Took my car into Wicked Motorsports... =(

[NogaroFTW]

Well, i bought this car like 4 months ago with the notion that everything was in good condition. Test drove it, had it checked out, and all i got was green lights.

Now, i took it to Wicked Motorsports over in Van Nuys last thursday and told Mike about the situation with the gas tank and the evap canister due to my good buddies at AAA. Well he said it'll take about a day and a half or so, but not a guarentee. Fine, as long as its working, take all the time you need.

FF to today. I get a call. Well we've got good news and bad news, whaddaya wanna hear first?

*Good News* Didnt need to replace the gas tank, fixed something or other and it fills up correctly and we replaced your filter and evap canister.

*bad news* (and a lot of it)
-Compression test shows 1st 4 cylnders reading 150 across (which is good) but the other half are going fast.
-EGT sens. Is bad.
-Both Differentials are wet/ leaking with sealant issues.
-Front suspension completely gone.
-Motor monts are blown
-Diff/tranny mounts are blown
-Front/Upper control arms bad
-Syncros are bad 1-2 gear
-Car is in "Limp Mode"??? wtf?

I already know what that this is gonna cost me well into the thousands and thousands, and im still trying to pay the car off.

On top of that, BMW just laid me off = No more "fun money" and a lot less resources to get me out of a sticky situation with this car.

So, the question is, Should i sell the car or not?

2000 Nogaro Blue 6spd, 100,209mi, bose etc etc.

[S4 John]

how much do you owe on it? idk if this applies, maybe check out the CA lemon law. since you only owned it for 4 months. sorry, to hear about your troubles.

[NogaroFTW]

Well i think its within 18 months of purchase or within 30 days of transfer =(
Shiittttt. I mean, i knew that there was a possibility for problems but... this???
I bought it for 13k out the door. (kinda high for 95k miles on it dont you think?) Ive paid off 6k already.

[Boris]

sell it if you can, but honestly when you were driving it, it felt fine right?

So if you want to keep it fuck it! Just drive it and maybe take care of the most important ones

-Compression test shows 1st 4 cylnders reading 150 across (which is good) but the other half are going fast.

Wtf are you gonna do on this? Replace the cylinders , head gasket etc? Fuck it , just drive it.

-EGT sens. Is bad.

WHo cares? Plenty o people with bad egt's, proly dont even know
if youre on ko3s, who cares?

-Both Differentials are wet/ leaking with sealant issues.

So are mine! who cares! Just make sure the fluid doesnt get too low, depends how much its leaking...many mnay peoples are leaking..Mine ha been leaking for 10.000 miles, who cares! No problems

-Front suspension completely gone.
Well it drives doesnt it? WTF does it matter? Seriously? If it felt fine and its not slamming down on the bumpstops, then wth does it matter? Leave it alone theyre fine. are you racing on tracks? No, so who cares?

-Motor monts are blown-...well how bad are they? If your on ko3's fuck it?

Maybe do these, it wont cost that much.

-Diff/tranny mounts are blown ---same as above

-Front/Upper control arms bad- so are everyones! shoots, unless theyre making noise leave them alone, y0u will hear them when they start really getting bad, change em yourself, uppers are easy!

-Syncros are bad 1-2 gear.. well you drove the car and it felt fine right? So wth, who cares if they are "bad" if you arent destroying the tranny and you can get into gear, leave it alone, dont let anyone scare you with some BS, its not gonna destroy your tranny unless youre really causing damage every shift, and youll feel it.

-Car is in "Limp Mode"???

Well how the hell did it get in limp mode? Fix this, But NOT if it requires fixing all the above.. yo get me? If it does, then sell it
oh fuck it

it never ends.

but Ive managed to get my car finally dialed in.

[NogaroFTW]

Yeah...i guess you're right.

I dont even know what exactly Limp mode is.

Car seems fine when i drive it, 1-2nd just trans. noise as it shifts, still very easy and not a big deal to me.

The car IS completely stock.

