Work to do after service!

[SupraEdd]

So my RS4 was in need of its first service since I took ownership. I took it to an Audi dealer as the Audi specialist that did my MOT last year who are based down the road to me didn't really fill me with much confidence. Anyway, service was fine but I did come back with a list of things to get sorted (but with prices, which is nice or them, or perhaps not!!!)

RHS headlamp intermittent flash - £573
Coolant expansion starting to split - £105
Front Discs worn - £1165
Front shocks weeping - £1007
Exhaust bypass flaps seized - £1772 (WTF I'm not spending £1.7k to fix what a squirt of WD40 every now and again can do)
Engine under tray and cooling ducts missing - £443
Noisy propshaft - £1280
OSF wheel inner rim buckle - no price!!!

I've been told that only a dealer can deal with the front shocks as they have the special machines for the DRC. But am guessing all the other stuff is pretty standard jobs that any place I trust could do.
Slightly annoying as I also have a set of H&S springs I've been wanting to get fit for a while now sitting in the garage. I just have to decide which order to get the above done in too, as I cant do it all in one.

Edd...

[toyneg]

I wouldn't worry too much. I did the same thing when I bought mine. Put it into an Audi dealer for a service and was presented with a quote for £5k. They told me my front discs needed doing and I got another 30k miles out of them, they said I needed a new power steering pump as mine squeeled on full lock... they all do that. I wouldn't personally trust most of the stuff a dealer will tell you needs doing, especially on a 10yr old RS model, I mean £1.7k for sticking exhausts flaps, wtf are they thinking????

if MRC though told me I needed the bits doing, i would be more inclined to listen.

where are you based, there are other places that can sort out DRC issues

[Covkiller]

1. RHS headlamp intermittent flash - £573 Speak with Trups on this forum, he's the expert on headlights
2. Coolant expansion starting to split - £105 Circa £35 from Audi, get a turkey baster drain and refit new one, piece of cake
3. Front Discs worn - £1165 Stoke Audi do the cheapest OEM discs circa £638, really easy to fit yourself
4. Front shocks weeping - £1007 - Lots of Audi specialists can do this, MRC (Ben), APS (Ed), etc and fit your springs
5. Exhaust bypass flaps seized - £1772 (WTF I'm not spending £1.7k to fix what a squirt of WD40 every now and again can do) Agreed WD40
6. Engine under tray and cooling ducts missing - £443 These aren't cheap from Audi but no way do they cost £443, I think maybe £200 - £250
7. Noisy propshaft - £1280 Go to a transmission specialist, propshafts are not sophisticated
8. OSF wheel inner rim buckle - no price!!! Throw it away and buy a good 2nd hand one. Lots of RS4 OEM spare wheels for sale on here and eBay

Edd...

[Human Joist]

That's the reason I would never take my car to Audi. Some young tech or over priced rip off for parts that are fine. They went through a phase of doing free mots. A friend took theirs up and it failed on rear discs. They were not worn at all. Took to another mot who not only didn't warn on them but could not believe they had failed them and he had vosa there for his check up during the mot.

[Grandadg90]

Coolant expansion tank is about £25, and takes 20 minutes to fit.

[SupraEdd]

Thanks everyone, I thought that would pretty much be the reaction I would get.

I'm based in Essex near Colchester. I spoke to John Austin the Audi specialist but they said they cant do the suspension - so if anyone knows of someone that can in Essex that would be appreciated.

Edd...

[FaisalJ]

Could the intermittent flash be a xenon bulb on its way out? Does it ever look a bit purple on startup?

Another possibility is that it's not the headlight bulb, but a dodgy LED sidelight or DRL? I seem to remember having some dodgy LEDs on an old car that would flash when the ignition was on (but engine not), and ok when the engine was running.

[MikeFish]

Coolant tank was less than £18 from Stoke Audi.

[ASC]

They will be quoting for the upgraded engine tray which is £333.00, apparently it's stronger. You can get the normal one from TPS £180.. Or £200 from Audi. I just priced one up last week.

[Harris.]

Im based in Essex and took mine to Audi at Rayleigh weir , had to deal with some sexy little dolly bird so knew they were going to try and make me drop my pants .

They also gave me a shocking list with the price £7.5 k (but they offered me a 50% discount on labour if I got it all done). so walking out there feeling total sick I got the car home and went over everything they had mentioned

99% was trash , some 18 year old looking over the car being paid to find faults . All 4 of my shocks were leaking according to Audi , so I removed all 4 wheels cleaned all 4 shocks /springs etc . checked it 2 weeks later and there fine .
They also pointed out my discs are worn (OF COURSE THEY ARE WORN THERE BRAKE DIC'S ) 2000 miles later there fine and look the same .

My car wont ever go back there , and the funny thing is it only went in so they could check the knocking noise from the front o/s which they couldn't find out what it was .

[Harris.]

RHS headlamp intermittent flash - £573 - id leave it .
Coolant expansion starting to split - £105 -id get this done asap.
Front Discs worn - £1165- Never , these can be found online for £500
Front shocks weeping - £1007- I paid £90 for a NEW o/s front shock on ebay
Exhaust bypass flaps seized - £1772 (WTF I'm not spending £1.7k to fix what a squirt of WD40 every now and again can do) I spent half hour cleaning mine with carb cleaner then a little WD40, over a year ago and still free and working
Engine under tray and cooling ducts missing - £443- Breakers yard in north fambridge are breaking a RS4 . peanuts from them .
Noisy propshaft - £1280- You can run for 1000's of miles on a noisy propshaft , only worry if its out of balance and you can feel it juddering through the car.
OSF wheel inner rim buckle - no price!!! - I got 2 buckled alloys repaired along with all 4 being powder coated Black for £180 in wickford. Good as new

[mustdash]

Wjen I got mine I took it to Audi Coventry for a 'free' health check. An hour later it came back with a list of stuff wrong with it totalling over £4k. Did any of that stuff need doing? Other than it having wrong sized tyres on the front that I hadn't noticed when I bought it and needing new disks and pads all round (which I knew about when I bought it), nothing else needed doing.

Would I take the car back to Audi? No.

[cherub72]

Thanks everyone, I thought that would pretty much be the reaction I would get.

I'm based in Essex near Colchester. I spoke to John Austin the Audi specialist but they said they cant do the suspension - so if anyone knows of someone that can in Essex that would be appreciated.

Edd...

There's a good place in Harrow but that's probably too far for you

http://www.audivwsc.co.uk/

[SupraEdd]

Cheers guys, am trying to find another place in Essex now to do the shocks - they are quite 'knocky' when you hit anything in the road.
Coolant bottle is already on order.

With the light I cant tell, so will have to get the misses to look for some purple (im colour blind lol) its a strange thing some days I can drive for miles and it wont flicker at all, other times it will go like crazy for a few minutes then nothing, or it will just randomly flick through a journey - and when stationary.

Have got myself an undertray from a breakers - are the cooling ducts built in or a separate item? the tray I got came off an rs4 (apparently) but is quite flat - I imagine ducts would be poking up a bit towards the breaks etc?

I'm not getting any strange vibrations so am going to leave the prop shaft for now.

I do about 2000 miles a year in my 'fun cars' lol so im not worried about the disks until MOT time.

I'll try some carb cleaner on the flaps, have some sitting around from my old Pug 205's

[Harris.]

Why not search ebay for the shocks , have them fitted then run the car into Audi for a re gas ?