NO! In fact, in an effort to ward off warranty issues, I contacted the chip provider and my Audi dealer and let them coordinate the deinstallation of the old chip and the installation of the new chip.
Today, what with two or three chip tuners offering direct port programming, that would not be needed.
The reason I had the Audi dealer get involved is I assumed it would not be smart to try to hide something from the dealer. And, I figured, if the dealer had installed it, not me, then any issues could be dealt with.
Changing the chip, per se, is not likely to cause anything untoward to happen to your car. However, if anything goes wrong that CAN be attributed to the chip's effect, well the argument is that you would eat the repair costs.
OK, so you put your chip in and the power steering pump goes out or the brakes warp or the a/c stops working or or or (these are NOT likely to have been caused by the chip) -- Of course if the turbo somehow was made to operate outside of its tolerances (which is supposed to be controlled and NOT allowed to happen) well, you could be left holding the bag.
I chipped a 2000 1.8T motor in an Audi TT to add 15HP and over 90 lb ft of torque. This was called, at the time, a stage I chip (the lowest performance upgrade possible).
I also changed the air filter to a high performance filter (made the engine sound a bit louder under full acceleration). Other than that, the thing was pure stock.
Some folks go nuts and go with Stage II or Stage III chips and whole new exhaust systems and new fuel injection and even larger turbos -- taking that little bitty 1.8T up by hundreds of horsepower. Of course then it needs a new clutch and bigger brakes and on and on and on.
I had no issues, it cost about $500 and it made the car feel stronger, in my opinion, than the 225HP TT's that we replaced our 2000 1.8T 180HP version with.
We did not feel the need to chip the 225HP cars, though, FWIW.
Try a 24 hour test drive with a DPP'd stage one chip -- if you like it, pay for it, if not it will reset itself after the 24 hours and no harm no foul.
On my current 2.7T engine, I did one thing -- replaced the turbos By Pass Valves with Sport By Pass Valves -- the idea being a slightly faster spool up of the turbo boost -- all for $90. I had the dealer do that too.
Audibon here. Been a long time my friends both old and new. Since I was a part of this board a while ago I will post this question here first but I will also post it on the S4 board. I no longer own my 2001.5 A4. Divorce can do that. However, I have some thoughts of getting the car I actually wanted back then. Either a 2001 or 2002 S4. My question is I realize that I would want to have it certified for my own protection. However, if I buy the car private party or from a dealer that is not Audi can I purchase that protection after the sale? Is it the same protection or just a cheesy imitation? I was researching some '95 Porsche 928 GTS cars for a friend and there was a website that said you don't own a 928 it owns you. Repairs on that car are astonishing as they would be on the S4 as it gets older. By the way, if I purchase a car past the 50,000 mile mark how expensive is normal maintenance. Certification does not cover that only the catastrophic failures correct? Thanks for your help and safe motoring... Audibon
2004 A4 1.8T, CVT, only option is leather seats & sunroof; now 14 months & 15,000 mile old.
Our purchase was motivated by the seats more than anything else - they were the only ones my wife could enjoy for several hours at a time. I was concerned about reliablilty issues, but so far only problem was a stuck driver's headrest - factory screwup fixed under warranty. We get 27-29 mgp mixed driving, 34-36 highway on midgrade gas with conservative driving. We are more than pleased with this car! The combination of exceptional seat comfort, more than adequate performance, and surprisingly high gas mileage all for less than 30K has exceeded our expectations. Dealer purchase experience and service (two trips for free, regular service) has also exceeded expectations. So much so that I am considering replacing my very frugal 92 civic Si with a GTi.
While 15,000 is just getting broken in and the reliabilty issue still looms, my wife says she can't imagine getting a different car.
:confuse: I have a 2000 A4 1.8T that has been chipped (great ride by the way). Anyway, now that I have gotten to that 60K mark, the car is beginning to get expensive, which seems to be common with Audi. My service indicator light came on about 1-2 months ago when you put your foot on the brake and put it into gear. Once I am driving it disappears, it only happens when the engine is started. My mechanic is unable to reset it and two Audi dealers plus a VW dealer have "no clue" why it won't reset. Has anyone out there heard of this problem or experienced it with their Audi? Thanks....
Hi there, I'm new to this forum, but I was just wondering if anyone else has had to deal with "little pain-in-the-neck" problems like I have.... I have a 2004 Audi A4 1.8 AWD Quattro. I bought it in October of 2003 and a year and a half later I have had to have one headlight replaced, one tail light replaced, the motor in my windshield wipers replaced as well as a bracket on the arm of the windshield (driver's side) replaced due to corrosion. As of now all of these things were covered under the warranty, but I have 39K miles on the car and am quickly approaching my 50K marks which means no more warranty coverage. It bothers me greatly that I spent well over $35K on this car and had a better experience with my $19K Honda Civic. Anyone else having these kinds of problems? I'm just afraid three years into my ownership, I'm going to have major problems - i.e., engine, transmission, etc.
