oscarbravo

I'm considering buying a '98 A8 w/120K I found for $5K. I'm going to look at it tomorrow and would appreciate some help on what to look for.

I did my search and found that trannys are a weak point as well as oil coolers ect. The car i'm considering just had the tranny rebuilt and the only issue the seller says he has is the A/C is temperamental. He said sometimes it is slow to come on. Any idea what that might be and how much to fix?

I made a copy of the check list on audipages, but what else should I be concerned about.

I'm coming out of a BMW 740iL so I'm accustomed to a car that needs attention and I do most of my own work so I save a lot of money when things break.

One thing about the 7 series, the things that break usually do so in a realtively short period of time. So if you replace them all at once, you are probably going to enjoy 50-60K miles of fairly trouble free driving.

What I don't want is a car that always has something to fix. Can someone help me understand the repair cycle for an A8? It's a little scary considering learning a whole new set of problems and fixes, but the A8 is a beauty and I can buy this one cheap, so I'm willing to at least look into it.

Thanks in advance

Always Overcharged

<ul><li><a href="https://forums.audiworld.com/a8/msgs/162110.phtml">https://forums.audiworld.com/a8/msgs/162110.phtml</a</li></ul>

ohbw

Here's what I wrote a few months ago:

"I don't mean to aggravate anyone who's got Ye Olde Hunte &amp; Thumpe, or hears a growl from the water pump he installed in October, and I hope I'm not calling in some sort of mechanical airstrike on my own position by posting this, but I just passed three years of A8 ownership, and here's what I've spent on repairs since I bought it: $1,441.23, and nothing in there more serious than a tie rod end, frozen caliper, or torn CV boot. And it includes a transmission service.

"I've only put 20,000 miles on it, thanks to bicycles, a motorcycle, and a turbocharged Miata, but still -- seven cents a mile!

"The only other expenses have been mods I did to improve the car, e.g. H&amp;Rs, mildly upgraded brakes, etc., plus fluids, filters, new rubber, three 4W alignments.

"And (I know I shouldn't say this out loud) I haven't seen a CEL in over six months.

"I have S8 fever like a lot of guys here, and I've been casually monitoring the market for an '03, but every time I drive my car I think, "Huh? Why?!" It's plenty fast, handles, rides, stops, looks beautiful, has great audio, and the anti-constable electronic gear is in place. It's been totally reliable, obviously cheap, and nicer/safer/faster/purtier than anything in the three decades of interesting buggies that preceded it. And I've eaten some outstanding meals and hung out on some gorgeous beaches with my girl with all the money I didn't spend on the Latest &amp; Greatest."

Obviously I don't know anything about the car you're looking at in particular, but the D2 A8 and S8 are -- by a country mile -- both the best car and the best deal I've seen in 35 years of driving. And this is a terrific forum -- everyone has good manners (we buried the others in shallow graves); there are guys like Tozo, PaulW, skiracer and others who can not only fix anything on an 8 in their sleep but also generously and accurately describe the process in words and pictures; and then there are those of us with less acumen who pitch in to decorate the clubhouse. Great cars, real mechanics, and a salubrious environment -- what's not to love?

<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/84266/meganvz758.jpg">

jazbo123

^ Very well stated ohbw, my sentiments about the A8 almost exactly.

Dansker

It's a d**n fine car...AND it will not rust.....
- the only car I ever felt comfortable with going on a 2000 mile roadtrip with over 300K on the odometer...(see my sig)

ltooz_a6_a8_q7

For the newbie, A8 is a beautiful car all around... My younger brother had just bought a 1999 A8 with 95k miles over a month ago for 7k. The car was well kept and he loves the car so much that he drives it daily and leave his BMW 325 driver at home. He keep thanking me for introducing him to the A8 and helping him with the buy.
I've had my A8 for almost 4 years and it's been the most reliable car ever. Never once failed on starting up. Never once stranded me on the freeway. Never once been in any dealer for anything.
It has 144k miles now and my wife still wants to keep it as her driver although she got her new car.
Buy the right one and you will enjoy it without any problems.

Good luck,

SCL

that I have owned. I've had to put brakes on the front...and had to repair the blower motor -- which costs about 5.00 to replace the brushes...or 0.00 to clean it. The only other issue was that HVAC water drain clog problem which is documented.

And the aluminum chassis is ultra-stiff. I was amazed when lowering one of the rear corners after doing some maintenance -- the car did not budge or lower even a fraction of an inch...the wheel still off the ground. It's really a solid, well-built car...which is a great place to start. And the suspension design -- also an engineering marvel...super tight steering response and perfect highway tracking.

The drain unclog procedure is found here, along with every other procedure you might need -- another plus to owning an A8. I opted to cut off the ends rather than just blowing them out.
http://www.audipages.com/Tech_Articles/heatac/exaporatordrains.html

Here are my personal pics of that amazing drain tube (bad) design. ;-| w/solution. ;-)<ul><li><a href="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/100685/a8-hvac-drain-clog.jpg">http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/100685/a8-hvac-drain-clog.jpg</a</li></ul>