Audi A8 D2 4.2V8 - 7 year running costs of a Shedworthy car
Discussion
With the old model A8 having paid a couple of visits to Shed of the Week stardom, I thought I would share the costs of my 2000 registered car over the 7 years and around 75000 miles I have had it. Might help anyone out there thinking of buying an old V8 to waft around in.
I bought it off ebay in May 2010 and became the 4th owner with it on 61056 miles and 5 stamps in the service book (4 x Audi and 1 x BMW).
Never tracked the fuel consumption other than via the dash computer thing. I reset it about a week after i got it and now the average consumption shows 24.9. No idea how accurate it is, but the car is mostly used on longer journeys, so would expect lower if short runs around town.
Quirks
Since I got it there has been an annoying clicking noise from behind the centre of the dash every 7-8 mins - probably about 20-30 clicks in quick succession. Something to do with relays/cogs trying to do something re fresh air (so the internet suggests). There is a bit of discussion about this on the web, but short of pulling the dash apart there doesn't seem to be a fix. I did replace a couple of relays (accessed by removing glove box) but to no avail.
The yellow emissions light on the dash is on - been on the last 5 years. Garage man says it is to do with cold start up (something at front of car of which there are 2 needs replacing if i remember correctly....£300-400....so i never bothered). A reset on VAGCOM turns it off for a day or so, then it comes back. No other issues show up.
For about 4 years in cold weather a fault in the steering angle sensor would turn off traction control/ABS and illuminate 2 lights on the dash. Stopping the car and starting it would typically see it go away. Finally in Sept 2016 I had the garage man take the airbag out and clean the wiring up. Dodgy connection i think as it has never come on since.
Must say the build quality (other than electrical niggles) is very good, and the engine feels like it would go forever. It is also very quiet and comfy, and whilst no-where near as nice as the Audi S8 V10 that was on the main Pistonheads page this week, I have been very happy with it. Considering it was bought as a short term car big enough to take 5 to France in relative comfort (there is surprisingly little rear space for such a big car...but thankfully had to carry 1 x child and 2 x small adults) and I had a) never owned/wanted an auto and b) was always a GTI kind of guy, then the old barge has served me well.
As of today it is at the garage (same guy who has serviced it since I got it) and I fear the estimate may make it uneconomical to repair...what with it needing a service, tyres, possible springs (a 4 inch long piece was sitting on the drive), and either a wheel bearing or front diff issue to fix (whines like an old Melbourne taxi) then it might be around £1000. It is also really due a 2nd cambelt replacement in my ownership which Audi want something mad like £700 for from memory, but thankfully less at my independent.
So if you are thinking of buying a Shed price A8 (which mine is now) then hopefully this helps. Running costs (i may have mislaid a couple of bills) below:
I bought it off ebay in May 2010 and became the 4th owner with it on 61056 miles and 5 stamps in the service book (4 x Audi and 1 x BMW).
Never tracked the fuel consumption other than via the dash computer thing. I reset it about a week after i got it and now the average consumption shows 24.9. No idea how accurate it is, but the car is mostly used on longer journeys, so would expect lower if short runs around town.
Quirks
Since I got it there has been an annoying clicking noise from behind the centre of the dash every 7-8 mins - probably about 20-30 clicks in quick succession. Something to do with relays/cogs trying to do something re fresh air (so the internet suggests). There is a bit of discussion about this on the web, but short of pulling the dash apart there doesn't seem to be a fix. I did replace a couple of relays (accessed by removing glove box) but to no avail.
The yellow emissions light on the dash is on - been on the last 5 years. Garage man says it is to do with cold start up (something at front of car of which there are 2 needs replacing if i remember correctly....£300-400....so i never bothered). A reset on VAGCOM turns it off for a day or so, then it comes back. No other issues show up.
For about 4 years in cold weather a fault in the steering angle sensor would turn off traction control/ABS and illuminate 2 lights on the dash. Stopping the car and starting it would typically see it go away. Finally in Sept 2016 I had the garage man take the airbag out and clean the wiring up. Dodgy connection i think as it has never come on since.
