Audi A4 Maintenance and Repair

rowlandj · September 2005

The Mobil 1 oil is one of the few that meets the Audi specifications. The exact information is in the owners manual, but these engines require a very specific type of oil and this is one of them.

Changing the oil this way gets 'most' of the oil out and about 1 quart is left if you have a 1.8T engine. The 6 takes more, that detail is also in the manual.

An early change should not be needed at all as the initial 5,000 should be fine.

JR

byronwalter · September 2005

fourplay56,

Since you have a manual 05+, I'm pretty sure that you have the 2.0t engine. While I can't recall exactly what the manual said about oil capacity, I believe that it is around 4.5 quarts.

As JR mentioned above the 5 k interval should be fine. On my previous A4 my first change was at 5 k and the car never ever needed any oil between changes... this suggests that the engine had healthy piston rings. But a big part of that is driving smoothly, avoiding WOT, high rpms, varying rpms during that critical 1000 k break in period. I also gradually (and gently) let the rpms occasionally move further up the rpm band.

Byron

jenp · September 2005

Ok, these posts about timing belts are truly scary. I have a 2001 A4 2.8 quattro w/ 97k miles. I was told, by both the audi dealer and a local mechanic that I trust, that the timing belt for an 01 2.8 quattro should be replaced at 105,000 miles. Has anyone with a 2.8 had a problem with a timing belt failing before 105k miles? All of the posts about failing belts involve 1.8 Ts. Needless to say, I intend to have my timing belt replaced as soon as I can (within the month) but wondered, if it fails before I can get it fixed and there is engine damage do I have any recourse considering I was advised that it should not be a problem until 105k miles?

Thanks,
JenP

mcmuney · September 2005

What's the ski sack on the 2005.5 Audi's that's included in the Cold Weather Pacakge? Is this something visible?

hectorp · September 2005

Have you had any news on this? I have a 2004 A4 3.0 that I recently bought and it has only 8000 miles and same problem as you and Audi refusing to honor the warranty. Today I sent a complain to Audi USA and am waiting for an answer, will also call later today.
I think it is ridiculous that it has such a problem at this point.

kocour · September 2005

I was about to buy a 2005 A4 convertible at a really good year end price, but after reading horror stories and talking to a few local Audi owners it seems to me that 1 in 10 Audis is a lemon. Any encouraging words to get me to join the Audi family? has quality improved in recent years?

leon3332001 · September 2005

Hi,
everytime you stand in front of the question what to buy - a hard to find answer.

I consider the Audi A4 2T and Toyota Avalon Limited.
Well, 2 excellent cars and manufactures. However best results you hear from consumers they have experience with one or even both cars.
Any suggestions... any problems I should pay attention when purchasing one of these two cars? Tell me what it was like for you... Good experiences and bad..

From a dealership to the car itself....

Any comments appreatiated.
I read so many reviews now, but still want to know more... the more the better and the better I can feel when I go for the deal.

Thanks.

sandy15 · September 2005

Hi
as a long term audi owner I never had this problem.
could be there is something wrong with your AC. ( moisture getting into the system)I USE my AC to clear condensation and it works very well. AC dries the sir so it clears condenstaion at any temperature hot or cold.
I have a 5 yr old Audi A4 with 2.4 V6, SE.
good luck

sandy15 · September 2005

if you buy an AUdi DONT buy the 2l Turbo.
I have owned an A4- V6 2.4 L. for 3 years, and I check the forums regulary. I see a lot of reported problems re the 2 l turbo. I think its to do with the higer temperatures under the bonnet causes problems after a while.
I find the Audi a very good car but it is not cheap to run- running costs and servicing is expensive, especially compared to my previous Toyota's. But I do prefer the Audi.

