Alright, a newbie to the S4 but a big Audi fan having owned a 4000q sport and a 4000q ralley car.

There is an opportunity on an S4 in my neighborhood for around $4k. Supposedly it is bone stock (chip/exhaust).

Issues with car that I view as major and don't know the answers to repair or maybe they are not that big of a deal.

First, the power steering pump is out according to the owner. Confirmed that something is out, could be ps pump or ??? Maybe the fuse is blown??? How hard is it to change out a ps pump? Could it be a rack issue? Fluid was in the resivor, so it didn't leak out.

Pixels in information center are flickering. I assume that happens overtime, some are out.

Check engine light is on and owner said it was because of the ps pump. I plugged in an OBDII reader and it would not give a code. It linked but wouldn't read anything. Do Audi's need special OBDII reader??? I thought they were universal?

Car has 150k on the clock. Exterior has some scraps on the bumpers, needs rear tires and brakes. Interior is excellent, no tears and all options work with exception to some of the pixels in the dash.

Thoughts? Good buy with issues? Check engine light issues?

Thanks experts!!!

 

i thought the car i bought was in good working order when i bought it and it wasnt so even if you do know what the problems are there could be bigger ones. if it were me id definitely hold out for something with half the milage. take you're time buyin one. they're much more expensive to repair than a 4000q and you need a vag com reader not an obd2 reader. they are audi/vw specific

 

Bottlecap, good points. I was thinking the same thing. Since no generic codes showed up on the OBDII, which should happen for any car sold in the USA 96 and on, I'm concerned that the issues are a lot bigger than he wants to disclose.
Thanks for the input and wise words of wisdom.

 

If you have a generic code scanner it will read the Audi computer, you have to have a good scanner with th euro car package.

Now with that i got my S from a carmax and I had problems right away so i would really say no to that one because its already showing problems....but hey in the end its your choice

 

Do you mean it has a chip and exhaust? because a chip & exhaust is nowhere near bone stock. A chip is arguably the most damaging thing you can do to the car. Often the cause of boost leaks, blown turbos, bad diverter valves, and speeding tickets.

PS is an issue that a fair number of people see. The steering rack itself is very expensive to replace, some people have the ps pump go, some people need a whole new steering rack. Im not sure about the specifics of fixing them though, i just know if you do donuts in the snow with the wheel all the way turned its VERY bad for it. Mine was squeeling a little, i added PS fluid and it went away.

Missing pixles are on almost every car. Some people live with it, some people buy a new cluster for $800 or so dollars, and more and more people are sending it to pixilfix to get them fixed. I dont think this one is a big deal at all, very fixable and not as expensive as it usedto be.

the CEL is a fact of life with this car. theres a code for just about everything in the car except blown turbos. Get a vag-com and scan the car to see wat codes it throws, there will probably be more than 1.

I would get a good pre-purchase inspection to make sure there are no really serious problems. Depending on the issues the price might be a little negotiable. IMO it dosnt sound like a great daily driver right off the bat, but potentially a good project car if you can fix the car yourself otherwise its very expensive. $4000 isnt much for an S4, but prices have been dropping like crazy lately. COnsider it only if you want a project and have a second car as a daily driver

 

Only have one thing to say I have NO pixles down on my car, thank god because that would drive me nuts!!!

 

me either knock on wood!

 

shoot mines so jacked up it drives me nuts. i always turn off that display anyway unless i want to know the outside temp or my fuel milage. cuz thats all i really use it for

 

btw didnt mean to sound cocky with that comment, hey if ya need to knock on wood just look left and knock on the trim

 

150,000 miles is a lot of miles. But I have 157,xxx and my babe is still runnin' fine! KOW

As for the PS pump. No, its not very hard to change. Its EASIEST removing the bumper and support, but not mandatory. If you have small hands and lots of patience (which seems like a very well known thing with these cars) you can swap it out without removing much. Just a few hoses and the giant y-pipe and your all set.

Also just a heads up, that car is due for a second water pump and timing belt change. Hopefully its already done though.