Buying or not ? Cheap S3 2001 with a lot of KM

[Nightrider]

Old German friend proposed to sell his French S3 from July 2001 to me.
It has A LOT of Km (300 000 KM) and almost everything is original equipment from Audi !!!!
cylinder head, even the clutch and the Turbo !!!!!
The guy is meticulous but he changes 2 tires every 6 month so he uses the car like it should be used I think !

Car doesn't noticeably eat oil (well below Audi maximum value)
No smoke,
No noise,
Turbo does not do any noise.
Transmission is fine
But clutch ask some effort. It has 300 000 km from new !! I fear the hydraulic cylinder may fail soon then.

There is an ENGINE light ON but AUDI did not find any fault (!!!)
Except effort on clutch pedal everything is really fine. No one can tell the car has so many KM.
ONLY real problem is erratic idle.
But only idle.
As soon as you give some gas no rattle or anything. Car drives very well even at WOT.

I have read a lot of "known issues" on the S3 I am so scared to buy that I come here to ask members advises ...

I heard flywheel problems, cylinder head cracking, etc ...

I am good at mechanic but I have little money.

I can buy the car for 3000 EUR.
It is cheap but I fear everything will fail the day after I buy it !!!

 

[lloydsta101]

Have a quick look through this thread from yesterday to start...

http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/a3-s3-...at-s3s-flaws-how-have-people-sorted-them.html

A few members have mentioned problems they've had since ownership.

 

[jojo]

To be fair, if you have doubts, walk away.

I am good at mechanic but I have little money.

Audi S3's are expensive to run when they go wrong, if the clutch goes, you are looking at approx. 500 EUR for just the parts I'm guessing, and I guess you can do the swop yourself.

 

[Nightrider]

Well I just fully rebuilt a 4L60/TH700R4 GM automatic transmission in my garage. Car runs great since February (Daily Drive) so I think changing a clutch is feasible.

But I fear Audi spare part prices to be high and faults complex to trace down with all this electronic stuff.

I have a OBD2 / USB cable I bought for my wife's Volvo S60 and will try VAG-COM on that S3 car (friend driving home with the S3 on next Sunday for visual inspection all around)

 

[Ian W]

Personally i'd stick the Trans-AM if I was you

 

[Nightrider]

Not a Pontiac but it is a GM.
It is a 92 Chevrolet Caprice (V8 5.7L 180 HP - 45 daNM à 2500 tr/min - 2 000 kg - Station Wagon 8 places)

I was almost readsy to buy a Toyota MR2 so the S3 created trouble in my mind.

Clutch is 300 EUR best price on OSCARO.FR
Flywheel is 500 EUR !!!
good surprise, the ignition coils are only 30 EUR each ...

Turbo is betwwen 900 / 1100 EUR

...

 

[Ian W]

Personally i'd stick the Trans-AM if I was you

I was referring to your screen name...

 

[Nightrider]

K2000 is Knight Rider !!!!

Nightrider is a character in Mad Max 1.

He is insane and I like that.

You looooooooooooooose

 

[Nightrider]

Friend came to my house this afternoon.

I lifted the car to see underside. Friend wanted to see the car too

It is amazing. It is from July 2001 (AMK head)
The entire exhaust line is from origin !!! and it is in a really great condition ! no real rust visible.
I remind it has (soon) 300 000 km on the clock.

One driveshaft gaiter is dead on the RH gear box side.

3 codes in memory
P0030 Oxygen sensor heater control circuit sensor 1 bank 1
P0135 Oxygen sensor control circuit malfunction sensor 1 bank1
P0130 Oxygen sensor circuit malfunction sensor 1 bank 1

But those codes have been reset and no other code was present anymore.

A small oil leak below the steering pump.

Still the idle a bit low or not very stable.

No crack noticed at the turbo or at exhaust manifold.

But really the car looks like it was 120 000 km !!!

3000 EUR.

I don't know what to think about that car !!

 

[scoobyra]

186,420 miles
£2,600

Bargain!