Audi A4 100k, should I run away?

stevejazzx

ok so I was toying with thei dea of getting this audi

its 1999 a4, 1.6
100k on it but with an incredible service history, and the car drives and looks new, it really is in amazing condition
and the garage is offering a 3 month warranty

now the car is amazinly kitted out also

complete soft black leather interior, wood paneling, nokia phone kit, elctric sunroof, air conditioning etc.

I'm getting a mechanic to look at it sat, am i MAD to be considering it given the mileage?

LikeOhMyGawd!

No, just MAD for making such a daft post.

A4s come in many shapes and sizes, colours and specifications. They were also built in every month of 1999. And they come in a multitude of prices too.

stevejazzx

LikeOhMyGawd! wrote:

No, just MAD for making such a daft post.

A4s come in many shapes and sizes, colours and specifications. They were also built in every month of 1999. And they come in a multitude of prices too.

I'm totally not on track with you, you want more info?

audi a4
silver
alloys, all elctrics
1.6se, rest of spec in post, nct till mod 07
it's priced at 7500

SouperComputer

just like LikeOhMyGawd! said, we need more details, espcially in the price department.

Mileage is not the be all and end all. A car with 20 K of same age could have spent its life doing 5min short runs to the shops, never getting fully warmed up and revved to bits. 100K would not worry me. 150 might raise an eyebrow, but 100K is not an issue.

What engine is in it? Have the front wishbones and or clutch be replaced at any stage. If not, they probably will need to be in the near future.

[edit] feck, you would have to add all the info after im done posting! [/edit]

The price is about right, again, be sure to budget for the wishbones if they have not been done at €300 a side and clutch too at about €350 of these have not already been done. Lambda sensor may be approcahing the end of its life too.

You may also consider a Passat. Same car, bigger boot and more comfy seats.

Kermitt

In fairness 100k isn't massive mileage - even on a 99 - It's about 17k a year. Considering I'm hitting 30k on my golf:eek:

If it's well serviced and looked after its good for another 60-70k if you play your cards right. You might want to haggle down the price a bit though.

Moanin

Well it's 7 years old with 100k miles i.e. 15k miles on average per year which is average enough.Not sure of the life cycle of a petrol one but you should get it fairly cheap.To be honest if I were buying an A4 I would go for the 1.9tdi.when you go to sell it down the road you will always get something for it...... and the engine is longer lasting

stevejazzx

Moanin wrote:

Well it's 7 years old with 100k miles i.e. 15k miles on average per year which is average enough.Not sure of the life cycle of a petrol one but you should get it fairly cheap.To be honest if I were buying an A4 I would go for the 1.9tdi.when you go to sell it down the road you will always get something for it...... and the engine is longer lasting

A 1.9 would be great but was trying to keep 1.6 tops insurance wise, still on a provisional

stevejazzx

SouperComputer wrote:

just like LikeOhMyGawd! said, we need more details, espcially in the price department.

Mileage is not the be all and end all. A car with 20 K of same age could have spent its life doing 5min short runs to the shops, never getting sully warmed up and revved to bit. 100K would not worry me. 150 might raise an eyebrow, but 100K is not an issue.

What engine is in it? Have the front struts and or clutch be replaced at any stage. If not, they probably will in about 20K or so, so bear that in mind.

1.6 engine, timing belt changed at 85, first changed at 45,
should I insist on new clutch, brake pads, what are struts? very to new to car scence, been driving 1 year and half but don't know much about the inner workings of cars etc....

SouperComputer

stevejazzx wrote:

1.6 engine, timing belt changed at 85, first changed at 45,
should I insist on new clutch, brake pads, what are struts? very to new to car scence, been driving 1 year and half but don't know much about the inner workings of cars etc....

New clutch would be a very good idea. The struts are part of the front suspension. The have rubber parts that perish\die over time leading to a nasty clonking\squeaking noise from the front. Its a common issue with a few cars, including certian Alfa's and Mondeos, espcially on irish roads. IF\when it needs to be done, it will set you back a few bob, so be prepared. Some late models are okay, still it pays to be cautious.

From honestjohn.co.uk

What's Good
Handles quite nicely. Good looking, galvanised body. 14' 8" long by 6' 1" wide and weighing from 1,195kg. Avant estate from March 1996. Old 150 bhp 2.6 V6 is a nice engine and easily delivers 30 mpg. TDI 90 and TDI 110 deservedly popular, offering up to 50 mpg driven fairly carefully. 150bhp TDI V6 well liked. Other engines: 100 bhp 1.6, 125 bhp 1.8 20v, 150 bhp 20v Turbo, new 165 bhp 30v 2.4 V6; 193 bhp 2.8 30v V6; 265 bhp S4 Quattro. Comprehensively re-thought in Spring 1999. Got 115 bhp 'Pumpe Duse' TDI option from late 1999. Seventh most reliable car in 2001 Fleet News Survey of 620,000 fleet cars mostly under 3 years old. Limited production 350bhp RS4 marked end of the line. Low 3 out of 9 point death rate from accidents in A4s generally. Petrol 95-97 models average for breakdowns, problems and faults; 98-2000 petrol models average for breakdowns and faults and fewest problems in 2003 Which survey. 98-2000 diesels average for problems and faults and lowest for breakdowns in 2003 Which survey.



