The NEW should I buy/is this worth it/what to watch out for/should I SELL it/etc catch-all thread

[TrickieRicky]

Whats up people finally decided to make a user name instead of using my buddies to look around on the forum. just got sum questions looking for suggestions and other little stuff.

Just wondering is there any reliability issues with either the 2.8 or the 1.8t? looking to buying one and a guy i work with is selling his 1997 a4 2.8 and he just put a new trans and clutch did a rack in it and just wanted to get sum input before i go and buy it. I believe the car has 190k on. I'm a technician by trade so doing work isn't to much of a problem. just would like sum info on the cars.

Also if i would purchase the 2.8 from my buddy at work id like to do sum up grades like coils intake and maybe exhaust. Any recommendations for any of those upgrades. would be appreciated.

thank you looking forward to get to kno sum of u and maybe even learn sumthing

[TrickieRicky]

well im not getting the 2.8 looking at a 97 1.8t a4 quattro with bent valves for $1500 has 130k tan interior no rips dark blue the trans was replaced last year along with the clutch... think its worth it??

[It's Big Ty]

If you can do the work yourself, then go for it. Check the classifieds on here and Audizine for people parting out cars and selling engines. You can get an entire engine for about $1000. Oh and that dark blue is called Santorin Blue. It is an amazing color.

[TrickieRicky]

Ok thanks... Yea im gonna pull the head if i get it and just do valves if theres no damage to the pistons..

[bav6shot]

welcome to the forum, The cars arent unreliable they just need maintenance That wouldn't be too bad but it would be nicer if you could talk them down a bit more. The 1.8t has a much larger aftermarket following anyways so you might be happier with it.

[TrickieRicky]

Well im gonna try getting it but theres other ppl looking at it and i need to wait till friday till i get most of the money... Not really looking into aftermarket side just want sumthing clean and nice.ill c wat happends.

[WakusPakus]

2001 A4 1.8T, 5 speed, 68K on it....6k OBO - buy or dont even bother looking at it? No CEL's, clean interior...

[MarcMiller]

Uhh seems like a good ass deal.

[onel0wcubn]

DO IT

[TrickieRicky]

I wold but i dont got 6k..well around me r acouple with bent valves but the t belts didnt break. Im having people tell me that the 1.8t r trash bc they always blow up but this is new to me.

[Audiquattro337]

1.8ts are amazing motors, along with 2.8s, i think more of the issue is peoples lack of ability or know how to fix these vehicles properly, either choice you go with you wont have issues as long as you keep up on stuff

[TrickieRicky]

Well this saturday im picking the 96 a4 quattro 160k from my buddy from work wit a bad trans but im getting a brand new clutch wit a trans wit 80k on it. Soon as its in my driveway im ordering coils for it.

[TrickieRicky]

what u guys think?

[chrit]

just got out of the honda game, looking to buy a 1997 audi a4 1.8t 4wd 5 speed. timing chains were done at 90k along with water pump. what other things should i be looking for? how do i tell if a turbo spools good?

[jackedrabbit]

The turbo is your biggest variable. Check the intercooler piping for excessive oil. There will be some because the PCV valves on those werent the greatest. but if it pours out, it may be bad. Or pull off the inlet hose and check for shaft play. Someone else on here may be able to give you better advice on checking the turbo but other tan that, the other biggest thing is the control arms.

Good to see youre getting a B5. Good choice. Ive been dailying mine for 8 years and stil love it!!

[cool_gti_guy91]

Hey all,

I have been in the VW scene for many years, I have owned many nice examples of mk2 GTI's VR6 corrados ETC. Now that im a home owner i have been looking for a decent wagon to make trips with the dogs and home depot a little easer. Since i dont have a sporty VW anymore i was looking for something that could fit both bills. I saw this 01 A4 Avant and thought it fit that bill.



I ran a car fax on her and it's been dealer maintained it's whole life. 2 owners since new. Timing belt was done and water pump. I know a lot of you like the 1.8T better but im not going for mods with this car. I have heard the 2.8's are prety solid motors. It currently has 184 on her so thats the only thing the concerns me a bit. The price is around 3500, what you guys think? it's a 5spd to

Thanks
Jamie

[Mk2Reverie]

What are you waiting for? She's gorgeous...Pull the trigger!