I've had those same items fail in my 2002 A4, but it hasn't happened in my 2004 A4.
If you want some peace of mind, you should look into Audi's extended warranty program. Since Audi (and other European companies) don't ship as many vehicles and parts over to the US, the cost will be higher than another company (like Honda) who brings in more product inventory to be on hand in the US (and drives the price down). With the extended warranty, you will be protected for most major items in the event of failure after the OEM warranty has expired.
I own a 2002 A4 1.8T Quattro and I have experienced every single problem you have plus some additional ones. I actually just got my A4 back from the dealer this afternoon b/c of a stalling issue - the vacuum hoses all went bad?
To date, I have replaced every exterior light on my car, TWICE ! My windshield motor burned out two weeks ago. The main computer had to be replaced under warranty, the cd player quit working, the wiper blades rotted and scratched my windshield after owning the vehicle for one month but the dealer would not do anything for me b/c "it was not their problem".
It is quite sad that the Service manager knows me by name b/c I'm there so frequently.
Prior to owning my A4, I had an Acura Integra and never had one problem with the vehicle during it's 5 year tenure. I traded it in with 90k miles on it and the only maintenance items I had done was oil changes and tires. I now expect the same quality from all of my vehicles.
I am going to cut my loses now before this A4 sends me to the poor house. I will never recommend Audi to anyone.
Thanks for all of your responses. I heard a commercial on the radio this morning about the "Lemon Law" and, while I didn't necessarily think my car was a LEMON, I thought I'd check out the website since I haven't been happy with my Audi. It turns out becuase I've had a lot of "electrical" problems, I do apply for some other financial compensation law. I would rather have my car running without any more problems, but I'm going to see what this law is all about. BTW, my other head light burned out last night! I'm going to ask them to just supply me with a box of lights and teach me how to change them myself so once the car is no longer covered under the warranty, I can do it all myself!
I have a 2003 A4 1.8T that I purchased new and it has been a great car with no problems. One thing is strange though. When I have it in Drive and slowly accelerate I notice a drop in RPM in 2nd gear. It happens around 2400 RPM and drops to about 2200 RPM and then continues on normally after that. No other gear does this. If I get right on the gas though I don't notice it.
I have 2002 A4 3.0 with a similar problem. I recently noticed that when I am on the Hwy and the car is going at over 40 mph and then I take the foot off the gas pedal, the rpm comes down to 800 and then shoots up to 1600 without me hitting the gas pedal. This creates a jerky motion. I took it to the dealer yesterday and he said that this is normal as the gear shifts down. I have not had this 'jerky motion' before in my other cars. Do you know why this would happen? Has anyone else had this same issue? Any help will be appreciated.
I just purchased a new Blow Off Valve for my 1997 Audi A4 1.8T, and this seems like a mod I could do my self with the right instructions. The parts should arrive by this monday, and I was wondering if anyone has dealt with the installation of this part before. If so any help or suggestions would be appreciated.
I have a 2002 A4 1.8T Quattro, and have the same problem. I asked the dealer about it and they said it was normal, and that it was intended to be something to reduce hard shifting or something vague like that. What it feels like is a clutch that's halfway out and you suddenly let your foot slip off (aka "dumping the clutch"). I had it in for routine maintenance a while back and they said they did a transmission software "update". While it did improve a few things, like better auto-downshifting, it did nothing for this problem. If I remember correctly, it doesn't do it in sport mode. Unfortunately I don't like sport mode as it revs too high, and if you step on it going around 40 it feels like it downshifts into 1st and the engine redlines. The odd thing is it also does this slipping in tip mode. Makes no sense to me at all. I'm trying to find a trans chip for this model, but no luck yet.
I am a new Audi owner and I have found this site and discussion board very helpful! I must admit I never even considered buying an Audi in the past, I have always had an appreciation for their styling but knew very little about them. Until a deal came along that I couldn't pass up. A friend of mine was selling his 2003 A4 1.8 t 5spd silver on black with sport and luxury package with only 25k miles for only 18k (selling due to a new job that req' him to be out of town most months) so I jumped on the deal and it was a big upgrade coming from a 93 Honda Civic SI- so far I am happy with the car I love the interior and exterior styling, and it exudes a subtle class! But just yesterday while driving to the gym the car totally bonked out on me, and I had to re-route and barely made it to the dealership. They said it was a wiring problem with my ignition that caused the severe loss in power. There also have been minor interior cosmetic problems such as peeling on some of the power window buttons and stereo that were more or less fixed. Just wondering to all those more experienced Audi owners, how is the overall long -term reliability of the A4's or Audi's in general? I was pretty happy up until yesterday that is, now I'm second guessing my decision to purchase this car...any words of wisdom from more tenured or loyal Audi owners would be much appreciated!
