FAQ: B7 S4 Guide to parts to help others

[wizo]

Well first off prices on a S4.

These days you will be able to pick up a 2005.5(what i got) for around $48,900. That is with a discount offered by the dealers. It is getting increasingly hard to find some with the options you will like and color. However, they are still out there. THe 2005.5 is a great deal. You get the new body style plus the Nav + is available for that car, which you can upgrade it later to play dvd's and stuff.

The 2006 is what now is available and easier to get what options you will like. THe 2006 has a 60/40 split in power which means that there is more rear drive in this model. This will allow you, if you drive your car aggressively, to swag the tail out easier. It should help a little also with the understeer of the car. You will also have the blue tooth options available for your Nav+ which is a great feature and I highly suggest to get if you can afford it. The 2006's start off around mid 50's in price and can get up to around 60 with tax.

MODS>
(Keep in mind this is opinion and about what i did-obviously there are more parts out there which might suit you better.)

The first mod i suggest for everyone, and which most people do is to tint your vechicle. It seems that 15% all around your car looks awesome. This is usually illegal and most people do 30% which still looks great and is very functional. The tint in Orlando area runs around 160-170 dollars, but i have heard it costing up to 220 dollars in other areas. Tint gives me at least a sense of ambiguity and some stealth--I also feels that it gives the car a sense of being a little bit more compact i dont know why but it does.

The second mod is suspension--(that i suggest). The reason i say this is because you have power already from stock, you have nice wheels from the dealer and obviously the V8 already growls. So to make your car feel sportier and look the part suspension is a great next mod. There are 2 types in my opinion. Coilovers and springs. Springs are great for people who want a nice clean drop and dont want to mess with things after the install. Your stock shocks are great. My brother put them on his car. THey were not expensive and his ride is just like stock but his wheel gap is gone. His car looks great and he paid around $400 (H&R's) with install.
Coilovers are a great way to go for people who like to tinker and adjust their ride. NOW KEEP IN MIND TO ADJUST THEM YOU HAVE TO REMOVE STUFF--ITS NOT A JOB MOST PEOPLE DO ALONE WITHOUT EXPERIENCE. I say this in caps because everyone who has them on other cars can usually adjust them with just a floor jack and their wrenches. THis is not true on our cars. YOu have to remove the rear suspension to adjust height because where the coilover sits its hard to get the wrenches in their unless you have a spring compressor.
Tein super streets are a very suitable suspensions for our cars. They cost around $1200 and around 250-300 for an install. They are great-stong-and lots of fun to have. Depending on your ride height- most people state to have 1/4 rake and have about 25 inchs from ground to fender is about what is normal. For a smooth ride go with a 8-8 setting which means turn your damper on your shock to 8. I found that having a 4 setting in front and 6 in back is the best for my liking. I like stiffer settings. Eurocode in california has great pricing for them. If you like to have a more serious suspension and probably the best for our cars contact Jeremy from Matrix Integrated and get the stasis Coilovers. They are made specifically for our car. They are more expensive but worth it if you can afford them. People usually get the rear sway bar around this time too. The nuespeed one is about $190 for Eurocode. This makes the understeer a little less for our 2005.5 cars. Its an thing to think about when you are shelling out for the suspension.

The next Mod i suggest is for a more aggressive sound and touch more performance. An exhaust is a great next mod. There is too much debate in this topic so i will just tell you what i got and how much and my knowledge.
I went Milltek. THey have a great reputation of being a "classy' exhaust for our car. Their sound is not as loud as others, even the non-res which is what i got. The sound for me is loud enough and dont get me wrong--when its hot its a nice muscle car loud at low rpm. The cost for the non-res cat back from Stratmoshphere is about 1200 dollars. Cost to install ranges anywhere between 100-200 dollars. You can do it yourself if you like but be careful the stock is a little heavy. Make sure if you do it your self to put it all on but to tighten from the rear to the front. THis will ensure that you can better straighten everything and have it look close to what you want. Most shops can get it pretty close for you if you dont want to mess with it.
I really only notice a small small gain with this upgrade. The sound is enough to make you happy with the product but you should pick up some top end power.

