tetcheve

Hello,

I am trying to figure out whether or not I have a 2001 or 2001.5 audi s4. I purchased it used (60k km) from a woman who didn't seem to know. I have heard that the 2001.5 can handle a GIAC chip a little bit safer than the 2001's due to more robust turbo's. Is this true?

The second question is, my check engine light comes on when I goosed it passing another car. It went off after about 3 days, but then came back on when I stepped on it hard again yesterday. Any idea's?

Also,

Does anyone know a great mechanic for the above car in Calgary Alberta? I am trying to avoid the audi dealership (never had good luck from dealership mechanics).

Thanks.

K04-S4

Best way to determine model year is from the build date. Look at the driver door jamb sticker. It does not say "build date" or anything else beside two double digit numbers appearing on the sticker. Example 10 00 is Oct 2000 build date which was the beginning of the '01.5's. 06 00 was the beginning of '01 build dates. Failing that approach, record VIN and ask Audi what the vehicle build date is.

IIRC earlier than '01.5's had smaller oil passages to the Turbo's. Audi increased diameter to help reduce warranty turbo replacements for '01.5 and later '02's. Know that if you chip ECU, you may shorten the life of stock K03's and should be prepared to replace / upgrade Turbo's if needed. The increased turbo shaft speeds and increased heat are chipped K03 killers. Gentle warms ups / cool downs / responsible handling and no excessive / prolonged boosting in hot summer weather will all help K03 Turbo's lifespan, especially if chipped.

Is your CEL flashing under hard accel? If so, you need immediate service or you risk melting the forward cats when in boost. The vehicle has stored Diagnostic Trouble Code(s) and you need to have them read with a VAG scanner or consider getting your own reader if you want to save long term $$ and read codes yourself. Knowing the codes in advance also helps you protect your wallet when seeking service or fixing it yourself.

Hopefully someone else can recommend a good service shop in Calgary for you.

tetcheve

Thanks. That helps. I will look at the sticker to find the date.


As for the check engine light, it is not flashing. I just picked up the cable to do the diagnostics, and may be looking for advice depending on what it reads.

Does it matter much if the car is 2001 or 2001.5 with respect to longevity of the turbo's lifespan once chipped? Is there any particular oil that helps the engine run cooler, and therefor the turbo's cooler? Right now amsoil 5w40 I believe is what ive been using, anything better>?

Thanks.

kbonarek

Easy way to tell between the 01 and 01.5 is the badges. The earlier model has the old s style badge on the trunklid, dash and steering wheel (the one with 2 red stripes. The newer half year model has the one solid red stripe like the new cars do.

Oil lines differ as well as mentionned.

Older model has an f-hose that is prone to failure as well (i have a new samco one if you need it).

As far as i know, the older model also has 2pc headlights whereas the new one has the turnsig and headlight in 1 integrated unit...

That`s all off the top of my head.

K04-S4

A word of caution when using badging to determine 01 vs 01.5. It is known that there were assembly line badging decisions that resulted in some cars receive badging that did not match 01 vs 01.5 cutoff build dates. Also some owners preference change some old style vs new style badging over the years / replace parts with different badging as originally shipped (replaced cluster due to failed display), etc.

All North American B5 S4's had one piece headlight housings. Most US cars shipped with Xenon headlights while the Canadian cars shipped exclusively with Halogens. Earlier B5 A4's had split headlights.

kbonarek

Nice...good to know. Thanks K04