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Yes you didn't drive enough and you haven't reached the point where the amount of brake dust starts to minimize.....haha. How many miles you got? Still 1500 miles? So you got yourself a new Forrester according to Karen? You lucky dude.
Mgmyers, congrats! I got a 98 2.8 Avant Tiptronic loaner when I brought mine in for the 5k service....pretty good pickup with the Tip, not mentioning when it's coupled with a stick. And it's silver too.....what a good choice for color LOL. Yeah I like those 16" five spoke wheels and I saw some older 1.8T's with those wheels.....don't know if they come with sports pkg back then. The 98 2.8 Avant loaner comes with the current 1.8T 15" 9 spoke wheels.....dunno why, maybe dealer swopped the five spoke ones for those wheels.
Billy
Check post above regarding my experience buying a 2.8 Avant. The best way to check on availability is to have dealer do a locate. However, my guess is there are very few out there. I just got my Avant last week, fresh off the ship which carried the latest shipment of CA bound Audis, so there might be a couple more out there in the next week or so. I don't think you'll have much negotiating power on this model - I paid 6% or $2000 over invoice which is not great but I felt was reasonable given the supply and demand situation. good luck!
Good luck hunting!
Billy
I pick it up next Tuesday, so can't wait!!
Thanks again! I'll put an update on the A6 board once I get it and drive it a bit.
Lisa from Minneapolis
Karen..Congrats! You can join me and Laukdog as the Chicago people on the board. I think some of the simple changes on the 2001 and the 2001.5 is the worthless 3rd sun visor that was added. The inside door sills say Audi on metal trim. There is also something about the build date on car, I think after November is the 2001.5.
I've taken it to the dealer, and of course they could not replicate the noise. They did check for any loose clamps, bolts, screws, etc. under the car and found nothing wrong.
Any ideas on what the cause could be? It's really an annoyance on a new car that I like so much.
Lisa, geez so I thought recommending the S4 was more expensive than what you want to pay....and you end up getting a bigger A6 with the same S4 engine.....GOOD for you. Nice leasing terms too.
Yeah Katie, you can join me and fdxboy for Chicago gatherings. As for 2001.5, yeah the shipping charges cost a little more, got the aluminum sills, and the availability of the Quattro Celebration pkg for only $500. FOr synthetic, I just did my 5k service last week and I told them to use the Mobil 1 0W30 synthetic I brought along....they screwed up by putting in the dino Castro oil in and I told them to take it right out and put the synthetic I brought. According to the manual the oil in your engine now is 0W30 and that and 5W30 is also recommended. Since there's no dino oil in 0W30 weight, it gotta be synthetic. I usually follow what the manual says.
Greg, I think a cold engine start is usually coupled with more vigorous vibrations.....since my theory is the oil is struggling to get around all corners inside the engine. Once they get around the vibrations will be gone. My Accord did that too.
Shannon, the blue you are referring to must be the Santorin blue.....nice color.....but you guys gotta wash it every few days.....it's a color that can easily show the dirt.....but if it's clean it's gorgeous. Seems like AoA and the dealerships are running good deals on remaining stocks of cars on the lot. Congrats!
Billy
Has anyone gotten their windows tinted? I've noticed that there is a slight tint already on/in the windows. I don't know if it protects against NV or if it is just cosmetic (appears dark). I'm thinking about getting them tinted cause the sun is a real scorched in Texas!!! (especially the back window which doesn't seem to have the tint at all).
Also, I do notice a lot of build up of brake dust on my wheels. Is there anything that can be done to prevent this build up?
I took my car up to about 90 mph during the first few hundred miles. The manual says not to exceed 3/4 of the top speed (which I didn't). I also try not to rev it up too high. Also, it says that when you are done driving, don't shut it off immediately... wait for a minute or two because of the heat/damage to components, yadda, yadda, yadda...you gotta be kidding me! Does this really cause damage? I would think that the things would heat up just standing still there idling. Any other suggestions from anyone? I want my A4 to last for many, many miles... any suggestions or comments are very much appreciated!!! Lovin this car so far!!!
Scott
Brake dust builds up. You can install brake shoe things, but they will not allow heat to dissapate. This is bad. (sorry, I don't have the technical explanation).
Regarding turbochargers, and cooling them down...do it. The turbo spins really really fast, and gets glowing-metal hot. Taking a minute or two before shutting down allows cooler oil from the pan to circulate through the turbo, getting the heat away. If you don't do it, there is a chance (I'm a math teacher, and have no idea how much of a chance) that the oil can coke (become black, sticky, and burnt on) up on the turbo parts.
Perhaps one of the other intrepid readers will supply further insights.
