B5 Audi A4's - fairly urgent advice needed

[jmsheahan]

Cheers Shaun 

No it doesn't have any of that, not sure what was going on with the advert there! Yeah compared to the Golf it's gutless but performance seems fine when it's not in limp mode and the turbo seems to spool up ok. Brakes are good and suspension all seems ok. Performance wise it feels the same as others I have driven (one Passat I drove had exactly the same limp mode symptoms).

That's the thing really, I think it's probably best to walk away but I've got this niggling feeling it may be something dead simple in which case it would be a good cheap buy. It's the tidiest I've seen and all the cars in my budget are around 150k-222k but the others have no paperwork to back up parts, let alone a full Audi service history.

You are dead right about issues that could arise however I think that will be the case with whatever I buy, I'm viewing this as disposable motoring really. Tricky one.

[SoundillusioN]

You said you didn't mind get your hands dirty..

Get him down low enough so you can buy a spare low mileage engine for it,  then it's win win.

Find out if it's an AFN code engine.  Saw one one bay of e for £250ish with 80k on it! plus £80 for the turbo..

[jmsheahan]

Yeah engines do seem quite cheap to be fair. What sort of ball park figure would you offer?

[SoundillusioN]

Yeah engines do seem quite cheap to be fair. What sort of ball park figure would you offer?

How did you get down to the £800 price so far?  Have you already pointed out your concerns about the engine to the seller?...  I would push my luck and offer £650 and hope he meets you in the middle at £700 which gives you £300 to chuck at it should it demand it, worse case that would cover you for a new engine as that's all you seem to be able to fault it on.

[jmsheahan]

Just said flat out I wasn't paying 1100 and I'd be prepared to offer around 700-800 pointing out the issues (seemed fair after looking at the other cars). He won't go as low as £650 I doubt as it's kind of hard to fault it other than the limp mode and mileage  Even got tax and test.

Cheers for the advice though appreciated, need to have a solid think about it.

[SoundillusioN]

Just said flat out I wasn't paying 1100 and I'd be prepared to offer around 700-800 pointing out the issues (seemed fair after looking at the other cars). He won't go as low as £650 I doubt as it's kind of hard to fault it other than the limp mode and mileage  Even got tax and test.

Cheers for the advice though appreciated, need to have a solid think about it.

  Did he seem happy with 800?

[jmsheahan]

Yeah I think so, mumbled that we could sort something out around that price.

[SoundillusioN]

Yeah I think so, mumbled that we could sort something out around that price.

 

Push for 700 then, worth a shot, what's the worst that can happen, he can only say no. Bet he's still making a couple of hundred on it.

[jmsheahan]

Very true that very true 

I think 800 will probs be the lowest he'll go though, will have to see, if I do go for it.

[SoundillusioN]

Very true that very true 

I think 800 will probs be the lowest he'll go though, will have to see, if I do go for it.

  He might meet you in the middle of that at 750 though.