# 1998 Audi A4 - is rebuild worth it?

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/1998-audi-a4-is-rebuild-worth-it/137012>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** audi, a4\
**Created:** [March 22, 2019, 11:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1998-audi-a4-is-rebuild-worth-it/137012 "2019-03-22T23:26:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![tom29](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df788c/32.png) [@tom29](https://community.cartalk.com/u/tom29)\
**Post date:** [March 22, 2019, 11:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1998-audi-a4-is-rebuild-worth-it/137012/1 "2019-03-22T23:26:31Z")

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have a 1998 audi a4 manual trans and either broke timing belt or engine froze up as it has 230,000 miles. body in near perferct condition.  
question is should I have a rebuilt engine and trans installed or am I better off finding a replacement??? this car is a spare used if one of main cars in shop. or someone is visiting.

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**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\
**Post date:** [March 22, 2019, 11:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1998-audi-a4-is-rebuild-worth-it/137012/2 "2019-03-22T23:49:09Z")

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Just install a rebuilt engine. If the trans is OK, leave it alone. Put a new clutch in though.

It will be expensive. Is it worth spending this on a 21 year old vehicle??

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**Author:** ![P\_in\_Mpls](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/919ad9/32.png) [@P\_in\_Mpls](https://community.cartalk.com/u/P_in_Mpls)\
**Post date:** [March 25, 2019, 2:53am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1998-audi-a4-is-rebuild-worth-it/137012/3 "2019-03-25T02:53:36Z")

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The car is 21 years old with 230,000 miles. What has been done in the last 40-50,000 miles? You don’t say where you live, but even if the body is in perfect condition, the rest of the car as 230,000 miles on it. It might be worth paying a mechanic a couple hundred dollars to check it over - essentially do a pre-purchase inspection to see what else is waiting to go. It would be a shame to spend the money on a new engine only to find out it needed new axels. And exhaust system. And that the brake lines are corroded. and…

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**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\
**Post date:** [March 25, 2019, 2:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1998-audi-a4-is-rebuild-worth-it/137012/4 "2019-03-25T02:58:07Z")

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If you’re going to do these repairs yourself, your labor is free.

If you’re going to hire someone else to these repairs, the cost will be more than what the vehicle is worth.

Tester