B8 S4 Ownership
Discussion
I guess one of the issues is that in today's world not many people have £10k for a private buy, or can't be hassled with sorting finance outside of a dealer or such, and they want some sort of warranty/comeback (even if in reality via a trader that is less than likely).
Plus people can P/X with a trader/dealer so hence alot will want to go that route and happy to pay the extra.
I'd imagine it's very hard going selling a £30k+ car privately but it does seem to happen from what I see.
Plus people can P/X with a trader/dealer so hence alot will want to go that route and happy to pay the extra.
I'd imagine it's very hard going selling a £30k+ car privately but it does seem to happen from what I see.
True.
Many buyers, if given the choice between similar cars, would often choose the dealer rather than the private seller purely because they get a few levels of 'protection' - even if that means paying a bit more for the same car.
I think this is sometimes lost a little on some private sellers as they try to price match their car with dealership prices and wonder why they struggle to sell.
Many buyers, if given the choice between similar cars, would often choose the dealer rather than the private seller purely because they get a few levels of 'protection' - even if that means paying a bit more for the same car.
I think this is sometimes lost a little on some private sellers as they try to price match their car with dealership prices and wonder why they struggle to sell.
Oddly I prefer to buy private as I can try and get a feel for what the owner is like, plus more history and paperwork available usually.
My other worry with a dealer is when you see the lines:
"We only sell the best examples" followed elsewhere by "any PX welcome" - ok so you only sell top examples but will take anything in any state........riiiiiiiiight. (obv a main dealer is different as would auction anything they don't sell).
I just don't trust traders!
My other worry with a dealer is when you see the lines:
"We only sell the best examples" followed elsewhere by "any PX welcome" - ok so you only sell top examples but will take anything in any state........riiiiiiiiight. (obv a main dealer is different as would auction anything they don't sell).
I just don't trust traders!
Same for me - prefer to buy private. Both our current cars were offered as private sales, but the seller of our S5 wanted to collect his new motor before we could get the cash in the right place to buy it within the couple of days timeframe he wanted. We ended up paying a £1k premium to the dealer he was getting his replacement car from, but would've paid out near enough £30k privately for that one.
Our Golf GTI PP was massively better spec than anything ex-lease in the main dealer network. Price was too close to retail forecourt price to elicit much interest, apart from traders low-balling WBAC type prices. Made a sensible offer just North of £20k which must've bettered any part-ex value by a couple of k and we were both reasonably happy.
Defo not much enthusiasm from most buyers to want to buy in those circumstances, and I only do it because I'm reasonably confident to assess a car (and the seller!) on merit when you go see the car. Fake private sellers who are really traders just boil my piss and are always avoided.
Our Golf GTI PP was massively better spec than anything ex-lease in the main dealer network. Price was too close to retail forecourt price to elicit much interest, apart from traders low-balling WBAC type prices. Made a sensible offer just North of £20k which must've bettered any part-ex value by a couple of k and we were both reasonably happy.
Defo not much enthusiasm from most buyers to want to buy in those circumstances, and I only do it because I'm reasonably confident to assess a car (and the seller!) on merit when you go see the car. Fake private sellers who are really traders just boil my piss and are always avoided.
Dealer calls me today saying the car needs a road test for gearbox calibration and will be ready tomorrow.
Cherry on the cake - they just noticed a tyre has a slow puncture caused by a nail.
After they've had the car for 5 weeks.
This hadn't been flagged at any point prior and the tyre wan't losing pressure when I dropped it off.
I got pissed off but they refuse to cover the cost of the tyre.
Should I insist/make a scene when I collect the car tomorrow?
Cherry on the cake - they just noticed a tyre has a slow puncture caused by a nail.
After they've had the car for 5 weeks.
This hadn't been flagged at any point prior and the tyre wan't losing pressure when I dropped it off.
I got pissed off but they refuse to cover the cost of the tyre.
Should I insist/make a scene when I collect the car tomorrow?
matrignano said:
Dealer calls me today saying the car needs a road test for gearbox calibration and will be ready tomorrow.
Cherry on the cake - they just noticed a tyre has a slow puncture caused by a nail.
After they've had the car for 5 weeks.
This hadn't been flagged at any point prior and the tyre wan't losing pressure when I dropped it off.
I got pissed off but they refuse to cover the cost of the tyre.
Should I insist/make a scene when I collect the car tomorrow?
You could try, or pay £15 to have the puncture repaired?Cherry on the cake - they just noticed a tyre has a slow puncture caused by a nail.
After they've had the car for 5 weeks.
This hadn't been flagged at any point prior and the tyre wan't losing pressure when I dropped it off.