Dont the EGT sensors fuck shit up though??

As much as this car has been a dream, its been equally a nightmare.

Balls.

[Boris]

well limp mode means the engine is detecting something thats wrong/dangerous to the engine so it cuts the boost to max 6 psi.. BUT

I bet it might just be that EGT sensor, unless your compression is really bad....( other people know more here and will chime in)

Seriously though, if youre tight on cash, then just fix the most critical issue, get the car out of limp mode.

replacing the EGT sensor is not too hard, I would do it yourself.


dont give up yet man, the car is a nice color, and honestly that list might seem overwhelimg, but man I promise you many other people have many things wrong with their cars, and they just dont know it! Also consider the car more of a hobby!


Mike goes over the car with a fine comb, and you know, (whispers) its in a mechanics best interest to find everything wrong possible..now Im not saying the stuff hes saying is busted isnt busted, Im sure it is, but Im just saying that you know mechanics sometimes find alot more shit wrong than youd ever notice on your own, that might not even matter...
Like the front suspension

unless its really slamming the system wth does it matter? None!

[davyboi]

Damn Boris...i just read your first response and im laughing on the floor..!!!
I love your answer to everything..."Just Fuck It"

[DxC]

i will say that my friend bought a chipped s4 ... ran it in limp mode for 2 years and never knew it.

i saw it, saw the boost gauge was only hitting 5psi, pressure tested, replaced the TBB, and restored full power.

needless to say my friend was ecstatic like he had a brand new (super fast) car.

i say u slowly start hunting for ways to solve your issues cheaply. and just do the labor yourself

[NogaroFTW]

Yeah, 361 bucks for a new EGT sensor isnt bad.

I just want my boost back.

I dont know HOW bad exactly the compression is to be honest, ill have more info tomorrow when i pick it up.

But other than that, everything to ME seems fine. No weird fuckin sounds or anything...Well sorta.

One thing i could note, which im pretty sure might just be a clearance issue, is that when im turning my wheel to the extreme right or left either in 1st gear or reverse, it makes a high pitched noise. Few people were telling me its just the self-adjusting belt in power steering trying to make it move farther than it should. Ive never had this problem with stock wheels (225's) but when the 245's went on, it did it.

You thing spacers would fix this issue??

[NogaroFTW]

Oh yeah, and in response to boris's first post

Fuck it is right.

You had me rolling there for a while, and, made me think twice about my situation.

i feel better. Thanks. lol

[Boris]

Yeah, 361 bucks for a new EGT sensor isnt bad.

I just want my boost back.

I dont know HOW bad exactly the compression is to be honest, ill have more info tomorrow when i pick it up.

But other than that, everything to ME seems fine. No weird fuckin sounds or anything...Well sorta.

One thing i could note, which im pretty sure might just be a clearance issue, is that when im turning my wheel to the extreme right or left either in 1st gear or reverse, it makes a high pitched noise. Few people were telling me its just the self-adjusting belt in power steering trying to make it move farther than it should. Ive never had this problem with stock wheels (225's) but when the 245's went on, it did it.

You thing spacers would fix this issue??

that noise is normal if youre at the extremes of the turn. like when ti wont go any further.

Yeah I made myself laugh too, I mean I reread it, and it makes me sound like some ghetto mother******, rolling around in some beat up shit wagon thats leaking oil, and smoking --

but I swear, you see my car in person youd never know. well let me clarify only thing wrong is my rear diff is leaking a lil.

[NogaroFTW]

well limp mode means the engine is detecting something thats wrong/dangerous to the engine so it cuts the boost to max 6 psi.. BUT

I bet it might just be that EGT sensor, unless your compression is really bad....( other people know more here and will chime in)

Seriously though, if youre tight on cash, then just fix the most critical issue, get the car out of limp mode.

replacing the EGT sensor is not too hard, I would do it yourself.


dont give up yet man, the car is a nice color, and honestly that list might seem overwhelimg, but man I promise you many other people have many things wrong with their cars, and they just dont know it! Also consider the car more of a hobby!


