Audi A4 2004 and earlier

gearhead10 · July 2003

Good question...the CVT CAN handle the hp and torque from a chipped 1.8T but I'm not sure if the CVT chips put out the same power as the MT and tip ones do. Boost might be toned down for the CVT, not the full 1.3 bar as for the other chips. I was told the GreedSpeed car (article in this month's Eurotuner mag) has only a 1.0 bar chip in it but it feels very quick--I was fortunate enough to be given a ride in it when mine was being installed.

If they make a quattro CVT that could handle full boost from a chip I'd be all over it.

affy · August 2003

I thought new Nissan was already using CVT for their new AWD Murano? Or does the CVT Audi uses are different from that of the Nissan, can someone please clarify please. I realized that Audi haven' t come up with the technology for their CVT to mate with their quattro system yet. With that being said, so does it mean Nissan are ahead of the competition?

dtwleungnyc · August 2003

The Murano only sends power to the rear wheels when it senses the front wheel is slipping, therefore, the demand on the unit is not as great in turns of torque and stress, since, technically, its a part time system. While the Audi Quattro system sends power to the rear wheel full time, thus creating more stress on the unit. I could be wrong though.

barriostkd · August 2003

Does anybody know the width of the 5-spoke 17-inch wheels on the A4? How about the weight?

Thanks!

-JB

lauk0dg · August 2003

The Audi Quattro system actually sends power evenly 25% to each wheel under normal condition. Under slip I *think* it can send up to 66% (or something like that) of the power to the one wheel that has slip. I'd say that's why the CVT might need some work before coupling to the Quattro.

Billy

tim_hooligan · August 2003

I am in the process of getting a replacement for my A4. The AoA rep stated that our case has been escalated to the regional manager for review. Are they pulling my leg or is this a good thing?

We have had a continuous problem that didn't get fixed after 6 attempts, AoA was notified...and under VA lemon law it is classified as a lemon. I followed all protocol and was wondering if anyone is familiar with this point in the process.

Also, if they do agree to replace our A4, what's my best route there? Do they do an equivalent? Can I supplement additional options? What if I want a manual instead of Tip this time?

And advice would be very helpful!
thanks all!

-t

dtwleungnyc · August 2003

What I meant was, the rear wheels in the Quattro system receives power at all time. Didn't mean to make it sounds like a rear wheel drive car by default.

markcincinnati · August 2003

My attorney wife claims that laws may differ (probably do) but that there will be much similarity between US states.

Here goes, assume your A4 is being replaced -- 100% [non-permissible content removed] for tat. You will get a new one equipped as close as possible to the lemon'd one. They are attempting to make you happy. They SHOULD, therefore, allow you -- at YOUR expense -- to equip the car with your choice of options.

When my friend's 2001 Caddy was determined to be a lemon, he was offered a 2002 Caddy replacement.

He was able to "custom order" the car -- he had Green, he wanted the replacement in Blue, done. Interior: he wanted some seat option that wasn't available in 2001 (and was extra cost in 2003) on his lemon replacement -- fine $x dollars and so on.

They even loaned him a car while his special order car was "being built or located or whatever they do to get a car when you use an order sheet."

His deal was a lease deal and they even factored all that in allowing him to keep the replacement car for the rest of the lease term or start all over (which actually technically meant a lower monthly payment -- due to some interest rate factors that had changed.) Now I doubt that he could have asked for an STS when he had a DeVille -- but who knows.

All I know is he said once the car had been declared a lemon -- everyone bent over backwards to keep him a Cadillac owner.

I would ask them to get the car with the options (including the manual transmission) that I wanted and understand that if I ordered "X" option and that option was not on the prior car that I SHOULD be expected to pay for that option.

I assume some adjustment would be made if some feature you wanted was in X package and was now in Y package or whatever.

What can it hurt at this point to politely ask?

tim_hooligan · August 2003

Thanks for the response. I think you are quite right and it never hurts to ask!

