I agree with Shipo, Every sunroof I ever had did this too. I do think my '02 A4 is louder thant the '97, but maybe not. Cracking any window or dereasing the opening by one notch does the trick for me as well. I must admit, this is covered on the video. My wife went out with some friends the other night, and I was bored enought with the typical TV options, so I popped in the video. It is pretty lame, but it did cover the sunroof noise extensively.
KHL and fellow Audi owners re. the Sunroof noise problem. There should be a mark on the dial about 3/4 of the way to fully open. (I am assuming that the Sunroof still uses the knob not a switch on the 2002's.) This mark according to Audi engineers is supposed to alleviate any interior wind noise without having to open any windows. Give it a try and let me know. BTW I learned this from a knowledgeable salesman during a test drive of an A6 2.7T with a friend of mine. Drive safe. Brian
Jill-- If you run out of excuses to take long rides and still feel you don't need it, just drop it off at my house during your next trip across the mountains!
You're just going to have to get your own! By the way, yesterday I saw an 02 A4 sedan in amulet red. It really does have a nice tone. I'm just not a red kind of person.
Khlm--I just scrolled back a few weeks, and realized you are the one who almost switched to Saab at the last minute! What made you come back to Audi? Are you glad you did? I still like the look of the Saab 9-5 wagon, and I like the bigger size, but I think--I'm not sure--I'm going to like what I think is going to be the tightness and the responsiveness of the A4. Anything else to report on your new ride?
Yeah, I parked next to one (Amulet) in a Safeway parking lot the other day and was admiring it when the owner came out. I made the comment that I liked the color and he responded by telling me that he was a tad disappointed that it didn't have the depth of a metallic or pearl effect. When I jokingly told him that he'd at least saved $450, he didn't have a clue what I was talking about. He didn't believe me when I told him that all other colors --except Polar White and Brilliant Black-- were $450 extra. He went on to tell me that he didn't really do that much research before buying the car ...that it was more of an impulse buying decision. *sheesh*!
I still think you made the right color choice! ...you'll really enjoy "speeding along underwater" with the dolphins. *grins*
We are thinking of replacing our 2000 Outback with an A4 1.8 Avant. Does anyone have any experience in getting the clubs in the storage space? I would like to be able to carry 4 sets of clubs and driver and 3 passengers. I have a 2002 A4 1.8 Tip and just love it. Denim blue. At first I was neutral on the denim blue but I get many positive comments on the color. Let me know about the clubs if you have experience.
I would take a chipped S4 or a chipped A6 2.7T and smoke just about anything out there for a heck of a lot less money and more satisfaction IMHO than anything else out there right now. And lets not get into a rice burner issue on this board because I have had two Honda's as well as lauk0dg and others. German cars have a "feel" to them and so do Japanese cars. I prefer German cars and AWD. I just drove the 2k2 Maxima and while it is fast, but not as fast as an A6 or S4 and I am in an A4 1.8T I still prefer my car over his. Why? I am spoiled by quattro and don't like torque steer. I also prefer low end torque vs. the high rev approach and variable valve timing technology that most cars from Japan use. Driving the Maxima reminded me of my Accord with VTEC. Nothing wrong with that, it is just an approach I have already experienced and was not interested in when shopping for a new car. Above all, enjoy your ride and drive safe.
The Maxima is probably just as fast (or faster) as (than) the A6 or S4 (the Audis are limited to 131 mph or there abouts). The Audi's however are quicker. To pick a nit, fast is a measure of speed, quick is a measure of acceleration. I would also suspect that "to smoke" is also a measure of acceleration -- perhaps taken from the fact that cars, especially rear wheel drive cars, historically could smoke their tires when launching from a full stop.
I'm just playin' with the words, I know, but most people claim to buy "fast" when what they really want is "quick" -- quick, aside from being fun could also save your life when you are, for example, merging on one of the interstates running through and around Cincinnati (or Dallas or, or. . . just about any US city).
No one ever said a Maxima could not go fast, what I would say is that the A6 2.7T and/or S4 are able to get from 0 - 60 quicker.
Mark: Sorry to cloud the issue but back in the mid 80's while getting ready to leave high school and starting to become interested in cars we in Chicago used quick and fast interchangeably. Both could mean time to speed (0-60) or time to distance (1/4 mile or 2 city blocks). That was the extent of our world because everything was a stoplight race. If someone said Top end or Top speed then you knew they were referring to maximum capabilty in terms of the highest speed the car could do. I guess you could say "terminal velocity" in our neighborhood. And yes, smoke them means what you said but we had many other phrases to describe a myriad of street racing terms (All noise no poise comes to mind!) and I'm sure kids have their own lingo now. But, I will try and remember what is more common for todays proper usage. Thanks for keeping me on the straight and narrow. :-)
Help! I'm in the process of ordering an A4 and am confused about the color. I want the Ming Blue, however, I'm concerned about keeping the car clean. Does anyone have any advice?
