[Audi A2] Looking to buy an A2 need some advice please

[Ska]

Was the A2 ever made with an Auto or Tip box?

Anything out of the ordinary I should be looking out for when buying one? I wanted to go for a high spec one sat nav etc. but 1.4 engine to save on running costs.

Also has Audi stopped making them? if so when is a replacement due?

Whats the general feeling about owning/driving one?

Not asking much am I?

Cheers

[SamD]

They have indeed stopped making them (I think there are a few 55 reg ones about). The current replacement is the A1 i believe, but that is not due until 2009...

Don't think it was ever made as an automatic, but I could be wrong. Were you looking at the 1.4 petrol or diesel? The 1.4 diesel is riduculously economical.

We are about to buy one for my wife, so obviously I think they are a good ownership prospect

[danksy]

The 1.2Tdi was never imported officially into the UK, but that had a tiptronic box And with extra thin glass and a few other extra weight saving measures was also was good for true 75mpg .

My A2 (1.4Tdi) has averaged 59.2 mpg since I have had it (Over 10,000 miles )

Things to look out for.

1. Chipped/Kerbed wheels (easy to do on an A2)

2. Knocking from front suspension (well known problem, and time consuming to sort out).

3. Vibration from under engine bay (in the worse cases fuel lines may need replacing)

4. Check that the compressor and gunge is in the boot. (Spare wheel was an optional extra)

Watch out for after market wheels, which can turn a hard, but compliant ride into a bone shaker

After 37.5k miles, mine is nice and tight, with no rattles or squeaks .

Generally they are compact cars, but with probably more space in the back than say an A4 . On some models, like mine with the "bench" rear seats, they can be removed entirely for enormous load carry capacity Mine also has the optional spare wheel, and false boot floor. Once these are removed the boot is actually quite large, due to the depth of it

They also drive like a bigger car, and are screwed together like the rest of the audi brand Handling wise, they handle like little go-karts too and can give many cars a run for their money

Heated seats and cruise control are do-able retrofits, as is a MFSW.

For an RNSE retro fit, an A6 unit must be used and cut down to size and currently there is no double-din cage available so you must take care to purchase one with a Symphony head for an easy retro-fit. Also the Gala function has to be tapped into a wire behind the dash

Otherwise it's a case of replacing the whole dash at a cost of >£800

Overall they are cheeky little cars to own, and are still quite rare on the roads. With £50 a year Road Fund Licence and 60mpg achievable day-in-day-out they are frugal, but very fun cars.

I will be very sorry to see the back of mine when it finally goes

[SamD]

[ QUOTE ]

I will be very sorry to see the back of mine when it finally goes

[/ QUOTE ]

I am sure you'll run it to it again at some point

[danksy]

But I'd lose my no claims

[SamD]

perhaps "encounter" would have been a better phrase

[bpsmith]

Do you have one for sale then Danksy?

[s4_sat]

Erm, Check the front wings for damage as the plastic arch can't be changed so the whole wing must be changed which is a bitch to do. The bonnet is another problem, check for any damage or warping as these cost around £250 to replace. The rear arches can be replaced separately. The boot should close easily and shouldn't rattle. The rear screen is expensive to replace so check for damage to the screen and the heater element and the aerial. The climate control panel usually starts to wear due to the surface being rough rather than smooth like other audis. The front droplinks and tiebars can go pretty quickly and the antiroll bar mounts can break, these need to be replaced with the new ones with metal collars instead of the plastic ones. The throttle body needs cleaned every 50k approx and the inlet pressure manifold sensor is also a weak point on the 1.4. Make sure the recall on the fuel filler pipe has been done and the front service flaps opens easily and the filler pipes come out and there are no leaks. I think thats all and if i think of anything else, i'll put it up.

[bpsmith]

Out of interest, where exactly is the aerial on the A2. We have one and getting various different results with using the Griffin FM transmitter with our iPod Nano recently. Hoping that if we place the device nearer to the aerieal then it will improve!?!

[s4_sat]

It's in the rear screen.

