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Audi A8
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Comments
I considered the Phaeton until I thought of all of the reliability issues with it (same with the A8, that's why I wouldn't consider a 2004 model, only 05.5 and newer) and the lack of parts/dealers who know anything about it, made me realize a few thousand dollar increase for a used A8 was worth the money.
We got an email from very close friends this morning...their friends are moving out west and MUST get rid of one of their A8 they can't take them all...and they need it gone like yesterday...they just decided to get rid of it....
1997 A8 3.7
127,000
New Transmission
Excellent condition....just painted, etc....
No other problems...black, loaded, sunroof etc.
They are giving it to us for 1500....just to get rid of it, and they know we could use the help.....teenage drivers are EXPENSIVE.
What should we look for? What are common problems with the A8's....I haven't had one that was a 97...so I'm a bit lost here with this year/model. We are going to look at it tonight, with cash in hand...
Any info would be much appreciated! I have looked at pricing etc, and they are GIVING it to us pretty much...but I don't want to run into...Oh, you should have looked at etc...
Thanks all!
One other point. Follow the manufacturer's recommendation on engine oil. If they insist on a certain brand and weight of synthetic oil, do it. It may cost more, but do it.
I have had a few Audi's, including two A8's, an S8, and others. I think you will enjoy it.
In AZ we use either 5W40 (or) 0W40 (if you can find it).
I use 5W40 Castrol Syntec. Check their website. Retail at PepBoys. You may be able to buy wholesale in case lots.
I am stationed at ft knox kentucky so the weather is cold(0-35 depending on the day) I found 5W30 at the PX. which is better for cold?.My audi dealer uses Castrol also.Let me know
The words in quotes, above, are practically verbatim from the literature that came with my 2005 A8. There was much more, too much to repeat here. The distinct impression I took from all this is: Follow these directions or risk voiding the factory warranty. The oil insert in my manual even went so far as to say that the warranty could be voided if you cannot prove that the VW 502 00 oil has been used every time. Thankfully, my car uses no oil at all. But, just in case, I always carry a couple of quarts of their recommended oil in the spare tire space area in my trunk. This oil is not cheap, but use it anyway. Fortunately, after the first 5,000 mile stop, oil changes don't need to be done very often.
So, to your cold weather question, it sounds like the "approved" 5W-40 can be used in all temperatures. Remember, it gets a good deal colder in Germany than at Fort Knox.
Thank you for the info.Spent 4 years im deutschland myself and you are correct...good point.So Castrol 5W-40 it is.Quick question ,Would you recommend investing in an OBD II scanner?I guess they are available for all types of cars,been thinking of getting one, butwhat i dont know is ..can you fix a problem with these things or do they just tell you what is wrong.?
I am not familiar with that item. When it comes to fixing anything on my Audis (S8, A8, allroad), I have to defer to the dealer. It may cost more, but these cars are simply too complex. I learned that even if you take your car to an independent garage, the parts cost will be about the same. Labor may be lower, but that is probably it. I live in LA where I have many choices and I still go to a dealer where they have one or two technicians that only work on A8's and S8's.
Sorry I don't have an answer for you. Can anyone else out there offer advice to this man?
Thx Harbo A8L
just finishing up dealing with the brutality of one hellacious ice/snow storm.Power outages all over the area and the roads were awful.Quatrro is fan-friggin-tastic.My 08 Ram is almost as good. Absolutely love this car!!!!
Be careful, though. All wheel drive can only do so much on ice and snow.
I currently have the version 4 disc for my nav system.Can I jump to the most recent version or do i have to up date disc by disc,in other words...ver5, ver 6, ver7 and so on?
thanks for the reply. Contacting the nearest dealer is probably the right answer, but they are closed on weekends. I will look into upgrading to GEN 3 and newest version of nav disc.Thanks again, keep in touch.
Now, another problem - occasionally throughout the past year or so, the trunk refused to close. You could close it over and over, finding yourself frustrated and eventually slamming it closed - eventually it locked closed. When it finally locked closed, the light on the dash would turn off. We have made adjustments to allow for ease of closing but now the dash light refuses to turn off. The lid is closed! Now all the light bulbs in the trunk are burned out. We are going to replace them today in hope that the continual warning light is perhaps tripped to tell us that the bulbs are burned out - but we don't know if replacing those bulbs will trip the system to turn off the warning light.
