My first S4 IS faster than it should be.

[CrackeyMagoo]

It turns out that's a problem.

I purchased a 2013 S4 from a dealership in Denver on 11-25-24. It was purchased to be a project car. I planned on taking it to stage 2. My son is eager to help and is saving up for a project car of his own.

There's a major problem though. I don't have possession of the car. It failed emissiobs and they took possession in November. It really sounds like they've done nothing at all and have been waiting me out to ask for the money back. I want the car.

The issue is it has been tuned. They told me it was stock and it was the first time I had driven one. Plus it was a test drive. I couldn't drive it like I wanted to. When I finally drove off with it I became suspicious, found a "it's faster than it should be" thread here, and decided to check. First step? Let's see if it goes over 150. I was running Waze but didn't think to look at it for the speed. I went past 160. It had more but I was out of room. I could see tail lights After that I checked the rpm and was able to red line it in neutral. It launches very hard but I never timed it to any speed or distance. I didn't have a chance. My micrometer is still in storage so I didn't have a chance to measure the pulleys. I think the intake is IE. This is my first project car and I have a lot to learn. I don't know enough to give a better description or I would.

When I took it back they told me to expect them to have it up to ten days. They claim to have taken it to tune shop to flash the original software. Didn't work. Then it went to Audi where it's been sitting since. The only solution was to replace the ecm and they weren't sure they wanted to do that. They would have to get back to me. They didn't. When I contacted them again they told me that car would lose all the power and blah blah blah. Do I really still want it? Yes I do. Emails were exchanged and the part was ordered. It's seven to ten business days away. Fourteen days later I called. Oh I sent the po, they accepted it, shipped, but didn't provide tracking. Uhhhhhhh...

It's safe to say I stopped being polite at this point. Two weeks and you haven't ordered the part yet? There is absolutely no way it was shipped without tracking. I know why there's no tracking. Okay, I'm coming to pick my car up. Call me when the part arrives. They told me they weren't sure I could do that.

I got very rude at that point. Very. He said he'd see what he could do and call me back. The next day he called me with a proposal. They would let me take my car that I paid cash for if I signed a piece of paper saying the only thing they had to do was replace the ecm. Any and all other problems will be my responsibility. Even if it still doesn't pass emissions.

I lost it.

I went to Audi, requested to see my car, and they brought it around. I checked the milage and saw the car had been driven 279 miles since I returned it. Audi showed me their documentation. They were responsible for 17 of those miles and told me that's all they needed after trying to flash it. The other dealership is half a mile away. They threatened to call the law about five minutes after I got there.

Today the gm and finance guy assured me everyone that touched my car is an outstanding citizen and this all a misunderstanding. The tune shop tried to flash the car more than fifteen times and had to test drive it every time. Aaaaand everyone but Audi forgot to record the milage when they took custody of the car. How convenient. Unfortunately their mistake was going to make it hard to know if I'm being honest about the milage discrepancy.

I don't know much about the process of tuning a car but I'm learning fast. I don't know to what degree they're lying but I suspect it's pretty much everything. Wanting me to release them from the agreement we had in exchange for them giving me my property shocked me.

I've requested the logs from all those failed attempts.

I feel like they think I'm incredibly stupid. I have a thick southern accent and live in Denver. I tend to put on when people appear to judge my intelligence based on my accent. It's fun.

After listening to the two gentlemen attempting to smooth over the situation for a half hour I told them they're wasting their time. There's no way they will ever convince me those weren't the hardest 297 miles that car has ever seen and I will never take possession of that car again because because of that. Yesterday they provided evidence they ordered the ecm. No tracking because that shows when the order was generated. Probably yesterday. When I told them I wanted my money back they said they couldn't do that because they already ordered the part and it might be here as soon as February 5th. Out of principle I will have to be legally obligated to keep it before I take it back. I do like the car but thay have treated me poorly to say the least.

I test drove a 2015 S4 while I was at Audi. I really like it. If I somehow end up getting the the first one back I may still get it. If I end up with both I will give the first one to my son as a surprise when we're done with it.

If I'm wrong I'm going to feel like an idiot but don't think I am.

Has anyone ever heard of anything like this? What would you do?

[bakedziti]

Unless this car was for some odd reason bench tuned, then I can’t see why Audi or any other tuner can’t flash it back to stock. Have you tried messaging IE; APR; 034Motorsports; GIAC or any other tuners to see if the VIN is in their system?

He’ll even a VIN check here may find your car and its history for something to go on.

Personally I can’t see why a new ECM is necessary, but if it is, then the warranty should be intact again IMO. Also I’m not familiar with CO laws but I have heard of emissions issues in CO with registration. I would call a lawyer and I bet the dealership about faces and does as you ask sooner rather than later.

