A3 - A few questions..
Discussion
Hello Audi sub forum,
Hope you may be able to assist with a few queries. I'm looking at buying an A3 Sportback (5 door) with a max budget of £5.5k. Looking for a 2.0 or above.
1. I viewed a 3.2 quattro which had split leather/suede seats, but I can't seem to find any other models on Autotrader etc that have these. Was this introduced only on a specific model or as part of a facelift?
2. There seem to be A LOT of high mileage examples - 80k through 170/180k. I know the adage of buying on condition not mileage, but I am wondering if the higher mileage examples should be avoided/letting myself in for a world of expensive pain?
I'll look through some buying guides, but if anyone on here has ownership experience I would be curious to hear what you thought on the car?
Cheers
Ben
Hope you may be able to assist with a few queries. I'm looking at buying an A3 Sportback (5 door) with a max budget of £5.5k. Looking for a 2.0 or above.
1. I viewed a 3.2 quattro which had split leather/suede seats, but I can't seem to find any other models on Autotrader etc that have these. Was this introduced only on a specific model or as part of a facelift?
2. There seem to be A LOT of high mileage examples - 80k through 170/180k. I know the adage of buying on condition not mileage, but I am wondering if the higher mileage examples should be avoided/letting myself in for a world of expensive pain?
I'll look through some buying guides, but if anyone on here has ownership experience I would be curious to hear what you thought on the car?
Cheers
Ben
Watch out for timing chain issues on the 3.2
Low mileage cars can be a pain in the arse as its sometimes an indication they've mostly been used on short and frequent urban runs. This is more taxing on the car and not particularly good for the engine. Also be weary if its been sat still off the road for an extended period of time. Have to ask why, was it accident damaged or needing repair? I've also found people don't seem to bother following the service requirements on lower mileage cars.
Sweetspot is probably something with around 80k and good paperwork in decent shape. Ask for invoices showing the relevant items have been changed to schedule e.g. cambelt if its a 2.0
Low mileage cars can be a pain in the arse as its sometimes an indication they've mostly been used on short and frequent urban runs. This is more taxing on the car and not particularly good for the engine. Also be weary if its been sat still off the road for an extended period of time. Have to ask why, was it accident damaged or needing repair? I've also found people don't seem to bother following the service requirements on lower mileage cars.
Sweetspot is probably something with around 80k and good paperwork in decent shape. Ask for invoices showing the relevant items have been changed to schedule e.g. cambelt if its a 2.0
Thanks Va1o.
RE: the standing issue - I viewed a Golf at the weekend which had moss growing in the window rubbers, a weed sprouting out the mirror, a flat battery, it hadn't been cleaned inside or out, and one of the door hinges was knackered.. and this was at a dealer!! And he was surprised that I wasn't interested!!
RE: the standing issue - I viewed a Golf at the weekend which had moss growing in the window rubbers, a weed sprouting out the mirror, a flat battery, it hadn't been cleaned inside or out, and one of the door hinges was knackered.. and this was at a dealer!! And he was surprised that I wasn't interested!!
I recently (well, around 6 months ago) bought a Leon of the same era/chassis- thanks to the part sharing around Volkswagen Group, most of the issues I was looking out for are equally applicable to the A3. It's a bit of a brain dump but hopefully some useful information there:
ABS sensor module fault is a biggie. This has got cheaper over the years but is still a ~£400 fix. Seems to be very intermittent- some cars suffer repeated failures, some are fine and dandy on the original one. If it's not had one done it will probably be fine but worth keeping in mind.
As Va1o already mentioned, timing chain stretch on the 3.2.
The 2.0 FSI and 2.0 TFSI need new timing belts plus water pump and tensioners every ~60,000 or 4 years. This was originally 115,000 from memory but Audi/VAG issued a notice on this due to premature failures. Some sellers and a few dealers seem to think the original figure still applies- it's not worth arguing the toss with a seller who thinks this as there are plenty of other cars out there.
Maintaining Haldex can be expensive; many sellers neglect the 20,000 mile services (alternating oil/oil and filter) which leads to mechanical failures. Think these were sold as "sealed for life", like most gearboxes sold as such they should be treated as anything but in reality.
