1996 A4 Tdi Snotter....

[wiliferus]

Hi,

New to the VAG forum! Long story cut short.... Divorce = Bye bye Motorcycle & Economical decent sized car required.

I had been cruising Autotrader (painful) and The Bay for weeks, had a budget of about £900 so my options were limited. Decided that an A4 B5 or Passat were reasonable options as the VAG build quality appealed to me. Diesel was preferable as i have a 60 mile motorway daily commute.

Anyhoo... i ended up buying this for £800 - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&am...

I haven't picked it up yet. So, what do i need to look for with regards wear and tear? I am fully aware it may end up being a complete money pit in which case i'll lick my wounds and shift it on. I've checked it out and its all clear on the HPI, stolen recovered etc front.

Cheers in advance for your help

Edited by wiliferus on Wednesday 24th February 10:13

[Pablo16v]

I sold my 1996 A4 last year with 164k on the clock. It was the 2.6 petrol version so I can't comment on the tdi unit. Interiors wear really well so it shouldn't look too tatty inside. Mine was still in excellent nick with barely any wear noticeable on the seats. In the two years I had it I did 42k miles and off the top of my head these are some of the issues I had which might be common to all models.

Heater fan stopped working - common fault apparently and I bought a replacement from ebay and replaced myself. £60 I think it cost. You go in through the glovebox.
Both ABS sensors failed between 140 & 150k - Fixed through a mate in the trade and can't recall the cost.
The multi-link front suspension set up has loads of bushes so expect to feel some clunking through the steering when they wear. Can be a bh to locate the worn ones.
Battery needed replacing - probably the 2nd or third one on the car.
Digital aircon display went out - Managed to replace the bulbs myself for a few quid
The clutch release bearing started whining at 155k. It didn't get any worse so I never got round to fixing it prior to selling the car.
The thermostat failed - bh of a job on the V6 petrol as the whole front end had to be removed for access. I guess the tdi will be easier.

I can't think of anything else but if I do I'll add to the list.

Edited by Pablo16v on Wednesday 24th February 11:46

[cod man]

I've got a 1998 1.8 petrol, so can't comment on the diesel engine, but mines done 120k just serviced it myself (fairly easy) and replaced the anti-roll bar links myself (also quite easy and only £18 each from Euro car parts) to cure an annoying rattle when driving over a rough surface (They identified the cause of the noise at its MOT - not a failure, just advisory). I've had the car 8 years and the interior has worn well as stated above. Front tyres seem to last 2 years/ 20k miles rear tyres about double that but I guess it depends how hard you drive it really. It did have a new front wheel bearing a few years ago (having hit a big pot hole so not cars fault) and the drive shaft CV joints have been replaced once in the 8 years. The radio is on its last legs. Touch the volume button and it jumps up to max volume, particularly in the cold weather for some reason, apart form that, pretty good. Touch wood!

[Silverbullet767]

I had a T reg 1.9TDi snotter. took it from 60k to 120k

Things I replaced.

MAF meter/sensor (common once the power feels sluggish)
Front suspension arms X 5 (I think there are 6)
Rear shock absorber
New battery

And other wear n tear items.

[cod man]

Oh yeah, I've had new rear shock absorbers too at about 90k..

[sparkesp]

2000(W) Tdi here with 190K. Suspension at 140K, Battery before christmas. Clutch pedal (not mechanism) at 150K, water pump at 180K.

Other than that wear and tear, and regular servicing.

Generally good engines if looked after.