And it is easier to keep clean than my collegue's Ming Blue A6. The Nemo blue seems more pearl like than the Ming, which seems more metallic -- not that metallic is bad, it is just that the pearl paint seems iridescent.
Seems Ming Blue is similar and/or replaced the Santorin Blue which we have. It can be a bit harder to keep clean but when it is clean it is such a great color. According to our salesman Silver and Black are the most popular. Black as we all know is a chore to keep clean. Silver and White are pretty easy on the eyes even when dirty. All other colors are classified as "passionate" (at least according to our salesman at the time!) which I guess means they are going to evoke some sort of response either way. The most important response is yours, you have to live with the color and maybe washing it more frequently is something that you can do to keep it appealing. A tough call but one trade off we made when getting ours in Santorin. Hope this helps. Brian
Drove a 1.8T CVT in Dallas today, just for fun.. The tester was Black/Black ette the 12 speed A/C fan really did the trick to keep my back dry, I would not have choose the Black/Black but salesman said he does it on purpose. The shifts are pretty seemless, The power comes on a little different than my 3er , but according to manufacur numbers its a few ticks quicker...
With the Moonroof the ceiling did still feel a little tighter than my car, but i just realized are the seats height adjustable ? maybe thats why.
All in all a very nice ride , for about 3k less than my car sticker for. They had a Ming Blue , and Dolphin Grey that were gorgious.
Hey everyone, I am the new owner of a dolphin gray 1.8t quattro 5-speed w/ bose stereo, sport package, premium package, xenon lights, glass roof, and platinum leatherette. I've had the car for a couple weeks now, and overall I am very pleased. This is my graduation present from my parents, and I'm very excited because I have always loved audis and i love the way this car drives, although I do feel the 1.8t is a little under-powered (keep in mind that i AM 18). I have noticed a few problems with my a4 too, and i was wondering if any of you had experienced these:
1) the front drivers seat seems to make a lot of loud squeaking noises every time i go over a bump or switch gears...i dont know if it just needs to be greased or what but this is very annoying.
2) my front left tire cannot seem to stay inflated, and i have to go to the gas station every couple days to re-inflate it to the proper psi. all the other tires are OK...its just the front left one.
3) My sunroof also makes this annoying crunching noise when you first open it and when you close it...does it do this on any of you other a4 owners cars??
other than these small problems the car is a joy to drive and i really like the quattro awd system w/ the sport package...it handles amazingly. hopefully the awd will come it very handy next year when i go to college in colorado w/ all the snowy weather. To remedy the "under-powered" engine i have put in a K&n air filter, ordered an APR exhaust system...and am anxiously waiting for APR to come out with an ECU chip for this car so i can get that. After thats all done it should have about 220-230 hp (even more than the 3.0, with a lot more torque from the chip). Has anyone else done anything to their 1.8 engine to make it faster??
I have also posted a couple pictures of my car on a website at
so you can check those out...I dont know why they are so small on the page...maybe if you just type in the url of the pics you can see the whole huge pictures (they are really big)
I wouldn't call any of your issues "normal" by any stretch, and although the noises you mentioned can be annoying, the tire is worth checking out sooner than later. A small air leak will eventually turn into a big air leak that can either leave you with a flat tire (inconvenient) or a blowout (dangerous). Get the tire checked and have he dealer try to de-squeak you while you're at it.
You are not likely to find too many fellow modders here on Edmunds, although the group is very helpful and friendly. The go-fast crowd tends to hang out at AudiWorld and is more than happy to discuss installing everything from new exhausts to Flux Capacitors. The denizens of this board are more apt to be like me - a suburban dad whose 1.8t has enough power to suit his own needs
In any case congrats on your new baby and welcome aboard!
Hi, I was reading the posts in here and was wondering if the A4 has any transmission problems or Engine problems and also if anyone has experienced what Dan13250 has experienced? I am impressed by what everyone has said in here but I am concerned if there is any engine problems or transmission problems..... The Horsepower really doesn't concern me because I am not a speeder, I go by the speed limit always or below it! :-)
Dan, Hopefully you have already gotten the tire checked out. I had a '97 A4 1.8t that made lots of noise in cold weather when I opened the sun roof and closed it. When the weather warmed up, it went away. It could be you have colder weather than I do in NC. I would still take it to my dealer since I did not notice this problem until the car was almost 5 years old. My seats did not make any noise when I shifted. I would take the car to yor dealer and have a mechanic ride in it, or drive it with you. I agree with bluetrane, if you want to learn about chipping, go to www.audiworld.com.
