Info please

[rsjohn1]

Hi all, im looking for some info on a4 2.5tdi 180 quattro sports

Im going to look at one next friday with the view to buy, its a 2003 52 plate car on 75k miles

Are there any common issues with a car of that age and miles?

Also what are the best chip upgrades? not looking for the biggest power gain! a mate got his bora done and the chip was quoted as a economy chip which gave the car a little more power but made the car pull better from lower rpm and made mpg much better.

any info would be great!!

regards john

 

[quattrojames]

Hi John

Do a search in this section about 2.5 buying advice, there's a couple of people asked the same thing in the last few months, the one by Jimmeh springs to mind :thumbsup:

The most crucial issue at that mileage is timing belt, Audi recommend 80k as an interval although it is often done before then. If thats not been done then it needs doing soonest along with ALL pulleys and water pump, budget £500 minimum for that.

Other than that they are fairly tough old cars.

I have a tuning module on mine giving a claimed 210bhp but I have never verified this. A straightforward remap for < £300 will give similar power gains. I have always understood 210 was a safe maximum for these engines, but tuners state claims of up to 240 I think.

Have you ever driven one? they go pretty well as standard in honesty.

HTH

 

[BahnStormer77]

75k is barely run in... on a standard tune, mine spun up 178bhp/180PS and 370Nm (book spec) and has 125k on the clock...

There's some guys on here with 2.5TDI's runing over 200k miles and 220bhp with a remap... and then use it all on a regular basis.

Chip'N'Spin do a remap service for forum members that crucially includes a before and after rolling road sessions, so you can check that you're remappign a healthy car to start and also so you can check all the components are working properly once remapped (do a search for my rants about the old AmD in Bicester remapping my old Mk3 Golf after the highlift cams went in!!)

Back to the Chip'N'Spin sessions at ChippedUK in Bromsgrove: £250 and then you choose:
190-200bhp is a bit more mid range grunt and their "economy" map...
210-220bhp (440-460Nm!) even more mid range and economy depends on how you drive... very slightly better if you're playing quiet and a LOT worse if you're having fun.
230-240bhp is also possible, but most people stick to the lower ones as you can expect to wear out the clutch if you're actually using a reasonable amount of the torque... especially from stationary.

Now £250 is pretty reasonable for a remap alone, so with the before and after rolling road session, it really is a bargain, plus a godo excuse to meet up: next oen is late Aug / early Sept (see the Chip'N'Spin thread on Audi-Sport).

What to watch out for: same stuff as most A4's (flaking wiper blades and rear window trim (triangles))... 1.9TDI's are lighter and actually hardier engines, but 2.5TDI's are the best for quiet, silky smooth power... just remember the cambelt costs a bit more i've been quoted £450-£700 with both extremes being dealers!! Just make sure it's got service history and it should run another 100k even if you abuse it...

I love my 2.5TDI QS, but one slightly annoying "surprise" and something worth pointing out: the Quattro does cost you some economy and as much as the smooth torque of that big V6 can certainly haul it's own weight, it is thirsty while it does it (for a TDI): it's a lot of fun... and can be economical, but you won't get both a the same time: general consensus is around 35mpg with a fair split of town bumper-to-bumper and A roads... I'll get 20-odd if purely town driving around town and 45-50mpg if I REALLY behave on the motorway.... and 55-60mph if you fancy 55mph and a carefully moderated right foot, but it's often more like 30mpg (cruise control at a GPS confirmed 98mph), on the autobahn, obviously.... avg on the last 4 tanks has been pretty solidly on 34.5mpg to 36mpg, but then I do live in London...

 

[BahnStormer77]

The three "picks" in the B6 A4 range (assuming we ignore the S4):

1.9TDI 130PS - FWD for pure economy and Quattro for slightly less economy and a bit of fun too: remaps to 160-180bhp, but it's a bit more obviously a diesel and it's definitely a bit down on power.

1.8T 180PS/190PS - FWD for the more economical and agile slant and Quattro for slightly less economy and a bit of fun too - seriously consider the Quattro if you're going this way as it remaps to 220bhp and with a few tweaks can see 300bhp.

2.5TDI 180PS - the FWD is a bit of a waste as they only do the lower tuned 2.5's in FWD and with good reason: once they start tuning them properly and putting twin intercoolers ont hem, etc, that much torque needs Quattro to keep it in check! Remaps to around 210-220bhp pretty easilly and provides frightening grunt... in a straight line you wouldn't know the difference between having one person and having 5 people + luggage... not really worth going beyond the first stage of remaps as you'll lose so much economy with higher spec injectors, turbo, etc that you'd have been better getting the cheaper 1.8TQS and tuning that as it's a lighter car.

My preference was obviously the 2.5TDI QS as I wanted the Quattro composure in the wet, diesel frugality when cruising up and down motorways (ferrying elderly relatives around)... and a bit of reasonably serious oomph for a decent blast every now and again.... but I did look at all of the others above very seriously.... the 1.9TDI FWD for a short while and then decided on Quattro, and in Sport spec of the rear differential as a couple of "must" items on my checlist.... so then a long hard look at a few 1.8TQS's, especially since I don't do THAT much mileage, but I was nervous of a ragged one and since I wasn't going to turn this car into a performance mod project (i.e. my Mk3 Golf Convertible), so the TDI was my sensible "compromise"... plus there's always the chip-fat option if fuel prices sky-rocket again or there's more fuel strikes, etc...

 

[rsjohn1]

Many thanks lads!!

My mrs works at the audi dealer where the car is being traded into and the car had the belts done at 71k miles, the report says- replace timming belt kit, damper, water pump,alt belt coolant and v belt cata/b to the tune of £970.61.

All the servicing has been done every 20k by audi. had cruse fitted a year ago to the tune of £370 and the car is high spec with leather, heated fronts, bose sounds, center front arm rest, rear parking aids, split folding rear seats etc.

I need the car to do some towing, a good friend and myself and I have a brian james race shuttle trailor to shift out classic cars around so it sounds the ideal car.

Thanks again lads!! and i will post up some pics when i get the car.

regards john

 

[BahnStormer77]

yep - 2.5TDI Quattro is supposed to be a VERY good towing vehicle... Chip'N'Spin have one of their remaps that is suppsoed to be primarilly for more mid-range grunt for more economical cruising when towing... sounds like a nice spec car!

 

[quattrojames]

Sounds like a nice car, welcome to 2.5 ownership

I look forward to seeing the pics

 

[V6 Quatt]

As lostbok summed it the V6 2.5 Quattros are a heavy car. The engine is a big one. This is my second Quattro Sports had a 1.8T Quattro in between but it felt underpowered so went back to the 2.5 V6. I am loving it. Mine has been re-mapped smooth and pulls..mid range and top end power is awsome. Good luck