Since i've ruined my old car, help me pick a new

[prady]

Need some tips b4 i go for another one. Things to look for, things to ask for, things to check for. I know what i need to ask regarding service records, timing belt change, and listen for funny sounds but whatelse?

Should i consider this? Saw this listed on Craigslist

http://newjersey.craigslist.org/ctd/2831055789.html

[KrV]

I say stick with the A6. Found a nice one for you.

http://newjersey.craigslist.org/ctd/2832742465.html

Looks very clean and taken care of.

[ben916]

Yes, stay in the C5 family

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...standard=false

[moyenecorniche]

Need some tips b4 i go for another one. Things to look for, things to ask for, things to check for. I know what i need to ask regarding service records, timing belt change, and listen for funny sounds but whatelse?

Should i consider this? Saw this listed on Craigslist

http://newjersey.craigslist.org/ctd/2831055789.html

Nice if you have a garage to hide it in, in Jersey I would be anxious 24/7 everytime I parked it out of sight.

All the above on your list as well as keeping up with scheduled maintenance/servicing like everytime you get in the car you do a quick visual check yourself, check all fluids every 500 or so miles, find an excellent reputable knowledgeable Vag mechanic....PRICELESS....
One that will give you a heads-up as to what is in need of attention....$$$$$

It seems from your 1st thread that you just basically drove the car like a Honda....
Not to be harsh but Audi's do require constant monitoring which becomes priceless when you consider your dilemna.
Especially an A6 which even though they are affordable preowned does still mean expense for upkeep.....
If you are going to stay with an Audi then you must come to terms with the fact that these are expensive auto's to drive if you are going to drive them in a healthy state....

My impression is that if you are willing to just keep driving when CEL says pull over and turn me off then your wallet is going to be quite light.....

Good Luck...just be realistic......

[2.7taudi]

I say stick with the A6. Found a nice one for you.

http://newjersey.craigslist.org/ctd/2832742465.html

Looks very clean and taken care of.

this is the 1st 2001 model ive seen with the sport mode tranny and the new updated orange taillights. i would have thought it was an 02-04

[moyenecorniche]

this is the 1st 2001 model ive seen with the sport mode tranny and the new updated orange taillights. i would have thought it was an 02-04

/\ That...Nice...Were I looking for an A6 this would be a serious consideration...Seems the Owner cared for the car....Hint...Hint....(LOL)

[moyenecorniche]

Need some tips b4 i go for another one. Things to look for, things to ask for, things to check for. I know what i need to ask regarding service records, timing belt change, and listen for funny sounds but whatelse?

Should i consider this? Saw this listed on Craigslist

http://newjersey.craigslist.org/ctd/2831055789.html

BTW OP...Why'd you start a new Thread..
Burying the Incriminating Evidence.....?????

[prady]

I say stick with the A6. Found a nice one for you.

http://newjersey.craigslist.org/ctd/2832742465.html

Looks very clean and taken care of.

This is absolutely gorgeous, is it a good price coz im sure i gotta get TB done once i buy. Maybe im lucky and Previous owner did it

[prady]

Nice if you have a garage to hide it in, in Jersey I would be anxious 24/7 everytime I parked it out of sight.

All the above on your list as well as keeping up with scheduled maintenance/servicing like everytime you get in the car you do a quick visual check yourself, check all fluids every 500 or so miles, find an excellent reputable knowledgeable Vag mechanic....PRICELESS....
One that will give you a heads-up as to what is in need of attention....$$$$$

It seems from your 1st thread that you just basically drove the car like a Honda....
Not to be harsh but Audi's do require constant monitoring which becomes priceless when you consider your dilemna.
Especially an A6 which even though they are affordable preowned does still mean expense for upkeep.....
If you are going to stay with an Audi then you must come to terms with the fact that these are expensive auto's to drive if you are going to drive them in a healthy state....

My impression is that if you are willing to just keep driving when CEL says pull over and turn me off then your wallet is going to be quite light.....

Good Luck...just be realistic......

Didnt really drive like a honda but all u need is one mistake to ruin things. My car had new TB, Control arms and all fluids. It was more of a bad thought, "Oh low oil, lemme just pull in the gas station its only 6 blocks away"... and that's the worst decision of my life.

[2.7taudi]

/\ That...Nice...Were I looking for an A6 this would be a serious consideration...Seems the Owner cared for the car....Hint...Hint....(LOL)

its even got the new style headlights and steering wheel. lol i would love the 4.2 but the tranny problem makes me want to back down.

