i have an 02 s4. tip. having issues with the torque converter, from what i have read, this is not too uncommon. also heater core problems as well. took my car to the shop today to get diagnosed, they said i need to have my t/c replaced, and should replace my heater core. my question is; they expect the hours to be 18 to take out my trans, and put it back in. so i'm looking at a $1600 bill for labor on that task. a new t/c is $900??? that seems steep, and for that price i should be able to get an aftermarket performance t/c right? they have also suggested to get a remaned t/c, which they quarentee, and the cost of that is much less, almost half. is there a site i can get information on aftermarket performance t/c? also.... they want some $800 plus parts to replace the heater core... that seems a bit steep as well...they just have to take appart the dash right?
i don't mind paying the money if the work is nessessary. but i don't like getting ripped off or taken advantage of. any advice or forsight would be much appreciated. thanks!

 

Hmmm, there's a write-up DIY on AudiWorld that sort of explains how to remove the dash to get at the heater core. It says it should take about 4 hours to remove and 4 to install. But once the dash is out the heater core is pretty plain n simple to replace. I'm not sure how much labor is now-a-days cuz I'm a do it yourselfer. But I couldn't imagine the heater core being outrageously priced. Not sure about the t/c though..I'm a 6-speed guy (which is no walk in the park either). Good luck though! hopefully someone on here can help you out!

 

yeah, so i took my car to a radiator shop to have them flush out the core. took 20 minutes, cost $80, and the thing heats like a mad man now. freakin shops trying to make a dime. i spent $135 just to have the shop look at it and tell me it needs to be replaced. they didn't even try to flush it. i've been doing to some research on the t/c 's. i can buy an aftermarket performance t/c for $600. might as well, i was going to have to replace the thing when i mod the car anyways. but if there is anyone out there that has any good recommendations on what company i should check out for performance t/c, that would be great! i've looked into level10, and a couple others.