I've been debating on getting an older A4 or S4 and I've found a 2001 S4 black on black all stock with 84,000 miles at a really good price. What do I need to know about known problems like coilpacks and timing belts for example about the A4's. What are some things to stay away from? For example, does the tranny go out at around 60k miles or does the motor usually blow at 90k miles? Do I have to worry about reliability after 84,000 miles? I plan on lightly modding the car.

 

timing belt should ave been done.but expect a 1k bill if its not,

turbos can go bad at anytime. no ryhme or reason. 3-5k$$$ parts and labor

oil leaks.smell around the motor when its warmed up, tensioner seals are problematic,seals are cheap but the labor is much$$$
center display on the guages can have mutiple lines out, thats normal,however they can get down right unreable.
tie rod ends and control arm bushings, car will usually shimmy at speed.
ripped cv boots ,my outers were ripped at 50k
window regulators, make sure all the windows go up and down smoothly,
diverter vales leak often
and throttle body boot. a Y type rubber connection at the throttle body often ripps where you cant see it, leaving the car with almost no boost, depending on how bad the tear is.also this can lead to overworking the turbos and possibly faliure.

trans]
second gear synchro wears out premature.often crunches when shifting.
clutch.. if the clutch pedal feels hard at the bottum of the stroke, probaly needs a clutch,self adjuster running out of adjustment.

got to run but thats some basics off the top if my head,
if your not a seasoned wrencher,you better have it checked out by a knowlegable audi professional.

also if you have a chance to get some kind of warrenty take it, The highest cost of ownership of any car i have owned... These repairs can put you in the poor house.


good luck
paul

 

Do a quick search, we talk about this 3x a week.

Basically, the cars are very solid. The engine is bomb proof. j
They don't like boost leaks, the syncro's are not the strongest.

Boost leaks will lead to dead turbo's, lack of maintiance & oil changes will also help on turbo death.

Just look a couple of pages in the forum, and you will see all the basics covered.

 

These last couple of posts have been the most informative of all the posts I've searched through. Thanks a lot! Unfortunately, the 84,000 mile 2001 S4 sold just before I got to the dealership so I'm going to wait and see if another deal pops up.

 

it might be awhile, you don't see a lot of s4's on dealer lots

 

Good luck finding one at a dealer. It's extremely rare. I found one at a dealer in the whole metro Phoenix area and it was a tip so I wasn't interested. You would most likely have to go private, and you would probably have to travel a ways. That's what I did with my C43.

 

i got my s4 on lot...just keep your eyes peeled and wait for the one you want.