B8 S4 Ownership

[PeterGadsby]

Only problem we have had with our 2015 S4 Avant has been a rattling dashboard around the Sat nav console, other than that all fine

- Pete

[LocoBlade]

Wish that was true Scuffers but there have been a fair few B8 S4 DSG issues particularly on pre-facelift cars, Chris Harris had a box replaced in his admittedly chipped and ragged example and there's quite a few threads on Audizine and Audi-Sport.net etc, including this poll which doesn't make great reading for earlier car owners in particular.

Scuffers said:

Macka3 said:

Hi all.

I'm close to putting a deposit down on a b8 s4. i understand that they are almost bulletproof minus water pumps on earlier models. My question is how many of you guys have been affected by the mechatronic issue that plagues VW's DSG's. I'm looking at models around the 09/59/10 mark. I dont really want to be buying one that could potentially throw up mechatronic issues for obvious reasons.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

All the mechatronic issues are with the transverse box (A3/Golf/etc)

Not seen any reports of issues with the 7speed longitudinal box.

[Dr_Rick]

LocoBlade said:

Wish that was true Scuffers but there have been a fair few B8 S4 DSG issues particularly on pre-facelift cars, Chris Harris had a box replaced in his admittedly chipped and ragged example and there's quite a few threads on Audizine and Audi-Sport.net etc, including this poll which doesn't make great reading for earlier car owners in particular.

Scuffers said:

Macka3 said:

Hi all.

I'm close to putting a deposit down on a b8 s4. i understand that they are almost bulletproof minus water pumps on earlier models. My question is how many of you guys have been affected by the mechatronic issue that plagues VW's DSG's. I'm looking at models around the 09/59/10 mark. I dont really want to be buying one that could potentially throw up mechatronic issues for obvious reasons.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

All the mechatronic issues are with the transverse box (A3/Golf/etc)

Not seen any reports of issues with the 7speed longitudinal box.

I've got a nearly 80k 09-plate S4 and recently had a noticeable 'shunt' in the D2-D1 downchange when coming to a halt. A local indie ran an adaption run on the gearbox and it's settled down, however, next step would be the mechatronic unit replacement at the best part of £3.5k (under warranty, up to £2k limit, so I'd be £1.5k out of pocket).

The indie has said he's replaced a few, including the longitudinal boxes. As noted, I'm not convinced there aren't problems with this gearbox.

[Scuffers]

Dr_Rick said:

I've got a nearly 80k 09-plate S4 and recently had a noticeable 'shunt' in the D2-D1 downchange when coming to a halt. A local indie ran an adaption run on the gearbox and it's settled down, however, next step would be the mechatronic unit replacement at the best part of £3.5k (under warranty, up to £2k limit, so I'd be £1.5k out of pocket).

The indie has said he's replaced a few, including the longitudinal boxes. As noted, I'm not convinced there aren't problems with this gearbox.

your description does not sound like the mechatronic unit, but the result of clutch pack wear.

realistically, they can't last forever, and if you do a lot of hard starts, they are going to wear at an increased rate, that said, no idea what the design life is?

[Dr_Rick]

Scuffers said:

your description does not sound like the mechatronic unit, but the result of clutch pack wear.

realistically, they can't last forever, and if you do a lot of hard starts, they are going to wear at an increased rate, that said, no idea what the design life is?

And this illustrates one of the problems. I did a round-robin of the local main dealers and indies to canvass opinions on what their thoughts were, what their inspection costs were and what they would propose. The majority suggested Mechatronic issues. One, however, was adamant that it was not Mechatronic and that it was the clutch packs. His view was that there was too much stock put in mechatronic issues and that he'd been left out of pocket by people insisting on mechatronic replacements when it was something else (i.e. the problem was still there post-replacement). That being said, he wouldn't back up his position that it was a clutch problem, replace the packs and still foot the bill if it turned out to be something else. So I wasn't convinced engough to send my car to him.

[Scuffers]

way I see it, Mechatronic issues are pretty clear cut, ie, if some part of them fail, the result is digital, ie, the gearbox will simply not work (or loose gears etc).

if they start to jerk about, but still can select all the gears etc, then it's not the Mechatronic IMHO, it's something between worn clutch packs, dirt in the oil or the signs of a shaft speed sensor failing.

it's all too easy just to blame the Mechatronic unit and change everything, this reminds me of the problems with tiptronic boxes when the speed sensors start to go awol (usually when they warm up) they would change the entire solenoid blocks etc, when all that was required was to replace the backing plate with the speed sensors on it, a relatively simple job that can be done with the box in the car.

[digi051669]

Hi all,

recently brought a S5 Sportback for my son and we have noticed that during 90 degree turns we get the Quattro shudder (its not serious but its there). Do others have this and did you change your S-Tronic MTF (front diff, center diff, TC fluid) to solve?

Thx for any advice.
digi

Edited by digi051669 on Monday 29th February 09:47

[Adrian E]

digi051669 said:

Hi all,

recently brought a S5 Sportback for my son and we have noticed that during 90 degree turns we get the Quattro shudder (its not serious but its there). Do others have this and did you change your S-Tronic MTF (front diff, center diff, TC fluid) to solve?

Thx for any advice.
digi

Edited by digi051669 on Monday 29th February 09:47

Quite often just tyre related - ours has sports diff and you do get a bit of noise at low speed/high steering angle

[Scuffers]

Adrian E said:

Quite often just tyre related - ours has sports diff and you do get a bit of noise at low speed/high steering angle

kind off,

mostly relates to inaccuracies in ackerman at high steering angles, exacerbated by the larger width tyres.

