Does everything on this car need to be difficult? (Battery swap)

[p1nk50ck]

My battery died last night. So i roll to my buddy's service station to pick up a battery and swap the old one out. There's this annoying-assed allen screw that requires such a tiny skinny little bit to reach at the bottom of the front of the battery. My "L" allen wrenches are too short to fit down there, my 3/8" allen bit won't fit down there. I had to hunt down a friend to borrow a 1/4" allen bit, and also hunt down a 1/4" extension from a different friend so that it could reach. WTF is up with these cars being so damn difficult for even the simplest tasks? [headbang]

I ended up getting an interstate battery, because i got a pretty decent discount from my buddy. Fits like a glove, but damn, battery swaps should take like 10 minutes. Having to hunt around for tools is annoying as hell.

On the plus side, I guess this reset my ECU, and I'm finally seeing a peak of 20 psi! Why APR doesn't reset your ECU when they do the flash is beyond me. [facepalm]

[Operator]

Yeh, the battery swap "should" be easier.

[doublezero30]

honestly, its not that the car is difficult to work on...its that you own a small shitty assorment of tools and complain when you dont have the right tools for the job. either go buy the right tool, or struggle. your choice.

[Coderedpl]

honestly, its not that the car is difficult to work on...its that you own a small shitty assorment of tools and complain when you dont have the right tools for the job. either go buy the right tool, or struggle. your choice.
Well said.

[bman005]

^X3 I have all the right tools and it only took me about 5 minutes last week

[naiku]

honestly, its not that the car is difficult to work on...its that you own a small shitty assorment of tools and complain when you dont have the right tools for the job. either go buy the right tool, or struggle. your choice.

While I agree with this to some extent, these cars do have all manner of stupid procedures to replace the simplest of things. A prime example of this is replacing a headlight bulb, now I have all the right tools, and can get the bumper off fairly quickly. But seriously, I have to remove the damn bumper to replace a headlight bulb? I realize it is just about possible to do without removing the bumper, but it is still a pain in the ass, and far more complicated than it needs to be. I believe that is the kind of thing OP is talking about.

[DRAKLORE]

It's because the Germans would rather not have some Joe thinking he's mr. Mechanic and attempt to replace something, then go a whine when the fit and finish isn't as precise as it was or because they broke something....
If it was simple and easy, then that would tempt more people to fuck with the car.

I have no issue with any of said tasks, I used to have about 20k$ in tools and now only have about 20-30$ (no joke!) I replaced my turbo, clutch and everything in between with said 30$s in tools. Even removed my battery... I guess what I'm trying to say, is if I were you... Maybe I would stay away from attempting to maintain your car yourself. Especially if you couldnt find a way to make the tools at hand work.

Just my .02, not trying to be a dickhead or sound Pompous or some shit

[Satummoo]

honestly, its not that the car is difficult to work on...its that you own a small shitty assorment of tools and complain when you dont have the right tools for the job. either go buy the right tool, or struggle. your choice.

I disagree, most batteries are up front and you can swap it out in less than 3 minutes with maybe one 8mm socket.

These cars can be unnecessarily difficult

[Schweini]

To be honest, this is exactly why I love buying German made products in the first place. You know exactly what you're paying for, and the Germans know exactly what they're doing. These aren't some run of the mill machines that anyone with half a brain can tinker around with and fix everything himself/herself. What's that tell you about the product if anyone can fix it? Precise engineering went into the making of these cars and it's made to run with everything to that standard. Would you hire a plumber to do the electrical in your house? That's how I look at it when it comes to my car. I do the odd job here and there, but I know not to be messing around too much. Obviously, like other people have stated, the right tools do make all the difference, and I'm sure there's a marketing ploy here at work too [;)] us sneaky Germans aren't stupid

I had a friend with a Audi TT who refused to bring her car to a Audi/VW service centre because she was too cheap (and stupid). She decided to let her brother who was a self proclaimed mechanic do everything on the car if it had problems. Needless to say, the car broke down and died 3 times a month, and she ended up getting rid of the thing and vowed never to own an Audi ever again. [headbang]. She bought a Cruz and thinks it's 30x better. [rolleyes]. It pissed me off when people like that have no respect to the amount of engineering that goes into these cars.


