In the market for an A2

J

Jonty

Member
Hi all,

Looking to buy an A2 to reduce family fuel costs.

Undecided between petrol 1.6 or diesel 1.4 and have a few questions hoping experienced members can help with as I'm looking at cars now:

1) How much does a garage charge roughly;y for a cam belt change (should be every 80k, right?)
2) Engine management light (the yellow outline of engine - EMC?) is on, is that an expensive exhaust manifold job?
3) Petrol cap opening button isn't working (there is another button next to it, i'm guessing to disable alarm for movement in car, don't think thats working either) any idea how easy/expensive this is to fix?
4) scratches in paintwork, can they be sorted by a regular bodyshop or is there anything special needed to repaid pain scratch due to aluminium?
5) cruise control not working, is that a big one to fix?
6) I love the look of standard audi wheels, but are they prone to bending?
7) Any idea of cost of exhausts?
8) I've seen talk of remapping, what benefit does this give and is it applicable to petrol and diesel?

Thanks in advance for any advice, i'm a long term Audi Cabriolet owner but A2 is completely new for me, thought I'd ask the experts!
 
Hi Jonty

1) How much does a garage charge roughly;y for a cam belt change (should be every 80k, right?) TDI is about £250, FSI £180
2) Engine management light (the yellow outline of engine - EMC?) is on, is that an expensive exhaust manifold job? Cannot say without a scan.
3) Petrol cap opening button isn't working (there is another button next to it, i'm guessing to disable alarm for movement in car, don't think thats working either) any idea how easy/expensive this is to fix? Cheap to fix, buttons are less than £20 each new.
4) scratches in paintwork, can they be sorted by a regular bodyshop or is there anything special needed to repaid pain scratch due to aluminium? Nope, standard body shop will have no issues.
5) cruise control not working, is that a big one to fix? Depends on why but our electrics man Timmus can fix it
6) I love the look of standard audi wheels, but are they prone to bending? The 17 inch sport wheels do buckle easily but there are many options from the Audi range that fit.
7) Any idea of cost of exhausts? Haven't looked sorry.
8) I've seen talk of remapping, what benefit does this give and is it applicable to petrol and diesel? No benefit to mapping a petrol unless it has a turbo but massive benefits to doing it to a TDI. Increase in power and mpg.

I'm a TDI advocate myself but a nice FSI is a pleasure to drive.

Our long standing member Steve Birchall has this one for sale and if I was in the market would be snapping it up.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/173192950124
 
Thanks for quick reply Steve. The car is going to be a bit of a workhorse (I run a tennis club), I think Steve's car would be wasted on me with those red leather seats!

Who is Timmus?

The scan is....checking some fault codes?

With the petrol cap buttons, should you feel it depress, or is it just touch sensitive, am wondering if its the button or some wiring you see.
 
Hi Jonty and welcome to THE best Audi forum on the internet.
All of the available engine options of the A2 have their pros and cons. For economy a 1.2l diesel (if you can find one in the UK) is best. But any 1.4 diesel will give admirable economy between 60 and 70 mpg in the real world if driven sensibly. The 1.6 FSI is/was cutting edge technology developed from Audi’s participation in the Le Mans 24 hour race and was in its first generation in early A2’s so hadn’t yet had the benefit of many years of improvement and further advancement that Audi engineers always love to do to their cars.
With an A2 you have loads of choice in the level of equipment you may require either factory or retro-fitted, Parts are readily available and mostly reasonable in price there’s so much scope for personalisation in such a little car.
So do get an A2 any A2 you will love it ?.

Others will be along very soon to offer their opinions to guide you on your own A2 journey.
All the best,
Drew.
 
timmus = Tom our resident A2 Electric guru, based in Lancaster, but often seen on A2 retrofitting tours around the country
Scan = fault scan using the OBDII port, ideally using VAGCOM software, many member will offer you this either free of charge or at a very small cost
The fuel unlock button is not always to blame, does the interior light come on when you open the drivers door, if not then car does not recognise the drivers door is open and therefore will not allow the fuel flap to open
This can be solder joint or micro switch related on the drivers door lock
 
Hi Jonty, there are a few members around your area (I am sure someone is in Rickmansworth), am I sure if you were free with drinks and biccies that someone may be able to show you their A2 and talk about the pros and cons in person.
 
