Advice needed before buying

[MattW86]

Hi guys,

I have my heart set on a 97 A3 1.6 sport as my first car. I have found the car i want to get and the price and mileage are fair (Price £1595/,mileage 118K).

I would be most appreciative of any and all information of what bad points to look out for and what major things i need to check with the car. Unfortunately the mechanical workings of a car are not my strong subject (home cinema nut at heart).

thanks in advance

Matt

(p.s sorry mods if posted in wrong section)

 

[Zenin]

ok seems like you are in my position me but three months back, leme provide some hindsight.

i got my audi a3 1.6 1998, black with leather with 140k milage and full audi service history. for £1500.

so check that it does have a full audi service history, if like me ure a perfectionist and a obsesive cleaner type guy, then the scratchs dents and odd bits, stuff like paint chips that cant be repaired by yourself will become more apparent once u have the car, and you may or may not get annoyed by this.

if u seriously have the money i HIGHLY recommend getting an s3 or a 2000 onwards A3. i am starting to wish i had waited and saved up a bit more for a newer model or s3.
(mainly due to these forums )

as for faults, my car doesnt start quickly on a cold day, so i still need to change spark plugs and leads. so check that works on yours before buying, check that the rear window wiper works, especialy the water jet(common fault) but it may help bring down the price if it doesn't work.

also another silly thing is check the car had its jack and spare tyre, mine didnt have a jack, helped bring the price down.

thats all for the a3 1.6 specific stuff, im still a newb, but my best advice is just check this site completly b4 buying, lots to learn, and it may help u decide on a model.

ill let the eltie guys take over now...

 

[s3_kev]

dont just set your hart on one perticular car go viewa few before choosing is my advice as other cars may be speced differently etc, theres no rush if its your 1st car. id also agree go for the facelift model if you can afford it as if your going to use this stie alot then your end up upgrading the lights front and rear which will cost you in the end and its more likely to comewith leather seats from std

 

[Essflee]

If it's your first car I stick with your choice of a 1.6 as the insurance will be sky high if you got any at all...seems a lot people seem to run before they can walk...you don't want something to powerful because you'll make mistakes, we all do...

Don't know much about the 1.6 engine but body work you can check...ie rust on roof lining and bottom of doors, service history would be good to...

Goodluck with your purchase...

 

[reptor245]

Bear in mind you will need spare money in the bank and audi`s are famous for being the fastest way to empty your bank account.

 

[Zenin]

oh and ure right about insurance, the a3 1.6 is my first car i pay £1100 for fully comp, im 21 and held licence for one year.

not sure what ure circumstances are matt, but always get a insurance quote first.

 

[A3Tom]

Make sure its had the cambelt and water pump changed.

 

[JJBS3]

Bear in mind you will need spare money in the bank and audi`s are famous for being the fastest way to empty your bank account.

Thats women surely?

Good luck with your first purchase...as said above, we all make mistakes at the beginning! ( I certainly did, and was thankful that it was a 75 quid car heheeh)

 

[Dansmith]

if u seriously have the money i HIGHLY recommend getting an s3 or a 2000 onwards A3. i am starting to wish i had waited and saved up a bit more for a newer model or s3.
(mainly due to these forums )

are u mad?? an s3 as a first car?? Ive been driving 6 years with 4 years no claims and no points and i struggled to get insured on my S3! to be hounest i think the 1.6 could be hard to insure! im sure it must almost be hitting 2k on ur own insurance! i used to have a 1.8t after 3 years of driving and that used to cost me a stupid amount to insure its not worth it!

 

[MattW86]

thanks for the reply's lads. to answer the insurance question roughly working out at 1800 full comp. ( i'm a late bloomer spring age of 23).

thanks for the info, i'm going to run an HPI check on the car to see what has happened in its lifetime.

Unfortunately have to wait till monday to have a gd look at the car, thank god i had holidays booked.

P.S again any and all info/recommendations/advice most appreciated.

Matt

 

[voorhees]

http://audi-sport.net/vb/showthread.php?t=72505

 

[bhavin1986]

Ask if the cambelt and water pump has been changed. Check for service history and receipts of work done. Also check under the car for any leaks etc. When you take it for a test run, check the temp guage shows the engine heats up to 90, and check for a steady idle and no rattles. Look at the spare tyre and for jack etc as advised above. Test all the electronics inside the car too.

Main thing is to be patient and wait for the right one to come along.

I was unlucky and bought a it of a lemon. So far I've hadto replace the gbox, thermo, temp sender, head unit, CD changer, and quite a few other bits that I can't remember atm.

Good Luck...and it'll be worth the wait.

 

[Dansmith]

also on a3's of an older age its quite common for the bushes to go! its not too pricey a repair but if the ride seems particually hard but bouncy it could be that!! otherwise what the guy said about the temp gauge is a gooden!! my old a3 never seemed to raise to temp! i think it just was a dodgy gauge but it would be ****** expensive to fix!

Peronally I would also look for one with leather as the interiors (in my opinion) are flipping hideous otherwise!

 

[evilbow]

check the temp guage shows the engine heats up to 90, .

should the car run at this temp? mine runs at 60 only goes to 90 when in traffic

 

[Essflee]

should the car run at this temp? mine runs at 60 only goes to 90 when in traffic

Yup, should sit on 90 once warm, if it doesn't it'll be your temp sender or thermostat...