audi a6

I'm thinking of buying an audi a6 2000 X reg 1.9 tdi, 80k on the clock,

timing belt not done. Asking price £6.5K. My main concern is servicing costs. I'd be looking to keep the car for 3 years. Anybody any ideas of approx servicing costs? I've had quotes for annual servicing of between £250 and £300. But my main concern is anything big likely to go wrong in that 3 years? When do Turbo's normally go? Anything else I should look out for?

Engine rebuild if you don't get the timing belt done. These are notorious for the front suspension ball joints seizing/creaking (I know somebody who used to get about 18months running out a set of balljoints before they would start creaking again). Water Leaks, which weren't really noticable until things like the central locking packs up, and the module is found to be full of water. It'll probably need an alternator in that time, which used to be an Audi only part (ie. expensive)

That's all the common faults I'm aware off. You'd have to be very unlucky to need a turbo, unless you really abuse it (ie. revving it immediatley after starting, or stopping the engine just after revving it).

No FSH? too expensive

I'm thinking of buying an audi a6 2000 X reg 1.9 tdi, 80k on the clock,

timing belt not done. Asking price £6.5K. My main concern is servicing costs. I'd be looking to keep the car for 3 years. Anybody any ideas of approx servicing costs? I've had quotes for annual servicing of between £250 and £300. But my main concern is anything big likely to go wrong in that 3 years? When do Turbo's normally go? Anything else I should look out for?

Many thanks

Bob

You think? Haven't seen many much cheaper. Anything less than 6.5k that I've seen has done 100k+. Anyway, found out today that the one I was interested in has had 5 owners so going to steer clear. I've been advised to have a look at the auctions. Have reservations myself but if I can get a decent looked after ex fleet might be worth looking at. Good idea? Bad idea?

Who thinks what? Can you *please* quote what you're replying to, otherwise it can be difficult to know what on earth you're replying to.

5 owners??? Blimey. Paying several thousand pounds to one owner is enough, but paying it five times over it just plain lunacy :-)

But seriously (no no no silly, not the Phil Collins album), whilst not a reason in itself to avoid it, there's more often than not a reason why a car keeps on changing hands. But then again, there could be a genuine one - it could have been pre-registered first, then on a 2-year contract, then maybe an owner a year after that, or something. People often buy a car with a view to only keeping it a year, and as long as the servicing's up to date, it's not neccessarily a reason to worry. But you're better off buying one from the original owner from new.

Could do. Also worth firing off a few letters direct to the fleet companies, I've heard.

AstraVanMan ( snipped-for-privacy@Whataloadofforeskinbollocks.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

When I got my XM, it was off the guy who'd bought it from the fleet company

- it'd been off-fleet for about a year and 12,000 miles.

It came with a big thick maintenance printout from the lease co - all the work that had been done through them.

There was a getout clause that things like tyres and minor accident repairs may not be on there, but all the services were listed, together with warranty claims and minor jobs.

You can have my 1998 Passat SE TDI (110) for £3195 - 88k from new, full history, 3 owners including me, private plate, climate, long MOT / tax... maybe, if I decide to sell it soonish.

-- JackH

Can you *please* quote what you're replying to? Is it *that* difficult?

Oh sure. I wouldn't *necessarily* discount it on the fact that its had

5 *previous* ;) owners but according to Parkers there's "plenty around so be choosy". Problem is I haven't found there are plenty around. No bargains that I've found anyway. Oh well shall keep looking.

Cheers.

Replying through google. Doesn't allow me to quote previous text...apart from copy and paste that is. Message groups are threaded? Not that difficult to follow is it? ;)

(bob snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

So?

Yes, it does, you just have to learn how to drive it.

So copy and paste.

I'm not reading through Google. My news client only shows me unread posts. Your replies are completely out of context.

Yes.

Or - replied in your style...

So? Yes, it does, you just have to learn how to drive it. So copy and paste. I'm not reading through Google. My news client only shows me unread posts. Your replies are completely out of context. Yes.

You should get a threaded client. ;) Joking. Ok. Point taken. I'll quote in future.

(bob snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

I HAVE a threaded client. It just doesn't show me all the thousands of posts I've read (or marked as read, or dumped, or by killfiled senders)

They'll normally eat their suspension bushes & the cambelt change is non optional. The MAF sensors die occasionally, think that's about it.