Used B8 S4 Help Please

[mr shickadance]

Hi all,

While new to the B8 s4 family, I am not exactly new to the audi world. I have grown a bit tired of my STI, and am thinking about trading it in for a used or CPO B8 S4.

I am wondering if I could burden ya'll with some questions as I am hoping to get more serious about getting the car in the next few weeks.

1) As my research tells me, the auto-version can be quite expensive to fix, and rather fragile. The auto option is going to be the only option as the wife wants to be able to drive it, and personally, I am excited to own my first dual clutch tranny. (Sorry folks, I just really want to give it a try, been a stick man all my life but shit if those paddles aint some fun) So clearly the best option here is to find a CPO version or a car still under factory audi warranty. I have also found on here a few members talking about third party warranties. My question(s) is:

How has the 3rd party warranty been working for you? What is the name of warranty person? would you buy a 3rd party warranty again?

2) Other research points towards these cars being a bit fickle under stress and having a poor cooling system/or leaking coolant. What can I do personally to prevent this without breaking myself financially? (the APR cooler seems a bit pricey for what it is at the end of the day)

3) Anything else I should be looking for or watch out for? or tell my mechanic when he goes to examine the car to look for?

4) Also, things to look out for between years? I know audi is often the company to make subtle switches year-to-year



For what it's worth, I will be considering Auto S4's that feature the MMI system as items being mandatory.

favorable options would be:

Drive Select, and the keyless starting thing, cool to have, but not entirely necessary.

Thanks in advance

[jran76]

1) I can't help much here as I don't have any type of warranty beyond the basic factory warranty. I can say I got a DSG for the same reasons after only having manuals for the past 10+ years. I am still not sure how I feel about it. If I had it to do over again, I would probably go 6MT, but it's close to a toss up for different reasons. At the end of the day, my wife has driven my car twice in the past (almost) 3 years....

2) I actually think the cooling is pretty rock solid. Unless it is highly modified, you track the car excessively, or you want to extract the absolute maximum power from the car, I don't think upgraded cooling is necessary. I wouldn't do anything unless you are going all out on a build....

3) On 2010's and early 2011's check that the water pump has been replaced, and also that the sport diff is not leaking oil as these are the two most common issues on early builds. Other than looking for leaks and any other normal things they would look for, you should be good. Check things like bushings if it is higher mileage.

4) Other than what I covered in #2, there are not a ton of differences between 2010-2012. 2010 did not have launch control.

As most people on here will say, the Sport Differential is a must if you want to extract the most from the car. I would personally recommend the Sport Diff and B&O system as must haves, and everything else is up to you. I've used the MMI system maybe 10 times in my 3 years of ownership. If I had it to do over again, I would probably forego that option (on a used car it may not add much to the cost).

[$nooze]

Weren't u apart of the b7 community I remember your name well from there. Am. As for years to look try for 11+. I've gathered they worked out the kinks past that point a lot better. Water Pump has plastic fins which tend to break, there's a thread about it here. You will love it!
Also thermostats seem to be an issue with these s4's.

[jlaudio]

Just about every 2010 has had its water pump fixed, so i wouldn't let that deter you if the car and the price is right.
welcome to the b8 forums again, i remeber your name from other sections. Ace ventura is one of my favorite movies of all time...

[mr shickadance]

1) I can't help much here as I don't have any type of warranty beyond the basic factory warranty. I can say I got a DSG for the same reasons after only having manuals for the past 10+ years. I am still not sure how I feel about it. If I had it to do over again, I would probably go 6MT, but it's close to a toss up for different reasons. At the end of the day, my wife has driven my car twice in the past (almost) 3 years....

Wife would be driving this occaisionally, she is a bit of an audi fiend, and her manual skills are not great. Good to know that aafter ownership you are not a flat out "i will never buy DSG again, sort of tells me that it it's not total shit.

2) I actually think the cooling is pretty rock solid. Unless it is highly modified, you track the car excessively, or you want to extract the absolute maximum power from the car, I don't think upgraded cooling is necessary. I wouldn't do anything unless you are going all out on a build....

good to know, vendors would have you thinking that unless you buy this product from them that your auto is likely to explode and/or disintegrate if you did not buy product X. Car will never see track time, and most likely the hardest it will be pushed will be on on-ramp's for fun, and occasionally on the CT backroads.

3) On 2010's and early 2011's check that the water pump has been replaced, and also that the sport diff is not leaking oil as these are the two most common issues on early builds. Other than looking for leaks and any other normal things they would look for, you should be good. Check things like bushings if it is higher mileage.

Thank you, this will be a bargaining point I am sure, so there was a TSB on this? also, does the V6 have a Timing belt or chain?

4) Other than what I covered in #2, there are not a ton of differences between 2010-2012. 2010 did not have launch control.

As most people on here will say, the Sport Differential is a must if you want to extract the most from the car. I would personally recommend the Sport Diff and B&O system as must haves, and everything else is up to you. I've used the MMI system maybe 10 times in my 3 years of ownership. If I had it to do over again, I would probably forego that option (on a used car it may not add much to the cost).

