New ownership deliberation: B8 Avant Prestige with DSG & ALL options

[MetalMan]

Hey all,
I've been an Audi guy since buying my first car 14 years ago. Currently I have a 2015 A3 2.0T Quattro Premium Plus Sport Package, which I bought 2.7 years ago after selling a 2001 S4 Avant 6MT (owned that for 3.5 years).

Why I am here... I like the long roof. My S4 Avant had a lot of practicality except for age (20 years) and mileage (236k mi) plus 2.7T which meant it was constantly needing something. My current A3 (102k miles) has been a great car overall for a fun/reliable commuter... but it has the tiniest trunk and a sloping sedan roof line.

I came across a true unicorn B8 Avant for $14.5k. It's hard to tell if it's a 2011 or 2012 but has moderately low mileage @ <89k mi. It's all stock but seems to have every option:

• California car its whole life
• Prestige package (I love the alcantara sport seats, keyless entry + start)
• S-line package (I love the styling)
• Avus silver paint, I'm a silver kind of guy
• DSG transmission with steering wheel paddles, mode select buttons
• Sport diff
• Side rear window OEM sun shades
• S4 aluminum mirrors
• Driver assistance features
• Etc.

I checked out the car and it seems solid and drives well. This is the 2nd late B8 Avant I've test driven; the 1st had the standard ZF8. This one drives noticeable more sporty which I can probably attribute to the DSG trans. On the flip side, a B8 A4 with DSG trans is very rare so I have some uncertainty there regarding longevity & service needs.

Ran an auto-scan via VCDS and it had a couple minor codes that probably wouldn't reappear after clearing. Also the seller has a decent stack of service records.

Beyond that, my other main reservation is regarding the 2011/2012 2.0T engine... I do ALL my own work, so while I can tackle pretty much anything, time is tight with 2 kids and the reliability & service needs of this 2.0T are a consideration for me.

All that said, do you guys have any thoughts / opinions on my pending purchase decision?
I don't need the long roof and the wife's car is the primary kid hauler (I almost never take the kids in my A3) but am still drawn to it.
Also, I'd be looking at ~$4k deficit after selling my A3, something worthy of consideration.

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[Smac770]

DSG is a VW term. Audi term would be s-tronic. In either case, DCT covers both. But the B8 avant was never sold in the US with the DL501 DCT. Nor with the sport diff. Would have been more interesting to see the complete VCDS autoscan log for the vehicle. Is it a complete S4 drivetrain swap, or just the trans and diff, etc.

I love my B8 avant. Minus the 15 years and 261k miles of age. But as with any B8 2.0T prospect (if it wasn't a full 3.0T swap), have the rings/pistons been done.

[Theiceman]

i dont know why you think its a "unicorn" . Avants are nice cars no doubt, but don't get caught up in it .

These engines certainly do need maintenance , if it doesnt burn oil you are still looking at timing chains, water pumps coils etc as it gets up in age.. the only real killer would be if it becomes an oil burner.

[MetalMan]

Thanks for the replies, guys.

DSG is a VW term. Audi term would be s-tronic. In either case, DCT covers both. But the B8 avant was never sold in the US with the DL501 DCT. Nor with the sport diff. Would have been more interesting to see the complete VCDS autoscan log for the vehicle. Is it a complete S4 drivetrain swap, or just the trans and diff, etc.

I love my B8 avant. Minus the 15 years and 261k miles of age. But as with any B8 2.0T prospect (if it wasn't a full 3.0T swap), have the rings/pistons been done.

