Hello all.

I'm new to Audi Forums. I own a 2001 A4 that I purchased with 75,000 miles on it. It is hands down the most fantastic car I've ever owned and I'm really sold on the brand (currently shopping around for an A6 for my mom). So far I've not had any major maintenance issues, butI just hit105,000 miles,so am getting ready to have my mechanic change the timing belt.

Any maintenance advice on this proceedure, or others, is greatly appreciated.

Cheers.

 

Biggest thing with the timing belt is to do the whole service. If you're mechanically inclined and have some decent tools, you can do it yourself (see the DIY forums here and on www.audiworld.com for step-by-step procedures). The parts are sold as a kit, and include timing belt, t-belt tensioner, serpentine belt, water pump, thermostat, and serpentine tensioner. The kit runs between $240-350 depending on which engine you have and whether you buy the cam locking tool (which holds the cams and keeps them from spinning when you remove the belt). You'll also want to change plugs, filters, and fluids at this point. Audi says the transmission fluid is lifetime, but a lot of people have said that changing it out is smart to do (and I agree with them). Also, if you do it yourself, don't forget to order 3 bottles of Pentosin G12 coolant - you'll need that and it's much cheaper to order online than to buy at a dealer (or at least, at my dealership). Have the car's control arms inspected too - they're known to go bad on these cars (the bushings or the ball joints, which aren't independently replaceable), and if they're shot, you may as well have them done at the same time too (along with an alignment).