What I was basically wondering is if it sounds like Audi is actually taking us seriously. It's been a loooong fight with the dealer and Audi. Our first contact with AoA ended with a "go to a different dealership. it sounds like a dealership problem."

It hasn't been declared anything right now, other than a real pain. Audis are some fun cars, but my 31 pages of repair documents from the dealer showed the "not so fun" side.

What was the last straw was when the dealer told me "Look, we don't know what's wrong or how to fix it. You're out of luck."

I might be out of luck, but that's where the law steps in!

gearhead10 · August 2003

Stock 17's are 7.5" wide. I don't know the weight. I'm replacing them in about a week and can weigh them w/tires at that point.

rovision · August 2003

Hi,
I'm a new A4 1.8TQ owner, and after about 1 month of driving it, still learning new things about this car. First, I learned that is "normal" to add about 1qt. of oil during the first few thousand miles [mine at 1,400], then, this: after a normal city+freeway drive, I parked the car for about 20-30min. When started, no power! Like the turbo is not kicking in. Really annoying when trying to get in traffic and you see all the cars behind you coming really, really fast!
From other messages in this and other forums, seems there're contradicting opinions about cooling down the engine before shut-off. What is the solution, if there is one?
TIA

mbnut1 · August 2003

This is not related to cool down. Sounds more like an engine management problem. Did you try shutting the car off and restarting (ie rebooting the electronic control)?

scirocco22 · August 2003

I finally received my coil replacement letter. I'm at toward the tail end of the list of the vehicle series needing the coil replacement being the owner of an '01.5 1.8T A4. This means that VW/Audi now has enough coils to replace them in all the vehicles involved with this "recall" or rather "service action." They now can finally put this whole nightmarish issue behind them.

--'rocco

gordonwd · August 2003

The hot shutoff issue that people mostly talk about is related to the turbo. If you've been running at high speed or otherwise flogging it a bit, it's a good idea *not* to just park somewhere and shut the engine right off due to the excessive heat that can sort of "cook" the oil in the turbo bearings. Just let it idle for a minute or two before turning it off.

By the way, if you pop the hood at night right after you've been running it hard you can often see the turbo area glowing cherry red. Nothing wrong with that, but it proves the point about things getting a tad hot in there!

markcincinnati · August 2003

I think I read somewhere that the cooked oil is called coke. When the coking (cooked)becomes too much of a problem the engine's lifespan can be shortened. I have taken to using only Mobil 1 in my 2.7T turbo engined Audi.

Cooling things down a minute or two is a very good idea.

gearhead10 · August 2003

While we're on the subject, devices called turbo timers are even sold that will idle the motor after you shut it down until the turbo has cooled sufficiently. Since my car is chipped i always make sure to idle it for a minute or even just take it easy the last few minutes of the drive before shutdown.

AlexWalex · August 2003

I have been quoted a selling price of $29,500 for 2004 1.8T Quattro w/manual transmission/cold weather pckg/premium pckg/metallic paint. 2004 cars are on the dealer's lot. Seems that a whole deal is at about $1000 over invoice. Has anybody had any 2004 buying experience to compare and see if this price is fair. It is definitely less than Edmunds TMV. Thanks

rovision · August 2003

Thanks for the input. Seems like most of the opinions come down to this cooling before shut-off, even if the engine mgt. option could be a valid answer. I'm still checking this issue.

rovision · August 2003

The price quoted apears to be right. When I purchased my A4 1.8TQ, premium pck/paint/xenon, I've got a quote of "$500 over invoice" and actually went to the dealer to see in reality what this means. They even produced the invoice, identical to what I've found on Edmunds.com, and applied that $500 to it. But, since there's always a but, there were "dealer fees that they can't take out..." for the rest of about $500-$600 which brought the final price to the same I've been quoted at another dealer. Finally, I purchased it from the initial dealer, since it came down to exactly TMV as on Edmunds. That came down to about $1,000 over invoice.