Blazer_freak. You might also want to check out Audiworld. I now have a '02 A4 with the 3.0 engine. Yes, it makes a big difference over my '97 1.8T. I do not remember if Audi got more out of the later years' 1.8T engines or not. I would feel confident in buying a CPO '99, '00 or '01. If you got the bucks to pay for and insure an S4, I would go for it. They are offering great prices down here since the current S4 is the pre-2002 body style and there will be a switch to the new one in 2003. Maybe you can get a great deal in NJ also.
Sunshine The only transmission problem I had with my '97 was the master cylinder in the clutch went. There were a couple electrical problems which were all supposedly fixed by model year '98. No engine problems at all for me.
Hi, I was all set on buying a Mercedes C240, when I started reading the town hall discussion for it. A couple people were very upset with their purchase because the car developed a lot of serious problems. I am looking for a reliable and hassle free car. Does anyone have experience with the A4 3.0 CVT front-wheel drive (I don't need the quattro in San Diego)? I am really starting to think that the Audi would be a better purchase Thanks!
dont sweat that 3.0 vs. 1.8 go for the 1.8 and use the 6 big for wheels etc. my dealer tried his best to get me into the 3.0 because he had so many of them and was not getting 1.8's. spend some time online researching and you will come to the same conclusion i did. and i can afford either motor. its all about value.
i got my s4 at miramar audi in san diego. got it through the internet manager. very easy. nice guy. best price i found. try to talk to him if you go the a4 route.
I called Joe Hoppen motorsports in 2000 about chipping my 1.8T motor (in a TT).
Mr. Hoppen indicated that some dealers were chipping the cars prior to delivery and adding fancy wheels (and before the factory added it) and a spoiler and other ground effects. I told him I wanted him to work with my dealer for the Federal Express exhange of my current ECU for the chipped one (stage one MTM chip).
The service manager and Hoppen spoke, and two days later I drove my chipped (by the dealer, at the dealer) 1.8T home.
Now, it is true that if the chip can be found to have caused a failure, well then the warranty is voided for that reason -- but a stage one chip installed by the dealer is highly unlikely to be the cause for the transmission to go out, the fuel injection to fail, the battery to die, the CD player to quit, the AC to lose its freon, the engine to become oil starved or the seat to jump off its track.
Yes, I have read posts about warranties not being honored because of a chip -- I have asked my dealer about these kind of issues. The reply is that they were usually not installed by the dealer and some other problem was created by a non dealer installation. One customer chipped his S4 and somehow managed to loosen the clamps on some hoses which caused something to fail prematurely -- the specifics are not important, what is important is who had to pay.
Why are we trying to hide stuff from the dealer? If we are, then it must be something that is not considered legitimate by the great warranty grantor in the sky somewhere. All the chippers I know do it above board.
I even had my Audi dealer put cross drilled rotors on my car -- and I am assured that if they crap out, they will be covered (and replaced by new non-cross drilled Audi replacement parts).
Involving the dealer -- NO SECRETS -- seems to work just fine. And, from my experience, the 1.8T engine when chipped gets a massive, noticable increase in torque with virtually no side effects other than the increased possibility of speeding tickets.
It is hard to keep a secret and when you do because you think it might cost you to reveal the truth, well -- aren't you perhaps committing fraud? If so, and you are caught, doesn't this at least fall into the same class as insurance fraud? And if so and if the company wants to go to the mat, isn't this a felony?
Why not get this stuff done at the dealer? I think it cost 2 hours labor -- which as I recall is $63 an hour, the part was $500 or $600 and the Fed Ex charge (both ways, my cost,) was under $100.
Are we keeping secrets from the dealer to save $126 bucks on $30 - $50,000 cars -- while simultaneously sneaking around to avoid the perception (but not the reality) of a fraudulent act?
I think your dealer is exceptionally "aftermarket friendly". I'm pretty sure for my dealer, they would not:
-install a chip for me -put aftermarket parts on my car -put replacement parts on my car after my aftermarket parts fail
I don't think it's a matter of whether you want to save a few hundred of green ones and do it somewhere else. It's plain simple, the dealerships won't even touch aftermarket parts, and they'll point their fingers at you and make you pay for replacement parts if they can prove your aftermarket parts are causing the damage.
Then find yourself a dealer that is more aftermarket friendly and conduct your business with them.
I know, I know, maybe you only have 1 dealership near you. In that case you are out of luck. Now me, on the other hand have 6 Audi dealers within 30 miles of me so if I do decide my next vehicle is an Audi you can bet aftermarket friendliness will be a factor in my decision on which dealership would get my business.
As I mentioned, when I called Joe Hoppen, he informed me of dealers with whom he has done business -- dealers who will help with "tuning, ground effects, suspension changes, etc." We have two dealers in our small city and they are both customer friendly. In the city to our north, Dayton there is one dealer, he too is very friendly.