[memo!]

Sounds like a good deal

[ISHOT]

http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/cto/3032996489.html

Looking to buy a small luxury car, really want an e46, and cant afford a decent one, but need a car for winter, and e46 wont cut it. Saw this, hes pretty firm on price. Ive read bad things about 1.8Ts with sludge, has receipts for everything thats been done to the car. REGULAR OIL changes every 3-5k its whole life. Not synthetic... Never had clutch replaced, but says its still good. Timing belt was done at 102k, so ill need to do that soon if i got it. Seems like the price is high, but it is in excellent shape from the looks of it. Opinions? How much would you pay?

[Reverie]

I would definitely say that the price is a bit on the high side. I got my 98 for 2000 with 183k on it but it was pretty well maintained as but the body had some dings and scuffs so it wasn't perfect. It seems to be worth looking because you can never really know what kind of shape the car is in unless you see it and drive it in person but I would see if you can talk him down first.

[Seerlah]

Price is def too high.

http://www.audizine.com/classifieds/showcat.php?cat=64
http://forums.fourtitude.com/forumdi...-RS4-(B5)-Cars

And keep looking out for deals on Craigslist, Autotrader (where I picked mine up from), ebay, etc. Know these cars before you decide on a purchase. If you find a car you like but are unsure about it, feel free to ask.

[Connella08]

Very nice and clean car but the price is way too high for that many miles. I got my 01 wil just over 100k for $4000 in similar condition.

[mkivb5]

I bought my 2000 1.8t 5sp q sport with 180k for 1800. It was missing the back window,had misfires,faded paint and needed a clutch. I've done 20x more work into this car than my 05 mkiv gti 1.8t. I've owned the gti 4 yrs before the a4, I would still buy another a4 over the gti. S4 avant is the next car.

Just take the oil cap off and look inside,rub your finger in there. Don't be afraid to dig in. Make sure there is no sludge. I'd pay the 4500 if all is well.but talk them down.start at 3700.

[Audiquattro337]

really clean but as said above ^ price is too high, ide pay 3500 tops idc how clean it is, almost 200k... + you will need a timing belt service being it has been almost 90k miles. those arent cheap especially if your paying for labor

[ISHOT]

http://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/cto/3048996330.html

I found this car and drove it today, drove PERFECT. But one thing im worried about, the shifter is a little sloppy, which is expected, but when i go into 5th gear and let off the clutch the shifter moves slightly, i can feel it barely bump my hand. No other gears do it. I think im going to buy it if it doesnt mean the 5th gear is going. I think i can talk him down to 2200, and there isnt any maintenence, but it seems like a very nice car for the price, and looks well cared for. Has had the complete suspension done about 30k ago, a new axle, and radiator in the last 20k. Comes with 2 sets of wheels and good tires. Has a tiny area of rust on the drivers door and fender, but those are replaceable, and the body of the car is pretty much rust free.

Just for a worst case scenario, how much should a used engine (craigslist, forums) cost me? Trans?

Thanks guys.

[ISHOT]

It did drive great, motor sounds great super smooth and quiet, no wierd noises besides a little squeal when the steering wheel is at full lock, which is kind of normal. I want quick responses if i can get some opinions. Id like to try to finalize the sale today, good buy?

[ISHOT]

BUMMMMMMPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP. Dude thinks its og motor, trans, clutch. Seems to run great for the miles? But it is a ton of miles, would you guys buy it? What should i offer?

[ISHOT]

Thanks for the help everyone -_- Well i talked him down to 2000 and im getting it in an hour.

[DeathKing]

Thanks for the help everyone -_- Well i talked him down to 2000 and im getting it in an hour.

It looks like a good deal! The fact that he swapped in clean S4 matching seats would make be believe he took care of the car and was an enthusiast. Start a thread!

[NeedingAnAudi]

It looks like a good deal! The fact that he swapped in clean S4 matching seats would make be believe he took care of the car and was an enthusiast. Start a thread!

Those are not S4 seats. Those are seriously rare A4 sport leather seats.

[Citizen_Erased]

Hey everyone,

My name is Tom, I currently drive a Mk.3 Golf, but I'm looking to get behind the wheel of a B5. It's becoming a pain to take care of and I need a reliable car since I have to commute for work and drive to assignments. While I love my VW I've wanted an Audi.