[moyenecorniche]

Didnt really drive like a honda but all u need is one mistake to ruin things. My car had new TB, Control arms and all fluids. It was more of a bad thought, "Oh low oil, lemme just pull in the gas station its only 6 blocks away"... and that's the worst decision of my life.

Yeah..But If I recall correctly you kept posting that you still drove the car around after it was definitely screwed up...You even asked if you could drive it running on TWO Cylinders...
So hence the strong skepticism......

Which is fine if you like to spend lots of money on trashing cars, but I think Audi's deserve respect from their owners...

Which also makes me ask that if you just had the car serviced and as you said the oil filter gasket Blew...????
That would make me ask some serious questions to the mechanic that worked on the car.......No...???

For Instance my Fuel pump went in 2010, took it in cost quite a bit , drove away filled up, gauge would only read 3/4 full...Problem was the Fuel Pump had been incorrectly installed, pinched line or something,
They took the car back in and installed a second brand new pump, no charge....
That is what I expect from an Audi rep if they screw up servicing the Avant....

[-C5-]

I'D GO WITH THIS IF I WERE YOU
http://newjersey.craigslist.org/ctd/2829539057.html
low mileage,doesnt really need any mods. sexy paint. really good price too for this car. your gonna have a blast driving it.it has balls.

[OGBULLYLOCDAWG]

I say stick with the A6. Found a nice one for you.

http://newjersey.craigslist.org/ctd/2832742465.html

Looks very clean and taken care of.

so clean

the only thing that's a little off, is that it seems to be filled with universal green coolant:

[moyenecorniche]

I'D GO WITH THIS IF I WERE YOU
http://newjersey.craigslist.org/ctd/2829539057.html
low mileage,doesnt really need any mods. sexy paint. really good price too for this car. your gonna have a blast driving it.it has balls.

Looks nice except I see a liquid puddle under the motor.....Could it be a coolant hose/connector leak...???
Or there is also some liquid below the right front bumper which conforms to the shape of the bumper as far as drip pattern...
So if no coolant leak then it may have just been washed...???

Just a thought...If all checks out I would jump on this instead of an A6...Less weight, better performance, not sure about the upkeep costs versus an A6.....
But it is rather tempting

[-C5-]

Looks nice except I see a liquid puddle under the motor.....Could it be a coolant hose/connector leak...???
Or there is also some liquid below the right front bumper which conforms to the shape of the bumper as far as drip pattern...
So if no coolant leak then it may have just been washed...???

Just a thought...If all checks out I would jump on this instead of an A6...Less weight, better performance, not sure about the upkeep costs versus an A6.....
But it is rather tempting

those are all spots that water drips from after washing the car.
i see it all the time when i wash mine.

im thinking of selling my c5 and getting a S4. its been a car i always wanted due to exactly that, less weight, better performance, and TWIN TURBO.
if a TT can haul a c5 around . imagine a S4. and that color is real nice. it stands out reall good in crowds.
i'd jump on it. because where i live, the cheapest one i can find is 12k and it has 115k miles.
this one has barely any miles. i would buy it if it was in CA

[-C5-]

so clean

the only thing that's a little off, is that it seems to be filled with universal green coolant:

that c5 is definately a NO GO.
green coolant. imagine what else they did. cheap ass spark plugs. cheap ass non synthetic oil. i can only imagine.

[2.7taudi]

I say stick with the A6. Found a nice one for you.

http://newjersey.craigslist.org/ctd/2832742465.html

Looks very clean and taken care of.

haha poor guys posting got flagged.

[Vinchenzo51]

that c5 is definately a NO GO.
green coolant. imagine what else they did. cheap ass spark plugs. cheap ass non synthetic oil. i can only imagine.

[redneck truck]

Yeah, but that red coolant is expensive, especially when you've gotta fill it up once a week. And all that expensive synthetic oil just ends up on the exhaust manifolds anyway. Just save your money on all those fancy fluids and timing belts and spark plugs.

[OGBULLYLOCDAWG]

SMH

[-C5-]

Yeah, but that red coolant is expensive, especially when you've gotta fill it up once a week. And all that expensive synthetic oil just ends up on the exhaust manifolds anyway. Just save your money on all those fancy fluids and timing belts and spark plugs.

lulz!
thats exactly what i saw in that pic.
an engine bay thats been cleaned up to mask the horror going on deep inside.

that a6 is definately one of those cars you take home, and a week later find out it needs $3000 of work done to it. lol

[-C5-]

anyway, i say go with the S4 my dude!