One last example -- at one of theses dealerships there is a wall with pictures of Audi's (and Porsche's) with aftermarket wheels, spoilers, shift nobs (or is it knob?) suspension mods, etc. The dealership has a treatment they offer called AS6 -- which apparently takes an A6 and places a spoiler on the rear, lowers the suspension and puts larger wheels and tires on the car.
I think this "kit" is NOT from Audi -- as I have not seen the wheels in any parts catalog. Indeed, some of these dealers have a showcase or catalog of wheels that you can order to personalize your Audi (or Porsche).
And, if you think that Audi of America is not aware of this, I know that the Audi customer advocate has been to my dealership many times and the AS6 pictures on the wall were always there.
When I had a 1995 S6 my dealer informed me that I could order some sport springs (at that time they were not "on line" from Audi) from one of his customers. My dealer has advised me as to plus sizing my tires, suggested brands of tires and investigated factory upgrades that apparently "don't exist."
Recently, I asked if I could order an allroad in Black Pearl, full paint finish with an Ecru Cricket interior -- such a car is not to be found on the web site or in the order books. The answer in one day was yes -- for $1,700.
My point is to VOTE with your dollars -- your dealers should not be put in a position to harm you or place your warranty in jeopardy. If you ask them to do so, well then they should refuse to help you. My dealer has been on the Audi Dealer Council and informs me that -- within reason -- dealers want to help their customers with such modifications. My dealer even allowed his dealership to be the host facility for the local Porsche owner's club -- and talk about modifications and aftermarket stuff, these owners do it with a passion.
Check out the Audi Car Club of America, formerly the quattro club of America, their mouthpiece (still called the quattro quarterly) is heavily subsidized (w/advertising) by Audi of America, but the majority of the advertising space is from companies who specialize in aftermarket "stuff." If Audi was so concerned, one would think they would pull their generous support which would probably "force the issue." The magazine is chock full of Audi of America advertising dollars.
We Audi owners who want to modify our vehicles (again WITHIN LIMITS) should not feel any need to do so surreptitiously. A stage three chip (all by itself) is probably outside the limits of sanity with respect to the factory turbo -- the dealer will almost certainly NOT install such a mod without the associated plumbing to make this upgrade "safe" for the powertrain.
A new cat-back exhaust, a cone type air filter and a stage one chip plus a new set of springs, sway bars, wheels and tires plus a spoiler on the butt -- NO PROBLEM. At least it should be.
Find a dealer who is a car enthusiast, perhaps that is the ticket. Of course also find the dealer who is a good business person.
There is an Acura Dealer in Norther New Jersey that specializes in aftermarket modifications to Acuras. They'll sell you parts (or if you find them cheaper off the internet, they'll install yours) and install them. Modifications (within reason like mark says) should be welcomed at the dealer. It is more revenue from his service department.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
When I leased my Ford Explorer Sport in 1998, the dealer was extremely modification friendly. They installed superchargers (as well as the proper mods that go with it) on Mustang GTs and Mustang Cobras and backed them with the factory warranty. You just have to find a dealer willing to work with you.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
I own a 2001 A4 and have noticed that occasionally the radio display will flicker on and off. I recall reading a post a while back about someone else having the same issue. Has anyone else experienced this? Any idea what the problem could be? Thanks!
These respond nicely to the installation of a "bubble" spoiler over the front of the roof cavity. Incidentally it seems to me that those cars which have the most carefully managed airflow are the most prone to this type of noise.
Well I live in Chicagoland and we got 7 Audi dealerships here. I know some of them are mod friendly, but there is no way they will replace aftermarket products with OEM parts for free (of course when you are still within your warranty). I know some mechanics even have modded Audi's, but for sure no one that I know actually go to a dealership to mod their cars.
Maybe I need to move to Cincinnatti.....right Mark? :>
I have been told that Boston dealers too are mod friendly. Perhaps no one is going to their dealers for modifications because they feel that "mods are wrong." My dealer would hardly agree to mods that are risky -- as I mentioned there are mods that are way over the top. Most of us probably know what they are.
While I was at an Audi driver school, one of the participants told me that his dealer helped him with putting a supercharger on a 2.8 engine. Then when his radiator problem happened it was determined that the supercharger was not the cause and the warranty came to the rescue.
When I personally have only asked two dealerships and have been told about two others, I grant that it is more than possible that dealers (generally) are not mod friendly.
My sense from reading these posts is that most customers have not involved their dealership, but are "certain" the dealer would not be mod friendly. Perhaps this is a more accurate picture than the one I have painted. Only a forum such as this one can get this much data together from geographically disparate regions of the US. But the validity of such notions (i.e., dealers are mod unfriendly) needs to be checked by actually trying something such as a stage one chip upgrade to a turbo engine.
I know my dealer is not in favor of DIY -- so I always involve my dealer when I even think about any mod, from tires to spoilers to sound systems to telephones to chipping and to conversion of cloth seats to leather (which is the only area in which I had any issues due to the in seat air bags -- only 1 place would actually warrant that the airbag operation would be unaffected by their leather seats covers.)
