indygunner4

Hi there, I'm new to Audi and looking at buying a 2005 audi a4 3.0 quattro automatic. While at the dealership, I noticed a leak coming from this hose. Didn't seem like a bad leak, but I noticed fresh liquid on the engine directly below it and a drop sitting on the bottom of the hose itself.

Is this normal? What is this hose for (cant find it anywhere)?

Also, as far as the engine is concerned, it seemed very sound, but when I went from a full stop to full gas, I noticed a small amount of white smoke come out the back. It didn't do it again during the test drive, only the first time.

Is that normal for these cars? Assuming it's been sitting for a bit.

Brakes looked decent but worn, not sure on service interval or prices, but what should I expect if I use non-oem parts and do it myself (good stuff, not crap but not R8 $)?

Finally, given it's an 05 with 63k miles, and somewhat damaged cosmetically, I would imagine it sat outside for some time. As I looked into the damage, I noticed a good amount of rust under bottom of the door paneling. Does this look like a huge issue, or are these parts easy to come by? Would I be in the same price range if I had them use the Sline side panels?

Any other thoughts or things to look for?


Thank you so much!!!!

W261w261

In the past two years I've bought an 03 and 02 A4, plus an 04 Passat. 102k,101k, and 35k respectively. They were all located in the jungle that is Craigslist. Each took a few months to find. I probably talked to people about 50 cars, and looked at maybe 10.

I did see the ballooning bottom trim on the doors of maybe 4 cars I looked at. At first I was concerned they were flood cars, but I don't think so. Perhaps it's some problem with fitment or drainage, in any case I immediately passed. Rust, once started, is expensive to fix well,and bodes not well for the rest of the undercarriage.

My formula for success: buy from original owner, and have him be a stand-up guy (buy the owner first and then the car). The car should have been dealer serviced. It should have the 1.8 engine and not the 3.0. Mileage not over 110k.Spend a hundred bucks and have the dealer go through it, you might be surprised at what's on the to-do list. Beware of deferred maintenance.

These cars are now in the range where it doesn't make sense to fix some of them, so those guys are on the slippery slope to oblivion courtesy of the mean streets of bad neighborhoods. Cosmetic damage, crunch marks. Torn drive boots, rotted suspension bushings,running on 87 octane. Cheap to buy.

Steamboat

I believe that hose with the leak is part of the power steering system. If you pull off the front engine cover (the one with V6-3.0 stamped on it) you should be able to trace the piping back to the power steering pump. It is common for there to be a leak where the high pressure hose connects to the pump, but I would say it is not common for there to be a leak where you've pointed it out.

I would say it is uncommon for there to be white smoke coming out of the exhaust, and this is possibly an indication of a serious problem, such as a leaking head gasket.

As far as non-oem brake component pricing is concerned, there are so many options that prices vary widely. I recommend you go to ecstuning.com and look around to get a feel for that.

I know nothing about body work, so I won't comment on that.

indygunner4

thank you guys for the help! much appreciated

dagwood15t

i just bought a 2004 audi a4 quattro v6 3.0
the hazard button doesn't seem to work
but when you lock the car with the alarm they flash and blinkers work just fine
i have two of these buttons and i swapped them and still nothing
can i check the switch or is there another relay somewhere else i need to check
please any help would be great

gsjohal

The hazard light switch is also the relay itself, by button do you mean you've replaced the switch?

dagwood15t

Yes the switch above the stereo