B8 S4 Ownership

[Adrian E]

think the manual suggests topping up in half litre steps, but if it's warning you then it's pretty low so you should be safe.

I bought an old fashioned dipstick for mine so I can double check it! 06e115611h is the part number and about £8 from TPS

[h3lp]

Yeh I wondered why the end of the "dipstick" came off in my hand!!

[Adrian E]

The only use Audi intended for that hole is sucking the oil out the top rather than getting mucky underneath!

The dipstick isn't listed for the v6t in Etka, but is the one for the old 3.2fsi on which the v6t is based. It fits perfectly and seems to tally with the MMI but just gives a bit of reassurance that it isn't over filled

[M7NDP]

Which spec of oil should we be topping up with? Any particular brand that is recommended?

Was going to buy a litre and keep it in the boot in case the warning ever comes up.

Thanks

[jimmyjimjim]

Might be US specific, but

http://www.audiusa.com/content/dam/audiusa/Documen...

The B8 S4 manual specifies VW 502.00 in SAE 5W-40.

[Adrian E]

M7NDP said:

Which spec of oil should we be topping up with? Any particular brand that is recommended?

Was going to buy a litre and keep it in the boot in case the warning ever comes up.

Thanks

For the UK market you can boot your registration into this site for a recommendation

http://castrol-tps.lubricantadvisor.com/default.as...

Our S5 comes up with the following:

Use : Normal
Intervals : Change 15000 km / 12 months
Products : QUANTUM Platinum 5W-40
: QUANTUM Longlife III 5W-30
: EDGE 5W-30

Use : Extended drain (max)
Intervals : Change 30000 km / 24 months
Products : QUANTUM Longlife III 5W-30
: EDGE 5W-30

[M7NDP]

Thank you for the info and links - much appreciated :-)

I've went and bought some today for when the time comes.

There's a pretty good offer on Engine Oil at Costco in the UK if anyone is also looking for -

20% off Castrol Oils - Edge 5W30 and others.

picked some up for £25.90 which seems decent.

Offer runs until 23rd Nov.

[Ursicles]

Thinking of selling my 996 turbo and getting an S4 Avant - always loved fast estates.

Thinking of the following:
Sepang blue
black edition plus
tech pack
sports diff
convenience pack
hill hold
high beam assist
sports leather seats.

Comes to £47k, but can get it for £39k.

Is there anything I've missed out, or added i don't need?

Not sure about the full leather seats as 1400 for them seems a lot!

[s4tronic]

Ursicles said:

Thinking of selling my 996 turbo and getting an S4 Avant - always loved fast estates.

Thinking of the following:
Sepang blue
black edition plus
tech pack
sports diff
convenience pack
hill hold
high beam assist
sports leather seats.

Comes to £47k, but can get it for £39k.

Is there anything I've missed out, or added i don't need?

Not sure about the full leather seats as 1400 for them seems a lot!

Make sure that you get tech pack high so it comes with top sat nav with audi connect and google maps.

I would also add to this spec super sport seats, adaptive cc and and keyless entry and go.

[Hol]

You wont need Hill Hold.

I specced it cos it was a cheap (ah what the hell!) and it got missed off by Audi, who gave me extra money back.

The car sits on hills fine with the auto box in drive and the electric brake.

[lemonslap]

Evening All,

So.. The wife has been complaining of the S4 being hard to start due to the clutch pedal needing to be pressed down very hard. This was fixed about a year ago with a new master cylinder as it had the same issue back then, my question is as this has recurred in 10k miles is it likely to be the clutch itself? It does judder quite a lot at times when pulling away, however the action of the pedal is fine as is the biting point.

[bungle]

lemonslap said:

Evening All,

So.. The wife has been complaining of the S4 being hard to start due to the clutch pedal needing to be pressed down very hard. This was fixed about a year ago with a new master cylinder as it had the same issue back then, my question is as this has recurred in 10k miles is it likely to be the clutch itself? It does judder quite a lot at times when pulling away, however the action of the pedal is fine as is the biting point.

Not got an answer (sorry), but I'm sure there was a (sort of similar) thread on RS246 recently about whether it was "normal" to have to press the clutch so far down (right to the floor) in order to start the car. Don't think there was ever a definitive answer.

[lemonslap]

bungle said:

Not got an answer (sorry), but I'm sure there was a (sort of similar) thread on RS246 recently about whether it was "normal" to have to press the clutch so far down (right to the floor) in order to start the car. Don't think there was ever a definitive answer.

You have to push pass the stop point, it's only just started to do this. We had it last year and a new master cylinder sorted it under warranty, however reading up on these clutches it seems the symptom of a worn thrust bearing. DIY clutch upgrade with light weight flywheel guide on it's way (although not looking forward to this job!). Can't believe the discs on these are only 240mm!

[silentbrown]

Hol said:

You wont need Hill Hold.

The car sits on hills fine with the auto box in drive and the electric brake.

Bizarrely, that's not what it's for. As you say, the basic electric fly-off handbrake is perfect for hill starts.

My experience of HHA is in a manual car: HHA removes the need for you to 'pull' the handbrake every time the car comes to a halt. Imagine you're in stop-start traffic on a gentle incline. Normally, each time you you come to a stop, you must pull on the handbrake. With HHA the handbrake is engaged automatically each time you when you stop.

It actually doesn't use the handbrake mechanism to do this - instead I think it uses residual pressure in the main braking system.

I think it's well worth it. Very badly named, though.

[bungle]

lemonslap said:

You have to push pass the stop point

Sorry, probably being thick, but what do you mean? You have to push the pedal right to the floor, and then keep pushing? What more can it do once at the floor?

[FUBAR]

Ursicles said:

Thinking of selling my 996 turbo and getting an S4 Avant - always loved fast estates.

Thinking of the following:
Sepang blue
black edition plus
tech pack
sports diff
convenience pack
hill hold
high beam assist
sports leather seats.

Comes to £47k, but can get it for £39k.

Is there anything I've missed out, or added i don't need?

Not sure about the full leather seats as 1400 for them seems a lot!

You've just ordered my car almost but I have th super sports seats.

[bungle]

silentbrown said:

Very badly named, though.

Agreed. I totally misunderstood what it was for initially. My "non-Hill Hold Assist" car actually does what I thought HHA did!

[FUBAR]

All (stronic cars at least) cars will release the electric parking brake when you pull away as long as you have your seatbelt on. HHA will reapply the brake when you use the foot brake to come to a standstill, be it on the flat or a hill, and will continue to do so every time you come to a stop. If you wanted the same effect on a non HHA car you'd have to manually engage the parking brake each time.

I have HHA, and I use HHA, but it is, on an stronic car, virtually pointless

[silentbrown]

FUBAR said:

I have HHA, and I use HHA, but it is, on an stronic car, virtually pointless

Can you explain the 'virtually pointless'? Never driven an S-tronic car, but I assume you mean you just hold the car on the footbrake instead? Does it want to creep forwards in D like a torque converter auto?

I'm also interested in how HHA (mis?)behaves with start-stop in facelift B8s...

[Hol]

silentbrown said:

FUBAR said:

I have HHA, and I use HHA, but it is, on an stronic car, virtually pointless

Can you explain the 'virtually pointless'? Never driven an S-tronic car, but I assume you mean you just hold the car on the footbrake instead? Does it want to creep forwards in D like a torque converter auto?

I'm also interested in how HHA (mis?)behaves with start-stop in facelift B8s...

If you take your foot off the brake, it does not roll back, before you depress the throttle.

Basically, the same result as a traditional hill brake/clutch brake on a manual car. No chance to roll back before the throttle moves forward.