So, I was going off the seller's info since everything else checked out... I'm thinking the paddle shifters led him to believe it's a DSG/S-tronic. Here's the transmission auto scan section, which I have confirmed is actually a ZF8, and honestly makes me feel better should I decide to buy the car:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Address 02: Auto Trans (J217)       Labels:| 0BK-927-156.clb
   Part No SW: 8K0 927 158 S    HW: 0BK 927 156 R
   Component: 0BK 20TFSIUSA H08 1003  
   Revision: --H08---    CVN: E30475B4
   Coding: 000002
   Shop #: WSC 00000 000 00000
   ASAM Dataset: EV_TCMAL551211 002018
   ROD: EV_TCMAL551211_002_AU48.rod
   VCID: 4683E0D5F96065BDF8-8012

No fault code found.

There's definitely the question of oil consumption and pistons/rings. I've had a little challenge communicating with the seller, though I did actually manage to get out to the car yesterday. I didn't get the impression he would have useful answers but it would still be worth asking.

Seller was pretty adamant about it having the sport diff... since I have the full Auto-Scan, I now believe you are right that it doesn't/won't have it. In my searching the Sport Diff will be accessible at address "22-AWD", and as you can see from the Auto-Scan installed module list below, that entry is non-existent.

01-Engine -- Status: Malfunction 0010
02-Auto Trans -- Status: OK 0000
03-ABS Brakes -- Status: OK 0000
04-Steering Angle -- Status: OK 0000
05-Acc/Start Auth. -- Status: Malfunction 0010
08-Auto HVAC -- Status: Malfunction 0010
09-Cent. Elect. -- Status: OK 0000
10-Park/Steer Assist -- Status: OK 0000
14-Susp. Elect. -- Status: OK 0000
15-Airbags -- Status: OK 0000
16-Steering wheel -- Status: OK 0000
17-Instruments -- Status: OK 0000
19-CAN Gateway -- Status: Malfunction 0010
1B-Active Steering -- Status: OK 0000
36-Seat Mem. Drvr -- Status: OK 0000
3C-Lane Change -- Status: OK 0000
42-Door Elect, Driver -- Status: OK 0000
46-Central Conv. -- Status: OK 0000
47-Sound System -- Status: OK 0000
52-Door Elect, Pass. -- Status: OK 0000
53-Parking Brake -- Status: OK 0000
55-Headlight Range -- Status: OK 0000
56-Radio -- Status: OK 0000
5F-Information Electr. -- Status: OK 0000
62-Door, Rear Left -- Status: OK 0000
6C-Back-up Cam. -- Status: OK 0000
6D-Trunk Elect. -- Status: OK 0000
72-Door, Rear Right -- Status: OK 0000

i dont know why you think its a "unicorn" . Avants are nice cars no doubt, but don't get caught up in it .

These engines certainly do need maintenance , if it doesnt burn oil you are still looking at timing chains, water pumps coils etc as it gets up in age.. the only real killer would be if it becomes an oil burner.

"Unicorn" is relative. I've never seen anything close to this spec come up in southern California during my searching in the last year or two, let alone <100k mi. I'm not caught up by it per-se, but if I don't buy this Avant then that's because I'm deciding I won't ever be buying a B8 Avant. Pretty much a "this one or none of them" mentality.

I've been reading through some threads (including some with your participation) that have somewhat eased my concerns about oil burning. Still as mentioned above it's something I need to ask the seller directly about.


And after more research, I'm putting a little more emphasis on the fault below. Engine is a CAEB for reference. No illuminated fault lights. I'm thinking this is the type of fault that might not reappear if it were cleared, but on the flip side could be indicating future balance shaft replacement...

5582 - Oil Pressure Switch for reduced Oil Pressure 
          P164D 00 [032] - Malfunction
          Intermittent - Not Confirmed - Tested Since Memory Clear

[bb-tt]

i dont know why you think its a "unicorn" . Avants are nice cars no doubt, but don't get caught up in it .

These engines certainly do need maintenance , if it doesnt burn oil you are still looking at timing chains, water pumps coils etc as it gets up in age.. the only real killer would be if it becomes an oil burner.

look i found a another unicorn, oh wait no its the avant i have had this whole time, although it does have adaptive cruise which is rare.
Edit: Oh i bought mine in santa monica while on business in ca (looked at 3 while there) only ever saw one for sale while living in fl

[bb-tt]

Thanks for the replies, guys.



