Audi A4 Maintenance and Repair

giggs

Winnwell/Cicero - I don't believe the manual addresses switching gears on the fly. I looked at the manual quite some time ago on this issue after I bought my A4 and didn't find any comment on this - other than the obvious statement about not shifting into park or reverse while driving. I shift on the fly all the time and haven't had a problem. Probably you can do this because of the drive by wire. You may want to double check the manual or call into your service rep if it gives you comfort but I say go man go and enjoy that new bad boy Winnwell.

ped

After reading all the posts I have one question. Since my car came with synthetic oil from the start and I follow manufacturer requirements will I be ok? I drive about 35k - 40k per year and need to get 2.5 years out of this car. It is an Audi Certified that had 300 miles on it, with 100% bumper to bumper warranty. Thanks for any help.

winnwell

Thanks, guys!

rowlandj

Sounds like you must do a whole lot of highway driving. That is the 'easiest' type of driving on the oil so the manufacturer schedule should be fine for that vehicle. As long as it's the synthetic type and compatable with the proper specs for the engine. Some synthetics are and others are not so be in tune with that.

JR

giggs

Mnfr calls for synthetic on the 1.8 so you go with it. The 1.8 has a much smaller oil pan than the 3.0. The 3.0 doesn't call for synthetic. Be careful and change the oil as required and not just at your scheduled maintenance. That's a common mistake to wait until the free maintenance and oil change. You should have at least one oil change in between the scheduled maintenance - especially with your driving habits.

trzynka

I've owned my A4 for a little over a year. It has 88K miles. Last month or so I've had a howling noise occuring when releasing the clutch while beginning to accelerate out of a stop. It is not consistent and does not feel like a slip to me. Any suggestions. I have 12K on my warranty, I believe (not sure) that clutch problems are not covered. Thank you

cicero

I recall seeing something about it in the manual and I will go back to it. However, it would be odd to even suggest that you cannot move from S to D or reverse on the fly. You can definitely move into tiptronic on the fly and I do recall the manual addressing this. A simple call to your dealer might clear up the ambiguity but I think it is obvious that you do not need to start in "S" and stay in S. Where is Mark when we need him. Cicero

a4driver

I had a similar problem in my A4 a few years ago...the clutch was replaced.

ginzoes

the MASS AIR SENSOR(emissions) was replaced;and bingo..good luck!

jplyman

I have a new A4 six speed with the perrilli(?) P6 17 inch wheels and I am experiencing a lot of tire noise - does anybody have any suggestion?

Thanks

cyberpmg

Check you tires for uneven wear. Also check to make sure you have the proper tire pressure. There should be a sticker inside the door jam on the front passenger door to show you the recommended tire pressure for the 17" wheels.

When in doubt, take it in to the dealer and have the service team inspect the tires. They may find something else that might contribute to the excessive noise. Since you're under OEM warranty, there should be no cost to you.

adamatic521

Although I have personally had problems with my '04 A4 1.8T Quattro (Manual 6-Speed), Japanese is not the way to go. So long as you have the warranty on your Audi, you are safe. Two of my friends have Japanese cars, one an Acura TSX and one an Infiniti G35, neither have regular service covered on their cars and most repairs cost them at least 5oo bucks

adamatic521

The gas milage from what I can tell is totally normal. My '04 1.8T quattro 6 speed initially was not doing to great but improved significantly and it goes for both manual and automatic. As for "S," it is a shifting program built into the car, which (don't quote me on this) when you depress the gas to more than 70% will upshift later, letting you rev the engine higher. This goes well with the automatic kickdown, which activates when you press the gas pedal to the floor and then press harder (you should feel a click as you engage this program). Hold onto your pants

adamatic521

i believe that you have to depress the brake in order to shift into reverse. maybe not but thats the impression that i get.

dhanson

OK guys, here's one for you. My 97 A4 quattro shows me a engine warning light when I first put it in motion in the morning. It quickly goes away, but then returns when the car accelerates or when I brake. Or when I make a strong turn in any direction. Occasionally I get the audio beep too. But the thing is, I don't think it's an engine problem- it seems to only show up when their is a directional change in the car - when the engine feels a g-force in any direction. This is the best car I've ever owned and my wife may not let me get another- tell me it's going to be all right. Thanks in advance.

cyberpmg

It's hard to tell until it's been hooked up to read the error codes being thrown. It could be something simple as a loose sensor to something more serious.

If the light remains solid when lit, then it's usually a secondary system that is having a problem (like an O2 sensor). If the light is blinking, then there is something critical with the engine and should be stopped immediately. Do not attempt to drive it while the light is flashing as continued driving can induce additional damage.

It's best to take it somewhere where you can hook it up to get a reading of the error codes being thrown to know what's wrong. That can either be at your dealer or at a local shop that handles Audis.

dhanson

Thanks cyberpmg. You rock.

cyberpmg

Just doin' what I can to keep the faith! Let us know how it goes with the diagnostic check.

drhickenlocher

I've got a '97 Audi A4.

