2011 S4 - the wife made me do it.

[Wiredin]

power by Luke Kowand, on Flickr

Been driving a 2015 GTI for a bit over 2 years now. Love it, had no intentions of leaving it. Was on a 4 year lease and had full intentions of keeping it once the lease was done. However... as usual I'm always checking to see what cool cars come up locally and I've been wanting an S4 for quite a while now. I let a B7 S4 Wagon in imola yellow get away from me last month and was kicking myself for it pretty bad. Then, I saw a black on black show up at the dealership I work at (Dodge dealer). 2011, 50,000km, amazing shape, well cared for. I snapped a photo of it and threw it on facebook teasing my wife "hey, sorry honey, spent a little money today" she was pissed. She works at our head office, called the store and yelled at the sales manager. He played along (not knowing what was going on) and told her I already signed papers. He then came and handed me the keys and told me to take it home.

This was 2 weeks ago. I haven't brought it back, and won't be. The wife drove it and refuses to let it go. She's always been an Audi fan, and it's a stellar deal. They are giving me a good value for my GTI too. I tried to talk her out of it as her 2004 Jetta could really use an upgrade, but she loves that thing and won't let it go. I didn't want to get rid of my GTI, but the deal is way to good to pass up. We could use a larger car too as the GTI really is pretty small for our family and my photography gear.

So now... I guess I'm the owner of a 2011 S4 premium, nav, S-Tronic, B&O stereo upgrade, sport diff.... stage 2 APR tune.

This thing is just so much fun to drive! We have put on 2000km in 2 weeks on this thing and just can't stop finding excuses to take it places. A few first thoughts:


1) The stereo is crap. Sorry to those that like it. But it's probably the worst sounding stereo overall since my "upgraded" stereo in my 2007 Focus ST. The Fender audio in my GTI is so much more balanced tonality wise. The Audi has no EQ controls (wtf) aside from bass and treble. The treble I also find is very bright, having bringing it back 2 notches so it doesn't feel like an icepick to my ears anymore.

2) going back to hydraulic steering after years of driving electric its very hard to adjust to. it feels very spongy in comfort with a really soft turn in. Dynamic feels good, but the wheel is pretty stiff. I like it. but would really love an overall feel between the two. Goldilocks style.

3) exhaust note does not properly represent the animal that is within.

4) needs more low

5) VMR's (replicas?) look pretty awesome.

6) I really miss rowing gears.

7) No bluetooth audio streaming is kind of lame

8) MDI knob moves backwards from my logic... there has to be a way to change this?

9) car has a front plate grill... that needs to go.

With that being said, here are my upgrade plans...

- upgrade my Ross-Tech Micro-CAN to the proper cable for the S4
- 5 window tint
- deAutoLED.com - LED lighting kit
- RS4 Mesh Style Grille - Gloss Black Mesh With Gloss Black Frame
- 10" sub upgrade
- more research into upgrading the other speakers for a more even sound stage.
- H&R SPORT SPRING SET (1.5" lowering)
- EuroCode ÜSS Billet Aluminum Rear End Links
- EuroCode ÜSS Billet Aluminum Adjustable Front End Links
- EuroCode Tuning ÜSS Adjustable Sway Bar Set
- Milltek Cat Back Non Resonated Exhaust OR Borla Cat-Back Exhaust
- APR TFSI Carbon Intake


I can't wait to get these parts on the way and start building this up. My GTI was stock and I really missed the touches I did to my 2008 GLI before I sold her. May have to wait on getting a few things until after the trans service gets done though....

[whiped]

Upgrading the sub in mine was a huge improvement. Granted I am no audiophile it is much better.

Led interior kit - Yes
Grille - Yes
Sways and endlinks - Yes (You could do just the rears if you wanted to)
Exhaust - Yes
Intake - No, unless you really like that style of intake. (There are quite a few guys selling them in the classified FYI)

#8: Nope, that is just the way it is. Drove me nuts for a month or so as well. I am used to it now.

Welcome to the Audi Club

[JDillon15]

That photo is of your car? Pure porn.

[Eclemente]

How long has the stage 2 been in there for?


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[Wiredin]

That photo is of your car? Pure porn.

Yes it is!

Upgrading the sub in mine was a huge improvement. Granted I am no audiophile it is much better.

Led interior kit - Yes
Grille - Yes
Sways and endlinks - Yes (You could do just the rears if you wanted to)
Exhaust - Yes
Intake - No, unless you really like that style of intake. (There are quite a few guys selling them in the classified FYI)

#8: Nope, that is just the way it is. Drove me nuts for a month or so as well. I am used to it now.

