Looking seriously at an A8? Use this list to inspect for common items. So you are looking at an A8 or S8 and getting excited! It's not hard to do. My car was bought off of Ebay, here's a few pictures of it before I took delivery. It looks like it is jacked up compared to how it sits with the H&R coilovers. Do yourself a favor and find an indpendent mechanic to inspect your prospective car. 200. Print out this inspection list and give it to him. This is the cheapest money you'll ever spend. Look for somebody who specializes in German repairs, somebody who knows the Audi line is best. Have him go over everything after the inspection is complete. This inspection should take about an hour. Run the VIN through carfax and ask an Audi dealer for a service history printout. This will provide a history of the car and might point to issues to be concerned about.
Audi dealers will do this for no charge, you will need to provide them a VIN for this service. Check what the in-service date for the car was, this will determine when the factory warranty expires. See what paperwork is included with the car. If you are buying an older A8 with 60K miles or higher, determine if the timing belt has been changed or not, if so, at what mileage. The timing belt does not require changing at 60K, but MUST be completed by 90K miles. This is an expensive service, determine the details before buying the vehicle. Inspect around valve covers and heads of engine. Inspect for oil leaks. Make sure you have a flash light with you while doing this inspection. Remember, if a small amount of oil leaked out of the head past the gasket, it will pick up dirt. Do not be alarmed by this. If it's not wet or not a large amount, it's probably not a problem. One tablespoon of oil leaking can look like a cup! Inspect for any leakage around the power steering pump and high pressure hydraulic lines.
This can be found on the bottom driver's side front of the engine. There should be no leaks or indications of any hydraulic fluid leak. Also look at the steering rack for leaking hydraulic oil. Open the radiator overflow tank and inspect for coolant color. The coolant HAS TO BE RED. If it is green, then the wrong coolant was put in the system and will be required to be changed. When you closed the hood, is the hood release retracted after shutting? Inspect for oil leakage at the final drive seal on the transmission (right above the catalytic converters). This is where the driveshaft attaches to the transmission. It is a common leak point. If it is leaking, it will be leaking gear lube, not transmission fluid. Gear lube has a particular smell, you or your mechanic will know it when you smell it. When it leaks, it drops on the left hand catalytic converter. Bottom of transmission pan and catalytic converters.
If the output seal on the transmission is leaking, it drips on the left hand cat. This is the cat seen closest to the photographer. The large recess on the transmission pan is the fill for the automatic transmission fluid. Inspect the rear differential for leaking seals. This is also a common leak on the A8. If it is leaking, you will most likely see oil/grime splattering on the adjacent support pieces. 400 including labor because the whole differential needs to come off. Rear differential. Note oil and grime splattering on adjacent support from a leaking output shaft seal. Inspect all four drive axles for torn constant velocity (CV) joint boots. The outer front CV joint boot commonly tears on the A8. If it does tear, the grease in the joint will whip out and can be seen in the wheel well. 200 with labor to replace, the axle must be removed from the car for the repair.
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