Just this morning, I flipped the key in the starter. This got the radio going and the dash lights on, and the engine going. All the lights came on, and the startup check came out OK. But the odometer/trip meter did not come on, it just stayed dark. I tried it again without turning on the engine, but again, the lights came on, but not the odometer. Also, I filled up the tank at the gas station (I'm sure it's full based on the number of gallons added in). The gas meter doesn't quite get to 3/4 though.

Is this just an electrical issue? The backlights?

cyberpmg

I haven't heard about the odometer not showing, but I have heard about the fuel meter problem (at least with the B6 A4s, so it might be similar with yours). From what I recall from others with this similar problem was to have the instrument cluster replaced. I don't know if its the whole cluster or if they can replace the fuel guage and odometer.

luyue

After changing the engine oil with 5W30(regular), the oil serice lights on. I checked the oil level, it is ok.

Should I go to the dealer for oil change? How can I reset this light?

Thanks in advance for the help and advice.

Tony

rowlandj

What year is your car and which engine do you have? You need to be VERY careful about the oil you use in the 1.8T, it has to meet very specific requirements and 'regular' 5W30 does not fit the bill. Oil sludge can result in use of improper oils and all 1.8's are now calling for full synthetic oils as part of their maintenance routine.

The owners manual has the steps to re-set the service interval but I would really consider getting the proper oil in there first.

JR

luyue

After changing the engine oil with 5W30(regular), the oil serice lights on. I checked the oil level, it is ok.

Should I go to the dealer for oil change? How can I reset this light?

Thanks in advance for the help and advice.

Tony

luyue

Hi, rowlandj,

Thanks for the note, It is 99 audi A4 2.8 L Quatro. I will check the manual to see how to set the light. do you think I need to change the oil again?

Thanks,
Tony

rowlandj

As long as that oil is listed as acceptable in the manual you should be OK, the concerns I raised are for the 1.8T (turbo) engine.

JR

cyberpmg

If you have access to a VAG-COM device, check the codes. It may be that the oil is OK, but that there may be a problem elsewhere (oil filter maybe?).

luyue

cyberpmg,
Thanks for the notes, I had this car oil changed in regular auto car shop before, everything looks good. I think for 17 dollars, it can not be good filter and maybe 10W30. I got a free coupon on Valvlin MaXlife engine oil. I think it should be better than the old in oil change shop. I will check the manual to see what might be wrong and give an update.
Thanks,
Tony

joeyk

Hello all,

  After reading the most recent 200 messages I must say that I am worried. I am glad (for now) that I didn't read them before I got my A4 (2004QManual) today. I liked the price I got, I love the machine, but I am wondering whether I am about to play a game of russian roulette. I hope the chamber is empty. I know that boards like these tend to be populated with people with the bad eggs in the carton. It's hard to tell what the fraction of overall owners are as unsatisfied as the messages on this board would suggest is the experience of the average A4 owner. Please shout it out if you have been happy with your A4.

  Given what I have read concerning oil sludge should I go back to the dealer right away and get synth oil for the benefit of audi, the dealership and myself? If so, what kind. I know nothing of such things. Please help.

Thanks,
joeyk

rowlandj

I don't think your playing any 'games'. I have my A$ for coming up on a year and as it continues to break-in it just gets better. Smoother shifts and a generally better feel.

Look at the quality of the car, the driving feel and the overall general sense of quality. This car has so many nice touches throughout for the price it's pretty amazing. I particularly like the ambient lighting at night as it adds a nice glow to the interior.

Regarding the oil, all 1.8 engines now call for full synthetic oil and the dealer uses an new larger oil filter as well. If you follow the recommended visit at 5K and then 10K intervals thereafter you should be OK. I am going to do interim 5K oil changes myself using Mobil 1 0W40 as it is one of the approved oils for this engine.

Enjoy the car,

JR

luyue

I reseted the oil service lights as discribed in the manual, it has been three days, the light did not come back. The manual recommended SG or SF grade oil. I will pay attention next time.
Thanks for all your advice.
Tony

tcasboy

When I had the problem with my gas gauge not reading full after fill ups they had to replace the entire instrument panel. No big deal, it was covered under the warranty, just another trip to the dealer and a wait for the parts to come in. Now I have a VERY noisy sunroof that just won't shut right I guess, and some interior trim along the driver's side window falling down. I also have the stains in the headliner by the back windows, but that usually cleans off ok. I think that might be glue from the headliner leaking through the fabric and causing the stain. Still have a groaning sound when I back up and a chirping something when the engine is spinning. Definitely a nice car but I honestly can't wait until next year when the warranty expires and I have a good excuse to buy a new vehicle. Oh, its a 2001 A4 1.8T with 5 speed manual tranny. I don't think I'd be able to afford the repair bills on this car after the excellent warranty expires.

cyberpmg

If you're getting stains in the headliner, then it might be that the water drain channels are clogged allowing water to get into the liner. The channels are there to capture any water that gets in from the sunroof and run it out to the ground. It may be also contributing to your sunroof problems as well.