I've looked over the buying guide in the faq, but I still have some questions. I apologize in advance for making another thread about this, but I'd rather ask. Here's a bit of what I'm looking for and what I have to work with. I'm trying to stay around 6k, preferably a 1.8t with quattro, since that will really help me during winter.

-Are Audi's as bad as a Mk.3 when it comes to rust?
-General maintenance cost. Do Audi's want special parts and all that jazz? Am I going to get bent over when it comes to repairs? The fact I'm not a whiz with cars kinda sucks, and if I get an Audi I'd be even more paranoid about breaking something during a repair.
-Mileage. How well do these engines handle higher mileage? Also, would I have to run a higher octane gas other than 87?

Thanks

[22AudiQ]

Hey everyone,

My name is Tom, I currently drive a Mk.3 Golf, but I'm looking to get behind the wheel of a B5. It's becoming a pain to take care of and I need a reliable car since I have to commute for work and drive to assignments. While I love my VW I've wanted an Audi.

I've looked over the buying guide in the faq, but I still have some questions. I apologize in advance for making another thread about this, but I'd rather ask. Here's a bit of what I'm looking for and what I have to work with. I'm trying to stay around 6k, preferably a 1.8t with quattro, since that will really help me during winter.

-Are Audi's as bad as a Mk.3 when it comes to rust?
-General maintenance cost. Do Audi's want special parts and all that jazz? Am I going to get bent over when it comes to repairs? The fact I'm not a whiz with cars kinda sucks, and if I get an Audi I'd be even more paranoid about breaking something during a repair.
-Mileage. How well do these engines handle higher mileage? Also, would I have to run a higher octane gas other than 87?

Thanks

Don't expect an Audi to be any better in terms of reliability. I absolutely love my 180k mile B5 A4... but it's not what I'd call reliable or easy to own. I purposely set aside a couple hundred bucks each month for what I call "inevitable repairs". In the past year (much of this has been cheaper due to using used parts), I've had about $3,000 in repairs. I'm HOPING that'll be it for a while... but a transmission and various weird things will come up in the next few years I'm sure.

That being said, it's one of my favorite cars I've ever owned. It's taught me to work on cars out of necessity and the car has held up extremely well in terms of not looking outdated, interior quality and paint quality. It's not an easy car to own, but it's the only car I'd want to own. I did recently buy a Miata for the times the Audi is in the shop. However, you may find quite a few people who have had few issues with their car.

You'll be using 91+ gas. And lots of it (if you get the 2.8 like mine).

I've had some rust. I just replaced my whole fender (found a used color matched one for $100 shipped on Vortex) due to rust. I need to do my trunk lid, driver's door and rear passenger door. Actual body/frame rust isn't as bad as the Hondas and Subaru I've owned.

Bottom line: if you want a reliable, cheap car this probably isn't it. If you want a car that you can pay cash for and just set aside money each month of repairs, learn to source your own parts (junkyards, ebay, etc.) and drive a car that cost someone else $40k, this is it. I love my car and plan to keep it to 500k miles.

[Mad Cow]

Rust is basically a non-issue, my '99.5 only has 1 spot of rust not caused by a stone chip, which is under the trunk handle and not even visible. This is in an area where it's not uncommon to see significant rust in cars less than half this age. B5 bodies are ridiculously good at resisting rust, generally a rusty panel means it's been damaged and repaired at some point.

If you don't know how to work on cars you better learn because mechanics will take advantage of you. But in terms of reliability, if you get a good example (which you will for 6k no doubt about it) you shouldn't have many problems. Mine's been going for over a year now with only small random problems and it's at 226k km's.

[gallhue]

u want reliable your lookin in the wrong country

[MarcMiller]

I've had my 30v for over a year and besides my steering rack going bad and replacing axles and wheel bearings, my cars been pretty reliable.

I'm sure i'll need to replace **** as it comes but just search vortex or online. Someone else has probably already replaced it and has tips or suggestions on what you can do.

My car is decent on gas. I average about 15.5/16mpg in the city. When i drive to shows and such on the highway i may average from 26-28mpg.