Potential New S4 owner

[BigJC]

Hi All

I have been looking at a 2003 S4 at Newbury Audi, the price looks right ish at £10, 990 for an S4 with 78k on it. I drove it yesterday and really liked it, especially the engine noise (note to self - watch the speedo!!) but there are a couple of things I am not sure about and would appreciate any advice that you have.
I found it really hard to change gear smoothly, offten there would be a jolt as if there was some slack in the driveline that was taken up as I fed the clutch back out. Coming off the power didn't induce any odd lurching so I don't think it is a case of movement in the drivetrain.It was also difficult to discern the biting point, my current car it is obvious but in the Audi it was smooth but seemd to be very gradual. I didn't notice an clutch slip however. I do regularly drive different cars so am used to adjusting for different clutch set ups.
The other thing was the suspension, felt a bit floaty on the ridges over the bridges on the A34 - not unpleasant but jsut a bit softer than I am used to - however my current car is a Mini Cooper S which is anything but comfortable! This may then be the consequnce of more compliant suspension and a heavier car?

Any experience /advice you can give is appreciated, to be honest I am half sold on the car if we can strike a good deal with the dealer,

Many Thanks

[Aldouk]

Mines the same (a lot of them are apparently) but it's now much improved since having it remapped. They have a very large butterfly plate in the throttle body which can be a bit slow to react when coming on throttle. The remap included a throttle position change where they effectively move the power range further up the throttle travel. Mine was giving 75% of power at only 30% of throttle travel which made it really difficult to drive smoothly. Now it needs more like 50-60% of travel to get the same power.
I figured that £400 spent on a remap to smooth out the power delivery was well worth the money AND I got some extra horses too.
Previous discussion .. http://www.rs246.com/index.php?name=PNp ... ic&t=86575

I found it really hard to change gear smoothly, offten there would be a jolt as if there was some slack in the driveline that was taken up as I fed the clutch back out. Coming off the power didn't induce any odd lurching so I don't think it is a case of movement in the drivetrain.It was also difficult to discern the biting point, my current car it is obvious but in the Audi it was smooth but seemd to be very gradual.

Many Thanks

[Ian_C]

That is extremely low priced for a main dealer! There are private ones out there asking the same money with the same mileage.

Clutch: When looking to buy, I researched the clutch and flywheel cost almost 2k at Audi. I didn't fancy this bill myself, hence bought one that had already had the clutch done. If it hasn't had one already at 78k, I personally wouldn't touch it without Audi doing it as part of the deal. Mine was done earlier than average at 63k including the slave cylinder. The bite feels just as strong as the year old S5 I had for 48 hours last year. The clutch won't be covered under warranty, and you don't want a 2k bill after a few months. Looking at it another way, 13k would buy a lower mileage with more options: I happened to buy the lowest mileage I found with the clutch done.

Suspension: Incredibly stiff on the S4. if it feels floaty wallowy, I'd be worried. I am not aware of any suspension changes between saloon and Avant: others might able to clarify this? Worth double checking the four tyres match in terms of manufacture and tread. They need to be pumped up too - 39 PSI on my Avant.

Ian

[veetwin]

39PSI?

Why so high?

[BigJC]

Thanks Guys for the replies, I am going to go back and drive a lower mileage car they have got to see if there really is an issue (or that they all do that sir!) You have put my mind at rest re the driveline shunt, I also read there is a software update for throttle sensitivity, although if it justifies a remap that may be the best may to go !!

Just off to speak to the mand from Audi!

Cheers

[veetwin]

Ignore the 39PSI query, I just rechecked the plate and it does state 39, I just read it wrong.

[chunky79]

Millage can sometime's mean nothing with reguards to clutches. The car could have done loads of motorway miles!
It is very difficult to do a smooth gear change in these cars. There have been lots of comments on this on here over the years.

That is a stunning price from a main dealer though! Only £1200 more than i'm asking for mine .
Are you after an avant or saloon??

dunc

[cobraBLACK]

I back the other comments too.

I feel the same with my biting point - I think Audi have done something to smooth it out, which is great as it makes pulling away in 1st gear feel very refined compared to every other car I've driven.

The suspension would be a concern. I had to ditch my Impreza as the ride was too harsh for my son - I knew the S4 was for me as soon as I drove it since it has a similarly firm ride but much smoother over bumps.

The only time it's felt less composed than the Impreza is when I tried to throw it into a 90 degree bend and then it felt like a big car. My tyres are worn out and I haven't done the RS4 RARB upgrade though.

[BillTheButcher]

The floating sensation could be to do with worn front suspension top arms. I've just had new ones fitted to my B6 S4 and it feels much more responsive and firm at the front end.

I live not far from Newbury and will be selling my S4 shortly if you want one with some nice mods, new front suspension top arms and new pads and discs all round less than a week ago.

[BigJC]

OK, went and drove a newer S4 at the same dealer to compare - the clutch was much sharper although changing gear smoothly was still a challenge it felt much tighter. I spoke to Roger Parfitt at ACS Andover who is a top guy and really knows his stuff and he thought that from my description the rear dif mountings need replacing. He also said that if the biting point is indistinct or woolly then the clutch is on its way out. He quoted about £750 to change the clutch - I was going to see what Audi would do on the price of the car but in the meantime they sold it!
Oh well, got another one to look at so I still might still join your esteemed club!

Thanks to everyone for their help - this is the friendliest and quickest to respond forum I have been on.

[Ian_C]

Wasn't aware of the rear diff mountings being a weak point?

Clutch wise, that price sounds a bit low. From memory on my receipt, the flywheel alone comes in around 750 for just the part!

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/1798098.htm

This one isn't too far from you and has been up for sale for at least 4/5 months: It was for sale for 14k iirc when I bought my Avant. Should be a deal to be done if they've had it that long - certainly get a fresh mot thrown in. At 41k you'd expect the clutch would still be strong. Could be a lemon mind! Wonder if anyone here knows it / has viewed it? The non-resonated Milltek, upgraded Nav with bluetooth, black optics grille and body coloured mirrors possibly suggest an enthusiast.

Ian

[caiss4]

Just to add my two penneth:

Smooth gear change: transmission shunt particularly noticeable between 1st and 2nd. Can be minimised by not revving too high in first and getting in to 2nd asap (and doing a slow change). I don't experience any problem in higher gears unless doing an aggressive gear change

Suspension/floaty feeling: my first port of call would be the tyres. As mentioned pressures of 39psi AND load factor of 95. Anything less and you'll notice it in the steering.

[cobraBLACK]

I've just run down the end of some not great tyres that were on it when I bought the car.

Changing them has suddenly made the steering much lighter.

[marv]

I've just run down the end of some not great tyres that were on it when I bought the car.

Changing them has suddenly made the steering much lighter.

I had exactly the same experience. My new Vredesteins with stiff sidewalls gave me much better turn-in. It was like driving a different car!

[cobraBLACK]

I'm looking forward to running them in too - the car felt very cumbersome around some bends that my old Impreza would eat up.

Hopefully the Vreds will make it feel s bit more spritely - it certainly has around slow 90 degree bends