Eco Shedding in an Audi A2 TDI
Discussion
I've been thinking about getting something ultra cheap to run for a few weeks, I do a bit of mileage for work but at the weekend we have the family wagon so the Shedaccord was a bit overkill, although still perfectly viable.
Anyway, I've always quite like the Audi A2, bit quirky, bit innovative, bit ugly.....like looking in mirror some would say.
So I began my hunt for a cheap TDI. None showed up locally and most on ebay below £500 had something fairly terminal wrong with them.
Then I spotted the subject of this thread on ebay. 5 days remaining, no bids, £500 starting bid. A few questions to the seller suggested it was in decent enough condition apart from needing two tyres soon and a massive crack in the windscreen, which the seller was having replaced before sale.
I stuck £550 on and left it run in the faint hope that I might win.
Fast forward five days, 5 minutes to go, still on £500 and I'm wondering how I'm going to get it home to Cornwall from Swindon.
A couple of late bids put it up to £550 but I had won the auction. A quick hunt on Shiply managed to secure delivery the following Monday and I waited in nervous anticipation of what heap I had bought.
It turned up on Wednesday this week with the usual family car patina of dirt and scratches outside (all polishable) and the stench of fags and dogs inside, but it drove fine, gearbox OK, clutch a bit high but OK, and no creaks or rattles to be heard.
A quick check of the service history showed full history up to 2018 but no cambelt change since 2013 and 100,000 miles ago so that is the first thing to sort (cambelt/water pump kit is only £86!). It is also missing various bits of small trim inside which I've managed to source from a few people on the A2 owners club.
The front tyres are OK for a few weeks but I'll need to get a couple of cheap ones soon.
And this weekend will see it being thoroughly cleaned and wet vacced ahead of using one of those odour bomb things to try and decontaminate the interior.
Apart from that, I really quite like it, it's got quite a bit of poke (relatively), handles well and makes quite a nice noise from the 3 cylinder TDI.
£30 a year tax is nice and insurance is £170 for the year, cheap as a cheap thing.
And it came with half a tank of diesel!!
The journey begins here....
Anyway, I've always quite like the Audi A2, bit quirky, bit innovative, bit ugly.....like looking in mirror some would say.
So I began my hunt for a cheap TDI. None showed up locally and most on ebay below £500 had something fairly terminal wrong with them.
Then I spotted the subject of this thread on ebay. 5 days remaining, no bids, £500 starting bid. A few questions to the seller suggested it was in decent enough condition apart from needing two tyres soon and a massive crack in the windscreen, which the seller was having replaced before sale.
I stuck £550 on and left it run in the faint hope that I might win.
Fast forward five days, 5 minutes to go, still on £500 and I'm wondering how I'm going to get it home to Cornwall from Swindon.
A couple of late bids put it up to £550 but I had won the auction. A quick hunt on Shiply managed to secure delivery the following Monday and I waited in nervous anticipation of what heap I had bought.
It turned up on Wednesday this week with the usual family car patina of dirt and scratches outside (all polishable) and the stench of fags and dogs inside, but it drove fine, gearbox OK, clutch a bit high but OK, and no creaks or rattles to be heard.
A quick check of the service history showed full history up to 2018 but no cambelt change since 2013 and 100,000 miles ago so that is the first thing to sort (cambelt/water pump kit is only £86!). It is also missing various bits of small trim inside which I've managed to source from a few people on the A2 owners club.
The front tyres are OK for a few weeks but I'll need to get a couple of cheap ones soon.
And this weekend will see it being thoroughly cleaned and wet vacced ahead of using one of those odour bomb things to try and decontaminate the interior.
Apart from that, I really quite like it, it's got quite a bit of poke (relatively), handles well and makes quite a nice noise from the 3 cylinder TDI.
£30 a year tax is nice and insurance is £170 for the year, cheap as a cheap thing.
And it came with half a tank of diesel!!
The journey begins here....
I ran one of these as a daily for 6 years. It was a well put together and thought out vehicle unfortunately let down by chocolate electronics. i had the open the fuel flap by pushing a rod in the boot after the electronic button/actuator failed (what was wrong with a cable audi?), i think i had to replace 3 maybe 4 abs sensors and it was always the front ones, the traction control sensor failed (fortunately this can be fixed relatively cheaply but is time consuming) and finally the lcd screen on the dash suffered from pixel loss to the point it resembled bobby charltons scalp. hopefully you have better luck with the electronics than me because they are otherwise fantastic cars and incredibly cheap to fuel. it could seat 4 adults with loads of head and leg room in a car with a footprint smaller than a fiesta.