So, I was going off the seller's info since everything else checked out... I'm thinking the paddle shifters led him to believe it's a DSG/S-tronic. Here's the transmission auto scan section, which I have confirmed is actually a ZF8, and honestly makes me feel better should I decide to buy the car:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Address 02: Auto Trans (J217)       Labels:| 0BK-927-156.clb
   Part No SW: 8K0 927 158 S    HW: 0BK 927 156 R
   Component: 0BK 20TFSIUSA H08 1003  
   Revision: --H08---    CVN: E30475B4
   Coding: 000002
   Shop #: WSC 00000 000 00000
   ASAM Dataset: EV_TCMAL551211 002018
   ROD: EV_TCMAL551211_002_AU48.rod
   VCID: 4683E0D5F96065BDF8-8012

No fault code found.

There's definitely the question of oil consumption and pistons/rings. I've had a little challenge communicating with the seller, though I did actually manage to get out to the car yesterday. I didn't get the impression he would have useful answers but it would still be worth asking.

Seller was pretty adamant about it having the sport diff... since I have the full Auto-Scan, I now believe you are right that it doesn't/won't have it. In my searching the Sport Diff will be accessible at address "22-AWD", and as you can see from the Auto-Scan installed module list below, that entry is non-existent.

01-Engine -- Status: Malfunction 0010
02-Auto Trans -- Status: OK 0000
03-ABS Brakes -- Status: OK 0000
04-Steering Angle -- Status: OK 0000
05-Acc/Start Auth. -- Status: Malfunction 0010
08-Auto HVAC -- Status: Malfunction 0010
09-Cent. Elect. -- Status: OK 0000
10-Park/Steer Assist -- Status: OK 0000
14-Susp. Elect. -- Status: OK 0000
15-Airbags -- Status: OK 0000
16-Steering wheel -- Status: OK 0000
17-Instruments -- Status: OK 0000
19-CAN Gateway -- Status: Malfunction 0010
1B-Active Steering -- Status: OK 0000
36-Seat Mem. Drvr -- Status: OK 0000
3C-Lane Change -- Status: OK 0000
42-Door Elect, Driver -- Status: OK 0000
46-Central Conv. -- Status: OK 0000
47-Sound System -- Status: OK 0000
52-Door Elect, Pass. -- Status: OK 0000
53-Parking Brake -- Status: OK 0000
55-Headlight Range -- Status: OK 0000
56-Radio -- Status: OK 0000
5F-Information Electr. -- Status: OK 0000
62-Door, Rear Left -- Status: OK 0000
6C-Back-up Cam. -- Status: OK 0000
6D-Trunk Elect. -- Status: OK 0000
72-Door, Rear Right -- Status: OK 0000

"Unicorn" is relative. I've never seen anything close to this spec come up in southern California during my searching in the last year or two, let alone <100k mi. I'm not caught up by it per-se, but if I don't buy this Avant then that's because I'm deciding I won't ever be buying a B8 Avant. Pretty much a "this one or none of them" mentality.

I've been reading through some threads (including some with your participation) that have somewhat eased my concerns about oil burning. Still as mentioned above it's something I need to ask the seller directly about.


And after more research, I'm putting a little more emphasis on the fault below. Engine is a CAEB for reference. No illuminated fault lights. I'm thinking this is the type of fault that might not reappear if it were cleared, but on the flip side could be indicating future balance shaft replacement...

5582 - Oil Pressure Switch for reduced Oil Pressure 
          P164D 00 [032] - Malfunction
          Intermittent - Not Confirmed - Tested Since Memory Clear

i would plan on having to do piston, rings, and timing chain/tensioner at a minimum.

[Chaingang]

i dont know why you think its a "unicorn" . Avants are nice cars no doubt, but don't get caught up in it .