Welcome to the Audi Club

Thanks! Yes, I was thinking the intake may not be worth it too. So I'll probably skip it.

How long has the stage 2 been in there for?

for about 30,000km. Supercharger was replaced a month ago. All services done by Audi and up to date.

[whiped]

Thanks! Yes, I was thinking the intake may not be worth it too. So I'll probably skip it.

No, no, no, no..... You misunderstood me.

Don't skip it, go with something with some WHINE!!!!

I would contact APR and make sure you have the most recent version of their Stage 2 tune.

[Wiredin]

oh well that makes perfect sense then!!!

yes, I'll call my local APR supplier after the long weekend and see whats up.

[will13k7]

I actually like the electric steering better too (its more direct)! I know I'm in the minority of car enthusiasts though. nice trade, stage2 is great for these cars.

[Wiredin]

I actually like the electric steering better too (its more direct)! I know I'm in the minority of car enthusiasts though. nice trade, stage2 is great for these cars.

It's how the steering adapts to the speed, input from the driver, road conditions... it actually makes a huge difference I think. Especially on the 2015 GTI. The 2008 GLI had it too, and I was impressed with it compared any car I've driven previously. But when I got the GTI and how it changes the steering response on the fly is amazing.

[USAF_Danny]

You definitely have a talent in photography. I'm still working on mine, since I ditched my DSLR and picked up a Sony A6000. Off topic, but great picture!

As far as the buy goes, congrats! I also had a "wife" make me buy my 2011. Except that wife was my self conscience haha! I had no intentions of getting out of the B8 A4 since I'm deploying, but the joy I had on the test drive and deal I got, it was a no brainier.

You're going to enjoy the hell out of the S4. Be careful, people are going to start suing for the neck breaking you're about to get into! Welcome to the club!


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[Blackstallion]

That's a great story - throw up that Imola avant when you get a chance...

[ModItNow]

From my experience with the car I would suggest:

-Coilovers instead of just springs, especially since there are some miles on stock shocks. The car will ride much better. H&R are pretty good, Bilstein if you don't mind spending the extra $

-Intake, ecs tuning or wait for 034 to come out.

-exhaust is a must, whichever one sounds best to you

-Audio streaming:
https://www.amazon.com/ViseeO-Tune2A.../dp/B00R2HZ1XU

Sent from my SM-G925V using Audizine mobile app

[Luna's S4]

+ on great story. Just this week I was driving home from work and wifey called to say "Hey, that's a nice car... It just catches your eye.". She was heading the other direction on same street and saw it. And ours is nothing like your magnificent steed. She loves to drive it too. I've posted about those mixed experiences in here too.

[mintytoo]

congrats on the new S4, it's a beauty, nice that it comes with aftermarket rims AND stage 2. Definitely jealous. And such low mileage for an '11.

What happened to the stock supercharger that needed replacement? And did Audi sign off on it as a warranty item with the APR tune?

[JustPlaneChris]

8) MDI knob moves backwards from my logic... there has to be a way to change this?

Beautiful car, and funny story!

I too thought the knob worked backwards to my logic. However, my wife pointed out that all the motion is relative to a circle. On my '14, the display even has curved lines around the edges to make you think of a circle. If you look at it that way, the knob moves the cursor in the correct direction. I seldom turn it the wrong way anymore.

[Powderhound]

Congrats, nice car and great story. I'm sure you are going to have fun with this car, agree with going coilovers rather than just springs. And don't ever trade in that wife!

[MrFunk]

U bought the wrong transmission... should have waited longer and gotten a MT - especially if you really miss that. Personally I could not own this car in an auto. Yawn.
Upgrade to the flat bottom steering wheel - keep steering in dynamic - you will get used to the weight.
Agreed on stereo -
Agreed on exhaust -
VMR's are prob the most common wheels you will see - classic design
Yes needs to be lowered
Tint
Do not only do springs. You will have a very bouncy ride with those HR's you're looking at. Do proper dampeners at the same time to complement.
The knob is actually intuitive. You're used to it being backwards. Look at it logically. The motion complements the dial on the screen.


Congrats on the purchase. You had a great car before too though... Not sure if I'd move from a brand new 1 year old to a 6 year old though.