I like the MMI for reasons beyond the NAV, color me fancy, but I like the color center in the driver's console, see that red-dot-matrix style that the MMI does not have makes me feel like the B7 A4 I used to own was a more tech advanced car than the 2011 s4




Weren't u apart of the b7 community I remember your name well from there. Am. As for years to look try for 11+. I've gathered they worked out the kinks past that point a lot better. Water Pump has plastic fins which tend to break, there's a thread about it here. You will love it!
Also thermostats seem to be an issue with these s4's.

Yes, I used to have a grey b7 a4, and I frequent this site daily to harass the b7 owners still. I loved that car, it was fun.

[mr shickadance]

Just about every 2010 has had its water pump fixed, so i wouldn't let that deter you if the car and the price is right.
welcome to the b8 forums again, i remeber your name from other sections. Ace ventura is one of my favorite movies of all time...

you are like one of the 4 people who get my username reference.

[RudyH]

I was in the same boat for the DSG question. Very interested in the technology, but it's not without it's problems. Been driving stick for 15+ yrs now and I miss it without question.

Stuck in traffic dirving through Toronto bumper to bumper for 2 hours -> DSG win
Hyper extending my left knee two weeks ago -> DSG win, never missed a day unable to drive
Lady friend can only drive automatic -> DSG win, kind of...

The DSG especially 2010-2011 have a few problems with shifting 1-2, 2-1, into 4th where it can get quite clunky.

I have the APR Cooler, I daily drive and have yet to find the time to track it, no issues. The bigger question is, what is your plans with the car?

I have a 3rd party warranty, and so far so good. One of the terms is that I needed to request to start the claim process before dropping off the car, and they would direct me to where I should get it fixed. This didn't fly well with me. I am in the process of getting my mechanic who I totally trust with this car because they are great, to be put on this list. Otherwise all repairs over $100 cost me $100 that's it that's all, no questions asked.

Another item, 3rd party warranty will likely try to make the mechanic use aftermarket / used parts...cheap out. You need a mechanic willing to go to battle for your interests, genuine Audi parts, and pick the fights. Yes some instances this is ok to use an used part, but say a wheel bearing which was my last claim, they wanted to use a used part. WTF...it's a wheel bearing...

Otherwise if you can get the newest you can (2012 or 2011 vs 2010) would be best, but no car doesn't come without issues, and when the issue arises of known issues, it is fixed and doesn't come back, so no biggie there...warranty again, who cares!

[SwankPeRFection]

Buy a 2012 that's low milage 20k range and CPO or a 2013 if you don't care about the new steering rack, but I'd skip on that bs. Don't worry about the cooling system, that's just a bad water pump and thermostat issue on the early models. Some have had a recurring (second) failure after fix, but not as many as you think. That has nothing to do with the supercharger cooling system, this is the engine side of things (yes, they're somewhat together, but that's not what I mean). As for other things to get, don't skimp on options if you care about creature comforts and want all the toys, but definitely don't skimp on Sport Diff. That's a must really.

[jlaudio]

you are like one of the 4 people who get my username reference.

one of the best movies of all time. i can almost recite the script line by line.

Mr. Shickadance: I hear animals scratching Ventura, (cough cough cough)
Ace: I never bring my work home with me.
Mr. Shickadance: why all of the pet food?
Ace: Fiber.

hilarious! that movie was marketed to kids but it totally is not a kid movie.

[mr shickadance]

I was in the same boat for the DSG question. Very interested in the technology, but it's not without it's problems. Been driving stick for 15+ yrs now and I miss it without question.

Stuck in traffic dirving through Toronto bumper to bumper for 2 hours -> DSG win
Hyper extending my left knee two weeks ago -> DSG win, never missed a day unable to drive
Lady friend can only drive automatic -> DSG win, kind of...

The DSG especially 2010-2011 have a few problems with shifting 1-2, 2-1, into 4th where it can get quite clunky.

I have the APR Cooler, I daily drive and have yet to find the time to track it, no issues. The bigger question is, what is your plans with the car?

85% daily driven to work 5% road trips to VT 10% spirited driving on the way to work. I intend to never track the car

I have a 3rd party warranty, and so far so good. One of the terms is that I needed to request to start the claim process before dropping off the car, and they would direct me to where I should get it fixed. This didn't fly well with me. I am in the process of getting my mechanic who I totally trust with this car because they are great, to be put on this list. Otherwise all repairs over $100 cost me $100 that's it that's all, no questions asked.

Another item, 3rd party warranty will likely try to make the mechanic use aftermarket / used parts...cheap out. You need a mechanic willing to go to battle for your interests, genuine Audi parts, and pick the fights. Yes some instances this is ok to use an used part, but say a wheel bearing which was my last claim, they wanted to use a used part. WTF...it's a wheel bearing...

Otherwise if you can get the newest you can (2012 or 2011 vs 2010) would be best, but no car doesn't come without issues, and when the issue arises of known issues, it is fixed and doesn't come back, so no biggie there...warranty again, who cares!

Could you give me more information about your 3rd party warranty? website? approximate cost? how far did it extend?