What are your used car MMWA laws on used cars? Isn’t there an implied 90 day warranty on used cars without a factory warranty in CO?

[Shane Horning]

It turns out that's a problem.

I purchased a 2013 S4 from a dealership in Denver on 11-25-24. It was purchased to be a project car. I planned on taking it to stage 2. My son is eager to help and is saving up for a project car of his own.

There's a major problem though. I don't have possession of the car. It failed emissiobs and they took possession in November. It really sounds like they've done nothing at all and have been waiting me out to ask for the money back. I want the car.

The issue is it has been tuned. They told me it was stock and it was the first time I had driven one. Plus it was a test drive. I couldn't drive it like I wanted to. When I finally drove off with it I became suspicious, found a "it's faster than it should be" thread here, and decided to check. First step? Let's see if it goes over 150. I was running Waze but didn't think to look at it for the speed. I went past 160. It had more but I was out of room. I could see tail lights After that I checked the rpm and was able to red line it in neutral. It launches very hard but I never timed it to any speed or distance. I didn't have a chance. My micrometer is still in storage so I didn't have a chance to measure the pulleys. I think the intake is IE. This is my first project car and I have a lot to learn. I don't know enough to give a better description or I would.

When I took it back they told me to expect them to have it up to ten days. They claim to have taken it to tune shop to flash the original software. Didn't work. Then it went to Audi where it's been sitting since. The only solution was to replace the ecm and they weren't sure they wanted to do that. They would have to get back to me. They didn't. When I contacted them again they told me that car would lose all the power and blah blah blah. Do I really still want it? Yes I do. Emails were exchanged and the part was ordered. It's seven to ten business days away. Fourteen days later I called. Oh I sent the po, they accepted it, shipped, but didn't provide tracking. Uhhhhhhh...

It's safe to say I stopped being polite at this point. Two weeks and you haven't ordered the part yet? There is absolutely no way it was shipped without tracking. I know why there's no tracking. Okay, I'm coming to pick my car up. Call me when the part arrives. They told me they weren't sure I could do that.

I got very rude at that point. Very. He said he'd see what he could do and call me back. The next day he called me with a proposal. They would let me take my car that I paid cash for if I signed a piece of paper saying the only thing they had to do was replace the ecm. Any and all other problems will be my responsibility. Even if it still doesn't pass emissions.

I lost it.

I went to Audi, requested to see my car, and they brought it around. I checked the milage and saw the car had been driven 279 miles since I returned it. Audi showed me their documentation. They were responsible for 17 of those miles and told me that's all they needed after trying to flash it. The other dealership is half a mile away. They threatened to call the law about five minutes after I got there.

Today the gm and finance guy assured me everyone that touched my car is an outstanding citizen and this all a misunderstanding. The tune shop tried to flash the car more than fifteen times and had to test drive it every time. Aaaaand everyone but Audi forgot to record the milage when they took custody of the car. How convenient. Unfortunately their mistake was going to make it hard to know if I'm being honest about the milage discrepancy.

I don't know much about the process of tuning a car but I'm learning fast. I don't know to what degree they're lying but I suspect it's pretty much everything. Wanting me to release them from the agreement we had in exchange for them giving me my property shocked me.

I've requested the logs from all those failed attempts.

I feel like they think I'm incredibly stupid. I have a thick southern accent and live in Denver. I tend to put on when people appear to judge my intelligence based on my accent. It's fun.

After listening to the two gentlemen attempting to smooth over the situation for a half hour I told them they're wasting their time. There's no way they will ever convince me those weren't the hardest 297 miles that car has ever seen and I will never take possession of that car again because because of that. Yesterday they provided evidence they ordered the ecm. No tracking because that shows when the order was generated. Probably yesterday. When I told them I wanted my money back they said they couldn't do that because they already ordered the part and it might be here as soon as February 5th. Out of principle I will have to be legally obligated to keep it before I take it back. I do like the car but thay have treated me poorly to say the least.

I test drove a 2015 S4 while I was at Audi. I really like it. If I somehow end up getting the the first one back I may still get it. If I end up with both I will give the first one to my son as a surprise when we're done with it.

If I'm wrong I'm going to feel like an idiot but don't think I am.

Has anyone ever heard of anything like this? What would you do?Doesn't surprise me they drove it a bit. I work on cars and passing emissions can be challenging, especially the evap monitor. Does the car have cats? What i would have done is asked for a grand or 2 back and told them you'll take care of fixing it then buy yourself a tuning cable from any of the bigger companies and flash to stock to pass.

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[ThoseRings]

It turns out that's a problem.

