A4 1.8T Sport Advice

[jims16v]

Hi There..

I'm a newbie looking for a little advice.

Up until about March this year I was the proud owner of a 1994 Corrado 2.0 16v.. i'd wanted one for years and when I reached 21 (and the insurance companies would actually insure me) I took the plunge and bought one.

A year, and over £2000 in repair bills later, and feeling slightly disillusioned I very reluctantly traded the Corrado in for a nearly new Saxo VTR to try and get my bank balance looking healthy again. The Saxo has been great for saving me money, but everyone has one, and I am sick of the image of the car and awful build quality of it.

So 6 months into Saxo ownership, I am so fed up with the car and the A4 1.8T Sport has caught my eye - german build quality, great Audi styling, and a good engine - I don't want to risk another Corrado because of the reliability.

So what I want to know is, is the A4 1.8T (about 1997'ish) a safe car to go with, or is it likely to be at the dealership every other week getting work done on it? Are there any huge common faults with them (have heard stories about belt tensioners) that I should know about?

Thanks /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[AndyMac]

Just dodgy coilpacks really, which will need to be upgraded. The dealer should be aware of this and do it FOC.

 

[excursion]

Andy the coil packs only affect the late (2000)+ cars mate /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

In response to Jim's question - it depends on the car mate. Get a 80k+ car with no service history and expect trouble. Go for FASH and a reasoanble mileage car (around 50-60k) and you should have no problems.

 

[jims16v]

Cool.. thanks for the replies /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Have also been pondering the A3 1.8T Sport which someone suggested to me. Slightly cheaper on insurance, same engine, slightly quicker because of weight differences.. but slightly more pricey as it hasn't been around as long.

I'll look into them a little more when I am back off holiday!

Cheers /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[excursion]

A4 has nicer lines, interior and ride.

A3 is quicker and you feel like your in more of a sports car whereas the A4 is a crusier.

 

[Gambba]

You need to take a drive in both as the A4 and A3 are quite different cars in handling terms.

And lets not forget the chipping potential of the engine!!

The engines are virtually bulletproof and good for a hell of a lot of power and torque. Audi's with a few K on the clock will have the odd rattle and squeak here and there, but not much major.

It's worth testing quattro and non-quattro cars as well and seeing which you prefer....which can be related to your style of driving.

 

[Simon]

Front suspension arms give up quite early - listen for clunking when going over bumps at low speed.

if the cam belt has been changed make sure that the revised tensioner has been fitted.

some cars seem to suffer from MAF problems

make sure the rear discs are good because if they have to be change you need new bearings as well.

some of the early cars had problems with the wastegate rod - this broke and no boost generated, needs a new turbo to fix.

other than that a good car /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Simon

 

[bredhurststeve]

my Audi A4 1.8T Sport 70K Audi Approved W 2000 FASH £9K
which i think was a bargain bought 2 weeks ago

 

[AndyMac]

[ QUOTE ]
excursion said:
Andy the coil packs only affect the late (2000)+ cars mate /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

Excursion, I had 2 go on my wifes 98 A3 1.8T, maybe just unlucky.

 

[excursion]

Oh! I was told it was only the H revision late 99+ My apologies!

 

[Gambba]

Excursion in theory it should be only 2000 onwards cars, from what I know, it definately ahs not been an issue since the 1.8T engine was introduced, especially based on the VW America letter which was sent out to customers/dealers.

 

[excursion]

Ahh I thought so, it was late 99 with the DBW system /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif