hey guys im still new here but i have a question. im looking at a 2000 s4 tiptronic car a private owner has. its the original owner car was always serviced at the dealer and he has the paperwork for it. car has 96k miles , all stock never modded, its silver with the black/white interior. it comes with an extra set of stock wheels with blizzaks also. timing belt has been done also. only problem there seems to be the convertor code p0174 i beleive it is. he said its been on a lil while and the car has been fine.. i know if i get the car eventually im gonna need to get the convertor done, how much of an expensive job is it? i know the motor has to pretty much come out which sucks but it seems to be a very solid car with good history.. i can probably get the car for $6k since he wants 6500 for it. think i should ****** it up? let me here your thoughts since im new to these cars.. thanks!

 

Wow, even with the TC code, that's pretty damn cheap. What kind of title is on it? With regard to the code -- there is a soelnoid on the torque converter that can stick open. It's a fairly common problem on the tip. I belive a new TC is ~$800 and the tranny will have to come out. Most shops will prolly estimate 12-15 hours to drop + reinstall the tranny. You're prolly looking at ~$2-3k to have someone else do it.

How is the car aside from the TC code? Are there any other codes being thrown?

A buddy of mine just had it done by an honest (non-dealer) shop. I'll see how much he paid.

 

Also, not sure if you meant p0174, but that code indicates you're running lean. You sure that's what it was?

 

car has a good title and the car is in really good shape. i think the guy is just desperate to sell it cause hes moving. he was at 8500 and after a few weeks he dropped to 6500. and yeah i know it was the convertor code i just typed the wrong one, no other codes present he said. seems to be the only problem with the car. said he has a stack of paperwork from being dealer serviced. i do like the fact he is the original owner as well and he is an older gentlemen so no kids have been in the car and most likely it was never beat on either. from the pictures i have of it the car is clean though, you could eat off the interior, it just has the white leather seats i dont care for much, but i would just swap those out for black leather seats. and i love that it comes with extra wheels also for the winter which i like to. just sucks the converter needs to be done but i guess i will just drive it for a while like that and fix it later on. shouldnt cause any problems right?

 

It can cause some crappy shifts and some clunking. It's probably okay for the time being, but if you start seeing symptoms, I would get it changed. Either way, I have some cash ready to replace it when the time comes.

As for the price, that's a steal man. I didn't know what blue book is, but I'm sure it's way less than what he's asking. Aside from that, B5s are definitely selling for more than that. Sounds like a good deal man.

 

ok cool thanks biskit. i was pretty sure its a good deal but wanted to make sure. i can do most of the work on the car myself most likely, im a technician for toyota so im pretty handy with stuff, i can probably do the converter myself if i feel like it..lol idk how bad it is to remove the motor, i know the front clip has to come off. i will post up pics and stuff if i get the car, hopefully my other mustang i sold gets picked up this week so i can go buy the audi. i cant wait to get one, i need a comfy daily driver that i can drive in snow as well, my 600hp 03 cobra isnt much fun in the snow..LOL

 

Sounds good man. You won't regret it man, they are fun cars. Especially when you start modding. Make sure you let us know what you decide -- and definitely post some pics if you move forward with it.