These engines certainly do need maintenance , if it doesnt burn oil you are still looking at timing chains, water pumps coils etc as it gets up in age.. the only real killer would be if it becomes an oil burner.

Virtually every car in existence will need timing chain/belt, pumps (water, fuel), coils, plugs…,not sure why this is even worth discussing as a pro or a con.


OP, buy it…and move on with your life. It’s a $15k used car, not a $2 million timeshare commitment in Spain.

[JLAllroad]

Virtually every car in existence will need timing chain/belt, pumps (water, fuel), coils, plugs…,not sure why this is even worth discussing as a pro or a con.

We do try to help new and potentially new owners here, many that have years if not decades wrenching. Some learn sooner than others of the nuances (some subtle) that Audi engineers engrained in the DNA of these cars, not all of it make sense, not all of it is good.

That said, if you’re here to ask questions, great, if you’re here to help, even better, but the above is neither, and I believe you know that.


Sent from my iPhone using Audizine Forum

[Chaingang]

We do try to help new and potentially new owners here, many that have years if not decades wrenching. Some learn sooner than others of the nuances (some subtle) that Audi engineers engrained in the DNA of these cars, not all of it make sense, not all of it is good.

That said, if you’re here to ask questions, great, if you’re here to help, even better, but the above is neither, and I believe you know that.


Sent from my iPhone using Audizine Forum

OP-“All that said, do you guys have any thoughts / opinions on my pending purchase decision?”

My response-“OP, buy it…and move on with your life. It’s a $15k used car, not a $2 million timeshare commitment in Spain”


It must be so exhausting living inside your brain dude…please just stop replying to my posts. Don’t you have some spark plugs to change or something?

[marshallnoise]

I wouldn't pay that much for it. But I just bought my avant for $4K. Granted, I knew it had a few things that were needed to get sorted.

[MetalMan]

look i found a another unicorn, oh wait no its the avant i have had this whole time, although it does have adaptive cruise which is rare.
Edit: Oh i bought mine in santa monica while on business in ca (looked at 3 while there) only ever saw one for sale while living in fl

Awesome! Guess you have an ultra-unicorn.
How does one discern if it has adaptive cruise? *EDIT* Nevermind, looked it up. The left cruise stalk will have a switch up top for adjusting distance. Looks like this Avant lacks ACC.

i would plan on having to do piston, rings, and timing chain/tensioner at a minimum.

I know nobody can know this, but I'd love to get an idea the "typical" expected timeframe. Of course, I haven't been able to go through all the service records so for all I know it's already gotten some of that...

OP, buy it…and move on with your life. It’s a $15k used car, not a $2 million timeshare commitment in Spain.

It's moreso an issue that I won't be interested in paying someone to do whatever work it might need, but with 2 young kids time is harder to come by for when I'd need to do the work. Also I'd have another car.

We do try to help new and potentially new owners here, many that have years if not decades wrenching. Some learn sooner than others of the nuances (some subtle) that Audi engineers engrained in the DNA of these cars, not all of it make sense, not all of it is good.

I'm a pretty committed Audi guy (5 so far), I've been through it all. Also a C5 Z06 owner and have been through lots with that car. I don't shy away from anything but also like to know what I might be getting myself into.

I wouldn't pay that much for it. But I just bought my avant for $4K. Granted, I knew it had a few things that were needed to get sorted.

A lower-than-asking offer is what I'm thinking, too. With the discrepancies between what the seller thought the car has and what it actually has, there may be more stuff underlying. Also, they haven't taken it for smog testing (though there was no CEL, all readiness monitors were set, and it's all stock/original to pass the visual inspection) so passing smog is technically an unknown.
Contemplating closer to $13k though they may be able to get asking price with other buyers.

[Chaingang]

It looks clean too…overall! And the mileage is low, as well.