2.0 TFSI can suffer from high pressure fuel pump failures, either in the cam or in the follower. This is potentially engine destroying- the early one-piece cams were prone to failure due to a patchy manufacturing process- if one of these has survived 80,000 miles it's likely to be fine. The replacement two-piece cams were too hard and caused wear on the cam follower, leading to fluctuations in fuel pressure. Worth checking both cam and lobe for wear. The same issue may exist with the non-turbo 2.0 FSI but I don't know offhand.
Original and revision diverter valves on the TFSI can fail due to being made of perishable rubber. This causes boost leaks and can result in a CEL and error code, plus associated drop in power. The later all-metal revision of the valve doesn't suffer from these problems though some people still prefer the earlier revisions because they're a bit noisier.
Variable intake manifold tumble flaps on 2.0 FSI and TFSI can stick, this is particularly pronounced in cold weather. Usually isn't bad enough to trigger a CEL but can make for a bit of roughness or hesitancy on cold starts.
Similarly, the PCV (Positive Crankcase Ventilation) valve can die. This results in a rough idle when cold and a bit of hesitancy at low revs, plus a drop in fuel economy and small drop in boost on the turbocharged models. Easy to identify (just pull the oil dipstick out on a running engine, if it splutters it's working fine, if not it's probably dead) and quite cheap to fix too. I'm 80% sure that my Leon is suffering from this.
ABS sensor module fault is a biggie. This has got cheaper over the years but is still a ~£400 fix. Seems to be very intermittent- some cars suffer repeated failures, some are fine and dandy on the original one. If it's not had one done it will probably be fine but worth keeping in mind.
As Va1o already mentioned, timing chain stretch on the 3.2.
The 2.0 FSI and 2.0 TFSI need new timing belts plus water pump and tensioners every ~60,000 or 4 years. This was originally 115,000 from memory but Audi/VAG issued a notice on this due to premature failures. Some sellers and a few dealers seem to think the original figure still applies- it's not worth arguing the toss with a seller who thinks this as there are plenty of other cars out there.
Maintaining Haldex can be expensive; many sellers neglect the 20,000 mile services (alternating oil/oil and filter) which leads to mechanical failures. Think these were sold as "sealed for life", like most gearboxes sold as such they should be treated as anything but in reality.
2.0 TFSI can suffer from high pressure fuel pump failures, either in the cam or in the follower. This is potentially engine destroying- the early one-piece cams were prone to failure due to a patchy manufacturing process- if one of these has survived 80,000 miles it's likely to be fine. The replacement two-piece cams were too hard and caused wear on the cam follower, leading to fluctuations in fuel pressure. Worth checking both cam and lobe for wear. The same issue may exist with the non-turbo 2.0 FSI but I don't know offhand.
Original and revision diverter valves on the TFSI can fail due to being made of perishable rubber. This causes boost leaks and can result in a CEL and error code, plus associated drop in power. The later all-metal revision of the valve doesn't suffer from these problems though some people still prefer the earlier revisions because they're a bit noisier.
Variable intake manifold tumble flaps on 2.0 FSI and TFSI can stick, this is particularly pronounced in cold weather. Usually isn't bad enough to trigger a CEL but can make for a bit of roughness or hesitancy on cold starts.
Similarly, the PCV (Positive Crankcase Ventilation) valve can die. This results in a rough idle when cold and a bit of hesitancy at low revs, plus a drop in fuel economy and small drop in boost on the turbocharged models. Easy to identify (just pull the oil dipstick out on a running engine, if it splutters it's working fine, if not it's probably dead) and quite cheap to fix too. I'm 80% sure that my Leon is suffering from this.
Edited by ManOpener on Tuesday 26th November 13:17
sparks85 said:
Wow! Top man, thanks for such a detailed reply. I will definitely research all of these issues.
I realised the split leather/suede seats are from the S-Line model - might look to buy an interior from ebay and transplant rather than pay through the nose for an SLine.
Cheers all
SE standard interior = ClothI realised the split leather/suede seats are from the S-Line model - might look to buy an interior from ebay and transplant rather than pay through the nose for an SLine.
Cheers all
Sport standard interior = Cloth
S-Line standard interior = Leather/Cloth
Full leather or leather/alcantara are options.
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