gasket123 · September 2005

Hi, I've got an Audi A4 quattro, the front 2 windows do roll up and down 2-3 inches and i try to roll all the way up again and it would roll down 2-3 inches again and would do that for awhile. After this happens the automatic one-touch on the automatic window does not work so i have to hold the button down til either to close or open. In 2004, my driver side front window motor was making "cracking" and "grinding" sound as it did, the window seemed "possessed" and roll down all on own and i tried to close but wouldn't for awhile. i took the car in to a dealership and they replaced the motor but it still now and then rolls down a few inches when i try to close it. First i thought the hot weather may have expanded the weather strip so the window wouldn't close but it happened again when the weather wasn't hot!!! over the weekend, the front passenger side window made that cracking and grinding sound and went berserk so i am taking the car in for service, hopefully, knock on wood, that would help but the windows but might still roll up and down on it's own, i'm afraid.. I don't know about the 2 back windows since i hardly ever use those. I hope i don't have these problems when my 4 year warranty is over....

Please call the Audi Customer service at 1-800-822-2834 option 3 and let them know that you are also having this problem. i had called them last year and also today about this situation.

byronwalter · September 2005

I also follow some Audi enthusiast forums and haven't seen any indication of excessive temps under the hood with the two liter turbo. Perhaps these are on the European forums (your use of "bonnet" suggests that you might be across the pond).

Just wondering...

Byron

roddeti · September 2005

This is a bag that is accessible from the middle rear seat arm rest. It rolls out so you can put your skis in from the boot, push it through an opening and the sack protects the interior of the car.

mke · September 2005

Anybody else had/heard about problems relating electrical problems due to water leaks near the A-pillar (driver side). Water leaks started about week ago and today morning windshield wipers stuck on all the time. Previous day I noticed erratic behavior on the light at the hazard light switch. Incredible a car of Audi's class can have a water leak inside...Dealer is more than willing again to repair the problem, but this is waste of my time. I love the car, but so far too many problems w only 55,000km driven (front break rotors and pads worn, worn wiper blades scratched the windshield). Maybe a BMW next time?? :lemon:

pej1 · September 2005

Hi JenP

My 1999 A4...timing belt bust at 65,000 miles...still battling with Audi on the matter.

I was wondering if any other 2.8 owners with timing belt failures out there if so, whether there's anything happening from Audi to help them.

Graci

pej 1

Mr_Shiftright · September 2005

You might find this interesting but it looks like it doesn't apply to your engine exactly....still.....

http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2005/07/17/class_action_can_be_engine_of_cha- nge/

ruzkai · September 2005

I have a 2002 A4 and have had nothing but problems. It is at the dealer right now and was initially qouted $7.5 for the trasmission problem. Stay Away!

byronwalter · September 2005

Sorry to hear about your tranny troubles. Which engine and transmission do you have? Isn't your car still under warranty? I recently traded my '02 1.8t with a manual. Had one bulb go and CEL but otherwise the car was perfect.

Byron

civic4 · September 2005

I cannot understand why Audi has not decided to use a timing chain instead of the belt in its engines. I too had a 1998 A4 and had the belt break and do extensive damage two times, you would think they would either use a better belt or even netter, turn to a timing chain which I understand may never need replacement.

amadeus733 · September 2005

I have exactly same problem on my Audi a4 1.8T 2000. Have you figured out what is wrong? I am taking main to deallership, noone else can figure out what problem is.

Alex

Mr_Shiftright · September 2005

Belts are quieter and simpler. You don't need a separate timing chain cover and lubrication system. Chains can get sloppy and cause poor running of the engine, too.

tummydummy · September 2005

2003 A4 1.8T
At 51K the fuel pump died 3 hrs from home costing me $700 P&L.
At 56K the oil and engine lights came on and right then the entire engine blew out and needed to be replaced - again 3hrs from home. I got that back and it was surging during acceleration so I brought it back and the dealer cleaned dirty valves and vacuum lines. 2 days later, 3hrs from home, the main pully on the crank shaft fell out of the front of the engine. The dealer that has it now says this engine needs to be replaced. This will be the 3rd one.

I have not been charged for anything but I'm making payments and have not had my car either. They gave me a corolla though.