Buy a 2012 that's low milage 20k range and CPO or a 2013 if you don't care about the new steering rack, but I'd skip on that bs. Don't worry about the cooling system, that's just a bad water pump and thermostat issue on the early models. Some have had a recurring (second) failure after fix, but not as many as you think. That has nothing to do with the supercharger cooling system, this is the engine side of things (yes, they're somewhat together, but that's not what I mean). As for other things to get, don't skimp on options if you care about creature comforts and want all the toys, but definitely don't skimp on Sport Diff. That's a must really.

Based on what I have been seeing on the forum, it seems like the new steering is not favored to the old? also, why is the sport diff so important?

[mr shickadance]

btw, I really appreciate the fast and thorough responses.

Ideally, a low mile 2011 would be my gem, but I would take a high mile 2012 if I can get the extended warranty.

I plan on using either Audi Service department as a base (if i can get CPO) or SpeedSportTuning in danbury as the shop to service the car etc.

[SwankPeRFection]

Could you give me more information about your 3rd party warranty? website? approximate cost? how far did it extend?



Based on what I have been seeing on the forum, it seems like the new steering is not favored to the old? also, why is the sport diff so important?

http://i.imgur.com/GQl6AFj.gif

[mr shickadance]

I see a lot of posts about how "I MUST GET IT" but I am not seeing a lot of posts why i should get it, what makes it different, along with backing it up of "i drove both and could tell a difference"

I do know it's popular, i'm just having trouble finding a decent thread with actual data to support the mass claim of "HOLYSHITIFYOUDONTGETITIWILLPERSONALLYCUTMYDICKOFFA NDEATITANDTHENPOOPOUTMYOWNDICKANDSENDYOUMYPOOPDICK INTHEMAILBECAUSEYOUWOULDBETHETYPEOFPERSONTOWANTMYP OOPDICKBECAUSEYOUDIDNTGETTHESPORTDIFFYOUPOOPDICKWA NTER"

[RudyH]

I saw your quote in my post - don't worry about the cooler, you should be fine. It's mostly on the track that I think people are more concerned about it.


Could you give me more information about your 3rd party warranty? website? approximate cost? how far did it extend?

Based on what I have been seeing on the forum, it seems like the new steering is not favored to the old? also, why is the sport diff so important?

This is the one I got, same package. Other items is a car rental if the repair will take more then 12 hours, includes road side assistance, those were the items that stuck out. Both are available in Canada, not sure on US...I am missing 'seals and gaskets'...which was a fail on my part. Assumed it was included...
http://www.nationwideautowarranty.com/200000km.html

Two friends who are mechanics recommended this :
http://www.lubrico.com/


Also make sure you get coverage for electrical / high tech, usually the S4 has tech that has matured down from the A6/A8 so it's less likely any issue.


For the Sports Diff...
You won't notice it daily driving, but in the twisties it will feel more like a rear wheel drive car. You don't really appreciate it until you push the car beyond it's regular limits to appreciate the sports diff.

[jran76]

I'm too lazy to get all the technical details of the sport diff down right now, but the gist of it is it will improve aggressive cornering by increasing the speed of the outside wheel/decreasing the speed of the inside wheel. It's obviously more complex than that, but it is something you will definitely notice it on aggressive on-ramps and spirited backroad runs. I have to say it is a pretty good feeling when it kicks in and you can feel the back end pulling/pushing itself through the corner.

[SwankPeRFection]

I see a lot of posts about how "I MUST GET IT" but I am not seeing a lot of posts why i should get it, what makes it different, along with backing it up of "i drove both and could tell a difference"

I do know it's popular, i'm just having trouble finding a decent thread with actual data to support the mass claim of "HOLYSHITIFYOUDONTGETITIWILLPERSONALLYCUTMYDICKOFFA NDEATITANDTHENPOOPOUTMYOWNDICKANDSENDYOUMYPOOPDICK INTHEMAILBECAUSEYOUWOULDBETHETYPEOFPERSONTOWANTMYP OOPDICKBECAUSEYOUDIDNTGETTHESPORTDIFFYOUPOOPDICKWA NTER"

It's actually been discussed quite a bit. If you want the car to handle similar to a RWD car, get it. If you want the FWD plow into the turns feeling from the S4, don't get it. This is taking it to the extreme of both ends, but it's the truth. EVERYONE who didn't get SD is one way or another regretting it, even if they don't admit it in a post. It does change the dynamics of the car's handling quite a bit and it has nothing to do with pushing it at the limits all the time. Anything more and your own research will be needed.

[RickFLS4]

Contact Troy at FD-warranty.com for warranty pricing. Plenty of information on his site too. Sells Fidelity which is common for Audi and Lexus dealers. (Dealership group where he works has both.) I recently purchased platinum level warranty through the earlier of 2019 or just under 125K miles for right around $3,600. $250 deductible. Prices vary by miles on car, warranty level and deductible. There are some warranty threads here and in chatterbox.

[mr shickadance]

very nice, thanks for the info, I think Sport Diff will be a must have.

[S4 00 2.7]

http://i.imgur.com/GQl6AFj.gif

Lol

Good luck with your search.

[mr shickadance]

thoughts on this carfax report?

looks like the car got the waterpump replaced, and other than that seems ok?