I purchased a 2013 S4 from a dealership in Denver on 11-25-24. It was purchased to be a project car. I planned on taking it to stage 2. My son is eager to help and is saving up for a project car of his own.

There's a major problem though. I don't have possession of the car. It failed emissiobs and they took possession in November. It really sounds like they've done nothing at all and have been waiting me out to ask for the money back. I want the car.

The issue is it has been tuned. They told me it was stock and it was the first time I had driven one. Plus it was a test drive. I couldn't drive it like I wanted to. When I finally drove off with it I became suspicious, found a "it's faster than it should be" thread here, and decided to check. First step? Let's see if it goes over 150. I was running Waze but didn't think to look at it for the speed. I went past 160. It had more but I was out of room. I could see tail lights After that I checked the rpm and was able to red line it in neutral. It launches very hard but I never timed it to any speed or distance. I didn't have a chance. My micrometer is still in storage so I didn't have a chance to measure the pulleys. I think the intake is IE. This is my first project car and I have a lot to learn. I don't know enough to give a better description or I would.

When I took it back they told me to expect them to have it up to ten days. They claim to have taken it to tune shop to flash the original software. Didn't work. Then it went to Audi where it's been sitting since. The only solution was to replace the ecm and they weren't sure they wanted to do that. They would have to get back to me. They didn't. When I contacted them again they told me that car would lose all the power and blah blah blah. Do I really still want it? Yes I do. Emails were exchanged and the part was ordered. It's seven to ten business days away. Fourteen days later I called. Oh I sent the po, they accepted it, shipped, but didn't provide tracking. Uhhhhhhh...

It's safe to say I stopped being polite at this point. Two weeks and you haven't ordered the part yet? There is absolutely no way it was shipped without tracking. I know why there's no tracking. Okay, I'm coming to pick my car up. Call me when the part arrives. They told me they weren't sure I could do that.

I got very rude at that point. Very. He said he'd see what he could do and call me back. The next day he called me with a proposal. They would let me take my car that I paid cash for if I signed a piece of paper saying the only thing they had to do was replace the ecm. Any and all other problems will be my responsibility. Even if it still doesn't pass emissions.

I lost it.

I went to Audi, requested to see my car, and they brought it around. I checked the milage and saw the car had been driven 279 miles since I returned it. Audi showed me their documentation. They were responsible for 17 of those miles and told me that's all they needed after trying to flash it. The other dealership is half a mile away. They threatened to call the law about five minutes after I got there.

Today the gm and finance guy assured me everyone that touched my car is an outstanding citizen and this all a misunderstanding. The tune shop tried to flash the car more than fifteen times and had to test drive it every time. Aaaaand everyone but Audi forgot to record the milage when they took custody of the car. How convenient. Unfortunately their mistake was going to make it hard to know if I'm being honest about the milage discrepancy.

I don't know much about the process of tuning a car but I'm learning fast. I don't know to what degree they're lying but I suspect it's pretty much everything. Wanting me to release them from the agreement we had in exchange for them giving me my property shocked me.

I've requested the logs from all those failed attempts.

I feel like they think I'm incredibly stupid. I have a thick southern accent and live in Denver. I tend to put on when people appear to judge my intelligence based on my accent. It's fun.

After listening to the two gentlemen attempting to smooth over the situation for a half hour I told them they're wasting their time. There's no way they will ever convince me those weren't the hardest 297 miles that car has ever seen and I will never take possession of that car again because because of that. Yesterday they provided evidence they ordered the ecm. No tracking because that shows when the order was generated. Probably yesterday. When I told them I wanted my money back they said they couldn't do that because they already ordered the part and it might be here as soon as February 5th. Out of principle I will have to be legally obligated to keep it before I take it back. I do like the car but thay have treated me poorly to say the least.

I test drove a 2015 S4 while I was at Audi. I really like it. If I somehow end up getting the the first one back I may still get it. If I end up with both I will give the first one to my son as a surprise when we're done with it.

If I'm wrong I'm going to feel like an idiot but don't think I am.

Has anyone ever heard of anything like this? What would you do?

WALK AWAY!

Get your money back from the first car and get the 15' from Audi!

Your gut is already telling you some fishy shit is going down, the car may have a pulley so the stock tune is NOT GOOD.

It could also have gutted or no cats...WALK AWAY!

[CrackeyMagoo]

Doesn't surprise me they drove it a bit. I work on cars and passing emissions can be challenging, especially the evap monitor. Does the car have cats? What i would have done is asked for a grand or 2 back and told them you'll take care of fixing it then buy yourself a tuning cable from any of the bigger companies and flash to stock to pass.

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They weren't doing emissions testing. They were only flashing the ecu. They cannot do the emissions test themselves.

