I have the oppurtunity to purchase a 1990 V8 and am seeking general insight. The car has 90K miles and is decent shape; drives very smooth; 1 very minor leak at the engine/ transmission connection. Plugs have slight carbon deposits (the car is at 9000 feet altitude). Suspension and CV boots seem in very good condition. Specific issues I would like to know if could be indicative of serious problems are (I would also like to know approximate repair costs if anyone has knowledge):
1. The oil pressure is very high according to the gauge, it is pegged (above 5) for the first 20 minutes of driving then appears in normal range.
2. Cruise control is not operating.
3. Heater core appears to be depositing fluid on the inside of the windshield (and we are expecting a cold winter)
4. The breaks have a slight vibration but I dont think they are too badly warped, yet.
6. Recommended transmission and break fluid changes have only been performed once.
5. What other suprises could this car offer me besides being a fantastic vehicle?
There are a few things that you should consider when buying an Audi V8:
First, make sure you have a good, private Audi-Porsche mechanic in your area. If your intention is to have the car serviced by an Audi dealer you should expect spending a lot of money every time you pass the dealeship door. To better understand what that means, call the Audi dealer in your area and ask him how much some of the following repairs would cost:
At 90,000 miles, the timing belt is due for changing. Most likely, the brakes will require changing as well.
If you you have a leakage in the heating unit you are looking at a major job for replacing it. It is unusual for that problem to occur so make sure that the problem is real.
It is a great car but very, very expensive to fix. It is a car that was very advanced technologically but was not backed by the building quality that the present Audi cars have. It is worth owning one if you have a passion for it. If not, it can cause you trouble.
Best of luck!
I have had mine for a couple of years now and don't find the repair costs outrageous. They are competitive with any other BMW or Mercedes of the same era. Then again, almost nothing has broken in that time. Othere than brake pad, oil and tire changes, I've had no problems. None. I have a very good rapor with a buddy of mine whose shop specializes in Audis. I highly recommend going to a very good independent mechanic. While my brakes had a moderate vibration when I bought the car, they no longer do since I unwarped them. Yes, it is possible. I unwarped them on the track. I am always impressed by these cars, and for what you get, less than 10K is almost like getting the car for free. The smoothness, handling, utter lack of noise, comfort at triple digit speeds even in snow, makes the car a bargain. There is just no better car at even double that price range. I am lucky that I bought mine with 45K miles and still only has 58K. Try to get a car without any problems. If you have to travel to look at them, do it. I did. But I eventually picked mine up locally in Arizona where I live. It was a spare car that sat most of the year in someone's winter home. I was lucky to find it. I love these cars and have had almost as much fun driving this car on the road as I have had driving a Porsche I own on the track. That is because it is an absolute blast surprising people on the road who have no clue what just blew them away. I also love love the way these cars look. They prove that a car does not have to be shaped like a jellybean to have great aerodynamics and zero wind noise. For my car, I went through some trouble getting the European 16x8 BBS option. I think those only came in the European cars since I haven't seen another one in the US with those wheels. Look around for a good car. Look for a good shop also. If you come up short, I might be convinced to part with mine since I am in lack of a garage space and seldom have the time to drive mine.
1. This is normal. Use Oil with spec 5 W 40 2. This is also normal. There are leafs within the Box where the air-condition is placed. Especially when its raining or you have your car washed the water cannot flow away. It remains very humid within the box. Put away the leafs. 3. The front breaks cost about 400 US-Dollars.
Regarding the timing belt change, I can say that mine is going in on Saturday at an Audi dealership. I was quoted Euro 592.00 of which Euro 375.00 were parts. That is to say they mentioned some pulleys/tentioners that also needed changing at the same. Also, my airconditioning cooling unit is in the trunk + a few metal tubes are missing which goes to the cooler, they were going to fix that and regas the system, give the car a complete check over and a service, i.e. new plugs filters and so on. That came to an additional Euro 200.00. I wouldn't exactly call that outrageously expensive, in fact I was encouraged and positively surprised. My next renewal will be shocks and springs, perhaps somebody has a price for that and which make best to use. I have read some of the threads on this issue that point to Bilstein or Koni shocks. I found on the net some springs called "H&R Sport" with a rear/front drop of 1.3 inches. priced at USD 349.00, but have no pricerange for the replacement...
