its nice to buy a new car every thing is warranty so it constantly in the dealers grabbing hands who wish to extort the warranty to the max, so its like a test bed and you drive around in a test car but believe me its standard practice
avant80, I think you make some good points but i believe you're generalizing a bit too much here. sure there is a downside to owning a first model year car. but to think that dealers are being grabby with our RS4s for no real reason is ridiculous. the problems we are having a real, its not like the dealer is making them up.
I think we have a right to be vocally dissapointed after such a MASSIVE purchase.
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Joined: 4/23/2006 From: Orange California Status: offline
This is true but, how long will Audi produce the '07 RS4? I doubt longer than 2 years. I hope so at least for resale purposes. I do agree completely, anytime you have a new model hit the floor, even the manufacturer waits a year or two to see what all goes wrong w/ their new concept. Unfortunatley with the RS4 we (the owners) don't have that Luxury. You will never get anywhere in life if you don't take a risk-FYI. Being that a select few of us did and the majority are having these problems is BS! I have to say though that the RS4 is not a mass produced vehicle and it stands in a league of its own. Whenever a country is only granted 1,000 models a year (if not less) 99% of them should be in "good health"--for the first year or two. No matter how you look at it, these problems shouldn't be happening on a German built world class super car! Granted, mine is working fine and I have no problems w/ the EPC light...I am just backing up the others who are in a raw deal. Wouldn't you be a little pissed?
its not a problem the manufacturer is making up its just they have tested it out enough and pressured into introducing a new model because of competition and that's normal (then the problems start) and the fixes come along the way (its called engineering)
Btw, Trev and anyone who is interested. I spoke to a guy who's a VW junky tonight. He has a GTI with 400+ whp. When I told him that one of my O2 sensors went out, he laughed and said that is the first thing to go on so many Audis and VWs and not to worry about it.
He said don't worry about driving it around for a week while the part is in shipment, it will be fine. That is sort of what my service rep said as well, so I am picking up my baby tomorrow after lunch until the part arrives.
Hopefully that should spell some decent news. I have to say, its not as if my clutch went bad or my engine is bad, that would have me more worried. So far the problem sounds to be quite minimal. My bigger worry is that the car is not at all blemished in ANY way from being dirty at the dealer for 5 days :)... Keep your fingers crossed, my baby's coming home!
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Joined: 7/7/2006 From: Playa Vista, California Status: offline
well after that freak light that came on yesterday on the way to work, i've since put on another 100 miles and can't seem to get it to light up again. sounds like even if the O2 sensor is out, i can keep driving it anyways. guess i'll keep on truckin until it comes on again.
it is killing me that i can't haul ass during break in. i guess the rpms keeps tiering higher as you approach 1500 miles but still, using only half of the usable power band is painful indeed...
well after that freak light that came on yesterday on the way to work, i've since put on another 100 miles and can't seem to get it to light up again. sounds like even if the O2 sensor is out, i can keep driving it anyways. guess i'll keep on truckin until it comes on again.
it is killing me that i can't haul ass during break in. i guess the rpms keeps tiering higher as you approach 1500 miles but still, using only half of the usable power band is painful indeed...
That proves nothing. My O2 sensor is out and I have the car back until the replacement part arrives. Guess what, the light is not on in the dash but I know for a fact the sensor is faulty.
Go get the computers scanned, don't delay, at least you'll have peace of mind. Not worth chancing it in this expensive purchase.
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Joined: 4/23/2006 From: Orange California Status: offline
Def take it easy for the first 500 miles. W/in the next 1000 though...break the car in the way you want to drive it. Might sound crazy but its true! I did, and have no problems (@ 2100 miles FYI)...half and half on the pedal. Maybe even 3 quarters babied and a quarter to the floor. Shouldn't do any damage and the car will respect the ledd in your foot later on down the road.
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Joined: 7/7/2006 From: Playa Vista, California Status: offline
i have an appointment on monday morning to take in the car for this EPC light issue. the service advisor said "uh oh" when i told him why i'm bringing it in. he assured me it shouldn't be anything that will leave me stranded but that i need to bring it in for inspection.
i don't know if its related to the EPC light but i was hearing a slight "clank clank clank" noise from the exhaust when the car idles. i wondered if it had anything to do with that valve that opens in "S" mode and sure enough, the clanking went away when "S" was engaged. it went back to clanking when the "S" was disengaged and it sounds like the exhaust air is causing the valve to flap and make this metal clanking noise. i'll post what the issue was when it gets resolved.
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Joined: 7/7/2006 From: Playa Vista, California Status: offline
not much of an update but i was also told some AoA techs are coming out to the dealer to look at this problem first hand. so they're keeping my car for another day.
the dealer did call me back with a status as promised and they gave me a A4 2.0T quattro loaner car. a little buzzy and vibration-prone at idle but it scoots when the turbo starts spooling and still rock solid at freeway speeds. interior is just as nice with most of the creature comforts of the RS4. makes you kinda wonder if the RS4 is really worth paying more than double for the 2.0T quattro
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Joined: 4/23/2006 From: Orange California Status: offline
I had a 2.0T loaner when mine was in the shop and there is no comparison. Took forever for the turbo to spool and did not like the interior nearly as much. Was a very solid car but would get waxed by the RS4 dude. Hope you get your car back soon!