[Theiceman]

look i found a another unicorn, oh wait no its the avant i have had this whole time, although it does have adaptive cruise which is rare.
Edit: Oh i bought mine in santa monica while on business in ca (looked at 3 while there) only ever saw one for sale while living in fl

i like those wheels, they look great on that car.

by todays standards, those front rotors look tiny now lol.

[adm750]

Appearing to have been de-badged in the rear raises just one eyebrow for me. Not that it's an uncommon practice by ny means, but my mind goes right to thoughts of paintwork.

There were tell-tale items that helped identify signs of paintwork on the BMW's, like shiny surfaces on the areas of the fenders where the bolt to the chassis (bottom side of hood and hood opening...). Same with the body around the trunk opening and underside of trunk. None of those areas were clear-coated. All body color, but matte surfaces from the factory. Nearly impossible to replicate/retain during bodywork.

I don't know the Audi tell-tales at all but maybe you know ?? or can inquire about it ??

fantastic looking car btw. would definitely wax that ;)

keep us posted on the decision

[bb-tt]

Virtually every car in existence will need timing chain/belt, pumps (water, fuel), coils, plugs…,not sure why this is even worth discussing as a pro or a con.


OP, buy it…and move on with your life. It’s a $15k used car, not a $2 million timeshare commitment in Spain.

because most cars with a chain you can get a couple hundred thousand miles out of it and not have to worry unlike the the ea888.2 which is known to have a defective tensioner design with the potential to grenade the engine growing exponentially after 50k miles. The water pump and turbo was also deficient failing way to soon hence the class action suit and extended warranties offered by audi for those (which have long since expired). And lest we forget the piece de resistance oil consumption due to undersized rings. the biggest problem with all these is if you do not know that they are high failure items on these cars not normal wear and tear items. if you replace them with the modified/upgraded parts it is a pretty reliable car but you need to know going in that if they have not already been taken care of you will definitely need to do them. i picked my car up with 60k miles the guy had just traded it in as his cpo warranty had expired that month had meticulous maintenance records all service done at audi santa monica and on schedule. had the car shipped to florida the first week i had it oil light came on. i figured they must have underfilled at oil change so i did a change myself and didnt think about it. 3 days later oil light came on. took to my local audi dealer ( it was still covered under the oil consumption settlement) they replaced pvc and said we are doing the consumption test bring it back if oil light comes back on. Drove it to daytona about an hour away and on way back home oil light came on. less than 3 weeks after purchasing the engine was getting rebuilt. i no longer trust service records as an indicator of the condition of the car especially after that experience the guy was under cpo waranty and could have had it fixed at anytime and either didnt care or thought it was normal to add more oil than gas to his car. Oh yeah the timing chain/tensioner also came under extended warranty so while admitting no wrongdoing the Audi essentially acknowledge that it was also a defective design. I paid to have them update mine while they were doing the oil consumption and then two years later got reimbursed after the class action suit. Dont get me wrong they are great cars if sorted but they had multiple design defects that you need to be aware. Mine has been trouble free after changing turbo, water pump, and engine rebuild. i put r8 coils in it as soon as i got it back from the engine rebuild and have never had one go bad. i have run this car hard for a long time and other than the occasional boost leak have not had any issues other than the knowns that everyone here has mentioned. so point is if you go in expecting to have to do those you will be fine and if you discover some of those things have already been taken care of so much the better.

EDIT: oh one more thing the ZF8 fluid needs changed. Audi says it is lifetime but at that milage it is past due the service interval according to ZF. And while doing that you might as while do the differentials.

[bb-tt]

i like those wheels, they look great on that car.

by todays standards, those front rotors look tiny now lol.

they are off mk2 ttrs i didnt want to go bigger even went with smaller rotor than the tt. saved a bunch of weight and honestly this car doesnt need more than a 4 piston caliper. Edit: was going to powder coat them to get rid of the RS so wouldnt have to hear whining about up badging but they were like new so just replaced the orings and seals.

