couple of S8 pre-purchase questions
 

Encountered a few things on a second viewing yesterday that I wasn't sure about, hoping folks may have seen these bits before.

2002/02 D2 S8


boot release switch (drivers door trim) not working - assuming switch or poss fuse having searched on here

Bootlid was not completely straight i.e. it was 2-3mm higher for the left panel gap than the right ( where the bootlid joins the rear arches near the rear screen)- is this something that can be adjusted easily ? No evidence of accident damage - it just looked a bit pi55ed.

rear numberplate surround trim loose - assume clips broken or similar ?

didn't have the original Audi windscreen, spec says with shadeband but this one wasn't marked with the Audi rings and no band. Are OEM screens silly money ?

scuttle and wheel arch drains needed unblocking - have seen the guides on how to do this.

when I used the interior lock/unlock switch in the drivers door, from rear-left of car there was what seemed to be a compressor-type sound lasting about 5-10 seconds after pressing Unlock. Didn't do it after lock. It did sound a bit odd going on for so long - any suggestions on what this could be ? Something powering actuators or similar ?

corrosion on silver trims - does something like Autosol metal polish or the Megs equivalent get this back to health or once they have started corroding that is the end of them ? I'd expect this to happen on an 11yo car but would be nice if I can provide a bit of TLC to make an improvement.


thanks +++

What year S8 is it?
The central locking is vacuum-actuated, so the noise could be a leaky pipe or actuator.
Shut lines are always tight and straight on A8's. The boot I think has some adjusters but I'd be looking at the hinges as well. It's not a powered boot lid is it (don't think that was available on D2 anyway)?

have updated above for year +++

I thought maybe boot hinge but seemed odd that is was so noticeable. You can trace the height difference all the way from the rear screen edge to the rear bumper, it's only a few mm but looks very odd. Slight (careful) pressure by hand evens it all up.

If the switch is faulty for boot release (easy enough to test by pulling it out and shorting the necessary connections) they're available for peanuts new - about 6 euros from Audi in Germany. Not sure what the UK dealer price is?

Could be the actuator in the boot of course. Does the button on the remote fob work to open the boot (need to press and hold for a few seconds)?

Windscreen sounds like a cheap insurance replacement where the previous owner hasn't noticed it didn't even have the top band. It should do and new screens are apparently tricky to do right if you have exacting standards. Mine has been replaced in the past but seems OK

Haven't bothered checking from inside as I rarely use that button and have auto-lock on, but from the outside I can hear the pump going in that area for maybe 4 or 5 seconds on both lock and unlock.
Probably OK but a VCDS scan will likely throw up an error if there is a leak.

>> corrosion on silver trims

Polishing won't help.

>> didn't have the original Audi windscreen, spec says with shadeband but this one wasn't marked with the Audi rings and no band. Are OEM screens silly money ?

That's a pity. Check for corrosion around windscreen surround trim. I would walk away if corrosion is there.

>> when I used the interior lock/unlock switch in the drivers door, from rear-left of care there was what seemed to be a compressor-type sound lasting about 5-10 seconds after pressing Unlock. Didn't do it after lock. It did sound a bit odd going on for so long - any suggestions on what this could be ? Something powering actuators or similar ?

Leak in vacuum system. Can be difficult to fix, but doable.


Based on what you write is seems to be relatively tired example with owner who didn't car too much. It all depends on your priorities. You can find better car but it takes time. If you don't care too much about cars then buy it. If you think seriously about restoring that car to proper condition it is worth checking for better example.

thanks - actually the rest of the car is pretty decent for the mileage and price point, full mechanical check next week but it took me 2 visits and a few hours to find that list of things.

130k miles - Most of the paint is decent, front stone chips tidied up reasonably well, leather interior very good and will restore to that of a 60k miler, everything in terms of visible engine components very clean and no serious leaks that I can see. Suspension silent, gearbox smooth, pulls very well. Auto box was replaced 2 years ago, brakes recently done, wheels all good, all other exterior trim good, some minor trim issues inside but it's 11 years old after all ....

why do you say walk away if the windscreen trim has corrosion ? I read a few threads about this being quite common and a failing of the manufacturer part rather than anything more sinister ?

If we're talking <£500 to sort out relatively minor issues, it's not a problem given the history provided with the car. If the mechanical check comes back with unforeseen major points and e.g. the compressor/vacuum ends up troublesome then you're right but I wouldn't say it's a clunker, far from it.

He meant corrosion to the body around windscreen, not the trim itself. Most of the quick and cheap windscreen fitters does not use proper primers and adhesives to save on time and cost and just use cheap primerless one component adhesive. This can result in corrosion if paintwork under glue was damaged removing old windscreen.

Think what Notorious is suggesting is if the screen was badly fitted and they didn't prep the area when the screen was out there may be corrosion appearing around the screen surround, rather than just the trim bit

>> why do you say walk away if the windscreen trim has corrosion ? I read a few threads about this being quite common and a failing of the manufacturer part rather than anything more sinister ?

Sorry, I meant corrosion from under the windscreen trim. And fixing the one that comes from under windscreen is a tough job. Windscreen out, paint pinchweld, glue windscreen again.