Mike goes over the car with a fine comb, and you know, (whispers) its in a mechanics best interest to find everything wrong possible..now Im not saying the stuff hes saying is busted isnt busted, Im sure it is, but Im just saying that you know mechanics sometimes find alot more shit wrong than youd ever notice on your own, that might not even matter...
Like the front suspension

unless its really slamming the system wth does it matter? None!

Yeah, you know whats funny about the mechanics best interest thing you mentioned? I worked for some crooked ass mechanics at BMW and im surprised i didnt think about that first. Not that anyone at wicked is crooked or anything, but yeah i could see why the list was so big.

As long as my car isnt putting across, and shutting off or doing weird things to me, with the exception of minor annoyances, one step at a time will do the trick.

Well im picking it up tomorrow (no point in leaving it there for $25 bucks holding fee a day) so hopefully ill notice a difference once the EGT sensor is replaced once i take it back on thursday. Damnned audi never stocks those things.

[RogueStatus]

DIY as much as you can...EGTs,pressure test it for leaks (could just be a leak making it go into limp),suspension being bad is just an excuse for you to get some coilovers!,and if you want to stay real cheap,hit up junkyards etc to find parts.

its an S4,it's a love/hate relationship,gonna have to get used to it haha.

as for paying 13k for a 95k mile s4,that seems to be the going rate. 2 friends of mine both bought 95k mile nogaros for $13k haha,so i guess its ok.

just drive it easy,no pulls,no 6 gear to 3rd gear drops,drive it like the grocery getter it is for awhile until you can throw money into it.

good luck.

[Allaidback]

how do you know if your engine mounts / tranny/Diff mounts are busted? (besides looking at them) and how hard/time is the install?

[RudyH]

I am in kinda the same problem as you. Still owe on my car, but single and bought a house, makes it difficult sometimes since on top of 'fixing up the car' gotta 'fix up the house'. I have gone through all my engine fixes now (K04's, clutch / flywheel and proper tuning), now going after the suspension / brakes (no big brake kit though due to budget)/

What I found is prioritize, and group problems together, planning wisely what your going to fix next. Example springs are shot, replace them but while the wheel is off, why not get the pads done, often you will be cut a deal.

You can certainly sell the car, but last night was a great example. My roomate is looking for a new car. So we created a list. Sorry to say, but for the price, I would still bare and grin and stick it out, cause the other cars in the list were just plain boring to drive.

Best thing to buy is watch audizine classifieds and grab a VAG-COM (Hex is the best deal since in the long run you can use it on newer model Audi's when Audi starts making the cars fun to drive again).

[gointoscott]

For the limp mode (car only boosts to 5-6 psi) replacing the egt will more then likely fix that. Like everyone is saying.

my car needed a passenger egt and it would only boost to 5-6 psi. I replaced the egt myself and now it boosts nomral (I have it set to 15psi with mbc - chip)

Some have replied saying (f*** it) for the egt. Well I woudlnt let it go, you can ruin the other egt and o2's because of the car running rich so I'd get the egt fixed sooner then later.

To see that some have run their car in limp mode for a few years, yikes! I know its possible, but man I would think thats not good for the turbo's They have problems the way it is, you dont need to encourage them to blow!

[alias747]

To see that some have run their car in limp mode for a few years, yikes! I know its possible, but man I would think thats not good for the turbo's They have problems the way it is, you dont need to encourage them to blow!

Actually I think limp mode is designed to protect the turbos. It senses there is something not right with the engine and turns down the boost so the car doesn't hurt itself.

[gointoscott]

Actually I think limp mode is designed to protect the turbos. It senses there is something not right with the engine and turns down the boost so the car doesn't hurt itself.

Yes that makes sense, and I should of realized that it is a safetly feature for the turbo's. But like for my egt, sometimes it would boost normal other times it would go in limp mode. I would think its hard on the turbo's because something isnt right.