I'm just ranting, nothing was personally directed at the OP or anyone. Just my opinions on the matter, nothing more and nothing less [:|] And glad to hear you got that boost after resetting your ECU ! I did that not too long ago and loved it.

Speaking of APR: has anyone ever tried this? Switch to "x" mode, wait the 10 seconds, turn the key and before starting the car, do the very same process a 2nd time. Now start the car (after switching modes twice in a row), the car feels like it has so much more power, but it's jumpy/jerky and feels a bit different. I did it by accident, and switched modes in case I did any damage. I'm curious to know if this has been done and tested before?

[eMacPaul]

I had a friend with a Audi TT who refused to bring her car to a Audi/VW service centre because she was too cheap (and stupid). She decided to let her brother who was a self proclaimed mechanic do everything on the car if it had problems. Needless to say, the car broke down and died 3 times a month, and she ended up getting rid of the thing and vowed never to own an Audi ever again. [headbang]. She bought a Cruz and thinks it's 30x better. [rolleyes]. It pissed me off when people like that have no respect to the amount of engineering that goes into these cars.

If her Cruz doesn't have problems like her TT did, maybe it is 30x better...

[Schweini]

If her Cruz doesn't have problems like her TT did, maybe it is 30x better...

If you want to totally misinterpret the point, then you'd be spot on. In her case, ignorance is bliss after all.

[JPthaJedi]

i had to change my battery out today too.. that shit was retarted...

[papadelogan]

Precision engineering is one thing. Making it so that damn near every task requires special tools and/or knowledge is arrogance. I love my A4 but what is the point of the "triple square" bolts? Is an allen head or even torx unusable? NO. I rebuilt my first engine 30 years ago and I've seen innovation. Quality engineering makes even maintenance tasks more simple and efficient.

[Schweini]

Do you really think they'd want to invest so much time and money into building a car you can fix and or take elsewhere to repair?

[bman005]

Everyone who's great at they do has a certain level of arrogance. You can't be the best without it [:D]

NOTE: I'm only refering to the cars...I don't have a god complex

[timfountain]

Well, it could be worse. I used to own a 2004 Jaguar XJ8 (X350) and replacing the battery in that car would require re-calibrating the auto park-brake system, otherwise the car would drag on the rear calipers. Many owners found out the hard way, when they burnt out their rear pads after 20 miles. Don't ask me about the jacking requirements that come with own an all aluminum car.

- Tim

[DRAKLORE]

No god complex here lmfao
But the engineering is done like that on purpose, they don't want you to do the oil change. They don't want you replacing the battery, they don't want you to change your brake pads, and they don't want you to attempt to replace your bulbs....
The car is meant to last long, and they feel the customer isn't going to help that goal of keeping their reputation. They would rather put in place ten retarded triple square bolts where one might be needed. As long as it keeps the Driver from doing what their Trained mechanic should be doing!

Its not retarded engineering, it's retarding engineering...
Retarding the driver from thinking they know as much as a trained mechanic.

Retarded engineering is dodge putting the battery in the fender well, so in order to replace or jump start their Intrepid you need to remove the passenger tire and fender liner!

To you it's just a battery, who cares right? Well perhaps they would rather you have a Delear diagnose as to the reason why it died in the first place! Maybe it's just weak? Well your OEM battery lasted what like 100k miles before it finally died... Now your going to replace it with some interstate battery that might not last as long?!
^see my point

[bman005]

No god complex here lmfao
But the engineering is done like that on purpose, they don't want you to do the oil change. They don't want you replacing the battery, they don't want you to change your brake pads, and they don't want you to attempt to replace your bulbs....
The car is meant to last long, and they feel the customer isn't going to help that goal of keeping their reputation. They would rather put in place ten retarded triple square bolts where one might be needed. As long as it keeps the Driver from doing what their Trained mechanic should be doing!

