Advice on purchasing used Audi S4

[corsvette]

Looking at a used 2002 Audi S4 with 148000kms,anyone here own one that could shed some light on potential problems with this car?anything in particular i should look closely at?I know they are expensive to maintain and fix,but this will not be a daily driver anyway,more like a fun car to have around,the car i am looking at is in good shape,but does not come with any sevice history (a wholesaler i know has it)The price is very right and it does run great.

Advice is much appreciated.

[bituerbo]

Turbos turbos turbos.
Listen for a dentist drill when the turbos are spooling. Mine failed at 55,000km. Now I'm running K04 stage 3 on a 2.7T A6. I had a 2.7T S4 before as well. Great cars, but watch out for those turbos, and start saving for when they go...

[240SXLUV]

watch for any unusual-ness of the turbo, they are often the first to go from under the hood on these cars.
do up an engine compression test.
have it on the lift for a thorough inspection at your choice of mecanical shop you trust no matter where you phrchase the car if thats possible.
get warranty. they cost you around 1500-2500 for 3-4yrs 36k-48k and trust me they are not waste of money.
the rest should be bullet proof and free of hassle.
oh and scan for codes.

[KO22]

my advice? well get ready to dump your whole paycheck into them.. one thing after a next, maybe mine was a lemon who knows almost everything possible broke :banghead:

[Jeremiah]

Electrical!

Sensors, Sensors and more Sensors, check the seals, make sure the turbos are good to go oh and the coolant system too, make sure there are no cracks or leaks etc.

[Mibz]

These sound like fantastic cars :P

[gqmw]

Originally posted by Mibz
These sound like fantastic cars :P

No kidding eh...I don't know much about them. Looked in this thread to get some insight...and all the comments scream "stay away" haha.

[corsvette]

Thanks for all the tips,maybe i should just stick to a base a4 with the 1.8t,i have allways liked the a4,thought the s4 would be cool though,we'll see what happens,in no rush at all to purchace.

[redblack]

have you considered a newer S4 with the 4.2 V8, i hear that they are more reliable.
With older A4's, the coil packs are a common problem

[corsvette]

Originally posted by redblack
have you considered a newer S4 with the 4.2 V8, i hear that they are more reliable.
With older A4's, the coil packs are a common problem

Was just looking to spend less $$$,this would be a occasionally driven car anyway.I had a older Audi 200 with the turbo 5cyl and loved it as a winter car,to me a Audi just HAS to be a turbo.

As for the 1.8 coil problems,do they just up and die? should you carry a spare coilpack or two at all times? And are they very expensive.

[Viperelite]

these cars are a pain in the ass. Nothing but trouble. I just finished an automotive co-op for high school and we had one of these in our shop.

The guy had to replace the Turbo, Main tranny seal, head gasket and piston rings all in the 6 month period i was there.

No to mention everything is crammed in so tight you practically have to disassemble the engine to even get a look at it.

Audi's are overpriced shite. :whipped:

[R-Audi]

Im on my fourth B5 Audi...
1 V6
1 Stage 3+ 1.8T
2 Stage 3 S4's.


I havent EVER had any major repairs, but then again both S4's had the turbos upgraded. (Then again more items usually need replacing when pushing double the stock HP.)
Small items like coil packs (<100 each to replace) EGT's and O2's are typically maintenance items.. It wont be a trouble free car, but if you do proper due dilligence you should be fine.

As for overpriced shite... I cant think of any other luxury sedan that I would drive year round and can do a 12 second 1/4 mile...
Its a 8-10 year old car..things do break if not properly cared for.

[Viperelite]

lol luxury. A friend of mine has one. Seats and hard, suspension is hard, almost everything in the interior is made of plastic and it's cramped.

The most luxurious car Ive ever ridden in was an old 90's caddy my mom use to own. Those things are so comfortable it's not funny, if they were a little quicker i might have considered buying one. Hell, id say my Trans Am rides and feels more luxurious then an audi.

[core_upt]

Originally posted by Viperelite
lol luxury. A friend of mine has one. Seats and hard, suspension is hard, almost everything in the interior is made of plastic and it's cramped.

The most luxurious car Ive ever ridden in was an old 90's caddy my mom use to own. Those things are so comfortable it's not funny, if they were a little quicker i might have considered buying one. Hell, id say my Trans Am rides and feels more luxurious then an audi.

:facepalm:

[bjstare]

From Viperelite's profile:

What I drive: 1983 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am

That explains a lot. Be sure to trust this guy on his opinion of a luxury car.:rofl:

[bituerbo]

Also do a boost pressure test. Hook a compressor w/ pressure gauge up to the intake and make sure it holds pressure. Boost leak means turbos are spinning faster to compensate which means they are more likely to fail prematurely.

Consider upgrading your diverter valves to 710n's. They are more robust than the stock units. When they fail, they will also cause overboost leading to premature turbo failure. Consider this upgrade 'preventative maintenance'. Same with the Y-pipe... upgrade to silicone.

Run synthetic oil only. I personally run 5w30 castrol syntec (the german formula). I would rather a thinner oil that isn't going to get clogged in the oil feed lines and occasionally burns off, than a thicker oil that could potentially coke up and restric oil flow to the turbos.

[HondaKid]

I had a buddy who owned a bigger Audi, cannot recall the model number, he called his car an Ouchi (old Audi joke I would think). Having owned a BMW at the same time I was really in no better position.

Buying a used car of any make, one needs to take the car for an inspection at a proper place specializing in the make. Ask about the repairs you can expect in the next two years as well, it is all planned for and you will be hit with these in any case. I would pay $200 for a well gone over inspection including a compression test, etc. You can pay so much more later, call around price out a transmission, turbo, etc replacement if there is a doubt. I had a Ford dealership mechanic tell me the replacement price of an F350 diesel engine, the cost was more than I paid for my Honda brand new.

Still though, the newer Audi and BMW cars are really sweet.

[gqmw]

Originally posted by cjblair
From Viperelite's profile:

What I drive: 1983 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am

That explains a lot. Be sure to trust this guy on his opinion of a luxury car.:rofl:

Same thing I was thinking, all his comments I've been reading in the past few threads are pointless suggestions.