2.8l question

[dubbin.t.rex]

Hey everybody, hate to be that asshole, but I'm looking at buying a 99.5 A4 2.8l quattro and need some advice. Yes, I've tried to search, but to no avail. It's to replace my 00 VW Jetta 2.Slow, it committed suicide by rolling backwards into a 5th wheel trailer after the e-brake broke. The car I'm looking at has 86k on it, what things should I be looking for engine wise (i.e. what maintenance should of been done, common problems at this point in its life, etc.)? I know how to check the suspension and other things, I'm just not familiar with the engine. Another dumb question, similarity to the VW VR6?

[vegaspassat]

no the 2.8 is a completely different engine than the vr6. However - it is the exact same engine they put in the B5 and B5.5 passat. I've had my 2000 passat for like 5 years now and it's ben a pretty good car. Just make sure you check the coolant hoses and the back of the heads for any leakage. It's pretty common to get an oil leak at the back of the head (cam tensioner seal I think). Also remember that with that many miles you might be replacing the clutch soon depending on how the previous woner drove it. When you test drive it be a little tough on the clutch and listen for a "thunk". I've had problems with my engine mounts tearing apart, but then again I drive my car like I stole it.


~D