2007 V8 S5: Things To Look Out For?

[Blacky]

Hi guys,

I'm going to look at a manual 2007 S5 in a couple of days, 86,500 miles on the clock. I don't know too much about the platform(or cars in general), so i was wondering if anyone had any tips on what to look out for, be it major service milestones(past and upcoming), or potential problems and their indicators. Any help would be great, apologies if there are already threads similar to this, please point me in the direction if so! Thanks

[[a]bek.]

The engines are strong and almost bullet proof, IMO. Maintain and enjoy, should last a long time. I guess you can compare to the RS4 FSI it's relatively the same, but slightly different in other aspects. I think that the B6/7 S4/RS4 came with forged internals and think the S5 otherwise, power wise, it's stronger lower than the RS4, but the RS4 is stronger high end. Make sure obviously no burning oil, all maintenance up to date, etc.

[Vanimal]

The engines are strong and almost bullet proof, IMO. Maintain and enjoy, should last a long time. I guess you can compare to the RS4 FSI it's relatively the same, but slightly different in other aspects. I think that the B6/7 S4/RS4 came with forged internals and think the S5 otherwise, power wise, it's stronger lower than the RS4, but the RS4 is stronger high end. Make sure obviously no burning oil, all maintenance up to date, etc.

Curious if you know if the internals are forged in my 2010 S5 4.2, I assume yes. 75k on mine, never really uses any oil between 5k oil change intervals, runs like a dream. What can the stock block handle power wise? I assume a lot if APR has a supercharger kit for it. If I keep mine long enough and the prices drop for the supercharger, I may want to supercharge mine one day :).


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[TTRStud]

Audi's 4.2 v8 was its bread and butter. These engines are stout and with proper maintenance they will outlast about any other Audi motor out there. The lack of forced induction means less heat and less likely for components to break. That said, some things that will most likely need to be addressed over time:

-front suspension's bushings (rear lower control arms have hydraulic bushings that break and leak over time). Mine had a broken one at 51-52k miles; I had ALL arms and bushings replaced to get it all out of the way. Any certified/reputable shop can do this at an affordable price if you source the parts yourself. I have a detailed forum thread on this.

-sunroof shade inside the car will sag and eventually detach from one or both sides. This needs to be replaced but it's an easy DIY.

-coolant overflow reservoir has a tendency to crack on higher mileage cars.

-some people report carbon buildup. Not an issue for me but it's happened to some. I think the quality of fuel over time, as well as driving habits and length of trips can have an effect on this.

-engine mount failure; like the rear lower control arm bushings, the engine mounts are hydraulic, which leads to braking and leaking. 034 has a non-hydraulic replacement set which is a direct plug and play replacement.

That's all I can think of, and as you can see, they are basic things that can go bad over time on most cars.

Good luck and I hope you get it...you'll love the car!

[rmbrown09]

Done this a few times now, bought my S5 w/ 85k miles about a year and a half ago. The car currently has 125k miles on it.
In that time
- Engine mounts
- Control arm bushings
- Replace coolant reservoir
- Some $600 valve the dealership said I needed early on
- I put in new coilovers since my stock suspension was creaking/ sagging
- Brakes, oil, etc.

The first 6 months of ownership were scary for me, things kept going wrong once a month. For the last year or so thought it's been almost 0 problems.

[Vanimal]

I remember last year I bought my 2010 S5. I went to the Audi dealer to inquire about a aftermarket warranty. A longtime Audi mechanic there told me not to bother save my 5k. He said the only thing he seen that goes wrong with these is the thermostat needs to be replaced around 100k usually and like mentioned above the coolant res. He said he has t even seen too many carbon problems, I think that's overblown. Maybe where someone can't get top grade gas etc. But in PA I only put 93 Shell or 93 Exxon, along with Redline fuel system cleaner every 5k.

A year later no problems with mine. I am at about 75k now so I put about 10k on it. Purrs like a kitten. My friend with a 2008 actually at 100k oddly got the check engine for the thermostat, as well as his coolant res had a slight crack, eight on the money like the mechanic told me. In the B8 gen Audi really defines things after the prior problems with chain tensioner problems. Seems like a really solid car.

Also at 75-80k I believe the accessory belt is supposed to be replaced up front. My friend didn't do his until like 101k though.


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[Blacky]

Thanks guys, really appreciate the advice! I'll take note of these things and mention them to my mechanic, I plan on having him look over the car before making any decision.