[egebhardt]

If I had to guess, you're at PrestigeAudi.com in Lakewood, CO.

I'd play it out. Worst case, you can sell the car yourself.
Anytime you're dealing with a dealership, it requires a certain set of people skills. That's not a bad thing. Just different.

Coincidentally, I just bot my 2012 S4 from a guy in Westminster. Private party. He filled-up the tank and gave me a package of food and drinks and I drove the car home 400 miles. The car isn't perfect but it's VERY nice.

I've generally preferred working with Private Party sales because no middle-men.

[CrackeyMagoo]

WALK AWAY!

Get your money back from the first car and get the 15' from Audi!

Your gut is already telling you some fishy shit is going down, the car may have a pulley so the stock tune is NOT GOOD.

It could also have gutted or no cats...WALK AWAY!

I was suspicious about this because they wanted me to sign something basically say they only have to replace the ecm. I was surprised they didn't jump at the chance to refund the money. If they give the car back and it fails again they'll have to correct the next issue. It can't be that they tried and oh well.

I'm following this advice. I know I don't have the knowledge to get it pass emissions on my own and I'm not paying anyone legally it's not my responsibility.

A xourt will have to tell me I have to take the car
There's no way I'm driving it so they can say I did something to it after the agreement was reached. I'm dying to know the truth though. I've got it out for the fine gentleman I've been dealing with. I'm off on Thursdays and Fridays. I'm taking a trip to the tune shop. I requested their information through the dealership but decided I'd rather get it straight from the source.

[CrackeyMagoo]

Unless this car was for some odd reason bench tuned, then I can’t see why Audi or any other tuner can’t flash it back to stock. Have you tried messaging IE; APR; 034Motorsports; GIAC or any other tuners to see if the VIN is in their system?

He’ll even a VIN check here may find your car and its history for something to go on.

Personally I can’t see why a new ECM is necessary, but if it is, then the warranty should be intact again IMO. Also I’m not familiar with CO laws but I have heard of emissions issues in CO with registration. I would call a lawyer and I bet the dealership about faces and does as you ask sooner rather than later.

What are your used car MMWA laws on used cars? Isn’t there an implied 90 day warranty on used cars without a factory warranty in CO?

I went to Audi and they had no problem showing me their records. They were not able to flash it and drove it 17 miles. They have been very cooperative. I didn't buy the car from them. They have no reason to lie.
The seller is obligated to hand the car back ready for me to take it for emissions. The dealership can't do it. At least that's what I was told. If it fails after the ecm is replaced theycare on the line for that as well.

Unfortunately all of my paperwork is in storage and I don't havecthe vin in front of me. I'm going to the tune shop to get the logs the milage whenthey took possession. Audi is just down the street. All three places that have had the car are less than a half mile apart. I'll snap a picture of the VIN. It doesn't really matter because I'm not taking the car unless it's determined I don't have any other options. I'm just using my days off to be a pain in their ass to the original dealership. I can be a very polite dick head when I want to be.

[CrackeyMagoo]

You are very close. It was AutoNation.

[CrackeyMagoo]

If I had to guess, you're at PrestigeAudi.com in Lakewood, CO.

I'd play it out. Worst case, you can sell the car yourself.


Very close. It is AutoNation. I'm going to buy the '15 either way. I'm going to Norgen and asking if they even took my carcto them. If yhey did I'll request the logs. I doubt the flashed it more than fifteen times like AutoNation claims. It seems like that would indicate incompetence. I won't be surprised if they never even saw it.

I'm probably getting the '15 today. I mean it's just sitting there all lonely a few spaces down from my car right down the street. I need the vin from my car anyway. I'm already going to be there...

[CrackeyMagoo]

Doesn't surprise me they drove it a bit. I work on cars and passing emissions can be challenging, especially the evap monitor. Does the car have cats? What i would have done is asked for a grand or 2 back and told them you'll take care of fixing it then buy yourself a tuning cable from any of the bigger companies and flash to stock to pass.

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Do you think the bigger companies would be able to do it when Audi couldn't?

[Shane Horning]

Do you think the bigger companies would be able to do it when Audi couldn't?Haven't ever had one i couldn't do in the 50 or so I've done in the past few years

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[Nillious]

I was told by Audi themselves that's it's policy to replace ecu on a tuned vehicle. I had a 16 gli that was apr stage two. I put it back to stock before trading it and wanted stock programming. No dealer would touch it. Had to drive two hours to nearest apr dealer and oay a hundred dollars for them to put it back to stock. I called five dealerships and got the same answer from all of them.

My guess is they traded in the car not knowing it was tuned and didn't want to eat the cost of ecu.