Must say the build quality (other than electrical niggles) is very good, and the engine feels like it would go forever. It is also very quiet and comfy, and whilst no-where near as nice as the Audi S8 V10 that was on the main Pistonheads page this week, I have been very happy with it. Considering it was bought as a short term car big enough to take 5 to France in relative comfort (there is surprisingly little rear space for such a big car...but thankfully had to carry 1 x child and 2 x small adults) and I had a) never owned/wanted an auto and b) was always a GTI kind of guy, then the old barge has served me well.
As of today it is at the garage (same guy who has serviced it since I got it) and I fear the estimate may make it uneconomical to repair...what with it needing a service, tyres, possible springs (a 4 inch long piece was sitting on the drive), and either a wheel bearing or front diff issue to fix (whines like an old Melbourne taxi) then it might be around £1000. It is also really due a 2nd cambelt replacement in my ownership which Audi want something mad like £700 for from memory, but thankfully less at my independent.
So if you are thinking of buying a Shed price A8 (which mine is now) then hopefully this helps. Running costs (i may have mislaid a couple of bills) below:
I used to have one of these, a 1999 4.2 with a few S8 bits (wheels, interior trim and seats, mirror caps and grilles, but still badged as an A8). It was a peach of a car. I spent a bit of time fiddling round in the passenger footwell messing with hedgehogs and relays to fix the Servotronic steering fault (sometimes it would forget to increase assistance at low speeds). Other than that, it was faultless and a lovely drive.
I later had an X308 XJ8 that was nowhere near as nice. The 4.0 V8 in the Jaguar felt really wheezy compared to the Audi.
I later had an X308 XJ8 that was nowhere near as nice. The 4.0 V8 in the Jaguar felt really wheezy compared to the Audi.
Sounds like a comfortable machine, these always frighten me with the air-powered central locking etc.
sjtgeray said:
The yellow emissions light on the dash is on - been on the last 5 years. Garage man says it is to do with cold start up (something at front of car of which there are 2 needs replacing if i remember correctly....£300-400....so i never bothered). A reset on VAGCOM turns it off for a day or so, then it comes back. No other issues show up.
Sounds like the secondary air injection - basically it's running very rich during warmup, so it should add extra air to warm the cats up with "afterburning" rather than poisoning the cats. Eventually you might see issues with the emissions, but chances are it'll be a while yet.TwistingMyMelon said:
My old 2002 A4 used to make that clicking noise, would carry on for about 15 minutes after I ended the journey, like a vent solenoid behind dash having a party on its own , I never bothered getting it looked at
Got any pics of your car?
My A8 made that clicking noise too, though it was pretty faint on mine, to the point where I wasn't sure what it was for a long time. Got any pics of your car?
Ah...the clicking on mine is pretty loud but doesnt continue after turning the engine off. However it does make some quite faint whirring noises for 15-20 seconds sometimes, but a different sort of noise. A few years back I did find someone on web who suggested pulling off some pipe/cable that ran behind the pedals to stop the clicking, but it didnt look simple and he wasnt sure what else it impacted!. Also found someone in US who worked at a VAG dealer who said it was a known problem...and a dash dismantle to fix.
Photos....these are the only ones i have...from the advert on ebay 7 years ago. Its VERY green and beige, with (what i deem) ugly old fashioned wheels. SWMBO calls it the "stately home on wheels". But, it does a job (in comfort) and my MK1 MX5 (also green much to her annoyance) gives me my Pistonheads fix (in the 6 months that it is taxed at least!)
Photos....these are the only ones i have...from the advert on ebay 7 years ago. Its VERY green and beige, with (what i deem) ugly old fashioned wheels. SWMBO calls it the "stately home on wheels". But, it does a job (in comfort) and my MK1 MX5 (also green much to her annoyance) gives me my Pistonheads fix (in the 6 months that it is taxed at least!)
Well a few years later i thought it time to provide an update on the running costs of the old A8.
It has still (fingers crossed) never let me down and got us to the South of France twice in the last 3 years (breakdown cover with ADAC just in case, but never needed...they cover older cars unlike many). Now showing over 160,000 miles and the fuel display is on 26.2mpg average, but that is mostly open road use as the wifes car gets used for running about.
