Buying B5 Questions

[masteroc]

Hey guys, my main car is a 2007 A4 2.0T Quattro, but its an auto and i've been looking to get into the manual scene. Recently i have been looking at a 1995 A4. It has been debaged so im not sure what engine it has, but im assuming its a 1.8T. It has 143k miles on it and looks to be in good condition. First of all, when i looked it up, it seems that the b5 series started in 1997. Is this true, and if so, what is the 1995 series called. Secondly, on apr's website they only have ecu upgrades for 1997 and up. Does this mean that the 1995 does not have the capability to be chipped? Lastly, how much use can i still get out of this car (i know that this varies on how much the last person used/abused it), im concerned about the life of the turbo especially, and how many miles the 1.8T motors can take.

Thanks

P.S. ATM im not looking to sell or trade in my 2.0T for a manual just yet, this 1995 A4 will just be for practicing and experimenting.

[BONFIRE074]

i believe the pre 97 a4's never made it to the US, i dont know when exactly they start though.

[masteroc]

Well, according to the owner its a 1995. Is there any way that i could verify this? Any dates printed on the car?

[BONFIRE074]

vin #? maybe

[masteroc]

I'll have to get that from the seller, is there a specific website that i can enter the vin number into?

[njm23]

yeah, there is no 95 b5 in the u.s....that i know of

[Kerschera4]

b5s started in the us in 96

[masteroc]

hmm, the owner must be mistaken then, i'll try and get the vin number to look up.

Oh, and any comments on the other question of reliability of the turbo and the engine over 143k miles?

Thanks!

[njm23]

do a compression test, leak down if necessary. turbo, no real way unless you can think of a way to check for shaft play. I know plenty of ko3's that went well over 100k, especially if they were not on a chipped car. do a search you can see all the common problems and things to check for on our cars. but from the sounds of it, you are not looking at a b5 a4.. unless the owner has no idea

[masteroc]

hmmm interesting, im definitely gonna get the vin number and check it out.

[speedydragon]

do you have
pics" of this 95 A4? if it's a 1.8t, it's most likely a 97.

[andyrew]

I would bet its an Audi 90 2.8

I would never buy a car from someone who doesnt know anything about cars (or what car they have) because you are then just looking for whats wrong and if you see something you have to convince the owner that their car has issues and that you want to negotiate price.

150k miles is a lot, and there are a lot of things that either have, or will be needed to replace. Most likely this has not taken place.

Heres a list of things that will be needed to be replaced around the 150k mile mark.

Wheel bearings
CV Joints
Driveshaft joints/Carrier Bearing
Control arms/ Bushings
Tie rods
Engine/trani/Drivetrain bushings
Brake lines/ Brake pads/Rotors
Multiple electrical sensors
Timing belt/water pump (second time)
Turbo (if 1.8t, unless its been replaced)
Speakers/misc interior items
Body seals
Misc engine lines and vaccume lines
All engine belts
Shocks/springs

Im sure im missing some things..

The engine itself can last a long time if properly taken care of. There are not many people with high mileage 1.8t's though as they generally build the engine and put in a big turbo..

[lightdog555]

my 98.5 has 183k miles and I love it! Its not daily anymore but still runs great!

[tdn]

There are not many people with high mileage 1.8t's though as they generally build the engine and put in a big turbo..

I disagree.

Well maybe in California, but from my experience I've seen a lot of high mileages b5 a4's and the majority of people who own b5 a4's are not car enthusiasts.

[3point0]

If it's a 1995, it's not a B5, as those began in '96. However, Audi made a lot of changes after that first year, so many say the '97s are the beginning of the generation. Either way, I'd say it's an Audi 90 2.8, meaning it has a similar V6 as the B5 2.8s. However, there is very little aftermarket for this series, so if you are really looking to mod it much, I would go with a '97 or newer; B5 1.8Ts have a HUGE aftermarket.