B8 S4 Ownership
Discussion
They're hugely spec sensitive.
An S-Tronic Avant with quattro diff and a sunroof could easily sell for 4k more than a base spec manual of the same age and mileage.
The shortage of really well specified examples and demand for those from enthusiasts keeps the prices strong for the very best cars.
An S-Tronic Avant with quattro diff and a sunroof could easily sell for 4k more than a base spec manual of the same age and mileage.
The shortage of really well specified examples and demand for those from enthusiasts keeps the prices strong for the very best cars.
Thanks for the reply.
I think for me must have spec =DSG, B&O, 19" wheels,
Bonus spec items would be - Sports eats, drive select, front PDC, PDC camera, Cruise.
So not too heavy on the spec, can easily live without high beam assist, blind spot, phone prep, bluetooth and so on.
Will keep an eye out, seems a better package than a 335i which would be about £12-13k for a 2007 car.
I think for me must have spec =DSG, B&O, 19" wheels,
Bonus spec items would be - Sports eats, drive select, front PDC, PDC camera, Cruise.
So not too heavy on the spec, can easily live without high beam assist, blind spot, phone prep, bluetooth and so on.
Will keep an eye out, seems a better package than a 335i which would be about £12-13k for a 2007 car.
Hi, looking for a bit of advice...
I bought my late 2009 B8 S4 Avant as an approved used main dealer car late last year with 26k on the clock.
All had being going well until the past few weeks when I returned from a 2 week holiday.
On my return, I went to move the car and as normal I experienced the usual grind noise from the brakes because it had been sitting in cold-ish weather for a couple of weeks.
Anyway, the brakes soon cleared from the surface after around 4-5 miles which was fine.
However, I'm now experiencing quite a bit of vibration from the brake pedal when slowing at motorway speeds. It feels ok at slow speeds but to me it is very noticeable when braking from speed.
Note, I'm well aware of being light on brakes until they've warmed to reduce the likely hood of warped discs etc. I also stay in Scotland which is a bit colder than the rest of the uk but nor is it Alaska.
I've had 4x BMW's before this and never had an issue of this sorts with the car on return from a holiday.
On Saturday I visited my local dealer from where I purchased the car having done no more than 4k miles since I bought it and organised for one of the Master Technicians to drive the car with me to diagnose the fault.
Right away, when braking on the motorway he agreed that there was a definite issue with the brakes and offered to get the car up on the ramp to inspect it.
Much to my dismay the reply from the Service Rep was that due to the cold weather and the vehicle sitting stationary for a length of time the front discs have deteriorated and we advise replacements at my costs along with new pads (Current pads are only 40% used). This is because they say it's an environmental issue and not a fault with the part. Im sorry but if the S4 brakes are made of chocolate then I would expect them not to be up to much on the environmental front but this seems absolutely shocking to me. They quoted me £475 supplied and fitted but the point is that I wouldn't expect to have to change my discs and pads every winter if I go on holiday for a couple of weeks.
They did say to carry on using the car as it is if I like for the next 5-6 months to see if it clears but at the moment it seems no better than a couple of weeks ago.
Needless to say I'm pretty annoyed so I'd like your opinions and experiences please before I contact Audi UK if my dealer doesn't accept they have an issue.
I bought my late 2009 B8 S4 Avant as an approved used main dealer car late last year with 26k on the clock.
All had being going well until the past few weeks when I returned from a 2 week holiday.
On my return, I went to move the car and as normal I experienced the usual grind noise from the brakes because it had been sitting in cold-ish weather for a couple of weeks.
Anyway, the brakes soon cleared from the surface after around 4-5 miles which was fine.
However, I'm now experiencing quite a bit of vibration from the brake pedal when slowing at motorway speeds. It feels ok at slow speeds but to me it is very noticeable when braking from speed.
Note, I'm well aware of being light on brakes until they've warmed to reduce the likely hood of warped discs etc. I also stay in Scotland which is a bit colder than the rest of the uk but nor is it Alaska.
I've had 4x BMW's before this and never had an issue of this sorts with the car on return from a holiday.
On Saturday I visited my local dealer from where I purchased the car having done no more than 4k miles since I bought it and organised for one of the Master Technicians to drive the car with me to diagnose the fault.
Right away, when braking on the motorway he agreed that there was a definite issue with the brakes and offered to get the car up on the ramp to inspect it.
Much to my dismay the reply from the Service Rep was that due to the cold weather and the vehicle sitting stationary for a length of time the front discs have deteriorated and we advise replacements at my costs along with new pads (Current pads are only 40% used). This is because they say it's an environmental issue and not a fault with the part. Im sorry but if the S4 brakes are made of chocolate then I would expect them not to be up to much on the environmental front but this seems absolutely shocking to me. They quoted me £475 supplied and fitted but the point is that I wouldn't expect to have to change my discs and pads every winter if I go on holiday for a couple of weeks.
