CPLYONS

I've been reading and studying this forum for a while, lurking and learning. So: After finding and rejecting several candidates I found an A8 that fit all my requirements. Disclaimer: Many smart people have different preferences and requirements. Yeah !! For better or worse these are mine...

1. 2007-2009 (perfect balance of affordability and improved design)
2. Privately owned, no dealer nonsense
3. SWB
4. Detailed service history, good Carfax info
5. One owner, or if two owners, it's better if car was sold as a Certified Pre-Owned to second owner.
6. No black exterior, and I really like the Amaretto interior
7. All original, no retrofits.
8. Everything needs to work, but especially electrics and accessories.
9. If all the above checks out, miles on the car OK up to ~100K.

Here's what I wound up with: a 2007 Night Blue Pearl Effect with 94K miles, always garaged in lovely Bucks County, PA. Fits all the above needs. The day I picked up the car the owner had the local Audi dealer change the oil and perform the 95K inspection - mostly checking a bunch of stuff. Seems very cherry, as we used to say.

On the 200 mile drive back home, i was really happy with the performance - except there was an unfortunate amount of sway and wallow at high speeds. From studying AW I know it's probably upper control arms and/or sway links. I will take it into the shop next week for a diagnosis.

Per Bally's suggestion I have the Bentley factory repair manual running on an old XP laptop. My Ross-Tech interface should arrive by the weekend. Then the fun will really begin!

In addition to the pretty good hunch about what was going on with the suspension, using the most excellent material found from AudiWorld I was able to quickly do some other pretty cool stuff: I have used the trunk tag to see what options came originally, and used the factory paint code to locate some proper touch up paint; figured out that the dealer had updated the MMI to 4610, but I replaced the old Nav DVD with the 2013-2014 one; I shot compressed air through the gear area on the MMI, which is opening and closing quietly. This weekend I will clean out the sunroof drains and putter around with other stuff.

I remain confused about what AT fluid to use in replacing what's in there. The Zf tranny requires exact replacement oil and after much research I am not convinced it is still being made, nor am I confident in the alternatives.

But that and doubtless other puzzles remain ahead. Today I just wanted to report how happy I am with my new-to-me A8, but mostly how well this forum set me up for success in finding what appears to be a good one.

And lastly I wanted to give Bally an early Christmas present: Evidence that somebody actually read the Sticky and followed the recommendations therein before sending a message to the forum.

All the best to all of you here on AudiWorld, you are GREAT.

Chris L
Dryden, Noo Yawk

Hennessy

Welcome and nice ride, you will enjoy no doubt.

Also, let me know how the sunroof drain cleaning goes. I came out last Monday night to a water covered interior. Did alot of praying (and still pray) that nothing shorted as I even took my shirt off to wipe up the water. Since then I've attempted to clean the driver and passenger front drains, passenger it looks like I got good but driver side still has some blockage. I'm using this


Will try again before taking it out where it won't be covered.

MP4.2+6.0

Welcome. Great you read the sticky! Good info there and sounds like you chose well.

On ATF, all 4.2's came with the "Gold" fluid, assuming it is a 6HP26A unit. You can order it by VIN if you want via audiusaparts to be sure it is right. The OES equivalent is ZF LifeGuard6. Definitely still sold. If you found references to "blue" or LifeGuard 6+ that is the W12 fluid, occasionally used in 4.2's as a TSB service if transmission makes a voting noise in upper gear shifting. ZF discontinued it, but Audi still sells it. No reason to use it unless previously serviced with it, and Gold is cheaper, whether Audi or ZF branded. FWIW, someone posted in recent months that their FSI motor 4.2 supposedly had a 6HP19--which I debated in that thread. I continue not to believe that until a transmission build code is posted; I don't think that was ever tied off by earlier poster. If you want to check that, the tranny code part of the build sticker you referenced for the paint code. If you search, you will find a few other posts using other likely compatible fluids, but personally I stick to factory spec for tranny and gear oils.

Yes, by 95K miles expect that the front upper control arm bushings are well worn, and the sway bar links worn but not as badly as the control arms. If that doesn't get feel to your satisfaction--after an alignment--you can also look into the seldom done sway bar swap to stiffer ones. Done first by me, so I know about it; linked in my autosig, Also check your tire condition, pressure and general quality though even earlier. Mediocre tires can be a let down as well. From your picture, it looks like you have the factory 19's so at 40 series those can be strong performers. Those are also forged wheels, and curiously even with all the spokes were the lightest ones made for stock D3's.

Cboogie

Welcome nice ride. I love the Blue, but there were none near me.

I like the Amaretto it is nice and looks elegant.

Mike911A8

Re sway at high speed. Play around with the suspension settings, it may help. I use "dynamic" exclusively, but once when I got the car back from service it was in "comfort" mode and it was much less settled. Love the color! Mike

Mister Bally

Welcome to the forum and enjoy your new vehicle. Thanks for reading and following the sticky as the content was authored by several posters here and complied by the group as well. I just happened to get my name attached to it since it kind of was my idea as the D3's are getting into 3rd and 4th owners now. Since many new owners are of the younger generation who live with phone and tablet searches for instant answers, most don't like to research forum archives. In the case of these complicated cars, it really benefits those who want to do their own repairs and maintenance.I

A bit off-topic: I just had my flex pipes replaced and the car seems like brand new again. This is one of the few tasks I paid a shop to do as I despise exhaust repairs. I also don't weld very well. My original flex pipes lasted until the car was about 10 years old ('04 model, built in March of 2003). I cheapened out as it was right before Christmas and I went to a local Midas shop during a Saturday blizzard. The guys were starving for work so they made me a "deal" for cash. The carbon steel flex pipes they used lasted about a year and slowly disintegrated to full open. My Bonneville run (see album photos) probably hastened the failure as the fire through the pipes incinerated them a bit. I've gone 8 months with them slowly getting worse as I started getting headaches driving to work and back. The resonate frequency of the vehicles interior trim was met and drove me nuts. So, I had an independent Euro specialty service shop do the work they quoted me originally. They actually did it for $50.00 less than their quote from 2013. They used stainless steel flex pipes.

I mention this as my car seems like new again so I can imagine how you are feeling right now with yours.

Enjoy and I hope you have many thousands of happy and safe motoring miles.

2k6blacka8

Beautiful car and nice find. Love the wheels. This is my 4th D3 and every one I've had, has had the 19 inch wheels on it. I have the extremely very rare exclusive package with piping on the seats like the W12 as well as leather door panel inserts and Alcantara headliner. I live in Akron Ohio but I bought it from a Mercedes dealer in Rocklin CA, which is in the Sacramento area with 73k going on 74k on the clock on May 2014 now has only 80k. I only drive it on nice days and my out of town traveling mobile. Brand new car trade on a CLS 500. One owner, super clean, well maintained and looks like a brand new car which I do get compliments on. Never seen snow or salt and every since ive owned it, it has never seen snow which I have 2 pickup trucks to drive in the winter. Nobody in my state has seen one with my interior color. I'm very lucky, blessed, and fortunate to own this one. 4th time is a charm. Maintenance items I've done a timing belt and water pump change, 4 new tires(dealer supplied new tires were junk), new stronger trunk motor, upgraded to the blue transmission fluid since I heard a hoot noise going into 4th gear, and most recently within the past few weeks the front left air strut had a leak and has weakened my compressor which was on its way out anyways so I replaced both front struts and compressor myself and saved a ton. Very common thing to go bad on these cars.

Florida8L

Did you switch out the side bulbs for white LED from amber ? are you happy with the effect? It looks great.