Cheers chaps, I loved audi fans.net as a forum, helped me keep my cab going for so long, forums are essential for those that love their breed of car.

I cant remember if lights come on, just that pressing fuel and other switch there was no movement or feel in them.

I live near Rickmansworth and work in Hendon if anyone nearby?
 
Hi Jonty, I'm in Rickmansworth, if you'd like me to come along to have a look happy to help if i can. The petrol flap switch not opening is an extremely common fault that is from my experience very often caused by the microswitch in the drivers door not working which produces no lights on when you open the drivers door and no mileage and date info on the dash.

Out of the 2 cars you mention, if your using the car for just local runs a diesel takes far too long to warm up so i would choose the 1.6 fsi. We have a 1.4 petrol for all our local runs for that reason but have just bought a 1.6fsi long story.

Happy to help just message me. Cheers Mark.
 
Jonty said:
Cheers chaps, I loved audi fans.net as a forum, helped me keep my cab going for so long, forums are essential for those that love their breed of car.

I cant remember if lights come on, just that pressing fuel and other switch there was no movement or feel in them.

I live near Rickmansworth and work in Hendon if anyone nearby?
Click to expand...
Both switches depress from their flush position.
 
Hi Jonty,

Welcome.

I am slightly perplexed by your first post. You start by asking the general question 'Which model of A2 do I buy?', and then go on with a list of quite specific questions as though you have bought/viewed a car which prompts these questions. If this is the case it would help if you supplied the model, mileage, price and comment on FSH - I am betting 1.6 FSI at 110k at £800!!!!! Advice depends so much on the model.

On cambelt job cost I have to point out A2Steve lives South Wales and his estimates will probably be less than London prices - Steve Birchall is the best person to comment for your area and I am sure he will be quite happy to pass on contact details for his trusted mechanic.

Andy
 
Andy, haven't bought anything yet, but am looking at a couple of cars and these specific points came up, plus 4, 6 and 8 which I've been thinking of.

For a bit more context, although I'm up to 225k miles in my petrol audi cabriolet, I'm trying to look at lower mileage rather than 170k examples and either the 1.4 diesel of 1.6 psi for best mix of fuel economy and power.

I do a 28 mile roundtrip each day with 20 of those miles on decent motorway i.e. can cruise the whole way, and in an additional 2 trips of 40 miles of motorway each week I thought the better fuel consumption of the diesel would make more of a difference for me (currently using 1.9 TDI galaxy which at very very best gives 39mpg for these journeys).
 
From memory, switches didnt depress at all, have to check with owner if lights come on to see if microswitch issue as well, thanks for info!
 
In the the first sentence of your first post you cite desire for reduced fuel costs. With the further clarification of your weekly mileage it is a no brainier; 1.4 TDI all the way (that's coming from a FSI owner!). Far enough for the TDI to "settle down" and I read reports that the TDI is wonderfully quiet at 70mph on motorways (but obviously tyre brands come into it). TDI 60mpg seems common, I would get just over 40mpg.

The TDI fans on here would say 125k mileage is nothing for a TDI with plenty of life remaining.

Hope this helps. - Andy
 
Last edited:
Just to add to the above, my main TDI daily has 205k this morning, and growing at a rate of ~300 - 400 per week - I've just had it serviced and it works just great. I have just bought one with 160k on the clock with no qualms whatsoever about a drive of 100+ miles to bring it home.
 
Just struck me nobody has commented on your point 7 (exhaust renewal costs).