Don't know about the other items, though.

ismya4ok

Very shortly after my oil light came on, the engine started running rough and sounding so bad that I was afraid to drive it any further. Had it towed to the nearest dealership. They haven't looked at it yet, but told me about the sludge problem (I never got a letter from Audi about this) and says that it sounds like that's the culprit. It's a 2002 1.8T with less than 40k miles. Couple of questions:

1. What's the proper fix? What do I need to ask/make sure the dealer does to take care of the problem?
2. Am I more likely to have trouble in the future because of this?
3. Reading the messages here, it sounds like I should have changed oil every 5K miles - I was following 10K. 10K is the recommended schedule, right (i.e., they shouldn't give me any trouble for covering repair b/c I didn't change every 5k)?

Thanks to anyone who can help.

cyberpmg

You should have received a letter from Audi of America to explain this. I'm not sure what they have to do to a car when they detect oil sludge, but I'm guessing that they have to flush out the oil and possible clean out the engine from the sludge.

You shouldn't have problems with oil sludge in the future. All Audi dealers have been required to use synthetic oil for all 1.8T engines. The synthetic oil resists premature breakdown that would cause oil sludge.

You shouldn't have to worry about the warranty. Since you've been following the recommended service schedule, the repair should be done at no cost to you.

When to change oil has been a huge debate that is forever ongoing. In Europe, there are many cars that follow a schedule to change oil every 15,000 miles. In the US, it used to be the standard to change the oil every 3500 miles.

Some say that the oil companies want you to change the oil sooner so you can buy more of their products. Other people say that waiting 10,000 miles until the next change is only to reduce costs for the dealer. Still others have conducted scientific tests to show oil breakdown to occur at a point well before 10,000 miles (not sure if a real world scenario was used in the test).

I've been of the mind that what Audi has placed in the maintenance manual are the guidelines to follow for continued reliable service of the vehicle. They wouldn't place anything that would damage the vehicle, or they would be held liable for false claims. I've been following the service plan now for 80,000 miles. Seems to be going fine so far.

tcasboy

Yes, I was concerned that I might be getting water into the car from the sunroof, but I haven't been able to spot any leaking, even after washing the car or driving it in the rain. Now the driver side door trim around the top of the window is falling down on me, and I am afraid that I will have to actually bite the bullet and call the dealer for a service appointment. I will have them check the sunroof for the noise and a possible leak, I wouldn't be surprised if there was one.

Interestingly enough, after I filled up the car last week the gauge stayed at about 3/4 full for quite a while and the trip computer said I only had about 280 miles to drive (as opposed to the normal 420 after a fill up - not that I actually get 420, but sometimes I get 400) before dry tanks. After about a half an hour of errands the gauge worked its way up to full and the computer said I had 400 to go. Something to keep an eye on, since I'm on my second instrument cluster already. Thanks for the info.

hydrocarbon

Hey everyone,
I have a '99 A4.
My headlight washers fail to work. They don't pop up when they're supposed to. I checked the circuit as best I can at the headlight washer motor terminals, and I'm not getting 12V when I'm supposed to. Is anyone familiar with the circuit for the washers? I am thinking the problem is likely in the ganged switch or a relay under the steering column, but I bought the cheaper maintenance manual, and it doesn't explicitly lay out the circuit. Can anyone advise?

cyberpmg

You might want to check the fuse. I know for the B6 A4, there was a problem with the fuse always blowing (too small a fuse). If the fuse is good, then the headlight washer pump might be blown. The fuse is a cheap solution (under a dollar). The pump isn't. Hope this helps.

billherrmann

I'm considering the purchase of Audi w/1.8 eng.
Not overly impressed with low end torque. Will mods provide more punch? Which mods would be most effective & ballpark cost of same. Thank you. Bill

rowlandj

"Chipping" is the way to go. With that and some minor hardware, such as new injectors, these engines can be tuned up. Cost from around $500 for software alone and up to $1,000 for software and simple hardware is a good ball-park. Just be aware of potential warranty issues if you mod, so if you are going used then mods are less of an issue.

Be aware there is a 2.0 engine coming in the near future that may be good for you from the factory. If you are going new it may be good to wait this out.