[MetalMan]

Got some more info from the owner today.
They have a bunch of service records from prior to their ownership, which they found when looking through the files after I prompted it.

One record shows that oil consumption work (PCV, crank seal replacement) and measurement test was performed back in 2015 for TSB 2027731/5. They were unable to locate further records related to oil consumption, though I suspect they were just skimming through the records too quickly...

Also, owner states they haven't needed to top up the oil in the last ~14k miles of their ownership, which is a promising start. My sister had a Q5 with 3.0T that had oil consumption issues (eventually requiring piston/ring replacement) and I recall how the car would yell at her when the oil was low... so for the current owner to state this isn't an issue bodes well IMO.

Lastly, I've got myself and the seller in limbo; current plan is to get my current A3 ready for sale before potentially proceeding with the A4 Avant. This is one of those "gotta keep the wife happy" circumstances.

Appearing to have been de-badged in the rear raises just one eyebrow for me. Not that it's an uncommon practice by ny means, but my mind goes right to thoughts of paintwork.

There were tell-tale items that helped identify signs of paintwork on the BMW's, like shiny surfaces on the areas of the fenders where the bolt to the chassis (bottom side of hood and hood opening...). Same with the body around the trunk opening and underside of trunk. None of those areas were clear-coated. All body color, but matte surfaces from the factory. Nearly impossible to replicate/retain during bodywork.

I don't know the Audi tell-tales at all but maybe you know ?? or can inquire about it ??

fantastic looking car btw. would definitely wax that ;)

keep us posted on the decision

I debadged cars of mine in the past, and I actually prefer how this car looks debadged.
Good point on the paint/bodywork. I wasn't explicitly looking for that, but from spending a bunch of time walking around the car I'd like to think I would've noticed something off.

[Smac770]

That would be the stage 1 action. If there wasn't follow up work within the next 1k miles regarding stage 2 (rings/pistons), maybe it wasn't done. It should be easy enough to call up that dealership that did the stage 1 and check the records, as I imagine if they went back for stage 2 within the next 1k miles, it would have been to the same dealership. But if he's getting oil change to oil change without needing to add oil, yeah, that's good. But is that oil level come oil change time getting lower and lower.

[Stubek]

Keep it on topic please.

[shreddykrueger]

I bought the exact same spec avant in 2015 with 47k miles for $24k. wild that its only dropped $9500 in 9 years

[MetalMan]

I bought the exact same spec avant in 2015 with 47k miles for $24k. wild that its only dropped $9500 in 9 years

Nice! I have been reading through your build thread, really cool what you've done.
The market definitely shifted 3-4 years ago during early covid times. Plus the rampant inflation in the last ~3 years...

Anyways, I'm a bit amused with all these 2011-2012 A4 Avant Prestige models coming out of the woodwork. I declared this one a "unicorn" because of the used-market rarity of it. Apparently it's rare on the used market because you guys are simply holding onto them! Which does make me feel better about potentially moving forward with it.

[Chaingang]

I bought the exact same spec avant in 2015 with 47k miles for $24k. wild that its only dropped $9500 in 9 years

That’s awesome!!

[Theiceman]

they are off mk2 ttrs i didnt want to go bigger even went with smaller rotor than the tt. saved a bunch of weight and honestly this car doesnt need more than a 4 piston caliper. Edit: was going to powder coat them to get rid of the RS so wouldnt have to hear whining about up badging but they were like new so just replaced the orings and seals.

who cares looks good let them whine. I had the same story on my car bought it from a dealer 2 hours away with every dealer service record from brand new. by the time I got it home " add oil" . 1 litre every 300km
calls to the Audi dealer " oh never heard of that bye" .
decided to rebuild it myself
now sorted with a 1+ tune and lowered suspention it's a fantastic car.

Sent from my SM-G973W using Audizine Forum mobile app

[Theiceman]

Got some more info from the owner today.
They have a bunch of service records from prior to their ownership, which they found when looking through the files after I prompted it.