[NuGGet_PuFFer]

http://automotiveadbuilder.com/Vehic...ting-1830.aspx

This is NOT my car, but a friend of mine that owns a service shop and sells used cars(where I got my C5 A6) just got a SUPER clean '02 A6, it's a 2.7 6spd with sport package, BBS wheels, STOCK and CLEAN, I've seen the car in person and it's immaculate inside and out. Tons of pics and info in the above link.


****-
I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=40.634952,-73.609150

[redneck truck]

I know, right? People who don't intend to properly maintain their cars should buy cars that are a little less picky about maintenance. @ OP, now that you've learned your lesson, why not pick up an RS6?

[-C5-]

i wouldnt get an A6 in manual transmission.
its a cruising car and its huge.

i still say S4 my dood!
its got the lowest miles of all the cars posted. and its lighter and funner to drive. with way more mods available.

[TipTucker01]

get a b5 s4, but a 4.2 wud be rockin schweet even with coilpacks.

[redneck truck]

4.2 is where it's at :-)

[Rodmar]

Just go out and buy a 2012 S4, that's what I'd do in your situation.

[-C5-]

Just go out and buy a 2012 S4, that's what I'd do in your situation.

thats what anyone would do if they had the money.....
unfortunately a 2012 S4 is not cheap.

[-C5-]

get a b5 s4, but a 4.2 wud be rockin schweet even with coilpacks.

yuh. thats wut i posted for him
a b5 s4 with super low miles like a brand new car.
..and the paint....now thats hot.

[prady]

I say stick with the A6. Found a nice one for you.

http://newjersey.craigslist.org/ctd/2832742465.html

Looks very clean and taken care of.

Look identical to this

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/ctd/2792630506.html

same seller

[prady]

I just can't keep my eyes on convertibles. How's this one?

http://newyork.craigslist.org/fct/ctd/2831216315.html

[A6Avant]

i wouldnt get an A6 in manual transmission.
its a cruising car and its huge.

Such a sad sad statement.....^^^

OP... I'm not normally this arrogant in my post so forgive me as I mean no personal offence but pertaining to the A4 rag tops... If you are #1) Old #2) Female #3) Batting for the other side... then go ahead and jump on one of those... If your not... I am so sorry.

I have seen ONE rag top S4 once that pulled off NOT being a wife's car... but Barely. And he spent a TON of time and cash on it... This is not your intention I am gathering from reading your post(s).

I may be a bit harsh toward the A4 rag top but honestly I think it is a fail abortion of one of the prettiest cars Audi ever produced... The B6 A4.

[moyenecorniche]

I'm not quite with the above ^ ^ but an A4 or S4 ragtop is definitely a Second car, not a primary one and yeah the wife or GF is most likely to be the one cruising in it...

However OP in your responses it seems to me ( and I may be wrong ) that you want an A6 or S4 but one that has been completely serviced with all needed repairs/replacement of parts complete and will not require maintenance.....
Buying pre-owned means that you are going to probably attend to possibly expensive maintenance, any car with 50,000 70,000 or more is going to need going over and may be expensive...
If you are not willing or able to keep up with the maintenance of an Audi then you really need to reconsider your choice of auto Brand....
The choice is that if you cannot keep the car serviced by a Vag tech than you have to do the maintenance yourself..
Not that easy or inexpensive either in both time and money....

RS6's or RS4's are extremely demanding on both the wallet and attention to servicing......
By what you did to your A6 and your replies I would say crunch the numbers before plunging or you'll be walking again soon enough.
Don't take this as offensive but it is a question that everyone with an Audi has to honestly ask.
Do I have the resources to keep this car on the road in top shape and if not so.... where do I cut back if needed.....

Being a contractor and more often than not that means I'm at the mercy of my clients as far as liquidity.
My B6 Avant is up to spec, costs about $4,000 to $5,000 a year in maintenance, but the performance mods I wish to perform on it are on hold at the moment.
So it is a challenging demand to keep it up to specs, but I perform most of the work myself which saves me anywhere from 50% to 100% in maintenance costs....
On the other hand, that is part of the pleasure of owning one of these Audi's.....

