accesspoot

I have a 1998 A4 2.8 Quattro that just got back from the dealership and has a list of issues that need addressing. I am on a bit of a budget right now and I am trying to determine what needs a professional to repair it and what I may be able to do on my own. I do not work on cars often, but I can do simple, easier repairs (brake pads, oil change, simple bodywork, etc.) so I should be able to tackle anything that does not require specialized equipment. Here is what the dealership outlined;

Oil leaking into spark plug chambers, recommend replacing valve cover gasket and cam shaft adjuster seals ($1131.00)

Left and Right side motor mounts collapsed and leaking ($306 x 2)

Tie rod ends have excessive play/movement ($545 plus $150 alignment)

Upper links worn (I don't know what this means)

Radiator leaking ($528.50)


So I suppose my question is; Is any of this possible for an amateur mechanic to repair, and, how inflated are the dealership estimates?
Any input would be much appreciated. Thanks.

canonicalman

All of the prices quoted are excessive when compared to independent shops.

Find a good independent garage to do the repairs.

Hillbilly

opportunity to upgrade and save yourself thousands.

1) VC gasket and cam adj. seals are simple. and almost always the reason for oil leaks into the plugs. When was the last time the timing belt was serviced? good time to do it all together.

2) Get a set of RS4 or 034 motor mounts, and DIY....still waaaay cheaper than that stupid price. bout $100

3)TRE's and CA's. Get a full control arm kit from pureMS >$500.

4)pressure test the coolant system, if it is the radiator, you might have to bite the bullet and buy a new one. Easy to replace while you have the front end off for the timingbelt/gasket job.

Whats the mileage on your car?

some of these require a couple specialized hand tools. Just ask around the forums, someone will most likely be willing to let you borrow/rent a theirs. Where are you located at? Someone might even be willing to help if you are close to them.

Thats just how I would do it.

accesspoot

Thanks for the quick response. My car's mileage just rolled over 100K, and the timing belt was replaced at 80K so that should be fine. What sort of hand tools might I need to look for? And, I am located in San Diego...

accesspoot

I usually take it to an independent audi mechanic, but my car was in the dealership for some airbag work. My local dealership is always excessive with everything, but I am just trying to get a grasp of what exactly I am looking at spending for repairs.

xsrfsno225x

those are all pretty easy jobs, i think lol, need some tools, friend (maybe with experience), and research
dont spend all the money to get done, tierods are a joke to do

Hillbilly

cam adjusters real easy. Not 100%, as I have never done them. The rest of the specialty stuff was for the TB.

über güber

Especially if you live in an area where you see snow/salt.
Get the parts yourself. I suggest the Febi-Bilstein front
end "kit" from PAP-parts or somewhere else {reputable}
such as Pure MS, or something equivalent in quality such as Lemfoerder, but I don't think they make a kit per se.

http://www.purems.com/products/product.php/II=1013

Also, a leaky VCG [valve cover gasket] is indicative of a clogged
PCV system, and you should replace all those parts yourself before tackling the VCG. You may also have a leaking rear
valve chain gasket... it's a half-moon shape gasket and requires
lifting the cam & chain... a bit involved but you should be able to
tackle that yourself.

I've see replacement radiators sell for about $200. Another DIY.

Dunno about the cam shaft adjuster seals.

HTH.

ptempel

and use a local guy near my hood (Quattrohaus in Newark, NJ). But that won't help you in SD. The valve cover gaskets look like the easiest repair. I did this on a 93 Merc 300TE wagon. Parts were about $22 and was about 1.5 hrs to do. Haven't done the rest yet but you can ask here and use the tech articles section to get an idea of what's needed. Also, you can use some websites for parts (autohausaz.com, purems.com, ecstuning.com). There's also car-parts.com to search for used ones, but I saw a new radiator for ~$165 at autohausaz.com. Definately get the Bentley manual for your car if you don't have it (bentleypublishers.com). Also can recommend a vag-com USB+CAN cable for about $300. This is one of the best scan tools for VW/Audi if you have a laptop to install the software on.

AudiMick

I would do the oil leak and check the motor mounts, also jack the car up and check the suspension.

With 100K there's gonna be a little play . Unless you can see something bad like the boots off the the TRE's and grease leaking out you can probably live with it for a while.

If the radiator is leaking you should be able to tell how much by checking the coolant level often.

New radiators are cheap and an easy job (just make sure you bleed well)