amateur

I am moving to NY-NJ soon and was thinking about an awd vehicle for snow, I also like the vehicle to be fun to drive. I am planning to put 10-15K a year for something like 2 years.

I am thinking of going for a cheap 2.8 quattro with manual transmission 98-2001 A4. I may also think about going for 3.0 6 speed manual 2002-2004 model years.

in the price range the car will probably have 100K+ even close to 150K+.

What should I look for when purchasing the vehicle?
How much do preventative maintenance cost?

My previous vehicle was a BMW and preventative maintenance was the key for that vehicle so I am assuming it is the same with Audis. Should I change the pulleys,water pump, radiator etc rightaway(I think I need to change timing belt too right)?

If I purchase the 98-2001 vehicle around $3500 and can use it for another 1-2 years putting a maximum 30K miles by spending less then $2K in repairs I will be pretty happy. Or I may go for around $8K and buy a 2002-2004 model and again by spending around 2K if I can use it for 30K/2 years I will be happy.


Thanks in advance.

4Driver4

3.0 is crap. Stay away from it.

wrp

There are many long lists of maintenance items, but if you do it yourself the parts are about $1000 for a car with 100k to 150k miles. An independent will do that for about $3,000. Some items: clutch, front end, timing belt and tensioners, water pump, cam seals, 4 O2 sensors, engine mounts, probably one or two leaky engine or transmission seals.

thewayiseeit240

I will sell you my audi a4 quattro 2.8L V6 AHA
110,xxx Miles, Automatic with tiptronic

few minor problems
leaking cam seals, small leak
few scratches on the car, no rust
check engine light on due to Cat/2nd Bank
Running full synthetic oil 5W-30

amateur

Thanks for the info. I won't have a garage so I don't know how much i can do myself.

I am thinking of going for a well cared car from a private owner and seeing the maintenance history first. Preferably someone who has already performed water pump, timing belt, clutch maintenance. I think I will post the maintenance record here before purchasing the vehicle.

When test driving what should I look for ?

@thewayiseeit240 : Thanks for the offer but I want manuel transmission.

rdA4WtQ5

We have a 2000 1.8T Manual with 128K. We bought new and always ran synthetic oil. Uses no oil between changes 5K/6 months. More manual 1.8T's around and if clean and synthetic oil a good bet also. Much better gas mileage than a 2.8
Still original front end as well. Needs control arms or maybe a whole newer car lol.
Unless you have documentation that you can trust always change the timing belt/water pump and thermostat too when you buy a used Audi of this vintage.

4Driver4

I'm not talking about maintenance. I'm talking about failures.

HBAudi

If you can avoid purchasing a vehicle from the New York and New Jersey area it would be better in the long run. Apparently that area is known for the use of corrosive salt on the roads in winter.

Conventional logic is to always look for a vehicle with low miles/kilometres. Although having a vehicle that has been driven less than normal distances each year may seem like a good idea, consider the converse: the vehicle has been sitting idle for longer than normal as well. The result with some 'low-mileage' vehicles are oil leaks from the engine, corrosion in the braking system and even fuel system delivery issues.

Instead of confining your search to just a few vehicles, consider ones that have been driven more, but the maintenance has been done on a regular basis. Not only will you save money, you will not have to begin 'catching up' on the items not done at the correct time. For instance, the timing belt can dry-rot and potentially break even though the vehicle is rarely driven.

Since you are on this forum, I assume you are looking for a B5 platform A4. Items that can be an issue with the A4 (B5) platform include:
Oil seepage from cam cover gaskets and cylinder head end cap plugs
Timing belt, including water pump, thermostat and related pulleys
Oil seepage from front camshaft seals
Oil seepage from front/rear crankshaft seals
Exhaust leaks from downpipe (catalyst) flexible joint(s)
Turbocharger unit (1.8L)
Front and rear wheel bearings
Constant-velocity joint boots, especially front
Centre bearing and carrier on drive shaft (Quattro models only)
Front suspension control arms
Rear suspension control arm bushings
Fuel pump
Fuel filter
Cruise control switch
Headlamp switch
Central locking system ECU
Heater core and evaporator
Window regulators

Of course not all items are issues with all vehicles, but these are areas that come up often. While this list is by no means exhaustive, it will give you some idea as to what to look for as you begin your search.

wanneroo

With the one I have owned for 7 years, I went from almost no cost in preventive maintenance to around $500 a year and once I went over 100K I was getting into at least $1500 a year in preventive maintenance as well as straight repairs necessary to keep it running well. Last year I busted over $2000 and this year will be thousands of dollars in necessary repairs and preventive maintenance and I am at 150K.

I think once you get over 100K a lot of stuff is going to start wearing out. I've seen some "cherry" 98-01 A4s that have less than 100K and are well cared for but the purchase price way exceeds $3500.

They can be great beaters for the winter, especially with the right winter tires, you can go almost anywhere. But they can also become money pits as I am experiencing now.

One thing about these cars is that in my experience, they usually give you fair warning a part is failing on the car.

There is a good list of things to look for in previous posts, in my experience the main weaknesses are the control arms(sounds like dinner plates rattling going over bumps), the brakes with rusty or failed calipers, discs and pads that wear out fast, timing belt replacement, oil seepage from engine seals which cost $1200 to repair IRC.

Personally if I was you I'd buy the nicest one possible and maybe spend a little extra up front, rather than one that is ragged and will be in the shop constantly.

JOHN-O

Just bought a 2012 Audi A4 Avant last week. :-)

My previous car was a 2000 2.8 A4 Avant that I drove 150K miles on. I loved that car and wanted to take it to 200K. The main problem was that the last 4 years I was averaging about $3000 a year in repairs...

1. ABS Unit
2. Torque Converter
3. Air Injector Pump
4. Control Arms
5. Alternator
6. Oil Seals
7. Heater Core (2nd time it crapped out on me !!)
8. Etc. Etc.

The 2nd heater core failure was the last straw for me. I just couldn't see putting any more money into a car that old. The car did drive as solidly as when I first bought it, but the repair bills just skyrocketed after 100K.