The next mod(you can do this before exhaust too if you like) is an intake.
This really is also a debateable mod. Some people dont feel the need for this product and some say it hurts performance. Me, I am stubborn so i went and got one.
Hyperflow sells them for our cars right now. THey are about 350 from stratmosphere. They are easy to put in and you can do it yourself if you have tools. Just use a towel on your fender so you dont scratch your paint leaning in your engine bay. It cost about 50 bucks if you pay for it to be put in i think.
You are supposed to get around 10hp with this Mod. I think its closer to 3-5 but ohhh well. It helps pull more air in, maybe more hot air, but air none the less. It comes with a heat shield but i tell you that engine gets dam hot. Nice mod though, and its CHEAP...

Alright thats about what i have right now.

If you are looking for the best performance gains for our car i suggest these steps. First get your suspension hooked up. Then go ahead and shell out the cost for Down pipes and the catback exhaust. That is the best gains you will see for our car. I would then add the intake and finally a chip. I am working on the chip part and downpipes next. Chips or software can range from about $599-650. APR, REVO,GIAC and OC.T are the people who make software for our cars. We can now flashload the ECU which makes it possible to chip without actually having to remove your ECU. THis is great because it makes it harder for the dealer or AoA to see if it was messed around with..It also makes it easy to install the program and their are additional products out there which will allow you to tinker around with the timing and throttle position(REVO). By the way--(THE DEALER IF THEY WANT CAN FIND OUT,,SO BE CAREFUL ABOUT THIS ONE--)
The downpipes are expensive. They run around $1700 from Milltek but are worth every penny. THey give you real results.(I dont have them yet but dream about them everyday.)
With all those mods you should be around 290-300 at the wheels. Hopefully that should make you happy enough to feel good.

I want to throw this in also The Audi S4 is already out the box a great car. Remember that we have a S badge on the back there. The envy of many other cars who cannot match performance and our luxury. Leaving your car stock is just fine and is great. We are able to fly on the highway and do it listening to our BOSE system and sitting in RECARO race Leather seats. I mean our cars are awesome and dont forget about the German engernering behind it all. No rice here boys and girls!!
Also want to state that i put down what i have. Parts that is. I wrote this to help people who want to read a little about what people are doing with their cars and how much things cost. KEEP IN MIND I DID NOT DYNO MY CAR AT ANY TIME. So unfortuneatly there are no facts on horsepower in here, only what was stated by the distributor when i bought the part. THe prices should be all right though and how much the install are close. Keep in mind it changes depending where you live.
I want to throw this in also

[dubaudi]

You know you want my H&R coilovers... ;) <trying jedi mind trick>

lol...seriously though man, great writeup. The last paragraph is what I like the best. People tend to forget that right out of the box the S4 is an elite car. I feel amazingly priveledged every time I get behind the wheel. It's a good personal feeling for me to see that my hard work finally got me the car of my dreams.

[wizo]

thanks-it is a great car

[2PUTT]

i second your comments!!

i, myself, am going nuts about this car. i have owned it for only 2.5 weeks and i have changed my tires already. looking at a few things for next year. i guess i'll start piling some stuff up during the winter.

as a summary, i guess we're all just car crazy...and lucky enough to get such a great car to make us crazier!!

[robots_are_neon]

nice write up, I concur!

[ESfour]

Good take! Definitly helps for newbies looking to mod (me).

[Blau Flash]

why isn;t the B6 included in the title?








arggggghhhh....;-)

[wizo]

Sorry but i have only tested and have knowledge on my own personal vechicle which happens to be a B7. However i am sure since the cars are very similar it could read B6 and B7 helper.

[Saturnine]

You guys have got to get a short shifter.

Best mod evar!

[2PUTT]

can i request the mods to sticky this? please...

[Jrunr]

Great for a "noob" like me! Thanks! Sticky this so it can be added to and updated n the future!!!

[Cargo8]

awesome write-up. i also agree, awesome car

[wizo]

Wow i wrote this writeup along time back and would like to add to it...I believe it is almost a year old to this date...
I have more experience now and more parts added.
I would love to add to it and make it a sticky.

[Jrunr]

Please add to this list! It will only help us!