AlexWalex · August 2003

Finally! After some negotiations we "brutally"

made our dealer to sell us 2004 A4 quattro/manual/metallic paint/cold weather pckg/premium pckg for $29,100. With all taxes, reg and dealer conveyance fee ($299) it came to $31,325. It comes to $600 over invoice. Conveyance fee I don't count as price paid over invoice since it is found at every dealer and at ours it was even lower than I have seen locally. Dealer still has to locate the car, but according to him it shouldn't be hard. I must say overall experience was low stress and quite pleasant. After all, we were within $100 of our target price and I am not driving around to save just $100. We feel pretty happy!!!

ykolettis · August 2003

i've owned my '03 A4 quattro sport for almost a year now and have been very satisfied... one nitpick, though-- shifting the 6-speed is not the most rewarding experience... the majority of reviewers got it right on this one; "somewhat rubbery, long throws..."

my personal tastes would never chose an automatic transmission so i'm hoping to "tighten" things up in my current car....

does anyone know if a short shift kit is made for 2003 models?? if so, phone numbers? websites?

thanks

audibon · August 2003

I just got the letter a week ago or so and have already made an appointment to have it done a week from tomorrow. The service department or should I say advisors area has all but turned over its staff in the last year. I had an issue with one saying they would not replace my pebble guard (splash shield etc.) after they reinstalled incorrectly and it literally came off in a snow drift that my wife had to drive through. (From snowplow Harry!) They are supposed to do it free this time the car is under warranty anyway. They replace my speaker grill after I broke it. They also forgot to use my syn oil last time. Uggggh! I'll let you know how my next visit goes.
Safe driving.
Brian

gearhead10 · August 2003

I believe Neuspeed as well as some other companies make a short shifter. Check neuspeed.com or greedspeed.com

scirocco22 · August 2003

Brian-- Hey, it's good to hear from you! I rarely get on this board anymore. My interests have temporarily shifted away from cars for awhile and more toward houses as I am planning to build a house in NV. I've also been researching motorhomes lately so that's been taking quite a bit of my time and concentration.

Finally buying property in NV will now necessitate the trips I've been talking about for the past two years. I bought that car for driving back and forth from WA to NV so now it's finally going to happen ...finally planning to put mileage on my practically new A4: two and a half years old and only 3,500 miles!

Yeah, keep me posted on your experiences at your dealer. I'm always interested in hearing dealer experiences ...good and bad. I'm going to try to have the coils replaced at a dealer which I didn't purchase the car. I'll see how that goes. Or, I can wait until the winter or next spring and take it to "my" dealer. I'd be taking a chance but I'm thinking that I'll be okay with the old coils for awhile longer. It seemed like most of the ones that were failing were the series which were installed on the early '02 models.

--'rocco

sk8surfr · August 2003

I have a 2001 A4 1.8T Quattro. When i purchased the car (certified with 13000 mi) i was informed that the oil put in at the 10k interval was regular oil... I am now about to hit 15000 miles, and assumed that there was a 15,000 mile service interval, The dealer told me that no service/oil change is scheduled till the 20,000 mi mark. Should i pay about $100 for them to change my oil now and put in synthetic, or should i run another 5k and wait till the 20,000 service?

dtwleungnyc · August 2003

That really depends on how long you planned to keep the car. If you are only planning to keep the car for another 30k or 3 years, you could wait till the regular scheduled interval for oil change.

BUT, if you are planning to keep the car until the wheel falls off. An extra oil change for $100 is cheap insurance.

andys120 · August 2003

for an oil change you need to find an independent Audi specialist. You're being gouged big time.

lauk0dg · August 2003

My dealership charges $29.95 for an oil change including the 4qt of oil and the filter and top off fluids as well. And I bring in my own oil so they will only charge $24.95. Look for another dealership or like andys120 said, find an independent Audi specialist.

