225 TT

[icebite78]

Hi guys iam going to look at a tt 2001 on sunday and i know this would be the only place to come for knowledge.
Could anyone tell me what are the things to look for apart from service history,is there anything visually to see or even to listen for when driving or on tick over.
The owner has never had the cambelt changed,im abit worried as its on 62k?

[00161wj]

Wouldnt expect the cambelt to have been changed, due at 80k i think. Listen for knocking from the front on roadtest as they have problems with:
Front roll bars - split on the sleeves (rears also do this but dont tend to knock)
Wishbones - bushes start to come adrift from the wishbone
Centre exhaust bracket breaks - requiring new exhaust section
The occasional spring snaps on the front

[icebite78]

thank you for the info,so im safe at 62k without cambelt change,phew i was sweating about that.Also i heard that the instrument binnacle can also need replacing on most,would audi do this for me on good will or is it too old?

[Gren]

Not neccessarily safe. I had my cambelt changed at around 60k at the same time as a service I had done. There is a lot of confusion over when you should get it done. I played it safe....also had the thermostat and water pump done at the same time.

Most the issues I've had with mine have been electrical/common faults : 2 coil packs, temperature sensor, alarm backup battery and indicator relay. All easy and relatively cheap to fix.

Things that have 'worn out' have been a front steering ball joint and front arb sleeves - second of these worked out fairly costly.

Also, look out for dashpod problems - temperature guage issues or fuel guage at odds with the DIS reading.

Try tt-forum.co.uk for more info.

[Dr G]

Cambelt interval on these is 5 years or 80,000 miles - this one is over due.

[audidoody]

Check with Audi CS. I understand cambelt changes are now recommended at 4 years or 40,000 miles (according to my independent Audi specialist)

Edited by audidoody on Wednesday 2nd July 09:27

[00161wj]

Dr G said:

Cambelt interval on these is 5 years or 80,000 miles - this one is over due.

I thought this had been scrapped by audi and was a dealer specific suggested change at 5 years?

[jep]

As has been said, if you're looking at a second hand TT that is at least 5yrs old or 50k miles, be mindful that you'll need to change the cambelt, pulleys and waterpump (a cheap time to replace it as the OEM plastic impellers have been known to go) if they've not already been done. I don't know what Audi suggest now, original manuals suggested changing it at up to 120k, later revised to 80k. Given that the damage should it fail is significant, I wouldn't, (and didn't), wait. Use it to negotiate a discount, or a condition of sale that the cambelt, pulleys, waterpump and tensioners be changed, or the price reduced accordingly (at least a £350-400 drop).


The question was asked about the dashpod, and yes, it is a notable problem area. There have been many instances of the dial needles 'going bonkers' or not working properly (think temperature changes and self-filling fuel tanks). There was a big campaign to get these changed under warranty, and Audi UK now do it on all UK registered cars even if they are out of warranty (there may be a 7yr age limit, but I'm not sure on this). Other area's to note are; the clutch pedal has been known to disappear into the footwell - a cheap manufacturing problem caused by a spot weld failing which is a pain to fix for what is a very cheap part to replace; coil packs on earlier cars failed, but most have been replaced by now; stuttering and lack of engine power from the MAF; the suspension can appear to drop on older cars, which is more than likely to be thanks to the coil losing a small section of itself, (I think it's because the design allows water to collect and accelerate a rust fracture), but it's not a big thing to change, and could be the incentive to lower it even further! wink

If you go for a test drive, and think that it's a bit hesitant when accelerating, try turning the ESP off. If this doesn't cure it, it could be the MAF on its way out.

Servicing can be either fixed or variable (2yrs/upto 19k), and if you go for the Quattro, the Haldex oil service is every 2 years (+ filter change every 4, IIRC). The cabin is of a pretty high quality, so don't expect to be hearing rattles and squeaks when you go over a cats-eye. I don't know if you're looking at a coupe or a roadster, but my 01 225 Roadster is still pretty much squeak-free after 7yrs and 83k miles, so they last well. The hood is good quality, and road noise isn't too intrusive, for winter months you can buy a hard top to make it even more comfortable... but in my opinion that is a waste of a crisp, bright sunny winters day!

Rich