Radiator repair or replace

[Terry.Reese]

I have an 04 automatic S4, the radiator has a small leak on the top left if you are looking into the engine bay, i will post pictures later, it is a very small leak that I can tell, and the person who had it before me must have used bondo or JB weld on it at some time, should I take it to a radiator repair place or just try to spend the 1200 on a new and have it installed, which if a replacement is necessary it will have to be a while. someone told me to add pepper to my radiator and that will fix it, and I kinda felt like smacking him..


Maybe heat it up a bit in that location and use a braising rod, similar to making welds on brass tubing?

Ideas, thoughts appreciated, going to take it to the radiator repair place this week to get an estimate on it.

[Terry.Reese]

[924Carrera]

Although the B6 automatic radiators are stupidly expensive, they are not $1200. Currently ECS Tuning has them for $624. Repairing radiators might work as an emergency fix to get yourself home from somewhere, but I would never advise it as a permanent solution.

[MidwestB6]

https://jhmotorsports.com/shop/catal...h=21_56_61_240

Same thing happened to mine, just replace it.

[Terry.Reese]

https://jhmotorsports.com/shop/catal...h=21_56_61_240

Same thing happened to mine, just replace it.

link doesn't work, Also, the 1200 was what Audi told me.. if I can find one for around 600 then that would be awesome! Thanks I will check ECS.

https://www.ecstuning.com/Audi-B6_S4--V8/ES436187/ is the one i found, I thought the manual vs tiptronic had different radiators.

this one is a bit more expensive https://jhmotorsports.com/shop/catal...on-p-1143.html 779.95

[924Carrera]

link doesn't work, Also, the 1200 was what Audi told me.. if I can find one for around 600 then that would be awesome! Thanks I will check ECS.

https://www.ecstuning.com/Audi-B6_S4--V8/ES436187/ is the one i found, I thought the manual vs tiptronic had different radiators.

Yeah, the link tries to take you to a sign-in page. I do have a JHM account but the same happens when I click it.

Never just take Audi's price at face value. They charge a fortune for parts because they can, and many people don't question it. These are still pricey cars for sure, but not nearly as bad as you might be led to believe if you just got all your parts from the local dealer.

8E0121251AB is your part number, ECS was the best price I could find but it did look like it was on sale. Next best price I found was $730 or something like that at genuineaudiparts.com.

[Jake@JHM]

https://jhmotorsports.com/shop/catal...h=21_56_61_240

Same thing happened to mine, just replace it.

Thanks for the support!

[jr1415us]

The b7 radiators are under $400.

[Terry.Reese]

The b7 radiators are under $400.

Link? How hard are they to make fit for a B6

[924Carrera]

Link? How hard are they to make fit for a B6

My understanding is that they work fine on manual cars (and in fact is what mine currently has installed on it) with a couple minor tweaks, as detailed on JHM's site, but that the auto ones are not interchangeable.

[jr1415us]

Link? How hard are they to make fit for a B6

http://www.jimellisaudiparts.com/pro...wd=&origin=pla

[Jake@JHM]

Here are our radiators: https://jhmotorsports.com/shop/catal...r+main&x=0&y=0

We also have a DIY to adapt a B7 radiator into the B6 chassis to save some money!

[hkdolphins]

http://www.amazon.com/Volkswagen-8E0...ilpage_o06_s00

Basically its ship by GenuineAudiParts.

I just replaced my one with lower and upper hose last Nov. This should be the best online price i found.
The original part end with "AB" ($800) but Audi already updated the listing to "AJ" ($350) one.

[Terry.Reese]

^ and that will work for tiptronic automatic?


By the way, those mats are amazing, everyone loves them!

[hkdolphins]

http://genuineaudiparts.com/parts/20...iagram=1397880

#1 - "AH" for 6Sp, "AJ" for Tip

[Terry.Reese]

sweet, I found the part on Jim Ellis for 302.95 and that's with shipping, If I call them I can probably get my military discount added to that also. Thanks for the Part number!

[Terry.Reese]

So I called Audi and they said that my model will not work with the one's you provided, I have to get the E0121251AB which is a fuckton of more money, like almost 900.00$ looks like I am going to scour the parting out forums..

[Terry.Reese]

If anyone can confirm that the AJ version can actually fit to the 04 S4, the 05 had a body change halfway though and they said the AJ fits that one.

[ImAudiHeree]

So I called Audi and they said that my model will not work with the one's you provided, I have to get the E0121251AB which is a fuckton of more money, like almost 900.00$ looks like I am going to scour the parting out forums..

The AJ will work fine no problem, have it in my current vehicle Audi is trying to blow smoke up your ass to try and make a buck. Just buy the B7 radiator and be done with it. Literally all you have to do is bend the ac pressure switch on the condensor maybe an inch tops for hood clearance i just grabbed it with my hand and did it. Save yourself $600 and a headache trying to find older one.