[CrackeyMagoo]

Yesterday through pure luck I met a man named Brian Brockhausen. Brian introduced me to Michael Ogletree. Mike is the director of the Air Pollution Control Division for the State of Colorado.

Mike heard my story and asked for my vin. It took a minute because I didn't have it on me. I returned with it (WAUBGAFL9DA055104 if anyone is interested) and checed their system to see why it failed emissions. It failed for the cats. They didn't have a problem communicating with the ecm at all. He told me the car had been flagged as tampered. The piece of paper they asked me to give to AN let them know that and they had been instructed to take the car to a Clean Air Colorado Tech Center for a more in depth inspection. They didn't and decided to tell me the incredibly hard to believe story about the tune shop and everything that followed. He assured me they knew what they were supposed to do and was not happy with what they did.

He asked if I had a problem with him personally inspected my car. Of course not. He told me he's going to be able to find out everything that was done to the car. He mentioned personally handling my case and that the Department of Revenue was also going to be involved. He will get my car Wednesday. He asked me if I would be okay with it taking a little while longer and I don't. I've never had the car really anyway. Just a couple of days so what's the difference?

Brian stopped his day to help me. I didn't realize who his friend was that he needed to call at first. I was very happy when I found out. Mike asked me if I was okay with moving my car from Audi to Brian's shop for safe keeping. I offered to pay Brian to scan my car and he wouldn't take my money.

When I told Audi I was taking my car they told me they would report it stolen. I actually laughed and explained I wasn't asking their permission. I asked them to explain how it's possible for someone to steal their own property. The said they wouldn't give me the key. I pulled one out of my pocket and pointed out the spare I left with them wasn't my only key. At that point the service manager said just take it and they gave me the spare.

When the porter brought it around I told him to take it around for a second lap and drive it like he wanted to. He goosed it a couple of times on his second lap and got out with a huge smile on his face. I made that kids day.

I left the car with Brian because I will be working and not able to get it to Mike myself. I gave Brian and Mike permission to do any and everything they wanted to with my car. Mike told me I can trust Brian and that means a lot coming from a man in his position. I definitely didn't see any issues.

So it's out of my hands thankfully. I was in over my head and losing hope. I realized I was in trouble when the place that I was sure was the most likely tune shop I was looking for turned out to be a vacant building. I went off the verbal description of it's location from AN so that was my first mistake. After that I decided to ask a local mechanic if they knew of any shops that fit the description. That's all I was hoping for.

Brian helped me like I was an old friend and I will never forget that. I went in hoping for direction or something and he decided to solve my problem and wouldn't take my money when I requestedhis service. Definitely not the norm around here from what I've experienced.

On a sad note the salesman I was working with on the '15 called me today. I was approved for financing. I had planned to finance it because most of my play around money is tied up in the first one. I explained that his service department lied to me about everything and threatened to report MY car stolen. They had to have known what it failed for. I don't believe anyone would have tried to flash it. Why would they? It failed for the cats.

I realize I know next to nothing about how all this works so far. I'm researching and all that. Getting the car was the first step. Mike told me I wouldn't have been able to try to pass emissions without the car going to the tech center first. It's not like changing the ecm would remove that flag from the system or they would just give me a pass. I really don't understand how that could have worked out for AN. Even if I would have been dumb enough to sign the release they asked me to sign last week it's already flagged.They were supposed to tell me the truth and did this instead. I just don't see how it could have worked unless I just decided I'd never do emissions, get plates, or register it. How did they think it wouldn't come to light when I went back for another emissions test with my new ecm and nothing done to the cats? I don't get it.

Anyway, Mike seemed eager to get his hands on my car. He told me he's going to build a thorough case and personally see it through to the end. I have no idea what to expect. I've never been through any of this before. I bet it gets entertaining though. I'm certainly learning a lot.

Keep this updated until it's resolved.

[CrackeyMagoo]

I was told by Audi themselves that's it's policy to replace ecu on a tuned vehicle. I had a 16 gli that was apr stage two. I put it back to stock before trading it and wanted stock programming. No dealer would touch it. Had to drive two hours to nearest apr dealer and oay a hundred dollars for them to put it back to stock. I called five dealerships and got the same answer from all of them.

My guess is they traded in the car not knowing it was tuned and didn't want to eat the cost of ecu.

The salesman told me an individual brought the car in. When the service manager told me nobody could access the ecm suggested they contact the original owner as ask if he still had the stock software he told me it came off an AN lot in Texas.

Who knows where they got it. I wouldn't be surprised if neither of those stores were true.

[bakedziti]

I want the car.




It doesn't really matter because I'm not taking the car unless it's determined I don't have any other options. I'm just using my days off to be a pain in their ass to the original dealership. I can be a very polite dick head when I want to be.



