Advice on 4000S purchase (fairly long)

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Nov 25, 2001 | 08:44 PM

ProPhotog

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Advice on 4000S purchase (fairly long)

Hey guys, I'm over from the BMW site roadfly.com and I found an Audi 4000s down the street that's up for sale finally. Overall the car is straight with original paint, from Colorado, and anyway, they're asking $700 and assure me it runs. Says the fuel pump and injectors were bad, well, bad fuel pump and clogged injectors. On the front of the engine, it looks as though someone marked the mileage for a timing belt replacement and it's about 200 miles less than the car shows on the odometer. Mechanically, what are problem areas on the 4000s model, I believe he told me it was a 1986 model. It's got 5-speed, 4 cyl., good interior, rims are not curb rashed, and well, he's got the injector rails off of it. If I can get it to turn I'm doing a compression check, aside from that where do I need to look? Yes, I'll check for fire and fuel before I fiddle with it or buy it, but if my luck keeps serving me well, I'm thinking it's an easy fix like my bmw was when I bought it. ANY SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. Thanks!

Nov 26, 2001 | 03:17 AM

Dwight V.

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Re: Advice on 4000S purchase

Same basic engine as a Golf/Jetta. Seems a bit odd that the fuel pump and injectors would go bad together, perhaps some contamination in the tank? Junkyards a full of them, easy car to work on. Engine is non-interference, so the timing belt isn't critical. A non-running 4000 isn't worth much, maybe $300-$500 and only about $1500 or so for a decent running version. For a little more you can get a 4k quattro and really have something, with a marginally more powerful 5 cylinder. The 4k is a decent enough car but heavy and underpowered next to its VW brethern.

Nov 26, 2001 | 06:07 AM

ProPhotog

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I noticed that the engine....

looked like it had the same induction as a Passat I used to own. That whole injection box on the left side of the engine thing. I assume that if this thing had an injection problem it wouldn't be too hard to repair. I've seen some Quatrro's online and I might go that route. I am still going to check for fire and fuel on this 4000s and offer about $250 for it since it looked like they've screwed too much with things under the hood. Especially the injectors and fuel lines. Thanks for the help and advice. I appreciate it very much!

Nov 26, 2001 | 06:44 AM

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Make a quick check of the "spare" fuse (#24 I believe). If you're lucky...

maybe the bad injectors/pump is really this missing fuse, which powers the ECU! Worth a shot!

I have an '86 4ks. Ich mag mein Audi!

Nov 26, 2001 | 05:54 PM

ProPhotog

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Checked the car out further tonight.....(lots more)

I went there and the owner came out and told me all the money she spent on the Audi. According to her it's got a new fuel distribution box on it, all new hoses, new fuel pump and filter (i checked the fuel pump and it's new but didn't look like it was connected to power yet. The car turned over, albeit it turned over slow, and my mechanic is the guy that did all the work supposedly so I am calling him tomorrow and I'm going to ask him about the car. Oh, new water pump too. She was a little drunk too and said she's put over $3300 in the mechanicals in the last 2 years at my mechanic. I'm thinking then why doesn't the car run? Anyway, no fuel came seeping out of the fuel distribution meter...the injectors aren't connected to it either. Other than that the car was pretty solid but who knows why it won't run, and it was too dark to check the fuse even with my flashlight. Maybe tomorrow. Thanks for all your help guys...any more advice?

Nov 26, 2001 | 07:19 PM

Chris in VA

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Uh, er

Injector rails? This is a CIS-E knock sensor injected engine...no 'fuel rails' to the car. Straight flexible fuel lines from the fuel distributor to the always-open injectors.

Injectors on these don't go 'bad', so that's a bunch of BS. Sure, the o-rings crack and fail letting extraneous air through, and a cleaning might be in order. Fuel pumps usually last the life of the car (don't be nervous about a loud buzzzzzzzz).

The engine is the same as the VW A2 GTI's, meaning it's about 100hp and a fairly solid engine provided the timing belt is changed. A loud RRRRRRRRRRR from the engine might be a bad belt tensioner so check that. The timing belt is easy enough to check...just undo a couple bolts on the cover and look for cracks.

Check the CV boot condition too. They last a LONG time, but look anyway. Good luck, 700 isn't bad.

Nov 27, 2001 | 03:54 AM

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Yikes....

The injectors aren't connected, nor the fuel pump? I wouldn't try starting it before having someone make sure that everything's bolted up like it should be. This is getting a little scary. Not that the car is bad, just the oddball treatment it's been getting or not getting. The fuel pump has blue and red plugs that have the wires screwed onto them. Does that jive with what you looked at. Fuel pump is near the passenger rear tire. All those braided fuel lines should be attached to the fuel distributor and inserted into the cylinder head before you give it juice. (I dunno why people mess with the fuel distributor. Those things are ex$pensive, and I don't think go wrong much at all. Good source of income for a shop, though!)

Have your mechanic make sure that everything's connected. These cars aren't that complicated. (BTW: There's an '86 4000s ECU on Ebay. Ends today, though. Just in case.)