[bpsmith]

I thought it was. The two vertical lines splitting the window into three? But signal does not improve when rear passenger holds the iPod. Must look elsewhere now then for ideas?

[s4_sat]

The A2 had a manual gearbox for the 1.4 petrol 75bhp, 1.4TDi 75bhp and 1.6FSi Petrol 110bhp. The 1.2TDi 65bhp had a tiptronic gearbox but is only availabe in LHD and as private import. The standard spec is ok but lacking a few key things. The SE adds a few toys and the Sport has stiffer suspension and DIS. Bose is amazing in the car. The opensky sunroof adds an airiness to the interior. The 1.6 models had a larger rear spoiler and some had the audi bodykit which includes the larger spoiler. The 1.4 had drum brakes at the back and the 1.6 had discs. The front brakes can be a bit grabby but you get used to them. The clutch and the steering are very light and easy to use. The dors can feel very light and tinny but they don't rattle(or shouldn't rattle) The glovebox can be broken easily and is around £130 to replace as the lid can't be replaced by itself. The lighter is by the handbrake so plugging a satnav unit in can be a pain. Anything else?

[s4_sat]

Here's a few facts and tips about A2s

Continental Teves supplies a specially developed version of the Electronic Stability Program for the Audi A2. Based on the current MK 20 generation ESP, the system fitted to the Audi A2 uses largely standardized components; however, the A2's "active wheel speed sensors" represent a new generation of technology. Their compact design makes it possible to integrate the sensor technology into the wheel bearings. The secret: the bearing sealing ring rotating with the wheel is magnetically coded and serves as a pulse generator. The wheel-speed sensor is simply clipped on to the wheel bearing. It scans the coding without coming into contact with the seal and converts the impulses it receives into information on wheel speed until the vehicle comes to a complete standstill. Uwe Mindt, Project Manager for Audi at Continental Teves, points out another strong point of this new generation of technology: "The ESP system also has a built-in failsafe management feature which monitors the status of all the individual components."

As well as the well documented plastic, deformable wings. Did you know that the front upper, internal, black crossmember of the bonnet opening is a composite of recycled plastic and... wait for it... steel.

There are little slots in the C pillar into which you can push the rear seatbelt buckles when not in use.

The Audi space-frame is made from 225 pieces.

The mirrors fold inwards towards the car should you need to park in a tight space.

The chassis number is on a chrome-nickel plate in the space under the front left floor along with the car's "brain."

Only A2s without remote central locking have a doorlock with key on the front passenger door.

A 1.4 petrol engine weighs 90kg, a 1.4 TDi engine weighs 130kg

There is an extra sunvisor above rear view mirror.

Raindrops sound completely different to other cars from inside, because of the aluminuim roof.

Did you know if you have central locking you can have it lock the doors when you go over 10mph you local Audi dealer will set this with his vag-com tool.

On the Concert II headunit, by turning the knob opposite the volume (where you do bass, treble etc) whilst a CD is playing, you can quickly go through tracks (both up and down). Saves proding the button to get to track 10!

There's a hand-hold in the boot lid to help you close the boot so you don't get mucky fingers and finger marks on you or the car.

All TDI's are equipped with an additional heater.

The TDI has a really big accu, of 80AH, so go ahead and help your neighbour getting started.

The standard alloy wheels are not suited for snowchains, you need steel rims for snowchains.

The space behind the front interior light is empty and you can see the roof through it, isolate it and the roof becomes more quite.

Cruise control can be fitted at the garage and is then actually cheaper than factory fitted (maybe only in the Netherlands because of the tax).

There is a lot of room in the front footwells. Enough to install amplifiers or satnav systems.

The climate control has memory settings dependent on which key is used. Audi radio's have this too. Use the other key and you can store different settings.

Because of the shape of the rear window, all cars that drive behind me look like A2s

People actually stop and stare at the car - and I get funny reactions at gas stations, like "What? Is that small car a diesel!"

Although it's small on the outside - it feels and drives like a bigger car.

Some A2s have a radio controlled clock that sets itself automatically.

Some of the A2 radios can be setup to automatically record Traffic Announcements at preset times each day.

