New here w/ a 99 Avant and some questions

[AMG-RX7]

Hi. Just got a 99 A4 Avant. It is silver with black cloth interior. It has 89k miles on it. Got it from the original owner. Its in pretty good shape but needs to be cleaned up. Also needs some maintenance and eventually a slightly stiffer suspension. I'm still searching the forums and learning.

This is the car:


First question.
Can anyone tell me what the solenoid thing is in the top left of this pic?


This thing is clicking and making noise after the car has been running a while.

Second question, can anyone direct me toward links on maintenance schedules and such? Trying to figure out what I need to do to freshen up the car.

Thanks in advance. Look forward to some quality time here.

[AMG-RX7]

Also, does anyone know the name of the part that is missing and where I can find something to replace it? Can be new or used? Is there any cooler parts to replace that with?

[biketsai]

That bottom piece is the front lower valence, normally goes for like $90 new off ECS tuning or something (ecstuning.com), and yes there are cooler things to replace it with, just search (front lower) and you will find something in this forum
I dont think that piece is the culprit making the noise, but it is probably something in that area.
FAQ section of this forum is a great piece of info to read first. The "search" button is your best friend here, and you'll hear many people say to use it.
Welcome!
-Chris

[speedydragon]

maintenance: Timing belt, thermostat, water pump, cam seals, + other goodies found in teh ECS kit. Control arms.
Suspesion: if you wanna go expensive, get coilovers, if you just want a lower/firmer ride then go for an aftermarket shock+spring combo or s4 shocks + aftermarket A4 springs.

[Seerlah]

You would def be wanting to replace the timing belt (along with thermostat and water pump). Other than that, have your car checked (all fluids, control arms, leakage anywhere, etc). But the only thing that would be neded done is the timing belt. You should request the PO (Previous Owner) of when he last had the TB (Timing Belt) done.

And as Biketsai said, that front peice missing is the lower front valance (or front lower as many call it). There are aftermarket ones you could use in replacement of the OEM one. Or you could just get an OEM one. These guys are whom you should contact if you want the OEM one. Thier prices are phenominal. If you want an aftermarket one, search. There are many on the market, but make sure not to get a cheap one that will crack or chip the second it touches asphalt.

When it comes to suspension, read #19 on this.

As for the name of that peice you feel the ticking is coming from, you will have to wait for an expert to chimme in. Oh, and a belly pan is a good investment, if you don't have one (but many think otherwise).

Other than that, welcome to Audizine! And always remember, the search button is your freind.

[AMG-RX7]

Thanks for the responses gents.

I will definitely be spending time reading the FAQs and searching. Already have but I'm still so unfamiliar with this car still that I sometimes don't know what terms to search for - such as "front lower" and "valance". I'm active on other forums and don't tend to start too many threads since these cars are old enough where most topics have already been discussed.

My car is the 2.8L V6 so I don't think that takes a timing belt. I don't hear any clatter from the motor (other than that solenoid or valve looking thing).

It looks like some of the control arms might have been replaced already. After reading the FAQs on here, I checked that they looked good before buying the car. A visual only goes so far but the suspension on this car feels far better than the other cars I drove.

Thanks for the welcomes!

Cheers.

[redsky]

Thanks for the responses gents.

My car is the 2.8L V6 so I don't think that takes a timing belt.

Cheers.

Yes your car does take a timing belt, it is also a good idea to replace water pump when doing the timing belt. Otherwise you may have to do the job twice.

Ticking valve on top of the airbox is the tank vent valve and is a part of the evaporative control. It is normal for it to be ticking when engine is running.

[AMG-RX7]

Yes your car does take a timing belt, it is also a good idea to replace water pump when doing the timing belt. Otherwise you may have to do the job twice.

Shoot. I had thought it was chain driven like the VR6.

Looks like I need to find a mechanic near me...