Buying a higher mileage 2004 A4 1.8T

**AndreyMan** · 11-22-2011 06:54 AM

Hey guys,

New to the forums and the euro car scene as well. I am looking at a 2004 Audi a4 1.8t with a manual transmission. It now has 190 000km and apparently has been driven by the original owner (woman) since new and always serviced at the dealer. She wants 6800CAD for it. Has sunroof and 17inch factory wheels and the 6-speed is a big plus. Now do you think this is a good buy? I am coming from Subaru Legacy territory so I am a little scared about the reliability concerns of the car. I would use it as a daily driver. I know coil packs go and there are suspension components to be checked out.

You guys have any other pointers?

Thanks in advance!

**sbatqmi** · 11-22-2011 07:00 AM

Make sure the timing belt has been done. Is it a Quattro? Do not get the front wheel drive. Awd only. More details would be helpful.

**AndreyMan** · 11-22-2011 08:43 AM

It is a quattro, with 190 000km, 6MT, 2004 with sunroof and 17inch factory wheels. That's all the info I have for now as I haven't checked it out yet. The car has apparently been dealer serviced since new and it is a one owner vehicle. I asked whether the timing belt was done over the phone and she said yes but she does not remember when. As far as I know they are due @ 100 000km/60 000miles on those cars?

**EErie B6** · 11-22-2011 08:54 AM

Factory 17" wheels means its a Sport Package car. Good find.

60-90k miles is when the tb should have been changed. It began as 90k and was revised to 60k when failures started to occur. Finding out when it was done would be nice. Maybe the dealer has it on file?

Ask if the clutch has been replaced. If it has not, its probably going to need one before too long.

The PCV / Evap lines under the intake manifold like to degrade somewhere between 80-100k miles also. Its no big deal but is a bit of an inconvenience. 034 Motorsport sells a cost effective and more durable solution. Replace all your check valves in the system at the same time, they are cheap and their life expectancy is about the same as the Evap lines they are connected to.

Aside from that, its a pretty solid platform.

**AndreyMan** · 11-22-2011 11:11 AM

^Thank you for a very informative post!

TB as in Throttle body? Isn't it just a mechanical piece or there are some seals/electrics that go wrong in it? What are the symptoms?
I will definitely look into the lines under the manifold. By valves, do you mean wastegate, blow off valve etc?

Thanks again!

**Charles.waite** · 11-22-2011 11:17 AM

TB = Timing Belt. Unlike some cars, if the Timing belt snaps it takes a good portion of the engine down with it. Fixing that =$$$

He is referring to Check valves:

They are the bane of most DIY mechanics! And I also agree on the 034 PCV refresh. If that car is running the original one, its running on borrowed time, if it isn't hosed already.

Other than that, the fact its a one owner car and dealer serviced means its likely to be a solid car. With that many miles there are bound to be issues that crop up but I would go out on a limb and say thats probably a good price for that car. With the transmission make sure the shifting action is smooth, that it goes into gear without grinding or anything.

**bondar1989** · 11-22-2011 11:24 AM

Good luck.

**boy412** · 11-22-2011 11:48 AM

Original owner, dealer serviced, 6 speed, Sport package? Sounds like a good find. There are a few weak points with this car (spend some time reading the stickies in this forum) but they are pretty well-documented by now and can be avoided. Of course some things just wear and need to be replaced. Hopefully the records are complete so you know when some of those big services were done.

**CrazyCal** · 11-22-2011 05:35 PM

Originally Posted by EErie B6

The PCV / Evap lines under the intake manifold like to degrade somewhere between 80-100k miles also. Its no big deal but is a bit of an inconvenience. 034 Motorsport sells a cost effective and more durable solution. Replace all your check valves in the system at the same time, they are cheap and their life expectancy is about the same as the Evap lines they are connected to.

Check out my install review for more info on this.
http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...?highlight=034

If you're looking for a cheap car to maintain, find something else. If you're looking for a car that will treat you right as long as you take care of it, this would be a great buy.

I hate it when people (not saying OP is saying this) come in here and say "How come parts for this car aren't as cheap as my honda? This car sucks, blah blah blah..."

Just don't want you to regret it down the road.

**AndreyMan** · 12-11-2011 11:41 AM

Hey guys!
So the car that was originally in question sold before I went to see it but I guess it was for good because I got my hands on a 2004 1.8t with a 6 speed with 138 000kms! All service records in hand, timing belt, water pump and some major engine work done last summer, it is Unitronic chipped, has a Forge BOV and is now sitting on Neuspeed springs with original sport pack springs available as well.

Couldn't be happier with the car and happy to be amongst you people now :D

**audimontreal** · 12-11-2011 12:19 PM

Congrats fellow Montrealer!
For servicing I have found one amazing person CB Garage very honnest person family shop!
http://www.cbgarage.com/
Make sure you change your oil/filter every 4 months and or 7000km and do your regular preventive maintenance...
Other reputable independent Audi shops include: Rombotis, Heinz, VAG Motorsport in Laval....etc

**jbrown7815** · 12-11-2011 06:24 PM

Good luck, buying my 87k miles Audi A4 was one of the worst mistakes I've ever made carwise. Hope you have plenty of time, money, and patience to fix it when it breaks.

**drjonez** · 12-11-2011 06:27 PM

Originally Posted by EErie B6

Factory 17" wheels means its a Sport Package car. Good find...

No it doesn't.

17" wheels were an option without the sport package.

**Audi91** · 12-12-2011 06:01 AM

i bought an 04 a4 1.8t quattro with 115k miles runs great no problems last yr

**EErie B6** · 12-12-2011 06:34 AM

Originally Posted by drjonez

No it doesn't.

17" wheels were an option without the sport package.

or not.

**Charles.waite** · 12-12-2011 10:36 AM

Originally Posted by EErie B6

or not.

I think its safer to just look at the shocks guys. Red means sport. Why would you ever base what packages a car has on what the wheels are? I could easily go buy some S4 wheels and say my debadged USP is an S4. Plenty of people mistake it for an S4 anyway despite the totally different front valance and pint sized engine...

**AndreyMan** · 12-13-2011 12:25 PM

Thank you for the welcome and garage suggestions guys!

So far I've only gone to VAGmotorsport in Laval, cause they were the ones that serviced the car with the previous owner. As for the A4 being the worst decision car wise... You know I have been reading these reviews about the car for about a year and a half now... Because I really liked the car and the potential it (the engine) had but the pussy in me was always telling me NO because of the reliability. I also read a lot of reviews saying that a car with a solid maintenance history and car will be reliable. So then I thought the hell with it and now bought it and am really enjoying it with a Unitronic chip and a drop. I am aware of the fact that it is still a VAG product and things like a sensor here and a sensor there is a common thing. I am pretty handy with a wrench so I can do some things myself on the car when in need. All in all, care for the car, and it will care for you, whether it's an Audi, a Toyota, or a Niva Lada 1976.

Thank you for oil pointers. I will probably do 5000km intervals between changes just to be sure to avoid oil sludge. I've got the recall sticker for that crap in the pack of service history from the previous owner lol. I also love the 6-7L/100km gas consumption in 6th on the highway!

I may have mentioned this but the car's timing belt had actually snapped this summer and bent 3 intake and 2 exhaust valves. The engine was reworked at VAG with a new headgasket, the valves, the head bolts, the timing belt and an aftermarket water pump with a metal impeller instead of the plastic one, as well as obviously flushed G12 coolant and some 5W-40 meeting the sludge recall specifications.

Will take good care of it and happy to be on board! :)