I have a question about my 1997 Audi A4 1.8T. I recently had my drivers side headlight assembly replaced due to a collision. After having it replaced, I noticed that my passenger side headlight lens is very dirty and now I have the problem of one clean and one dirty headlight. Does anyone know how to clean the lens without having to replace the entire assembly for $250? I have heard that C.L.R. works but if anyone has any other ideas to help match my headlights I would really appreciate it! Thanks -Heznave
I had a minor accident but my entire rear bumper came off! I'm trying to determine whether or not I should file a claim with my insurance company or if I should pay for the repairs on my own.
I'm looking for an idea of how much I should expect to pay for new bumper, bumper cover, painting, installation, etc. Am I looking at $1,000 or a lot lot more??
Sadly, I must admit that due to circumstances I won't go into here, we just barely (at this point, less than one week!) exceeded our 4 year anniversay date of official vehicle delivery without taking advantage of our final scheduled service. (Yes, we were low in mileage accumulation versus the norm).
That having been written, I wanted to compare notes regarding how others in similar situations negotiated (or attempted to negotiate, if unsuccessful) a 50,000 mile service in spite of being a few days past official warranty expiry. I am interested primarly in cases where people were less than one month past the official date.
With Daimler, as well as certain American and Japanese companies now offering standard warranties ranging from 5 - 7 years, and from 75K to 100K miles, is anyone here aware of any moves on the part of Audi to offer a longer standard warranty? Are there warranties longer than 50K / 4 years already offered in certain countries (I am in the US - here it's 50K/4 years).
I wanted to see if anyone had any recommendations on getting an extended warranty. My 2002 Audi A4 3.0 has about 48k miles on it and with the problems I have had on it during the warranty I am assuming getting an extended warranty is a good idea.
Does anyone have a recommendation on a good place to get it through. I checked the Audi dealership one...but I am assuming that that is typically more expensive than other companies. Any help would be great!
Well, I have a 99 1/2 A4 1.8T Quattro that just last weekend went over 100k. I chipped it at 70k and upgraded the suspension at 85k.
Here are the notable things that I have experienced: - Catalytic converter went out at about 90k: Not unusual and the non-Audi branded part came to $400. - Main hydralic brake unit (located in engine compartment) went out: Audi branded part cost me $900. -Electric valve firing unit (something that manages the valve timing) died: $300 ish. -Water pump blew: $150 ish. -In dash LCD screen has been losing its clarity for the past 30k miles; unreadable on warm days (Would cost $500 to replace). -My Turbo unit's waste gate (allows for excess boost to exit turbo unit on de-accelerations) is bent and making a fluttering sound. Cost to replace stock turbo is $800.
There have been some other "minor" things as well, but these are the big ones. I do love the Audi brand and enjoy the car tremendously. If I was in better financial straights I would probebly lease a new one and enjoy the protection of the warranty. Overall, this car has been very reliable, strong in the snow and rain and has given me greater appreciation for the germanic engineering. I would do it again.
Hello I just got rid of my 89 Toyota with 240K (owned from new) and am looking to start another 16 year relationship with an A4 (lightly used). My question is whether the 6 is necessary? I'm the kind of driver that sticks to the slow lane and goes about one mile above the limit but my daughter says "Dad this is not about need, its about want." I'm also interested to hear about reliability problems of the turbo versus the unturboed 6.
I have read that the 1.8T is a much more reliable engine. It does not have the same power as the V6, but it served me well before I chipped it. You could always go my route and buy the 1.8T and if you feel you need more power you can purchase an APR (www.goapr.com) chip for $400 and boost the horsepower/torque. The chip upgrade does not require any other "mods," does not impact fuel economy and dramatically improves performance.
broc3, I have A4 1.8T Quattro 2002. Fells like it is lacking some power so I waned to chip it. APR seems to be the one I like. I really wanted to talk to some one who is done it already. Couple of questions to you if you mind Is there I significant power increase? Not the figures but the feel Did the fuel consumption on average go up much? Any idea what boost does it runs after been chipped in PSI? Did you do “stage1” or “stage 1+” ? What octane rating fuel you put in it now? Thank you
I just saw your message and recently chipped my 2003 A4 1.8T Tip Quattro with the APR Stage I chip here in Houston. They offer the direct port software upgrade by downloading a program onto your chip using a connection under the dash on the left side of the driver's seat. Took 9 minutes to do. I had been frustrated with the turbo lag that is constantly complained about by those of us with 1.8T tiptronics. Not only did the APR chip improve the performance, but it significantly reduced the lag. My fuel economy hasn't changed, though the performance with the chip is optimized with premium fuel (93 octane), which I didn't always run before. I tried 87 octane and it is notably poorer in performance. APR intermittently runs specials in which you can get 3 programs and the ability to switch between each using the cruise control for the price of 1. Saves about 200 quid. After my 4/50k warranty is up, I may add the I+ which, as you know, is the fuel injectors and an exhaust upgrade due to the dealer more easily detecting the hardware changes. I plan on purchasing a warranty extension when I near the 4 years and understand that you do not have to have Audi repair the car making it 'safer' for the repairs not to be attributed to the chip. APR offers a free trial of the chip in which they will load the program onto your car for a period of 6 hours of driving. I don't live far from work so it lasted about 2 weeks and I was able to make an informed decision. I'm not sure how much investigating you have done regarding all of the chips, but I think the best advice I got is that the top 4 (APR, REVO, Neuspeed, GIAC) are all very good, and you should make your decision based upon whichever is closer and offers the direct port type upgrade. Email me if you have any further questions.