[ant7701]

id say repost it with a new title and just copy what you wrote and what you want to add on so its straight to the point. And then we should sticky it. very detailed post and very informative.

[Jrunr]

I love this thread! Have anymore great advice?

I think if you re-write it in a diferrent format (see B6 A4 forum) hen it would definitely become a sticky!

[Spongebob05]

Good post I say, I traded my 97 C5 for 06 S4 and have enjoyed driving it each day to and from work.

So yeah I'm a noob to this and have been searching for Mod info, although I really like to see all of the foremention Mods and others with some sort of result in numbers.

As in Dyno, all mods are expensive or out of pocket expenses so with confirmation in additional HP or performance is a PLUS.

I, myself are looking at mostly cosmetic enhancement for the time being till someone can show me the results, but I do believe suspension is the way to go prior to anything else.

Hope you will add more info and numbers to the mods you've done soon.

Kudos for the write up.
Peace
RED 06 S4

[Wagon Dude]

Would anyone please do a write up for the b6?

[heliskyr]

Very informative write-up- I think the newer members on the forum will find it particularly useful as they start to learn about all the cool possibilities for our cars.

[parealtor]

very informative post...

as a new audi owner Ive discovered there is a steep learning curve...

Id love to find a post that had links to all the mods you can do to your audi S4. So far Ive only found items here and there..

[heliskyr]

very informative post...

as a new audi owner Ive discovered there is a steep learning curve...

Id love to find a post that had links to all the mods you can do to your audi S4. So far Ive only found items here and there..

For a great place to see almost ALL the mods anyone has devised for the S4, check out the links in Eddie Man's sig- he is the king of mods and does great write-ups.

http://forums.audiworld.com/test/msgs/5803.phtml

[tjnptel1]

what about cosmetic mods, or mods that don't void warranty? :)

[wizo]

Well-regarding warranty issues I can include this:

Warranty is a very hard issue and is very debatable with your service department. I have found that speaking to your service advisors and making a good relationship with a few mechanics always helps out in the "grey" areas.

But lets face it...If you put anything on your car they will try and void warranties for this or that. But the law states from my readings and this is also a grey area but they have to prove the part you installed aftermarket to the car has caused a direct failure to the what broke. ie. If you installed a short shifter and then your shifting parts break inside your transmission Audi of America will blame your short shifter for the failure and not pay. Also they can state ambiguously that adding performance upgrades to your vehicle makes it perform outside safe parameters that the car was designed to do and therefore the part broke due to excessive stress and usuage. This might be true and what (AOA) will state, however, your shortshifter cannot affect other parts not directly related-brakes, electronics, etc.

Again I must state that this topic is highly debatable and if you choose to add performance upgrades and aftermarket parts you will always run the risk of loss of warranty. My take on this is one simple thought and moto. If you choose to play then be ready to pay...
I never do an aftermarket installation without considering what could happen if something broke. That is why I go out of my way to get along with the dealership and service department who does the routine maintenance of my car.

As for cosmetic upgrades I believe that there are many things to do that should not affect your standard warranty. Most common cosmetic upgrade would be adding tint to your windows to stop glare and to keep your car cooler and more private. I also love the different grills you can buy. Most common grill is the RS4 black optic grill. These can be had for realitively cheap and offer a very menacing look to your already aggressive sedan. I opt to paint or have a different insert for the middle of the grill. The standard one is grey, however, you can buy a black one from a dealership. Easiest home remedy to match your middle insert for the front grill with the black optic grill would be to use a special plastic spraypaint and a gloss finish clearcoat. I will also tell you though to be ready to get it painted later down the road. Rocks and other debris will eventually chip away what you paint on there. Even if you have it done professionally as i did mine in the end, I found that it will still chip away and will have to be done yearly. I paid $50 to get it sprayed at a body shop.<*Notice*-if you have a DTM front end then the RS4 grill will not fit. Reason being is the mouth is smaller and your grill will not fit correctly. I believe they are working on a smaller optic grill to fit-make sure you ask before you buy one*>
I also like the DTM parts you can install on these cars. Before the DTM edition S4 was standard the 25th aniversary edition had some nice parts that you could buy and install on your S4. These parts are still available and give a nice contour to your vehicle. I personally love the carbon fiber trunk lip spolier which I installed. Very nice piece and gives a sportier look to the rear. There is also a front lip carbon spoiler which is nice also, but people have had issues aligning the part and when the car is lowered it will tend to get caught on things. The S4 already has a beautiful front end bumper and when lowered it looks very clean with or without one.

