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The device that locks the key in the ignition switch is another safety feature designed to remind the operator that the car is to be taken out of gear and placed in P before exiting the vehicle.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Concerning "total loss" I remember being rear-ended by a BMW on the autobahn 15 years ago. I had stopped for a multi-car accident ahead of us. My car was slammed forward into the car in front; all the crumple zones worked as designed. My car was totalled, but I was unhurt. Glad to know that you did well too.
I'm glad to join this forum. Another happy Audi owner.
I have a question regarding the break in period for the 05 Audi A4 1.8T. What are the do's and don't and what should I watch out for and for how long.
I hope these things aren't much of a problem for now because of my daily commute:
I drive up to 80 mph max for now.
I don't go above 2500 R.P.M. normal driving/off stops.
Is this okay or am I being to cautious?
I had to stop my car from 80 MPH within a very close range and even though I had to jump into the turnout lane, I'm glad I stopped just in time. The 2-3 feet that it wouldn't stop, I don't think my other car would, so I consider myself very lucky, perhaps I should've applied the brakes a little sooner but I'm glad that it did what it did.
Does anyone know if this could be harmful to my brand new car. This happened with only 350 Miles on it, and braking was applied at 80 M.P.H. and at the end, I think ABS was engaged.
Thanks and drive safe out there.
Unless I had pulsating brakes, I'd wait till the first scheduled stop and have the mechanic take a look. I suspect they will say everything is fine.
I just purchased a CPO '02 A4 1.8T Quattro. I like the car a lot but of course would like to get a bit more HP and torque out of the engine (I see others do as well). Two questions/concerns I have are:
If I get a chip or reprogram the ECU will this put excessive pressure on the engine/turbo thereby causing engine/gasket/turbo problems?
Also can someone please ease my mind re the high engine rpm's at highway speeds? At 75 mph the tach reads 3,300 or so. My previous car had overdrive so I am not used to this and didn't expect it with the 5 speed manual. I understand this is normal and it should not be a concern right?
Thanks all!
Joe
I got a quote for a '03 Audi 1.8TQuatro AWD, Sports package, Bose, 17" alloy wheels, 28750 miles, for $ 26,500 (buy) with 3.9% for 60 mths. Please give me some feedback on the amount.
thank you
Check out kbb.com to run the price. Doesn't sound like that bad of a price but neither a steal. To compare I got my '02 A4 1.8T quattro w/ 5 spd, 16" alloys (no sports pkg) and 22k miles a month ago for $22,250 with 2.9% for 60 months.
Joe
Thanks!
Here is what I'm looking at:
2004 A4 3.0 Avant Quattro, 6spd, 12k miles, Brilliant Red, Ultrasport, Premium pkg, lighting pkg (Xenon), On-star, Nav, Cold weather pkg, black leather seats, dual power seats, F&R airbags, manual sun shades, XM/Bose, Certified Audi (6yr/100k, 4yr/50k FREE maintenance and roadside assistance). So the car pretty much comes with all the goodies possible to get for it and I must add it's in "immaculate" condition.
Here is what the dealer is offering me:
51 month lease, $3k down, $487/mo ($527 incl. CA 8.25 tax), 2.26 money factor. Car is being discounted from $38k+ down to $34k+.
So, is this a good deal? Please help as I would like to grab this deal if it's good one as I am madly in-love with the car BUT only if it's a fair deal. Thanks in advance.
Secondly, since you asked, why do you ask? Do the math: $3,000 down (bad idea, don't put anything down when leasing) + 51 x 487 = $28k or so.
Finance charge? Average balance is something like $20, at two-and-a-quarter percent... somwhere around $2,000, talkind round numbers... so you're gonna pay $25-26k on a lease, when the cap cost is $34??? What's the point of leasing when you pay for over 2/3 of the car anyway?
My advice, worth what you pay for it, is to either BUY the darned thing and pay it off before the b2b warranty runs out -- it IS an Audi -- or have them show you something in a nice Subaru Legacy. And I won't go into the wisdom of a 51-month lease... you sure that's the right number?
Most people trade houses that often... long-term leases are a recipe for desaster for *most* people. If you think you have to lease, educate yourself on the mechanics of leasing.. it's not that compicated, but it's more involved than buying.
And keep it short and sweet (24-36 mo) and within the warranty on the time AND the miles. You wouldn't like putting new ball joints on someone else's car...
-Mathias
For reasons I cannot begin to imagine (other than the obvious), this deal seems destined to make you a one time only Audi owner with a bad case of the "I want out of this car" no later than 40 months from now.
