Potential S4 buyer

[eastbayrae]

In an effort to reduce my monthly bills I am going to sell my '16 SQ5 and purchase an older S4, or A4, Avant. What am I looking at for potential repair costs on one of these? I am looking at S4's that have 80k or less miles on them.

[roboto_1337]

In an effort to reduce my monthly bills I am going to sell my '16 SQ5 and purchase an older S4, or A4, Avant. What am I looking at for potential repair costs on one of these? I am looking at S4's that have 80k or less miles on them.

Depending on the generation of S4 you're looking to purchase the issues/quirks that you should be looking for will change. In the B6/B7 V8 models, timing would be the major issue, followed by cylinder wall scoring. A well maintained vehicle is more desirable than a low mileage vehicle IMO. I love my B7, but would probably purchase a B8 if you're looking for something to lower your total cost of ownership.

[eastbayrae]

I am looking at getting an '06-'08 Avant. I like the body style vs. the sedan. I don't see a way that a dealer would know about the condition of the internals.

[roboto_1337]

I am looking at getting an '06-'08 Avant. I like the body style vs. the sedan. I don't see a way that a dealer would know about the condition of the internals.

Take it for a PPI. Don't tell the dealer you're coming to look at it.. you'll want to be present for a cold start and listen for rattle... there are lots of examples of the sound you'll be looking for on youtube. A compression test will tell you the state of the cylinders. A leak down test will give you a better idea of how bad it is. There is a lot of good information on these forums about what are good and bad conditions. Check on the PCV valve and control arms... A/C compressor should be working as it's a bigger job to replace if needed.

[eastbayrae]

Ah so it can have the control arm issues my '97 A4 had?

[roboto_1337]

Ah so it can have the control arm issues my '97 A4 had?

They just wear out and get squeaky. I haven't had any CA issues and I have 210,000 km on my B7. It's mostly going to be things that normally wear out on cars that are 10 years old.

[eastbayrae]

The same issue then. The squeaking, and popping, was horrible. The cost to fix it was $3k

[mad70sx]

If your looking to reduce your bills, then I would be careful when going for a B6 S4. Make sure you get one that has had the timing chain/guide repairs done already. Unless you don't care and plan to drive it into the ground, the timing chain/guide issue will more than likely show up, at some point. The chain guide repair could be in the $5-7 grand range (or more).

And I would ask about oil consumption. High oil consumption due to scored cylinder walls can be a problem too. If it's in the budget, see if the cylinders can be scoped or a compression/leak down test be done to check the integrity of the cylinder walls.

Also, imho, control arms typically won't be a problem unless the car has been lowered, has an aftermarket suspension or has been beat on.

Not trying to scare you off with the potential engine issues, it's a great car to have when it's running properly. Most don't have these issues but plenty have and if you do run into these engine issues....$$$.

[VinnysS4]

If you are trying to reduce your bills, I would not suggest a b6/b7 S4. While they are great cars, they can be very needy at times and when those times come around, its not cheap to fix.
100% agree that maintenance is a far better seller to me than mileage is.
If you buy a B6 or B7 (2003-2008) S4, make sure it has had the timing chains done with upgraded RS4 guides, or you will be doing the job again when the KNOWN faulty OEM S4 guide breaks again. The RS4 does not have timing chain issues because their guide's bodies are made of metal, not plastic. (The ones in question )
Some cars never have the guide issue, more noted in the later years. But ask any shop who specializes in b6/b7 s4 4.2 engines how many s4 engines with 100,000 miles come in with broken timing chain guides. A guy on here just posted that his 130k mile s4 is in need of its 2nd chain service. That's a tough cookie to swallow when you don't do the work yourself. Book time is 40 hours. Any reputable shop near me is $100+/hr for labor. Parts get expensive too. Just food for thought.
Some guys have massive oil consumption issues as well. As bad as adding a quart every 200-300 miles. A proper PPI before purchase is a must. Doesn't matter what dealer or lot it's at. It needs the cylinders boroscoped for scratches. When people "get on" their cars when they're cold, the Pistons swell faster than the bore does and can push the piston rings into the cylinder walls causing a path for oil and air pressure to get by. A lot guy at the Local "reputable" Audi dealership drove my car through the lot like he stole it. Cold. Right in front of me. If they do that to my car, just imagine what they do when people don't see them.
And if you drive a lot and put good oil in your car, and/or change it often, it holds like 10 quarts of not cheap oil. I dailyed my S4 for a while from Oregon to Washington. The round trip was like 180 miles. Even doing the oil changes myself, it still got expensive dumping the oil every 2 weeks.

Bad control arms are common as well. My car was owned by some lady before me and was 100% stock when I got it. It had bad upper control arms on both sides, and bad motor mounts that caused a horrible popping sound when pushed hard. I didnt push it hard on the test drive. Also a huge common cause for popping or creaking is the steering rack. It is held in the car with 3 12 point 10mm bolts. They come loose often. 2 are accessible from above and 1 from below.

Oil leaks. All cars develop them eventually. The S4 develops a leak at the valley pan gasket and/or oil filter housing gasket. Expect a shop to quote several hours labor and "while you're in there" expect your bill to be a good grand.

Hope this helps.
And BTW, I absolutely LOVE my S4. But after almost $10,000 in parts in 3 years, I wish I would have kept my RS6. Maintenance cost was right on par with that.


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[Mike50design]

If you consider a sedan, I'll be listing mine for sale soon.

[S4Bennett]

A Lexus IS-F would be a better choice if you didn’t absolutely want a manual transmission. My opinion of the audi shifters isn’t great and you wouldn’t be giving up much. Japanese cars tend to have a really good rack & pinion with excellent feed back, rack ratio, and intuitive return to centre behaviour. You also have the option to get a smart key feature on the Lexus, something that you can’t get on a B6 or B7 Audi.

[eastbayrae]

Would I be better off with a B7 A4?

[mad70sx]

https://www.audizine.com/forum/showt...ew-PLEASE-READ

^^^ Good reading material for new B6/7 S4 owners.