Billy

tcasboy · August 2003

I change the oil on my 2001 A4 at least once myself between each factory recommended (and paid for under the warranty) oil change. I just can't let a car go for 10000 miles between changes. Doing it myself only costs about $10 bucks and an hour or so of pulling off the fairing underneath and then putting it back on afterward. Kind of a pain, but that turbo motor runs hot and I'm sure the oil is getting fired. I plan on switching to synthetic oil with the next change.

lauk0dg · August 2003

OK guys.....just got back from the dealership. Primary purpose there was to get an oil change at 35,050 miles after owning the car for 2.5 yrs (35k oil change not covered by warranty). Also told the dealership that when I turned my steering wheel about a quarter to the left, there's a slight grinding noise. The third one is the CEL was on for half a day 2 months ago and didn't come on since.

The result:
- Oil change done with Mobil1 0W30 brought in by me. Along with topping up fluids, the oil change and the oil filter, it's $24.95 plus tax.
- Slight grinding noise came from a "Noisy right front wheel bearing". They replaced it under warranty.
- All coilpacks were replaced due to the recall. So I asked the service advisor if they're replacing in all A4's. He said it depends on VIN number and the computer will tell them if the cars carry the affected batches. Cool. FYI, I only received one letter from AoA so far informing me of the situation but only said cars disabled by the bad coilpacks will have them replaced, never gave any timetable regarding when unfailed coilpacks will be replaced. Of course no complaint on my part.
- No code can be found regarding the CEL. I know I know, I should get a friend who has a VAG to diagnose the car. Guess the code already cancelled itself.

And I got a dolphin gray 2003 A4 1.8T Quattro as a loaner with 3000 miles. NOt bad.

So all in all, it's a good day for my A4.....except they forgot to cancel out the warning that pops up to remind me when the next maintenance is due. For some reason it says I'm due in 100 miles.

Billy

overworkin · August 2003

Hi everyone:

I'm in the process of purchasing a 2000 A4 1.8t. I have seen many available and am wondering how I can identify that the vehicle has the sport package. Are the 16" 10 spoke wheels an indication or can the 10 spoke be installed without the sport package. Are the 8 spoke standard and the 10 spoke only with the spt pkg. When I purchase I am looking at chipping it to get the added performance.

Please e-mail me with what ever info could help. Thanks in advance

P.s. I'm in Canada so i don't know if there are and differences in packages that were offer by the dealers.

dficco · August 2003

Hello
Can any of you recommend dealers known for high quality service and repairs in the Akron-Canton-Cleveland Ohio area? Thinking about buying a 2004 A4 1.8 with the six speed. Also, how expensive is the chip upgrade?
Thanks
Dane

AlexWalex · August 2003

We just took delivery of our 2004 A4 Quattro. It's a 6 spd manual, Dolphin Grey w/platinum interior and Cold Weather And Premium Pckg. Apparently in our area (NorthEast), most dealers ordered initial batches of A4s w/optional 17 inch wheels (no sports package though) and finding us a car was a big effort on the dealer's part. But we got it. I was previously familiar with 1.8 engine as my father owns Passat 1.8T. It feels even smother with 6 speed manual. Otherwise, besides a diferent radio antenna (to allow for optional Satellite Radio set ups) and standard 16 inch wheels, there are no other differences from 2003. My wife, who will drive this car primarily, is thrilled. As lawys, clutch is very forgiving as far as I am concerned, the ride is very supple and well controlled and the new transmission is quite precise (better precision than in VW). Standard radio sound is very good to excellent (VW's standard radio is almost as good) and all other features are nice, but it's hard to assess them in full yet as the car has been driven barely 20 miles from the delivery. Tires are Michelin Pilot. I will not anticipate them lasting longer than 40 K miles. They were worn out by 45K mark on 1998 Passat and the Audi is havier. I will keep people posted as experience unfolds.

By the way, in Europe 2004 Audi 1.8T got boost to 190hp standard

cyberpmg · August 2003

Hi Dane!

I've got some good info for you on dealers in our area. Send me an email (it's in my profile), and I'll give you the details. Thanks!