Run do not walk away from this. Or -- buy the thing outright (not financed, that is).
The Pros:
- Great gas mileage (24.5 daily driving and 32 on long trips) - the best any of my cars rec'd before was 27
- Fun to drive - while it could you use some more pep - this car with a 6-speed is a lot of fun and the things handles like a dream - love taking the corners fast.
- Extermely comfortable - we are a family of three and fit in very nicely. I'm also 6'1 -245 and I fit very comfortably
- Great looks and clean
- German enginerring - the cockpit is elegant without adding to many things are not having everything.
- Included maintenance
- 6 Speed
- Huge trunk
Cons -
- Could have a cusion on the console wall as my leg rest against there a lot.
- Could use a little more pep - that will be done with the new engine.
If you are thinking of adding an A4 to your garage I would highly recomended it my wife and I fight over who gets to drive the car - its very nice to take it out on a very curve road and release your streess.
Thanks in advance.
XM & Sirius Satellite Radio
Plenty of folks who can point you in the right direction. If you look back to November's posts, there's a website listed that is extremely helpful.
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Can anyone tell me what is a good manufacturer for these parts, or recomendations for me.
Thanks,
David
If you're looking at performance modifications, you can get the 1.8T and then an aftermarket chip program (to update the car's ECU) to provide a cost effective solution. It's possible to spend less money with aftermarket products to raise the 1.8T to perform better than a stock 3.0. The downside is that your dealer may have issues with the modifications and may risk your warranty.
I had my dealer chip it -- found three in the US, so far, that seem chip friendly.
Chip I chose was from Hoppen Motorsport, there are several other good ones. I would find the mildest chipster in the land and find the one that uses DPP (direct port programming) which means no hardware change, which retains the original Chastity Belt -- which, I have heard if determined to have been altered could be an issue for warranty repairs (on anything that can be proven to have been a result of the chip).
I've even heard of people supercharging their V6 A4's without warranty impact.
I would go with the [mild] chip on a 1.8T 6spd manual (possibly with ultrasport "S-Line") and never look back.
Mark Cin-----have you decided on a car for you and your wife yet? Cicero
My decision, gulp, is between 2 Audis and 2 non-Audis, but as I have stated, the dealer treatment at the Audi store gives them an advantage -- in that it would be hard to replace closing in on 30 years experience (and the treatment we receive) with one dealer if we "jumped ship" to Acura (RL) or Chrysler (300C AWD.)
So, one down, sorta, one to go. . .
I read over on the Chryco board that AWD versions of the 300C are available at some dealerships. I left my biz card with a note at the Chyrco dealer to call me when I could test drive one of them -- ". . .hello, is this thing on?"
Also, are there any other inexpensive modification that can be done to get a little more HP - I'm not ready to chip warranty and all that.
Thanks to eveyone - the posting are great!
It is not cheap, but you can boost the power with a new low restriction exhaust system.
You can replace the BPV's (the by pass valves, assuming this is a turbo) with sport BPV's which make the turbos spool up a bit quicker.
Within limits, another small improvement would be higher octane fuel (even +1 point would possibly improve the power slightly.)
You can get the no chip chip as the last thing you do -- this is called Direct Port Programming and no hardware change is required, no popping the seal on the engine management chip, and a normal and high performance setting can be accessed via your cruise control. Try googling or dogpiling on Audi Direct Port Programming and you should get a hit on what you need. The new pipes are the most expensive and the chip is probably about $500.
All the other tweaks are real, but are small in effect when compared with these latter two upgrades. From time to time I have run across additional bolt on goodies that can improve the hp and torque of an Audi turbo engine. The direct port programming is the most potent.
I am considering leasing an A4 1.8T Special Edition AWD Automatic and was told by a salesman that it is possible to "reprogram" the vehicle's computer to make the car go faster and/or up the horsepower rating. Have you heard of anything like that and if you did, how effective is it? Does it have any "side effects" on vehicle's operation, maintenance, or reliability? Also, if anyone has done it in the past, how much did it cost?
Thanks in advance.
Method: Hardware replacement, or software flashing
Cost: $500 - $700
Risks: Depends on who you talk to; minimize risk by software flashing. Main possible risk is if the dealer or AoA can prove the chip caused a problem, then THAT problem will not be covered by warranty. The risk is real and rare.
Flash programming reduces risk even more -- several companies offer a free trial flashing for 24 hours.
You can try www.goapr.com -- or do a web search and make some calls.
Impact: huge, impressive torque gains and with a modest chip HP will go up at least 15%.
I have done it, truly transforms the car.