Its not retarded engineering, it's retarding engineering...
Retarding the driver from thinking they know as much as a trained mechanic.

Can't say it any better than that

[kristokes]

Different strokes for different folks.

It would've made the job a lot easier if you invested in the proper tools.

[p1nk50ck]

let's not make this out to be something that it's not. it's a battery. it shouldn't take a trained mechanic to swap it out, and it certainly shouldn't be "engineered" in such a way that it requires either specific tools or the removal of a strut brace to get enough room to access bolts to remove your battery. just like swapping out a lightbulb in your house shouldnt' require the assistance of an electrical engineer, and making a grilled cheese sandwich shouldn't require the help of the executive chef from a 4 michelin star restaurant.

i've owned 5 cars in the past several years, all that i've done my own servicing, and modifications to. i don't have anywhere near $30k in tools, but i have a good enough set that's been able to get me by for all of my other vehicles. this one just seems to be so difficult with various lengths and sizes of each tool. triple square bolts for the HPFP banjo, a friggin little drain tool for the fuel filter, the crazy sized socket to remove the fuel filter, etc... the list goes on.

to be completely honest, i was actually pretty impressed with the whole battery bracket thingy to keep the battery snug. and i've always hated the stupid wingnut and long threaded rod design to keep the battery secured in other cars i've had in the past. i'm just venting because it was something so simple that should have taken 10 minutes, and was just drawn out a lot longer than it should have. i was lucky to have a battery jumper to get me around without requiring jumper cables and other cars to get me moving.

also, my oem battery lasted 5 years, and 55k miles. got it tested, completely dead. after hunting around, i saw that interstate got good reviews. i wanted to get an optima red top, which i've run in my previous cars, but i couldn't wait for the delivery, and after reading some reviews, apparently their quality has gone downhill recently.

according to most reviews, surprisingly the costco brand of batteries got the highest rating.

[kristokes]

It's a simple job that takes less than 10 minutes, if you had the proper tools. You'll just need to invest in an extension and allen key socket set.

[p1nk50ck]

It's a simple job that takes less than 10 minutes, if you had the proper tools. You'll just need to invest in an extension and allen key socket set.

yup. its just ridiculous that i'm going to have 3 different sets of allen keys to service this car, that's all.

i also currently have 3 sets of torx bits (long screw driver handle-style, 1/4" and 3/8 sockets, and "L" style.

then again, i also have 3 sets of open-ended and ratcheting wrenches, so i guess it's not all that different.

[kristokes]

You'll be able to use those tools other than working on the Audi, so it won't go to waste.

[CorneliusRox]

Do you really think they'd want to invest so much time and money into building a car you can fix and or take elsewhere to repair?

Honestly, if you have tackled you fair share of cars, you would know that these cars are Barely different than any others. Everything is the same except maybe an allen instead of a 6point. The guys that think only Audi dealerships can fix their cars need to start wrenching and realize that the A4 is actually a very simple car. Since we dont have a V6 or V8, there is TONS of room under the hoods. Just throwing it out there.

And no, I dont think they invest so much time and money into them so that you are not able to take it anywhere else. I think the spend time and money so you dont have to take it anywhere.

:-)

[DRAKLORE]

I think if he had taken it to a dealer, he may have realized that the battery did not just die on it's own...

Perhaps they might of tested the alternator or wiring for a draw?!
And if he thinks the battery is a bitch, the alternator is much much worse.
Trust me, I think I've prob wrenched on this platform more than most. I'm not saying it's difficult by any means. I had no problem removing the battery with some simple tools. But to think that the car wasn't designed in a way to deter you from touching it is retarded! Why do you think the oil filter is the way it is. Most cars nowadays have engine covers that keep you from seeing or touching anything. Audi is no different, except they also add in the implication of special bolts and retainers.

