KChiefin29

Hey Guys -

First post here. Anyways, I'm about to purchase my first Audi here in the next week. I have done some research on what to look out for - such as: timing belt replacement, water pump, ignition coils, etc...

The vehicle is a 2003 Audi A4 1.8T quattro with just under 100k miles. I will be looking at the car either this Sunday or Monday, but the car is in a smaller town with no Audi dealership near by. I'd like a mechanic to look the car over, but if I'm going to spend the money - I would want someone who is knowledgeable and experienced with these cars. Seems like that is tough to find in the area the car is located (based on the phone calls I have made).

The car looks great and the seller has all documents to prove the recent work and maintenance performed on the vehicle. Timing belt, clutch, and water pump have been replaced at 80k miles along with a few other things.

Anyways, all advice is very valuable and would be greatly appreciated.

Also...I will be making a 3 hour drive to view this car, but before I do, I would like to look up the vehicle history. Any chance someone has access to carfax or anything similar - possibly assist me if I can provide the VIN?

Thanks in advance!

simokar

Hi I am new membr, and I am intersting for 2008, Audi B8, 1.8 tfsi

mromanik

I am new to Audi purchased a 2004 A4 3.0 Quattro Cabriolet this week. Fortunately the seller provided a CarFax report. The history is only as good as the information posted by subscribers. Maintenance history is not very descriptive. Owners receipts are better. You can subscribe to CarFax for a short period for not too much.
Hope this helps.

KChiefin29

Alright guys - I picked up a 2003 A4 5 speed with 111k. All seems well but noticed 2 issues. When turning the steering wheel I can hear a creaking sound...very faint. Doesn't seem to effect the vehicle and driving characteristics. The other issue is a burning oil smell within the cabin. There are no leaks noticeable when I look underneath the vehicle.

John535is

The Quattro's tend to be a bit louder on the front CV's than the 2WD.
I have the 1.8T, nearly didn't buy it because of the CV's making some noise. 2 years later, no change.
Otherwise, control arms and sway bar links are the most common causes.

For the burning smell, check the valve cover gasket for slight leaks. They tend to drip onto the turbo, so you may not see oil on the ground, but a burn area on the turbo pipes.
Replacing the valve cover gasket is pretty straight forward, but you do need a little tool to lift the rear chain tensioner to replace the rear gasket.