[mintytoo]

U bought the wrong transmission... should have waited longer and gotten a MT - especially if you really miss that. Personally I could not own this car in an auto. Yawn.
Upgrade to the flat bottom steering wheel - keep steering in dynamic - you will get used to the weight.
Agreed on stereo -
Agreed on exhaust -
VMR's are prob the most common wheels you will see - classic design
Yes needs to be lowered
Tint
Do not only do springs. You will have a very bouncy ride with those HR's you're looking at. Do proper dampeners at the same time to complement.
The knob is actually intuitive. You're used to it being backwards. Look at it logically. The motion complements the dial on the screen.


Congrats on the purchase. You had a great car before too though... Not sure if I'd move from a brand new 1 year old to a 6 year old though.

And if you're going to go fbsw, I have one for sale in the a4 section, super easy mod. Love that thing.

[Wiredin]

congrats on the new S4, it's a beauty, nice that it comes with aftermarket rims AND stage 2. Definitely jealous. And such low mileage for an '11.

What happened to the stock supercharger that needed replacement? And did Audi sign off on it as a warranty item with the APR tune?

overheated is what I was told by the tech that did it.

- - - Updated - - -

that flat bottomed steering wheel looks like a great mod! I'll have to look into that for sure.

[doug97gxe]

i've had high end aftermarket audio in all my cars... the B&O system is pretty good.. all it needs is an aftermarket sub .. my buddy has a 2016 GTI so i know what comparison to make audio wise

[mintytoo]

overheated is what I was told by the tech that did it.

- - - Updated - - -

that flat bottomed steering wheel looks like a great mod! I'll have to look into that for sure.

Oh well, new free supercharger is always appreciated!

[CELison]

Get a tcu tune if you haven't already. I don't mind the dsg, but if I didn't have my b5 I would have gotten a 6 spd.

[Audacious]

Congrats on the car! - I would skip the EC end links though. I'm in AB also and had the full USS combo, but the fronts rusted and seized up pretty badly after only 1 year, creating a bad clunking sound. EC replaced them free of charge but I just don't think they're meant for our climate. If you're in YEG and want VCDS I can help out as well.

[Wiredin]

learned a lot this weekend thats throwing up red flags. Sat down with a tech who tunes these and also provides APR locally... I'm getting cold feet. I haven't 100% signed and taken delivery yet so I still have an out.

The previous owner did not get the upgraded pulley mounted onto the new super charger. Unsure if it was on the old one at all or not... According to the tech, the reason it overheated and went was because he did not upgrade the cooling system for Stage II. In fact, it wasn't running the latest software nor was it running the DSG tune software either. All he did was put in stage 2+ and didn't do any of the supporting mods from what we can see. I'm really worried about the longevity of this engine now, especially as it would be replacing a vehicle with full warranty....

It's making me very very nervous....

[whiped]

Few things that might or might not help.

Stage II does not require a cooling upgrade.

Stage II is a pulley upgrade and a tune. The pulley upgrade adjusts the ratio between the SC and the Crank allowing the SC to spin faster thus making more boost. The tune is designed to make use of this extra boost.

APR Stage II DOES NOT include a DSG tune, that is extra $$$$$.

If the current SC on the car does not have an upgraded pulley the car is still safe, just not producing the ideal amount of boost for the tune.

This could quickly be remedied with a CTS Pulley($160) or an APR pulley depending on the price and if you can keep your current tune.

-----------------------------

Also, not sure why the original SC went. Even if the car was overheating the ECU should start pulling timing and boost levels to keep the car safe.

-----------------------------

Personally, I would take all the information back to the dealer and see what they are willing to do for you.

There is no shame in walking away from the car.

[jsh139]

If the car was overheating it was probably the thermostat and/or water pump. Not sure I've heard of a S/C overheating? Sounds sketchy. Maybe it was some other kind of mechanical failure. I'd ask to see the service history to find out exactly what was done.

[whiped]

If the car was overheating it was probably the thermostat and/or water pump. Not sure I've heard of a S/C overheating? Sounds sketchy. Maybe it was some other kind of mechanical failure. I'd ask to see the service history to find out exactly what was done.

That's actually a great point, I didn't notice it was an 2011 until just now.

I would still be VERY curious why the SC was replaced.

[Wiredin]

Talking to the tech who did the work, the thermostat was replaced and it was overheating. the SC was overheated as well and was no longer spooling up....

[mintytoo]

That's actually a great point, I didn't notice it was an 2011 until just now.

I would still be VERY curious why the SC was replaced.