Sure with any amount of finnicking you can achieve whatever you want on this car.
I wasn't saying that it should require a trained mechanic to work on the car or replace a battery, just that I believe audi would prefer it if someone who is used to working on cars that still use "wingnuts" <pre 1980!!! That they stay away from the precise Complicated and pristine machine that they've delicately designed.


IM JUST A LITTLE SICK OF MEMBERS HANGING PARTS! if something goes bad... It went bad for a damn reason! If a
Sensor throws a code, most of you just replace the f'n sensor lol we call mechanics that apply that mentality "parts hangers" cause most anyone can replace components, but it takes a true technician to determine what the root cause of the fault is.
A battery should last way more than 55k... Just saying.
My whole point is, while being a nice little community that helps each other out with DIYs and money saving threads. A lot if you think your smart and nifty.
I've got news, your not doing yourself or your car any favors by playing mr mechanic. Unless you have 99% proof of reason why a part failed. Your just setting yourself up for more issues down the road.
These are not just Simple machines like your grandpas chevy. There are complicated PCM/ecus at work here. And without a thorough understanding of the mechanical/electrical relationship between those things in your car, your going to fuck some serious shit up.

Sorry for the rant, but the ignorance is bringing me back to my days at the Dealer, when fools would come in thinking they knew it all or were smart. They'd replace their own shit and Want us refund them when we had to put in another new part cause they didn't fix the underlying issue. Like Its my fault they didn't bring it to Me in the first place.
Op- I hope your battery was just weak, maybe it's the colder weather. Or you left your lights on one to many times?! I assume you know why it died after just 55k... I'm not trying to bash on you, but if I were you I would monitor your battery... I would hate to ^see you have to purchase another battery, And fix the root cause...

[kristokes]

I think if he had taken it to a dealer, he may have realized that the battery did not just die on it's own...

It was the original 5-6 year old battery, so it was about time he replaced it.

[p1nk50ck]

Op- I hope your battery was just weak, maybe it's the colder weather. Or you left your lights on one to many times?! I assume you know why it died after just 55k... I'm not trying to bash on you, but if I were you I would monitor your battery... I would hate to ^see you have to purchase another battery, And fix the root cause...

i bought the car used, 2006 purchased in 2008, so for the 17,000 miles that were on the car before i had it, who knows what the previous owner did.

if you want the full backstory: yesterday evening, i hopped in my car, battery was dead. jumped the battery, and drove a 1/2 hour to a car meet. no a/c, no heat, no stereo, just to conserve a little bit of power, and let it charge. after sitting with the car off for about 15 minutes, I got a call that the meeting place was moved, so i tried to start the car up again, and after one crank, it just started clicking. jumped the car again with my battery pack, and drove to the new spot. after chit-chatting for a few hours, hopped back in my car to drive home, and no cranks, just clicking. jumped the car again, drove home. as soon as i pulled into the garage and parked, i turned it off, gave it a couple of minutes and tried starting the car again. battery dead. alternator should be working fine if i could drive around with no issues.

drove to my buddy's station this morning, swapped the battery. had the mechanic there test it just for good measure to confirm that it was dead. that's pretty much it. i'm not really "bashing" audi. it was just a frustrating situation this morning. i've done plenty of work on cars from swapping suspension to pulling my transmission out of my is300 to swap out a clutch and flywheel. i'm not trying to play like i'm a mechanic, but most of the simple maintenance stuff isn't rocket science. i think it was more shock that some standard tools that work on a majority of cars that i've worked on before, don't work on this car. i've never needed more than a 10mm socket and maybe a phillips screw driver to swap a battery before. yeah, perhaps i should have looked online for a DIY before doing so, but again, it was my assumption that it should have been a simpler task.

