ltooz_a6_a8_q7

<a href="http://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/4665473083.html">Browsing through Craigslist and stumble into this "seems to be nice" car</a>. If I don't have a D3 and low on cash, I would check out this one.

Cheers,

Louis

dvs_dave

Nice looking car. Just like mine. Nearby too (chicagoland). Very cheap so I wonder what's lurking?

Mister Bally

Looks just like mine. Although mine has about 225k on the clock.

Panelhead

The biggest issue with 2004 is oil change in my mind. But if you vacuum out thru the dipstick tube, no problems.
Timing belt, brakes, maybe tires and it should be good to go. The CA bushing and links. So 4,500.00 to fix all the known possible maintenance. 13,000.00 for one with new tires, new brakes, timing belt and refreshed suspension. May not need all these.

mishar

If one has to spend $4,5K to fix $8.5K car he should buy something else, may be Civic or Corolla. All that DIY can be easily fixed for less than $2K, including new tires. Keeping all records might get some of that money back on resale.

I am not sure how vacuuming oil would make oil change on 2004 considerably easier. Problem is not with draining but with oil filter and no vacuuming can help there.

aTOMic

Oh, Misha; such a pessimist! Plus the ad says it has new tires! I'm guessing he bought it, it ate the tires in 15k miles, he took it to several shops who couldn't work on Audi Alignment, then to the dealer who quoted him $2500 for UCAs, LCAs, and $2500 for other things they found (CV boots, brakes, TREs, blinker fluid) ; and he went to the parking lot and banged ot the CL ad before the new tires wear out!

Hey, just because you forgot to put a 12" long suction tube on your fancy cap so the oil could be sucked out of the filter housing without removing the airbox, don't blame us...

Actually has anyone considered a remote filter for the D3? Design THAT, Misha! A cap that replaces filter and old cap, with nice A/N fittings and braided steel flex lines. Adds 2 liters capacity, so we wouldn't have all these 5-liter jugs with a quart of Mobil1 kicking around; it'd take an even 2 gallons!
Of course the damned little hex plug that drains the oil filter housing into your face and onto the alternator would have to be somehow eliminated.

aTOMic

REAL MEN don't use oil evac pumps... they lay beneath the potentially deadly weight of the car and let the hot oil drench their arm as the gigantic Audi plug releases the torrent of scalding black liquid all at once... then continues to dribble for six hours.

Kidding but ya gotta get under there and look things over once in a while! (My first oil change on the 4.2 I absorbed the 1/2 cup left in the filter housing with old towels). Pre-bentley.

ltooz_a6_a8_q7

I like to buy cars from private owners, simple descriptions (no sales pitch), driving daily and well kept. How many people in this forum have bought cars from "holes in the wall used car dealers" and had to fix something as soon as they drive it off the lot?

Why would I buy this car? It seems to be a well kept car, regardless on how firm he is with the price, I'm pretty sure I can get this car with a cashier check for $8000 (cash is still king)if all the features of the car is working and it seems to be.

The car has 109k miles, I'm pretty sure that the timing belt has been changed because normal people are extremely paranoid. Regardless, I'll open the cover and check for the timing belt wear and leave it if it's still good.

Drive the car for 2 years or 30k miles and sell it for $4.5k if the car is kept as nice @139k miles.
Drive the car for 3 years or 45k miles and sell it for $2.5k....
The cost of driving this car will be amazingy inexpensive.
This is how I buy and drive Audis.
"if it ain't broken, don't fix it"
"if I want some extra features, buy the one that has all"

Cheers,

Louis

mishar

Of course! What kind of an engineer would change oil on BFM engine and not think about that! But not cap. Replacing all crazy assemble of oil cooler, infamous plastic pipe that leaks and oil filter and replacing it with stand alone, easy to access assemble connected to the engine with proper hoses. Done many times on racing cars.

I just wonder why The Art of Engineering didn't flip that filter upside down and used simple cartridge filter like everybody else. That would make oil change Mr. Lube's job $35. Yes, I've heard environmental story, but I think it is stupid.

aTOMic

BwaHahaha, it'd be the first!



You do make some good points there. Also, make the check $7000; run an Auto-Scan and show him all that's "wrong" with it... Nah, that'd just be mean.

Louis, can you wire up our little side turn signals to be sequential? I need this! How much?
-Tom