Paul

frenchy2002 · August 2003

FRom visiting the Audi website, it looks like that the wood trim is not available on the 1.8T A4.
Is that correct? Can it be installed afterwards?
Thank you

markcincinnati · August 2003

If your new A4 has the optional 17" wheels and I presume "max performance" tires, the lifespan will probably not be 45,000 miles. Usable life will, unfortunately, probably be about 1/2 that. Perhaps less.

You can try a couple of extra pounds of air and frequent (7,500 mile) rotations.

Dream on if you think 45K miles is realisitc with these tires -- they are designed to enhance the performance of the car, not last a long time.

andys120 · August 2003

has never been available on the 1.8T. See your local custom shop for availability of aftermarket veneers.

Quattro eats tires, I doubt any tires will go 40k on a q-equipped car unless they're really hard and not very conducive to wet handling.

frenchy2002 · August 2003

Has any one installed an aftermarket wood trim on their A4 1.8T? Was it an Audi product (and therefore dealer installed) or was it purchased somewhere else (if so from where?).
Has any one got the Audi rear window sunshade installed on their A4 1.8T? Is it a manual sunshade or a power one?

markcincinnati · August 2003

I quarrel not with the conclusion that we come to when we say "quattro eats tires." I just dont happen to think that the design of quattro itself eats tires.

The Maximum performance tires that often come on Audis, BMW's, Vovlo's, etc. inherently -- by careful engineering, design and manufacture -- "decided" they would lend themselves to high speed, cornering, braking, wet weather traction, etc. -- a certain self-destructive or better said self-sacrifice is the price these tires pay.

They [these tires] live relatively short lives, but they enchance the performance perhaps more dramatically than any other single "removable" (i.e., not part of the suspension, per se, but part of a system) component.

My friends, who at my urging purchase Audi's and other fine European cars, generally replace their first set a number (in miles) that begins with a 2 -- and the second digit is usually a 0.

I see no particular reason that a quattro drive train is the root cause of the allegedly short tire life of Maximum performance summer tires.

So, as you may see, while we agree that the tire life will be by some measures "short" -- we disagree that the cause is the drive train.

Ask some Porsche owners if they wouldn't love to get 20,000 miles out of a set of their tires -- and pay the price for Audi shoes.

A new set of tires every year+ is about what these things need (assuming 15 - 20K miles per year).

jjha4 · September 2003

I'm joining the the ranks of A4 owners this week, picking up a Certified 2000 A4 quattro 2.8 Tiptronic with 35K miles on Friday for my wife.

The car comes the CPO 2 year/100k warranty. The dealer is offering an additional 24 months (we'll be below the mileage limit so the time will be the cut-off) for the powertrain for $1,070, or Comprehensive (everything but rubber parts, exhaust and brakes) for $1720. Based on owners experience, do either of these seem to be a good investment? We plan to own the car for at least 5 years if it behaves well.

andys120 · September 2003

In my experience it's not just a problem of the short life cycle of ultra performance tires like the Goodyear F1 Steels that lasted less than 20k on my '98 A4Q/2.8.

These were replaced with all-season Dunlop Sport A2s. These now have 17k on them and are showing some signs of wear. I doubt I'll make it to the 30k mark with these.

If anybody has a suggestion for tires that would last for a while(35-40k) on a Quattro while giving decent pewrformance I'd like to hear it.

andys120 · September 2003

For help in deciding whether to go for the extended warranty. Good luck with your A4, they're fantastic cars.

Vorsprung durch technik!

jjha4 · September 2003

Good information. Thanks for sharing your experience. We're going to put relatively few miles on the car, so it's a tough decision.

markcincinnati · September 2003

There is a saying: you can have high performance, long life or high value tires. Pick two.

I attempt to find high performance high value tires.

Several brands appear to do this: Falkin, Yokohama,
Kumho and Sumitomo come to mind. I generally try to find the highest performance, lowest profile AND quietest tires I can find within these brands.

A reasonable compromise appears to be Ultra High Performance and High Performance "all season" tires which do OK here in moderate winter Cincinnati, Ohio.

