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View Full Version : A8 D3 Possible Purchase- knob missing :)



devm69
17-05-2015, 09:43 PM
HI Guys, looking for some advice if possible. at the moment I am not an AUDI owner but interested in a 2005 A8, its in my price range and fits everything I need in a new car but one thing stands out- car looks to be missing what I would explain as the main rotary controller in the middle of the centre console. I have attached a pic from auto-trader. if the rest of the buttons etc is working as expected can you get this knob as a quick fix or do you need to buy who unit- seen on ebay you can get the full replacement unit for about £400. really keen on the motor after looking at BMW 6 series and MERC E-classes in the same price bracket but this is what jumps out so far.



anyway- thanks pre and feedback...27896

devm69
17-05-2015, 10:13 PM
bit scared looking at forum and the 3.0tdi engine issues- maybe should look elsewhere :(

BMW 6 series in general seems to suffer from oil leaks, E class needs to be a post facelift and the audi a8 3.0tdi needs really checked - decisions, decisions

whats people thoughts on any of the above and also the specific issues around the 3.0 tdi engine

snapdragon
18-05-2015, 02:13 PM
bit scared looking at forum and the 3.0tdi engine issues- maybe should look elsewhere :(

BMW 6 series in general seems to suffer from oil leaks, E class needs to be a post facelift and the audi a8 3.0tdi needs really checked - decisions, decisions

whats people thoughts on any of the above and also the specific issues around the 3.0 tdi engine

Like any 10 year old car that was £60k when new, there is potential for expensive bills.
Swirl-flaps sticking, injector wear and timing chain <2006 model year are the biggest issues.
Injector wear is the biggest issue check for smoke when hot and idling for prolonged periods.
Timing chains- check for odd noises when started from cold.
The knob is part number on a 2004-2008 is 4F0919069A

EG-4.0TDI
18-05-2015, 08:08 PM
6 Series is much cheaper to work on (parts and labour). Early 4.4 V8s have oil leaks and cooling issues; later 4.8s are better. Straight six versions are the way to go (in my biased opinion). I6s are also cheaper to get parts for because they appear in so many other applications across the BMW range. 635d is the one to go for if your budget can stretch to it and you can cope with the reduced practicality over an A8 - be warned, the 6er is a bit of a reverse tardis in that it is much smaller on the inside that it is on the outside (although the boot is perfectly reasonable). Rear headroom is limited and anyone over 5'10" will not be happy in the back for long.

I went from a D3 4.0tdi to a 635d and no regrets at all having initially worried that it would be a step down. Interior is not as special (but you get used to it and appreciate it in different ways - like the driving position which is lower/better) and the sound system in the Audi is a million miles better. The 6er is appreciably faster (although doesn't feel it initially because the throttle response is much more liner and the power delivery is also much more linear across the rev range). BMW handling is better although obviously no 4WD (buy a set of winter tyres and wheels with the savings on servicing/repairs compared to the A8).

BMW i-drive improved dramatically after 2008 (look for i-drive controllers with loads of buttons round the wheel rather than one big button below it). Pre 2008, Audi's MMI is a million miles better than i-drive, post 2008 the i-drive is at least as good if not marginally better.

Also worth bearing in mind is that BMW offer an insured warranty that will go up over 100k miles (for the drivetrain at least - pre 100k will cover everything) at reasonable cost (circa £60 per month) which works well (Audi won't warranty A8s with a barge pole - there's a reason for this!).

devm69
18-05-2015, 08:55 PM
6 Series is much cheaper to work on (parts and labour). Early 4.4 V8s have oil leaks and cooling issues; later 4.8s are better. Straight six versions are the way to go (in my biased opinion). I6s are also cheaper to get parts for because they appear in so many other applications across the BMW range. 635d is the one to go for if your budget can stretch to it and you can cope with the reduced practicality over an A8 - be warned, the 6er is a bit of a reverse tardis in that it is much smaller on the inside that it is on the outside (although the boot is perfectly reasonable). Rear headroom is limited and anyone over 5'10" will not be happy in the back for long.

I went from a D3 4.0tdi to a 635d and no regrets at all having initially worried that it would be a step down. Interior is not as special (but you get used to it and appreciate it in different ways - like the driving position which is lower/better) and the sound system in the Audi is a million miles better. The 6er is appreciably faster (although doesn't feel it initially because the throttle response is much more liner and the power delivery is also much more linear across the rev range). BMW handling is better although obviously no 4WD (buy a set of winter tyres and wheels with the savings on servicing/repairs compared to the A8).

BMW i-drive improved dramatically after 2008 (look for i-drive controllers with loads of buttons round the wheel rather than one big button below it). Pre 2008, Audi's MMI is a million miles better than i-drive, post 2008 the i-drive is at least as good if not marginally better.

Also worth bearing in mind is that BMW offer an insured warranty that will go up over 100k miles (for the drivetrain at least - pre 100k will cover everything) at reasonable cost (circa £60 per month) which works well (Audi won't warranty A8s with a barge pole - there's a reason for this!).

Many Thanks for the detailed reply- appreciated

I am looking at a 56/650i Sport and the A8 3.0TDI Quattro- 635d is out of my budget at the moment, Not that many of the newer 650's around so difficult to get one but I am pointing more and more down that route. Yeah you can get a BMW warranty over the 100k mark - bit costly but the others like warranty direct just don't cut it when it comes to the crunch-

The Audi in my mind before this reply was the safer bet but maybe not in fact. I have had a 530d and a 320d both totally different cars but even those were useless in the winter, so good idea on the winter wheels/tyres.

the Audi also feels like more for your bucks- but if honest do I need all that space and all the gadgets- not particularly. got a B class company motor for daily run about which is well specified and economical

probably will change my mind tomorrow but thanks for the advice anyway

c3nturi0n
19-05-2015, 12:47 AM
If you are really after true d3 i would suggest to opt for 4.2TDI instead... So much more refined than 3 litre offering immaculate performance couple with many extras that are relatively challenging to find in 'lesser' engines.

If A8 is not your type i'd suggest A6 3.0tdi or Jaguar xj tdvi (twin turbo diesel).


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devm69
19-05-2015, 08:11 PM
not a lot of 4.2tdi in my price range out there from what i can see. looks like a 3.0tdi is my budget, the 6 series seems to have to many possible issues around oil leaks/ valve stems- all fixable but need a few k on top of the car budget to be sure.

always thought the audi tdi engine was bullet proof- obviously not

c3nturi0n
20-05-2015, 08:39 AM
Engine - yes, electrics around it are with ?... Today's diesels are complex machines and what does indeed add to 'complexity' is Euro regulations to meet CO2 standards etc. and that is something that's issue prone across the board - egr's, vacuum leaks, dpf and the lot.

When you take everything into consideration on a like for like basis with cost to own or run, petrol engines probably make more sense if you will be doing 10k or less per annum. Debate can go on but that's my view :).


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