a3 tdi new purchase advice

R

riptorn

New member
Joined
Feb 18, 2014
Location
CA
TDI
NA
looking at buying a 2010 a3 tdi that came into a vw dealer as a trade in. 1 owner with about 85k miles. i had a 2006 s4 and while nothing major happened with it little things like window regulators added up and i got rid of it at about 80k miles. i have never owned a tdi and am wondering the following:

what should i look out for?

what should i be expecting in the next year or so maintenance wise? any major service due soon after 85k, if so approx cost?

the prices seem inflated since tdi's are more rare, what would you offer for this car? they are asking approx 20k which seems high for a car with 80k on it.

any input would be greatly appreciated.
 
J

jgeorge

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2011
Location
aurora, ontario, canada
TDI
2010 audi a3 tdi
Have them check the ash content in the DPF ( Diesel Particulate Filter) system. Once it's full it will have to be changed. The cost of that when I checked at Audi was 1350.00 for a remanufactured filter plus considerable labor. You may be able to get it cheaper through an online vender. Have them check the warranty history as well. If they can't access the Audi warranty records then get the Vin(vehicle identification number) and go to Audi and get the records yourself. At that mileage the car should of had its second DSG transmission service. That's every 40,000 miles. I doubt the second one would have been done so be prepared to do that right away. At about 100,000 miles the timing belt should be done. You will need to get the full kit. This includes belt, idlers, tensioner, water pump and any bolt which is torque to yield. As you have no idea how this car was driven it's better to change the belt out early and play it safe. Change the serpentine belt at the same time as it has to be remove to change the timing belt. Shop the online venders ( trusted club venders) as they carry quality kits. You can't cheap out on this. Their prices are very reasonable. The brake fluid should be changed- you may want to do this yourself- search here on "how to". If you intend to do your own oil changes, when you have the belly pan removed its a good idea to check the inter cooler for a watery sludge buildup. The piping is simple to remove and any sludge content should be removed. Consider this as "routine" maintainance if you live in an area that has cold winter months. Hope this helps.
 
dieseldorf

dieseldorf

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 11, 2000
Location
MA
TDI
ex- 1996 wagon, ex-2000 Jetta
riptorn said:
any input would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
Rip, welcome aboard! I don't think I'd buy one of these cars without a warranty of some sort.

The Audi dealer in Sacramento has an '11 car with 34k miles, asking $29,xxx. That's still under warranty and has CPO coverage.
 
R

riptorn

New member
Joined
Feb 18, 2014
Location
CA
TDI
NA
dieseldorf said:
Rip, welcome aboard! I don't think I'd buy one of these cars without a warranty of some sort.

The Audi dealer in Sacramento has an '11 car with 34k miles, asking $29,xxx. That's still under warranty and has CPO coverage.
Click to expand...
tyvm for the input. definitely leaning away from it, will continue to look. hate having that feeling of impending doom. too bad not many of them for sale, so it becomes more of a waiting game then picking which one you want.
 
R

riptorn

New member
Joined
Feb 18, 2014
Location
CA
TDI
NA
jgeorge said:
Have them check the ash content in the DPF ( Diesel Particulate Filter) system. Once it's full it will have to be changed. The cost of that when I checked at Audi was 1350.00 for a remanufactured filter plus considerable labor. You may be able to get it cheaper through an online vender. Have them check the warranty history as well. If they can't access the Audi warranty records then get the Vin(vehicle identification number) and go to Audi and get the records yourself. At that mileage the car should of had its second DSG transmission service. That's every 40,000 miles. I doubt the second one would have been done so be prepared to do that right away. At about 100,000 miles the timing belt should be done. You will need to get the full kit. This includes belt, idlers, tensioner, water pump and any bolt which is torque to yield. As you have no idea how this car was driven it's better to change the belt out early and play it safe. Change the serpentine belt at the same time as it has to be remove to change the timing belt. Shop the online venders ( trusted club venders) as they carry quality kits. You can't cheap out on this. Their prices are very reasonable. The brake fluid should be changed- you may want to do this yourself- search here on "how to". If you intend to do your own oil changes, when you have the belly pan removed its a good idea to check the inter cooler for a watery sludge buildup. The piping is simple to remove and any sludge content should be removed. Consider this as "routine" maintainance if you live in an area that has cold winter months. Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
wow. this is SUPER informative and helpful. TYVM
 
I

ILShocker

Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2014
Location
Central Illinois
TDI
none yet
Rip, welcome to the boards. I just went through this process. All in all it took me about 4 months to find the right car but it was well worth it. The only thing I ended up compromising on was that the car I purchased had about 10k more miles than I wanted it to have. But the price was right and it was still under 55K miles total. I also drove about 3 hours to pick it up but really whats that when it compares to finding the exact vehicle I was looking for color, options and all.
 
K

Keasbey

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 25, 2013
Location
louisiana
TDI
2010 A3
i bought my 2010 audi with 72k on it and have been road tripping it back and forth all year.. its currently at 92k+

I spent about 20k on it but wanted closer to 18-19. its been great, mine had a bad ac compressor right away which sucked to shell out the money for, but if i could do it again i would have changed it myself.

I did all the fluids and filters myself as soon as i got it. theres alot of great articles on (http://www.myturbodiesel.com/wiki/mk5-jetta-and-audi-a3-tdi-diy-index/) changed the transmission fluid, the fuel filter, oil and air. i recently took it in to get the oil done at the shop, they charged me 15$ for labor... it was a VW/Audi shop so they knew what they were doing.

They also gave me the list of things that need done and when.. ill bring it to work tmr and scan it and post it... since i was coming up on 100k i bought the timing belt kit from Kerma TDI but after speaking with the guys at the vw/audi place. he said to get it done when its posted to be done (which is closer to 125k if i remember correctly, i believe some of the older models were closer to 90/100)

As a driver of a used audi TDI with alot of miles that i didnt put on. im very impressed and wouldnt change anything, except doing my own labor. from what ive read, the timing belt is the only major thing thats NEEDS to be done. get a good inspection from a place and be happy with ther 35-37 city mpg i get and 40-42 on full tank highway road trips.
 
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