I admit to being a lurker on this board for a while now. I own a '97 A4 1.8T w/ quattro. It is santorin blue (which does need to be washed often, but it looks great). I love the car. I have had a few problems with it, but they are water under the bridge. The biggest complaint I have is that the only Audi dealer is 40+ minutes away and it seems to take a week to get parts for the car, not matter what the problem is.
Anyway the car is still great to drive, even after 4 years. I have noticed that when taking turns at speed (say 40+ mph) that I hear a funny low frequency rumbling, especially on banked highway turns. It is not loud, it can be drowned out by the radio. I don't know enough to tell if it is an alignment issue or something else peculiar to the car. It happens on turns in both directions, but I thought it used to only happen on turns towards the left. My wife says it has always been there, I am just hearing it now. Anybody else hear this?
Congrats to all new owners. My wife and I have really enjoyed this car for four years and I am sure all of y'all will enjoy yours as long as you have it.
2) How come I'm getting different opinions to the ideal time of the turbo engine after driving? What does Audi say about it?
3) Anyone going to that Quattro challenge event at Chicago? Do you think it's worth the drive to go from MD? It looks very interesting! How long is it exactly?
The deal is $499/mo for the 2.7T Quattro or $439/mo for the 2.8 Quattro. I drove the 2.7T (as did my husband) and we decided that the extra power was something we wanted. I went for 15K miles and took the A6 off the showroom floor that has the Premium Package, Bose, Xenon, and probably a few other goodies. White with the Advance interior, Tungsten Gray. It's very nice! My husband is in love with this car!!! He is a long-term Ford (sorry to say the F-word on this board) owner, as he needs room to haul around his camping and hunting gear. I expected him to give me the general "Sure Honey, if you think you want to spend that much..." But instead he's gushing about it to everyone who will listen!
We pick it up in just over 3 hours (but who's counting!)
Thanks again for all of your input. I now see what all the fuss over Audi's is about!!!
Lisa from Minneapolis
I have been driving stick shift for 25 years now, and I think the clutch in our 2000 A4 1.8T is too darn high. But my wife, who's 5'3", thinks it's fine. Considering I was the one who taught her how to drive a stick!!! I had the A4 die on me several times because I let the clutch go too quickly, and they all happened when my wife was sitting in the passenger seat. And of course, she laughed at me!
By the way, I thought brake dust is a given for Audis. We have it on the wheels of both of our A4 and 2001 TT. Is it something I have to worry about?
Now my car is 4 years old this month and has 67,000 miles. At about 64,000 mi. the cluch started slipping. One dealer told me this was not uncommon for VW products. Another dealer said they had not replaced an A4 cluch. Had it repaired at the second place. A Seal in the transmission went out and soaked the cluch with transmission fluid. The cluch and seal was replaced along with a rear wheel bearing and the tie rod ends. Total Bill $2335.06. I'm not pleased. No help from Audi USA. My recommendation is to sell your Audi before the warranty ends. this is the worst quality car I have ever owned.
Here are her specs:
2001.5 A4 1.8T Quattro w/5 spd.
Laser Red w/Onyx Leatherette
Quattro Sport Pkg. w/17" alloy wheels
Celebration Pkg. w/sunroof
Cold Weather Pkg.
ESP
Xenon
I think that's mostly everything...she's gonna be one sexy little sports car. Don't ya think? I'm going to bed now...when I wake in the morning, I'll be one day closer to my new friend I know this message gets a little corny real fast, but I'm pretty psyched right now!! eb.
Oh yeah I don't like the high clutch too. And yeah I choked the engine like 4 times in the first month of so, and everytime my girlfriend was in the car. Of course she laughed at me and I swore I wouldn't do it again. It worked :>
Yeah when I got a German car I'm prepared to pay for expensive maintenance after the warranty period. I am thinking, I will keep my eyes open after the 50,000 mile mark and if the maintenance costs is too high, it won't be a happy sight but my Audi got to go.
Congrats Lisa.....I luv the A6 2.7T too.....I just saw a new A6 2.7T in the lot at work and I will see if that's you haha.
Billy
I have looked into the turbocharger and how it is cooled. Audi has chosen a turbo that is cooled with water as well as oil for the bearings. The turbo has a water jacket and is cooled with the normal engine coolant. As far as letting the turbo cool this is what I do. If I have been having fun with the car ie. high revs. When I am about 3 minutes from my destination I keep my rpm's lower and the turbo will cool just fine. I have talked to Audi about this. I feel quite comfortable about the turbo system in my 1999.5 A4. ( I am a pilot and a jet aircraft mechanic for over 14 years). Have fun!!