With respect to the disk brake rotors -- my dealer, on my behalf and with Audi's participation, purchased front cross drilled rotors in an attempt to end my rotor warpage issues with my A6. I specifically asked the question, "what happens if, under the warranty period, these rotors poop out?" The response was, "you will get new OEM rotors, but not another set of the aftermarket cross drilled rotors." Thus far such measures have not been neede -- perhaps they were just telling me what I wanted to hear. But this dealership is customer service personified so I find it hard to believe they would not keep their word.
And although I do like our little town, I find it hard to believe that the dealers in Southern Ohio are THAT much different than anywhere else.
Obviously, I wouldn't expect the dealership to replace or service aftermarket parts under warranty, but I expect to be able to have aftermarket parts and not get hassled about them. I wouldn't want to bring a car in for a bad CV joint and have the service department refuse to look at it because I have an aftermarket exhaust or try to get me to pay for the repair because I chipped the thing. Basically I don't want to be denied service or be required to lug in a copy of the US Code to prove that I'm illegally being denied warranty coverage. I want a mutual agreement - I don't try to take advantage of the service department and they don't try to take advantage of me.
Mine does that, too (I have a 2001.5 A4 1.8T). The dealer ordered me a replacement radio and he's going to call me when it comes in. My stereo itself never turns off, but the display occasionally flickers. Dealer said they've been having 'some' problems with it. Who knows what that really means.
You have made the point I was attempting to make much more succinctly.
I too do not take advantage of my dealer and don't expect to be taken advantage of.
To the --- uh, er, aftermarket wheels, for example -- if I buy a set of those, I do not expect the Audi Advantage to help me if there is a defect in them. Normally I would not expect help for the brake rotors but these were done by the dealer and with AoA's awareness and consent.
A chip issue should and as far as I know will not void the warranty on the rest of the car -- unless the chip can be shown to have caused the problem -- with the chips from these companies in such widespread use, I frankly have very little concern -- and apparently so does my dealer.
Small world for sure. I'm in the NW burbs, too. Just started shopping for something to replace my 85 Toyota with later this summer. I just took my copy of the US code out of the trunk. It helped with traction in the winter. I only got stuck going up my driveway once. Hoping Audi (re)starts a European Delivery program, then I'll jump sooner, but I'm not holding my breath.
Yesterday I drove both cars...and so did my wife....lease pricing is awash...there seem to be a lot of issues on the MB board about MB service and arrogrance of the people. Also they are bashing the reliability....Will I have the same issues with Audi...I woul welcome your comments.
Can anyone comment on the 2002 (or 2001) A4 1.8T quattro automatic transmission? Does it have enough juice? I've heard the 1.8T manual is fine but the auto is a bit underpowered. Any thoughts or experiences?
The manual transmission Audi's with the 1.8T, like the manual Passats are great fun and do have enough urge to get the job done. I drove a 2002 1.8T A4 last week (60 miles while my car was in for routine service) and it had the new 5 speed sport tiptronic. The car was very very nice in all respects -- except that in either of the transmission's modes -- including sport mode -- it never felt like it had the right gear available. Contrast this to the 3 2001 A4 1.8T's all with manual transmission that are in our company parking lot -- they all have sport suspensions and stick shifts and ESP. They are wonderful to drive and always feel right.
I love the Audis and VW's and I also am a fan of the 170 or 180 HP 1.8T engine -- but I would not ever use my own money to acquire one of these fine cars with auto transmissions -- it would take all the fun out of it (for me).
The sticks are so easy to drive, too. Here is one to consider, I find the manual transmissions in the 1.8T configurations to be smoother, quicker, higher performing and "more fun." The auto transmission always seemed to be hunting for another gear to shift up or down to -- it was noisy (engine racing and falling) and jerky -- as the engine kept hunting for the sweet spot.
If physically possible go with the stick shift, or at least take a long long test drive in one.
Comments
Every sunroof I ever had did this too. I do think my '02 A4 is louder thant the '97, but maybe not. Cracking any window or dereasing the opening by one notch does the trick for me as well. I must admit, this is covered on the video. My wife went out with some friends the other night, and I was bored enought with the typical TV options, so I popped in the video. It is pretty lame, but it did cover the sunroof noise extensively.
Enjoy your cars everybody!
Ned
Brian
--'rocco
I still think you made the right color choice! ...you'll really enjoy "speeding along underwater" with the dolphins. *grins*
A Saab??
--'rocco
I just drove the 2k2 Maxima and while it is fast, but not as fast as an A6 or S4 and I am in an A4 1.8T I still prefer my car over his. Why? I am spoiled by quattro and don't like torque steer. I also prefer low end torque vs. the high rev approach and variable valve timing technology that most cars from Japan use. Driving the Maxima reminded me of my Accord with VTEC. Nothing wrong with that, it is just an approach I have already experienced and was not interested in when shopping for a new car. Above all, enjoy your ride and drive safe.