[DRAKLORE]

Yeah I wasn't trying to be a monkey on your back. I just get a little frustrated with the mindset on the forums sometimes lol

[wootwoot]

let's not make this out to be something that it's not. it's a battery. it shouldn't take a trained mechanic to swap it out, and it certainly shouldn't be "engineered" in such a way that it requires either specific tools or the removal of a strut brace to get enough room to access bolts to remove your battery. just like swapping out a lightbulb in your house shouldnt' require the assistance of an electrical engineer, and making a grilled cheese sandwich shouldn't require the help of the executive chef from a 4 michelin star restaurant.

i've owned 5 cars in the past several years, all that i've done my own servicing, and modifications to. i don't have anywhere near $30k in tools, but i have a good enough set that's been able to get me by for all of my other vehicles. this one just seems to be so difficult with various lengths and sizes of each tool. triple square bolts for the HPFP banjo, a friggin little drain tool for the fuel filter, the crazy sized socket to remove the fuel filter, etc... the list goes on.



+1

Also my battery recently died at 4 years and 50k miles but the summer heat in Phoenix shortens battery life like crazy.

[DRAKLORE]

I guess I'm
Lucky to get 4.5 years and 100k miles out of my battery than

[papadelogan]

I guess I'm
Lucky to get 4.5 years and 100k miles out of my battery than

That's 22,000+ miles/year, and I imagine a fair bit of that was highway? Sure, it'll last longer that way if you go by mileage, but you're still in the 5 year range.

[GarrettReid]

Can't think of any other reason to flame the OP. You all already seemed to hit all the points.

[mr shickadance]

its not the job of switching the battery, its the tools needed for the procedure.....and you think, oh ok well i have kind of the right tool for the job lemme see if it works......and then you end up either breaking a part, or unscrewing something an 1/8 turn at a time

i love working on my german car bc i know its so well engineered......if you are struggling to get something off, that you think should be easier to get off.....chances are yea....you need to stop before you break something and get the right tool for the job.....thats also what i love, there is a right tool for every job on this car and once you have it, the job is cake


i know people say this is not your ordinary car....and for that i say bullshit, its got 4 wheels and an engine just like any other car, excpet this car is so well engineered that everything has a specific set of steps in order to completed the job.....miss one, and you prolly are fucked....just look at the bumper removal.....miss the alignment at the end, and you have to take it all off again


just stop complaining and pony up for the right tools....at the end of the day yea it might suck having the buy a new tool every now and then, but at the end of the year, you will have a set of tools that the guy from gran torino would be jealous of

[DRAKLORE]

I Would have just cut about an inch off my L Allen and put it into a 1/4 socket... Then he could have used his ratchet to get it out..
Sometimes it's about being a little innovative.
Yes it's a car- it has four wheels and an engine, some seats and a steering wheel. But for a base model sedan, it's far superior to some of the best engineered fords I've worked on. Including a handful of shelbys and roush! I truly believe that these cars weren't meant to be wrenched on by weekend mechanics, but I feel that there's not many other cars that hold this standard of craftsmanship.

[golfvdude]

I Would have just cut about an inch off my L Allen and put it into a 1/4 socket... Then he could have used his ratchet to get it out..
Sometimes it's about being a little innovative.
Yes it's a car- it has four wheels and an engine, some seats and a steering wheel. But for a base model sedan, it's far superior to some of the best engineered fords I've worked on. Including a handful of shelbys and roush! I truly believe that these cars weren't meant to be wrenched on by weekend mechanics, but I feel that there's not many other cars that hold this standard of craftsmanship.

Funny you say that. Sometimes I bitch about working on the car but when I think of getting rid of it, I cannot think of another car I can afford that would drive like the A4. Talk about a love/hate relationship....