Regardless it can ruin other parts and I think even clog cat. At least thats what Jerbel had said to me. Which makes sense if its running rich.

[S4 Aviator]

Yeah, you know whats funny about the mechanics best interest thing you mentioned? I worked for some crooked ass mechanics at BMW and im surprised i didnt think about that first. Not that anyone at wicked is crooked or anything, but yeah i could see why the list was so big.

As long as my car isnt putting across, and shutting off or doing weird things to me, with the exception of minor annoyances, one step at a time will do the trick.

Well im picking it up tomorrow (no point in leaving it there for $25 bucks holding fee a day) so hopefully ill notice a difference once the EGT sensor is replaced once i take it back on thursday. Damnned audi never stocks those things.

Ok, When you bring your car to Wicked, Mike will let you know excactly what is wrong with your car to give you the option to fix it. He doesn't want you to leave there and find your diff leaking, and then have you say "why didn't they find that?" It is your option to fix what you choose to, but don't take his suggestions lightly, he knows the B5 S4 like nobody's business. True most of those wont affect your daily driving, but he identified issues for you so that you are aware of them and maybe will skip that track day or top speed run you were thinking about. (Not that you were, just speculating) I agree some mechanics are shady sometimes, but not those guys, everything I have seen them do has been straigh up and honest.. (They'll even go out of their way to help) Anyways, rant's over, just giving my $0.02..

[exorcet]

Ok, When you bring your car to Wicked, Mike will let you know excactly what is wrong with your car to give you the option to fix it. He doesn't want you to leave there and find your diff leaking, and then have you say "why didn't they find that?" It is your option to fix what you choose to, but don't take his suggestions lightly, he knows the B5 S4 like nobody's business. True most of those wont affect your daily driving, but he identified issues for you so that you are aware of them and maybe will skip that track day or top speed run you were thinking about. (Not that you were, just speculating) I agree some mechanics are shady sometimes, but not those guys, everything I have seen them do has been straigh up and honest.. (They'll even go out of their way to help) Anyways, rant's over, just giving my $0.02..

yeah Mike is good people.. OP should be happy all pertitent issues are identified. While you could probably get away with just EGT at the moment, I wouldn't take Mike's other suggestions lightly, either. In my experience, fix things as soon as they come up, otherwise larger more expensive problems can be created (i.e. leaky rear diff = dead diff instead of seal/gasket replace)... broken motor mount = mis-shift = transmission rebuild, instead of just motor mount replace.. you get the idea, just something to consider.

[S4M3]

hehe looks like WM wants you to do Stage 3 install :O hehe blown mounts this and that .. bull shit.

[sCeRaXn]

If he wasnt pushing you to fix it immediately, then what makes you guys think he was trying to screw the you over? When i was going to school for auto-tech my teacher told me to always tell the customer about EVERY little problem you find, then give them the choice to fix it. You dont do this to squeeze every nickel and dime out of the person, you really do it to cover your own ass. Its written proof that you notified them of the problem and they decided not to fix it...that way people cant blame the mechanic for something that wasnt their fault and get money or a free fix(which happens alot). Dont worry man, ill bet the guy isnt trying to screw you over.

As far as the problems are concerned...i cant believe some of the answers youre getting in here. If i were you id fix everything he told you about, even if you do it slowly. Think if it this way...fix a $300 sensor now...or possibly have to replace over $1000 worth of sensors down the road(which is what 2 new egts and 4 new 02's would cost). Replace a little gasket now...or replace a rear diff down the road. Its called preventative maintenance, and it should be practiced on every car. Also, get a leakdown test to see if the hg's are causing the low compression on 2 cylinders. You probably wouldve noticed by now if they were(because youd pressurize your coolant system), but it never hurts to check. If you fix these yourself itll be a good way to get more familiarized with the car...which is always a good thing. Theres good to be found in even the shittiest of situations lol.