Edited by LP670 on Saturday 30th May 13:59
springfan62 said:
-crookedtail- said:
However WHAT is going on with the buttons on the climate control, how do they wear out like that? Did the previous owner have scouring pads for fingers?
They all do that.A500leroy said:
i think bodywork repairs are expensive on these?
Yeha I believe so, because of the aluminium shell. Although I would say anything front end might be OK as there are a lot of breakers these days, wings, bumpers etc are fairly easy to come by. Anything rear end would be a write off, if you bothered to claim. Started a bit of cleaning last night, generally has come up well but it does still stink. I've ordered one of these for once I've finished cleaning which will hopefully get rid of the smell!!
https://airvidox.com/
Also have a strange starting issue. When you turn the key it'll start and then stall aost immediately. Then it'll either take a couple more attempts to actually start or start on the next turn.
I wonder if the timing might be a bit out if the belt is worn, or could it be an electrical issue. I did read somewhere it could be just a duff key battery, although I'd be surprised if it's that simple.
Back on it today!
https://airvidox.com/
Also have a strange starting issue. When you turn the key it'll start and then stall aost immediately. Then it'll either take a couple more attempts to actually start or start on the next turn.
I wonder if the timing might be a bit out if the belt is worn, or could it be an electrical issue. I did read somewhere it could be just a duff key battery, although I'd be surprised if it's that simple.
Back on it today!
bristolracer said:
Good shed
Can I ask what it cost for the Swindon to Cornwall delivery? What was the mileage of the delivery.
Living in North Devon myself, remoteness when car shopping is a bit of an issue
It cost £210, roughly 450 miles (live in Camborne, West Cornwall) so about 47p a mile. I'd normally just get the train and drive it back but obviously with COVID-19 ongoing that's not possible at the moment. Can I ask what it cost for the Swindon to Cornwall delivery? What was the mileage of the delivery.
Living in North Devon myself, remoteness when car shopping is a bit of an issue
Welshbeef said:
These things average 90odd mpg don’t they?
Not quite, I think the 1.2 tdi is similar to the Lupo 3l in that it can push that figure, but this one is 50-60 average depending on how you're driving. Some push 70mpg but that would be super eco driving on a run I'd imagine. tomble22 said:
bristolracer said:
Good shed
Can I ask what it cost for the Swindon to Cornwall delivery? What was the mileage of the delivery.
Living in North Devon myself, remoteness when car shopping is a bit of an issue
It cost £210, roughly 450 miles (live in Camborne, West Cornwall) so about 47p a mile. I'd normally just get the train and drive it back but obviously with COVID-19 ongoing that's not possible at the moment. Can I ask what it cost for the Swindon to Cornwall delivery? What was the mileage of the delivery.
Living in North Devon myself, remoteness when car shopping is a bit of an issue
Like you id rather just go by train,but having said that the price of a ticket these days............
tomble22 said:
Welshbeef said:
These things average 90odd mpg don’t they?
Not quite, I think the 1.2 tdi is similar to the Lupo 3l in that it can push that figure, but this one is 50-60 average depending on how you're driving. Some push 70mpg but that would be super eco driving on a run I'd imagine. Didn’t they drive around the world (on actual roads) recording 125or more MPG world record.
50-60mpg that’s rubbish - the Skoda Fabia Greenline 2 1.2TDI does 83mpg.
Welshbeef said:
tomble22 said:
Welshbeef said:
These things average 90odd mpg don’t they?
Not quite, I think the 1.2 tdi is similar to the Lupo 3l in that it can push that figure, but this one is 50-60 average depending on how you're driving. Some push 70mpg but that would be super eco driving on a run I'd imagine. Didn’t they drive around the world (on actual roads) recording 125or more MPG world record.
50-60mpg that’s rubbish - the Skoda Fabia Greenline 2 1.2TDI does 83mpg.
Aluminium doors as well.as magnesium suspension parts for lightness.
I think the Audi engine is pretty much the same as in my 2008 polo bluemotion which will achieve low 80's on a run
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