[prady]

I'm not quite with the above ^ ^ but an A4 or S4 ragtop is definitely a Second car, not a primary one and yeah the wife or GF is most likely to be the one cruising in it...

However OP in your responses it seems to me ( and I may be wrong ) that you want an A6 or S4 but one that has been completely serviced with all needed repairs/replacement of parts complete and will not require maintenance.....
Buying pre-owned means that you are going to probably attend to possibly expensive maintenance, any car with 50,000 70,000 or more is going to need going over and may be expensive...
If you are not willing or able to keep up with the maintenance of an Audi then you really need to reconsider your choice of auto Brand....
The choice is that if you cannot keep the car serviced by a Vag tech than you have to do the maintenance yourself..
Not that easy or inexpensive either in both time and money....

RS6's or RS4's are extremely demanding on both the wallet and attention to servicing......
By what you did to your A6 and your replies I would say crunch the numbers before plunging or you'll be walking again soon enough.
Don't take this as offensive but it is a question that everyone with an Audi has to honestly ask.
Do I have the resources to keep this car on the road in top shape and if not so.... where do I cut back if needed.....

Being a contractor and more often than not that means I'm at the mercy of my clients as far as liquidity.
My B6 Avant is up to spec, costs about $4,000 to $5,000 a year in maintenance, but the performance mods I wish to perform on it are on hold at the moment.
So it is a challenging demand to keep it up to specs, but I perform most of the work myself which saves me anywhere from 50% to 100% in maintenance costs....
On the other hand, that is part of the pleasure of owning one of these Audi's.....

TBH u've just taken me as a soccer mom who even forgets checking tire pressure and oil change lol.. I wouldn't blame u to think like that for what happened with my car. I was always good with my previous A6 barring one stupid incident where the last 1 mile of stupidity killed it. I drove it later for 100 miles after getting it fixed (from non audi tech coz i was in a jungle).

It's still running on 2 cylinders and thats my only car and soon going to a junkyard i drive it to walmart and around.

Now i hope it will change a little opinion about me lol.. Coming back to A4 convertible i didn't know it requires more maintenance than other audis.

Secondly, when i'm buying a used Audi close to 100k i'm just expecting TB change and no-noise car. I don't want to drive a block and axle pops or control arms r creaking. I think that's fair to ask.

But im curiouse to know why they have higher maintenance in comparison to other hard top audis?

[moyenecorniche]

Soccer Mom ...NO...But keep in mind that reading between the texts may lead to incorrect assumptions....my apologies there...
As far as a well kept preowned which does not sound like the Cuisinart grinding silverware...I couldn't agree more.....
Sadly I see so many Audi's around CT/RI/MA that are just driven into the ground by the owners, I have actually had this discussion at local meets where it goes " Yeah Dude I know.. But it's such a cool car " even though the body is in bad shape and it's just a second away from ICU....
Now as far as blowing an engine due to oil deprivation, My cousin Olivier wins that contest hands down. He's the only person I know that blew up not One, but Two Brand New Porsche 911's within 3 months......
Did he care...??.... Only about the inconvenience of down time in replacing them.....

But as far as to why... ( Nail on the head ) repairs from a non Audi Tech explains a lot...
There's a couple of shops within ten minutes of my house, however due to some conversations I've had with the proprietors of each....No way would I take my Avant to them for either diagnostics or especially anything major...
I would prefer to haul the car to my Vag tech even though it would be over a 100 miles in case of a serious breakdown......in case i was out on the road somewhere.

I would be patient and really find the right A6 or S4...there was a 04 DG Avant S4 for sale last year ( June-July ) I would bet the owner still has it as when i spoke to him at the Lars Anderson Museum ( German Car Day ) he was like I may not sell it this year. That if it's again up for grabs would be one to look into....low mileage..in need of nothing...cleanest car Iv'e seen in or out....
I'll see if I can find the info....









I have to find the flyer which is on the rear hatch unless you can blow up the pic, but if I recall he was asking $22,000 and I think it had less than 40,000 miles on it....

[prady]

Soccer Mom ...NO...But keep in mind that reading between the texts may lead to incorrect assumptions....my apologies there...
As far as a well kept preowned which does not sound like the Cuisinart grinding silverware...I couldn't agree more.....
Sadly I see so many Audi's around CT/RI/MA that are just driven into the ground by the owners, I have actually had this discussion at local meets where it goes " Yeah Dude I know.. But it's such a cool car " even though the body is in bad shape and it's just a second away from ICU....
Now as far as blowing an engine due to oil deprivation, My cousin Olivier wins that contest hands down. He's the only person I know that blew up not One, but Two Brand New Porsche 911's within 3 months......
Did he care...??.... Only about the inconvenience of down time in replacing them.....

