Buying a Used 98-99 A4 Avant 1.8T/2.8
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Buying a Used 98-99 A4 Avant 1.8T/2.8
Hello- Im new to this forum, but hoping to get a little advice. Im currently in the market for a used 98-99 A4 Avant Wagon, and have been reading as many articles and reviews as I can get my hands on before buying. I was wondering if anyone can supply some advice on things to LOOK FOR or be WARY of when looking at these models. Especially out-of-the-norm things. And At what mileages I should expect to have maintenance issues on these models. Thanks for the help!!
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Biggies include:
Call AoA and see if there are any recalls that have been/need to be done.
Mileage?
check your belly pan and look for missing screws, the pan is $120 and screws are like $5 each
call the dealer that did the regular service and see if anything major or recurring was done
Timing belt on the 1.8 those years had to be changed and tensioner updated early, like 50-60k miles, check the tech section for write ups (one of em's mine, what can i say) you don't want to mess around with this one.
other than that, no real issues, clutch lasts anywhere from 30k to 150k+ depending on the jackass driving
Brakes last about 20k for me, but i'm hard on brakes. my rear diff seals started leaking, $10 for the seals, $250 for the labor to put them on. The engine itself is a rock, but check all your hoses, especially the intake and bpv hoses. There is one in particular that runs from the egr valve to the intake manifold that goes to ****. about $10 to replace including fancy $2 clamps.
Good luck, you'll love it.
Mileage?
check your belly pan and look for missing screws, the pan is $120 and screws are like $5 each
call the dealer that did the regular service and see if anything major or recurring was done
Timing belt on the 1.8 those years had to be changed and tensioner updated early, like 50-60k miles, check the tech section for write ups (one of em's mine, what can i say) you don't want to mess around with this one.
other than that, no real issues, clutch lasts anywhere from 30k to 150k+ depending on the jackass driving
Brakes last about 20k for me, but i'm hard on brakes. my rear diff seals started leaking, $10 for the seals, $250 for the labor to put them on. The engine itself is a rock, but check all your hoses, especially the intake and bpv hoses. There is one in particular that runs from the egr valve to the intake manifold that goes to ****. about $10 to replace including fancy $2 clamps.Good luck, you'll love it.
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Re: Buying a Used 98-99 A4 Avant 1.8T/2.8
I bought a 99 A4 1.8T Quattro sedan for my wife (& me) a few months ago from Jim Ellis Audi/Porsche in Atlanta. My 1st used car ever and 1st Audi. Thank god I bought a factory certified! Do not buy without the warranty. We've had to take to the shop about 5 times...Excellent service each time, but things keep popping up wrong: gas tank developed a leak at front seal, rear differential leaked oil- seal replaced, sunroof became possessed and worked by itself- switches and one rail replaced, speedometer quit working along with clock- dash gauge assembly replaced & wheel speed sensor replaced, I put a new K&N air filter in which messed up the MAS (mass air flow sensor) from the oil on it and too much air (they said) which caused a low idle- dealer replaced free with new factory filter. We do like the car a lot, drives & looks great, and hopefully the bugs will stop. So make sure and get a factory certified used car.
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This is good advice, thanks - but...
I'm currently looking at an immaculate Black 2.8 with all the makes of a quality used car: the driver maintenanced it regularly through his warrant and dealer, and has had no major issues so far; It's a '98 with 40k miles and is in impecible shape - you can tell he is an Audi driver and took care of it; He is selling it at a great price thanks to this ****ty market, and onlyh because he is buying a brand new Avant. It seems like the car I've been looking for, but from some reviews and now this thread I worry about getting into a maintenance nightmare with this ride - if at some point it decides to go screwy. I probably will not be putting much more than 5-8k miles/yr on it, as I live in the city and commute by bus daily (it will be my dream mountain car for the winters, and road trips mainly), so I'm just a little hesitant to get into something that could be so tempermental.
Is an after market warranty worthwhile? Is there a way to get the thing "certified" if it is a private party sale? Are there preventative things that can be looked at to avoid some of these issues (except the possesings, etc.)?
Man, I love this car but would hate to be scorned by it. But look at the thing, come on!
Thanks for all the help...
Is an after market warranty worthwhile? Is there a way to get the thing "certified" if it is a private party sale? Are there preventative things that can be looked at to avoid some of these issues (except the possesings, etc.)?
Man, I love this car but would hate to be scorned by it. But look at the thing, come on!
Thanks for all the help...
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