I use Mobil 1 0 w-40 full synthetic in the 2.7T twin turbo and have noticed much easier winter starts and slightly cooler oil operating temps in the hot weather.
Has anyone out there had any experience with bad (and consistent) oil leaks for the 2.4 V6? I've had an oil leak for about 3 months and Audi first said it was a couple of oil hoses leaking and fixed that for me. HOwever it kept leaking and then they said it was a leak from the solenoid cover and fixed that. However it kept leaking and now they say it is yet another leak from the bottom of the engine. All different leaks (so they say) and it's costing me an arm and a leg. They tell me that this particular engine (and also the 2.8) have a history of oil leaks. Has anyone had the same problem? Is it true about this engine, or I am being led up the garden path?
My daughter has an opportunity to buy a 2000 A4 2.8L v-6 with 101,000 miles. I've heard horror stories from other Audi owners (not A4 owners) and am concerned that she (a college student) is buying a car that will cost her a lot to fix. What can we anticipate for repairs with this car? It has already had a timing belt changed, water pump replaced and will have the catalytic convertor repaired before the sale.
Hey everyone, I just bought a used 98 A4 Quattro Sedan, it has 85k miles on it. I heard lots of great things before i bought it, and now all i seam to be hearing are bad things. Did I make a bad investment? What are some of the things I should look out for? Any advice would be helpful, thanks.
This is the way it always happens! By the way, welcome to the club From what I can tell: -change oil and oil filter every half period what AUDI recommends! -use best oil available (I personally go for MOTUL synthetic, racing oil) -keep an eye on electronics for unusual warnings lights - MOST IMPORTANT ONE “ ENJOY YOUR CAR, IT IS A FINE ANIMAL”
simple2, thanks for the good feedback, its always good to hear positive stuff. Sorry I'm not up to the lingo, but what is a half period? I know to change oil every 3k miles, are you also saying to change oil filter at the same time? I am definately loving this car so far. Thanks again.
Green00 and JBoom Like you, I have just bought a used Audi and am about to embark on the same experience as everyone else who posts here.
It might be of interest to tell others about my buying experience. Here in Canada, the new warranty is 4/80,000 K, that's 48,000 miles to Americans, and Audi certified pre-owns get another 2/80,000, so you get 160,000 km in all. I haven't seen too much mention of this secondary warranty in other posts. Having a lifestyle that doesn't leave room for bringing the car in for repairs, I opted to pay a little more to get a car that was more toward the lightly used side than being well used but cheaper.
I finally settled on two almost identical 2002 3.0 M6's. One had close to 48,000 miles and the other was 24,000 miles. The difference in price was $4800. I suppose you can buy a lot of repairs for that much. I consulted car nuts, previous audi owners and my mechanic and they all said go for the more expensive car.
The high mileage car had the sport package and gorgeous 17 inch Continental aggressive tread pattern tires. The low mileage car had wimpy Michelin Pilot 16 tires. One car said, "I belong to a fast driver." The other car said, "I'm a boulevardier." One car had deeply scored rotors. The other (and this may be a dealer's trick) still had silver paint on the outside edge of the rotors.
I said, how fast can you go in bumper to bumper traffic on the expressway at rush hour? (95% of my driving.)
So, after signing up for some pretty hefty monthly payments, I'm the happy owner of car with about 3 years bumper to bumper warranty and the wimpy tires.
In my former life, the Cressida got me through the first 120,000 miles without a single repair, other than routine maintenance. But the oil seals went at 138,000 and I replaced the engine with a rebuilt model. The new engine immediately leaked just as badly and I had it back under the 6 month warranty. This was a premonition; ultimately the second engine leaked a quart a day at 240,000 on the odometer, which means that it only lasted about 100,000 miles. Even so, I was ready for my third engine, except that there was a long list of maintenance items. So we'll see how this Audi compares.