Let me state my terms: reasonable price around $150 per tires (up to $165); long life -- as a relative term -- more than 15,000 miles; performance Z or W rated (I would certainly be OK with V if I could find the other traits).

Now, if you want long life and relatively low price with "marginal" performance there are several tires rated as "high performance all season" that are OK -- wear over 20,000 miles, good touring quality, fairly quiet and H rated (OK performance) and they come from both the top and second tier manufactuers.

Long life, quiet, high performance, affordable by mere mortals tires = the Holy Grail of rubber: Camelot, Camelot -- "it's only a model" (Monty Python and the Holy Grail).

I'm all ears, too.

andys120 · September 2003

(Sport A2)would fit your criteria....

V-rated, cost about $130 each in my A4's 215/55-16
size, deliver good steering response braking etc. I am happy with them but I'd like more than 15k service out of $500 worth of tires.

markcincinnati · September 2003

The size tires I needed for my then new allroad (november 2002 for a 2003 allroad) were 245 x 50 x 17" and I elected to go with Ultra high Perf A/S so I go the Pilot Sport All Seasons which at the time were about $256 per (delivered, all costs etc.) They are somewhat less now, but they're great and now at 18K miles, I'd say they're on their last treads, from a rain, snow, noise and handling perspective.

I expected more out of them, perhaps for their price, but I've come to learn that Ultra high performance and Maximum performance tires (regardless of the suffix e.g., all-season) give up life for performance. It, thus far, goes with the terrirtory.

I just ordered a set of 245 x 45 x 18" Falkin Azeenis ST 115's ($164 each) but, yes I WILL need new wheels too.

This will be my second experience with the Falkin's and they are every bit as good as the Yokohama's I have had in the past; and they are purpose made tires -- Max performance, Z rated, Summer only. I will use my brand new factory original tires 225 x 55 x 17" from December 15th through the end of February and call it a day.

lauk0dg · September 2003

which are Goodyear Eagle LS tires have now 35k miles on them and they still haven't shown excessive signs of wear. Of course they don't corner well compared to Ultra High performance tires but heck, if you are just looking for something economical and quiet, this is it.

cyberpmg · September 2003

I'm also in the process of getting a new set of tires for the winter. My A4 came with Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 M+S tires (215 x 55 x 16") that did a good job for winter. I have about 35k miles on them, and the tread is holding well. Of course this is not a performance rated tire (grand touring all season), and will not have the handling characteristics.

When I put on my summer wheels, I noticed that I was lucky I didn't get several blow-outs during the winter. One tire has a nail in the sidewall (unrepairable), and another one has a nail in the tread. Therefore the time has come to replace the set. I've decided to not go with pure winter tires since I've done well with all seasons in heavy snow (thanks, in part, to Quattro!).

For the winter season, I have on order the Continental ContiExtremeContact tires. They have a very high rating over at Tire Rack for handling (wet and dry), traction in snow, and road noise. They are classified as ultra high performance all season. Accoring to the UTQG rating (treadwear, traction, temperature), it has a better ratings than my Michelins! I'm looking forward to put it to the test.

Then when the winter season draws to a close, I'll begin the search for new summer tires. I currently have Dunlop SP Sport 8000 E tire (235 x 40 x 18") with approximately 15k miles on them. The tread is not yet down to the warning bars, but it's not too far from it. They've also become quite loud when driving (noise transferring inside - not really noticable from the outside). Since these are summer only tires, I'd say I have obtained the proper amount of mileage out of them and should be looking at replacing them every 1+ years.

markcincinnati · September 2003

I am looking forward to the report on the Extreme Contact tires. They are Ultra High Performance All season, and therefore I would not expect 35K out of them. I would probably be thinking more like 20 to 25K would be the limit assuming one wants to keep the "UHP" part of the tire's performance intact.

cyberpmg · September 2003

I'll let you know when I get them. Unfortunately, those tires for the size I need are currently on a nationwide back order. I'm hoping to get some news in the next few weeks. I'm also expecting to get the 20 to 25k mile wear on them.

Audi A4 2004 and earlier

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