Hello,

I'm probably going to buy a 1986 Audi 5000 CS Quattro Turbo. There are several small problems with it, such as the passenger door handle not working from the outside. I've never owned an audi before and I haven't done much work on cars, but with this purchase I think that I would like to learn how to do my own auto repair. Do you know of any good place to get used parts? Any tips for a beginner? Anything that I should definitely consider replacing right away? I guess I'm looking to be introduced to the Audi Quattro and I'm willing to learn how to take care of everything myself if possible.

Thanks and I look forward to hearing from you all. Are any of you from the Minnesota - Wisconsin area?

 

The door handles are a common problem on the 4000 and 5000 models especially in the colder climates. The construction is rather weak, water gets in oxidizes the metal parts freezes and then it’s “snap, crackle and pop!” That is one reason I bought a 1991 100Q instead of 5000. I think that you should be able to get new handle relatively inexpensive when speaking in Audi prices. You might want to remove the remaining handles clean them and coat them with good water displacing grease. On my old 4K it was not a problem to replace them or find them.

I find the CIS (type of fuel injection) equipped cars are easy to work on and you can get away without using many expensive specialty tools. On the NE coast local junkyards have plenty of 5000/100/200 so parts are not a problem and you will also find many on-line suppliers that offer discounted parts.

As to what to look for… plenty.

The cooling system is prone to failure due to a stupid paper like air deflector that rots away causing your car to run hot. The pressure causes the radiator, heater core, hoses and expansion tank to fail one after the other. The heater core is a major royal PITA to replace. The heating/AC system is prone to a multitude of problems, flap servo and multi function sensors are just a few.

The rear parking brakes have a tendency to bind due to a bad rusted cable and or rusted caliper.

Changing the timing belt requires a special crank lock, you can rent one or you can buy one for around $100.

Window switches often fail but you can buy new ones for under $20.

Some parts are very expensive if you go to the dealer and if that first trip doesn’t give you a heart attack you should be OK.

The hydraulic pump has tendency to leak, the break booster often fails, etc, etc…

You want to check to make sure that the Quattro system works as it can be very costly to service. Make sure you have gear oil in the trany and the diff. The center drive shaft bearing should be in good shape and not make any noises. All the vacuum actuators for the system should work.

Over all you will find the cars are very solid.

Good luck!

 

One more thing make sure the steering rack feels solid and doesn’t have torn boots as it can be a major project to service.

 

Thanks much for the advice. I haven't bought the car yet, but I test drove it. I've never driven a similar car, but it felt like it handled very well. I'm really looking forward to this purchase.

Several more questions. One of the featured vendors on this site is GermanPartsOnline.com . It looks like they have about every part for the 1986 5000, but I believe the car I'm getting is a 5000 CS Turbo Quatro. On the parts website there are two options for the 5000, the 5000 QT and the 5000 Turbo. Mine appears to be both a Turbo and a Quattro. Does anybody know which model I should buy parts for if I buy them from this online retailer? Also, I know that there is a decent amount of overlap on parts for different models. Which models are very similar to the 1986 5000 CS Turbo Quattro?

One more question. One of the google adsense ads that pops up on this site is one for "Supercharge your audi" or something similar. It is an ad for an air intake fan that claims to increase HP and miles per gallon. Have any of you tried such after market add on products? What are your best tips for getting the best milage from your audi?

Thanks so much for your time. I'm really looking forward to getting my Audi.

 

I buy my parts from RockAuto.com, BlauParts.com, thepartsbin.com and from other local shops and dealers. 5000TQ is probably the same as 5000 CS Turbo Quattro as long as the years are the same. The turbo engines are different from the non-turbo models. There are many interchangeable parts but many are also unique to their respective models.

The only way you are going to increase HP is by increasing boost, and the way to increase gas mileage is to stay off that boost. The rest is just money wasting gimmicks. Some of these gizmos will also give you derivability problems. I have tried enough of them and came to a conclusion that on daily drivers most are not worth the expense. A well maintained stock driver will out perform a “chipped” neglected junker!

 

Well i got an1986 Audi Quattro CS i got about 3 months ago. And all i had was problems with it. If your buying an Audi parts are expensive you better hope u got a dealer nearby.