First off, I don't care what you think about Audis if you haven't owned one.





I'm considering a B5 S4 (manual). I'm not looking to get crazy power out of it. Probably mostly suspension mods and maybe an exhaust.

Anyways, I was just wondering if anyone owned one. I loved them since they came out (still remember seeing one when they first came out at a local dealership) but just scared of reliability issues. I'm a DIY person so just curious how DIY-able Audis are also.

I'm looking at a 2001-2002 (since they have ESP). I've been reading up various Audi forums but if anyone has any tips or issues to watch out, please let me know.

Thanks in advance.

 

does it count if i used to work on them at the dealer?
i love the car. i would have one if they weren't such a pain to work on. for some reason the germans can't figure out how to put an egnine in a car without cramming everyting in so tightly you need a german midget to do any of the work!
they tend to leak oil. valve covers, cam seals, rear mains, also rear differential seals leak quite often.
if a turbo goes bad which is likely considering teh mileage they are getting up to, you ahve to pull the entire engine out to replace it.
a reflash of the ecu will really bring some power out of it. they're not very fast stock. to get the most power, yo'ull want new downpipes as well as the exhaust. the downpipes are a ***** to replace.
the engine has a forged crank, rods and pistons so it will hold up to any abuse you can dish out as long as you don't go too lean.

anything else you want to know, ask me...

 

^^^ Wow, I can't add much except the stock V-6 TT made 250hp and can be chipped for easy power gains. I also have head they are a beast to work on. I was and still am a fan of this car.

 

^^me too... that was a serious car for audi.
btw im sure uve come across this site www.audiworld.com. if u havnt, its a excellent forum, the best audi forum in my opinion.

 

of course! im just tired of reading "ZOMG AUDI GERMAN UBER ELECTRONIC FAIL".


errr...that sucks that they put everything so damn tightly. I love working on cars but not if I have to pull the engine out everytime. I may have to send you PMs if I get serious about this.

yeah..seems like a PITA to work on. ugh. I think 300hp is more than enough. i make that much out of the GS, which is more than enough for me. I'd rather invest in suspension.

thanks, but I'm reading up on that forum already like you said

 

My roommate had one...said it was his favorite car that he ever owned. He got rid of it because of the several oil leaks like others have noted, and other little nitty gritty maintenance bits which are all very costly.

Great car though, and good luck

 

used to be on audiforums when i had my a4(i still am i just dont post theyre)
but here is a good thread to help you out
http://audiforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=48510

 

AUDI B5 S4 MMM haha, i've always wanted one in nogaro blue with euro headlights =/. i hear they're not reliable at all...so expect to save some money for repairs if you get one that's been driven a lot.

 

nitty gritty? like electronics? scares me when it's not one but "several" oil leak...

good link! thanks!!

you heard they're not reliable from...?

 

one other thing; the ball joints go to ****e every 40k miles or so. usually front uppers. audi for some reason uses a 5 link front suspension which is nice for handling and keeping the tire in contact with the road under suspension cycling but they have several ball joints which go bad quite often.
of course in typical german style, you have to buy the whole control arm to get the ball joint. i can't remember exactly what each CA costs but they'r enot cheap and the labor is high to replace them. tie rod ends also rust solid with a matter of a couple years so they end up having ot be cut off! and replaced just to do an alignment.

 

I can tell you that the V6 TT in there is the best engine Audi has built and if you find one in Nogaro blue that you better go for it. Good enough?

 

I've heard of those ball joints going out and tie rods rusting but I don't mind doing ball joint jobs... I do mind paying for an entire ball joint assy though. Ugh, it's so hard to pull the trigger.


yeah, as long as it's not silver or yellow. White, black, Nogaro blue with BBS CH would be oh so beautiful. It's hard enough to find a 6MT in good condition, and most of them seem to be silver, then Avants are virtually non-existent.

 

One reason I enjoy this forum is that even the most bias people can recognize another car for what it is.

As far as the Audi, I have a B5, but it's a Passat Yes the control arms/cv axles are a *****. CVs failed at 60K, control arms 85K. Both costly, but considering the way the car feels, handles and turns in a tight circle, I'd say it's worth it. An extended warranty will save your *** as well. Oh, and yes the engine bay is ridiculously compact (W8 is even worse). But the attention to detail is painfully evident even in this engine bay. Weather stripping for example, or the rubber strickers on the A4 door hinges, etc, etc.

 

 

I've never owned one, and this is a perfect illustration of why.


My buddy Ben had one and it was great when it wasn't getting broken parts replaced.

Buy as much warranty as you can.

Stock for stock no faster in a straight line than my GS400, but will out-handle
most stock Lexus cars (except IS-F).