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  Dec. 28, 2011 6:26 a.m. Hungary Bill Reader

  Oh ye of the grassroots community:

  My wife caught the bug yesterday, so today we went car shopping and found a TDI Audi A4 wagon that "checks all the boxes". This will be our first Audi and first Diesel. You can see the google translated page here: http://alturl.com/7v336

  (short URL used to save space)

  So this Audi: Kind of spendy but its looks sharp. Its 2wd, 7spd tiptronic, and seems pretty nice inside and out. But is there anything I should know before I get into this thing? (common failure items, a particular part's short service life, is it finicky about certain little things I wouldn't normally think of) I would hate to spend this much and get another "nickle and dime-r" like our current Volvo wagon.
  

  (You can stop reading now, this next part is just the "leading up to")

  We bought our current daily driver when we went shopping for a station wagon a year ago or so. At that time we thought we'd only be here for "a few years", and picked up a 1998 Volvo V40 automatic for $4k that "would probably do" until we moved. It has a 2.0l turbo 4cyl and runs great but otherwise nickel and dimes us to death. First it was replacing 3 out of 4 side marker lights and rear brake rotors, then motor mounts, then the roof lining was sagging, then I broke a sunvisor clip while re-gluing the roof lining, then one of the trim pieces that run the length of the exterior roof broke off while on the highway (autobahn), there's cigarette burns on the A-pillars (courtesy of P.O.'s), the drivers inside door handle broke a week ago, for some reason the rear window wiper skips over the whole middle of the rear window and now the muffler blew out the bottom... (see why I want this out of the driveway?) We're hoping this Audi wont do any of that.
  

  Thanks guys, we're going back tomorrow for a second look, and possible purchase.

  -Bill

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  Dec. 28, 2011 1:27 p.m. Travis_K SuperDork

  We didnt get the model in the usa with the tdi (which is where I would guess at least 80% or the people on this board are from), but we did get them with other engines, and I would say in general, if you are complaining about that volvo, you would probably not like an audi.

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  Dec. 28, 2011 2:45 p.m. jrw1621 SuperDork

  Since we did not get that model/engine combo in the US, would you be able to bring that back to the US?
  Is this a concern?

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  Dec. 28, 2011 4:15 p.m. Hungary Bill Reader

  You know... now that I think of it, most to all of the info I've found on the car has been from UK sites. I guess that makes sense now Bummer.

  Bringing it back probably wont happen. We're already going to ship one car over the pond and really, if its not at least 25 years old or if it wasn't built by the factory for import to the US, then it just ends up going in the "too hard/expensive" bin.
  

  Oh well, thanks guys.

  hmmmm, (insert light bulb over head here) anyone want a lot of parts in about 3 years or so for an Audi 2.0l TDI A4 wagon?

  Everything I know about cars, I learned from Topgear...

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  Dec. 28, 2011 4:33 p.m. ransom Dork

  I don't know whether that's the same 2.0 turbo TDI that started going in Jettas, Golfs, and Audi A3s over here in 2009, but...

  At least with U.S. diesel, there may be some issues with the high pressure fuel pump. Those links are a site aggregating the issues, a tdi forum with discussions on the issue, and the NHTSA investigation, respectively.

  Of course, that says it's a 2006 and is in another part of the world. It may be a totally different engine...

  "In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But, in practice, there is." - Jan L.A. van de Snepscheut

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  Dec. 28, 2011 4:43 p.m. Hungary Bill Reader

  Interesting. I wonder if they are one and the same...

  If I were in a position where I needed to troubleshoot the high pressure pump would I need a piece of equipment like this" http://www.ebay.com/itm/12Pcs-Diesel-Oil-Cylinder-Pressure-Test-Meter-Gauge-Kit-Te...

  forgive my ignorance, its my first non-petrol engine.

  Everything I know about cars, I learned from Topgear...

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  Dec. 28, 2011 5:06 p.m. Javelin SuperDork

  You're being nickel-and-dimed by a Volvo and you want to replace it with an AUDI!!??!?!!

  Michael Pinto - 73 AMC Javelin 360 / GoKart / 86 944 Sport / 01 Grand Prix GT / 06 Mazda5 M5

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  Dec. 28, 2011 5:15 p.m. ransom Dork

  In reply to Hungary Bill:

  I don't have much diesel experience, either.