I would also suspect that "to smoke" is also a measure of acceleration -- perhaps taken from the fact that cars, especially rear wheel drive cars, historically could smoke their tires when launching from a full stop.
I'm just playin' with the words, I know, but most people claim to buy "fast" when what they really want is "quick" -- quick, aside from being fun could also save your life when you are, for example, merging on one of the interstates running through and around Cincinnati (or Dallas or, or. . . just about any US city).
No one ever said a Maxima could not go fast, what I would say is that the A6 2.7T and/or S4 are able to get from 0 - 60 quicker.
Sorry to cloud the issue but back in the mid 80's while getting ready to leave high school and starting to become interested in cars we in Chicago used quick and fast interchangeably. Both could mean time to speed (0-60) or time to distance (1/4 mile or 2 city blocks). That was the extent of our world because everything was a stoplight race. If someone said Top end or Top speed then you knew they were referring to maximum capabilty in terms of the highest speed the car could do. I guess you could say "terminal velocity" in our neighborhood. And yes, smoke them means what you said but we had many other phrases to describe a myriad of street racing terms (All noise no poise comes to mind!) and I'm sure kids have their own lingo now. But, I will try and remember what is more common for todays proper usage. Thanks for keeping me on the straight and narrow. :-)
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
Ming is quite nice, however.
Brian
The shifts are pretty seemless, The power comes on a little different than my 3er , but according to manufacur numbers its a few ticks quicker...
With the Moonroof the ceiling did still feel a little tighter than my car, but i just realized are the seats height adjustable ? maybe thats why.
All in all a very nice ride , for about 3k less than my car sticker for. They had a Ming Blue , and Dolphin Grey that were gorgious.
DL
1) the front drivers seat seems to make a lot of loud squeaking noises every time i go over a bump or switch gears...i dont know if it just needs to be greased or what but this is very annoying.
2) my front left tire cannot seem to stay inflated, and i have to go to the gas station every couple days to re-inflate it to the proper psi. all the other tires are OK...its just the front left one.
3) My sunroof also makes this annoying crunching noise when you first open it and when you close it...does it do this on any of you other a4 owners cars??
other than these small problems the car is a joy to drive and i really like the quattro awd system w/ the sport package...it handles amazingly. hopefully the awd will come it very handy next year when i go to college in colorado w/ all the snowy weather. To remedy the "under-powered" engine i have put in a K&n air filter, ordered an APR exhaust system...and am anxiously waiting for APR to come out with an ECU chip for this car so i can get that. After thats all done it should have about 220-230 hp (even more than the 3.0, with a lot more torque from the chip). Has anyone else done anything to their 1.8 engine to make it faster??
I have also posted a couple pictures of my car on a website at
http://www.geocities.com/danny1325/dansa4.html
so you can check those out...I dont know why they are so small on the page...maybe if you just type in the url of the pics you can see the whole huge pictures (they are really big)
You are not likely to find too many fellow modders here on Edmunds, although the group is very helpful and friendly. The go-fast crowd tends to hang out at AudiWorld and is more than happy to discuss installing everything from new exhausts to Flux Capacitors. The denizens of this board are more apt to be like me - a suburban dad whose 1.8t has enough power to suit his own needs
In any case congrats on your new baby and welcome aboard!
1. How much of a difference is there really between 3.0 and 1.8T (except for certain interior details and engine)? I'm talking performance-wise.
2. If I go for used (certified pre-owned), what are some of the problems in the '99, '00 models I should be looking for?
3. Can anyone recommend a good Audi dealer in NY/NJ area? (I'm looking for one with a lot of pre-owned cars and reasonable prices ).
4. Is S4 worth the extra money?
Thanks.
DL
I was reading the posts in here and was wondering if the A4 has any transmission problems or Engine problems and also if anyone has experienced what Dan13250 has experienced? I am impressed by what everyone has said in here but I am concerned if there is any engine problems or transmission problems..... The Horsepower really doesn't concern me because I am not a speeder, I go by the speed limit always or below it! :-)
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
Hopefully you have already gotten the tire checked out. I had a '97 A4 1.8t that made lots of noise in cold weather when I opened the sun roof and closed it. When the weather warmed up, it went away. It could be you have colder weather than I do in NC. I would still take it to my dealer since I did not notice this problem until the car was almost 5 years old. My seats did not make any noise when I shifted. I would take the car to yor dealer and have a mechanic ride in it, or drive it with you. I agree with bluetrane, if you want to learn about chipping, go to www.audiworld.com.
Blazer_freak.
