A4 Avant buying advice

[moag]

Hi guys, I'm currently driving an a3 and looking to change this for an a4 avant in the near future and was looking to get some advice before buying!

Basically I'll be looking for a petrol S-line model (preferably quattro and manual), so 2.0T or 3.2 V6 and from 2005-2007. What are the main things to look out for?

I'm aware of the coilpack recall on the 2.0T, what is this engine like coilpacks aside? There are quite a few for sale around the 90-100k mark, should I be cautious when considering cars with that mileage or is it a sound enough engine? Also WRT the 3.2 what should I be looking out for? REAL mpg figures for both cars?

Manual box would be preferable as I'm not that keen on automatics. Do they give any bother? Out of interest, what are the auto boxes like?

Most cars I've seen advertised come with the single din HU, is there much work/cost involved in fitting a double din unit? I have an alpine unit fitted in the a3 which I'll need to fit.

Any other general issues to look out for?

Thanks in advance!

John

 

[rizzini7]

Had the coil packs replaced on my 3.2 free of charge. Watch out for loud timing chains on the 3.2, so far I've replaced both top tensioners and the issue is still present. I'm also having the intake manifolds off soon to check for carbon build up and getting the sump dropped and cleaned as the pervious owner ran it on long services but didn't travel much. Planning on replacing the oil pick up on the off chance it will cure the chain issues due to oil pressure. Fuel consumption is quite high if that's an issue for you. But the v6 always makes me smile. Also love the look on kids faces when they try and out do me in their corsas etc..

 

[Molnboman]

Good idea to stay away from auto transmissions...very fragile. Early 2.0t engines dodgy too. Some 1,.8t engines prone to oil clogging. Check the Honest John A4 site. Some good info there. Audi A4 B7 2005 - Car Review | Honest John

Good luck and be patient...there's lots out there...take your time and bag a good one!

BR
A

 

[Joe_Murphy21187]

Good advice from Molnboman, don't rush into anything as there are lots of A4s out there to chose from!

Don't have any experience with Audi petrol engines but I would say that the auto box in mine works very well. Just ticked over 120,000 miles and it hasn't yet shown any signs of giving up the ghost. Smooth gear changes and if you get an s-line an optional extra was paddle shifts, which are nice on Sunday afternoons If you're after quick gear changes then manual would probably be better, as even in sport mode it's not THAT quick (1 sec ish per change), but then it's a standard auto not a DSG. Also combined with the type of power you get from a TDI (surge) the auto box works well, it may match differently to petrol engines.

Double din headunits fit in with relatively little fuss, but depending on what HU you already have an what you want to put in there are lots of options out there. One of the most popular is to upgrade to the RNS-E. From what I understand it's a great HU, satnav, MP3 etc, and it's OEM so good quality and fits with the dash. There are also various Chinese manufactured aftermarket units which are made specifically for the B7 A4 so can arguably look OEM, but quality of the interface suffers sometimes as does sound quality. Having said that they are cheaper and have more features. Disadvantages are that you will lose you DIS track info (personally I never use this anyway), CD changer will no longer work if you have one and extra adaptors are required to keep steering controls. I have looked into the options myself (so all of the above is based on what I have read) and have put it off for now, can't justify the cost...

Search for RNS-E and there will be 1001 thread about people doing double din upgrades.

Good luck finding a gem of an A4!

 

[moag]

Had the coil packs replaced on my 3.2 free of charge. Watch out for loud timing chains on the 3.2, so far I've replaced both top tensioners and the issue is still present. I'm also having the intake manifolds off soon to check for carbon build up and getting the sump dropped and cleaned as the pervious owner ran it on long services but didn't travel much. Planning on replacing the oil pick up on the off chance it will cure the chain issues due to oil pressure. Fuel consumption is quite high if that's an issue for you. But the v6 always makes me smile. Also love the look on kids faces when they try and out do me in their corsas etc..

Noisey chain seems to be quite a common issue. I have the 1.6FSI in my a3 which is chain driven and always sounds loud on start up. Gradually disappears as the engine heats up though. What sort of mpg figures are you getting? I could live with less MPG just for the noise of the V6, with a milltek fitted it would be even better!

 

[moag]

Also does anyone have any coilover recommendations?

 

[Big Al]

Hi guys, I'm currently driving an a3 and looking to change this for an a4 avant in the near future and was looking to get some advice before buying!

Basically I'll be looking for a petrol S-line model (preferably quattro and manual), so 2.0T or 3.2 V6 and from 2005-2007. What are the main things to look out for?

I'm aware of the coilpack recall on the 2.0T, what is this engine like coilpacks aside? There are quite a few for sale around the 90-100k mark, should I be cautious when considering cars with that mileage or is it a sound enough engine? Also WRT the 3.2 what should I be looking out for? REAL mpg figures for both cars?

Manual box would be preferable as I'm not that keen on automatics. Do they give any bother? Out of interest, what are the auto boxes like?

Most cars I've seen advertised come with the single din HU, is there much work/cost involved in fitting a double din unit? I have an alpine unit fitted in the a3 which I'll need to fit.

Any other general issues to look out for?

Thanks in advance!

John

Hi John

I chose an A4 B7 2.0 TFSI Quattro manual with low miles instead of the S4 to keep the fuel & insurance bills down. If you're looking to tune it, choose a low mileage 60-80k with FASH. My buy & build thread on here gives lots of information for you. In addition, the TFSI engine fuel injectors are noisy by design so when looking expect to hear a slight diesel rattle. Ask if the coil packs have been recalled. Check for rust on arches and bottom of doors. Rear light unit seals go so mist up. Find one with Xenon headlights like mine. The daytime running, parking lights, bluetooth, CD changer, satnav & Bose stereo are useful options. Make sure full cambelt service done. I also made sure the engine, brake, gearbox and rear diff oil were changed.

http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/audi-s4-a4-a4-cab-b7-chassis/175652-my-red-a4-2-0-tfsi-quattro.html

Good luck & happy hunting!

Alistair

 

[Big Al]

Also does anyone have any coilover recommendations?

Ask MRC Tuning or Awesome GTi for advice.

 

[rizzini7]

Yeah planning exhaust and remap next. Hopefully should take it to around 275 bhp

 

[rizzini7]

Think we worked my mpg out to around 25mpg on short runs on 5 miles to work for me so not even fully warm half the time. So tends to drink a little more

 

[g00se]

Think we worked my mpg out to around 25mpg on short runs on 5 miles to work for me so not even fully warm half the time. So tends to drink a little more

Thats pretty good mpg.. my old R32 made about 18/19 around town, and 28ish on a run. (and 9 on track!!)

goose