SlimPickinsVintage

My wife and I are looking at a B7 Audi A4 Avant 2.0 T. The test drive was great and there did not seem to be any issues with the car when we looked it over.

What are the known problems or issues with this car. The car is at 85,600 miles. The timing belt & water pump have been replaced and the brakes and the tires are fairly new.

Thanks for any information you may have.

Dolamite

Just check the threads. If I where to buy a used Audi, I'd scan the car with a vagcom. Knowing what I know that'd be the decision maker. I doubt you'll go that route, but if you're bent on getting an a4 this would be indispensable before and after you purchase.

SlimPickinsVintage

Thank you Dolamite. Where can I get a scan like that done? Is that something most mechanincs have; or, is it something I would need to purchase personally my self?

Dolamite

Vagcom

Most independent audi shops will have them, of course you'll pay for the service. Most audi enthusiasts end up getting one sooner or later for obvious reasons. The one for the B7 A4 is $350 U.S., it's the HEX+CANbus and will allow you to run a diagnostic, basic settings, clear codes+check engine light and run adaptations and a lot more. You can get a way with getting a cheap obd reader, but those will NOT pickup all the trouble codes that audis can put out.

Once you get a vagcom cable from Ross-tech, they will give you access to the software online. They do offer a limited freeware version, but it will only read codes and none of the things I mentioned above. To do this all you need to do is buy a cheap VAG cable/dongle off ebay that is hex+can capable. Most of the cables on ebay will be the limited version because of the piracy issue.

There are shady avenues online that sell the cracked most recent/full version online, however you won't be able to update or interface with their website and customer support. That's up to you. Most likely they will be coming from China and the wait will be up to a month for it to arrive most times.

You'll need an old laptop with windows xp preferably that you'll have the software loaded onto so you can hook the cable and car via the laptops usb port.

However you do it make sure that you take the longest test drive as possible and ask the owner or dealer if they can agree on scanning it. They may disagree, this is where your buyer skills need to come into play. If you they wont and you're bent on buying that car, you better bet an iron clad agreement and let them know what your expecting. Don't scan until you are parked, engine off, but ignition on. Let them see what's going on and learn to use the software before you do this. You don't want to be recoding the ecu or something crazy like that. It's very easy to run a scan, the full version is just a matter of a couple clicks. The freeware version you have to go through each module one at a time engine, transmission, instrument cluster, brakes etc.

Bottom line, if you're bent on getting an A4 you're going to need one - especially in a emissions testing state. It's up to you to get a registered version or a cracked version...that's the decision. Every time people come here with problems, I'm no guru, the first question is "what codes came up" and they say "I don't have a scanner".

Good luck and steer clear of CVT transmissions. They're not bad, but they need to be maintained and NOT a transmission for a chipped car. My opinion, once you go tuned you've opened yourself up to more car trouble than you will anticipate.

Ross-Tech Store: VCDS

Dolamite

One more thing, this is very important.

After another test drive, yes another, park the car at operating temperature and leave the engine on. Have your wife get out of the car and watch the exhaust while you rev it with quick and violent depressions of the throttle . Press deep - let off, then wait for a about seven-ten seconds of idle then do it again. Do this about five times or till you're content. What you're doing is looking to see if it's an oil burner. The b7 2.0t a4 has some really bad issues with excessive oil consumption. If you see Tufts of black smoke during this process it most likely has the issue and I recommend you keep looking. Some can burn as much as a quart of synthetic every 500 miles and still run fine until the oil level indicator lets you know. Yes they're turbo charge engines and turbo charged engines do burn oil, but not like many of the a4s. Look it up if you're skeptical. Make sure there's no oil pooling around the engine oil fill cap as well. White/Grey smoke - Run.

Most will burn some oil, so it's up to you if you have a group of cars you're looking at to shop wisely. Good luck