If you unlock the car with the remote, but don't open any doors within about 1 minute, the car automaticaly locks itself!

If you keep the unlock/lock button pressed on the remote the windows automatically open/close.

The knop to open the flap to the fueltank is only active when the door is open. When the door is closed the lights are off and the button doesn't function.

When you've parked your car and switched the lights off, put the indicator on i.e. as if you were going to go left or right, and it leaves the side lights on at the side the indicator is set to (comes under parking light in the owners manual).

DIS generates and alert if you drive longer then 2 hours. When the car is stopped with the ignition off for 15 minutes then DIS starts resets its counter. If you stop shorter DIS doesn't count that as a break. This is to reduce drivers fatigue.

The back seat is 19 kilos lighter than the normal backseat. The 3l car is about 135 kilos lighter than the 1.4 TDI. The Engine alone weighs about 100 kilos

A TDi has:

- a heater for the diesel fuel and a cooler for the diesel fuel;

- a heater for the diesel engine and a cooler for the engine (radiator);

- a cooler for the compressed air going into the engine (intercooler);

- a heater for the interior and an optional cooler for the interior (climate control);

- a cooler for the engine oil; and

- even a cooler for the heater for the air that goes into the engine.

The A2 1.2 TDI is produced in two models. A 3l model and the 1.2 TDi model. If you order the standard 1.2 TDi model, extra equitment can be ordered from the factory: aircon, heated jets, and split rear seats. But the 3l model is only fited with the absolute minimum for optimised fuel economy. Therfore the electrical heater is not included on this model to actually save fuel. In Denmark, the only two 3l cars, the Lupo and the A2 3l, are almost free of tax. Each year I only pay 21 euro in car-tax because the car is a 3l car. A standard car cost normaly 550 euro per year. The only thing that you can order to the 3l model from the factory in the Danish Audi Catalogue is painted sidemirrors. But if you by the 1.4 petrol or diesel you can buy a lot of equitment like in other countries.

When you start your car the DIS display tells you to step on the brake, while selecting gear in German, but this can be changed to English at your dealer. He also told me that the in-accurate speedo can be changed so it is more accruate. The amount of inaccuracy differs from which country the car is delivered. This is not confirmed. In my Audi the speedo shows about 5 % wrong. At 180 km/h the real speed 172 meassured by a GPS module for my laptop.

Some cars have a heater for the water in the screen washers and mirrors.

The engine of a TDi breathes in pressurised air. The pressure is the same as in the front tyres.

It is not recommended to let the TDI engine idle for extended periods of time. Aside from wasting fuel, causing unnecessary emissions, and not accomplishing anything (the engine won't warm up at idle anyway), the turbocharger depends on having a certain minimum level of boost pressure to maintain the condition of the seals. Extended periods of idling may cause a certain amount of oil consumption, and the oil consumption may clog the catalytic converter. Some owners who have let their engine idle for a long time report the engine running poorly for some time afterward. And no, you don't need to worry about what's going to happen if you get stuck in a traffic jam now and again, it's not THAT serious. Just don't start the engine 20 minutes before you want to leave in the morning every day, in the false hope of having a warm interior... (found on http://www.tdiclub.com)

For those of you with an Audi Symphony head unit here is a great little trick to get the optimum sound settings:

- Set all sound values to the centre: bass, mid

- Turn the head unit off.

- Press and hold button number "5" and turn the unit back on.

- 8 numbers should come up:

1 represents the front speaker bass

2 represents the front speaker middle

3 represents the front speaker trebble

4 represents the front speaker dunno (can't tell the difference)

5 represents the rear speaker bass

6 represents the rear speaker middle

7 represents the rear speaker trebble

8 represents the rear speaker dunno (can't tell the difference)

- To change the value, turn the volume dial and to move to the next number press TP/AS (it's one of them i can't remember off hand)

- Turn the unit off and back on again. Tada!!!

- I've set mine to 64555588

- And the regular bass to one notch past centre with the trebble 2-3 past centre. Sounds fab.

To changing degree temperature display, press and hold the recirculation button. Then press the temperature up ("+") button to switch between degrees Celsius & Fahrenheit on the climate control temperature and instrument panel outside temperature displays.