JR

billherrmann

Thanks J R, I will wait for the 2.0.

hydrocarbon

Thanks.
It's not the fuse. Or the motor. I actually connected a regulated 12V power supply and ran the motor ok. (I'm glad it's not the motor. It looks like a bear to remove.)
Anyone else know which relay works with the headlight washer motor?

zdriver3

I borrowed a friend's 01 A4 1.8t quattro manual transmission and loved it so much that I had to have one for myself and bought the same model for 02. However, I do notice a difference in acceleration and 'zippiness'. Besides the re-designed body, is there anything else that is different b/w the two years that would cause me to feel this? Or, am I just imagining things and not pester the service guys to take a look at the car?

cyberpmg

The 2002 A4 is a different chassis (B6 vs B5) that is also heavier than the previous generation. The engine didn't really change between 2001 and 2002, so while the power remained the same, the power to weight ratio went down (giving you a more sluggish feel).

If you want to knock the socks off your friend, work with your service team for recommendations to improve the performance. More than likely, they will give you recommendations on chipping your ECU, aftermarket exhausts, and other goodies. A simple chip upgrade can make a huge difference in performance for not a lot of money.

arka4

Well, even I have the same problem. I have 2003 A4 Quattro that I bought in August 2003. On the cars first anniversary I had to take it to the dealers thrice for AC problem. Now in October I had to take my car to the dealer 3 times again for Malfunction Indicator Light (Check Engine) becoming on within few days interval. They replaced the Oxygen sensor 2 times. But finally when I took my car again for the third time the dealer had to call up Audi tech support. It seems to be that the Engine wiring harness gets hot too quickly & that caused the Oxygen sensor to blow off. Now they are going to replace the Engine wiring harness from the engine control module to the engine. Believe me even I wished that I had bought a BMW. I had thought a lot before buying an Audi but I know now that I have made a very wrong decision.

etaub

Can someone explain how the automatic recirculation works in the 2005 A4? Does it always come on when bad air is present, or do you first have to have to push the button on, with the red light lit, before it's in auto mode?

Also, I noticed I could have both the auto and econ lights lit simultaneously. I thought one cancelled the other out?

hudson232

Last month, I bought a 1999 Audi A4 quattro with the 1.8 turbo. The car has 35,000 original miles and is in great shape. I like the car for the ride, handling, looks, etc, except for one thing...The Gas Mileage Is Horrible! I have measured it now for six full fill-ups, highway and city (50/50) and the best I am doing is 16.5 MPG. (last weekend i drove from NY to DC (600miles) and averaged 25mpg. The engine runs smoothly, idle, pickup, deceleration, etc, and rolls in neutral. I know the manufacturer specs rate the cars mpg much higher. The check engine light was on (chipmunks built a major nest while the car was sitting for four months), but my mechanic replaced the chewed vacuum lines and now the light is off. He also checked the air filter.

My 2000 MB C230 Kompressor that I returned to the dealer this month was getting 25 -30 mpg with the same driving. I am using 87 octane but switched over to 93 for two tankfulls w/o any big difference, except to my wallet. Any suggested fixes? JOHN

lorrie

Advice needed please. Since trading my 97 manual for a 2004 1.8T automatic in April 04, I've complained of lack of power. When travelling up small inclines, the tach races to 4k+, larger inclines, 5k to 6k. At traffic lights, 10 yr old cars are 3 lengths ahead before I can 'catch up'. Dealership tells me this is normal.

Combined hgwy/city mileage is 12-15. I don't think the turbo ever engages, as I must press the accelerator to the floor to get enough speed to pass on the highway. Compressor never disengages even when heat and AC is off. I get cool air unless heat is set above 76. I've got another appt thursday and I'm not sure if the power is being drained by the heating/cooling system, or whether I have fuel injection or transmission issues or any combination of the above? I'm at a point where I hate driving this car. Any advice, thoughts?

audifreak21

Check your tire pressure. It could be the tires. Also check the oil, if the car needs a change it could be bogging down. Other than that I had my 1999 A4 1.8t Quattro for six years and averaged 22.3mpg over the life of the car. Do you do a lot of stop and go?

hudson232

Thanks. I had the oil changed last week (synthetic) and they checked the tire pressure and now i am up to 20mpg around town. If i factor in the stop and go, this isn't to far off from your 22mpg, so i feel a little better. I have also begun using 93 octane per the manufacturer specs. I was used to getting 24mpg on my 4cyl Mercedes Kompressor, but i can live with 20mpg because the car is so much better than the MB. THANKS! JOHN

audifreak21

Yeah, that's the best you are going to get out of the B5 A4. These engines need lots of TLC and if you spoil them (good oil on a regular basis) they will perform very well for their time. I was just amazed that my new 2005 1.8t is getting almost 26mpg in the city; even with the extra horsepower and torque. I guess it's a function of the same size engine, but more low end power so the engine doesn't have to work has hard. I have talked to people that have reprogramed the ECU unit and are getting 40hp and 40 ft lbs above stock and the gas milage is even better. I don't know if the extra $500-$700 is worth the extra 1 or 2mpg, but the performance is!