But as far as to why... ( Nail on the head ) repairs from a non Audi Tech explains a lot...
There's a couple of shops within ten minutes of my house, however due to some conversations I've had with the proprietors of each....No way would I take my Avant to them for either diagnostics or especially anything major...
I would prefer to haul the car to my Vag tech even though it would be over a 100 miles in case of a serious breakdown......in case i was out on the road somewhere.

I would be patient and really find the right A6 or S4...there was a 04 DG Avant S4 for sale last year ( June-July ) I would bet the owner still has it as when i spoke to him at the Lars Anderson Museum ( German Car Day ) he was like I may not sell it this year. That if it's again up for grabs would be one to look into....low mileage..in need of nothing...cleanest car Iv'e seen in or out....
I'll see if I can find the info....









I have to find the flyer which is on the rear hatch unless you can blow up the pic, but if I recall he was asking $22,000 and I think it had less than 40,000 miles on it....

Thanks, ur posts r very informative and ur patience is really appreciated. Although i would agree that Audi convertibles don't look very manly lol but i do see u mention that they r xtremely repair intensive? Do they break down often? Do they require too much maintenance in comparison to other Audis?

The only Audi i had is A6 so my understanding about other models is low :)

[moyenecorniche]

I don't believe any Audi needs more repairs than the next when all is equal...I think the problem with some is how they were driven right out of the showroom...You cannot push a brand new car until you have put a few hundred to a 1000 miles on it.
The audi manuals specifically state that...granted one gets into ay of the S- line or sport models and the reaction is " Go "..
But i think that is where and why some of these preowned have so many problems, they just were not broken in correctly at first.

I do like the cabrio in an Audi, it's one of the few cars that can pull it off due to the design...however in New England..it's just not practical....
I hear a lot about sludge, but I have never had a problem with it...
You cannot run anything but Synthetics in these engines and a lot of people refuse to stay with the VAG recommendations because they want to save money...
It's penny wise and pound foolish...I've run on 87 and 89 Octane and after a couple of weeks, I have always had worse mileage and problems.....If you can't tell I despise the Ethanol additive to Fuel...It may be minor in a big V8 but in a small motor 4 or 6 cylinders and their higher temperature, Ethanol crystalizes (it is basically sugar ) and stresses the components....Corn....what a lovely performance fuel that is...

[prady]

I don't believe any Audi needs more repairs than the next when all is equal...I think the problem with some is how they were driven right out of the showroom...You cannot push a brand new car until you have put a few hundred to a 1000 miles on it.
The audi manuals specifically state that...granted one gets into ay of the S- line or sport models and the reaction is " Go "..
But i think that is where and why some of these preowned have so many problems, they just were not broken in correctly at first.

I do like the cabrio in an Audi, it's one of the few cars that can pull it off due to the design...however in New England..it's just not practical....
I hear a lot about sludge, but I have never had a problem with it...
You cannot run anything but Synthetics in these engines and a lot of people refuse to stay with the VAG recommendations because they want to save money...
It's penny wise and pound foolish...I've run on 87 and 89 Octane and after a couple of weeks, I have always had worse mileage and problems.....If you can't tell I despise the Ethanol additive to Fuel...It may be minor in a big V8 but in a small motor 4 or 6 cylinders and their higher temperature, Ethanol crystalizes (it is basically sugar ) and stresses the components....Corn....what a lovely performance fuel that is...

WOW! I was just about to go test drive one tomorrow. But now im having second thoughts. I do love the look and feel of this car :(

[prady]

Such a sad sad statement.....^^^

OP... I'm not normally this arrogant in my post so forgive me as I mean no personal offence but pertaining to the A4 rag tops... If you are #1) Old #2) Female #3) Batting for the other side... then go ahead and jump on one of those... If your not... I am so sorry.

I have seen ONE rag top S4 once that pulled off NOT being a wife's car... but Barely. And he spent a TON of time and cash on it... This is not your intention I am gathering from reading your post(s).

I may be a bit harsh toward the A4 rag top but honestly I think it is a fail abortion of one of the prettiest cars Audi ever produced... The B6 A4.

Damn bud, u just killed my dream lol