Running costs

[TallPaul]

Bit of a question....

How much would you say you've spent fixing things, sorting out problems etc (clutch/boost leaks/maf problems/air-con problems/bomb problems/etc etc) on your S2 in the past year?

I'm trying to get an idea of what running costs will be like when i get an S2, it would be great if everyone could say (roughly) how much they've had to spend on their car in the last year

Don't include mods (unless the upgraded part was replacing a broken part) or insurance, petrol, tax etc, ie all the normal costs.

I know that every car is different, but i'd like to get an average cost of running these cars, I'll have a bit of money left over once I find a car, and will probably set aside a "contingency fund" just in case!!!

Cheers

[iain1067]

t's a question of how fussy you are and the condition of the car you buy, there are always things to fix and improve upon, over my last 20 years of audi ownership certain things do crop up on nearly every one i have owned. Suspension bushes, shocks, brake discs, cambelts, water pumps, thermostats, all wear and tear stuff. I have only ever had to replace a clutch once due to imminent failure (tempting fate here). Other than the regular service items, plugs, filters etc they pretty much run themselves, but then i do i spend a lot of my own time on maintenance, if you are handy with the spanners then it's a real bonus.

Iain

[4WheelDrifter]

Alternator repair. So about £15.

[Ross]

I think it's important to ensure you get a good car... in my 7 months of S2 ownership, and 8,000 miles, I've spent IRO:

£90 - healthcheck, PCV, fix boostleak @ MRC
£300 - 4x Toyo T1-S
£100 - Oil change + filter, front pads

Not bad really, considering any other car would've still required such running costs, and been more likely to go wrong... it's just the big jobs these that can cost serious bling.

Now I won't get started on the mods... that's where you'll break the bank!

[Alistair C]

QST service - rear discs pads, ebrake cable, wishbone bushes, wastegate spring £1,123.21
QST belts £53.86
Nugent samco hoses £210.00
Caffyns headlamp jet & fuse holder £6.97
Breakers fuseboard £10.00
VAGPARTS topmounts, balljoints, droplinks, cv boot kit £218.01
Caffyns quattro badge, CV kit £36.17
Caffyns fan connector & boot (wrong one) £16.16
Caffyns pas oil, top mount slotted nuts £14.91
QST 4 wheel alignment £76.38
Breakers parcel shelf, clocks, seat subframes, taillight, steering cowl, rear bulb holder £171.55
Audi Bath tail light sealing cord £5.00
Ebay clifford remote £22.00
Caffyns fan connector, headlamp jet, rubber boot £16.18
Caffyns expansion tank & cap £39.26
Caffyns voltage regulator inc surcharge £29.99
Dialynx tie rods supplied & fitted £282.29
Caffyns RS2 brake line, shims, dust seal £71.05
Camberly Auto Factors Alternator £113.98
Caffyns RS2 brake line £7.63
QST F1 tyres & alignment £509.95
QST Lambda probe (cold start problems) £205.63
Caffyns Fuel filter £15.02
GSF Coolant £10.58
Caffyns cam cover gasket & breather valve £39.36
Caffyns clips and heat shield £40.27


In 11 months - £3345 plus consumables

[Jamo]

Holy crap Alastair!!!!!!!!!!

[iain1067]

QSt and Caffyns must be your best friends by now,lol you get a discount off caffyns parts????

Iain

[s2driveruk]

http://www.myaudiquattro.com/Service%20Diary.htm

It's over 3 years out of date now but shows my first 4 years of ownership costs and breakdown of work etc......do not view if you are of a nervous disposition!!!!!

At some point I will dig out the service and replacement/upgrade costs for the last 3 years to bring it up to date.....but only after some beer I think!!!!!

[iain1067]

i think initially what you tend to do is go round and fix all the major things that are wrong, brakes suspension bushes etc, a good service replacing all the filters plugs etc etc and then you move down the list to minor fixes. In the last 5 months of S6 ownership i have chucked in around £1500 into mine, items like new clutch, new pads all round, filters, oil, plugs, suspension bushes, ball joints, thermosat,4 wheel alignment, 4 new tyres, it's now at a stage where i am on minor fix list, like make the after run coolant pump work, change the front shocks, repainted all the alloys and i am still not done, need to sort out a bit of bodywork too.

the question is how perfect do you want it???? everyone will have a different answer

Iain

[Fat Audi 80]

I have a spreadsheet for mine.

Basically about £3k first year (getting it really mint)

About £1500 this year.

I would budget on £2k if it is a daily driver.

Sorry, but they ain't cheap, unless you really scrimp and service it yourself and fit secondhand parts.

I like to do mine right though.

Cheers,

steve.

[BRY]

I have a spreadsheet for mine.

Basically about £3k first year (getting it really mint)

About £1500 this year.

I would budget on £2k if it is a daily driver.

Sorry, but they ain't cheap, unless you really scrimp and service it yourself and fit secondhand parts.

I like to do mine right though.

Cheers,

steve.

From experience, both my own and others on here, servicing it yourself is often the only way to know for sure what has been done right and not just ticked off on a list.

I do my own and do it right.

How are the fog lights that were done "right" :mischeif:

[mcandmar]

Are we talking running costs or aftermarket parts :mischeif:

In the two years i've owned the car i "had" to fit a new battery, alternator, timing belt, and front right wheel bearing and cv boot. For most people thats all that would have been done to the car to keep it running and passing mots etc. No garage has ever got its greesy mits on my car and never will, i do everthing myself which i know saves a lot of money.

What i have spent on replacing worn bits and aftermarket parts i'm not even going to think about

[Jamo]

What have i done in the last 2 years for sundries?

New Radiator, old one let go big time
New thermostat
Remove Aux Radiator due to leak
New rear diff mount
New Drop Links
New Front and Rear ARB
Samco Boost hoses (Boost leak)
Samco Coolant hoses (To be fitted)
New shocks front and rear
4 wheel allignment
New track rod ends
New top mounts all round
S8 alloys and Continental Sport 2 XL tyres all round

[martinjs]

When you get a garage to do the work, thats when it will hurt your wallet, i can't begin to imagine how much i've saved due to doing all the work myself (2x cylinder head removal, rear diff swap, all suspension off a 2-3 times etc etc etc), and i dont really see the point in spending s##t loads at a garage just to be able to get a stamp in the service book just so i can get an extra 1k or so when i come to sell it, and as Bry says, i prefer to do it myself anyway at least it will be done correctly.

[Markarina]

Personally I do take mine to garage (though not a main dealer) mainly through lack of time and mechanical ability, fortunately I have found a garage that I can trust and they have a reasonable labour rate and a loan car. Basically you can expect the run of the mill stuff tyres ( I use Cambridge performance tyres as they do a very good job on 4 wheel alignment) CV boots etc, but probably expect one expensive thing a year, last year was shocks all round, this a lot of little things, gearbox rear output seal, SAMCO boost hoses plus DV, PV IC Mod ....