To accessing on-board diagnostic codes:

- Press and hold the recirculation button. Then press the manual flow control up arrow. You should see a 1c. Press the temperature up ("+") or down ("-") buttons to select a code number. Then press the recirculation button again. The value should display. Press the temperature up or down button again to display another code.

NOTE: Air Flow Motor (V 71) and Potentiometer (G 113) are not installed in USA/Canada vehicles. Disregard values displayed for these components.

Code Displayed Value:

1 System malfunction - displayed as a Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC), see chart below

2 Digital value of Interior Temperature Sensor, in Headliner (G 86)

3 Digital value of Interior Temperature Sensor, in Instrument Panel (G 56)

4 Digital value of Fresh Air Intake Duct Temperature Sensor (G 89)

5 Digital value of Outside Air (Ambient) Temperature Sensor (G 17), front

6 Digital value of Outside Air (Ambient) Temperature Sensor

7 Digital value of Ambient Temperature Sensor At Fresh Air Blower (G 109)

8 Digital value of Temperature Regulator Flap Motor Potentiometer (G 92)

9 Delta value of Temperature Regulator Flap

10 Non-corrected specified value of Temperature Regulator Flap

11 Digital value of Central Flap Motor Potentiometer (G 112)

12 Specified value of Central Flap

13 Digital value of Footwell/Defroster Flap Motor Potentiometer (G 114)

14 Specified value of Footwell/Defroster Flap

15 Digital value of Air Flow Flap Motor Potentiometer (G 113)

16 Specified value of Air Flow Flap

17 Vehicle Speed (km/h)

18 Actual Air Blower voltage (Volts)

19 Specified Fresh Air Blower voltage (Volts)

20 A/C Compressor (A/C Clutch) voltage (Volts)

21 Number of low voltage occurrences, non-transient

22 Cycle condition of A/C Refrigerant High Pressure Switch (F 118)

23 Cyclings of the A/C Refrigerant High Pressure Switch (F 118)

24 Cyclings of the switches, absolute non-fluctuating

25 Analog/Digital value, Kick-Down Switch

26 Analog/Digital value, Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) Warning Light

27 Coding value

28 Engine Speed (RPM)

29 A/C Compressor speed in rpm (Equals Engine Speed x 1.28)

30 Software version

31 Display check (all segments of A/C Control Head display light up)

32 Potentiometer malfunction counter, Temperature Regulator Flap

33 Potentiometer malfunction counter, Central Flap

34 Potentiometer malfunction counter, Footwell/Defroster Flap

35 Potentiometer malfunction counter, Air Flow Map

36 Feedback value, cold end-stop, Temperature Regulator Flap Motor Potentiometer (G 92)

37 Feedback value, hot end-stop, Temperature Regulator Flap Motor Potentiometer (G 92), max. stop

38 Feedback value, cold end-stop, Central Flap Motor Potentiometer (G 112)

39 Feedback value, hot end-stop, Central Flap Motor Potentiometer (G 112)

40 Feedback value, cold end-stop, Footwell/Defroster Flap Motor Potentiometer (G114)

41 Feedback value, hot end-stop, Footwell/Defroster Flap Motor Potentiometer (G114)

42 Feedback value, cold end-stop, Air Flow Map Motor Potentiometer (G 113)

43 Feedback value, hot end-stop, Air Flow Map Motor Potentiometer (G 113)

44 Vehicle operation cycle counter

45 Calculated interior temperature (internal software, in digits)

46 Outside (ambient) temperature, filtered, for regulation (internal software)

47 Outside (ambient) temperature, unfiltered, (internal software, in deg C)

48 Outside (ambient) temperature, unfiltered, (in digits)

49 Malfunction counter for speedometer (vehicle speed) signal

50 Standing time (in minutes)

51 Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) in deg C

52 Graphics channel 1 - A/C compressor switch-off conditions are identified by illuminated segments of the “88.8” display. See chart below.

53 Graphics channel 2 - Climate system electrical outputs are identified by illuminated segments of the “88.8” display. See chart below.