What's Bad
Takes a few days to get used to the steering, seats and over-servoed brakes. Weight of TDI V6 takes edge off handling. Limited market for 1.6s without sunroofs or aircon. Similar expensive front wishbone bush problems as A6 and Passat - eliminated late 1999. Average performance in NCAP crash tests. Heavy salted road spray may make brakes feel spongey. In Germany, deflectors are available FOC to cure this ('Auto Bild' magazine 24/11/2000). Poor AM radio reception. Last of the line, ultra quick RS4s suffered from 'soft' alloy wheels easily damaged by potholes. Lock of front passenger door can fail. According to J.A., the fix is to remove 3 screws that hold the door trim on, then remove or stick back the sound insulation inside the door to the outer door skin, making sure that none is jammed in the lock mechanism. In 95% of cases the door lock will now lock and un lock on demand. Total cost 15 minutes time. 1.8 20v engines are snapping their timing belts at 70,000 - 80,000 miles and the extensive damage this causes is not repairable. The car will need a replacement engine. 1.8 20v timing belt drives waterpump. Bosch 'hot film' Mass Airflow Sensors seem to be failing regularly. Protective rubber strips at bottoms of doors held on by mild steel clips which rust badly and disintegrate. Power loss on TDI 90s and 110s over 3,000rpm can be cured by replacing a thin hose that runs from the exhaust, near the turbo, to the ECU. Corrosion of alloy washers on rear brake caliper pipe unions can result in sudden and rapid loss of brake fluid. Joint third bottom in 2002 Which reliability survey of cars up to 2 years old; 53 cars surveyed. Average warranty repair costs in 2003 Warranty Direct Reliability index (index 101.16 v/s lowest 31.93). Link:- www.reliabilityindex.co.uk 95-97 diesels average for breakdowns and problems but poor for faults in 2003 Which survey.
What to Watch Out For
Check the front lower suspension ball joints very carefully (see Recalls below). Rear discs rust first. Rattling catalytic converters (especially on 2.6, which has two costing £650 apiece). Cats also fail on 1.9 TDIs built before August 1998. Quite a few coming off the fleets, so look out for signs of clocking and inadequate maintenance. Look for accident damage repaired with non-galvanised panels or with bad welds. Plastic water pump impellers on early 1.8 20v engines fail. Newer water pumps have metal impellers. Possible oil consumption problem with 30v V6s, so have emissions checked for excessive HCs before buying. Some A4s develop a fault with the immobiliser ignition switch transmission reader coil. Some develop faults with both the reader coil and the key transponder. If the car comes with two different keys, this is why. Creaks from front suspension indicate wishbone problem: budget for £500 - £700 to replace unless carried out under recall programme. Mixed metal corrosion at unions of flexible brake pipes to rear wheel.



Recalls
1997 (built Feb-March 1997): check front seatbelt top mounting height adjusters. (Built '95-'96): airbag may inflate while stationary. 1998: 4,574 2.4 litre V6 cars built Aug '97-Feb '98: possibility of throttle jamming. 1999: 'S' reg 2.5 V6 TDIs recalled for brake modification; 2.5 V6 TDIs recalled for major engine modifications. 2000: A4 manuals built July '94-August '95: brake pedal may become loose; A4s built March '98 to August '98: steering ball joints could fail. Also Recall 13A9 vibration damper, Recall 17B4 oil pump and Recall 46C7 brake pads. March 2001: Worldwide recall of 560,000 1999 model year A4s, A6s, A8s and VW Passats to replace steering ball joints (track rod ends). Announced Auto Bild 11/3/2001: Wordwide recall of all VW passats from 1996 to July 2001, Audi A4s from 1994, Audi A6s from 1997 to replace faulty front lower wishbones (this recall is not acknowledged or applied by Audi UK). Recall announced in Auto Bild 26/8/2001: The ball joint can fail and the the two other flex connections can fail. (These are the long arms that go from the bottom of the front hubs to the body.) 16-10-02: On cars with 3 spoke steering wheels airbags may not work. Airbag to be replaced, but affects only 79 of 4,400 cars. April 2004: Worldwide recall of 870,000 1996-1999 Passat, 1994-1999 A4, 1997-1999 A6 and 1994-1999 A8s for "free check for possible damage of the rubber bellows of the front axle. The problem could lead to premature wear and, in isolated cases, to the failure of the bearing arm."

bazz26

I think some important things to check when looking at buying a car with 100k on the clock is to check the condition of the car and verify the service history. Any car that has been serviced and maintained properly will be well capable of over 100k miles.

phoenix_nights

If you want to apply the principle of 'the day you buy is the day you sell' i'd walk away. You will be lucky to get 2000 for it in a year or two.