-Sam
I'm hoping to pick up my new A4 within the week(it's pretty much the same as ebnk's above, plus Bose and in Santorin blue), and I have a couple of questions. First, the car was supposed to be here a month ago, but my dealer said there was a fire on one of Audi's transport ships that put it out of commission, so all deliveries were delayed. Does that make any sense at all? I haven't read anything about that here or on AudiWorld. I'm wondering if it's just BS. Second, when I met with the dealer a month and a half ago, we settled on a price and agreed on a trade-in allowance. She wrote that information on an order form, which I have a copy of. What I'm wondering is if the dealer will now try to 're-evaluate' my trade since almost two months will have passed, and it will have another 1500-2000 miles or so. I mean, technically it's probably worth a little less with the added mileage, but can they change it now that it's on paper? I just want to know what to expect when I go in there.
Thanks everybody,
Parker
For tons of info on extended warranty and discussion of pros and cons check out www.audiworld.com - use the search engine and you'll get pleny of info.
I'm hoping to pick up my new A4 within the week(it's pretty much the same as ebnk's above, plus Bose and in Santorin blue), and I have a couple of questions. First, the car was supposed to be here a month ago, but my dealer said there was a fire on one of Audi's transport ships that put it out of commission, so all deliveries were delayed. Does that make any sense at all? I haven't read anything about that here or on AudiWorld. I'm wondering if it's just BS. Second, when I met with the dealer a month and a half ago, we settled on a price and agreed on a trade-in allowance. She wrote that information on an order form, which I have a copy of. What I'm wondering is if the dealer will now try to 're-evaluate' my trade since almost two months will have passed, and it will have another 1500-2000 miles or so. I mean, technically it's probably worth a little less with the added mileage, but can they change it now that it's on paper? I just want to know what to expect when I go in there.
Thanks everybody,
Parker
One of the only other available options on my car was the sports package, which I chose not to get. If you want it, add about $900 to the MSRP.
You should be able to do about the same. Just don't let the salesperson talk you out of using Audi Financial. They have some outstanding lease rates right now.
Keep in mind that there are more engine choices in Europe than in NA, so you'll have to just look at the engines (1.8T, 3.0) that will available in NA.
Happy Surfing.
Keep us updated if you find out anything. If my Avant comes in that way, I know I'll be back on the dealer's lot before I have 2 miles on the car.
I typically search online for used cars and private owners always know their cars and can tell me what options are on the car, but if the car is at a dealer, they typically do not know if the car is equipped w/sport package or not. I'd like to determine this before I go look at the car.
What questions should I ask the dealers on the phone to determine if the car was equipped w/sport package from the factory? Should I make it a priority to get a sport package equipped car, i.e., is it worth the extra expense?
'98.5 A4Q w/Sport Pkg
'01 allroad
As far as the extended warranty being extra dealer's profit, you can argue that in some cases, but just wait until something significant happens to the car. You will wish you had it. It also offers peace of mind, which is priceless.
Just ask my husband, who purchased one on his Jeep. We would be living on Kraft macaroni and cheese if he didn't!
The price has lead me to speculate about any possible problems (he's asking only 17999 w/ 42k miles). Please respond with what you know about trouble spots that I should look at, thanks...
My advice would be to get three different bids from reputable body shops, understanding the approach that each would take to make it look as good as new again. Then before accepting the work when they are done, look very critically at it from several angles in outdoor light, and if you can see any evidence of a remaining imperfections, demand that they try again.
Tom-- At first I thought you might have been describing the GALA feature. I haven't fooled with mine yet so I didn't really know. But after reading the tech article that I saved from over at AW, what you described obviously isn't the GALA setting. Man, I haven't even read my owner's manual since the first week I had my car! ...sheesh. I keep meaning to fool around with both the hidden equalizer and the GALA settings but haven't gotten around to it yet ...jeez, I'm pitiful! :-P
regarding the "high clutch" issue: yup, VW/Audis have always had clutches with high engagement points. I remember asking the dealer to adjust the clutch so it would engage lower on my Scirocco when it was new but they advised against it... something about it being the way the VW engineers designed it and if they adjusted it so that it wouldn't be within the factory tolerances/specifications, it could void the warranty if I should have clutch problems later on. So when I got the A4, I didn't even bother asking about it. It is really difficult for me to adjust to the high engagement point because my last few cars have been Japanese. Toyotas are known for the super smooth clutches and the 4Runner I owned had a clutch engagement that was as smooth as butter--I've never driven a vehicle that has such a silky smooth clutch. On my new A4, I just can't get it to engage, starting from a stop, as smoothly as I could on my previous cars. It's not quite a "chatter" but it just doesn't engage in first gear with the smoothness that I'd like. Maybe after I drive it a few more thousand miles, I'll get a better "feel" for it, lol (Billy, I finally broke the 1,000 mile barrier! yay!) Keep in mind that I'm a long time manual transmission user and I still can't quite adjust to this Audi clutch! *argh!*
--'rocco
And I've driven manuals my whole life...