Learn Me: B7 A4 (2005.5 2.0 Audi A4 Quattro)

Likely adding/replacing a car in the next month or so since Kiddo will be getting his license soon.  Manual trans, decent on gas, comfortable enough for 2-3 hour drives.  Ideally something The Kiddo and I will be able to auto-x and/or rally-x eventually.  SWMBO wants to get an outback, I'd like 02-07 Impreza (not WRX for insurance reasons).  Kiddo and I were thinking E46/E90 BMW...but A4s seem to be much, much cheaper (E46 sellers have lost their minds recently).  I've owned early 2000s VAG products, so I kind of understand why that's likely the case.  Kiddo will likely be driving 'ol Blue, our Honda Odyssey to/from school and work for a while.

I'm thinking about checking out a 2005.5 manual trans sedan that's posted for $1,300.  Clearcoat has some issues, but it otherwise looks OK.  Owner says it needs a clutch.  How much would i likely regret going this route?  The post says the engine was replaced 10k miles ago.  I've asked the owner if the car can drive on/off a trailer and up a driveway.  I have a fairly steep driveway, so if it can't move at all under its own power I'll have to either rig some sort of massive winch setup or hire a flatbed & hope they'll drop it up top (they were able to drop my old E30 up to twice).   If I actually get a response I'll try to get the seller on the phone.

I'm still not sure if it's worth the hassle/risk, since running/driving B7 A4s can be found for $4k to $5k.  It would be nice to have a challenge-eligible car for next year's event.  I suppose since I can't actually drive the car, I need to assume all of the bushings are bad...which are fairly expensive.

It seems the B7 clutch can be replaced either by removing the trans, but some say it's easier to just pull the engine & trans.  I don't have a transmission jack or engine hoist.  (jackstands & a jack).

B7 A4 uses a timing belt. I've heard about timing chain issues on 2.0 audi cars, so I think this is actually a benefit?  I 

What else must I consider?  From an experience standpoint, I'm not a pro...but I'm not afraid of a challenge.  I bought an E30 and replaced a blown engine a few years ago.  I also replaced the subframe mounts & countless other items on that car.  I don't have a lift or engine hoist.

My dad had a 2004 (B6), and it was a nightmare to work on. On the other hand we own a 2005 and 2006 Wrx Wagon, and love them. My dad has been able to do brake jobs on just about everything, in 2 hrs. It took 10 hrs for one wheel on the audi. So well it's a nice car, a Subaru is probably a better option,.

B7 A4's are the best A4's IMO, and we had B6, B7, and B8 in a row. The B7 has a timing belt in front and a timing chain in the back of the head, and that chain can cause an issue, so make sure it's been changed and doesn't have a rattle. Get the 6-speed manual. Nothing else really goes wrong with them, we put 37K miles on our 200K+ example in 18 months with just basic maintenance. I miss that car. 

On Audis, the options are mostly ala cart and there's a significant difference between a low spec and a truly loaded car. Decide what's important to you and don't settle. We loved the cold weather package and technology package. Get an OBD11 to unlock any missing software. A factory Nav car can still be upgraded to 2023 specs through a number of different vendors, which is cool.

I'll say what I always say.  When you're thinking about buying an old german car, you're buying the owner more than the car.  That means you need to buy from an owner that was obsessive about maintenance and has the documentation to back it up.  Nothing will bury you financially more than a neglected german car, which tends to be the attractive ones because they're cheap. 

That generation had serious issues with the motor, many of them had new motors or piston rings replaced under warranty.  I wouldn't consider buying one that didn't have that done and has the documentation to prove it.  I'd also want to see records of regular oil changes, when were the control arms replaced, timing belt, etc, etc, etc...

I believe the piston/ring issue was from 09-14 which had the oil consumption issues and the timing chain tensioner problems.  The older 2.0t had the cam follower and high pressure fuel pump problems but much more reliable.  

Yeah the piston ring issues were the B8. They are hot garbage, stay far away. 

B7 generation had no such issues. 

Javelin said:

Yeah the piston ring issues were the B8. They are hot garbage, stay far away. 

B7 generation had no such issues. 

Great advice everyone, great info.  I'll definitely avoid the B8.  I didn't realize the B7s also had a chain in the back...good info.  The Subaru would be the economic choice...but they also have their own set of high-probability problems (mainly head gaskets).  I had a Saabaru (essentially an '06 impreza 2.5i), but the seats were a litte too small and it was a little noisy for road trips.  They're great cars & I put 50k miles on mine w/not major issues...but they're also not easy to find w/out rusty rear shock towers or owners.  NA legacy or outback are still in consideration.  I'll be mentally prepared to buy a harbor-freight engine hoist to fix pretty much any 15-year old car w/over 100k miles for low $$.

The internet gets both easier & harder to find good find good info.  Most searches default to youtube videos that are often (mostly) a waste of time.  I miss the good 'ol days of when enthusiast forums were thriving.  

I'll update if the owner responds.

So I'll preface this by saying I have owned two (2) 2006 A4 2.0's - one a 6spd and one a Tiptronic. I have rebuilt both motors (one of them twice - my fault - I missed a failed oil squirter on the first go) and in addition to that, I have pulled and dissasembled literally a couple of DOZEN 2.0 FSIs in the junkyard out of A4s, A3s, Passats and Jettas.

This car that you're looking at, looks to be a 2.0 FSI? If so avoid, avoid, avoid unless you are willing and able to pull the motor out and do a rebuild.

The first gen 2.0 FSIs are nightmares. The engine itself is awesome when it is running as designed, but there are SO MANY things surrounding it that are compromises that are prone to fail and they will. Here is a short list of huge trouble spots:

-oil pump balance shaft assembly prone to failure

-hpfp issues (aggravated by cam follower)

- poor designed intake cam - too soft, gets eaten by the HPFP and follower

-plastic cooling system issues - plastic cooling flange in the rear of the heads fails/leaks

- DI injectors are dirty as can be and will gunk up intake valves within 50K miles

- DI injectors prone to failure

- PCV system is a mess and commonly occurring failure point

Also, the car is a massive pain in the ass work on with the engine in the car. 

NOW, with ALL the above said, I really really love driving our 2006 6spd. Now that the engine is sorted, it is a very enjoyable car to drive and that 20 FSI is a fun motor with the 6spd (MUCH less fun with the tiptronic). My car has the S-line package so it has bigger, wider wheels and the S4 suspension components so it is quick and can hold the roal really well.

Again, these cars are not for causal people - they are for hardcore gearheads that will not think twice about pulling a motor for a rebuild.

Here are some of my fun times with this engine:

In reply to JY_Rat :

Wow.  Just wow.  Does this apply to all B7s? Or, is there a year or two that are less problematic?  I could pull and replace an engine...but being able to tell exactly what's wrong & how to fix/rebuild it would be a stretch.  The car I'm thinking about looking at has a replacement engine...but no mention of if it's from a junked car, or if it's been rebuilt.

wow. Is this the same engine that was in the GTI at the time? 

B7's had the piston ring issue too, it wasn't just the B8's.  Yes, same engine in the GTi

I've been actively avoiding GTIs of this era...mainly because I've seen enough threads on here of people doing lots of actual engine repairs (not just replacing wear-items).  

It seems I've been striking out on marketplace recently.  No response from the seller on this, and a few other things I've written people about.