[Brillo]

IMHO anyone considering doing their own basic work on their A4 should have a compliment of tools including at least a complete set of hex and torx bits, 1/4 and 3/8 inch drive sockets including 10 inches worth of extensions (1/4 in deep sockets is a plus), ratchet drivers, open end and box wrenches, and a high quality set of screw drivers and pliers, a strong magnetic probe, mirror probe, and a number of portable shop type lights.
I've worked on Jags all my life starting in the '60's and everything on my A4 is easy by comparison. I can remember replacing a starter motor in an XKE by cutting out a panel in the passenger footwell to gain access and pop-riveting and sealing it back in place to avoid the alternative of pulling the engine. Not to vent but I guess it's just a matter of perspective.

[Militant-Grunt]

its not the job of switching the battery, its the tools needed for the procedure.....and you think, oh ok well i have kind of the right tool for the job lemme see if it works

This. You just need the correct tool. A long socketed allen does the job, its never taken me more than 10 minutes to swap the battery on a B7.

[Tanner]

Replaced the battery myself, they don't last forever. Didn't have the right tool but went out and purchased it. And you know what, doing the repairs/maintenance yourself you save a lot of money down the road and you start building up a nice collection of tools. Not a big deal IMO.

Respect to the headlights, I swear they started to do this as the B5 was notorious for thieves stealing the xenon and Audi then made it more difficult for the xenons to get stolen.

[cbbepop]

IMO more advanced means more reliable and less of a hassle to fix. Anything where a problem or simple maintenance needs very complex procedures to fix/repair is a step in the wrong direction. They teach this as one of the fundamentals in engineering school.
And this is the A4 we're talking about, a vehicle marketed for the middle to upper middle class, not a Ferrari.

This seems to be the two sided coin with German engineering. On one hand you have precise engineering that leads to the achievement of building advance complex machines. On the other hand, the complexity completely replaces the road to simplicity where it overshadows practicality at times.

This worked towards the allie's advantage in WWII. You have lugers or King Tiger tanks for example. They are better weapons of war than the allies counterparts. But producing them was so expensive, so time consuming, and then when they break down in the field, spare parts were so hard to replace or innovate on the spot that it can be said its one of the factors why the "Krauts" didn't take over haha

[doublezero30]

I disagree, most batteries in american/japanese cars are up front and you can swap it out in less than 3 minutes with maybe one 8mm socket.

These cars can be unnecessarily difficult

Fixed.

[Tanner]

IMO more advanced means more reliable and less of a hassle to fix. Anything where a problem or simple maintenance needs very complex procedures to fix/repair is a step in the wrong direction. They teach this as one of the fundamentals in engineering school.

While I agree to some degree I also disagree. Competition with other manufacturers for more and more creature comforts which leads to more complex electronics required. Greater need for fuel efficiency which brought along direct injection along with some of the headaches around it and specialized tools to do certain repairs (ie.: injectors).

If you want something that's simple to fix - assuming you have the proper tools - older cars seems to fit that bill. The older it is, the simpler it is to maintain/fix IMO.

[Soul Kitchen]

I agree with the OP. Everyone here is giving him a hard time, but in reality, that allen bolt is in a terribly inconvenient spot.

[funky_snowman]

You don't need to be a mechanic to diagnose a dead battery/alternator, just like you don't need a mechanic to tell you when you are out of gas... Besides, sometimes parts just fail, there isn't always some deep dark secret that only some dealership goon will be able to figure out. Frankly, I've had entirely too much bad work done by incompetent mechanics to be fooled into thinking that someone being called a mechanic (NOT the same as "engineer", sorry) reliably says much about their mechanical ability, ESPECIALLY at a dealership (no offense to those actually capable techs in our midst).

Though, yes, lets flame the op for wanting to simply change his dead battery, and being mildy irritated by ways in which the a4 (glorified passat) is over-engineered (which it absolutely is). Give me a break.