It seems that some members are having a hard time loving their Audis. Here are some things I’ve learned (been taught) over the years that may help. Feed your Audi synthetic oil and the highest octane gas you can find. Let it warm up before driving full throttle. Once its warm please drive it like you stole it but let it cool down before tucking away for the night (drive slow shift often let it idle for a minute). Those gauges are there for a reason! Short drives are BAD- Drive the long way anywhere. Let the engine get up to peak operating temp every time. Read the Owners manual and understand the service intervals and maintenance are minimum requirements. I have two audis, an 88 audi 90 quattro with 250kms on it and a 2001 a4 1.8turbo quattro. Like all relationships, loving your Audi takes work but it is worth it!
I have a 2004 A4 (b6) w/ a navigation-plus unit. he downside to the nav+ is that I have no indash cd-changer. Does anyone know if the 02 A4 is prewired for a trunk mounted cd-changer?
I know I can install a glove-box changer but they are too expensive at the dealer + I'd rather go w/ an aftermarket trunk unit if pre-wired.
I own an Audi '99 -- I just received a claim form from Audi of America for repairs done or to be done (after inspection) to the timing belt and other stuff and repairs associated with any consequential damage. Long story short: if you own a 97-99 (I believe) and you either recently repaired or are in need of repair (covers inspection) of the timing systems, Audi will refund/pay for the repairs/damages. I received the claim form while the car was still in the shop being repairs so I called the number on the claim form and activated a file for a future refund. I don't have the toll free number for the JK Reimbursement Program -- it's at work -- but if you want, I can follow up with you tomorrow and provide you with the data.
Now, just today, the catalytic convert went out costing around $1,600 to repair. The Audi rep said that if the mileage were not over 80,000 that Audi would cover it with a claim--my cars mileage is 82,000. Does anyone know anything about this catalytic federal law?
Could you provide the toll-free number or a number from the claim form? I have a '99 A4 2.8 that was recently in the shop (at 52,000 miles) to replace the timing belt along with the water pump & other associated guides, seals, etc... ($1200+ for the work.) The pulley shaft on the water pump was wobbling badly & producing a noise such that the engine sounded like a Diesel. I am not certain if the warranty would apply in my case; however if I had not replaced these components it would simply have been a question of when things would go horribly wrong.
As for your catalytic converter, I will have to see if any info is available online.
yea, i just purchased a used 98 audi a4 2.8 and i did the whole "used car check" at the local shop and the told me that i had a leak somewhere but im now in the process of finding someone to sell me the dye so that i can run it through the engine to see where it is coming from........i also have a wierd sound coming from the front drivers side wheel but i think that is just the wheel bearing needing to be fixed/repaired/replaced,or whtever......if anybody can help me that it would be great!! my checkengine light came on yesterday and i went to autozone where they do FREE diagnostic checks, and there computer said that my spark plugs were misfiring, so i replaced those (all 6) today and the check engine light is still on! maybe its because it sometimes takes a few miles for the computer to reset, i hope thats all it is, because i haven't sold a house in a couple of weeks nd my funds are dropping:).....anyways thanks, josh
I'm currently looking at a '98 A4 2.8.... and took it for a test drive. Didn't make any weird noises or anything.. but the engine light was on. I was told by the owner that the engine light was on because they removed the one fuse for the ABS because they said it only "made a noise" and wasn't actually doing much (or something to that effect), so instead of listening to the noise, they removed the fuse for it. Make sense? Also there is another sensor light on, they haven't checked it out yet and it has been on for about a month. If I get this vehicle and get the sensor checked out, you think I should be prepared for a 2000.00 (cdn.) bill, or would it likely not be that bad?
I asked about oil leaks, and they haven't noticed any problems in that area. It has about 140,000 kilometers on it. When they got the vehicle it was still under warranty so they had like alot of stuff replaced at that time.
I can't see any relationship between the engine light and the removed fuse. In fact, that indicates two different problems. I would ask to have the fuse put back in and then hear the noise for yourself. I would not be OK at all buying a car with these problems without knowing what the underlying problems are and what they cost to fix.
All A4s do make an ABS initialization noise just after initial movement. It sounds like running over an empty soda can and it is normal. I found this out on my A4 when I got it and thougth there was a problem.
Regarding the other dash light you would need to find out what one it is and what the underlying problem is.
These are great cars but I would not jump into one before knowing the entire situation and right now this all sounds just too vauge for my liking.
I guess private sales are always a tough thing... so perhaps I could maybe talk to the owner about getting the car checked out or 'safetied' or whatever... let them know I'm willing to pay the difference to have it checked. After getting checked the shop should be able to let me know what problems are with the car and estimated cost to fix everything needed. Sound like the best thing to do? Like I said, it's a 1998 A4 2.8, going for $11500.00 (Canadian dollars)... i figure a dealer would resell it for much more. Anyone know what this model would resell for at a dealer? I figured maybe that even if I put a few thousand in repairs, it would still be around the 14000-15000 mark which I willing to spend if I know I'm gonna have a good car in the end.