Whatever model of A2 Audi will want an arm and a leg (do I remember a figure of £800?).
If your query is prompted by a TDI flexi failure Paul(Deproman) posted on here of his £25 fix. Admittedly this did need an element of customisation but at £25 to repair this common fault it has to considered. Ian(Bargepower) has recently reported he had a custom replacement made and fitted for his petrol 1.4 by a specialist exhaust centre in London at £120.

Just some examples. - Andy
 
Andrew said:
In the the first sentence of your first post you cite desire for reduced fuel costs. With the further clarification of your weekly mileage it is a no brainier; 1.4 TDI all the way (that's coming from a FSI owner!). Far enough for the TDI to "settle down" and I read reports that the TDI is wonderfully quiet at 70mph on motorways (but obviously tyre brands come into it). TDI 60mpg seems common, I would get just over 40mpg.

The TDI fans on here would say 125k mileage is nothing for a TDI with plenty of life remaining.

Hope this helps. - Andy
Click to expand...
---
Andy, just went on auto trader data and even the 1.6 FSI would save me a lot on fuel and they seemed more common at lower price point than the diesel and more local, would prefer the diesel if I could find it!
 
sciroccorrado said:
Just to add to the above, my main TDI daily has 205k this morning, and growing at a rate of ~300 - 400 per week - I've just had it serviced and it works just great. I have just bought one with 160k on the clock with no qualms whatsoever about a drive of 100+ miles to bring it home.
Click to expand...
------
I'm not too perturbed by the mileage, but garage put me off a but. My petrol Audi Cab has done 225k our 1.9 tai galaxy 187k, maybe I should be a bit more relaxed about higher mileage diesels.....
 
Jonty said:
---
Andy, just went on auto trader data and even the 1.6 FSI would save me a lot on fuel and they seemed more common at lower price point than the diesel and more local, would prefer the diesel if I could find it!
Click to expand...
I don't use Autotrader a lot so can't comment on their data. You say you currently have 39mpg I say my FSI= a bit over 40mpg for your commute. You say it would 'save me lot on fuel' = does not compute:rolleyes:This is a FSI at 73k in mechanically good nick, I guarantee the average FSI, especially at higher mileage, will give less than you have now.

I do take your point about lower purchase price but be warned the FSI has a reputation for being temperamentally expensive and the 1.4 TDI nearly rock solid - said by an FSI owner!

Andy
 
Last edited:
You want a TDI if your outcome is to save on fuel and have bullet proof reliability. The FSI when well sorted is a dream to drive, but keeping it in the sweet spot if a real PITA and requires deep pockets which will likely ofset the fuel saving that you are trying to obtain.
Do NOT worry at all about miles on the TDI75, I have two TDI75, one at 288,800 miles and the other at 154,300 miles, both run a dream, have been remapped with my own remap and return 60+ MPG.
My daily commute to work is 8 miles each way on all B roads, if a run a tank of fuel just doing this commute in the summer I get 61mpg, in the winter near 57mpg (warm up time on the TDI is slow compared to the petrols)
On a motorway run at 75ish I get 70mpg, best ever was a 420 mile round trip to A2steves in the day to collect a gearbox and I got 78mpg on mainly A roads at 50 to 60 mph, not bad at all for a car that as had zero engine work (other than timing belts and water pumps) and as been to the moon and is part way back - as I stated miles is not the worry on the TDI engines, service history is far more important.

Cheers,
Paul
 
I’m loving life in a 1.4 Petrol myself. My daily commute is 60 miles round trip on a roads doing about 1/3 in town traffic, 1/3 on B roads and 1/3 on motorway. I get a very predictable 368 miles from fill up to fill up. Usually about 36 litres. So at roughly 10 miles to the litre it’s not far off the 40 odd mpg I’m supposed to get on that sort of driving. If I did some deliberate low rev type stuff it could be better. But the fun comes in the higher revs.

The A2 is now at 120073 miles and feels no different from the 103000 miles it was at when I got it less than year ago. (Apart from the addition of leather).

Just thought I’d interject as we seem to be overlooking the 1.4 Petrol.

Tony.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top