Please Help! First time Audi owner with a few questions
08-03-2013, 05:27 PM
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Please Help! First time Audi owner with a few questions
Hello, I am new to Audi & Audi forums with a few noobie questions after an exhaustive search through the forum before posting this.
Before buying the car I was aware of some issues that I needed to fix on my free time. These include a broken glove compartment lid at the hinges (maybe a junkyard piece?), along with a secured front fender sticking out a little from under the headlight (can I just silicone glue this back in place?), and some pretty used tires with wheel scuffs that may need replacing says the salesman.
The car: 2007 Audi A4 2.0T Quattro (B7) with 172,000 miles, many bells and whistles included like leather seats, moonroof, bose audio, heated seats. The car has a great body and interior.
The context: I moved to Tampa, FL from Detroit, MI for medical school and I had only a week to find a car. I found this car in an Orlando used car lot off craigslist and went to check it out a few days ago. The dealership I bought it from had purchased it from an Audi dealership that ran it through an auction. After running a carfax it showed a VIN match for this car having only two previous owners and coming from New Jersey with no accidents, and routine servicing at Audi dealerships. I test drove the car to an Autozone to run the on board diagnostics and it came out clean after running it twice - no codes! I ended up buying the car in as-is condition for $6,100 which I was comfortable with because it was well below its book value and in good shape. (what do you all think of this price?)
The repair issues:
1) The fuel tank nozzle is not the original for the vehicle and is setting off a notice on the dash saying the lid is open. It's not open but obviously the sensors are detecting it's the wrong nozzle. Is this going to cause any issues down the road and do I NEED to get the right nozzle?
2) The fuel gauge in the dash does not seem to be working. The needle was stuck in the same place from Orlando to Tampa after which a gas station pump symbol began flashing so I assumed it needed gas even though the gauge read 1/4 tank full. After pumping only a few gallons in the tank it was full and would not accept anymore. The needle again didn't change after adding about 5 gallons. I read a previous thread referring to the "fuel sending unit" could this be the cause and if so would it be related to the incorrect fuel tank nozzle or just something else completely?
3) The coolant valve was leaking and the dealership said they had replaced and repaired this along with the leak associated with it. However, I am concerned this may not have been done right, what exactly could this problem lead to and what should I look for?
4) After buying the car I took it straight to a Midas to get the oil and oil filter changed. The oil came out pretty dirty and was replaced with Synthetic Castrol 5W-40 motor oil. The oil filter casing, however, was not coming off with Midas. I guess the previous guy must have tightened it too much and with it being made of plastic Midas wouldn't try opening it for fear of breaking it, what should I do to get my filter replaced??
5) I was told by the salesman that the tires on the vehicle needed replacing. After questioning why, he said it was due to a sound the tires make during higher speeds and that bubbles on the inside were causing this. I didn't believe this could happen from tires but low and behold I noticed the thumping sound coming from the drivers side of the undercarriage when I was driving it back to Tampa and it was on and off. Besides a thumping/scraping sound it was driving okay. What could this possibly be? Also, what should I do about these tires? They seem to be in great shape with decent threading but I want to probably get them checked soon at an auto shop to see if they catch something.
6) Lastly, the engine has a light and rhythmic clicking sound once turned on, it goes away once the engine is revved up and comes back when in idle. About 4 different people have said this is normal for Audi but I wanted to check with you guys on your thoughts.
I very much appreciate any and all help with these issues I'm having, and I hope this forum can guide me in a better more informed direction.
Thanks!
Before buying the car I was aware of some issues that I needed to fix on my free time. These include a broken glove compartment lid at the hinges (maybe a junkyard piece?), along with a secured front fender sticking out a little from under the headlight (can I just silicone glue this back in place?), and some pretty used tires with wheel scuffs that may need replacing says the salesman.
The car: 2007 Audi A4 2.0T Quattro (B7) with 172,000 miles, many bells and whistles included like leather seats, moonroof, bose audio, heated seats. The car has a great body and interior.
The context: I moved to Tampa, FL from Detroit, MI for medical school and I had only a week to find a car. I found this car in an Orlando used car lot off craigslist and went to check it out a few days ago. The dealership I bought it from had purchased it from an Audi dealership that ran it through an auction. After running a carfax it showed a VIN match for this car having only two previous owners and coming from New Jersey with no accidents, and routine servicing at Audi dealerships. I test drove the car to an Autozone to run the on board diagnostics and it came out clean after running it twice - no codes! I ended up buying the car in as-is condition for $6,100 which I was comfortable with because it was well below its book value and in good shape. (what do you all think of this price?)
The repair issues:
1) The fuel tank nozzle is not the original for the vehicle and is setting off a notice on the dash saying the lid is open. It's not open but obviously the sensors are detecting it's the wrong nozzle. Is this going to cause any issues down the road and do I NEED to get the right nozzle?
2) The fuel gauge in the dash does not seem to be working. The needle was stuck in the same place from Orlando to Tampa after which a gas station pump symbol began flashing so I assumed it needed gas even though the gauge read 1/4 tank full. After pumping only a few gallons in the tank it was full and would not accept anymore. The needle again didn't change after adding about 5 gallons. I read a previous thread referring to the "fuel sending unit" could this be the cause and if so would it be related to the incorrect fuel tank nozzle or just something else completely?
3) The coolant valve was leaking and the dealership said they had replaced and repaired this along with the leak associated with it. However, I am concerned this may not have been done right, what exactly could this problem lead to and what should I look for?
4) After buying the car I took it straight to a Midas to get the oil and oil filter changed. The oil came out pretty dirty and was replaced with Synthetic Castrol 5W-40 motor oil. The oil filter casing, however, was not coming off with Midas. I guess the previous guy must have tightened it too much and with it being made of plastic Midas wouldn't try opening it for fear of breaking it, what should I do to get my filter replaced??
5) I was told by the salesman that the tires on the vehicle needed replacing. After questioning why, he said it was due to a sound the tires make during higher speeds and that bubbles on the inside were causing this. I didn't believe this could happen from tires but low and behold I noticed the thumping sound coming from the drivers side of the undercarriage when I was driving it back to Tampa and it was on and off. Besides a thumping/scraping sound it was driving okay. What could this possibly be? Also, what should I do about these tires? They seem to be in great shape with decent threading but I want to probably get them checked soon at an auto shop to see if they catch something.
6) Lastly, the engine has a light and rhythmic clicking sound once turned on, it goes away once the engine is revved up and comes back when in idle. About 4 different people have said this is normal for Audi but I wanted to check with you guys on your thoughts.
I very much appreciate any and all help with these issues I'm having, and I hope this forum can guide me in a better more informed direction.
Thanks!
08-10-2013, 04:39 PM
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Hi Kal N
It sounds like you may have a vehicle that may have been saturated by sea water and presenting a myriad of problems. I search the auctions and often I see vehicles that are too good to be true- unless the vehicle is flooded, there does not need to be an attached declaration.
I'm sure you can get the addresses of the previous owners to see if it was a "Sandy" victim. Otherwise, the mileage is bringing up a lot of maintenance that was passed over by the previous owners.
Good luck
It sounds like you may have a vehicle that may have been saturated by sea water and presenting a myriad of problems. I search the auctions and often I see vehicles that are too good to be true- unless the vehicle is flooded, there does not need to be an attached declaration.
I'm sure you can get the addresses of the previous owners to see if it was a "Sandy" victim. Otherwise, the mileage is bringing up a lot of maintenance that was passed over by the previous owners.
Good luck
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