ride are AMAZING on Audis.

While we are at it, I have owned scores of VW's and NEVER had an issue with them either. I currently own an 08 GTi 4 door. It makes for a nice, fun, economic, daily driver with good utility.

Good luck with the Avant. I really like them.

Mike

Wickd89 04-22-2008 08:51 PM

Have it inspected and if it passes you should be fine.

Like anything, you could get a lemon, but if you do your homework on a used car, you should be fine.

Tim Hancock 04-23-2008 03:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lendaddy (Post 3902492)
Tim,

I'm sorry, I know I gave you a great deal on the car and I in no way set you up for a fall but that cork soaker scared me to death. When I popped the hood on a twin turbo car and couldn't come close to seeing either of them I wigged out :D


:D

No worries Lendaddy, if the deal had not been so good, I would never have bought it..... I kind of knew what I was in for. As I have stated many times, I love how the car drives and feels and I am more than capable of working on the car. That said, I know for a fact that my high mileage BMW and Porsches have proven far less time consuming to work on over the long haul.

BlueSide, trust me, I have scoured the internet every time I have come up against a repair on the Audi to find the little tricks that the Bentley CD does not discuss. The control arms I replaced thus far all appeared original and I loaded the suspension prior to tightening the inner rubber encased bushing.

I guess I just like to think that control arms on a fine european car should last at least 200k as opposed to 100k.

I have stated "never again" in regards to Audis, some here will get a chuckle out of the fact that I just bought a pristine 2000 VW New Beetle 2.0 manual with 100k on the clock for my daughter to commute to college with next year.
The deal was too good to pass up. Thankfully the New Beetle is a much simpler car and is much easier to work on :D.

onewhippedpuppy 04-23-2008 04:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim Hancock (Post 3902881)
I guess I just like to think that control arms on a fine european car should last at least 200k as opposed to 100k.

Like the 944 ball joints that wear out every 40k and require replacement of the control arm? Or the E34 thrust arms that wear out every 80k or so and cause the car to shake at 55 MPH? Or the suspension on nearly every other BMW that requires a rebuild at 80k?:mad:

Something about German cars and their suspension bushings. I rebuilt my Saab suspension at 225k, the only thing with noticable wear was the torn tie rod end boots. THAT is how long the suspension should last on a european car.

Tim Hancock 04-23-2008 06:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy (Post 3902949)
Like the 944 ball joints that wear out every 40k and require replacement of the control arm? Or the E34 thrust arms that wear out every 80k or so and cause the car to shake at 55 MPH? Or the suspension on nearly every other BMW that requires a rebuild at 80k?:mad:

Something about German cars and their suspension bushings. I rebuilt my Saab suspension at 225k, the only thing with noticable wear was the torn tie rod end boots. THAT is how long the suspension should last on a european car.

I have not touched ball joints or tie rods in my 100k 951, 125k 924S or 200+k 924 and my E36 BMW with 285k has only had the ball joints and tie rods replaced once by me at about 200k (I made my own ball joint press tool and did them right in the car ;)).

Ultimately my problem with Audi's is how difficult they are to work on vs BMW. I am aware that my Audi is twin turboed, AWD and autotrans which my BMW is not, but I am confident that OVERALL, they require higher labor charges, higher parts prices and larger PITA factor than the average BMW. I only know what I have seen firsthand with my DIY experiences. To all those who love their Audis, good for you. I like mine too when I am not working on it.

vash 04-23-2008 06:49 AM

you guys pulled the front end off before the timing belt? damn! i think we only took off the passenger wheel, and then the coolant reservoir. lemme find that tech article.

rcooled 04-23-2008 08:30 AM

I'm sorry to hear that some on this board have had more than their share of troubles with their Audis. There are bad apples in every bunch....just go to some of the other BBs and read all the horror stories. Don't buy an Audi, or any modern car for that matter, if your main criteria is how easy it is to work on. These cars were not designed for DIY repairs. Unless you have experience, all the special tools and lots of free time, just resign yourself to the fact that when the car needs serious work, you'll take it to the shop. I've rebuilt a couple of 911 motors and have restored several old cars over the years but I wouldn't even think of doing any major repairs on either my Audi or BMW. Even though I enjoy working with cars, I'll let experienced, qualified mechanics handle these two while I tinker with my weekend ride.

Here's an Audi site to check out: http://www.audiworld.com There's a lot of fluff there but some good info too, if you dig a little for it.

For the record....I've had two Audis over the last ten years and both have been bulletproof and an absolute blast to drive.

onewhippedpuppy 04-23-2008 08:47 AM

Tim, you are one lucky SOB. You must oooze good mechanical karma.:D

The PO of my 951 (who had owned several 944s previously) told me his ball joints normally lasted him 40k. The opinion on RL was that 40-60k was the average lifespan. When I rebuilt my E34 suspension at 135k, nearly all of the boots were torn and greaseless, and the rubber bushings torn and distorted. My 130k E36 was riding on a rebuilt suspension. From the time I spent on BF.c, it seemed like 100k was the magic number for BMW suspensions. I know several people with higher-mileage E46s, and they have experienced the same thing.

gatotom 04-23-2008 10:28 AM

rcooled is right , Audiworld has some great articles about repair with photos and good explainations. I did my timing belt using there step by step and did the complete job in under 8 hours taking my time, easy job. The hardest part was figuring out how to get the front bumper off but once its off and the front of the engine is exposed, well, grab a good seat and have a cold one next to you and enjoy the wrench turning.

Last week I traded my wife's 1998 A4 avant with 166k still all original except timing belt and front control arms for a 2005 A4 avant 1.8L 6 speed. The 6 speed is nice and I am sure she will get good mileage out of it, at 70mph in 6th gear the tac is at 2200 rpm's.

Where we live, Audi's are the altimate car with all wheel drive, gets better mileage than Subaru plus they are way better built. Sorry Jim, but we have had good luck with Audi. I have been writing Audi for acouple of yrs to make them import the A4 2.0L tdi, for diesel a very sweet motor with great mileage, maybe in 2009 is the answer I get.

71T Targa 04-23-2008 10:55 AM

I've been lurking at Audiworld, and have found a local Audi forum that has a pretty good crowd. Although they do seem to be 20somethings and I'd probably feel really old at their BBQ's. There is also a lot of knowledge to be shared.

I am going to get the snow tires off and the summers on as soon as I get home today. Then maybe I'll see if I can an empty parking lot and find out what happens when it starts to let lose. :D


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