Audi 80

[oldbutnotdead]

Hello people, Mark here, the fun loving OAP. Just today I bought a 1994 Audi 80 1.9 TDI Estate in mint condition for a steal. I already have a 1994 Peugeot 405 1.9TD which is running great but you can't have too many diesels, right? It has 190,000 miles on the clock and just passed an MOT on Friday with one advisory for the N/S suspension bushing being "deteriorated". There is no clunking so I presume it just looks dried up and they wrote it down. I'm not going to bother about it until it makes a noise or the suspension falls off, whichever happens first! The engine runs like a dream and on the dual carriage way drop her into 4th with the foot to the floor and she has some give despite nearing 200K. One thing I'll be doing soon is changing the oil and filter as the last change was at 185K and I usually change my oil at 3K-3.5K intervals, so 5K is far too much for me! It doesn't have a tow hitch but I don't think I'll bother fitting one because the aforementioned Pug has one fitted and I'd rather keep the Audi in the mint condition it is in, I.E. Not lugging trailers around.

[zollaf]

welcome to the forum. nice to see another 80 avant owner, although yours has far too few miles on the clock

[oldbutnotdead]

welcome to the forum. nice to see another 80 avant owner, although yours has far too few miles on the clock

Don't worry, it'll have plenty in no time the amount I drive. I bought my 405 brand new in 1994 and it now has 355,000 miles on the clock. Still going strong thanks to warming it up for 10 minutes prior to driving and 3,000 mile oil changes.

[zollaf]

cool, i like it when people look after their cars and treat them well.

[oldbutnotdead]

cool, i like it when people look after their cars and treat them well.

That's the best way. Though I hate it when people smother their cars with love, like never revving past 3,000RPM and driving at 55 in the motorway... I love my cars and give them regular maintenance but am never hesitant to rev up to the governor or go down the motorway like a bat out of hell. Diesels need a good thrash every now and then, by not doing it, you are actually clogging them up and doing more harm than good. The amount of diesels I saw coming into my garage due to power loss and failing emissions tests would amaze you. In almost every case all I needed to do was take them for a 20 mile drive with the engine screaming and hey presto, engine runs like new again.

[zollaf]

yep, totally agree. mine get loved but also driven like i stole them, but not all the time.

[oldbutnotdead]

yep, totally agree. mine get loved but also driven like i stole them, but not all the time.

Indeed. You have to get the right balance too, when I told the aforementioned people that they needed to drive more vigerously sometimes, they would end up doing more harm than good due to thrashing a stone cold engine for example. As I said, I always let my diesels warm up on tick-over for 10 minutes, 20 if it is winter and snowing. I once let my 405 warm up for longer than I wanted, but that's a long story, basically I started it up, went back inside and forgot I had it running. Only realised when I heard "somebodies" car running outside my house 2 hours later. Poor cooling fan, spinning like crazy!

[zollaf]

lol. easily done i suppose, at least it would have got the inside nice n' warm.
its the same people though that turn an engine off after a run without letting the turbo cool down.
i usually drive mine pretty well straight after starting it, but drive very gently until shes warm, and always give her time to cool the turbo after a run. usually the last mile before home will be driven gently, then a minute ticking over or so.

[oldbutnotdead]

You know, that is one thing I've never done. I replaced the seals in my 405's Turbo a couple of years ago but apart from that it is still working fine after all those miles and no cool down.