Those are a few options you can install without really worrying about warranties. I also should state that there are many more parts-cosmetically available-such as carbon fiber hoods(make sure you get hood pins!), carbon fiber B-pillar inserts, rear window spoilers and soon the rear valence(grey part of your rear bumper) will be available in carbon fiber<--very cool option!>
I also painted my calipers S4 red but i am sure that if you get paint in an area your not supposed to you could end up loosing warranty on somepart of your brakes--so that is not reccomended unless you understand the consequence.

*I also wanted to let everyone know what a great car we all have and not to take it for granted. There might be a few cars out there in our class that will be it in straight line acceleration and whatever, but I have not found one car to me that envokes such passion and fun. Honestly I was considering selling mine a month ago and getting a porsche. I went and looked and still loved my car more. To each their own but I feel that for the price, performance and sound of a great V8, four doors and an honest feeling that I dont have a cookie cutter (stab at BMW), the Audi is a great all around vehicle.--Oh did I mention we have a V8?

I know alot to read and all but thanks for being patient and the moderators on this forum use great vendors that can help you locate any and all parts listed above.

Wizo

[pms]

Small note to add: while searching for brake pads for my B6 S4 I found a cross listing for the 2005 Volvo S40 w/ the 16.5 brakes (both the Volvo and the Audi use the same front pad).

For Hawk pads the part numbers are:
HB515N760 - HP+
HB515F760 - HPS

[Jayme D]

First of all - incredible write up.

I am on my third Audi and my first S4 - but I still consider myself a newbie and can learn a lot from all of you guys and posts just like yours.

Second, I just brought home my 2005.5 S4 last weekend - bought it from a guy in PA and have been trying to figure out what mods I want to do. Every time I drive the car (remember I am used to A4's) I am absolutely blown away! I can't imagine changing anything! The car sounds awesome, is fast off the line, etc etc! I have decided not to do the exhaust only because I love the sound now - its subtle but lets people know that somewhere and at anytime a lion can be unleased! Love it! So, I think I am going to do some poor man mods; such as the fog lights, paint the calipers, tint my windows, tinted license plate cover. And in 6 months or so buy an intake and short shifter. Then a year from now buy the chip. I think at that point and after I have pissed some people off around town that should keep me smiling! thanks again for all the help dudes!!!

[killintime]

Would anyone please do a write up for the b6?

Probably because the cars are so very much alike…in fact I don't know what, if anything changed besides the skin.

Never the less...I have a B6 S4 and it's an awesome car! I had plans of doing several mods to it but have slowed that process. I did a lot of reading of posts, articles, and Dyno results to be sure and NOT purchase a CAI. Instead I went with a K&N Drop In Replacement Filter. The power gains, or even losses in some cases, were just too prevalent to purchase it.

Exhaust from the CAT-Back is a must but I will not spend the dough on the down pipes. Again, a lot of posts and Dyno results show nearly a loss of power/torque with the down pipes (saw the same with the CAI). Keep in mind, you may gain some HP with these mods, but if you are losing Mid-Range Torque...then you're screwing yourself up. Mid-Range Torque is so important!

Which brings me to how great the car is…there is very little room left on the table for extra HP when it comes to this car/motor. The engineers behind this car did a fantastic job of squeezing every last bit of it from the factory. When I started to realize this I began to curtail my want for mods...and have gone towards a bit more cosmetic approach, like some of the other folks on this board have suggested.

I tinted my windows...35 up front and 20 all the way around behind me. I'm thinking of changing the front to 20 because it looks so damn good. I got the Aluminum Racing pedals from AWE Tuning and they look cool, I like them a lot.

Next for me will either be the CAT-Back exhaust by AWE Tuning or the "H-Sport" Anti-Sway Kit. I chose H-Sport because the rear is adjustable and the diameter is large than the others out there that you can get.