You might also want to check out Audiworld. I now have a '02 A4 with the 3.0 engine. Yes, it makes a big difference over my '97 1.8T. I do not remember if Audi got more out of the later years' 1.8T engines or not. I would feel confident in buying a CPO '99, '00 or '01.
If you got the bucks to pay for and insure an S4, I would go for it. They are offering great prices down here since the current S4 is the pre-2002 body style and there will be a switch to the new one in 2003. Maybe you can get a great deal in NJ also.
Sunshine
The only transmission problem I had with my '97 was the master cylinder in the clutch went. There were a couple electrical problems which were all supposedly fixed by model year '98. No engine problems at all for me.
Ned
Thanks!
whats the deal with the warranty.
go go go.
go for the 1.8 and use the 6 big for wheels etc.
my dealer tried his best to get me into the 3.0 because he had so many of them and was not getting 1.8's. spend some time online researching and you will come to the same conclusion i did. and i can afford either motor. its all about value.
anyone
Mr. Hoppen indicated that some dealers were chipping the cars prior to delivery and adding fancy wheels (and before the factory added it) and a spoiler and other ground effects. I told him I wanted him to work with my dealer for the Federal Express exhange of my current ECU for the chipped one (stage one MTM chip).
The service manager and Hoppen spoke, and two days later I drove my chipped (by the dealer, at the dealer) 1.8T home.
Now, it is true that if the chip can be found to have caused a failure, well then the warranty is voided for that reason -- but a stage one chip installed by the dealer is highly unlikely to be the cause for the transmission to go out, the fuel injection to fail, the battery to die, the CD player to quit, the AC to lose its freon, the engine to become oil starved or the seat to jump off its track.
Yes, I have read posts about warranties not being honored because of a chip -- I have asked my dealer about these kind of issues. The reply is that they were usually not installed by the dealer and some other problem was created by a non dealer installation. One customer chipped his S4 and somehow managed to loosen the clamps on some hoses which caused something to fail prematurely -- the specifics are not important, what is important is who had to pay.
Why are we trying to hide stuff from the dealer? If we are, then it must be something that is not considered legitimate by the great warranty grantor in the sky somewhere. All the chippers I know do it above board.
I even had my Audi dealer put cross drilled rotors on my car -- and I am assured that if they crap out, they will be covered (and replaced by new non-cross drilled Audi replacement parts).
Involving the dealer -- NO SECRETS -- seems to work just fine. And, from my experience, the 1.8T engine when chipped gets a massive, noticable increase in torque with virtually no side effects other than the increased possibility of speeding tickets.
It is hard to keep a secret and when you do because you think it might cost you to reveal the truth, well -- aren't you perhaps committing fraud? If so, and you are caught, doesn't this at least fall into the same class as insurance fraud? And if so and if the company wants to go to the mat, isn't this a felony?
Why not get this stuff done at the dealer? I think it cost 2 hours labor -- which as I recall is $63 an hour, the part was $500 or $600 and the Fed Ex charge (both ways, my cost,) was under $100.
Are we keeping secrets from the dealer to save $126 bucks on $30 - $50,000 cars -- while simultaneously sneaking around to avoid the perception (but not the reality) of a fraudulent act?
Whew!
-install a chip for me
-put aftermarket parts on my car
-put replacement parts on my car after my aftermarket parts fail
I don't think it's a matter of whether you want to save a few hundred of green ones and do it somewhere else. It's plain simple, the dealerships won't even touch aftermarket parts, and they'll point their fingers at you and make you pay for replacement parts if they can prove your aftermarket parts are causing the damage.
Billy
I know, I know, maybe you only have 1 dealership near you. In that case you are out of luck. Now me, on the other hand have 6 Audi dealers within 30 miles of me so if I do decide my next vehicle is an Audi you can bet aftermarket friendliness will be a factor in my decision on which dealership would get my business.
One last example -- at one of theses dealerships there is a wall with pictures of Audi's (and Porsche's) with aftermarket wheels, spoilers, shift nobs (or is it knob?) suspension mods, etc. The dealership has a treatment they offer called AS6 -- which apparently takes an A6 and places a spoiler on the rear, lowers the suspension and puts larger wheels and tires on the car.
I think this "kit" is NOT from Audi -- as I have not seen the wheels in any parts catalog. Indeed, some of these dealers have a showcase or catalog of wheels that you can order to personalize your Audi (or Porsche).
And, if you think that Audi of America is not aware of this, I know that the Audi customer advocate has been to my dealership many times and the AS6 pictures on the wall were always there.
When I had a 1995 S6 my dealer informed me that I could order some sport springs (at that time they were not "on line" from Audi) from one of his customers. My dealer has advised me as to plus sizing my tires, suggested brands of tires and investigated factory upgrades that apparently "don't exist."
Recently, I asked if I could order an allroad in Black Pearl, full paint finish with an Ecru Cricket interior -- such a car is not to be found on the web site or in the order books. The answer in one day was yes -- for $1,700.