[S4Per]

hehe looks like WM wants you to do Stage 3 install :O hehe blown mounts this and that .. bull shit.

Have you ever dealt with WMS personally?

[drgolfnut]

If I didn't trust them I wouldn't drive nearly 3 hours for service on both S4s. He did my Level10 then stage 3 on my wife's tip car. He also maintains my avant in tip top shape too. I dont think Mike needs you to dump a ton of cash for a one time service with his shop. He wants you to be happy and satisfied and return for more service in the years to come. Fix what needs to be fixed for safety and do the rest when you have time or money.

wife's car: stage 3 tip sedan
my car: widebody casa avant with ASP GT28RS

[S4Per]

If I didn't trust them I wouldn't drive nearly 3 hours for service on both S4s. He did my Level10 then stage 3 on my wife's tip car. He also maintains my avant in tip top shape too. I dont think Mike needs you to dump a ton of cash for a one time service with his shop. He wants you to be happy and satisfied and return for more service in the years to come. Fix what needs to be fixed for safety and do the rest when you have time or money.

wife's car: stage 3 tip sedan
my car: widebody casa avant with ASP GT28RS

Well, well, well...fancy meeting you here, sir :-)

(hope to have the revised file this weekend, btw).

[drgolfnut]

Well, well, well...fancy meeting you here, sir :-)

(hope to have the revised file this weekend, btw).

hey hey wasup.
I was just cruising and seeing what's up here on AZ. I hope the new file works out for you. It's been a long wait for you.

Took this opportunity to make sure the author of this post knows about Mike's shop and it's integrity.

[Boris]

If he wasnt pushing you to fix it immediately, then what makes you guys think he was trying to screw the you over? When i was going to school for auto-tech my teacher told me to always tell the customer about EVERY little problem you find, then give them the choice to fix it. You dont do this to squeeze every nickel and dime out of the person, you really do it to cover your own ass. Its written proof that you notified them of the problem and they decided not to fix it...that way people cant blame the mechanic for something that wasnt their fault and get money or a free fix(which happens alot). Dont worry man, ill bet the guy isnt trying to screw you over.

As far as the problems are concerned...i cant believe some of the answers youre getting in here. If i were you id fix everything he told you about, even if you do it slowly. Think if it this way...fix a $300 sensor now...or possibly have to replace over $1000 worth of sensors down the road(which is what 2 new egts and 4 new 02's would cost). Replace a little gasket now...or replace a rear diff down the road. Its called preventative maintenance, and it should be practiced on every car. Also, get a leakdown test to see if the hg's are causing the low compression on 2 cylinders. You probably wouldve noticed by now if they were(because youd pressurize your coolant system), but it never hurts to check. If you fix these yourself itll be a good way to get more familiarized with the car...which is always a good thing. Theres good to be found in even the shittiest of situations lol.

Can anyone read? NO ONE is saying they are shady! NO ONE is saying theyre trying to fuck him..

He referenced a shady mechanic he knew before.

Just relax everyone, wtf, WMS is a great place, Ive been there for years. NO ONE ever said that they were trying to "Fuck him over"

<begins frothing at mouth>

stop trying to create drama!

It was only noted that mechanics will bring up all the things they can find.

And I told to him to fix what is essential. people here think a leaking diff is gonna ruin it? (Just depends how much of a leak.) Do you know how many s4's have leaky diffs for years? A shoddy engine mount wil cause a mis shift that will break your tranny? Zeuss , and jupiter ,



WMS has the most b5 s4s serviced ever. They know that car. And Mike is a great guy, and a pleasure to deal with. But no one has said that WMS isnt a top notch place..

Because it is a great shop!