[doublezero30]

I agree with the OP. Everyone here is giving him a hard time, but in reality, that allen bolt is in a terribly inconvenient spot.

it really isnt though. Honestly, a basic tool set should suffice to replace the battery in 10minutes or less. if you dont have an extension, or allen head sockets...you shouldnt be working on german cars. youre all complaining about a very simple job. I cant imagine what youde be saying if you had another european car where the battery is burried in the trunk. for christ sakes if you think changing the battery is hard, put the damn wrench down and pay someone to do it for you. or at least get a friend that doesnt suck as bad as you all do.

[camoto]

It could be way easier.... you just need a better car. Like this one:
http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/218/15353092io.jpg

[p1nk50ck]

I Would have just cut about an inch off my L Allen and put it into a 1/4 socket... Then he could have used his ratchet to get it out..
Sometimes it's about being a little innovative.

i almost did that. i hardly use the stupid L-allens anymore anyways, but i know the second i cut it, i'll need to use it for something else.

[p1nk50ck]

I cant imagine what youde be saying if you had another european car where the battery is burried in the trunk. for christ sakes if you think changing the battery is hard, put the damn wrench down and pay someone to do it for you. or at least get a friend that doesnt suck as bad as you all do.

i've changed batteries on bmw's before with the battery in the trunk. not really an issue at all.

again, it's not that it's hard to change the battery. it's that it was annoying that something as simple as changing a battery required me to go out and get another set of 1/4" allen sockets. especially when i already have 2 completely good sets that have gotten me by for the past 5-6 years with other vehicles.

and yes, i'll eventually use them for another job and after-the-fact, i'm happy to be adding to my ever-increasing inventory of tools, it's just that i feel like this happens all too often when working with this car.

[JPT]

A battery tie down, should be secured either by a hand tightened wing nut, or simple metric/standard socket, without requiring an extension. This is why even though it seems like a crappy design, but the long hook and plate that runs across the battery is a simple but effective solution. All you need is a simple socket (not even a deep socket) to remove the battery.

I can understand certain things needing specialty tools, but the things that need to be changed in an emergency situation, should NEVER require specialty tools.

Imagine if you needed a tool to put gas in, then saying I like that it requires this specialty tool, because it make it so the average gas station attendant cant mess up putting gas in. Then saying "If you can't afford going to a gas station with this specialty tool, then go get a cheap car"

The OP is right, it seems they over complicate some things for no reason.

[Ed Gein]

i've changed batteries on bmw's before with the battery in the trunk. not really an issue at all.

again, it's not that it's hard to change the battery. it's that it was annoying that something as simple as changing a battery required me to go out and get another set of 1/4" allen sockets. especially when i already have 2 completely good sets that have gotten me by for the past 5-6 years with other vehicles.

and yes, i'll eventually use them for another job and after-the-fact, i'm happy to be adding to my ever-increasing inventory of tools, it's just that i feel like this happens all too often when working with this car.

You said it was difficult in the title, I think thats why everyones giving you a hard time

[p1nk50ck]

You said it was difficult in the title, I think thats why everyones giving you a hard time

i'm getting that now. i meant to use the term "difficult" in the sense that it was obnoxious or a pain in the ass. i probably could have used a better term.

whatev... i've been around forums long enough not to get butthurt if people have itchy trigger fingers and want to start flaming.

[BoSNiaN]

honestly, its not that the car is difficult to work on...its that you own a small shitty assorment of tools and complain when you dont have the right tools for the job. either go buy the right tool, or struggle. your choice.

THIS.

When buying an Audi, we should really mention to people, regardless of how large of a garage they currently have, be ready to invest a lot of money into specific tools for your model that you don't have. I have a double indoor garage, vented, fluorescent lighting, drawers and drawers of tools, yet I've spent at least $500 on new tools since I bought the thing...anti-tamper torx bits, random extensions, etc [headbang]

[Grada89]

http://i01.i.aliimg.com/photo/v0/288178891/Security_Hexagon_Allen_Insert_Bit_1_4.jpg <**********- THIS

http://c.shld.net/rpx/i/s/pi/mp/4446/4138115501p?src=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.toolweb.com%2Fd atafeeds%2F250x250%2F9725585b-13d8-4f99-ad02-5bf30ae1bd24.jpg&d=d892afe22677c2b651fb72c35c6741bb2689b03c <**********-Taped inside THIS

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3081/3193876834_41ba80411e.jpg <************- Attached those two to these and BAM!

