New B7 (2008) S4 Owner - Help & Advice Please and Thank You

[WhiplashStuie]

Good Morning/After Noon All

As title mentions I am a New owner of a B7/2008 S4 - its a "DTM Edition" 6 speed Manual with just over 55k in miles and was owned by a Dealer Mechanic. I was not in the "market" for another S4 ( had a 2000 new ) and actually was in dealer having a maintenance done on another car .... I bought this under the idea that i will drive it for the winter and then about this time next year pass it on to my collage "step"-daughter who will have to travel in snow to and from school when she transfers - digress

status of the car is it really "NEEDS" nothing ... well besides some paint work and a center armrest lid ..... ($380.00 for a new replacement lid due to one broken clip ...ouch .... i had forgotten the Audi parts department "Rape and Pillage" and stone chips in windshield due to cars location and dirt roads - both things i could let go but .... not my style .... and paintwork will get addressed in the spring

i do have some questions and could use some advice and i will attempt to list them in an orginized fashion with my "reasoning of thought - and wish to thank those in advance for those whom offer help and advice - also before I ask these, I would like it to be known, that the car did not come with its owners manual and that it seems getting one from dealer seems to be a "struggle" (granted most of my questions are not going to be covered in said book anyway due to owners manuals have turned into legal disclaimers for lawsuit prevention and the stupid masses) and i did do "searches" for these topics but either dont apply to my year, situation, or conflicting information

Interior question - that damn center console lid ..... anyone have one ??? - black ... cash is in hand (used is fine if in good shape) - DM me please - (Paypal/Money order/ cert check...choice is yours)

also looking for a "cost effective"/airbag swap- thicker and flat bottom steering wheel (paddles not required due to manual trans)

2nd as far as interior but more of a stereo question - it relates to the two SD slots behind the face - i am a huge audio/music guy (home) and i have read and read different ways to get the slots to read music and I have attempted to get them to work .... this appears to be different years and stock systems have different procedures - i am really hoping someone out there can help me with a proven solution (only thing i have seen in common between years is "FAT32 Format" - i have attempted but upon testing i format and put 1 song on card ... insert and I get screen saying "Reading Card lasting up to 20min then goes blank .... ( personal note - this is huge to me considering my music collection consists of rare music and over 4000 songs and I am willing to not install all of it and "break up" collection to multiple cards .... but if someone is able to help me resolve this issue and happens to be Michigan ...There is a "bottle" or 12 pack of the micro brew of your choice as a thank you .... for those nationwide .... ill figure out something cause the last thing i want to do is put an aftermarket deck in this car to have my music.... and I am "anti apple product anything"

tire an wheel question - I have a set of H/R sport springs in route for car to get rid of that wheel gap and the car is currently on a set of 18in RS4 wheels on "Bridgestone Blizz" snows and i figure there will not be an issue for the winter - my question is more for "summer skins" and wheels that i would rather order sooner than later due to current discounts available vs spring rush/back-order status - I am taking "advice" on aggressive z-rated tires based on what is best for this car .... also planning on going up to 19in wheels... so if anyone is using H/R springs and 19in wheels .... advice on 19x9 or 19x8.5 ?? tire size?? also spacer size to make wheel and tire flush

exterior mods - anyone have or know where i can find a set of the now no longer made "Relak" carbon side skirts - my understanding is they match the front lip spoiler on the "DTM" - (same cash status as center console)

Mechanical - I have added a Corsa Cat back system on the car just because a V8 needs to sound like a V8 and considering the lack of drone at 80mph/Highway speeds was reason for not going more extreme .... but that's not to say .... :) .... again conflicting information .... "piggie pipes" vs no cats but need tune that blanks o2 check engine light .... guess what i am asking is what tune is people using that if i "were to straight pipe it" has the ability to kill that CEL and what tune is offering the best "bang for buck" (example - other car is turbo and has APR flash and air box) - also i have "read" cold air intakes don't offer much on the 4.2 due to location ECT: .... so again based on what i have read .... what are some of the power/ bang for buck options for me

Again ... Hello .... and I very much look forward to being a positive member of the community (choice of next car has been made if "The Girl" get this car around this time next year and it too will be a new lease on a car that is "4 rings" so i am of the concept i just might be around for a while) and i want to thank everyone for allowing my "tangent" and the advice and help with this one

[Mr. Corey]

Welcome!!! Post up some photo's of your new ride! Most everything you need to know is listed here and here
http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...ew-PLEASE-READ
http://www.audizine.com/forum/forumd...B7-S4-RS4-Tech


Only company that makes anything performance wise for this platform is JHM https://jhmotorsports.com/shop/catalog/index.php


Good luck!

[roboto_1337]

I've seen the center arm rest on amazon for a very reasonable price.

I have stock piggie coupled with milltek non-res cat back and a JHM 93 tune and no CEL... needless to say the piggies add some cabin noise, however everyone that rides in my car loves it. I wouldn't call it drone but you definately know there's an animal under the hood.

My B7 isn't as fresh as yours (rolling up on 200k km/120k miles) and it loves to be babied until up to temp. Not going past 3k rpm keeps it very happy.

If you decide to tune it be aware that some of the stock engine mounts are likely to fail, not a huge deal but keep an eye for the hydraulic oil that comes out of them. It's purple.

Obviously diligence with oil change should is important and high grad oil. Lots of people is M1 0W-40. I personally like the lubrimoly 5-40, but I have a hookup that makes it cheap.

Make yourself aware of common and uncommon sounds. Chain tensioners/guides. Cylinder head check valves, PCV valves, intake flapper.

As for the SD card all you need is a standard old school SD card. Max size is 2G that you can put in. I use a 17Mb/s 115x card and it works fine.

Also if you get yourself a VAG Com cable you'll be able to make some coding adjustments with your new TT steering wheel so it is fully functional.

[scottkollig]

What Corey and Roboto said!

I have a very similar set up, with the JHM 93 Tune (a must have), milltek non res, and milltek catless downpipes. It is about as loud as I want to go, and is fine at cruising speeds, but when you put your foot down... HELLO! Honestly an ideal setup IMHO.

Any "cold air intake" won't have any positive effect (and likely will hurt your intake temps and drop your hp), until you opt for the aux radiator delete. Unless you want a pretty engine bay, it probably isn't worth it.

JHM really is the only company to bring positive gains and reliable modifications to this platform, stick with them and you will be fine.

As for your armrest lid, keep an eye out on part outs in the classified section, you're likely to find a good condition used one there.

I would be careful about doing just lowering springs, as your shocks are likely to go. I would save up and go with a nice set of coilovers, it is worth it in the end.

The SD cards are annoying, and Roboto is right, max size is 2GB or it won't work. Formatting is weird. It's a whole thing. Unfortunately, you are anti-apple, so you will be hard pressed to find anything else that works without going aftermarket. Sorry, it sucks, and I feel your pain. I was excited to make the SD cards work until I realized I have a max 4GB capacity for songs.

I don't believe the Relak Side Skirts fit with the DTM package, although I recall seeing someone DIY making them fit.


Anyway, welcome to the community, and good luck!