vgorous

iTrader: (1)

Hi,

I was hoping there would be more threads on this section. Im interested in getting a 4.2L V8 S4 sometime in the future. Was just curious what are their common problems. I've heard that the valve cover gasket tend to leak. Is this a DIY? Are there a lot of DIY's that can be done to this platform?

How much would it cost to get the T-belt replaced?

Thanks

mikeh

There is no timing belt on the S4, its a timing chain. We are in the midst of cleaning up the DIY sections and therefore you might not see a whole lot yet. The naturally aspirated V8 S4 is a great bullet proof engine. There are some significant mods that can be done such as headers, SC, tune, exhaust etc.

Don't hesitate to ask specific questions or voice your concerns.

vgorous

iTrader: (1)

Great, thanks mike!

You've just made me a little more enthusiastic in buying this car in the future when the price drops a little more. I just hope I see more people on this section that can share some common interest when I purchase one.

sakimano

if you must get a B6, get an 05

there are tons of DIYs on audizine.com and euroaddiction.net

everything from an oil change to an engine pull


as far as the engine being bulletproof, I think Mikeh is a bit ambitious with that description. There are certainly problems, like all performance oriented cars that are 6-7 years old

Personally if I was buying a B6/7 S4, I'd spend a couple hundred bucks and get an Audi dealer to do a compression test before buying to ensure it's up to par. having a few weak cylinders will mean the car is well down on power and will eat oil. Scored cylinder walls due to piston problems is often the cause.

vgorous

iTrader: (1)

Thanks Sakimano. I hope to hear more experiences from others.

MrT

Hi!
I have a 2004 S4 with 148k on the odo. (3rd Audi for me)

Another great source for DIY is Audiworld.com. Not much activity now, but for me the best historical archive, and best search engine!!

Other sites.
Audiforums.us --> best forum I found for audio related information
Quattroforums.com --> not so great to search on.


From looking in other forums the car certainly seems no more, or less prone to problems compared to its german competition, BMW and Mercedes. (i am on some of those forums as well)

Specific issues I have experienced:
Some valve covers do leak: mine are leaking, planning a DIY this summer.
Some issues with steering: DIY available, but having this done by a mechanic. leaking requiring rebuilding the rack.

I am planning to do the serpentine belt, pulley/tensioner myself (regular maintenance), and swap to a low mass pulley as well!

sakimano

good call on the tensioner...it's a bad part in salty-road climates like ours. Tends to cause belt snappage.

The low mass pulley...are you thinking JHM's part? That's what I have. 1.5 lbs vs. the stocker at 7 lbs. Reducing 5.5 lbs rotating at the crank = freeing up power the smart way.

If you DON'T get the JHM LWCP, be careful...you have to ensure that the part is quality as the engine is externally balanced. JHM said it cost them about $10,000 to get this part right...and as a result of this JHM will likely never make a profit selling them. Still thank goodness they make it (and other parts) as our platform has been all but neglected by the major tuning companies.

MrT

MR Saki!

Yes, actually received the JHM LW pulley. Nicely machined part, but obviously didn't cost the $$ to mfg. As an engineer, I can understand how the $$ would go into the R&D. I am going to weigh both OEM and JHM part myself.
Also got a snub mount just cause it was inexpensive, although I am not convinced on its efficacy.

To OP, I should add:
My 1996 A4: bullet proof.
Put over 400k on it before I sold it. Other than maintenance (timing belt, brakes, oil) the car was trouble free with the exception of front control links which were replaced. This can happen a lot with lowered cars (H&R adjustable coilovers). The car would visit the track once a month during the summer, and driven HARD. Nice.

My 2001 A4: very reliable
Over 350K on the odometer. Regular maintenance (timing belt, brakes, oil).
Again control arms/links (this car was NOT lowered). Some trouble with the ABS, turned out to be a broken timing ring on the wheel hub.

IMHO I think the S4s are more highly strung, hence less reliable than their A4 counterparts.

Dfresh S4

Hi Vincent,
I think the S4 is a great vehicle, I am on my second one and I think they are the best bang for your buck around (Its an all-season monster). However be careful of the early model 2004s as the cam shaft adjusters are prone to failure above 100,000km. I am in the process of replacing mine, and the cost is about $9000.00 because they have to pull the engine etc. Just wanted to give you a heads up on this one as I was not aware of the problem until I was faced with it and have since read up on the issue. But that is the fun of owning a high performance limited production vehicle, nothings cheap or easy! Yet I would not own anything else.

Axel

That's exactly what he meant. The R&D work, not the actual manufacturing of the part itself.
I felt an obvious difference in the 1-2 shift. Much smoother. Less clunking.

The late 90s A4s have a fairly bad track record but some were great