I got pissed off but they refuse to cover the cost of the tyre.
Should I insist/make a scene when I collect the car tomorrow?
matrignano said:
Dealer calls me today saying the car needs a road test for gearbox calibration and will be ready tomorrow.
Cherry on the cake - they just noticed a tyre has a slow puncture caused by a nail.
After they've had the car for 5 weeks.
This hadn't been flagged at any point prior and the tyre wan't losing pressure when I dropped it off.
I got pissed off but they refuse to cover the cost of the tyre.
Should I insist/make a scene when I collect the car tomorrow?
I'd be insisting they replaced it.Cherry on the cake - they just noticed a tyre has a slow puncture caused by a nail.
After they've had the car for 5 weeks.
This hadn't been flagged at any point prior and the tyre wan't losing pressure when I dropped it off.
I got pissed off but they refuse to cover the cost of the tyre.
Should I insist/make a scene when I collect the car tomorrow?
Well they didn't...
And to add to my debacle, less than 48h and 100 miles since I picked up the car, it left me stranded by the roadside!
It seems the crank pulley sheared off and almost took the aux belt away with it. The aux belt is badly delaminated and it appears to have damaged the bonnet soundproofing and a few bits of trims and electric wires.
Is this normal after they kept the car for 5 weeks and just gave it a service and MOT??
It wasn't a catastrophic belt failure as the belt is still there, albeit a lot thinner. Surely they would have noticed the crank pulley being wobbly, especially as an engineer took the car home with him overnight before collection?
And to add to my debacle, less than 48h and 100 miles since I picked up the car, it left me stranded by the roadside!
It seems the crank pulley sheared off and almost took the aux belt away with it. The aux belt is badly delaminated and it appears to have damaged the bonnet soundproofing and a few bits of trims and electric wires.
Is this normal after they kept the car for 5 weeks and just gave it a service and MOT??
It wasn't a catastrophic belt failure as the belt is still there, albeit a lot thinner. Surely they would have noticed the crank pulley being wobbly, especially as an engineer took the car home with him overnight before collection?
matrignano said:
Well they didn't...
And to add to my debacle, less than 48h and 100 miles since I picked up the car, it left me stranded by the roadside!
It seems the crank pulley sheared off and almost took the aux belt away with it. The aux belt is badly delaminated and it appears to have damaged the bonnet soundproofing and a few bits of trims and electric wires.
Is this normal after they kept the car for 5 weeks and just gave it a service and MOT??
It wasn't a catastrophic belt failure as the belt is still there, albeit a lot thinner. Surely they would have noticed the crank pulley being wobbly, especially as an engineer took the car home with him overnight before collection?
Your problem is (partially) highlighted above - the person working on your car won't be an engineer - they'll be a mechanic (if you are lucky) or a technician (if it's a job they didn't want and are trying to save labour costs on). They will have concentrated on the gearbox and not been thinking about anything else - a service is a visual inspection of brakes/tyres/fluid levels and not much more.And to add to my debacle, less than 48h and 100 miles since I picked up the car, it left me stranded by the roadside!
It seems the crank pulley sheared off and almost took the aux belt away with it. The aux belt is badly delaminated and it appears to have damaged the bonnet soundproofing and a few bits of trims and electric wires.
Is this normal after they kept the car for 5 weeks and just gave it a service and MOT??
It wasn't a catastrophic belt failure as the belt is still there, albeit a lot thinner. Surely they would have noticed the crank pulley being wobbly, especially as an engineer took the car home with him overnight before collection?
That's pretty epic levels of bad luck for a crank pulley to break - usually only likely if it's been off and then tightened with an air gun rather than torqued up properly. Any other work been done in that area that you're aware of? Can't think gearbox out would involve touching it aside from rotating the engine, if necessary, to get things aligned.
Was the supercharger and aux belt changed at the appropriate interval (approx 50k on pre-facelifts)? Even then you wouldn't take the crank pulley off - just needs the front pulling into the service position and tension releasing to get the belts off IIRC.
Does sound like rather unfortunate luck, but back to the dealer and a 2nd claim on your warranty sounds like the most inevitable outcome.....
As far as I’m aware, the performance gain from an air filter on the S4 is approximately nothing 
unless you are doing a full stage 3+ rebuild and remap on a rolling road etc.
The only reason to do it is if you want to hear more supercharger whine. If so, the k&n one is supposedly a good option.
Essentially, the S4 already breathes perfectly well and the supercharger makes sure it had enough air.
unless you are doing a full stage 3+ rebuild and remap on a rolling road etc. The only reason to do it is if you want to hear more supercharger whine. If so, the k&n one is supposedly a good option.
