S4 Avant Buying Advice

[Tay56]

Morning All,

I'm looking at swapping my S3 for a 2010 (60) S4 Avant in Ibis White and wanted to ask a few owners about whether the service regime it's been on sounds right.

The car looks in really good condition and had a full history at main dealer. It's on 65k, had services at 15k, 38k and 59k but the long gap between the first two is a little off putting.

Just wondered if they are supposed to be on a long life plan, and if there are any major service items that I should be checking for, or will be due in the near future?

Thanks!

[liffy99]

They'll either be on fixed servicing (eg every 9000 miles) or long life servicing (19000 or 2 years max).
The trip computer shows when the next service is due.
Which plan you opt for (and you can change) depends on your driving habits; fast and furious in short trips - regular servicing, lots of motorway cruising - long life.
Mines on long life, has been 14k since last service and oil is due in another 4k according to the computer.
Make sure the plugs and filters were done at 57k.

Good luck - I've had my 2009 S4 a week and still trying to figure out all the controls

[RS4will]

... and absolutely make sure that the Stronic gearbox is serviced. (Assuming you've not got stick shift ).

[550superfast]

seems like it was on long life servicing -annual is better.
What are they asking for the car? And is spec good? if you are prepared to share?

[Tay56]

I'm no longer interested in that car, spec wasn't quite what I'm after and the 23k miles on potentially the same oil was a put off!

It was a White 10 plate on 65k miles, 2 owners, options with Red Supersport Seats, MMI, Front and Rear Parking Sensors and Bluetooth.

They were asking £20,950.

[550superfast]

I have a black 2011 avant, 49K miles. Huge spec, in warranty and service pack I may wish to sell as I have been offered a car I have been after for a while.
PM me if you are interested.

[Tay56]

Test drove a S4 Avant S-Tronic over the weekend, and have a question for current owners:
What are your opinions of how smooth the gear changes should be? Most we're unnoticeably smooth, but 3rd to 4th on full throttle felt a little jerky, could this be normal?

[999pooch]

Depends on what you call jerky.

I came from a stick shift and all the gear changes are smoother than in my previous car. I barely notice them pootling about, and even on WOT they are fairly smooth. The main thing I usually notice are the upshift farts , but no physical jerkiness to talk of.

[xxx_mojo_xxx]

May be the mechatronic unit. Its been known to fail on earlier revisions of the DSG/S-tronic units. How many miles on the car and is it under warranty? On a general note the gear shifts should be silky smooth anything less and I would be careful.

[Tay56]

59k miles and the car is out of warranty. I'm coming from a manual and generally speaking the gear changes in this car are silly smooth, just noticed one that felt a little more harsh but not like a clunky change.

If there's potentially a mechatronic unit issue would VCDS pick this up? And what the Audi UK position on mechatronic unit failures, goodwill if full main dealer history and serviced correctly or customer foots the full bill? :/

[xxx_mojo_xxx]

Sorry pal, can't comment on VCDS. Perhaps get the dealer to make a note of the gear change issue if u decide to buy. That way u may have a better chance for goodwill repair work if required