54 Control characteristics

55 Outside (ambient) temperature, in deg C or deg F depending on setting on A/C control head

56 Temperature in deg C, from Interior Temperature Sensor, in Headliner (G 86)

57 Temperature in deg C, from Interior Temperature Sensor, in Instrument Panel (G 56)

58 Temperature in deg C, from Fresh Air Intake Duct Temperature Sensor (G 89)

59 Temperature in deg C, from Outside Air (Ambient) Temperature Sensor (G 17), front

60 Temperature in deg C, from Ambient Temperature Sensor At Fresh Air Blower (G 109)

Digital speedo readout:

Here a trick to display the speedometer on the Audi Concert 2 (>08/2000).

- Switch off the radio. Push and hold the "1" button then switch on.

- Push 7 times on the "Tone" button to get the speedometer.

- To reset just switch off the radio.

[Ska]

Wow thanks for the advice guys and then some

I've got to weigh up a few things before I commit to anything I.e convince the Mrs to learn how to drive a manual and not an auto

[s4_sat]

Sorry I couldn't have been more helpful. Bit busy at work.

[s4_sat]

[ QUOTE ]

I thought it was. The two vertical lines splitting the window into three? But signal does not improve when rear passenger holds the iPod. Must look elsewhere now then for ideas?

[/ QUOTE ]

By the way, there's 7 aerials in the car for the different stereo configurations available. depending on the car, your aerial could be almost anywhere.

[lenny007]

Hmm, this must be catching.

Just bought the missus a 1.6 FSI SE last night!!!

04 plate - 21000miles on the clock. Excellent condition.

Cracking little motor - just right to join the A3 2.0 TDI S-Line DSG i've got.

[crasher]

I'll chip in something for the longevity here.

APS run a 1.4tdi A2 as their courtesy car. When i had it a couple of weeks ago, it had 113,000 on the clock, and was still a superb drive.

I'm very impressed with them, and may well consider getting one as a town run-around.

[Atomic]

Ska, only advice I have after test driving one last march (and subsiquently walking away) is check the practicality of the rear seats.

Imo if you are happy to have 2 passengers in the rear and accept that, it's fine. If you expect to have 3, even very rarely I ask you to sit with the wife in the back and check how much room is left.

They fit an optional bench seat with a 3rd belt, which for the life of me I could not see how it could possible be used in reality.

As for ride, noise etc., I have to say when I compared the car (it was a £12k audi dealer car, cant remember the age) against a modern replacement it certainly showed it's age and I would almost certainly from the experience I had say it felt a generation behind.

Overall I felt it was a good car, just a little impractical for our needs as a second car (with 2 kids and the subsequent other brats that go with them at times).

In the end we got a new A150, new for about £2k more. It's been fine so far and has the extra little bit of space that we needed.

[bpsmith]

I tried the A class Merc's before I got the A2 for the missus and just did not like it. Just toally preferred the style and ride of the A2 for some reason? Sometimes you just like something and cant explain it? Nice motor though, the A class!

[SINGH]

Having experience with the A2 and A Class, I would certainly choose the A2 over the first generation A Class, the main reason being quality.

The A2 feels just as solid as any other Audi I've been in whereas the A Class felt very cheap and plastic!

However the new A Class is greatly improved, much better quality and drives better, this over the A2 would be a harder choice, I think I'd probably opt for an A150 or such with at least elegance trim

Hope This Helps!

[noodlefreak]

hi, you mentioned retrofit heated seats. I just got a a2 1.4tdi with leather seats. would be quite keen on getting heated installed. any tips/links on how to do it. an idiots guide would be good.

[shao_khan]

There should be a how to guide on A2oc.net

[cashy16]

Hi I am also thinking of getting one, what are the tdi ones like when there coming up to 80/90k miles? Are they like all the other audi/vw diesel engines and fine if they have service history?

I will be doing mainly motorway miles.?

ANY ADVICE please

Cheers

[shao_khan]

Hi welcome to TSN

A2oc.net is the best resource you can find for advice - very good site with a lot of knowledgable folks from the UK and Europe.