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New and Lost!!Sell as is or fix then Sell? 04 A4 1.8t Quattro
Hello Everybody
I bought a certified 2004 a4 1.8t 6speed Quattro back in 08 with 35k miles. Life with it has overall has been great.
All my oil changes every 10,000 or less miles have been done at the dealership in both NJ and CA. The car was shipped, not driven across country.
Some things done:
+front Window Regulator was replaced and covered.
+Fast Forward I had a tensioner problem which lead to my timing belt and pump being done at 80k miles.
+At 83k miles the Throttle body was replaced.
- One day my driver side back rear seat height adjustment stopped working and my airbag light came on. Never fixed that but was quoted at $150.
-Year Later I had a check engine light (P0507) for a week come on which lead to a blinking check engine light and my oil pressure light coming one as well not being due for an oil change.
-$370 later the crankcase vent valve and breather hoses were replaced. This fixed the check engine light and the other codes.
There I was told the Oil pump MAY have worn out and that that the oil pressure problem and it would be $750.
-I went to another local spot a 1/4 mile away from my house to get an oil change just to see if anything might change. There they didnt mention the Oil Pump instead:
- Then I heard about the SLudge Audi possible? recall, i have to pay the dealer $300 for them to go in and see if I MAY be covered? thats what they told me.
-Told it might be the Oil sensor as well!
**It doesn't drive or feel any different, the oil pressure light comes on after a mile or 2 of driving which I have stopped doing**
Aside that it has a creaking sound coming from the passenger side when i cut the wheel at slow speed but seems to go away once the cars warmed up.
It only has 92,500 miles on it, no mods where ever done.
I definitely want to sell it, The car is in great condition aside this oil dilemma, How much would you ask for? if I dont want to fix it.Please Help!!Any advice will be appreciated.
Assume you are getting the red oil can with "Oil Presssure" underneath... Oh, and don't drive it except to the shop.
If it were me, I would take it to a reputable shop that specializes in VW / Audi. They will be able to tell you what the pressure issue is. You will need to be able to answer the question they will ask about oil type as well, i.e. did both dealers use approved synthetic oil. Once you get a good diagnosis which may cost you a little, then decide what to do.
As far as the coolant flange, only replace if it is leaking. Oil leaks from valve cover and timing chain I would only do if they are leaking badly. I personally tolerate some seepage on all my cars.
Assume you are getting the red oil can with "Oil Presssure" underneath... Oh, and don't drive it except to the shop.
If it were me, I would take it to a reputable shop that specializes in VW / Audi. They will be able to tell you what the pressure issue is. You will need to be able to answer the question they will ask about oil type as well, i.e. did both dealers use approved synthetic oil. Once you get a good diagnosis which may cost you a little, then decide what to do.
As far as the coolant flange, only replace if it is leaking. Oil leaks from valve cover and timing chain I would only do if they are leaking badly. I personally tolerate some seepage on all my cars.
I am looking to having the car towed to a vw/audi specialist, it is 10 miles away so kinda scared to drive. If it doesnt go well I might take it to a CarMAx and try my luck there. As far as the oil changes go they were all done by Audi so I would assume and trust they used the proper oil.
I am looking to having the car towed to a vw/audi specialist, it is 10 miles away so kinda scared to drive. If it doesnt go well I might take it to a CarMAx and try my luck there. As far as the oil changes go they were all done by Audi so I would assume and trust they used the proper oil.
Go to a dealer and have them pull up the oil changes from the original owner. Some lessees are sloppy about intervals, because they know they'll be outta there in 3 years. Also, I believe Audi specified a 10k interval (hmm, wonder if that was because they were paying?). That, combined with the small sump on the 1.8, not to mention dark rumors about dealers using Dino oil instead of full synthetic, and you have S-L-U-D-G-E, maybe.
I bought my '03 from the original owner, 100k. He was a straight-up guy, all work done at his dealer. Yet, on his only trip far from home at 80k, the engine failed. Audi credited him with 50% of the $4,400 bill after some nudging by an attorney friend of his. I personally thought it was the crappy plastic impeller on the water pump having let go, but it was fixed so whatever. I got the car, and took it in for service at a German repair shop I've used for 20 years. They took a look around and said there was evidence of sludge in the breather tube. They asked me if I wanted them to look at the oil pickup with a bore scope, but, having agreed to their recommendation of a two-step oil flush and treatment (gulp), I declined.
Moral of my story is 5 or 6k change intervals (I use a premium German synthetic), use an oversize oil filter to get some additional capacity, and pray a little. Full synthetic is not a bulletproof solution. I can't recall the flush additive, but it was German, and involved adding a can to the existing fill, running for twenty minutes, then putting a different solution into the new oil. I was hesitant about the treatment, but I trust these people, so went ahead.
As to what you do next, I suggest you get to someone that knows these cars *very* well. You might want to spring for a pickup tube inspection, or at least look at the crankcase breather. Stay away from mechanics that are not experts, at least when there are engine issues. At this point you've got a $5k car if it was in good shape, maybe. Carfax will offer you like $2,200.
PS: If this is a CPO car, isn't there a warranty to 100k, or has it timed out?
You first issue is the 10,000 mile oil changes. That right there, is what causes the "sludge" if thats what you want to call it, problem. 5,000 miles, 0w40 5w40 Synthetic oil. It will never do this. You need to stop driving the car, the oil pan needs removed, the pickup tube cleaned or replaced, and the rod bearings checked for excessive wear, if they are worn, you can just throw in a new set and be good to go. Also replace the feed line to the turbocharger if heavy deposits are found in the pickup tube. If you dont replace the line, it can shorten the life of the turbo greatly if debris has accumulated inside.
This stuff is not sludge, its oil coke. Its super hard, you must chisle it out of the pickup tube. Its from the oil being run too long in these super hot running engines. The oil then cannot resist the heat anymore, when you turn the car off, it burns inside the turbo bearings into coke. Its then washed into the pan and up into the pickup tube on startup. This 10k mile oil change stuff is for 8-9 quart capacity non turbo Audi and Mercedes V6's and V8s not little 4 quart capacity Turbo 4 cylinders.
You've got to question the maintenance guide. They really don't want the car to last a long time. Lifetime fluid everything, 10-15k mile oil changes, there basically saying drive the thing into the ground come get a new one.
Last edited by Prospeeder; 04-07-2015 at 11:24 AM.
04-02-2015, 06:18 PM
New and Lost!!Sell as is or fix then Sell? 04 A4 1.8t Quattro
