FutureAudiOwner

Hey everyone. Crossing my fingers to buy a 2002 Allroad this Thursday.
Have a few basic questions and looking for any advice.

Did all 2002 come with 2.7t engine?
Did all 2002 have the adjustable air ride suspension?

I know about the importance of insuring timing belt change at 80k^ mileage.
Is there a way to insure this has been done if there is no documentation. (Not saying owner said it was and doesn't have documentation; just haven't spoken with him about).

Anything to look at when looking over car prior to purchase?
I have read people talking about oil leaks and valve cover leaks.
What else!?!?

Thank y'all for the help!!

silverd2

All '02 have the 2.7t only.

All C5 (01-05) Allroads came with air suspension...the main item that makes it an Allroad.

How many miles now? Once the car has a new timing belt, unless you find damage, it looks about the same at 10K miles as it would at 100K miles...without documents, it never happened.

Run a VagCom diagnostic...look for EGT's sensors failed (very common)...Engine will still run in "safe" mode, low boost and super rich gas mixture...not easy to notice unless you've driven an Allroad in normal mode recently.

Watch for leaking air springs (VERY common...and inevitable), park with suspension set at level #1 and watch (in time) for sag, front or back.

FutureAudiOwner

Mileage is at 130k. Was hoping to find something with lower mileage but not a common vehicle in Lafayette, Louisiana. Looks to be in well condition and a nice deal. (prior to inspection). First C5 allroad I have seen for sale in state.

Happy to hear adjustable suspension was in all C5's; was the main reason I caught an interest in the allroads originally.
I have read about the problems with the suspension leaks and what not and knew the problem could arise. Just a chance I will have to take. Have eyes on an after market system in future; hopefully not near future.

Timing belt scares the crap out of me. Would do a DIY replacement, if documentation was not shown, along with all the other goodies in that area while taken apart. Transmission was replaced recently and he has paper work on that so hopefully it means he was one to keep a maintenance record.

Thank you for advice on Vagcom and EGT sensor.
Would EGT sensor just be an easy replacement if needed and also is Vagcom just a plug and place diagnostic reader?

Thanks again for help and advice.

all(over)road

The EGT sensors themselves rarely fail, what you or your indy can do is pry open the little boxes for them, one is brown, the other black, and float fresh solder over the connections...do a search for it on the web. One of our RS6 buddies did a write-up on doing it.

The sensors themselves are not cheap new, not sure how hard it is to replace them on the allroad (mine are still good at 220K miles) but on the RS6 (or any of the V8s) it involves a good amount of labor = $$$

Kneale Brownson

There's lots of DIY info on the web for things like timing belt. Correct tools are important to getting everything back together correctly.

SeeksAR

The Passenger side Bank1 EGT sensor is fairly easy to get to. You can see the sensor end plugged into the exhaust pipe from above, right next to the O2 sensor. It will take you less than an hour to swap out, if you have socket tools (extensions, wobbles and crow-foot flair wrench (? 17mm?) and are patient with moving some intake pipes out of the way.

The Driver side (Bank2) is twice as involved with moving items. It comes up to the same spot under the intake y-pipe. But you have to thread it through a denser maze of hoses/wires.

SeeksAR

All(over)road: thanks for the idea about checking the solder joints inside the connector of the EGTs. I have a dead one to play with now. At a cost of $200, this sucker is worth cracking open for a peek.

Old_School_Audi

Thinking that a lower mileage allroad would have better air bags isn't so true. The bags are made of rubber which deteriorates with time. Exposure to certain elements (i.e. ozone and oxygen) also degrades the crosslinking in the material. This also applies to anything else with elastomers in it. Timing belts would be a critical item. I would say 8 years is pushing your luck on that.
So with a 2002 with only 80K, you’re still gambling on the original timing belt that’s 12+ yrs old now…

Yes, lots of leaks due to aging seals, And these engines have lots of seals. During the timing belt replacement, replace the 4 cam seals, 2 cam plugs, 2 half moon shaped gaskets, tensioner gaskets, front crank seal and valve cover gaskets. Then hope that the turbo oil return line seals, and power sterring lines aren't leaking. Look at all the coolant hoses while the timing belt is being replaced. They are rubber too and the oil leaking all over them turns them into water balloons that will burst at just the wrong time...