Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
JR
Any suggestions on fixing this problem?
Inside the plastic hatch jamb (next to the rear lights) is one little plastic circle.
Pop this out and access the single screw holding the entire rear lens assembly.
(Use a magnetic phillips on this as it's a very long screw which must be removed completely but can easily be dropped down within the body.)
As this is the only screw, you can now gently remove the entire assembly - you may get some resistance from the two rubber mounts on the outer edge but they will eventually unstick.
Once the assembly is out you just unclip the white plastic housing for all 3 bulbs.
Swap the offending bulbs, snap it all back in and you're golden.
I’ve had it checked by two garages and they don’t know where the noise is coming from.
Further Information:
No vibration felt through the steering wheel
Noise doesn’t appear to be louder on one side of the car
Will not knock at lows speeds below 15mph
Recently had one cv joint replaced and it made no difference
No excessive play in the wheel bearings
All ball joints appear to be in good condition
The steering wheel only needs to be tuned slightly – not full lock.
Did you get a new jack--if so, how much were you charged for it
You are suffering, almost without doubt, from worn ball joints on your front control arms. There are eight of these, four each side, which locate your front wheels and provide the correct camber angles etc. Although a fairly novel idea when the car was introduced, they have proven to be a weak point on the car. The ball joint cannot be separated from the arm therefore the complete assembly has to be replaced at significant cost. You may be able to identifly which joint is worn by elevating the car on a ramp and levering each joint in turn; they are quite accessible. Your local Audi franchise will do this for you, or use a good independant garage.
In my experience, it would be sensible to replace all eight of these arms at the same time as you will always have one or more joints on the verge of unacceptable wear on a car of the age of yours.
The good news is that these arms are available as a kit from Audi at a cost in Britain of approximately £400 - about $750. Sounds a lot? - consider that each individual arm will cost up to $200 dependant on which arm you require and it starts to sound more sensible. Alternatively, it is feasible to inject a good quality lithium based grease through the ball joint gaiter (there are no grease nipples) using a syringe. These will prolong the life of the existing joints considerably. You do, of course, reduce the integrity of your gaiter and water may find its way into the joint.
Finally, the premature wear of these joints is commonly the subject of a safety recall; I'm reasonably sure this is the case in the US - approach your Audi franchise and ask, I'm sure the least they will do is check them for you. If you have a full service history with Audi then you qualify for free defective arm replacement in a significant number of countries. If continuously ignored it is not unknown for the joints to snap - not good for your ability to steer.
I am aware of most of this due to owning a 1996 A4 1.8 Avant myself. I would best describe the car as rather fragile. The engine is a credible performer and is fairly long lasting as is the interior. The perceived 'quality' is used as a focus to elevate forecourt and list prices way above the level they should be - not a trend restricted to Audi of course. What is atrocious however are the labour rates and parts pricing, which have escalated as new car profit margins decrease. Avoid Audi franchises at all costs and use a good independant garage.
My final words of wisdom? Buy a sensibly priced, reliable car. Don't be sufficiently vain to succumb to 'badge engineering' and pricing. Most japanese cars fit the bill but are of course perceived as being a tad dull. I can certainly vouch for Subaru - my Legacy has covered over 200,000 miles and has been subject to awful treatment in an attempt to break it as justification to buy a new one! The problem is it just keeps going.
Good Luck
The amount struck me as very high and I'm sure I can get it done for a much lower cost if I were to take it elsewhere. What concerns me is what the risks are of doing so. Can anyone advise me on the advantages/disadvantages of getting my car serviced by an Audi dealer compared to some place like Pepboys or Firestone? I'd be interested in knowing about the following areas:
- Quality of the job undertaken
- Looking out for other things that might need to be fixed so they don't result in greater losses down the road
- Not messing around with the rest of the car (like switching parts, etc.)
This is my first car and I've had it for only a year, so I'm pretty confused. If a non-Audi dealer would be acceptable, could anyone also recommend a service chain or a specific store in the Chicago area? Any input is greatly appreciated.
Thank you all.
The independents can do a fine job if you find the right one and they don't load you up with a pretty high-priced series of inspections and check-this-and-that's. Your car likely only needs fluid changes, a few filters and a look at the brakes and suspension. It should not be as much as what that dealer quoted.