A good 'once over' by a qualified technician is always a good idea. That way you are entering the deal with both eyes open. They could also look for any old accident damage or the like as that can be tough to spot unless the car is up on a lift.
Anyway, given the investment you are making I would think that it would be money well spent.
Good luck witht the process and enjoy the car if you do get it.
I have a 1997 A4 1.8T with 21,000 miles. (True). I brought the car to the Dship because the odometer light was out. They told me it would be $850 to replace PLUS they told me the car was unsafe to drive because the tie rods were worn. Anyone ever hear of worn tie rods at 21K?
Hello All, I just had APR Stage 1 upgrade done to my A4 1.8T Quattro B6. The power increase (judging by acceleration feel) seems to be only about 10-15%. Clamed increase is about +51KW. Which is a big jump from 110KW originally. I wonder is there something can be possibly wrong with my engine or it is just me been too greedy for power .. I am used to be a car mechanic in the past so I have a rough idea of how the engines feel like. It seems that I may need to go to Stage 2 or 3 got get some reasonable power out of it. Which is a bit of shame as I do not want to run the motor under so mach boost. Looks like to be able to have some fun I will have to get something with the bigger engine.
Comments
Today, what with two or three chip tuners offering direct port programming, that would not be needed.
The reason I had the Audi dealer get involved is I assumed it would not be smart to try to hide something from the dealer. And, I figured, if the dealer had installed it, not me, then any issues could be dealt with.
Changing the chip, per se, is not likely to cause anything untoward to happen to your car. However, if anything goes wrong that CAN be attributed to the chip's effect, well the argument is that you would eat the repair costs.
OK, so you put your chip in and the power steering pump goes out or the brakes warp or the a/c stops working or or or (these are NOT likely to have been caused by the chip) -- Of course if the turbo somehow was made to operate outside of its tolerances (which is supposed to be controlled and NOT allowed to happen) well, you could be left holding the bag.
I chipped a 2000 1.8T motor in an Audi TT to add 15HP and over 90 lb ft of torque. This was called, at the time, a stage I chip (the lowest performance upgrade possible).
I also changed the air filter to a high performance filter (made the engine sound a bit louder under full acceleration). Other than that, the thing was pure stock.
Some folks go nuts and go with Stage II or Stage III chips and whole new exhaust systems and new fuel injection and even larger turbos -- taking that little bitty 1.8T up by hundreds of horsepower. Of course then it needs a new clutch and bigger brakes and on and on and on.
I had no issues, it cost about $500 and it made the car feel stronger, in my opinion, than the 225HP TT's that we replaced our 2000 1.8T 180HP version with.
We did not feel the need to chip the 225HP cars, though, FWIW.
Try a 24 hour test drive with a DPP'd stage one chip -- if you like it, pay for it, if not it will reset itself after the 24 hours and no harm no foul.
On my current 2.7T engine, I did one thing -- replaced the turbos By Pass Valves with Sport By Pass Valves -- the idea being a slightly faster spool up of the turbo boost -- all for $90. I had the dealer do that too.
Audibon
plz help me, give as much as possible, thanks
Our purchase was motivated by the seats more than anything else - they were the only ones my wife could enjoy for several hours at a time. I was concerned about reliablilty issues, but so far only problem was a stuck driver's headrest - factory screwup fixed under warranty. We get 27-29 mgp mixed driving, 34-36 highway on midgrade gas with conservative driving. We are more than pleased with this car! The combination of exceptional seat comfort, more than adequate performance, and surprisingly high gas mileage all for less than 30K has exceeded our expectations. Dealer purchase experience and service (two trips for free, regular service) has also exceeded expectations. So much so that I am considering replacing my very frugal 92 civic Si with a GTi.
While 15,000 is just getting broken in and the reliabilty issue still looms, my wife says she can't imagine getting a different car.
If you want some peace of mind, you should look into Audi's extended warranty program. Since Audi (and other European companies) don't ship as many vehicles and parts over to the US, the cost will be higher than another company (like Honda) who brings in more product inventory to be on hand in the US (and drives the price down). With the extended warranty, you will be protected for most major items in the event of failure after the OEM warranty has expired.
To date, I have replaced every exterior light on my car, TWICE ! My windshield motor burned out two weeks ago. The main computer had to be replaced under warranty, the cd player quit working, the wiper blades rotted and scratched my windshield after owning the vehicle for one month but the dealer would not do anything for me b/c "it was not their problem".
It is quite sad that the Service manager knows me by name b/c I'm there so frequently.