[Terry.Reese]

Thats what I was looking for ^^, someone who has done it. Thanks. much more relieved now.

[hkdolphins]

The AJ will work fine no problem, have it in my current vehicle Audi is trying to blow smoke up your ass to try and make a buck. Just buy the B7 radiator and be done with it. Literally all you have to do is bend the ac pressure switch on the condensor maybe an inch tops for hood clearance i just grabbed it with my hand and did it. Save yourself $600 and a headache trying to find older one.

can you post a pic where the switch need to bend? My shop replaced the radiator months ago and didnt mention any change they need to made. thx

[VinnysS4]

for what its worth, i just did my radiator. STUPID easy to change. Took like 30 minutes....only because i didn't know what needed to be done to change it. From when i was looking at replacing mine, the 2 radiators are interchangeable if you bend the AC pressure switch.
(manual, not auto)
don't let people who are only in it to make a buck tell you it cant be done. That's why these types of forums are around. Good luck!

[Concavitor]

First you have to clean up that my-garage-technology "fix". Then try your own. I would replace it. It is a CRITICAL engine component and if that leak happened more are sure to come. Not to mention the reduced cooling capability of it by now the insides are not good. These engines run HOT.

[VinnysS4]

There is no question about it. Replace it. Don't ever put stop leak or anything into the radiator/cooling system ( unless it's life or death... ex: you're stuck in the middle of nowhere and it blows out because you"fixed" it instead of replacing it.)
Just my 2 cents. And don't bother with a used one. You'll be doing this again sooner if you do. Good luck!

[Terry.Reese]

So back to the main question then, I see everyone is talking about manual, mine is an automatic(tip-tronic), not trying to beat a dead horse here, but I don't want to order one and then have it not work because I have a automatic and not a manual.

Thank you all for the insight and patience with me. I am the newbie when working on my Audi, little intimidated at times on some things, but you all make it sound easy so I feel confident.

[VinnysS4]

https://jhmotorsports.com/shop/catal...on-p-1682.html
this should be all the information you need!

[Terry.Reese]

https://jhmotorsports.com/shop/catal...on-p-1682.html
this should be all the information you need!

Awesome. awesome. awesome.. I can get this for 275 from jmellis Audi in GA, coupon negates the shipping. Thanks everyone for putting up with all my questions, I hope to be as knowledgeable one day as all of you.

[hkdolphins]

amazon this number 8E0 121 251 AJ

$243 + $20 shipping.

[2004B6S4]

https://jhmotorsports.com/shop/catal...h=21_56_61_240
Same thing happened to mine, just replace it.

Here are our radiators: https://jhmotorsports.com/shop/catal...r+main&x=0&y=0

We also have a DIY to adapt a B7 radiator into the B6 chassis to save some money!

just to let you know, the one that ends in -AJ doesn't show up for those of us who have told the site that we only want to see parts for the B6. At first I thought that midwestb6 had posted a dead link above, cuz all I got was a message that said "product not found." Then I noticed that "show b6 only" setting and cleared it out, and after that the link started working. Must be because the fitment chart for that part only lists the b7 even though the title says b6/b7

[Terry.Reese]

just to let you know, the one that ends in -AJ doesn't show up for those of us who have told the site that we only want to see parts for the B6. At first I thought that midwestb6 had posted a dead link above, cuz all I got was a message that said "product not found." Then I noticed that "show b6 only" setting and cleared it out, and after that the link started working. Must be because the fitment chart for that part only lists the b7 even though the title says b6/b7

did the same and that is how I got to see it.

[924Carrera]

just to let you know, the one that ends in -AJ doesn't show up for those of us who have told the site that we only want to see parts for the B6. At first I thought that midwestb6 had posted a dead link above, cuz all I got was a message that said "product not found." Then I noticed that "show b6 only" setting and cleared it out, and after that the link started working. Must be because the fitment chart for that part only lists the b7 even though the title says b6/b7

That exact thing is why I stated earlier that I didn't think the auto trans radiators were interchangeable....notably because the B7 radiator for manual trans DOES show up with the B6 filter on. I think it's just a small coding issue on JHM's site; they should have the tiptronic radiator listing show up the same way. I know for a fact that the B7 radiators do work on B6 for manual at least because it's what I personally have.

[Terry.Reese]

Radiator ordered from Amazon, thanks HK! I will post updates on it with modifications, Thanks again for everyone's insights and assistance to this newbie!

[VinnysS4]

no problem! i just changed mine a few weeks back. pretty easy. I have a subscription to alldata if you need any book information, just pm me!
vinny