Hey All...

Just joined and I have to admit, I don't yet have an Audi... HOWEVER (and please don't stop reading yet), my fiancee and I are in the process of purchasing a 1998 A4 Avant Wagon... It's in SPECTACULAR shape visually speaking and mechanically, it seemed sound. That is, it seemed so until I tried to set the cruise... I inadvertently stumbled across your forum and wanted to put this question to you all... The dealer himself went with me for a ride to show me that it did work for him and guess what? It didn't work for him either...

Is there a spot on here that I can access the DTCs for the 98 w/ the 2.8L engine? And is there a fix that either I can do myself or I can have done that won't run me into the hundreds of dollars? One of the main reasons we're getting this vehicle is to SAVE money (the payment will be lower than the car she already has... Plus she LOVES Audi), so that wouldn't bode well if we have to start dumping money into it the day we buy it... I read MasterA4's post on cleaning the contacts and what not, but I couldn't find the one he referred to penned (or rather typed) by Andrew Aranda. So, even if someone could direct me to Mr. Aranda's post(s), I would appreciate it greatly... I'd like to find the DTC's by tomorrow, though, because we're going to the bank and back to the dealership in the morning and I wanted to see if I could use the codes to self-diagnose while we're still free of the problem... It's his problem until we buy the car, ya' know?

Anyway, thanks for the time and any help that is offered... I appreciate it...

Joe Rice

 

...anyway you look at it.

If you are trying to save money, DON'T get the Audi, unless you're very handy with fixing cars. Even then, the parts are expensive.

That being said, this forum is a great resource for getting info on Audis.

To get codes from the car, you'll need to locate someone (or a dealer) with a VAG-COM, which will give you the error codes that the car might have. A dead CC system will not give you codes, however.

 

2nd. walk away unless you're prepared to spend a pretty penny on maintenance.

 

Take it to a mechanic you trust to get it checked out. Looking 'spectacular' and 'sound' doesn't mean squat unless you can back it up with records or a good once(twice, or three)-around by a qualified mechanic.<ul><li><a href="https://forums.audiworld.com/a4/msgs/2494241.phtml">Buying an A4... from the FAQ</a></li></ul>

 

I do everything myself, no labor costs.

Skewed by replacement of a trans, but still....

 

run a diagnostic and see how the car checks out

 

^ two pairs of eyes are ALWAYS better than just one person

 

ZING!

 

yeah something like that

 

I'm not saying JoeyT is wrong, but that hasn't been my experience. The vehicle isn't my daily driver; in 28 months, I've only put 9000 miles on it, almost all highway. Here are my figures, with a free 30K service not counted (coilpack replacement and oil change). I don't do any of my own work.

Routine maintenance (one oil change + brake fluid change): $150

Repair (4 upper control arms, L-hose, rear brake rotors/pads, new battery): $1016

Cosmetic (repaint front bumper, replace side trim): $508

Replace windshield and belly pan: $216

Mods: $4094

So, if the mod bug doesn't bite you (or your wife restrains you from modding her car), I think your maintenance can be reasonable. It's likely to be more in a high mileage 1998 than a low mileage 2001, but I don't think the typical experience is as bad as you might hear. And a number of the repairs I had done cost what they'd cost on any car (battery, windshield, etc.).

But get it thoroughly checked before you buy it. Some of the problems I had (battery, trim, belly pan, rear brake problem) came with the car when I bought it.