However other than that, the car is fast and handles like its on rails. My friend at work has a G-Tech Pro that he let me borrow for a weekend. I did a couple of runs on it and am not sure how accurate it is but I posted two "0-60" times in the mid to high 4 second range, i.e. - 4.7 and 4.8...and two "1/4" times of 13.6 and 13.7...you know what, that's plenty fast for me.

And somebody mentioned that they feel privileged every time they get behind the wheel…I have to agree. It’s a bad ass car.

[Jrunr]

I agree with the love and passion we have for these cars. I have only had mine for a short time, but I love it everytime I get inside...

I will be modding mine as soon as I get back from Iraq, but I think I am going to try and add cosmetic enhancements to performance... I plan on etting some lightweight 19" wheels (8lbs lighter than stock), and lightweight brake kit (possibly Alcons...). I am hoping that the reduced rotational mass will help the acceleration and handling of the car.

I also plan on lowering the car with PSS9's or Stasis Ohlins to increase the handling and appearance of the car. I will then add 20&#37; tint all around and get a rear carbon fiber lip for the truck. ( I am still debating on if I will be getting the front carbon fiber splitter. I am not sure if it will be a bad mod if the car is lowered...)

I do "like" the way the car sounds stock, but I love the way a Labree or FI exhaust sounds! However, I am not sure if I really want to put an exhaust drone in my cabin... For those that say that downpipes make you lose power, please look at the following link: http://www.audiworld.com/news/05/b6dynoawe/ it is where I am getting my info from...

All in all, my goal is to "add to" and not "take away" from the S4 experience. What I mean by this is, I love the car! I love how it drive, I love how it looks, and I love the driving experience it gives me. If I can enhance all of those features without taking away the comfort, low road noise, and no CEL's coming on, then I have succeeded. If I add to much exhaust noise to the cabin, it takes away from the refinement of the vehicle.... Hopefully this all makes sense.

I obviously have some time to decide what I want to do with my S4. I won't be back for a year, so please offer suggestions and comments. This is a great site and I enjoy reading everyones posts everyday. Keep up the great work!

[PenguiN]

Ive Been Helped!

[likewater]

*I also wanted to let everyone know what a great car we all have and not to take it for granted. There might be a few cars out there in our class that will be it in straight line acceleration and whatever, but I have not found one car to me that envokes such passion and fun. Honestly I was considering selling mine a month ago and getting a porsche. I went and looked and still loved my car more. To each their own but I feel that for the price, performance and sound of a great V8, four doors and an honest feeling that I dont have a cookie cutter (stab at BMW), the Audi is a great all around vehicle.--Oh did I mention we have a V8?
Wizo

Very well said and I couldn't agree more. Thank you.

[Audi newguy]

Searched and searched. Anybody know where i can pick up a trunk spoiler for a 07 S4? Found one at ECS tuning. Wondering if there is anybody else that sells high quality trunk spoilers for the B7 S4. Thanks for the feedback.

[Cargo8]

What tire do you recommend when getting new wheels/tire setup.
Looking for a summer tire (live in Los Angeles) with good grip / performance.

Currently favoring Pirelli PZero, but open to any suggestions. thanks.

[tatarin]

RE-01R ... Bridgestone Potenza

[RAudi Driver]

I would the Michelin PS2's over the RE01's. Those Bridgestone tires are super heavy.

[Cargo8]

I ended up going with the PS2s, love them!

[S4J]

Just since this seems to keep popping up...

[nthusiastt]

not to many bright s4 owners if this is stickied....

[ngng]

wow, 05.5 for 48k LOL, blast from the past!

[nietersj728]

Perfect Write-Up... its amazing to think that just four years ago the 05 was almost 50k!

[clumpymold]

Perfect Write-Up... its amazing to think that just four years ago the 05 was almost 50k!

No kidding! I just picked my 2005.5 up for $22k. :)



Anyone here configure their Navs to play DVDs?

[whartung]

No kidding! I just picked my 2005.5 up for $22k. :)



Anyone here configure their Navs to play DVDs?

nope but i'm dangerously close to finishing up configuring my nav to have a 3.5mm auxiliary input