Prior to owning my A4, I had an Acura Integra and never had one problem with the vehicle during it's 5 year tenure. I traded it in with 90k miles on it and the only maintenance items I had done was oil changes and tires.
I now expect the same quality from all of my vehicles.
I am going to cut my loses now before this A4 sends me to the poor house.
I will never recommend Audi to anyone.
Any ideas?
Thanks
I am a new Audi owner and I have found this site and discussion board very helpful! I must admit I never even considered buying an Audi in the past, I have always had an appreciation for their styling but knew very little about them. Until a deal came along that I couldn't pass up. A friend of mine was selling his 2003 A4 1.8 t 5spd silver on black with sport and luxury package with only 25k miles for only 18k (selling due to a new job that req' him to be out of town most months) so I jumped on the deal and it was a big upgrade coming from a 93 Honda Civic SI- so far I am happy with the car I love the interior and exterior styling, and it exudes a subtle class! But just yesterday while driving to the gym the car totally bonked out on me, and I had to re-route and barely made it to the dealership. They said it was a wiring problem with my ignition that caused the severe loss in power. There also have been minor interior cosmetic problems such as peeling on some of the power window buttons and stereo that were more or less fixed. Just wondering to all those more experienced Audi owners, how is the overall long -term reliability of the A4's or Audi's in general? I was pretty happy up until yesterday that is, now I'm second guessing my decision to purchase this car...any words of wisdom from more tenured or loyal Audi owners would be much appreciated!
I have a question about my 1997 Audi A4 1.8T. I recently had my drivers side headlight assembly replaced due to a collision. After having it replaced, I noticed that my passenger side headlight lens is very dirty and now I have the problem of one clean and one dirty headlight. Does anyone know how to clean the lens without having to replace the entire assembly for $250? I have heard that C.L.R. works but if anyone has any other ideas to help match my headlights I would really appreciate it! Thanks
-Heznave
I have a 98 A4 Quattro 1.8T
I had a minor accident but my entire rear bumper came off! I'm trying to determine whether or not I should file a claim with my insurance company or if I should pay for the repairs on my own.
I'm looking for an idea of how much I should expect to pay for new bumper, bumper cover, painting, installation, etc. Am I looking at $1,000 or a lot lot more??
Thanks.
--Linda
That having been written, I wanted to compare notes regarding how others in similar situations negotiated (or attempted to negotiate, if unsuccessful) a 50,000 mile service in spite of being a few days past official warranty expiry. I am interested primarly in cases where people were less than one month past the official date.
Please share!
Jim
With Daimler, as well as certain American and Japanese companies now offering standard warranties ranging from 5 - 7 years, and from 75K to 100K miles, is anyone here aware of any moves on the part of Audi to offer a longer standard warranty? Are there warranties longer than 50K / 4 years already offered in certain countries (I am in the US - here it's 50K/4 years).
Cheers,
Jim
Does anyone have a recommendation on a good place to get it through. I checked the Audi dealership one...but I am assuming that that is typically more expensive than other companies. Any help would be great!
Here are the notable things that I have experienced:
- Catalytic converter went out at about 90k: Not unusual and the non-Audi branded part came to $400.
- Main hydralic brake unit (located in engine compartment) went out: Audi branded part cost me $900.
-Electric valve firing unit (something that manages the valve timing) died: $300 ish.
-Water pump blew: $150 ish.
-In dash LCD screen has been losing its clarity for the past 30k miles; unreadable on warm days (Would cost $500 to replace).
-My Turbo unit's waste gate (allows for excess boost to exit turbo unit on de-accelerations) is bent and making a fluttering sound. Cost to replace stock turbo is $800.
There have been some other "minor" things as well, but these are the big ones. I do love the Audi brand and enjoy the car tremendously. If I was in better financial straights I would probebly lease a new one and enjoy the protection of the warranty. Overall, this car has been very reliable, strong in the snow and rain and has given me greater appreciation for the germanic engineering. I would do it again.
I hope this was helpful!
I just got rid of my 89 Toyota with 240K (owned from new) and am looking to start another 16 year relationship with an A4 (lightly used). My question is whether the 6 is necessary? I'm the kind of driver that sticks to the slow lane and goes about one mile above the limit but my daughter says "Dad this is not about need, its about want." I'm also interested to hear about reliability problems of the turbo versus the unturboed 6.
Thanks for your advice....
Have fun!
I have A4 1.8T Quattro 2002.
Fells like it is lacking some power so I waned to chip it. APR seems to be the one I like.
I really wanted to talk to some one who is done it already.
Couple of questions to you if you mind
Is there I significant power increase? Not the figures but the feel
Did the fuel consumption on average go up much?
Any idea what boost does it runs after been chipped in PSI?
Did you do “stage1” or “stage 1+” ?
What octane rating fuel you put in it now?