I'm following this advice.




It failed for the cats. They didn't have a problem communicating with the ecm at all. He told me the car had been flagged as tampered. The piece of paper they asked me to give to AN let them know that and they had been instructed to take the car to a Clean Air Colorado Tech Center for a more in depth inspection. They didn't and decided to tell me the incredibly hard to believe story about the tune shop and everything that followed. He assured me they knew what they were supposed to do and was not happy with what they did.


I love how these threads progress to the point of listening to a member who isn’t tuned, but regardless I’m very happy to hear you might have found a solution - especially being that you plan to take the car to stage II anyway.

[Shane Horning]

I love how these threads progress to the point of listening to a member who isn’t tuned, but regardless I’m very happy to hear you might have found a solution - especially being that you plan to take the car to stage II anyway.Yea very interesting forsure, a lot of screwing around for basically nothing, he could have literally bought a cable and flashed to stock and passed without issues. I bet the tune isn't letting the readiness pass

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[CrackeyMagoo]

I love how these threads progress to the point of listening to a member who isn’t tuned, but regardless I’m very happy to hear you might have found a solution - especially being that you plan to take the car to stage II anyway.

I told him that and that I really didn't care how they made it pass. It was the first thing I told him when I returned the car. He asked me if I had any friends or family that lived in mural areas that don't test emissions. I told him no. All of my friends and family are in the south as I've only lived here a few months. I was VERY clear that I didn't care if he did some shady shit to pass it because I was going to tune the car and could possibly save money.

Perhaps I should have specified that I didn't mean to me.

The car is in good shape. There's an oil leak that would have been fixed by default when I did the rods, bearrinings, and all that jazz. I told him blatantly I didn't care how they hot it to pass.

I'll be 48 in a couple of weeks. I have never had a nice car in my life. I've always wanted one but drove beaters. That's how I figured out i can follow weitten instructions and work on cars. Ive always paid cash for cars and bever dealt with a dealership until now. My momma raised me to avoid debt.

My son is 19 and we've been talking about doing this for years. I didn't want to start something like this and end up with a car half finished and no money to complete the project. I researched what car I wanted, how much everything would cost, saved up, and bought the car. I know car salesmen and car lots are sleazy but though I would be okay. Especially after learning they couldn't sell a car that doesn't pass emissions. I thought I'd just hand them the cash and leave un my new car. I assumed telling him I didn't care how it passed would keep thing moving. I never in my wildest dreams thought this would happen.

If he wouldn't have lied to me I'd still be working with him to get this car. Honesty is all it would have taken. I am a patient man. I don't mind waiting for the things I want. Now I want to be as big of a pain to AN as I can be. Luckily I don't think I will have to wait as long as I thought on this one!

I'm dying to see how this plays out. Like I stated last night, this has become entertaining to me. I can't believe how lucky I got walking into Brian's shop. I feel like I probably made a friend for life. At a minimum I found a mechanic I van trust to do anything I can't. How lucky is that?

[CrackeyMagoo]

Yea very interesting forsure, a lot of screwing around for basically nothing, he could have literally bought a cable and flashed to stock and passed without issues. I bet the tune isn't letting the readiness pass

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Sadly Bill Grubb at AN described himself, his guys, and the shop he runs as glorified lube shop. He claimed to know nothing at all beyond topping off fluids and changing oil. He downplayed his knowledge to the point it was absurd.

From what I gathered I'm not the first person they have screwed and assumed that's why Mike wants to personally handle this. I looking in to who Mike is and he's a busy man to say the least. He probably doesn't inspect many cars himself these days. He sounded so happy to do this he probably had a partial chubb ar a minimum. I can't believe how lucky I got walking into Brian's shop to ask for directions.

Was okay with shady shit to get it passed. I was very clear from the beginning. Just not shady shit to me. Everything was believable until the no tracking and flashing shit he told me. At that point it became my mission to stick it to them. I've waited my whole life to build out a car. This is my first. What's a few more weeks in the grand scheme of things?

I know you're right. He could have gotten it done. He chose this instead. Now they don't have the car to try and can't do anything to cover their tracks. Starting last Monday I toldwas telling AN and Audi I was refusing to take the car back. I held that stance right until I tookbot bak. Hopefully they didn't do anything to it. It was running the same software that had a useless sport mode. It drove and sounded the same as far as i could tellbinvthe half mile I drove it. I don't know enough to know but seems like it's in the same shape.

I have a new friend or two. I know an honest mechanic in my new place of residence. Aaaaand I can just sit back and watch the show. Things could be worse.

I'm dying to see how this plays out.