In my talks with the dealer I have been told that the oil suldge is from not using synthetic oil but I always brought it to the dealer every 10K miles as advised. When I asked "why 10K?" they said because they use synthetic. Now they say they used regular oil but that synthetic will solve the problem.

The problem has been identified as a defective engine and not a dealer workmanship problem. It seems Audi cannot even build a decent engine.

Has anyone else dealt with this type of situation?

byronwalter · September 2005

There's a dirty (literally) little secret about those 10 k oil change intervals. Audi says you can go 10k ... and then the fine print ... if you drive short distances, stop & go, in freezing temps, or in dusty conditions the oil should be changed more frequently. How frequently?... I've always gone with synthetic every 5k or 6 months, whichever comes first. Likewise, the timing belt interval is wildly optimistic.

My new 2.0t engine came with synthetic oil and after an initial 5k change, calls for 10k changes. You can bet that I will stick with the 5k/6 month change. This has kept my previous two Audi engines very happy and hopefully this will work with my current ride.

Tummydummy, I see maybe a new Lexus or Infiniti in your future

Very sorry about your crummy Audi experience.

Byron

sunlabel · September 2005

This is the second time in a year that the convertable top inside handle will not turn completely to unlock the top. I have tried everything. i.e. lock trunk, emergency brake up, in park, etc. Last year I brought the car to Audi and they repaired it with a trunk lock sensor replacement at a cost of $600. Well that lasted about 6 months and now I have the same problem. Does anyone else have this problem.? Am I missing something. Is there a cheaper way to fix this? I love this car but you can imagine how frustrating this is on those nice sunny days! Any help would be appreciated

jjy · September 2005

I am very worried about the future of my Audi A4.

I have 2003 A4 1.8T

The CVT transmission needed to be replaced at 52,000 miles! just 2,000 miles after the warranty!! The dealer claimed that it happens every so often but there was no recall from the manufacturer. I am not confident about this CVT transmission and I cannot wait to get this car replaced! If it goes out on me again that would be $10,000 to replace it. (I heard that this Audi transmission is one of the most expensive transmissions)

bdr127 · September 2005

Does anyone know what the actual "official" name for the thing that controls the self-leveling xenon headlights? It is a "box" that's about 4"-5" cubed that's right behind the headlights under the hood.... There is a group of wires terminated with a clip that goes to it. Anyone know what this thing is called? I'm looking for a replacement, but I don't know the name of the thing to search for..... Thanks!

(2002.5 Audi A4 1.8T Quattro)

bdr127 · September 2005

I should clarify that to say "under the hood, behind the headlight assembly" (not just the actual bulb itself).... Thanks in advance!

mjs2 · October 2005

I just spent over $4,000 to keep my 1999 1.8 Turbo on the road (with only 63,000 miles, mind you). Last night I started the car, pulled out of a parking lot and felt the entire car start to shake. My husband was driving and said he felt like it wouldn't shift into higher gear. Then the engine light came on. We stopped the car and restarted it, and it seems to be running fine but the engine light is still on. We drove it back home (about 75 miles) and it made it, but I'm afraid to get in that thing again. I literally picked it up from the service dealer one week ago (only $550 bucks that time). Does anyone know if that kind of shaking is a transmission problem or, even worse, the dreaded timing belt? They just checked the timing belt and said it was fine, but I don't think those Audi service people have a clue what they're doing. And I'm SICK OF SPENDING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS EVERY MONTH!!! After plowing that much money into it, I was hoping to hold on to it another year but that's looking highly unlikely...

jrollins · October 2005

i dont know if u have replaced the wheel bearing yet, but you might want to check your brake dust cover before you go dumping a 300 dollar wheel bearing into it, just a suggestion

Mr_Shiftright · October 2005

Nope, not the timing belt but maybe a failing ignition coil pack? Something's up and if you had any ignition work done, the dealer may owe you.

shaymasdaddy · October 2005

I'm new to this forum so I'll need your help....I've noticed from these posts that a lot of the problems/issues are with the 2002 - newer A4 1.8T or the 2001 and older 2.8 Quattros. Am I safer purchasing a 3.0 Quattro? Were there coil issues with the 3.0? What are other things I need to be aware (outside of the timing belt)?

