[A4] Repair or walk away - advice for an Oil Sludge victim?

[Peter Kirby]

I would suggest that if you have the history of all oil changes since
the car was new or at least since you took ownership, I would contact
the local dealer or AoA first.

If they are not willing to cover it then see if the motor will turn by
hand.  If not, then you are looking at finding a used
motor/turbo/etc....Chris at force5 etc.  A new one from Audi installed
is something like $13K (CDN) -- guess how I know....fortunately it was
done under warranty at 92K km -- Audi changed *everything* that had
been in contact with oil -- long block, turbo, oil lines, etc, etc.
If I remember what the PO told me, Audi had the car for something like
6 weeks.  The PO told me the oil light came on about 1 km from his
home.  By the time he got home, the engine had seized.  Dealership had
done all maintenance including all oil changes with Castrol Syntec.

I was told by the dealer that Audi has extended the warranty to 9
years, unlimited km for cars that have had documented oil changes done
at recommended intervals using specified synthetic oils.  My dealer
claims that Castrol Syntec (5W50?), or Mobil 1 0W40 are approved by
Audi.

I don't envy your decision.

Peter
2001 1.8tq





On 6/21/06, sdewitt at stx.rr.com <sdewitt at stx.rr.com> wrote:
> Audi has a campaign on these cars, might want to start there.
> I've heard of several examples like this and the owners got reman
> engines installed at no charge by Audi. I'm not sure of the details,
> so check with and Audi dealer.
>
> If you go with a used engine, expect to pay between 1500-2500 for a
> good used A4 AEB engine with a warranty from a reputable yard. The
> failure of these engines due to oil sludge and timming belts has kept
> their price elevated.
>
> But i would make sure it's not just a sensor or electrical problem.
> You can typically identify oil sludge issues by putting a borescope in
> the oil drain hole and having a look around (or remove the oil pan).
>
> if you do decide to walk away I can offer you a decent price on your
> car.
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Kent McLean <kentmclean at mindspring.com>
> Date: Wednesday, June 21, 2006 6:18 am
> Subject: Re: [A4] Repair or walk away - advice for an Oil Sludge
> victim?
> To: a4 at audifans.com
> Cc: CoasterJames at aol.com
>
> > CoasterJames at aol.com wrote:
> > > I have a '97 A4 1.8T (Not Quattro) needing repairs and I need
> > > to decide if  I should fix it or walk away. The car's oil light
> > > started to come on intermittently.  We minimized  use of the
> > > car and on our last drive the Check Engine light came on.
> > >
> > > I had it towed in.  The service tech at the dealership advises
> > > me that  at  minimum I need to replace the oil pump and related
> > > components to the tune of about $2500.
> >
> > I would get a 2nd opinion.  Find a(nother) independent mechanic
> > and have them look at it, but don't tell them what the dealer
> > found.  Let them make an independent assessment. It may be
> > something else, like being low on oil, or a bad sensor, or
> > bad wiring.
> >
> > If the problem really is due to sludge, and you have followed
> > Audi's maintenance schedule with appropriate oil and filters,
> > and can document it, then I'd contact my local consumer group
> > (attorney general or other).  You may find a remedy there.
> >
> > If you still want to keep the car, I'm sure you can find an
> > inexpensive used engine to swap into your car.  Try these
> > guys:
> > http://www.karquattro.com/ - Audi specialists in MN
> > http://www.force5auto.com/ - Audi used parts, for an engine
> >
> > As for the mechanics interested in buying your car, of course
> > they are.  I can hear their story now. "It's a ten year old
> > car worth $6000 if it were running. It needs $7000 of work.
> > I'll give you $1000 for it, which is more than you'll get
> > trading it in."  They spend $500 on a used engine, spend a
> > day swapping it in, and sell your car for $7500.  Profit!
> > Run away from these guys.
> >
> > Good luck.
> >
> > --
> > Kent McLean
> > '94 100 S Avant, "Moody"
> > '89 200 TQ, "Bad Puppy" up in smoke
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > A4 mailing list
> > A4 at audifans.com
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> >
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-- 
ps my peterk at nrs.mcgill.ca account will be dead soon.  Please make
sure to use my 4pkirby at gmail.com address in the future.