A8 3.0 tdi pro's & cons !

[GRM707]

Hi All,im thinking of replacing my trusty BMW 530D with a 2005 A8 3.0 tdi ,i have heard some horror stories about gearbox problems,does anybody have any experience of this or would like to offer any buying advice,or realistic mpg figures etc.Many thanks.

[guv.c]

get the facelift model, single grill. >2005 ... mpg on those engines are 33 for combined cycle. 40+ for long motorways. gearbox should be nice and smooth when changing down, no clunks. Buy one with all the gadgets, more fun, and hold value better... full comfort seats is a must. Test all electronics...

100k diesels should be fine as long as they have been serviced regularly. engine has a timing chain which sometimes sounds rattely when cold.

good luck in your search.

[drpellypo]

Why would you change from a 5 series BMW to an Audi? As much as I'm an Audi fan, the BMW IMO is somewhat superior.

[GRM707]

Love my 530D it still is a superb car,but i want a vehicle i can tow my rib with but i dont really want a 4x4 as such,an A8 will do the job nicely.has anybody got any thoughts on the 4.0 tdi engine ie fuel economy and reliability ?

[a8 tech]

d3 a8 is superior to the 5 and there are no major gearbox issues with the zf box, in fact its the most reliable auto box audi have ever used and very few problems

d3 downfalls

air suspension compressor fails because the 30 supply relay bridges and runs the pump to destruction (just replace the relay straight away £30)
mmi 2g hands free control unit can fail and cd changer
right bank camshaft chain and tensioner, this gives you plenty of warnings as it will rattle for 10 seconds from cold start
keyless entry door handles fail and the kessy control unit can fail so make sure the keyless entry works as intended
mmi display screen motor fails
inlet manifold tumblers collapse
intake manifold motors fail
rear electric handbrake motors fail
electric boot opening/closing motor can fail and the boot hinges should be checked for free movement as they cause the motor to slip and eventual fail
check the boot closes and stays closed as they pop back up when there starting to falter

just some common issues on early d3 a8

the issues with the zf box are few and far between but in general there the valve chest and repairable, i would advise the ecu flash update with modified gear oil change.

[Mad mike]

Well having moved from two 530d Bms to an A4 Avant multitronic then suffered a gearbox failure two months later I would say any manufacturer who can Market a car with such a serious design flaw you should stay well clear of ( the gearbox problems are well documented)

I know you are looking at an A8, but it's the principal for me that illustrates the Audi company ethos!



[Guest 2]

The 3.0tdi is a quattro so it will have a Tiptronic box. As A8 says, they are one of the most reliable boxes Audi make.

Multitronics are only fitted to FWD cars. In the A8 you can get a 2.8(?) and a 3.2(?) FWD variant. I think.

[Wolves A8]

Love the car but my A8's gearbox started to deteriorate with only c.23k miles on the clock! Was less than 3 years old, too.

If you get an external warranty it should allay any fears of horrific replacement costs (nearly £5k was quoted to me).

Biggest problems are with the computer or air suspension failure. Other than that they're generally very reliable as long as serviced properly.

[discojim]

Love the car but my A8's gearbox started to deteriorate with only c.23k miles on the clock! Was less than 3 years old, too.

If you get an external warranty it should allay any fears of horrific replacement costs (nearly £5k was quoted to me).

Biggest problems are with the computer or air suspension failure. Other than that they're generally very reliable as long as serviced properly.

was yours the Quattro transmission or the multitronic one....

[Wolves A8]

Quattro tiptronic

[tonywilliams]

has anybody got any thoughts on the 4.0 tdi engine ie fuel economy and reliability ?

I've had mine for about 6 months and love it. Going to work and back (3 miles) I average 20-22 mpg but the engine doesn't have time to warm up, round town about 25-30mpg and on a long motorway run at 70-80mph (speed depending on speedlimit of country I'm in at the time of course) I average 40-43mpg. Not at all bad for a 2 tonne car.

The only problem I've had is the battery was showing a low capacity\charge, after replacing the battery and doing a proper capacity and condition check on the old battery on the bench it seems that the battery meter needed resetting as the old battery was good, I've since found out that the battery meters are inaccurate and Audi disabled them in later cars.

[guv.c]

The only problem I've had is the battery was showing a low capacity\charge, after replacing the battery and doing a proper capacity and condition check on the old battery on the bench it seems that the battery meter needed resetting as the old battery was good, I've since found out that the battery meters are inaccurate and Audi disabled them in later cars.

Had the same problem... upgrade the mmi software... there are 3 CD's that you need. It turns off the silly battery meter. If its not there, you don't worry about it! You may need to reset the battery module too.