[F40GT346]

digi051669 said:

Hi all,

recently brought a S5 Sportback for my son and we have noticed that during 90 degree turns we get the Quattro shudder (its not serious but its there). Do others have this and did you change your S-Tronic MTF (front diff, center diff, TC fluid) to solve?

Thx for any advice.
digi

Edited by digi051669 on Monday 29th February 09:47

My 61 plate S4 grumbles a bit when manoeuvring in the drive way and doing tight turns. All my "quattros" have!

[theboyfold]

F40GT346 said:

digi051669 said:

Hi all,

recently brought a S5 Sportback for my son and we have noticed that during 90 degree turns we get the Quattro shudder (its not serious but its there). Do others have this and did you change your S-Tronic MTF (front diff, center diff, TC fluid) to solve?

Thx for any advice.
digi

Edited by digi051669 on Monday 29th February 09:47

My 61 plate S4 grumbles a bit when manoeuvring in the drive way and doing tight turns. All my "quattros" have!

My 2015 does as well. I always have the diff in dynamic though, not sure if that matters or not

[RammyMP]

theboyfold said:

F40GT346 said:

digi051669 said:

Hi all,

recently brought a S5 Sportback for my son and we have noticed that during 90 degree turns we get the Quattro shudder (its not serious but its there). Do others have this and did you change your S-Tronic MTF (front diff, center diff, TC fluid) to solve?

Thx for any advice.
digi

Edited by digi051669 on Monday 29th February 09:47

My 61 plate S4 grumbles a bit when manoeuvring in the drive way and doing tight turns. All my "quattros" have!

My 2015 does as well. I always have the diff in dynamic though, not sure if that matters or not

Is your car on 19" wheels, my car doesn't like tight turns in reverse, it's fine on the 17" winter wheels. It's not a quattro by the way.

[bungle]

Likewise, I would say it is "normal" based on we all get it! For me, only on complete full lock either way.

F40GT346 said:

My 61 plate S4 grumbles a bit when manoeuvring in the drive way and doing tight turns. All my "quattros" have!

People say this, but I've never experienced it in a Haldex car, only a Torsen one. Related? Dunno.

[theboyfold]

RammyMP said:

Is your car on 19" wheels, my car doesn't like tight turns in reverse, it's fine on the 17" winter wheels. It's not a quattro by the way.

Yes the 19" rotor wheels from the Black Edition. I'll check in the morning the level of grumble in reverse

[digi051669]

Adrian E said:

Quite often just tyre related - ours has sports diff and you do get a bit of noise at low speed/high steering angle

My sons one did not come with the sports diff, just regular diff. Did you ever change the front diff/center diff oil? I think you have to use that expensive G055145A2 oil or can you just put in 75w90 with FM?

Edited by digi051669 on Tuesday 1st March 09:12

[digi051669]

F40GT346 said:

My 61 plate S4 grumbles a bit when manoeuvring in the drive way and doing tight turns. All my "quattros" have!

oh..thx. Was a bit concerned. Was going to schedule a front diff/center diff oil change just in case.

[Adrian E]

digi051669 said:

My sons one did not come with the sports diff, just regular diff. Did you ever change the front diff/center diff oil? I think you have to use that expensive G055145A2 oil or can you just put in 75w90 with FM?

Edited by digi051669 on Tuesday 1st March 09:12

I think only the RS has a quoted change interval for the sports diff, never mind the rest. If I was keeping the car for many years I'd probably look to drain and refill the diffs (assuming there is a drain!) after 8 years or so.

My S8 is 14 years old and has only had fluid changes to the diffs when one of the seals has needed replacing. Gearbox oil has been changed a couple of times

[digi051669]

Adrian E said:

I think only the RS has a quoted change interval for the sports diff, never mind the rest. If I was keeping the car for many years I'd probably look to drain and refill the diffs (assuming there is a drain!) after 8 years or so.

My S8 is 14 years old and has only had fluid changes to the diffs when one of the seals has needed replacing. Gearbox oil has been changed a couple of times

there's definitely a drain for the front diff. The S-Tronic itself takes the ATF and the front/center diff, TC takes that MTF. I wonder if anyone put Redline 75w90 in there! The lifetime oil thing is rubbish if you ask me.
Yes, the RS has a schedule for it and if I'm not mistaken it also runs the same DL-501 7Q box. Yea, its a good idea to keep the ATF fresh as the heat will no doubt render the lubricating/cooling properties dysfunctional (my R35 temp reading of the gearbox is always higher than the engine. These double clutches produce alot of heat)

Oh, also dun forget to change that S-Tronic cooling filter. X:P

Edited by digi051669 on Tuesday 1st March 13:59

[theboyfold]

Had anybody fitted a towing bar to their S4? With the trackday car needing MOT / tax / insurance, I'm starting to think I could buy a trailer with that sort of money.

I can't see anything on the Audi website (granted I'm on the mobile so not getting the whole site). Would a 3rd party one harm my warranty?

[MattS5]

Yep, on my S5 sportback.
I went for a Bosal as opposed to a Westfalia as that is what the fitter recommended, only because it allows clearance for an Alko stabiliser.
It's completely hidden from view, can only be seen if kneeling down looking up from the ground.

Edited by MattS5 on Saturday 5th March 16:36