B7 RS4: more trouble than it's worth

[Timster]

Audi quickly sorted out their major howler (the too small return pipe)

Dave - can you give some more info on that. It sounds from what you said there that it was a recall or something? AFAIK there have been numerous part revisions but I don't know of anything further, could you expand on that pls.

I'm talking early days here - 2006-2008-ish.

It was never a recall - recalls are only for safety issues and are arranged through VOSA - neither was if a formal Workshop Campaign, but if you were suffering problems with the clutch pedal not fully returning and causing clutch slip then if you mentioned it to a DECENT dealer who checked the Service Bulletins from Audi they would have seen that replacing the return pipe with a newer spec one was recommended and would be done under warranty.

Actually, there was a service bulletin for this. But I could only find it in Spanish. Can’t remember what I did with the link now (it was a couple of years ago)... but my local Audi Garage honoured it anyway and changed the return pipe etc.
(Clutch will still stick if I deliberately try though).

[PetrolDave]

Actually, there was a service bulletin for this.

What I said ...

if you mentioned it to a DECENT dealer who checked the Service Bulletins from Audi they would have seen

[regstig]

Well I have owned my B7 RS4 Advant since May been driving it for 3 months and yes I love this car except the no rear leg room and the Discs' and DRC'

So I learnt the hard way about Discs first picked it up in Birmingham drove it South to Sanremo Italy and about Lyon the car started to produce a judder under light braking even I only used the middle peddle for the toll booths from Calais.
Drove it for a month and then put it in storage for 5 months and ordered new Audi Discs and Pads from the UK got the car back in September and fitted new Discs and Pads went of a bead in drive and fixed no judder.
Well 3weeks ago and 500km later brake judder crap!
So asking a specialist in the UK and he said has it got unbalanced tires on the front arr yes it does a little at 80 mph so I just drive at 90 and it goes away and that is the normal speed that everyone seams to go here in Italy.
Then he says has the rims been recoated arr yes they have will check if there is any paint on the hub flange of the rim so iv have removed today 3 layers of paint with paint stripper and a razor blade too prevent Rim Runout.
Then with the dial gauge I measured the hub bearing for run out and there was on the LH side 0.05mm then checked the RH and 0.01mm so today in the marina replaced both wheel bearings and hubs for new.
So these cars are very fussy when it comes to discs everything has to be correct there is so many things that can ruin a new set of discs.
As soon as Disc Thickness Variation happens that's it unless you have a ProCut machine in your town and I have tried there is not one in Italy just in Cannes and too much in the pain in the ass to organize.
So 1400euros from Audi here or 900euros from the UK or 1000euros and a very nice looking 12 bolt instead of 10 bolt Audi AP Racing with new hats.
And also Tarox replacement discs you just use your old hats 800euros.

And today when doing the bearings and swearing about the seized top arm bolt that holds the top link arms I notice the RF DRC shock leaking great

Welcome to the RS4 club I say not bad cars just you have to spend money on Discs and DRC and thats it

[edge]

I really think its luck of the draw and the same for most cars out there, many owners have had no issues when replacing discks and I am one of them. I had Tarox and yellow stuff fitted to the fronts and no issues what so ever. The cost to purchase, deliver from the UK and fitting was all much less than the parts alone from Audit directly. When I got the car the front shocks needed to be done and Audi completed for free with no hassel at all. Since then, they refused to do the same for another RSA and only did it at part goodwill.

For me its Indie all the way and only return to Audi for recalls and the yearly FREE car check!