Thanks in advance.

mcmuney · October 2005

I had a 2003 3.0 CVT and they did have the coil recalled on them. Mine was replaced during regular maintenance. I had some minor stuff happend to it, but nothing major. The reason I say that I HAD is because I traded it in for the 2005.5 3.2 Quattro and I'm very happy with it so far.

karkrazy · October 2005

I have a 2003 A4 1.8T. Since new I have not been able to refuel the car with the OPW model 12VW nozzle. No matter how slow I try to fill the car or what angle I hold the nozzle it just shuts off and fuel spills out.

Most new stations in my area use this nozzle and as older stations replace nozzles they install the OPW 12VW. The places I can get gas are slowly disappearing. I know some other A4's have had this problem. Anyone know of a fix? My dealer is unable and unwilling to help.

abizzle · October 2005

I just bought a 2006 Audi A4 2.0 T and I have noticed that the ride has caused me to experience neck pain and stiffness. I think it is the turbo effect.

Please respond if you have experienced the same problem and what I can do about it. Or what you think my problem is.

abizzle · October 2005

I just bought a 2006 Audi 2.0T premium pckg, sunroof, cold weather. First things first I think the car looks great and drives well. However I have experienced some neck pain from the turbo ride.

Is this something I will get used to or is something wrong with my Audi

Anybody have any thoughts?
I used to drive a 1999 323CI BMW.

bdr127 · October 2005

What does the turbocharger have to do with the ride?

cicero · October 2005

Provided you are not joking, I am somewhat perplexed by your inquiry. I think you may get some cynical responses to your questions. I doubt that the turbo charging has anything to do with what you are describing. It sounds more like a seat adjustment or a different driving position than you experienced in your older BMW. Suspension differences might also explain the pain but the turbo is not a likely explanation.

abizzle · October 2005

Yeah I am sorry I never drove a car that was a turbo. I guess what I am talking about is the effect that I feel when I accelerate from a stoped or slowed down position. Like I said my last car was a 323 and you had to really give it gas to get it to move. And the A4 is a very soft pedal and when I start to go, I get this neck jerking like motion.

Either way my friends think its rediculous but the bottom line is I have been driving the car for one week and seriously concerned about the ride comfort. I am imagining it is that I am not used to the ride of the car since it is such a contrast I feel from my previous ride of 6 years.

Thanks for comments and corrections I hope everyone understands what I am trying to convey, sorry for sounding so stupid.
Please let me know if you have any thoughts

byronwalter · October 2005

Experiment with the angle on your headrest. If that doesn't seem to help, adjust the position of the steering wheel, both forward and aft as well as vertical. Also see if your tire pressure is set correctly. But gotta say that is one of the more bizarre complaints that I've read. :P

Byron

cicero · October 2005

No need to apologize or repeatedly apologize. At least you asked the question. I am curious as to how many years you have been driving? Ask your dealer whether there is an Audi driving course available or a student driving course. You may be "jumping on it" by jamming down on the accelerator. Jerking indicates that you are accelerating too fast and then stopping too fast. Ride comfort goes to the seating position and the feel of the road. It does not sound like you have those problems and I suspect that the newer Audi has a better ride than the much older BMW. Good luck

josh7 · October 2005

I had someone jump my 98 A4 the other day and they hooked up the jumpers backwards. I think it blew my radio or maybe just a fuse, because not even the SAFE option comes up when I try to turn on the radio. I checked the fuse box. Anyone know what else I can check before I resort to taking it to the shop? Thanks.">

bdr127 · October 2005

Yeah, I'd also say to not hit the gas as hard and to not hit the brakes as hard. When you test drove the car, did you have such problems?

