a3 3.2 imminent purchase!!!!! what to check for....!

[weirdo]

im about to buy an a3 3.2 and know little bout cars. if there was to be a ten point check list for a buyer, what would it be? (other than the usual checks youd do for anyother car). thanx for your help!!

[TeaVR]

weirdo said:

im about to buy an a3 3.2 and know little bout cars. if there was to be a ten point check list for a buyer, what would it be? (other than the usual checks youd do for anyother car). thanx for your help!!

Couple of things I'd look at -

1. I think the A3 3.2 uses a Haldex setup - so check its been serviced correctly.
2. Check for clutch slip

[bigmanteebs]

From my A3 selling days:

Brakes:-big discs, big expense etc. check on warping and wear.

Tyres:- again as above

Service history: has it been on Audi variable servicing or fixed?

I sold ALOT of these cars to the "older" generation, rather than people who would thrash them, so chances of finding a good one is high.

What is the spec btw?

BMT.

[weirdo]

the 1 im looking at is a 2004 on a 04 plate. 50 k on the clock, rs4 wheels, think s-line styling. just shy of £12k. looks good and the guy sounds possitive bout condition. how can i check the haldex servicings true, and the same with the brakes? what am i looking for?

[weirdo]

& whats the difference between the audi variable and fixed servicing?

[catso]

Noisy rear suspension - squeaks & rattles, mine developed this and had the rear shocks changed under warranty, Audi dealer told me it was a fairly common occurrence for cars from a certain year (mine's an '04).

[brisel]

I suspect that the same parts bin is raided for the Audi A3 3.2 as for the VW R32, so:

Cooling fans. Turn the climate control on at tickover. Both radiator fans should run at slow speed. If they don't run at all then pulse on at high speed the resistors are fecked & the fan motors aren't far behind. Expect to pay up to £600 to have them fixed by an Audi dealer but if you rattle the cages of the service manager, Audi might knock something off due to this being a very common fault on VAG engines (just the 3.2??).

Front strut mount bearings. Turn lock to lock at slow speed forward and backwards. If you feel any grinding the bearings are gone. Not too expensive to fix though.

Hesitation. If the acceleration falters at about 2800 rpm, the ECU needs a software update which is basically a better engine map. Haven't ever heard of this being a problem on A3s & your model should already have had it done anyway.

Coil packs. Tend to go from misfiring to one dead cylinder pretty quickly. Ask if they have ever given any gyp. About £25 each to replace but need a special tool to change.

Service history. Check that the book is stamped up correctly. It should have the brake fluid changes & Haldex services ticked at the relevant intervals. Longlife services mean that Haldex services may get delayed a bit but this shouldn't cause too many problems unless it has never been done at all.

[00161wj]

Dont know what my man means about the stut mountings? Nothin to worry about though.
Only real problem is the rear shockers knock and sometimes coils go. Dont need a special tool to replace them though. Just need to clear the fault after.