New to the world of audi, any advice is good advice!

[xeningti]

Hey folks! just signed up today and looking for a bit of advice...

Im looking to purchase a B6 A4 in the next month or so as i am fedup of driving hair dryers, i did have an old merc before but the propshaft went and lets just say it wasn't worth the money to fix.

I love the looks of the B6 the most and have seen a few fair deals on auto trader .

My budget is between 1-2k GBP not looking for anything spectacular, just something to get me started and i can add to it as time goes on.

I was thinking the 1.8 T / 2.0 FSI or a 1.9 TDI 130.... mostly the 1.8t does any one have any experience with these cars? the only thing im worried about as you can appreciate is the mileage is high for the price im paying (most ads have cars over 100K although it doesnt bother me with the deisel models as they run forever i'm told).

I just wondered if there is anything i should look out for before making a purchase and the potential problems i could have with lets say the 1.8 turbo model at high mileage (i've known most turbos to last 100k before they start going poop)

Also styling i love the S Line body kits and the standard B6's come with those horrible black bumpers.... anywhere you guys might know i can get some nice trim to complete the colour and make it a bit sportier?

Just things like that any advice is welcome.

Cheers

 

[S4_dan]

Hi and Welcome.

I noticed that 2.5tdi wasn't in your option list? Any particular reason?

As with any car, makes sure the engine is stone cold when you get there. You want to hear it start up COLD.
Feel for the front suspension groaning or knocking as this is circa £350 for a good set of arms plus fitting.
make sure Timing belt, water pump, tensioners and thermostat (on 1.9tdi's due to location) are recently replaced.
FSH is good if it's backed up with receipts!
CVT gearbox CAN be costly if the ECU fails, Multronic boxes are ok, check for any slippage under heavy load.

B6's after 2003 (I think?) came with mostly colour coded body trim.

Turbo's can last a lot longer if the car has been serviced regular. Be mindful if the car is on longlife service schedule....

I got a 2.5V6 Q SE Avant with 161k, FSH for £1700 last year.

It's worth having a look through this thread and doing some reading: http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/a4-a4-cabriolet-s4-forum-b6-chassis/115597-diy-guides-faq-b6-wiki.html

Good luck with your search and purchase, don't rush into buying one.

Dan

 

[xeningti]

Hi and Welcome.

I noticed that 2.5tdi wasn't in your option list? Any particular reason?

As with any car, makes sure the engine is stone cold when you get there. You want to hear it start up COLD.
Feel for the front suspension groaning or knocking as this is circa £350 for a good set of arms plus fitting.
make sure Timing belt, water pump, tensioners and thermostat (on 1.9tdi's due to location) are recently replaced.
FSH is good if it's backed up with receipts!
CVT gearbox CAN be costly if the ECU fails, Multronic boxes are ok, check for any slippage under heavy load.

B6's after 2003 (I think?) came with mostly colour coded body trim.

Turbo's can last a lot longer if the car has been serviced regular. Be mindful if the car is on longlife service schedule....

I got a 2.5V6 Q SE Avant with 161k, FSH for £1700 last year.

It's worth having a look through this thread and doing some reading: http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/a4-a4-cabriolet-s4-forum-b6-chassis/115597-diy-guides-faq-b6-wiki.html

Good luck with your search and purchase, don't rush into buying one.

Dan

Thanks Dan the B6 are i think 2000-2005 i didnt want to opt for the large engine version as the insurance was crazy plus i couldnt get any bigger versions for my budget... i am really digging the 1.8T quattro there are a few with relitively high mileage but they look nice and have been told they can shift. I'll keep in mind when viewing for cold starts, suspension etc and i suppose all the usual things to look out for.

Cheers man!

 

[xeningti]

if any one else wants to give some advice they are more than welcome. thanks

 

[SmoothAssault]

Welcome to the forum buddy, good luck with your search for a B6!

While you're browsing check the specs of each car really carefully; pretty much everything is an optional extra on these cars. The two I was most frustrated to find that mine didn't have are rear electric windows and rear folding seats. So if there's any kit you couldn't live without, don't just assume it'll be there.

On the 1.8T's check the oil for any gunky mayonaise-looking nastyness, this can be pretty bad news. I can't remember the details but I'm sure a search on here will tell you everything you need to know. The oil wants to have been changed every 10k miles or less ideally, so finding any receipts of that nature should give you some peace of mind.

Explore the interior, push the buttons and make sure everything works as it seems like people are starting to have problems with some of their electrics now they're around 10 years old. Open the glovebox and see if the hinge is knackered, also the catch on the the front centre arm rest (if it has one) is known to break quite easily, so check them out. Not exactly deal-breakers, but I always think anything you find wrong with a car that the seller hasn't mentioned puts you in a better position when negotiating price.

Wheel arches are prone to rust so inspect those, along with the channels on the roof. And like Dan says, listen out for any odd noises from the suspension.

Oh, and if you find one with a double DIN radio then that will set you up nicely to install a NAV system later on, if that sort of thing is important to you?

 

[AlexGSi2000]

Personally, for that budget I would be tempted to look at the B5 variant - you will more than likely get more for your money with the possibility of less miles.

 

[tom2]

Have a good play with the clutch on the test drive in the quattro manual, £900 a pop at reputable garages! I've been told the diff oil should be changed every year or so too. The sport/s line models come with a factory body kit which is nice but subtle.

My 1.8t quattro 190 has done 150k miles, 70k of which in the last 3 and a bit years, had a new turbo at 125k, serviced twice a year and considering the abuse it gets when I'm called out for work all over Europe it has done well! Did a 2000mile round trip to Vienna and back over 2 and a bit days last month and didn't miss a beat, and still had some go left at 130ishmph on the autobahns. Quite comfy too, and bose stereo option is a good un!

 

[quattrojames]

The sport/s line models come with a factory body kit which is nice but subtle.

Only from late 2003 onwards...