JR
At the second dealer "repair" I suggested they check to make sure the drain for AC condensation was clear, as I have never seen any water dripping from my car after using the AC. The dealer reported all drains were clear and basically said to "run my heater on high" periodically to prevent the smell. The smell continues and I am wondering if anyone else has had this problem? The dealer mentioned they have encountered this before, but they don't really have a fix for it.. :confuse:
A copule of examples: I knew that my brake rotors and pads were getting low, so I took them to Hessen instead of the stealership. From past experience, the stealership would have recommended complete pad and rotor replacement, and sugested a few thousand dollars worth of other things. These guys let me know I had 20% wear left, and suggested I come back in 6 months. Also, they always gave me the straight dope, and if they were wary about fixing something(airbag), they let me know. They gave me accurate quotes. They don't have a big fancy showroom with donuts and coffee, but i don't care about that. Also, they are not in a convenient area for shopping.
By the way, I don't work for them, nor do I have any financial interest in them. I do want to make sure they stick around, because good, honest mechanics are hard to find.
Did you ever get your ESP light problem fixed? If so, what did they do? The ESP light on my 2004 cabriolet has been coming on sporadically. Stays on until I shut the car off. Happens about once a week, no pattern. I'm taking it in to the dealer later this week, but am guessing it will choose not to act up that day and they won't be able to diagnose.
My temperature gauge has recently been fluctuating between C and the middle point of C and H. It has never gone over the middle point but sometimes when it’s slightly below the middle it will drop down to C within a minute and slowly creep back up. Sometimes it will stay steady between C and the middle point with minor fluctuations. There are no leaks and the radiator and reservoir are full. Has anyone experienced any issues with the temperature gauge?
Hope this helps. Keep me posted if they fix the problem or not.
R
What would you do in a situation like that? Would you keep the car? Do I even have an option of returning it (I don't, according to the dealer)?
Have you heard of any problems with the new A4s? It was supposed to be such a great brand, but now the more I think about it it seems to me like a piece of expensive european junk.
Opinions, comments?
If the problem is mechanical and requires extensive tear-down to repair that would be a different matter, IMHO.
Good luck,
JR
My (98 A4) alarm started going crazy last night. It went off 5 times between 10pm and 4am. I made sure the windows were closed, restarted the car, reset the interior motion sensors, etc. By 2am I decided not to even lock the car and hence, keep the alarm off. Guess what...3am and 3:30am the alarm was going off and the CAR WAS NOT EVEN LOCKED. I was ready to start pulling wires. After a nice drive around the block at 3:30 the alarm decided to take a rest. None of the local dealers within an hour of me can fit it in for service before Friday. I am definitely disconnecting the battery tonight. I need some sleep and my neighbors do too!
I'd be very curious to hear if other Audi drivers have had similar problems, and what the diagnosis was... Thanks!
Thank you so much for your response! Your advise has been very very helpful. I've decided to take my car to an independent shop. I've also decided to give Hessen Auto a call.
Thank you again.
JR
I just read your original post and had to laugh...our dealer visits are ALWAYS $1000, minimum. It is a total joke for us now. We take it in for an oil change and it ends up being $1000, replace a light bulb = $1000. I probably just need to drive through the lot and my credit card would magically be charged $1000.
Good luck to everyone with the alarm problem, a local dealer was able to fit me in today so I'll report back with the damage. Anyone want to guess what it might be???
I hope that you were speaking metaphorically about your A4Q being "towed." Quattro equipped cars must be flat-bedded or the Torsen center diff will be damaged. Since you did mention that it's an '06 I assume that you do not live in the States? Anyhow hope your car is back in action soon. My '02 Avant has been very well behaved.
Wouldn't drive one of these Audi cars(especially w/twin turbo) without some sort of extended service plan.Find a good independent mechanic that knows these cars and takes Visa, then call Western National @1.800.722.4758 to set up an extended plan.
I think I can look into my crystal ball and tell you what they are going to say: that they can't tell you what the problem is because the battery was dead and it erased any error reports. And it's $1000.
I ended up taking it to my local dealer and told them I was going to leave it in their parking lot with *the battery disconnected* as to not disturb their neighbors if it started going crazy at night. They agreed that was good idea. Then they called me with the verdict: all error reports were cleared because *I* disconnected the battery. shame on me. They looked at it for a while longer, waiting for something to happen. Of course, the car was on it's best behavior and the alarm never acted up. I was charged $85 and they reduced the sensitivity on the alarm. So, I guess I can take back my theory about being charged $1000 by just driving through the parking lot...but maybe I should wait for my credit card statement.
Luckily, the car has been fine since I got it back. Maybe it was exorcised while in the shop?? who knows, but if anything else happens I will keep you'all posted!! best of luck to you!! Thanks for keeping me sane through this madness
Anyone else have a similar problem