One record shows that oil consumption work (PCV, crank seal replacement) and measurement test was performed back in 2015 for TSB 2027731/5. They were unable to locate further records related to oil consumption, though I suspect they were just skimming through the records too quickly...

Also, owner states they haven't needed to top up the oil in the last ~14k miles of their ownership, which is a promising start. My sister had a Q5 with 3.0T that had oil consumption issues (eventually requiring piston/ring replacement) and I recall how the car would yell at her when the oil was low... so for the current owner to state this isn't an issue bodes well IMO.

Lastly, I've got myself and the seller in limbo; current plan is to get my current A3 ready for sale before potentially proceeding with the A4 Avant. This is one of those "gotta keep the wife happy" circumstances.



I debadged cars of mine in the past, and I actually prefer how this car looks debadged.
Good point on the paint/bodywork. I wasn't explicitly looking for that, but from spending a bunch of time walking around the car I'd like to think I would've noticed something off.

be careful with this one, as the only thing that never lies is yoga pants.
They had the oil consumption test done for a reason be thorough.

Sent from my SM-G973W using Audizine Forum mobile app

[Chaingang]

be careful with this one, as the only thing that never lies is yoga pants.
They had the oil consumption test done for a reason be thorough.

Sent from my SM-G973W using Audizine Forum mobile app

Definitely lower the price…and factor in potential maintenance costs

[MetalMan]

Finally concluded that I want to try moving forward with it, but @ $13.5k. Fingers crossed! For all I know the car is sold and they just didn't take down the listing, lol.

[MetalMan]

And deposit put down... got them to agree @ $13.5k, though I'll be responsible for smogging it (it had no CEL and all readiness was set when I checked it out).

[Chaingang]

And deposit put down... got them to agree @ $13.5k, though I'll be responsible for smogging it (it had no CEL and all readiness was set when I checked it out).

Awesome!!! Show pics when you get it

[MetalMan]

Picked it up today. Also took it in for smog test which it passed no problem.

It's been really windy and pollen is everywhere, and the car was dirty to begin with. But from afar you can't tell!

Drove it a decent amount already due to timing and location of picking it up and my work schedule and it felt pretty solid. I feel like if it has a low oil pressure situation it would've shown up through the driving I did.

It caught me by surprise that although these cars have Bluetooth phone connection, they lack BT audio streaming!!!!!! Man that sucked to learn the hard way, lol. Therefore I've already dropped $164 @ AliExpress for the "Road Top Wireless Carplay Audio Interface". There's a similar module on my 2015 A3 that's worked well enough.

Also going to need a phone mount sooner than later... plopped $16 on a cheapo Aliexpress center vent one, if that ends up sucking too much I'll consider the $55 Rennline option.

Lastly, I haven't looked through the user manual yet, but I haven't figured out how to switch around the menu that shows vehicle data on the instrument cluster. i.e. right now it shows speed in large font and instantaneous MPG in small font. I'm assuming there's a way to toggle through that menu so I can get it to show average MPG for example. The way I flip through this menu on my A3 doesn't seem to work on this A4 (it just toggles through the media menu).

PXL_20240314_201933384~2.jpg

[Thecatch83]

Congratulations

[adm750]

congrats metalman ! suuuuuuuch a nice looking car.

[Stubek]

Lastly, I haven't looked through the user manual yet, but I haven't figured out how to switch around the menu that shows vehicle data on the instrument cluster. i.e. right now it shows speed in large font and instantaneous MPG in small font. I'm assuming there's a way to toggle through that menu so I can get it to show average MPG for example. The way I flip through this menu on my A3 doesn't seem to work on this A4 (it just toggles through the media menu).

PXL_20240314_201933384~2.jpg

On the bottom of the windshield wiper stock is a flat button. Push that and it cycles your main display in the cluster. On the end of the stock is an up/down button that cycles the lower line.

