buying a 4kQ, help......

[Doyt W. Echelberger]

Here is a reasonably complete strategy for testing the car:

 >ON THE PHONE, before even seeing it, I am going to talk to the owner  and 
ask basic questions about ownership history, wrecks, and maintenance. I 
will encourage talk about repairs and upkeep and how the car was used. I 
will ask about rust, body damage, interior appearance, and how the car runs 
and what needs to be done to it. Why is it being sold? What is the mileage? 
Are you the original owner? What are the tires like?  What is the asking 
price? The answers allow me to decide if I am going to take the time to go 
see the car and test drive it.
 >
 >WHEN AND IF I GET THERE, I do a walk-around and eyeball everything 
visible from the outside. Then I can pop the hood and look around  the 
engine compartment cold, pull the dipstick and feel the oil. Check parking 
spot for leaks. Then I can open the trunk and check for water, dirt, and 
spare tire. During the walk-around, I can eyeball the car for fit and 
finish, glass, rubber, wheel damage. I'm looking for evidence of body 
damage repairs. Feel rotors for ridges/gouges.
 >
 >THEN I CAN OPEN ALL 4 DOORS and check the entry sills and lower door 
edges, for rust or repairs, while looking over the rubber seals. Then I can 
enter the car and sit in the driver seat to eyeball seats, trim, feel 
floorboards for leaks, move seats, check safety belt front and back. Set 
emergency brake and release it. Look out front window for glass chips, 
cracks, scratches, fogging, bulls-eyes.
 >
 >WHILE SITTING THERE, I can touch and operate all the cabin controls and 
gadgets. Power locks/windows, incl trunk lock. Lights high&lo beam, dash 
lights and adjustment, wipers, heater/AC ,and radio. I will check for leaks 
by feeling the carpet. I will test pedal pressure for brakes, and pedal 
movement for clutch, listening for strange sounds.  I will go through the 
gears at rest to check shifter linkages. And I can cold start the car, 
observing how it cranks and catches, and how the idle system works cold. 
Then I can re-test the gadgets that wouldn't work without the engine 
running. Can't test quattro in/out until car is moving. CAUTION! Owner may 
have disabled bulbs in warning light cluster.
 >
 >I  let the engine warm up a few minutes, and then DO A SLOW TEST 
DRIVE,  in the parking lot and local street.....and then around the owner's 
town, and maybe on a cross-town freeway. This will include a moving test of 
the switching levers for the QUATTRO. Does speedometer and trip computer 
work? Rear window defroster? Strange noises on bumps? Taut and firm, or 
loose and sloppy? Power steering feel and sound? Alternator belt squeal 
with full electric load? History of new brushes. I can try starting and 
stopping and run through the gears and check out the feel of the clutch and 
brakes and accelerator systems, and the steering and suspension. I might do 
some doughnuts rt an lt in a parking lot to test for bearing noise. the car 
is warm now and i can test the full range of the climate control and 
blower. Then, back at the owner's home I can re-set the emergency brake and 
see if the clutch slips against it, before shutting down. I keep the engine 
running, and get out of the car. Emergency brake is on. Front wheels 
cranked hard right, to show tire wear.
 >
 >>>OUTSIDE, WITH ENGINE RUNNING, I go to the back of the car and hold a 
paper dollar flat against the tailpipe and see if it gets sucked into the 
pipe by any faulty exhaust valve. If the test drive indicated sloppy 
shocks/suspension, I would bounce the corners and wiggle each wheel for 
play. Not a bad idea anyhow. Examine tire treads for depth, feathering, 
cupping, unusual wear at edges or in center. Front and rear. Feel temp of 
tires and wheels, for heat due to dragging brake.
 >
 >>>>If I am still serious, I will DRIVE THE CAR FOR ANOTHER HALF-HOUR at 
higher speeds, on a freeway, and check passing systems, and wander 
tendencies. And I will watch the gauges for under/over heating. And check 
both the horn and the audio system.
 >At this point, even if I have to pay for it, I will make sure the gas 
tank holds a complete fill-up, because an almost empty tank doesn't reveal 
tank leaks that exist, especially where the top and bottom molds of the 
tank meet... a likely place to find corrosion on metal tanks. After the 
drive, I can decide if I want to meet the selling price, negotiate, or TAKE 
IT TO A TRAINED AND TRUSTED AUDI MECHANIC FOR AN EXPERT OPINION. While it 
is on the lift, look for signs of corroded fuel and brake lines. Very 
expensive to replace. Also, I'd want a compression test.  This last step is 
the insurance policy, and is worth at least a hundred dollars if you 
already have decided to buy the car.

 >So, that's it. Hope it helps. Go to this web site and check the cost of 
keeping up an Audi.          http://www.stationwagon.com/My_audis.html


 >Doyt    87 5ktq    86 4KcsQ         85 Jetta TurboDiesel


 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
At 11:32 PM 10/31/00 -0500, you wrote:

   what should i be looking for when I'm looking at 4000 Quattro's? I'm, well,
kinda clueless. Is there certain problem areas,etc...   Are these cars
reliable? Any help is very appreciated. Thanks