[CERBERUZ S6]

You're still in the black, I turned in my S6 to have some mods installed................a YEAR later, the car is in shop #3. The original shop just dropped the ball and got in over their heads. Looks like I'm going to have to litigate. My advice, NEVER turn your car into a shop that is not a SPEED SHOP if that is your goal. There are so many pretenders that have no real clue as to the intricacies of Audis. I certain hope you find a quick resolution to your issue. There are many of us here who have you in mind and spirit.

[CERBERUZ S6]

Agreed! That seems like throwing the baby out with the bathwater. I used to run an IE ECU and TCU tune on my S6 with an E85 tune............SCARY! IE is a good tune, you can tune it yourself if you have a laptop. Good advice

[CERBERUZ S6]

Emission test are nothing but a MONEY GRAB. IE works really well for here in NC. If you fail the test 3 times and there is no check engine light on, you can get a waiver.

[ericsosa]

Emission test are nothing but a MONEY GRAB. IE works really well for here in NC. If you fail the test 3 times and there is no check engine light on, you can get a waiver.

Come up to Ontario, our premier got rid of bi-annual emissions tests. As long as the car passes the initial visual safety inspection when you register it then you’re free to do whatever you want afterwards.

[CrackeyMagoo]

You're still in the black, I turned in my S6 to have some mods installed................a YEAR later, the car is in shop #3. The original shop just dropped the ball and got in over their heads. Looks like I'm going to have to litigate. My advice, NEVER turn your car into a shop that is not a SPEED SHOP if that is your goal. There are so many pretenders that have no real clue as to the intricacies of Audis. I certain hope you find a quick resolution to your issue. There are many of us here who have you in mind and spirit.

I appreciate that.

Mike told me I'm never getting that car back. I don't remember the exact phrase but it was along the lines of flagging it to be returned to the manufacturer. He didn't say seller or car lot of any kind. According to AI says it means exactly that. It goes to an Audi lot and they are required to ship it. I really hope that's accurate. Mike asked me if I was okay with him taking his time to build as solid of a case as possible. He also gave me the option of a more expiditated process that would get my money faster but but potentially carry less penalties. I told him to take his time. I've waited a long time to do this. Waiting a little longer won't hurt anything.

[CrackeyMagoo]

Come up to Ontario, our premier got rid of bi-annual emissions tests. As long as the car passes the initial visual safety inspection when you register it then you’re free to do whatever you want afterwards.

I lived my entire life with an hour or so of the gulf coast until last July. This is my first winter in Denver. I'm loving the cold weather and snow and all that. This is the first time I've ever seen negative Fahrenheit temps. I've seen more snow in the last 48 hours than the rest of my life. Go back to November and it's orders of magnitude.

I never thought I'd enjoy a real winter but it turns out I love it. That fear of the cold made me think I'd never be able to live too far from the equator. Now I know that's not a thing AND you have attractive emissions laws?.?.?.

How much do plumbers make up there?

[CrackeyMagoo]

So I use AI for research. I know it's not always accurate. I really hope it's right this time. I ran the situation through Claud

This could cost them millions. Now I know why Mike was so excited. That and he's dedicated his life to fighting air pollution. I looked him up. He's kinda a big deal in that arena.

It was also suggested I present the story to the local news consumer help line. I think I will.

Here's Claud's response.

Based on the events you've described and my knowledge of the regulations as of April 2024, let me break this down:

Potential violations might include:
1. Selling a vehicle with tampered emissions equipment (AutoNation)
2. Failing to follow the Clean Air Colorado Tech center inspection requirement
3. Potentially providing false information about the nature of the emissions failure
4. The unauthorized 280 miles of driving
5. Audi's conduct, particularly the threat about reporting the car stolen when they had no legal right to hold it

Each of these could potentially constitute separate violations subject to the $15,000 per day penalty. The time period for calculating penalties would likely run from December 3, 2024 (when you first returned it with the emissions report) until January 17, 2025 (when you recovered the vehicle) - approximately 45 days.

Transferring the car to Mike's custody would likely stop additional per-day penalties from accumulating related to the possession and handling of the vehicle. However, any violations that occurred during the previous period could still be subject to penalties.

As for Audi's involvement, since they appear to have become involved in handling the vehicle and potentially provided incorrect information about the tampering, they could potentially face separate penalties. The threat to report your legally-owned vehicle as stolen could also have additional legal implications beyond just emissions violations.

However, I want to emphasize that Mr. Ogletree will have the most current and accurate understanding of how the penalties would apply in your specific case. He'll also be best positioned to determine which actions constitute separate violations under current Colorado law.

Would you like me to explain more about any particular aspect of these potential violations?