bdr127 · October 2005

It shows "SAFE" because it is an anti-theft device built into the radio. When the power (the battery) is disconnected, you need to input a password in order to use it again. An obvious deterrent to a common theif..... Anyways, a password came with the car -- a sequence of buttons to press on the radio. It should be with your owner's manual and all that kind of stuff. If you can't seem to find it, then you'll have to take it to an Audi dealer so they can give you the code.

abizzle · October 2005

You know my test drive was short and I did not experience this so called neck jerking reaction. I appreciate everyones response. I think like anything it will take some getting used to. Like I said my last car had what seemed to me a "heavy pedal". We'll see how it goes.

mike_a4 · October 2005

Hi, I am new to the forum. Got my 2003 A4 1.8T quattro w/sport susp on April 30, 2003 and the sales guy told me to take the car across a broad range of RPMs and not to keep it steady. First thing I did pulling out of the dealer is take it up to 5500 RPM with only 8 miles on it.

I want to say that I purchased my car from a dealer that is 2 miles away from Audi of America. From the moment I stepped in the showroom to every visit to the repair shop, the service is phenomenal. Even though one of the service guys is a bit of an [non-permissible content removed] the rest of them make up for his rudeness. Also, everytime I request a car when mine is in repair/service, they always give me another A4 with about 5,000 miles on it.

Here are my problems I've had with my 2003 A4 1.8T:

1. At 9,000 miles, the glovebox door started to rattle. No problem, dealer fixed it. Now it requires applied downforce in order to be opened.

2. In the blistering cold here in Michigan, at about 25,000 miles the fuel pump went out. No problem. Germany sent over a new one and 4 days later I had my car back.

3. Here is the kicker....at 39,000 miles, driving on a beautiful sunny Saturday, the car starts to make funny howling noises....I'd shift gears and the noise would go away. This happened a few times and when I slowed down to about 25MPH, it went bezerks, did this weird high speed winding noise as if something was grinding and it stalled. It would not crank or nothing. Had it towed to my dealer within an hour. Luckily I caught the manager there and even though they were "CLOSED" he managed to go inside and give me a brand new loaner A4.

I called about a week later to inquire as to what happened. The manager told me that the water pump turbine has been getting worse and worse. Because of that, the water pump seal had slowly leaked coolant into the timing-belt cover which caused the timing belt to gradually loose its grip/function and simply snapped. Because it snapped, one of the piston heads collided with 2 valves. Both the piston shaft and valve shaft were bent. The good thing: no cylinder wall damage. yay!!! They fixed it without asking me any questions. I did ask them how much it would have cost if I were to pay for it. Their answer: $5,000.

When I got my car back, the MPG were a bit worse then normal, but after a while it got back to normal and now it drives like a champ.

4. Now I have 48,000 miles and the front suspension makes funny squeaking noises whenever I go down/up a driveway or over a speed bump (of course, I drive over them slowly).

One thing I have come to realize is that you need to have lots of $$$$$ if you want to drive a performance vehicle. Audi cars are made to perform. And just like anything high performance, it works wonderful, however it has a short life span. In the case of Audi, they are using LeMans technology in their cars. LeMans cars are built to perform for only 24 hrs, not 5 yrs. Once the Audi engineers figure a way to incorporate reliability with performance, they will manage to win over BMW & Lexus buyers.

Ohh and another thing I've learned is to "NEVER BUY A CAR THE FIRST YEAR IT COMES OUT". As an engineer, I've worked on a few vehicle launches here in Detroit and let me tell you, they are not pretty. Managers cut timing drastically, thus not giving us engineers the proper time to do our job properly.

One thing I know for sure is that Audi will have problems with their FSI technology in 2006...its too new. Come 2007, the 2.0T engine be flawless....just in time for the A3 quattro.