[MetalMan]

Thanks guys!

On the bottom of the windshield wiper stock is a flat button. Push that and it cycles your main display in the cluster. On the end of the stock is an up/down button that cycles the lower line.

Ahhhh thanks so much. Should've known/thought to look there... sounds similar to past Audis I had, just different than my 8V A3.

[MetalMan]

Got in a few minutes over the weekend to look things over a bit more.

One guy on Facebook was adamant that the physical Drive Select buttons the car has under the MMI unit means the car DOES have Sport DIff.
Well, I already checked VCDS modules, it lacks 22-AWD which I believe coincides with Sport Diff.
Next, I looked under the MMI Drive Select menu, where it lacks the Sport Diff line.
Third, I popped under the car and looked for a motor and wires on the rear diff... none.
So now triple confirmed no sport diff.

But then why have Drive Select without sport diff?? Well, a further look at the car I noticed an electrical connector on a rear shock. That explains it, I suppose.

Another little easter egg... spotted a H&R rear sway bar! Haven't been underneath the front end yet but I'd imagine one is up there as well. This helps me understand why the car seems to corner better than expected.

Also, the rear wheel I removed proved weirdly challenging. Lug bolts were WAAYYYY tight, probably at least 150 ft-lbs. Thankfully nothing broke... and that wheel was stuck to the rotor/hub due to rust/corrosion. Cleaned up some of the rust and properly torque lug bolts.

[JLAllroad]

If you pop into the MMi and Car menu, you can adjust the settings for “individual” it will show you the options that Drive select controls, usually just Transmission and Steering on the B8/8.5 A4..


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[MetalMan]

If you pop into the MMi and Car menu, you can adjust the settings for “individual” it will show you the options that Drive select controls, usually just Transmission and Steering on the B8/8.5 A4..

Yep, this is what I was referring to on this line in my post:

Next, I looked under the MMI Drive Select menu, where it lacks the Sport Diff line.

You can see it also has adaptive suspension.
Here's a shot I took the other day of the Drive Select menu:

menu.png

[MetalMan]

.... I've already dropped $164 @ AliExpress for the "Road Top Wireless Carplay Audio Interface". There's a similar module on my 2015 A3 that's worked well enough.

The Aliexpress seller for this "Road Top Wireless Carplay Audio Interface" apparently has a US distributor that is located some 40 miles from me... which means I received this item VERY quickly!

It sat for a couple days until I had time to install, and last night I got to installing it. Not a horrible job, just annoying dealing with all the cables around/behind the MMI unit.
At least it was nice not needing to drop the glove box like for other versions of this device.

So far after some preliminary testing I think it'll work well. Haven't driven with it yet or checked that the original microphone works on calls, for example.

[shreddykrueger]

Bovee tune2air is the cheap solution to BT audio, however I’d recommend spending the money and getting an RSNAV to modernize the car so you can run touchscreen CarPlay/androidauto

[MetalMan]

Bovee tune2air is the cheap solution to BT audio, however I’d recommend spending the money and getting an RSNAV to modernize the car so you can run touchscreen CarPlay/androidauto

As mentioned in my post above I now already have Carplay/Android Auto, all for the price of $166.

[MetalMan]

When I inspected the car before buying I noted the front tires were pretty worn. What do you think? This picture is ~700 miles after purchase.

PXL_20240429_164013856-1.jpg

Beyond that, I've started working with Motoza Performance to get this thing on Stage 1 ECU & TCU (ZF8) tunes. First I want to boost leak test the car to ensure it's good there. Also want to hear their recommendation on spark plugs.

And this is how it looks under the engine beauty cover. Gotta love previous owners!

PXL_20240321_032340987.jpg

Also the PCV is a white top which I understand wasn't factory for this car, but it had stage 1 oil consumption work done a while ago... so makes sense it would have white top now. Except this white top appears to be aftermarket?

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