orbitzus

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping to know more about A4 before buying one. I'm thinking about either year '96 or '97. Please if anyone knows any kinds of un/common problems I may encounter for owning one, let me know. Also from your own experience of buying one, please advise me with some tips.

Thanks very much for your help!

JWG

I have had some frustration with misfires resulting from the poor service I received at a dealership (wrong spark plugs, failure to inspect, etc.).

Since finding a honest and experienced independent Audi shop that thoroughly inspects the car and informs me about the potential component wear issues, I have had no significant problems with the car. In fact, with the few minor performance mods I have made, the car runs far better than when I drove it off the lot.

The 12v qualifies as one of the most robust production gasoline engines Audi ever made. Without the extra stress of a turbo(s), it will generally last a long time without major problems.

If you want a reliable and comfortable commuting work horse, a 96 or 97 12v may work well for you.

Drawbacks: No dirt cheap performance modifications that will bring lots of horse power like on the 1.8T's. Going from the stock 172 to 230 hp will cost around $5000, see www.TDLracing.com for the best 12v mods. However you can add 10-20 hp for well under a grand and even install them yourself.

philly.c

I'd shoot for a '98 or newer if you are looking to buy a 2.8 v6. The older models ('96-'97) only had 12v as opposed to the newer 30v engine. I believe this only produces ~170 hp while the 30v is around 190. You also have more options in upgrading the engine with a 30v v6. If you're looking for a 1.8T, then I don't think there are any differences engine-wise. Just my 2 cents.

Phil

Speedy72t

98 or newer if you can. There are detailed lists of model year changes on this site. Watch the front suspension for the dreaded control arm issue. Nice cars but they can be expensive to maintain so If you can't afford 98 or newer you may want to reconsider. We paid $14 for a high mileage 98 1.8Tq manual a few months back if that gives you any ideas. Good Luck

needforsleep

I've found that I can do most if not all regular maintenance on my 12v along with minor repairs. The 12v is tried and true engine that will last lots of miles. I spoke with an Audi engineer (I am an automotive engineer) and he said that they test that engine for reliability up to 200,000 miles and the transmission is tested up to 180,000. That means if nothing extreme is done to the engine and regular maintenance is done you should have a car that can keep you going for many miles. I have 114,000 miles on mine and it idles like a new car and is still very strong.

If you do buy a 12v with high mileage, make sure it has the regular scheduled maintenance done to it. 60,000 miles is a big maintenance point for the car. It needs a new timing belt at this time and to have the dealer do it for you is very expensive (~$1200). Vacuum hoses are a biggy too. Make sure there are no leaks. Make sure the engine and transmission is dry. Make sure all the recals have been taken care of. Make sure the suspension is good. Before I bought mine almost all the suspension parts were replaced under warranty.

orbitzus

sorry to bother you with my audi question again, but over all i think you should be the best person to ask. i found an '96 audi offering about $5500 and the major problem i personally think is the mileage. it has about 200,000 miles. other than that, i know nothing about it. this guy said that he has all the service record and maintance history. i still feel awkward about it but i just want a car to drive local commute. he also said there has never been any major accident except bumper scratch and some paint chip because of careless people from parking and those paint problem are touched up and fixed already. still, that's not what i concern about. from your previous information, you said the life span of 96audi engine is about 200kmi. could this mean that 200kmi audi is a piece of junk? is it worth it at all or worth taking the risk of buying it? even if i can get a lower price for it? i haven't get to see the car yet but thinking about going to check it out. it is pearl white. i'm sure i'll like the outside look of the model but just worry about more of the inner. please advise me on this one too if you can, i'll appreciate it very much.

Thanks again,
Angie

orbitzus

sorry to bother you with my audi question again, but over all i think you should be the best person to ask. i found an '96 audi offering about $5500 and the major problem i personally think is the mileage. it has about 200,000 miles. other than that, i know nothing about it. this guy said that he has all the service record and maintance history. i still feel awkward about it but i just want a car to drive local commute. he also said there has never been any major accident except bumper scratch and some paint chip because of careless people from parking and those paint problem are touched up and fixed already. still, that's not what i concern about. from your previous information, you said the life span of 96audi engine is about 200kmi. could this mean that 200kmi audi is a piece of junk? is it worth it at all or worth taking the risk of buying it? even if i can get a lower price for it? i haven't get to see the car yet but thinking about going to check it out. it is pearl white. i'm sure i'll like the outside look of the model but just worry about more of the inner. please advise me on this one too if you can, i'll appreciate it very much.

Thanks again,
Angie

needforsleep

That is a lot of miles. You may get another 100,000miles or 10,000miles out of it. Personally if the car is clean and nothing is falling a part in the inside, then anything under $5000 would be reasonable. If you are getting it for a daily driver, then I can justify buying it. Just make sure you are prepared for anything to go wrong with it (make sure you have the cash/credit to fix it). Most VW/Audi's, if they are taken care of and driven kindly, will last more than 200,000 miles. A neighbor of mine has an old Audi 90 with the 12v engine and has 245,000 miles on it. He babies that thing though (oil changes every 2-3000mi). If you had to replace an engine or tranny you could probably do it for around $3-4000, which includes labor. As long as you are willing to take the risk of that, then I would buy it. Definitely, definitely drive it a lot before buying it. If he will let you drive it for a day that would be good (that is asking a lot). Drive it two or three times and make sure you do highway, city traffic and do some bumpy roads. You may find that under different driving conditions the car shows its little quearks. Make sure the Timing Belt and Water pump has been replaced in the last 30,000 miles but if it hasn't then make sure it has been done atleast in the past 60,000 miles. Check the condition of the vacuum hoses. If they have not been replaced then it will definitely need to be serviced immediately. Check the condition of the coolant hoses. Check idling so that it idles at around 700-800RPM. You really need to get someone from this forum that is local to check out the car with you. If you are near Detroit, I would be happy to go with you.

Good luck,
Dan97A4 (feel free to email me)

orbitzus

plus the A/C is not working b/c the fans are not working so there is no cold/hot air blowing?! hm... he estimated about $2300 fixing the problems but i doubt it. i was right, i love the way it looks on the outside after the touch-up he had done. i test drove it a bit. sounds fine and the clutch, brake, gas pedal felt alright. i didn't take it on highway. i thought over about no AC in summer & no heat in winter and spending an extra $3000 on other mechanical problems not found at this point... i passed. Thanks for your advices previously. It helped alot. Too bad you're not in NJ, otherwise i would have a great help checking out cars!