Improvising works well. I usually never have the exact right tools but I make shit work somehow someway. Never had any mistakes so far. If not i just hit up pep boys and rent stuff for free.

[funky_snowman]

i've been around forums long enough not to get butthurt if people have itchy trigger fingers and want to start flaming.

sadly, that will definitely come in handy given that flaming is apparently the go to response here. frankly, the b7 section could use a healthy dose of maturity imo.

[B7inFL]

my battery just dies too...age and nothing else. Funny thing was I went to dealer to buy new battery right before it was going into service for warranty work. When I told the service advisor I had a dead battery, they tried adding the labor to the invoice. I said $100 to install a battery? I laughed and walked out w/new battery...less than 5mins later advisor came out and when I asked where to leave dead battery (on ground next to me) they replied, that was fast. I said, yeah I have alot of experience so I was up for turning 3 bolts/nuts. [:D]

[p1nk50ck]

frankly, teh intarwebz could use a healthy dose of maturity imo.

fixed!

[gyroscope]

Battery swap is a lot easier on this car than on my 85 4000S Quattro. Have to remove the airbox and some hoses for that one.

I ended up putting in a Optima Yellow Top but I managed to strip the allen bolt when I went to reninstall it.

Anyone know the part number or where to order it from?

I went to Audi of Manhattan and they said they didn't have it and wouldn't order it. Dealer parts guys around here the most lazy mf'ers ever.

[funky_snowman]

fixed!

hardly. the b7 section in particular is full of children and older members who almost exclusively troll anymore. its not the worst (sub)forum ive seen in that regard, but it's not too far from it. pretty embarrassing imo.

[funky_snowman]

Dealer parts guys around here the most lazy mf'ers ever.

i don't even go to dealers for parts anymore. a lot of them are somehow incapable of reading their own parts fiches, and their prices are hardly competitive. id rather save time and money and just order them online.

[Rabbit]

I think the hardest part about changing our battery was walking home from the store with it.

[Sprode]

let's not make this out to be something that it's not. it's a battery. it shouldn't take a trained mechanic to swap it out, and it certainly shouldn't be "engineered" in such a way that it requires either specific tools or the removal of a strut brace to get enough room to access bolts to remove your battery. just like swapping out a lightbulb in your house shouldnt' require the assistance of an electrical engineer, and making a grilled cheese sandwich shouldn't require the help of the executive chef from a 4 michelin star restaurant.

i've owned 5 cars in the past several years, all that i've done my own servicing, and modifications to. i don't have anywhere near $30k in tools, but i have a good enough set that's been able to get me by for all of my other vehicles. this one just seems to be so difficult with various lengths and sizes of each tool. triple square bolts for the HPFP banjo, a friggin little drain tool for the fuel filter, the crazy sized socket to remove the fuel filter, etc... the list goes on.

to be completely honest, i was actually pretty impressed with the whole battery bracket thingy to keep the battery snug. and i've always hated the stupid wingnut and long threaded rod design to keep the battery secured in other cars i've had in the past. i'm just venting because it was something so simple that should have taken 10 minutes, and was just drawn out a lot longer than it should have. i was lucky to have a battery jumper to get me around without requiring jumper cables and other cars to get me moving.

also, my oem battery lasted 5 years, and 55k miles. got it tested, completely dead. after hunting around, i saw that interstate got good reviews. i wanted to get an optima red top, which i've run in my previous cars, but i couldn't wait for the delivery, and after reading some reviews, apparently their quality has gone downhill recently.

according to most reviews, surprisingly the costco brand of batteries got the highest rating.

I used to run an optima. Now I run the highest cca battery from advanced with a 5 year warranty.