Essentially, the S4 already breathes perfectly well and the supercharger makes sure it had enough air.
Yeah I thought even if its a high flow air filter, the system as it is will always just 'suck' as much as it needs, and presumed the stock setup would provide more than enough for its requirements.
No plans to go on a modding streak with my S4, I just have it playing in the back of my mind that as it is now a 10 year old car, would it need anything doing to it to keep the BHP levels from falling away due to age?
I guess just keeping the stock air filter 'fresh' should be enough in this case.
No plans to go on a modding streak with my S4, I just have it playing in the back of my mind that as it is now a 10 year old car, would it need anything doing to it to keep the BHP levels from falling away due to age?
I guess just keeping the stock air filter 'fresh' should be enough in this case.
any owners here that could check their V5 form for the Nox figure? I know the V5 normally has the Co2 figure present, but not sure it shows the NoX.
Reason being, if/when (!) i finally get one (B8 S4) it'll be coming back over to Ireland where they've now added a new charge based on the cars NoX figure!
It should be in (g/km) value.
Granted, the additional figure should only be an extra 60/80euro, but failure to produce any documentation, they hit you for 600 euro!
Or is there a database showing it, I could print off and bring with me?
Any help be much appreciated - pic of my old B5
Reason being, if/when (!) i finally get one (B8 S4) it'll be coming back over to Ireland where they've now added a new charge based on the cars NoX figure!
It should be in (g/km) value.
Granted, the additional figure should only be an extra 60/80euro, but failure to produce any documentation, they hit you for 600 euro!
Or is there a database showing it, I could print off and bring with me?
Any help be much appreciated - pic of my old B5
BrittasBay said:
any owners here that could check their V5 form for the Nox figure? I know the V5 normally has the Co2 figure present, but not sure it shows the NoX.
Reason being, if/when (!) i finally get one (B8 S4) it'll be coming back over to Ireland where they've now added a new charge based on the cars NoX figure!
It should be in (g/km) value.
Granted, the additional figure should only be an extra 60/80euro, but failure to produce any documentation, they hit you for 600 euro!
My 2015 CREC-engined S4 Avant shows this on the V5. Not sure if it's any help, as there's no mention of the units!Reason being, if/when (!) i finally get one (B8 S4) it'll be coming back over to Ireland where they've now added a new charge based on the cars NoX figure!
It should be in (g/km) value.
Granted, the additional figure should only be an extra 60/80euro, but failure to produce any documentation, they hit you for 600 euro!
CO (g/km or g/hWh) 0.599
HC (g/km or g/hWh) 0.044
NOx (g/km or g/hWh) 0.006
GroundZero said:
No plans to go on a modding streak with my S4, I just have it playing in the back of my mind that as it is now a 10 year old car, would it need anything doing to it to keep the BHP levels from falling away due to age?
I had the same concerns wanting to keep hold of as many bhp as I could, but I had my stock 9 year old manual dyno'd at MRC recently and it came up at 349bhp, apparently it is quite common especially with manuals. Raddors said:
I had the same concerns wanting to keep hold of as many bhp as I could, but I had my stock 9 year old manual dyno'd at MRC recently and it came up at 349bhp, apparently it is quite common especially with manuals.
Hello Raddors,Sorry to hijack but did you get a remap by MRC? If so what was the after figure and how does the car feel since the map? I have a manual and would like to remap it and MRC is probably my closest decent option (still 4hr round trip).
mrdanbartlett said:
Hello Raddors,
Sorry to hijack but did you get a remap by MRC? If so what was the after figure and how does the car feel since the map? I have a manual and would like to remap it and MRC is probably my closest decent option (still 4hr round trip).
Hi Dan - no remap just went to them for a health check and dyno plus service shortly after I bought it. I had considered a remap as I thought it would have lost some power over the years and was expecting something around 300bhp, but probably won't bother now I'm happy with how it is (for now). Recommend MRC, top guys and girls. Sorry to hijack but did you get a remap by MRC? If so what was the after figure and how does the car feel since the map? I have a manual and would like to remap it and MRC is probably my closest decent option (still 4hr round trip).
Raddors said:
Hi Dan - no remap just went to them for a health check and dyno plus service shortly after I bought it. I had considered a remap as I thought it would have lost some power over the years and was expecting something around 300bhp, but probably won't bother now I'm happy with how it is (for now). Recommend MRC, top guys and girls.
Cool, thanks. As I can't find anything this side of £25k to replace the S4 with I think a remap might be worthwhile as the car does everything I want other than a little more power 
Early 400's would be nice, but I agree most seem to make 350 as standard.
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