[Shane Horning]

Seems like a lot of unnecessary stuff, id never report something like this to news, if you were local I'd have you swing by with the car, I can literally guarantee i could get it to pass in an hour for 100 bucks, then you can happily go stage 2 then struggle to pass next year

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[bakedziti]

Seems like a lot of unnecessary stuff, id never report something like this to news, if you were local I'd have you swing by with the car, I can literally guarantee i could get it to pass in an hour for 100 bucks, then you can happily go stage 2 then struggle to pass next year


[>_<][>_<] this is hilarious

[ericsosa]

I lived my entire life with an hour or so of the gulf coast until last July. This is my first winter in Denver. I'm loving the cold weather and snow and all that. This is the first time I've ever seen negative Fahrenheit temps. I've seen more snow in the last 48 hours than the rest of my life. Go back to November and it's orders of magnitude.
Pretty sure Buffalo gets more snow than we do up here. Today is one of the coldest days so far. -14 C (57 F for you bald eagle guys).


I never thought I'd enjoy a real winter but it turns out I love it. That fear of the cold made me think I'd never be able to live too far from the equator. Now I know that's not a thing AND you have attractive emissions laws?.?.?.

The trade off for emissions laws is that the police are little silly when it comes to the laws they have to enforce. An officer can give you the equivalent of a felony, which impounds your car for 2 weeks, take your license for a month, and gives you a fat fine AND then you also have to pay the release for the 2 week impound. Where it can get silly is if they catch you sliding in a parking lot, even in an empty parking lot at 2am, can land you with that ticket. The ticket is meant for going 50 over the speed limit on a road but same rules apply for that too, I think they started enforcing it like that to try and combat those intersection takeovers.


How much do plumbers make up there?

Probably less than what plumbers down there make.

[CrackeyMagoo]

Seems like a lot of unnecessary stuff, id never report something like this to news, if you were local I'd have you swing by with the car, I can literally guarantee i could get it to pass in an hour for 100 bucks, then you can happily go stage 2 then struggle to pass next year

Sent from my SM-S921U using Audizine Forum mobile app (https://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=87676)

It was unavoidable after it was flagged as tampered.I could not register it without the emissions. Once it's flagged as tlampered it will not be inspected at a Clean Air Colorado Emissions Test Center. The only option for anyone, including the dealership, was the Tech center.

So I take my car to you, you're competent and flash it based off what I was told, I confidently go back to the emissions center, they enter the vin, and it's flagged. I don't get my emissions, I can't register my car, I can't get plates, I'm out more money, and right back where I started. It's not a solution here.

Also, I told him I was open to shady solutions. If there was am easy out I was down. He chose to spew all that shit to me knowing how it would play out.

Catching his ass on them steets and puttin hands on him isn't the solution. Satisfying? Yeah. Then I catch a case and don't have a car or thee money I used to when I paid in full?

Just suck it up and take a cae that can't be registered in city and state I lived in?

It wasn't a problem communicating with the ecm. Mike told me the ecm told the the cats were tampered with. The tech center would have found that in the more in depth inspection that they would not have preformed. Because AN was told to take it in, not me.

It wasn't failed for the software. It failed for the cats and I was just told it was the software. Mike emailed the report to Brian. I saw it with my own eyes. Tampered cats.

I respect your opinion and knowledge about cars. I don't have that knowledge, experience, or those abilities. I found someone that did and they told me the right way to handle this.

If that makes me a snitch so be it. That doesn't apply to getting screwed by a large corporation. What about the next guy? Just let it keep happening to people? That's worse than exercising my rights as a consumer?

I respectfully disagree. I ain't nobody's bitch and it can't be handed the way I would prefer.

[CrackeyMagoo]

So I got my car back from the state yesterday. They are conducting an investigation that will likely end in enforcement. They can not compel AutoNation to refund the money. I'll keep this updated.

I get Thursday and Friday off. I'm going to go enjoy my car in the mountains and get some hiking in.

[Silence]

So is the car registered?

[CrackeyMagoo]

Sorry for not updating.

The ecm came in and I took my car in on February 14th. On the way a gentleman lost control of his car, t boned the right battier, and I clipped him. Broke the passenger headlight mounts and put a hole in the bumper right under it. He got out of his car, ran down the shoulder of the overpass to the ground level, ran across the feeder, through a construction staging area, and disappeared along the Platte River. He had in a thin long sleeve shirt and jeans. It was 3⁰f. I hope he fell in.

Anyway, they changed the ecm. The car preforms much better now. Like significantly better off the line but it's governed now. The day after they gave it back the check engine light came on for something with the secondary air system. I took it back in and they ended up having the car two more weeks. I Audi told me AutoNation was around $5,700 in repairs.

It passed emissions on March 28th and i was finally able to get plates four months after I bought it.