They did say to carry on using the car as it is if I like for the next 5-6 months to see if it clears but at the moment it seems no better than a couple of weeks ago.
Needless to say I'm pretty annoyed so I'd like your opinions and experiences please before I contact Audi UK if my dealer doesn't accept they have an issue.
If the car is 6 years old and that low mileage it's probably spent a LOT of time sitting around, so it's maybe not surprising that they need replacement now. More than likely they've never been changed.
Brake discs are explicitly excluded from the approved used warranty. And as they're really consumables, I can't see you getting much in the way of goodwill.
However, it's not all bad news : Your car should qualify for fixed-price servicing : Front disks and pads fitted for £365. For some reason they 'forgot' to tell you this...
https://www.audi.co.uk/owners-area/servicing-maint...
Brake discs are explicitly excluded from the approved used warranty. And as they're really consumables, I can't see you getting much in the way of goodwill.
However, it's not all bad news : Your car should qualify for fixed-price servicing : Front disks and pads fitted for £365. For some reason they 'forgot' to tell you this...
https://www.audi.co.uk/owners-area/servicing-maint...
Thanks for the reply.
Absolutely accept that the car is almost 6yrs old and that they may be the originals.
However, they were absolutely fine up until I returned which does make me wonder about their reliability in cold weather conditions lying idle for a couple of weeks.
Thanks for the heads up on the fixed pricing and as you say they must have "forgot" to mention this.
I may laugh out loud in their face if they come back with this renewed price as a "goodwill gesture".
Let's see what they do come back with in any case. Fingers and toes crossed that it'll be positive.
On a side note, if they continue to plead innocent I may look at aftermarket options for front discs and pads if they're priced competitively - perhaps they'd also be less "chocolatey"
Any alternatives that yous may have fitted? Perhaps a supplier you could recommend?
Cheers again folks.
Absolutely accept that the car is almost 6yrs old and that they may be the originals.
However, they were absolutely fine up until I returned which does make me wonder about their reliability in cold weather conditions lying idle for a couple of weeks.
Thanks for the heads up on the fixed pricing and as you say they must have "forgot" to mention this.
I may laugh out loud in their face if they come back with this renewed price as a "goodwill gesture".
Let's see what they do come back with in any case. Fingers and toes crossed that it'll be positive.
On a side note, if they continue to plead innocent I may look at aftermarket options for front discs and pads if they're priced competitively - perhaps they'd also be less "chocolatey"
Any alternatives that yous may have fitted? Perhaps a supplier you could recommend?
Cheers again folks.
M7NDP said:
However, they were absolutely fine up until I returned which does make me wonder about their reliability in cold weather conditions lying idle for a couple of weeks.
Never had a problem myself, but leaving it for a couple of weeks after driving on heavily salted roads could certainly affect things badly. I'd be pretty sure this is a one-off caused by environmental conditions acting on discs close to the end of their life. If you get the same problem in a years time you'd certainly have something to complain about.I'd get a quote from a good independent, but it's unlikely to be whole load cheaper.
Carbon front lip available on massdrop for $330 shipped to the UK, for those interested.
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/audi-b8-a4-front-spoi...
B8 at the moment, though it appears they're trying to add the B8.5 to the listing in a day or so.
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/audi-b8-a4-front-spoi...
B8 at the moment, though it appears they're trying to add the B8.5 to the listing in a day or so.
Update from me:
Replaced all the discs and pads allround yesterday and found one of the rear shocks is leaking! I have ordered a pair of Koni sports at a reasonable £178 but its been an expensive year so far!
Also a note to anyone DIYing the brakes, the front outer pads (OEM) are glued into the caliper! it is also the only vehicle this young I have worked on that required all 4 discs to be cut off as my deadblow hammer wasn't working! A thin smear of copper slip will stop this in the future.
Costs this year so far:
New clutch kit and flywheel £1500
4 X Michelin Supersports £700
4 x brake discs and pads £360
1 x Coolant cap £12
1 x major service, spark plugs all filters and oil £220
and now 2 X Koni Sport shock absorbers £178
Mot due before 11th May wish me luck!
Replaced all the discs and pads allround yesterday and found one of the rear shocks is leaking! I have ordered a pair of Koni sports at a reasonable £178 but its been an expensive year so far!
Also a note to anyone DIYing the brakes, the front outer pads (OEM) are glued into the caliper! it is also the only vehicle this young I have worked on that required all 4 discs to be cut off as my deadblow hammer wasn't working! A thin smear of copper slip will stop this in the future.