My point is to VOTE with your dollars -- your dealers should not be put in a position to harm you or place your warranty in jeopardy. If you ask them to do so, well then they should refuse to help you. My dealer has been on the Audi Dealer Council and informs me that -- within reason -- dealers want to help their customers with such modifications. My dealer even allowed his dealership to be the host facility for the local Porsche owner's club -- and talk about modifications and aftermarket stuff, these owners do it with a passion.
Check out the Audi Car Club of America, formerly the quattro club of America, their mouthpiece (still called the quattro quarterly) is heavily subsidized (w/advertising) by Audi of America, but the majority of the advertising space is from companies who specialize in aftermarket "stuff." If Audi was so concerned, one would think they would pull their generous support which would probably "force the issue." The magazine is chock full of Audi of America advertising dollars.
We Audi owners who want to modify our vehicles (again WITHIN LIMITS) should not feel any need to do so surreptitiously. A stage three chip (all by itself) is probably outside the limits of sanity with respect to the factory turbo -- the dealer will almost certainly NOT install such a mod without the associated plumbing to make this upgrade "safe" for the powertrain.
A new cat-back exhaust, a cone type air filter and a stage one chip plus a new set of springs, sway bars, wheels and tires plus a spoiler on the butt -- NO PROBLEM. At least it should be.
Find a dealer who is a car enthusiast, perhaps that is the ticket. Of course also find the dealer who is a good business person.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Maybe I need to move to Cincinnatti.....right Mark? :>
Billy
While I was at an Audi driver school, one of the participants told me that his dealer helped him with putting a supercharger on a 2.8 engine. Then when his radiator problem happened it was determined that the supercharger was not the cause and the warranty came to the rescue.
When I personally have only asked two dealerships and have been told about two others, I grant that it is more than possible that dealers (generally) are not mod friendly.
My sense from reading these posts is that most customers have not involved their dealership, but are "certain" the dealer would not be mod friendly. Perhaps this is a more accurate picture than the one I have painted. Only a forum such as this one can get this much data together from geographically disparate regions of the US. But the validity of such notions (i.e., dealers are mod unfriendly) needs to be checked by actually trying something such as a stage one chip upgrade to a turbo engine.
I know my dealer is not in favor of DIY -- so I always involve my dealer when I even think about any mod, from tires to spoilers to sound systems to telephones to chipping and to conversion of cloth seats to leather (which is the only area in which I had any issues due to the in seat air bags -- only 1 place would actually warrant that the airbag operation would be unaffected by their leather seats covers.)
With respect to the disk brake rotors -- my dealer, on my behalf and with Audi's participation, purchased front cross drilled rotors in an attempt to end my rotor warpage issues with my A6. I specifically asked the question, "what happens if, under the warranty period, these rotors poop out?" The response was, "you will get new OEM rotors, but not another set of the aftermarket cross drilled rotors." Thus far such measures have not been neede -- perhaps they were just telling me what I wanted to hear. But this dealership is customer service personified so I find it hard to believe they would not keep their word.
And although I do like our little town, I find it hard to believe that the dealers in Southern Ohio are THAT much different than anywhere else.
Obviously, I wouldn't expect the dealership to replace or service aftermarket parts under warranty, but I expect to be able to have aftermarket parts and not get hassled about them. I wouldn't want to bring a car in for a bad CV joint and have the service department refuse to look at it because I have an aftermarket exhaust or try to get me to pay for the repair because I chipped the thing. Basically I don't want to be denied service or be required to lug in a copy of the US Code to prove that I'm illegally being denied warranty coverage. I want a mutual agreement - I don't try to take advantage of the service department and they don't try to take advantage of me.
I too do not take advantage of my dealer and don't expect to be taken advantage of.
To the --- uh, er, aftermarket wheels, for example -- if I buy a set of those, I do not expect the Audi Advantage to help me if there is a defect in them. Normally I would not expect help for the brake rotors but these were done by the dealer and with AoA's awareness and consent.
A chip issue should and as far as I know will not void the warranty on the rest of the car -- unless the chip can be shown to have caused the problem -- with the chips from these companies in such widespread use, I frankly have very little concern -- and apparently so does my dealer.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
I love the Audis and VW's and I also am a fan of the 170 or 180 HP 1.8T engine -- but I would not ever use my own money to acquire one of these fine cars with auto transmissions -- it would take all the fun out of it (for me).
The sticks are so easy to drive, too. Here is one to consider, I find the manual transmissions in the 1.8T configurations to be smoother, quicker, higher performing and "more fun." The auto transmission always seemed to be hunting for another gear to shift up or down to -- it was noisy (engine racing and falling) and jerky -- as the engine kept hunting for the sweet spot.
If physically possible go with the stick shift, or at least take a long long test drive in one.