Does anyone know where the sensor is located that trips the warning light? We've torn the trunk apart and cannot find it! Has anyone else had this problem - if so, how did you fix it? :confuse:
Any help would be appreciated!
I had a similar problem with the trunk on a 2005 A8 when almost new. On mine, all it required was a trunk adjustment. Perhaps the slamming did some sensor damage?
I probably haven't helped.
Having said that, I would not want to be without an extended warranty on any brand of luxury car. Major repairs can be higher than you might imagine.
I am a new comer. I am very close/about to buy an Audi A8L 2004 with 65K miles on it, very clean and nice! I Never owned an Audi before. Currently drive a BMW 530i 2001 and BMW 330ci 2001 Convertible. In order to buy this Audi I have to sell my BMW 530i. In one hand I have very hard times selling my Bimmer in the other hand I feel getting this Audi is an upgrade in many respects. The reviews online say lots of horrifying things about the reliability and repair costs of this car. Is this true? How bad is this problem? If you guys are so nice to give me your input and share your experience with the Audi A8 2004, I really appreciate that.
Thanks a lot,
A.
In this 4 month period I've had the points in my ignition system fail, a power seat fail, power trunk fail, brake switch fail, heated steering wheel fail, a suspicious noise in my transmission which the dealer says needs "Blue Goo" to resolve and my connecting rods now need to be replaced.
Thankfully its all been covered under the CPO plan (of course with an $85.00 deductible for each visit) but in retrospect I wish I had'nt purchased the car. Its a fantastic driving car but I dont want to stick around for another 4 months to find out what goes wrong next. I'm putting it up for sale. Good luck with your decision.
Buy a lemon, squeeze it for a little, then throw it out.
Good luck.
Do not ever drive a luxury car of any make without a warranty, whether factory or an extended warranty that you purchase. The cost of repair to these new systems can be real budget busters. An Audi transmission can easily be $5 - $7K. And don't assume that a local garage or even AAMCO can repair one. When the warranty is about a year or less from expiration, it's time to sell when you can still offer the buyer some warranty.
A 2004 luxury car may just be too old to consider. Same answer for a MBZ, BMW, Audi, Porsche, you name it. It seems like I am picking on the Germans here, I guess. Not my intent.
As to the difference in Audi SUV models, there are currently two here in the States. The Q7 has been out a couple of years, much larger and is available with a V6, V8 or a diesel engine. It is much too large for my tastes, especially here in Los Angeles. My wife has the new Q5, which is based on the new A4/A5 chassis, available only with the 3.2 V6 engine, but very adequate power - 270 HP. The Q5 would be considered a mid-sized vehicle. Enough space in the rear for a dog or golf clubs I suppose, but not much more. My wife's car only has about 250 miles on it, but so far she is very happy. Hers came with every electronic gadget Audi offers, so there is a steep learning curve for her right now.
I don't understand your question about price difference. Do you mean between US and Canadian models, between the two SUV's, or?
one is do not want to buy another vehicle that wife will not use. She bought this one...we lived in the north and was good to travel the 350 miles to the south for shopping...we lived in Fort McMurray Alberta, oil sands country, and now live outside Thunder Bay on Lake Superior, got 10 Km gravel once off highway, hence she is looking at the SUV. So now which one...we r a full days drive from a dealer. Duluth MN. may have Audi....it is closer then Winnepeg Manitoba.
Second thing is what is the 2006 worth or what would the differance between trade in and private sale....private sale would be tuff out here. So trade in is more likely. Just have no idea on worth.
Hope I am not being a pain.
Do you have a trusted friend in a large city that would agree to sell it for you? I have done that for a pal that lives in a small town. Or leaving it with a large city dealer that you trust, on consignment, might be worth considering.
Due to your location, there are not any good options that I can see.
Thank you ...... slverfx@gmail.com
As to price we r not sure . There is not a great spread these days between US and Canadian although it is in your favour assuming you are in the US.
She would like a SUV.......bought her a Avalanch new...just got delivery however she finds it a bit big. She was talking of trying to trade straight across for new SUV or selling to acquire funds to do so.
ANy help would be appreciated.
Thanks