Yeah, that's why I asked when he initially posted. Falling sc is kinda concerning

[whiped]

Talking to the tech who did the work, the thermostat was replaced and it was overheating. the SC was overheated as well and was no longer spooling up....

How on earth did they manage to make the SC seize?!?!

With all this information unless you are getting a KILLER deal, I would walk away.

Plenty of other S4s out there.

[Wiredin]

$28,000 CAD

previous owner admitted to temp gauge red lining for about a minute before shutting her down. This was about 10,000km ago.

[jygesq]

RUN AWAY !!

[whiped]

I'm not familiar with the market there but, that price is good for my area.

I'm still very surprised the SC seized. Any chance the tech still has it around? I would be interested in seeing a tear-down.

Regardless, I would get a new pulley put on it. (So you are actually Stage II)

I would also contact the dealer and see if they can help ease the pain.

The last thing you want with a new car is reliability problems.

[OmaHahn]

That photo is of your car? Pure porn.

Dude! Your Avatar is frickin hilarious!!! Sorry, not to jack this thread.

[Wiredin]

I'm not familiar with the market there but, that price is good for my area.

I'm still very surprised the SC seized. Any chance the tech still has it around? I would be interested in seeing a tear-down.

Regardless, I would get a new pulley put on it. (So you are actually Stage II)

I would also contact the dealer and see if they can help ease the pain.

The last thing you want with a new car is reliability problems.

Other dealers are selling higher mileage versions for around $35,000, privately there is a 2011 same equipment level and mod and he's asking $36,000 with 96,000km. Local Audi dealer said its a $35,000 car all day long on their lot. Only reason it's such a good deal is I'm getting staff pricing. They took it in for $27,000, so after lot fee, used car inspection, detail clean... I get it for $28,000


Previous owner has the charger, I've asked if he can bring it in for me to go over. He's going to dig it out of his garage he says.


it's pretty ridiculous if the performance I'm feeling now isn't true stage 2....

[whiped]

Other dealers are selling higher mileage versions for around $35,000, privately there is a 2011 same equipment level and mod and he's asking $36,000 with 96,000km. Local Audi dealer said its a $35,000 car all day long on their lot. Only reason it's such a good deal is I'm getting staff pricing. They took it in for $27,000, so after lot fee, used car inspection, detail clean... I get it for $28,000


Previous owner has the charger, I've asked if he can bring it in for me to go over. He's going to dig it out of his garage he says.


it's pretty ridiculous if the performance I'm feeling now isn't true stage 2....

You should post some pictures if you can get your hands on it!

I imagine you are at roughly Stage I performance right now. The new pulley should give you a good kick

If it is still not fast enough you could always go Dual Pulley or beyond!

[jsh139]

$28,000 CAD

previous owner admitted to temp gauge red lining for about a minute before shutting her down. This was about 10,000km ago.

Ugh. Makes me wonder what else was damaged while the engine was overheating like that. Like, something that won't show up for another 10,000 km or so... Maybe see if you can get an extended warranty out of the deal.

[Wiredin]

You should post some pictures if you can get your hands on it!

I imagine you are at roughly Stage I performance right now. The new pulley should give you a good kick

If it is still not fast enough you could always go Dual Pulley or beyond!

Yup, as soon as I get the SC I'll be tearing it down and taking some photos as well as bring it to my local audi shop and get them to look at it. I know the service manager quite well over the past 10 years so we got a good relationship.

I have a feeling I'll end up in jail or dead if I get it going any faster!

Ugh. Makes me wonder what else was damaged while the engine was overheating like that. Like, something that won't show up for another 10,000 km or so... Maybe see if you can get an extended warranty out of the deal.

Thats my fear too.. what other damage could have been done? This is why I won't do anything until I can get my hands on that SC. Can't get the extended warranty. for starters its $7,000. Also both extended warranty companies want to know if it's chipped.

[nekky]

Yup, as soon as I get the SC I'll be tearing it down and taking some photos as well as bring it to my local audi shop and get them to look at it. I know the service manager quite well over the past 10 years so we got a good relationship.

I have a feeling I'll end up in jail or dead if I get it going any faster!



Thats my fear too.. what other damage could have been done? This is why I won't do anything until I can get my hands on that SC. Can't get the extended warranty. for starters its $7,000. Also both extended warranty companies want to know if it's chipped.

No it's not. Your business manager is lying to you.

[Ze_Nardo6]

You're feeling stage 1 power right now...if you end up with the car, throw the APR s/c pulley on there and reflash their latest tune. Shit eating grin commence.