Thinking of Buying an Audi A4 1.8 Se or 1.9Tdi (1999 -01)

Newbie Joined: Dec 09, 2007 Posts: 1

Hi everyone. Imlooking to buy an Audi A4 petrol or diesel model.

Can anyone give me any tips of what to look for when viewing and test driving.

Im not completely green when looking at second hand motors, but ive never owned an Audi before (allways wanted one, so bugger it lets go for one).

Would like to know what to really look for on an A4 eg body work, engine, on board computer, etc.

Ive seen a 1.9tdi W reg with 120k on the clock. what thoughts on buying A4 with what i belive to be high mileage. or am i being picky?

Anyway

Thanks to all for sharing your experince's and opinions. Oh if you have an A4 for sale or know of one let me knowof one (im in Dorset, Nr Bournemouth). looking to spend up to £4K

Regards and Thanks

James

Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 7:20 pm

Hi james

I've not really had mine long enough to be able to advise you on likely problems as "touch wood" I've never had any!!

I live west of Bournemouth and I dont know if you have ever heard of the Blackmore Vale Magazine? Its a local rag covering the west of the county but it often has a few Audis in and the prices are deffo a bit lower than the Poole/Bournemouth area.

Good luck

james

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 9:12 am

high milers on audis really isnt an issue as long as they have the servicing to boot. my first audi had 170k on the clock when i bought it and honestly was as taught as hell. impressive so i have stuck wit the brand... you will understand the build quality very quickly after!

I think the 1.8 would be under powered for most, the 1.9tdi will feel much quicker. Although a 1.8T should see you well. timing belts every 60k usually. quattros sell for more and really are that good but hungrier on go go juice.

Inexperienced Joined: May 27, 2007 Posts: 33

Hi my advice if looking for an audi of that milage would be to check that the turbo had been done on the tdi as they are only likely to last between 70000 and 80000 miles, also that the m.a.f had been changed at some point I bought an audi of 90000 miles and ended up having to do both. Only cost a couple of hundred quid to have the turbo reconditioned just a ball ache when you spend £5000 on a car. I would also consider going for the 2.5tdi in manual with the V6 engine its a pleasure to drive with bags of tourque and eats the motorway for breakfast. If you do go for the V6 diesel check that the timing belts have been done as the job costs about £500. Good luck on your hunt for a car, I must say after I had done the jobs on mine the car really is a pleasure to drive.

2000 Audi A4 Avant 2.5tdi quattro

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 10:20 am

i don't entirely agree with that bob. By any chance was your car a longlife servicing car? The turbo went on my 1.8T the conclusion was the feeder hoses to the turbo were clogged ,and with 12k service intervals on a petrol without flushing the system will give clogged hoses, a flush and more frequent changes will see this better. know off and have seen 1.8T's and 1.9tdi's on original turbos see well over 200k.

Same stands for any turbo charged car check all the hoses for obvious boost leaks, loss of pressure especially if the car has been chipped/remapped. as well as leaks clogs are less obvious and indeed has great repercussions.

Inexperienced Joined: May 27, 2007 Posts: 33

Hi istoo yes mine was a longlife full audi service but when the turbo was stripped down it was clogged up with the signature diesel soot when the car was driven normally any power loss was totally unnoticeable until around 70 mph and you put your foot down the car went into limp mode release the pedal and all was normal. I think I caught it early stripped the turbo down and the variable vains were full of diesel soot cleaned it up replaced the bearings and sorted it. To be honest petrol engines will be very different to diesels because of the way the fuel is burnt. Like I say it doesn't nean every diesel will be this way just trying to pass on my expierences of my first audi. But now the car is belting and I wouldn't swap it for all the tea in China so to speak. But it could have been something I checked for when I was looking if I had known it was a possible problem.

Audi A4 avant 2.5tdi Quattro

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 10:50 am

Also to note for the smaller engines is the bloody expensive dual mass flywheel, these can go, what to look for it feels like the clutch slipping in top at the boost coming on say 50-60 depending on the car. these are expensive.

slightly OT but interesting, thenameisross here with the same age 2.5tdi quattro A4 who had a near identical problem to you.. conclusion was also the same. I also have a 2.5tdi quattro (as of 2 weeks), does the turbo need to be totally stripped or can it be cleared with say a high pressure airline and blast out the soot?

Inexperienced Joined: May 27, 2007 Posts: 33

The turbo needs to be stripped down but like I say the bearings and seals may as well be replaced while your at it. I also had the outside casing shot blasted it looked like new after it was done, a good place to get the parts is http://www.turborepairs.com/ he will also do the whole job for about £250. The only thing I wish I had done at the time was to get it converted to a Hybrid but after paying £5000 for the car I didn't want to spent the extra at the time. If you do ever remove the turbo you will see what I mean the amount of soot that was in mine it was a surprise that it worked at all. It more than lightly does't help that my right foot is a bit heavy but whats the point of having such a good power plant if you can't use it?

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 11:42 am

i have a 180bhp quattro sport one i do feel its a little down on power since i bought it, maybe just getting used to the very different delivery (came from 4 years of 2.8V6 petrol ownership)

got this from theneameisross shows it clearly
http://www.technologie-entwicklung.de/Gasturbines/VNT15-Turbo/body_vnt15-turbo.html
and a great resource centre.
http://tdiclub.com/TDIFAQ/TDiFAQ-8.html#e

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 12:36 pm

what he said ^^^ Very Happy

Mine did it at 90k.

Inexperienced Joined: May 27, 2007 Posts: 33

I must say that after the turbo was done the car response and acceleration did change greatly, but if your last car wasn't a quattro the way the car puts down the power is very different to a two wheel drive car its almost decieving not to have tourqe steer and wheel slip takes quite a bit of getting used too, also when you go for a quattro thoes lightning starts from the line seem to be a thing of the past.

Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2007 2:13 pm

oh this is my third quattro Smile

But i also have a 200bhp FWD a6 so i know all about torque steer!

The power delivery is more shifting from a big NA petrol to a TDi. ie short rev range using the gear a hell of a lot more, first gear almost doesnt exist in the 2.5tdi. but thanks i will now be decoking mine after the new year as well as a matter of protocol.