[AudiTechS4]

Im an audi tech and even i didn't know my morot mounts were bad till i dropped my left side motor mount bracket and my motor mount fell out and the top stayed.

since i have replaced all 4 upper link inner bushing, all 4 lower control are inner bushings,both motor mounts and a snub mount all for about $450 my cost and labor was my own. drives like a dream now very solid. btw all the suspension stuff you mentioned is like that on most audi's under warranty at 35k miles :) upper link inner bushings in 45 min FTW :)(lets just say i have done a few , i dont even remove wheels or struts anymore to do them )

and boris is exactly right, i basically have to cover my ass and even write tire and brake specs on ro's because if a customer gets into an accident and i didn't mention that their tires were at the wear bars my dealer could be held partially liable

[WMSpower]

WOW I was linked to this thread by a friend.
Since I don't post much, I forgot my password and had to make a new account :p
anyway ...I do remember the car since it was picked up from us today and since everyone likes to get involved I'll post some of the issues we found ...
- gas smell
- limp mode
- CEL
- engine movement on and off load
- rear diff movement
- issue with filling up gas

1st-we did a road test and found the suspension worn, and poor performance.
2nd- we lifted the vehicle to check trans axles and gas tank when we saw leaking motor mounts with cracks on the lower part of the mounts- leaking center diff.

Since the car had over 100k miles and had 3 owners we advised the new owner to ...

- replace upper arms since they are shot.
- replace engine mounts since they are cracked and leaking.
- replace rear mount since its torn.
- replace center diff 0-ring.
- replace B2 EGT.
- fix tank issues.
- compression test.

customer approved gastank / egt/ compression

-we fixed the issues with the gastank , it was a bad repair from another shop that replaced the fuel pump.
-compression test was done with good results on B1 and B2 , just need to check Cyl5 again : )
-Orderd EGT sensor.

car is running good just needs some minor TLC. Its my job to let the customer know about their car in detail.

As for those who love us, Thank you for the support ! and for those who don't know us , Well ...we can build these cars with eyes closed faster than almost everyone ;p
Have done over 200 stg3/3+/ and our Wicked 900HP under our belts : )

Cheers !

[Boris]

^s4 gurus!

[S4 Aviator]

WOW I was linked to this thread by a friend.
Since I don't post much, I forgot my password and had to make a new account :p
anyway ...I do remember the car since it was picked up from us today and since everyone likes to get involved I'll post some of the issues we found ...
- gas smell
- limp mode
- CEL
- engine movement on and off load
- rear diff movement
- issue with filling up gas

1st-we did a road test and found the suspension worn, and poor performance.
2nd- we lifted the vehicle to check trans axles and gas tank when we saw leaking motor mounts with cracks on the lower part of the mounts- leaking center diff.

Since the car had over 100k miles and had 3 owners we advised the new owner to ...

- replace upper arms since they are shot.
- replace engine mounts since they are cracked and leaking.
- replace rear mount since its torn.
- replace center diff 0-ring.
- replace B2 EGT.
- fix tank issues.
- compression test.

customer approved gastank / egt/ compression

-we fixed the issues with the gastank , it was a bad repair from another shop that replaced the fuel pump.
-compression test was done with good results on B1 and B2 , just need to check Cyl5 again : )
-Orderd EGT sensor.

car is running good just needs some minor TLC. Its my job to let the customer know about their car in detail.

As for those who love us, Thank you for the support ! and for those who don't know us , Well ...we can build these cars with eyes closed faster than almost everyone ;p
Have done over 200 stg3/3+/ and our Wicked 900HP under our belts : )

Cheers !

I concur...
And soon to be 2 900HP builds..

[Tifosi]

To the OP: When you buy a used car with over 100,000 miles and 3 previous owners, unless you had a proper PPI done, you should expect the unexpected. Going over the list by you and Mike/WMS, I would say that you are pretty lucky to have found a relatively healthy car as all the items listed are results from normal wear & tear. IMO, all of them should be corrected, may not have to be done all at once if $$ is an issue, but they should be corrected. Talk to Mike/WMS and see what his recommendation is and if he can help you to prioritize them for you.

As for Mike/WMS , there are enough people here backing Mike/WMS up already so I see no need to add more to it, just in case his head gets too big for his own good :)