Dudes, my RS4 is coming back tomorrow, O2 sensor is replaced. This time I got an A6, 3.2L.. Let me tell you, compared to the 2.0T A4 I had last week, the A6 makes the absence of my RS4 much easier to handle (although it still doesn't come close).
I agree the Turbo took forever to spool and the interior IMO was not even close to the RS4's
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Joined: 7/7/2006 From: Playa Vista, California Status: offline
no doubt that the RS4 is much nicer and faster but when you're paying 115% more than a A4 2.0T, it better damn well be!! i guess what i'm trying to say is that considering it costs less than half of a RS4, the 2.0T is still a nice car with many of the same features. i was expecting a total turd and was pleasantly surprised. again, considering the price.
yes i agree the turbo does take a bit to spool. with the automatic, it's a little unnerving when it hesitates for a second when you floor it from a standstill. makes making left turns at an intersection a challenge. or maybe it's just the 06 loaner i have with 11,000 miles.
see now out of all that we get an answer (115%) AND THATS A LOT OF MONEY so why don't they give the Audi buyer some credit and let them have these new cars a little cheaper as a gift for staying with them I know its asking a lot but many other companies do it and it promotes the brand ( to invest in the buyers reaps rewards ) if I got that right
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Joined: 4/23/2006 From: Orange California Status: offline
Staying with them? It was a loaner. Don't know if tsunami was a previous audi owner but if not...what??? As for the RS4 vs 2.0T difference...there are quite a few, which you all already know but I have to reiterate for peace of mind. Built by a select team of 10 through Quattro GmbH instead of basic audi manufacturers, Seats, wheels, preforated leather, engine/components, brakes, suspension, exhaust, gauge cluster, moldings, paint, grille, 60-40, shorter linkage, aerodynamics etc etc-damn, almost the whole freakin car is different and well worth the extra money! Granted, 80k is a sh**ton of money for any car, I find it worth it once behind the wheel of this beast. I agree on the auto 2.0T, going from a standstill is slower than if I got out and pushed.
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Joined: 7/7/2006 From: Playa Vista, California Status: offline
well i'm supposed to get the RS4 back today. something about 6 techs from AoA working on it all day yesterday and having to remove the front clip to get to some vacuum hose near the intake manifold that had ruptured because a clip was overtorqued... i dunno. i'll get more details when i pick it up but sounds like the "select team of 10" at Quattro GmbH like to overtorque things a bit too much, huh trev?
i drove around town yesterday in that 2.0T loaner and figured out that if you drive 100% of the time in tiptronic mode controlling your revs and left foot brake it from a start and let the turbo spool prior to launch, this car is actually peppy and fun to drive. yes i am going stir crazy in this buzzy thing and i'm trying to make lemonade out of a lemon (figure of speech, not saying it's a lemon or anything)...
my other "RS" car is in the shop too so life is just sucking for me this week
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Joined: 4/23/2006 From: Orange California Status: offline
Sounds like the "select team of 10" was more excited about the build then we were about driving it. Maybe that team isn't so select...doesn't matter mine is running great/sux others aren't!
Posts: 178
Joined: 7/7/2006 From: Playa Vista, California Status: offline
car's back. but the dealer didn't have the paperwork "finished" because "there's a whole lot they need to write". however, i did make sure the dealer noted that the AoA techs found the need to put THIRTY NINE (39) MILES on my car for "evalution" to diagnose, fix and test the car. that's more than my usual commute to work, around to get lunch, and back home in one day!!! point being, i will be taking up and pursuing this issue with the dealer and AoA. excuse my german but "dieses ist bullsh!t..."
but the vacuum hose seems to have fixed the EPC and service engine light as well as the "flapping" noise coming from the exhaust. apparently, the lack of vacuum caused the normal mode in-exhaust valve not to stay closed and the exhaust would force through and cause the it to "flap". when S mode was engaged, the flap naturally opened and the noise went away.
in addition to this "mileage descrepency", i still have to go back to the dealer because they didn't fix a knocking noise coming from the right rear wheel housing/suspension area when the car is cold. every time i drove over a bump or other road imperfection, there'd be this knocking noise. at first it sounded like something rolling around in the trunk but after checking to make sure the trunk was empty and everything else was secured, it still continued. funny part is, it only happens when the car is cold, for about 5 minutes, so it leads me to believe that this problem is exhaust related as well.
anywho, the drama continues. i'll keep everyone posted.
Posts: 206
Joined: 4/23/2006 From: Orange California Status: offline
Very interested to know about the knocking noise. My RS is running great but notice in sharp turns sometimes the same type of noise...very seldom FYI. I have a few things in the trunk but for the most part all are secure. Let me know dude.
Printable Version
RE: The EPC warning symbol came on today while driving.. - 
so why don't they give the Audi buyer some credit and let them have these new cars a little cheaper as a gift for staying with them I know its asking a lot but many other companies do it and it promotes the brand ( to invest in the buyers reaps rewards ) if I got that right