Thank you
audi body parts--1.314.638.6040
audi body parts-1.800.624.3876
This is the way it always happens!
By the way, welcome to the club
From what I can tell:
-change oil and oil filter every half period what AUDI recommends!
-use best oil available (I personally go for MOTUL synthetic, racing oil)
-keep an eye on electronics for unusual warnings lights
- MOST IMPORTANT ONE “ ENJOY YOUR CAR, IT IS A FINE ANIMAL”
AUDI A4 1.8T Quattro
Like you, I have just bought a used Audi and am about to embark on the same experience as everyone else who posts here.
It might be of interest to tell others about my buying experience. Here in Canada, the new warranty is 4/80,000 K, that's 48,000 miles to Americans, and Audi certified pre-owns get another 2/80,000, so you get 160,000 km in all. I haven't seen too much mention of this secondary warranty in other posts. Having a lifestyle that doesn't leave room for bringing the car in for repairs, I opted to pay a little more to get a car that was more toward the lightly used side than being well used but cheaper.
I finally settled on two almost identical 2002 3.0 M6's. One had close to 48,000 miles and the other was 24,000 miles. The difference in price was $4800. I suppose you can buy a lot of repairs for that much. I consulted car nuts, previous audi owners and my mechanic and they all said go for the more expensive car.
The high mileage car had the sport package and gorgeous 17 inch Continental aggressive tread pattern tires. The low mileage car had wimpy Michelin Pilot 16 tires. One car said, "I belong to a fast driver." The other car said, "I'm a boulevardier." One car had deeply scored rotors. The other (and this may be a dealer's trick) still had silver paint on the outside edge of the rotors.
I said, how fast can you go in bumper to bumper traffic on the expressway at rush hour? (95% of my driving.)
So, after signing up for some pretty hefty monthly payments, I'm the happy owner of car with about 3 years bumper to bumper warranty and the wimpy tires.
In my former life, the Cressida got me through the first 120,000 miles without a single repair, other than routine maintenance. But the oil seals went at 138,000 and I replaced the engine with a rebuilt model. The new engine immediately leaked just as badly and I had it back under the 6 month warranty. This was a premonition; ultimately the second engine leaked a quart a day at 240,000 on the odometer, which means that it only lasted about 100,000 miles. Even so, I was ready for my third engine, except that there was a long list of maintenance items. So we'll see how this Audi compares.
I know I can install a glove-box changer but they are too expensive at the dealer + I'd rather go w/ an aftermarket trunk unit if pre-wired.
Now, just today, the catalytic convert went out costing around $1,600 to repair. The Audi rep said that if the mileage were not over 80,000 that Audi would cover it with a claim--my cars mileage is 82,000. Does anyone know anything about this catalytic federal law?
Thanks,
Pat
As for your catalytic converter, I will have to see if any info is available online.
Regards,
--MC
I asked about oil leaks, and they haven't noticed any problems in that area. It has about 140,000 kilometers on it. When they got the vehicle it was still under warranty so they had like alot of stuff replaced at that time.
Sorry if I"m asking this in the wrong area.
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
All A4s do make an ABS initialization noise just after initial movement. It sounds like running over an empty soda can and it is normal. I found this out on my A4 when I got it and thougth there was a problem.
Regarding the other dash light you would need to find out what one it is and what the underlying problem is.
These are great cars but I would not jump into one before knowing the entire situation and right now this all sounds just too vauge for my liking.
JR
I guess private sales are always a tough thing... so perhaps I could maybe talk to the owner about getting the car checked out or 'safetied' or whatever... let them know I'm willing to pay the difference to have it checked. After getting checked the shop should be able to let me know what problems are with the car and estimated cost to fix everything needed. Sound like the best thing to do?
Like I said, it's a 1998 A4 2.8, going for $11500.00 (Canadian dollars)... i figure a dealer would resell it for much more. Anyone know what this model would resell for at a dealer? I figured maybe that even if I put a few thousand in repairs, it would still be around the 14000-15000 mark which I willing to spend if I know I'm gonna have a good car in the end.
Thanks,
James
Anyway, given the investment you are making I would think that it would be money well spent.
Good luck witht the process and enjoy the car if you do get it.
JR
j
I just had APR Stage 1 upgrade done to my A4 1.8T Quattro B6.
The power increase (judging by acceleration feel) seems to be only about 10-15%. Clamed increase is about +51KW. Which is a big jump from 110KW originally.
I wonder is there something can be possibly wrong with my engine or it is just me been too greedy for power ..
I am used to be a car mechanic in the past so I have a rough idea of how the engines feel like.
It seems that I may need to go to Stage 2 or 3 got get some reasonable power out of it. Which is a bit of shame as I do not want to run the motor under so mach boost.
Looks like to be able to have some fun I will have to get something with the bigger engine.