Just bought an S4 B6 Avant .... am I completely mad?
Discussion
I've just bitten the bullet and bought my first ever Audi.
It's a 2003 S4 Avant in Nogaro blue with Nogaro blue inserts inside and a 6-speed manual box.
Clutch and timing chains replaced in the last 10,000 miles.
Do I need some kind of help or have I bought the right spec. car?
As a newbie to this type of car any advice on what to look out for or possibly improve would be really helpful.
It's a 2003 S4 Avant in Nogaro blue with Nogaro blue inserts inside and a 6-speed manual box.
Clutch and timing chains replaced in the last 10,000 miles.
Do I need some kind of help or have I bought the right spec. car?
As a newbie to this type of car any advice on what to look out for or possibly improve would be really helpful.
I bought mine 3 months ago, 2003 s4 avant in blue, so exactly the same, Im over the moon with it, a tad thirsty but it is a very heavy car, you will love it I hope, please give me feedback as to what you think of the drive, so many on here were slating everything about it, gear ratios, clutch harsh ride etc, but to me it drives beautifully, a very very smooth engine and buckets of low end torque, lovely sound and more comfortable than my e46 m3 .Enjoy it
rb5er said:
If its had the chains done thats a good thing.
Nice cars, do they still eat coilpacks or has the design been revised?
Not exactly a drivers car but practical, smart, a lovely engine and awd. I'm tempted to get one.
How many miles has yours done?
I had a coil pack go a while back, so I guess so, a bugger to change as the orange wiring harness is a pain to get off, but got there in the end, I paid 15 quid for one so all goodNice cars, do they still eat coilpacks or has the design been revised?
Not exactly a drivers car but practical, smart, a lovely engine and awd. I'm tempted to get one.
How many miles has yours done?
Greg66 said:
Nice car (had a B6 cab a while ago).
And having just filled up the S8 with 97 RON unleaded at £1.05 a litre, there's no better time to be getting a car with a proper engine!
Yep, you can't beat a good V8.And having just filled up the S8 with 97 RON unleaded at £1.05 a litre, there's no better time to be getting a car with a proper engine!
Here's the other one in my stable ........ V8 and supercharger.
The S4 is the sensible alternative

Now with technical grey Vulcan wheels, XKR-S interior and an exhaust note born of the devil (less boxes and 200 cell cats)
Tacchino said:
rb5er said:
If its had the chains done thats a good thing.
How many miles has yours done?
Just under 100K.How many miles has yours done?
Has had new chains and clutch in the last 10K - one of the deciding factors
There are lots of horror stories about the chains on the web, since you were lucky enough to find one that's had them done, I don't suppose you have a receipt lurking in the service history to give an indication of how much the job is likely to cost should someone be unlucky enough to have to pay it ?!
I have no specific receipt for the work as the first garage got it slightly wrong and incorrectly timed it.
A second specialist then removed the box and reset things correctly - end result is a couple of bills that don't represent the expected cost.
Before I bought this one I was quoted "about £2K" by a local specialist to supply and fit the chains.
Personally I would say £3K as that would cover the new clutch if you get a manual car.
A second specialist then removed the box and reset things correctly - end result is a couple of bills that don't represent the expected cost.
Before I bought this one I was quoted "about £2K" by a local specialist to supply and fit the chains.
Personally I would say £3K as that would cover the new clutch if you get a manual car.
Tacchino said:
I have no specific receipt for the work as the first garage got it slightly wrong and incorrectly timed it.
A second specialist then removed the box and reset things correctly - end result is a couple of bills that don't represent the expected cost.
Before I bought this one I was quoted "about £2K" by a local specialist to supply and fit the chains.
Personally I would say £3K as that would cover the new clutch if you get a manual car.
Fair enough, thanks for that. That's the kind of figure I had in mind. A second specialist then removed the box and reset things correctly - end result is a couple of bills that don't represent the expected cost.
Before I bought this one I was quoted "about £2K" by a local specialist to supply and fit the chains.
Personally I would say £3K as that would cover the new clutch if you get a manual car.
I have an s4 B6 avant (lazy boy flappy paddles) and it's on 157k miles now.. to my knowledge the chain hasn't been done so it's probably a ticking time bomb. Or rather an oil guzzling time bomb! Love it to bits. Owned it a year now and as long as you can turn a blind eye to oil and fuel consumption it's great. Does everything I need it to do. Manual would be lovely but weren't any around when I was looking
Yours looks in much better nick than my Bob 
Yours looks in much better nick than my Bob 
Good solid car, not a rocket ship but sure footed and cheaper running costs than an RS4. I think most of the few usual suspects have been listed already. The aux rads can and probably will go, and did in my B7 way back but generally I loved my B7 S4 when I had it. People moan about fuel consumption but the B6 is like a Nissan Leaf compared to my RS6 

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