Magnet

Please let us know how you get on Dev.

For the benefit of others - did you try Aliexpress after?

Was this advice any help to you Keith?

Thanks Dev - not in the brethren! Surely you didn’t buy it from a main dealer. Guess you must be saying the car is new to you, so you want it assessed at a main dealer.

Welcome Pat, Just do a forum search on here for Timing belt or Cambelt, and you will find the topic has been discussed to death, and should allow you to make a decision on whether you wish to follow VAG’s advice - at your peril ( personal opinion) or take a more sensible approach. Perhaps you could let us know what you decide to do, once all the comments have been digested. Regards, Gareth. p.s. What is your current mileage, and is the stop/start always deployed.

Thanks Dev, Still blinking heck in relation to an oil change at any main dealer.

Apologies for the delay Karl, Yes, generally the old 18k oil change interval. Fine for the first few years, but from there on….? Has the stop/start been used during your ownership? If so, this can be a serious aggravator. I fear your only realistic way forward would be to try to find an engine from an accident damaged vehicle. Listing your want on one of the on-line car breaker link sights maybe a starting point. Partsfinder is one of many. Regards, Gareth.

Blinking heck Dev - you must have got money to throw away - taking an 11 year old car to a main dealer at a cost of c£200/hr. Why not return it to the place where the damage was repaired ? Regards, Gareth.

Welcome Dave, This is a little confusing since ‘…..I am reluctant to sell it….’ Yet ‘…..grateful for advice of where to sell it….’. OK, you could advertise it on here with photos, description, and price, or list it on EBay to a wider audience. Please let us know what best suits you. Regards, Gareth.

So what ‘debris’ are you looking to remove from what part of the exhaust Neil? A photo would be helpful. Regards, Gareth.

Whatever else you do or get concerned about, please make sure you insure this car on an agreed value basis, otherwise you certainly will lose money.

Fair enough Steven - you must obviously do what you want with your money, but I must say, I’m still rather confused about your concerns on the car’s future depreciation. If you love the car then that is fine, but beware what they say about love. I genuinely wish you well with fulfilling your dream. Regards, Gareth.

Oh dear Russell, Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but you have just demonstrated that lowering an already low vehicle is impractical. Anyone car only guess at the reason for the now non start issue without inspecting the car, but you can possibly hang on to the hope it is something relatively simple such as a dislodged sensor etc. A photo of the extent of the damage to the sump might aid other ideas. Please keep us up to speed on developments, and meanwhile wish you all the good luck we hope you won’t need. Regards, Gareth.

Hello again Luke, It is evident you have returned to the forum a couple of times ( last about 20 hrs ago), but seem intent on not updating the forum on your current situation. Could you please have a read of ‘New members please read’ which you would have had access to when you joined, and then come back with the latest update. Thanks, Gareth.

Welcome Steven, Interesting! If I’ve got this correct, you are considering paying c£42k for a 2007 RS4 with a reasonable mileage of 82K on it over its 19 years, and you are more concerned about the depreciation during your ownership, than you are about the inevitable attention and costs incurred when purchasing any 19 year old. If RS4s are thin on the ground in ROI, then there are plenty of people trying to sell examples here on the mainland, and it seems £30K would give you a fair choice. I think we’ve all come across potential buyers who are prepared to spend many tens of thousands of £ s buying the vehicle of their choice, but get concerned about how many miles it does to the gallon! We try to be helpful on here, but if buying one of these is your dream then I would advise - just do it - you have the mechanical experience to take a chance. The economics are a different consideration, and a financial adviser would be your best choice on that. Good luck with whatever you decide to do. Regards, Gareth.