Hey everyone, found a 2k S4 with 48k miles.
Has regular maintenence by pro shop and is in very nice shape.
Dino oil, not synthetic (not sure if that causes problems down the road). No big red flags so far.
My questions are 1) turbos - what kind of expense to replace (when they go out) and is it a "DIY task" for a newbie ? 2) what other weak spots on the car that I need to pay attention to . I can piece together some things from the forum posts like tie rod ends, control arms, etc but looking for any additional insight. 3) how durable are these motors (I hear the 1.8's are not the best in comparison) ?
Maintaining the car is not a monetary issue nor a problem - I am very maticulous and spare not expense on my vehicles, but I do not want to step into a 'money pit'. I think the turbos cause me the most concern esp after reading about all the replacements being done on mid-life mileage cars.
Any feedback is greatly appreciated - thanks.

 

Read: https://www.audiforums.com/m_406711/tm.htm

 

Hey there,

I bought a 2001.5 S4 a little over 2 months ago. From what I have read online, the electrical components and various sensors are what breaks down the most and are most expensive to fix. The drivetrain is solid, although the turbo's have been known to go out around 100k miles (there are many different mileages, some say around 80k, others say around 125k. it all depends on how hard you drive it and if its been chipped...also if you warm-up/cool-down the car).
As for my personal experience, have money saved up in your bank for ANYTHING that could happen. So far in 2 months I have had 2 sensors go out, the Engine Coolant Temperature sensor ($20), and the Exhaust Gas Temp. Sensor ($280). The price is for the part only, so I don't know how much it costs to have a mechanic install them (I hear its like over $100 for Engine Coolant Temp Sensor and almost $600 for the Exhaust Gast Temp. Sensor -but could be different depending on whether it is the driver's side or passenger side).
I was pretty surprised at how quickly these sensors went haywire, but then again its a 6 yr old car. I guess I'm just used to Japanese reliability as my previous cars have all been Japanese (Hondas, Toyotas, Nissans).

 

turbos are in no way a newbie project, cheapest job plus parts your looking at 3500-4000$

 

Welcome to the S4 world (B5 and otherwsie). Its a great car, but not without its issues. There are alot of enthusiasts who really care about these cars on this and on other Audi forums - so there shouldn't be too many surprises...expenses yes...frustrations aplenty...but oh the joy...enjoy!

 

I hope that includes labor... It is not that expensive to replace the K03's. You could get 2 new K04s for $2k-3k

 

you can get the turbos for around 2k, another 500 for misc. hardware and other stuff you may need. and im sure its worth atleast 1000 to yank the motor to do this job?

 

Just take off part of the front end, pulling the motor isn't necessary. Some buddies and I have put together a whole garage so not sure what you guys have to pay for labor!

 

Ihave heard of turbo swaps from the front from a few people. But I have yet to really see any pictures or a writeup to do so.