Henry Ford III

bazz26 wrote:

I think some important things to check when looking at buying a car with 100k on the clock is to check the condition of the car and verify the service history. Any car that has been serviced and maintained properly will be well capable of over 100k miles.

I agree, but the price should reflect the mileage to some extent.

cantdecide

if i were you, satisfy yourself that it is what it appears and isn't about to fall apart. tell him you want no guarantee. that will knock a few squid off, you won't be able to get a garage to stand over a used car anyway. i would have absolutely no concern about the mileage in principal.

ps if you are with quinn direct, tdi insurance is cheap as chips because tdi is so driveable and 1.6 is so slow.

greglo23

get your mechanic to check the following. top and bottom ball-joints , 4 on each side, track rod ends, cv boots and flexible brake hoses all on the front.
the only way to check the ball joints is to jack the car up and using a lever lift the front wheels up and down. this takes the pressure off the joints so you can see if there's any play. as said above a 1.9 tdi would be a better bet if you can afford the insurance. best of luck

stevejazzx

greglo23 wrote:

get your mechanic to check the following. top and bottom ball-joints , 4 on each side, track rod ends, cv boots and flexible brake hoses all on the front.
the only way to check the ball joints is to jack the car up and using a lever lift the front wheels up and down. this takes the pressure off the joints so you can see if there's any play. as said above a 1.9 tdi would be a better bet if you can afford the insurance. best of luck

went for it:)
mechanic looked at it sat, said it was a tight car, very well maintained.
v. happy with it so far, drives beautifully smooth, very good traction control...and the interior is amazing, must get some pictures up

thanks for all the advice lads!

SouperComputer

stevejazzx wrote:

went for it:)
mechanic looked at it sat, said it was a tight car, very well maintained.
v. happy with it so far, drives beautifully smooth, very good traction control...and the interior is amazing, must get some pictures up

thanks for all the advice lads!

congrats! Enjoy the new motor!

stevejazzx

stevejazzx wrote:

went for it:)

must get some pictures up
thanks for all the advice lads!

Pics!

theres a car kit in there I won't ever be using anyone need one of these nokia car kits can they be tranferred from one car to another?, is that much hassle? probably too old to be any good to anyone though....

Moanin

Looks clean, best of luck with it.The Audis always seem to look well no matter what the age!

Ay Cee

Lovely car. Bets of luck with it.

bazz26

stevejazzx wrote:

Pics!

theres a car kit in there I won't ever be using anyone need one of these nokia car kits can they be tranferred from one car to another?, is that much hassle? probably too old to be any good to anyone though....

Looks very clean. Best of luck with it. How much did it cost you in the end?

stevejazzx

bazz26 wrote:

Looks very clean. Best of luck with it. How much did it cost you in the end?

traded a 2001 toyota corolla...+ 1 grand cash

unkel

stevejazzx wrote:

traded a 2001 toyota corolla...+ 1 grand cash

Nice one and what an upgrade that was for peanuts

Best of luck with your new car, steve. I'm glad you woke up and realised some cars in this country are trading for silly prices and most of us can get a much better car for about the same money or only a little bit more. I've seen 7 year old base model Golfs and Corollas go for €7k. I Bought my 7 year old high spec BMW 735i for €11k. Amazing stuff as my car would have cost nearly 10 times that of the likes of the Golf and Corolla originally

BTW is your A4 imported from the UK?

aldy05

Audis go forever my dad have a 95 A6 2.5TDI with 300k miles and its still going well, we also have a A3 which is just great! Look out of electrical problems though our A3 has had a few and they seem to reoccur across the range apart from the high end cars. Electrical problems seems to be a major problem for Audi and VW

stevejazzx

unkel wrote:

Nice one and what an upgrade that was for peanuts

Best of luck with your new car, steve. I'm glad you woke up and realised some cars in this country are trading for silly prices and most of us can get a much better car for about the same money or only a little bit more. I've seen 7 year old base model Golfs and Corollas go for €7k. I Bought my 7 year old high spec BMW 735i for €11k. Amazing stuff as my car would have cost nearly 10 times that of the likes of the Golf and Corolla originally

BTW is your A4 imported from the UK?

Yeah tis an import, guy who owned b4 me had it as company car, worked for a uk company, had serviced twice a year (audi park motors - all stamped)
a 7 series for 11k?, man guy from the office building has one(a '00), I drove it to tescos once...unbelieveable!

unkel

stevejazzx wrote:

Yeah tis an import, guy who owned b4 me had it as company car, worked for a uk company, had serviced twice a year (audi park motors - all stamped)

So even less to worry about the mileage. I'd rather a UK A4 with full Audi history and 100k then an Irish one with no history and 50k. Even for the same price