Some muppet hit the left rear when i stopped at a junction, then promptly drove off. Next day in the local online news, that very Ford was featured, in a ditch with an article saying the police were chasing it as was stolen. Pushed the left side of bumper in a cm or two but no damage otherwise.
Since the last update i lost one of the foglight grilles (common issue i believe and not shown on my cost log) and found a replacement on ebay. I then lost the other side and second hand replacements were £80+ (there is a new one on ebay today for £149 !) so i got one for an A6 and bodged it on (doesnt really fit). Over Xmas i lost the remaining A8 one so got another A6 one (£8) though it looks different to the other.
Also the steering angle sensor finally gave up the ghost in Jan so i got one off ebay that was "guaranteed to work". Low and behold the steering sensor bit worked but the airbag connector has a fault, so i just got another ebay one (after the seller of the other made all sorts of excuses not to refund the "guaranteed" part) which will be fitted next week....so fingers crossed.
|https://thumbsnap.com/gExBiunZ[/url]
It is still a great place to sit for wafting along the motorway and part of me still wants to get it to 200,000 miles. The other part of me says it is time to replace it as we will be clocking up more miles (Essex to Hull as mother-in-law is unwell) and to daughters university, so need something a bit more frugal. Fancied a Saab 9-5 Aero but with road tax of £555 and fuel economy not much over the A8's that has been chopped off the list.
Updated running cost log in case anyone is interested (minus the ebay grilles and steering angle sensor)
[url]
It has still (fingers crossed) never let me down and got us to the South of France twice in the last 3 years (breakdown cover with ADAC just in case, but never needed...they cover older cars unlike many). Now showing over 160,000 miles and the fuel display is on 26.2mpg average, but that is mostly open road use as the wifes car gets used for running about.
Some muppet hit the left rear when i stopped at a junction, then promptly drove off. Next day in the local online news, that very Ford was featured, in a ditch with an article saying the police were chasing it as was stolen. Pushed the left side of bumper in a cm or two but no damage otherwise.
Since the last update i lost one of the foglight grilles (common issue i believe and not shown on my cost log) and found a replacement on ebay. I then lost the other side and second hand replacements were £80+ (there is a new one on ebay today for £149 !) so i got one for an A6 and bodged it on (doesnt really fit). Over Xmas i lost the remaining A8 one so got another A6 one (£8) though it looks different to the other.
Also the steering angle sensor finally gave up the ghost in Jan so i got one off ebay that was "guaranteed to work". Low and behold the steering sensor bit worked but the airbag connector has a fault, so i just got another ebay one (after the seller of the other made all sorts of excuses not to refund the "guaranteed" part) which will be fitted next week....so fingers crossed.
|https://thumbsnap.com/gExBiunZ[/url]It is still a great place to sit for wafting along the motorway and part of me still wants to get it to 200,000 miles. The other part of me says it is time to replace it as we will be clocking up more miles (Essex to Hull as mother-in-law is unwell) and to daughters university, so need something a bit more frugal. Fancied a Saab 9-5 Aero but with road tax of £555 and fuel economy not much over the A8's that has been chopped off the list.
Updated running cost log in case anyone is interested (minus the ebay grilles and steering angle sensor)
[url]Interesting hypothetical here (man-maths) based on 10 years and 100,000 miles with possible goal of convincing myself to go electric.
A bunch of assumptions made, but a base model Tesla 3 (without the self-drive gubbins....i like driving myself !) comes out not that much dearer per year (and with the option to buy via my limited company it would be less still due to tax savings etc)
Its not a perfect comparison but if vaguely correct then maybe shedding a barge isn't as cheap as maybe thought, and I could be tempted to get myself into a shiny new car !
Question is, are these maths near enough right ?
A bunch of assumptions made, but a base model Tesla 3 (without the self-drive gubbins....i like driving myself !) comes out not that much dearer per year (and with the option to buy via my limited company it would be less still due to tax savings etc)
Its not a perfect comparison but if vaguely correct then maybe shedding a barge isn't as cheap as maybe thought, and I could be tempted to get myself into a shiny new car !
Question is, are these maths near enough right ?
So you havent had a gearbox woe yet? My brother had 2 S8's and both the gear selector switch packed up, which is a 300 quid part and a b
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