  As near as I can tell, the fuel pump on these cars is fine until it isn't, at which point the car ceases to run, and there's a cascade of metal filings takes the rest of the fuel system with it to the tune of $7-10k... There's a bit of info to suggest that when it's not VW doing a dealer R&R on the parts that it could be done more cheaply by a diesel shop that knows what they're doing, but for now when these fail they seem to want to replace everything; pump, injectors, lines, and maybe even the tank?

  Nobody seems 100% sure of the cause, and VW isn't talking. They've revised the pump three times since 2009, each time with a stated aim of making it more tolerant of poor fuel. A couple of disassembled pumps have pretty clearly had the roller on the pump piston turned 90% to the cam, thus grinding both up quite badly. There's nothing in the pump to prevent the piston rotating in its bore. That being said, I'm personally leaning toward the notion that this isn't the problem by itself, but that lack of lubricity is perhaps causing the piston to bind in its bore, it's coming off the cam, then getting whacked on the next revolution, and during that bounce it's rotating...

  But like I said, nobody seems to know for sure.

  Oh, and I don't know what tools one would use to test the pump, or whether there's a period of degradation that you could detect impending doom. Given that some of these have failed with only a couple thousand miles on the clock, it seems clear it can go from fine to dead very quickly. These are common rail diesels, and so you'd need a gauge capable of reading up to about 30,000 psi. I don't know whether there's a port for one, or how you'd take that reading. For me, the VW is a candidate for shop-maintained household appliance, so I haven't been looking at it in terms of "how do I figure out what's wrong?"

  "In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But, in practice, there is." - Jan L.A. van de Snepscheut

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  Dec. 28, 2011 5:39 p.m. jrw1621 SuperDork

  I am trying to get my way around the auto site you listed and found a couple of cool little wagons.
  

  BMW 3-AS SOROZAT 316i Touring klimás
  1999 E36 wagon w/ small and efficient 1.6L w/ 5 speed manual.
  http://www.hasznaltauto.hu/popup/xlkep/871450/5272965/15
  

  BMW 320 320d Touring Year 2000 with Diesel and manual
  http://www.hasznaltauto.hu/popup/xlkep/679624/5379922/4095
  

  BMW 320 320d Touring Year 2004 w/ diesel and manual
  http://www.hasznaltauto.hu/popup/xlkep/8289/5319060/4095

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  Dec. 28, 2011 6:04 p.m. njansenv HalfDork

  I fantasize about putting my TDI golf engine into an A4. I was disappointed when I read this thread...

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  Dec. 28, 2011 6:17 p.m. jrw1621 SuperDork

  This is fun shopping abroad.
  Oh, dear god go for this. It is old enough that you could bring it back states side when done. BMW 3-AS SOROZAT 325ix Touring e30 325ix turbo
  http://www.hasznaltauto.hu/galeria/1684245-5347511-63-0-0-0

  SUBARU LEONE Hubertus. 1.8 kombi. 4WD. limi
  

  http://www.hasznaltauto.hu/galeria/1332900-5309452-63-0-0-0
  

  Crazy pristine American Iron
  FORD FAIRMONT 3.3
  http://www.hasznaltauto.hu/galeria/680781-3345021-63-0-0-0

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  Dec. 29, 2011 1:38 a.m. Hungary Bill Reader

  Javelin wrote: You're being nickel-and-dimed by a Volvo and you want to replace it with an AUDI!!??!?!!

  yes, but in all fairness the Volvo was a bit "behind the curve" when we bought it, and its about twice as old. (are you buying any of the excuses? I'm not either...)

  jrw1621: I see you've caught the hasznaltauto bug. I feel its my fault

  This link should cure that: http://www.hasznaltauto.hu/auto/alfa_romeo/alfetta/alfa_romeo_alfetta_gtv_2.0-5352112

  just a note: If you DO run across something on there that you absolutely cannot live without I'll gladly help ya get it shipped (of course you'll have the decency not to schedule any long road trips in a Trabant...)

  Everything I know about cars, I learned from Topgear...

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  Dec. 29, 2011 1:40 a.m. Hungary Bill Reader

  jrw1621 wrote: I am trying to get my way around the auto site you listed and found a couple of cool little wagons.

  you can type "hasznaltauto.hu" into google and click "translate this page"

  Also if you find a car you like you can copy and paste the link into google and click "translate this page" too.

  it helps

  Everything I know about cars, I learned from Topgear...

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