98 s4 questions

[ASQS4]

Basically im looking to purchase a s4 soon, but the one i got checked out by RAC guy, told me the following-

- Lower engine area - has signs of oil leak
- track rod end right hand - Excess wear
- engine mountings - clonking

well theres a few others on the list but, think this is most important at the moment.

Well wanted a rough idea what the oil leak could be, and how much it would roughly cost me to fix these problems.

Would appreciate any help

thanks

[tartan_rob]

Track rod end is cheap, but will need 4wheel alignment afterwards. Engine mounts are okayish.

The oil issue is your biggest issue and without a little bit more clarity around where it is coming from will be something or nothing. I think they should be a little m0ore specific with their comment. It is somewhat vague and of little use to you as it is. Can you have the car taken to someone that knows what they are talking about?

[davs4]

Basically im looking to purchase a s4 soon, but the one i got checked out by RAC guy, told me the following-

- Lower engine area - has signs of oil leak
- track rod end right hand - Excess wear
- engine mountings - clonking

well theres a few others on the list but, think this is most important at the moment.

Well wanted a rough idea what the oil leak could be, and how much it would roughly cost me to fix these problems.

Would appreciate any help

thanks

Buy mine instead with none of these issues

[ASQS4]

davs4, you got anymore specs/price etc?

Tartan_Rob - as mentioned the rac guy said cos its got plastic trim on top and under/side of the engine he cant check anymore, but he said its on the lower area of the engine, any idea what it may be.

In my opinion, i thought geting them to check it out, they would have taken the covers etc off to have to thorough check as thats what they geting paid for, thats what i paid them for, as it wasnt cheap either.

[dazzer]

davs4, you got anymore specs/price etc?

Tartan_Rob - as mentioned the rac guy said cos its got plastic trim on top and under/side of the engine he cant check anymore, but he said its on the lower area of the engine, any idea what it may be.

In my opinion, i thought geting them to check it out, they would have taken the covers etc off to have to thorough check as thats what they geting paid for, thats what i paid them for, as it wasnt cheap either.

If he hasn't taken any covers off then how does he know the oil leak is coming from the lower part of the engine! Common leaks are the cam chain timing gaskets and rocker cover gaskets. The camshaft seal may be leaking as well. As Tartan says without the specifics it's very difficult.

[ASQS4]

dazzer -

If he hasn't taken any covers off then how does he know the oil leak is coming from the lower part of the engine! Common leaks are the cam chain timing gaskets and rocker cover gaskets. The camshaft seal may be leaking as well. As Tartan says without the specifics it's very difficult.

the things you mentioned, do you know if they are expensive to fix, and how much they would cost to fix.

[electricracer]

if hes not taken any covers off he might as well have not opened the bonnet! if he thinks the oil is from the lower part of the engine is he just basing this on the fact there's oil there? it could be from anywhere and run down the engine. it could be (best case) a weeping rocker gasket not really a big problem or (worst case) it could be a leaking boost hose has caused the turbos to fail and oil is now leaking from the hose down the engine, about 3.5k to put right!. you can see unless he tells you what you paid him to tell you he might as well have said "the oil is from......saudi-arabia!!" at least that is a fact.

i hate muppets who dont do their job properly and expect you to pay for their second rate service.

your best bet is to take car to specialist who can for a modest fee tell you EXACTLY what is wrong and how much to put right, if seller is unwilling then walk away it is after all a buyers market at the moment, best buying a car thats been looked after by one of the specialists, will save you money, heartache in the long run

[dazzer]

Better hope it's not turbo failure as Electricracer says. Rocker covers are easy enough. Camchain tensioner covers not too bad but a bit of a pain - a couple of hours labour maybe 3. If it cam seals then cam out so best done in conjunction with a cambelt change - wont see much change out of 1K I would have thought.

Don't ask the AA to check these cars over as they are too specialist - no disrespect to the AA or the likes as they have their place, usually to recover S4s that have not been looked after!!

[grizz]

Don't ask the AA to check these cars over as they are too specialist - no disrespect to the AA or the likes as they have their place, usually to recover S4s that have not been looked after!!

LOL.

[ASQS4]

electricracer-

or (worst case) it could be a leaking boost hose has caused the turbos to fail and oil is now leaking from the hose down the engine, about 3.5k to put right!.

Would this be noticeable on a test drive, as he took it one and said that the turbos are working as they should be. if they were leaking wouldnt it be smoking or slight responsive on throttle etc.

just asking, new to audi/turbos

dazzer- dont worry this was my 1st and last,

the car itself does have high mileage, but read somewhere that, thats when they are just run in... not sure what you guys make of that tho.

thanks

[frazered]

the RAC check is a waste of money for these cars

best to get it to a decent specialist

either Unit20 on the Wirral or MRC in Banbury - whereabouts are you? there are other specialists around the country

[ASQS4]

Now you tell me, , well its done now, learn from your mistakes i guess!

Im near croydon, but the cars near heathrow area.

[electricracer]

heres an example of why its so important to go to a specialist, i bought my s4 a few months ago from a neighbour, i knew the car well it had 135k on the clock and main dealer service to 100k then a local vw audi independent garage since, (i trust this garage 100% as i know the guys who work there and i also do work there myself as an auto spark, so you could also say i know a bit about cars) was well happy with my purchase it drove great pulled like a train went like stink was smooth and having spoken to the guys who service it regulary and also having checked it over myself was confident all was well.
after buying it i discovered the audi forums (having been active on several vw forums) and started to read about what could go wrong i decided to take it for a health check at unit 20 , luckily for me just down the road. to my surprise and horror, (i was confident that all would be fine) Grizz tested for boost leaks and found a massive leak so bad that the turbos couldnt boost at all!. this was on a car that had been looked after by its previous owners, looking at the history file no expense spared. but it had never been to a proper specialist, someone who knows these cars backwards and knows what to look for , judging by the amount of oil from the split hose (f hose!) it had been gone a while at least as long as i had owned it possibly a lot longer.
car now has the f hose delete, new s3 recirc valves, two new one way valves, new maf all these replacing the original parts which a garage would have only replaced if they had gone faulty not as a precaution as all these parts are know weak points for problems which can lead to the worst and most expensive problem blown turbos.
now its all sorted, cheers Grizz, it pulls even harder and is even faster. so its definately not enough to get a check from the aa, rac or even a mate whos a mechanic, i was lucky, for now, as it probably had done damage, run for so long with the leak overspeeding the turbos has probably shortened their life but when they go i know where i will be taking it.
after my experiance you would be better off (unless you have found a car dirt cheap) to buy one from the forum thats been looked after by one of the specialists, it my be more to buy but cheaper in the long run.

[frazered]

APS and MRC are an hour from you