Costs this year so far:
New clutch kit and flywheel £1500
4 X Michelin Supersports £700
4 x brake discs and pads £360
1 x Coolant cap £12
1 x major service, spark plugs all filters and oil £220
and now 2 X Koni Sport shock absorbers £178
Mot due before 11th May wish me luck!
Easternlight said:
How did you do the rears with the electronic handbrake? VCDS?
Re brake wear, when I bought mine it had done 61k and had new front disks and pads
Also I seem to have been lucky with oil consumption as mine doesn't use any.
Yes I used VCDS, very easy. Regarding oil usage, I topped up about 500ml this morning after 2200 miles of use ( I have a dipstick installed). Hopefully when I get around to changing the PCV valve it will be cured. The replacement coolant cap hasn't stopped the very slow coolant usage unfortunately, it was just below the max mark this morning from dead on the line 2200 miles ago..Re brake wear, when I bought mine it had done 61k and had new front disks and pads
Also I seem to have been lucky with oil consumption as mine doesn't use any.
Tyre Wear Sensitivity.
I have had my 61 plate B8 S4 Avant for around 2 years and I am really happy with the car. Black Avant, DSG, Sports Diff, Drive Select, Panoramic Roof, Sports Seats, B&O.
Recently I had found the steering very busy and it was becoming hard work to keep it on the road! I had the wheel alignment checked a couple of times and it made little difference. I was aware that the front tyres were almost finished, but didnt think that it could be the primary cause. Anyway, I have just put a new set of Conti Sport Contact 5's on the front (rears were changed around 4 months ago) and it has transformed the car - back to how it used to be.
I have never experienced such sensitivity to tyre wear on any of my other cars before so thought I'd see if others have experienced the same and on Conti's or is it also the case with other brands.
Anyway, the car is now back to normal and I am once again very happy with it.
I have had my 61 plate B8 S4 Avant for around 2 years and I am really happy with the car. Black Avant, DSG, Sports Diff, Drive Select, Panoramic Roof, Sports Seats, B&O.
Recently I had found the steering very busy and it was becoming hard work to keep it on the road! I had the wheel alignment checked a couple of times and it made little difference. I was aware that the front tyres were almost finished, but didnt think that it could be the primary cause. Anyway, I have just put a new set of Conti Sport Contact 5's on the front (rears were changed around 4 months ago) and it has transformed the car - back to how it used to be.
I have never experienced such sensitivity to tyre wear on any of my other cars before so thought I'd see if others have experienced the same and on Conti's or is it also the case with other brands.
Anyway, the car is now back to normal and I am once again very happy with it.
F40GT346 said:
Tyre Wear Sensitivity.
I have had my 61 plate B8 S4 Avant for around 2 years and I am really happy with the car. Black Avant, DSG, Sports Diff, Drive Select, Panoramic Roof, Sports Seats, B&O.
Recently I had found the steering very busy and it was becoming hard work to keep it on the road! I had the wheel alignment checked a couple of times and it made little difference. I was aware that the front tyres were almost finished, but didnt think that it could be the primary cause. Anyway, I have just put a new set of Conti Sport Contact 5's on the front (rears were changed around 4 months ago) and it has transformed the car - back to how it used to be.
I have never experienced such sensitivity to tyre wear on any of my other cars before so thought I'd see if others have experienced the same and on Conti's or is it also the case with other brands.
Anyway, the car is now back to normal and I am once again very happy with it.
Totally normal, mine were at 2.5mm before I changed them and it was a fight to keep the thing straight at times!I have had my 61 plate B8 S4 Avant for around 2 years and I am really happy with the car. Black Avant, DSG, Sports Diff, Drive Select, Panoramic Roof, Sports Seats, B&O.
Recently I had found the steering very busy and it was becoming hard work to keep it on the road! I had the wheel alignment checked a couple of times and it made little difference. I was aware that the front tyres were almost finished, but didnt think that it could be the primary cause. Anyway, I have just put a new set of Conti Sport Contact 5's on the front (rears were changed around 4 months ago) and it has transformed the car - back to how it used to be.
I have never experienced such sensitivity to tyre wear on any of my other cars before so thought I'd see if others have experienced the same and on Conti's or is it also the case with other brands.
Anyway, the car is now back to normal and I am once again very happy with it.
MattS3 said:
I see the B8's are type approved for towing, whereas the B6 and B7 never were.
Anybody tow with there car? Would DSG be ok to pull 1500kgs in reality?
Yup - I fitted a genuine (Westfalia) towbar and electronics to my 10MY Avant and it tows like a champ. Coded using VCDS all works as per factory. Anybody tow with there car? Would DSG be ok to pull 1500kgs in reality?
Get about 25mpg cruising along at 60mph too.
If you read Audizine, they'll tell you you're mad, and need a 4.5T SUV to tow a Jet-ski, the S4 manages fine and is plated to tow 2100kg.
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