Thanks for reading my novel and feel free to post any comments.

bmalbert · October 2005

I am trying to find a 2001 A4 1.8 quattro to replace my truck. Right now I have a 2001 Dodge Dakota Quad Cab V8 so my [non-permissible content removed] hurts everytime i go to the gas station. is theere anything in partucular i need to watch out for or a milage i need to stay under or just any suggestions in general for me as i make paruse the possibilities. :confuse:

cultured_hick · October 2005

Just fyi, if you are truly concerned with mileage, there are possibly better options. I have a 2003 A4 1.8Q and in the city only get 14-16 mpg. This has been a common complaint. Conversely, I get about 29-31 on the highway. Both of these are not what the reported mileages are on the brochures/sticker when new, although the highway mileage is better than claimed. I believe the 2001's had the same engine as the 2002-2005's. There is a review in the new Consumer Reports that discusses these disparities and the fact that the current mileage values are based on some old formula by the EPA in the 1970s. If you are doing mostly highway driving, then this is a good option. I got my car chipped with a stage I APR and will never look back. If you haven't checked into this, it can be done for around $500, and any of the good companies are great options (GIAC, APR, Revo, Neuspeed). Prior to that I had considered selling it due to the painful turbo lag and the fact that a Honda civic outran me. The mileage did not change, although the performance was dramatically better when running 93 octane. As in above posts, make sure you get a car within the warranty or certified if possible, because there are too many nightmare stories. Nevertheless, there are alot of us that have had minimal problems as well. Just not worth the gamble....you think your [non-permissible content removed] hurts now....wait until you get a 4 digit bill for an Audi (or any German car) out of warranty.

dc cat · October 2005

i hear it could be simply dirty electrical and needs to be wiped.

mgamble · October 2005

How do you get the rear light cluster off to change a defective bulb??
I,ve released one screw on the inside of the boot and have a little bit of movement but still can't get the light cluster free!! I can't see any other obvious screws. can you help??

tcasboy · October 2005

I have a 2001 A4 FWD with the 5 speed manual and I just went back and checked my mileage for the past year of so (I keep a fuel log). I was surprised to see that I get 30-32 on the highway and haven't gotten less than 24 or so in around town suburban driving, and most tanks it is 26-27. I was pretty surprised by those numbers, even though the sticker numbers are 23 city and 32 highway.

If you don't need quattro and like to shift yourself the mileage is pretty good I think.

cneff · October 2005

Well, all I can say is the one I have now is my first and will be my last. It is a 2003 A4 3.0 Quattro. Nothing but electrical and computer problems. Audi of America is fully aware of the issues and has now sent me to my 4th dealer which just had it 2 weeks straight with 2 of Audi's experts, one from the US and one from Germany. As usual they just replaced everything related to the computer and some wiring but it just keeps freaking out. Sad thing is I am actually speaking with Corporate (not Audi customer care) and they keep telling me I am having a unique experience, and lots of apologies but no resolution.
I hope none of you reading this will have one of these "unique experiences". I have had German cars for years and they get testy, but if the company and dealer stand behind the product then life is good. With Audi I have a total of 150 days at the dealers, one was 45 in a row. For those about to ask, yes, I pursued them with Lemon law (due to intermittent failures they avoided taking the car back) and got a large settlement. What is odd about Audi is the fact that all they had to do was fix the car, they once offered me 1 month lease payment in return for not having the car for weeks. That check never came, even after repeated calls to them, they just said they were looking into it....for 4 months? So that 1 month they offered me ballooned into much more in court and with all the warranty work, loaner cars and their own experts they have spent triple the cars value - yet they can't fix it and wont give up. Is this putting the customer first?
As much as I wanted to like and believe in Audi I am giving up. They are not ready and they do not have the customer service attitude. I am frustrated with all the smoke blowing and I just found out my issues were known about 2 years ago...the dealers, plus Audi, chose to ignore or were incapable of understanding their own service bulletins. My advice is stay away, if you get a bad one you are in for a battle. One of their employees told me they only sell cars, seems to be true.
Sorry to ramble, but, it has been quite a wild ride. It is all documented.
It is a shame because one can see the attention to detail in the car, but any product without support is worthless.

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