Potential S8 Owner

[Sandy84]

Hello all,

First of all I would just like to say that is a great site, with lots of great info!!

After a lot of thought and consideration, and reading some great posts on here, I have decided to buy myself an Audi S8 (D2).

The last couple of years I have been driving various BMW’s, and I have now decided that it is time for a change and the S8 is the one for me.

I have used the forum to do a bit of research and what to look out for ect.

However I was hoping for your guys opinions on a certain S8 I have seen.

It is a 1999 facelift Silver S8.

Has all the toys; Sat Nav, Tv, Heated electric Recaros, Steering wheel tiptronic ect.

I have been to see it and it looks good, has a few marks on the bodywork, a scrape on the rear arch and the alloys have seen better days. But otherwise it’s ok.

It also drives straight, with plenty of power to boot and it seemed to change through the gears fine.

I also noticed that it had a tow bar fitted to it.

However it has done 170,000 miles, it has Audi service history but the majority is an independent garage and its last Cambelt change was at 85,000 miles and the last service stamp was at 150,000 miles.

The used car dealer has said he took it as part exchange and will let it go for £3500.

My main concern is the mileage and just wanted to hear your thoughts on this.

Should I grab myself a bargain or walk away??

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Sandy

[PsYcHe]

If the gearbox is OK, then the engine should be solid..

My concern would be cambelt... and recent service history.

[Sandy84]

Thanks.

I think i will take it for another test drive and do a bit more research into its history.

[reza_q]

I think rather than buying a car on 170K you would be better buying mine for 5K. Its an ex Audi UK car with 76K on the clock and a full Audi only service history. I have spent a fortune on it, including brand new 20" BBS CK wheels and tyres.

They do not come better! Walk away from the 170K one, and buy mine with major service/cambelt service/gearbox service completed within the last 1500 miles.

PM for details if interested! HUGE spec aswell, oh and it's silver like the one you have seen!

[trikezx6r]

Get the dealer to sort the cambelt service before you buy.

I bought my D2 S8 14 months ago. It had 50k on it and the guy i bought it from was willing to knock off the price of the cambelt service if i took it as is. Thats fine but if it goes on the way home you have to pay for the damage done.

I didn't risk it on a 50k car so i wouldn't risk it on a 170k car if i was you

[Sandy84]

Thanks all for the advise.

I think i am going to walk away from that one, and keep an eye out for an S8 with lower miles.

[Alf Tupper]

That's a wise move Sandy84, as 85k since cambelt change and 20k since last service sounds as if last owner skimped on maintenance. Could be a risky move buying this car as there's probably lots of other stuff that hasn't been attended to either.

Finding a D2 S8s with less miles and detailed history for a few thousand more shouldn't be a problem.

[SINGH]

What's your budget Sandy? Are you after a facelift as there is a nice looking and specc'd PF S8 on Pistonheads with history of a box rebuild for £3kish. Looks like its got solar, exteneded leather, alcantra yada yada

[sutherland]

That's a wise move Sandy84, as 85k since cambelt change and 20k since last service sounds as if last owner skimped on maintenance. Could be a risky move buying this car as there's probably lots of other stuff that hasn't been attended to either.

That's a rash conclusion. The timing belts don't have some kind of self-destruct mechanism that operates at 80,001 miles. Many perfectly sensible owners will leave it until the next service, which could be at 85k or whatever if the car has had more services than required. I'd be more interested to make sure that tensioners etc were also done.

And how is not having had a service done since within 20k miles, which is the service interval anyway, skimping on maintenance?

Even so, I'm not recommending you buy it--I haven't seen it--but I'd see such a things not as reason to walk away, but as an opportunity to negotiate and do things properly yourself. Whatever you do, don't let some car trader have the timing belt changed for you.

[SINGH]

That's a rash conclusion. The timing belts don't have some kind of self-destruct mechanism that operates at 80,001 miles. Many perfectly sensible owners will leave it until the next service, which could be at 85k or whatever if the car has had more services than required. I'd be more interested to make sure that tensioners etc were also done.

And how is not having had a service done since within 20k miles, which is the service interval anyway, skimping on maintenance?

Even so, I'm not recommending you buy it--I haven't seen it--but I'd see such a things not as reason to walk away, but as an opportunity to negotiate and do things properly yourself. Whatever you do, don't let some car trader have the timing belt changed for you.

[Alf Tupper]

That's a rash conclusion. The timing belts don't have some kind of self-destruct mechanism that operates at 80,001 miles. Many perfectly sensible owners will leave it until the next service, which could be at 85k or whatever if the car has had more services than required. I'd be more interested to make sure that tensioners etc were also done.

And how is not having had a service done since within 20k miles, which is the service interval anyway, skimping on maintenance?

Even so, I'm not recommending you buy it--I haven't seen it--but I'd see such a things not as reason to walk away, but as an opportunity to negotiate and do things properly yourself. Whatever you do, don't let some car trader have the timing belt changed for you.

I wrongly thought that the service interval was 10k miles. Even if the interval was 10k miles, so what if the next service is overdue? Which it's not of course. And so what if the belt was replaced 5k miles later than recommended? Doesn't mean the car hasn't been looked after.

So yes, a rash conclusion and a rather daft post by myself....

[Sandy84]

Hi all,

I thought I give everyone a quick update. After looking around at a few other S8. I by chance had a look at a 2001 A8 3.7 Quattro Sport and what can I say… it was amazing!!!

It has plenty of power and it has all the toys, Navigation plus, TV, xenon’s, Electric heated Recaro’s , BOSE and the list is endless.

Also it had a very caring owner, with full Audi History and had just had its long life service a few months back.

I was very happy with it, that I ended up buying it.

As soon as I get it polished up, I will get some pics for you all.

I do have one question though. When the navigation plus is active giving route guidance, can you not also listen to your music at the same time.

For some reason last night I could only have the navigation directing me and no music. But if I turned the navigation off, then I could listen to the music?

Cheers Guys.

Sandy