Chuffed new owner!! - some questions please.

[NCA01]

Hello Gents,

Well the deal was done and I am the proud owner of an Nogaro Blue S4 Avant with half leather and blue alcantara, as per my previous posts. Sorted out the insurance through Adrian Flux and saved about £200 over any on line comparison so thanks for all the tips there!

Had the car since Sat afternoon and am chuffed to bits. She looks stunning and still turns heads. The interior is superb and a really nice place to be. The seats are awesome and of course then there's the V8 - what a sound. It's highly addictive!

There are one or two niggles / observations that I would like to run through with you fellow owners to help put my mind at ease and ensure I have not been sold a dud. Any suggestions, thoughts or tips would be much appreciated of not just to put my mind at ease. So here goes:

1) It's a hard car to drive smoothly (much like my mk4 R32) the shift from 1-2-3rd is hard to do smoothly?
2) When driving slowly and lifting the clutch after a change or pulling away at between 2000-3000 revs there is a horrible vibration / juddering. Could this is the clutch slipping?
3) The engine warning light comes on and stays on during running. I also get a coolant warning message upon start up but when I system check it tells me all is ok?
4) Tyre pressures - the car has fairly new contie's fitted all round. Although I am sure the pressures have not been checked and the car would have been sat still for a while. Can you advise of the best pressure to run all round?
5) Cold start up - it sounds like a bag of nails until it smoothes out. There is a clunking / vibration type sound?

That's it for the moment...please give me your thoughts and help put my mind at ease. I am thinking I will take her to an Audi specialist and get them to give her a once over. I am based is Brackley Northhants so any suggestions? Banbury perhaps?

As I said I am chuffed to bits... and it's a stunning car. I now see why you all took the decision and I am proud to become part of the gang!

Cheers,
Nick.

[jamess4cab]

Welcome to the wonderful world of spending a fairly chunky amount of time at the petrol station!

In answer to your questions:

1) You get used to it, but it does sound like your clutch maybe on its way.
2) Try putting the car in 5th or 6th at low speed, (30mph ish) and accelerating hard. If the revs rise and the speed doesn't, its likely to be the clutch waving goodbye.
3) Have you chekced the coolant expansion tank? Aux rads are a fairly common failure on the B6 0- looking at approx £300 fitted for a pair (Indy prices).
4) Tyre presures are in the hand book!
5) Completely standard - big engine just getting the oil round it. Its the timing chain. Don't panic!

ENJOY!

[xyber]

You can use every other gear to smooth it out but you get the hang off it soon enough. The engine check light plus judder/ rattle could be a dodgy CAT

the rattle on start up is the chain tensioner, mine along with alot of others do this aswell, sounds horrible but is just a quirk of the engine unfortunatly, I have heard fresh oil quietens/stops it so it's on my list of jobs

Only had mine 5 weeks, awesome cars !!

[nihc]

Hi,


The bad vibration could be down to a failed engine mount solenoid. The engine mounts have adjustable damping via the ECU and one of yours may have failed. This would give the symptoms you describe.

I would get a Vag-Com connected to check the engine fault codes.


Regards, Chris.

[BlingBling]

1) The more you drive the car. To more accustomed you will get to changing gear.
2) Faulty engine mount? VAGCOM will tell you.
3) Could be a temp sensor. Had a similar scenario on my S3. VAGCOM will tell you.
4) There should be a plate on the drivers side B pillar that details the correct tyre pres-sures
5) If it dies away after a few seconds then it is normal behaviour. If it is a whine at around 2000rpm then it is a bit more serious.

[no_RS]

Suggest you get to a specialist and get it checked over, would suggest either MRC Tuning (Banbury) or Unit 20.

As others have said, smooth'ish gear changes will come with time, long time in my case and using every other gear helps, for the others see an independant specialist not a dealer. The tyre pressures are either drivers door pillar or on the back of the fuel filler cap.

Other than that enjoy!

[ShaneyB]

MRC Banbury will sort it all out.

Mine rattles on start up also and lost coolent due to the Aux Rads.

What colour is the engine warning light?

[NCA01]

Gents,

Thanks for all of your replies and advice! it really is very helpful. I had a good tinker with the car last night and the engine coolant was way down so I gave it a top up and will monitor it for the next few days. Tyre pressures were very low (as I had expected) so with that sorted car feels so much better.

The engine warning light comes and and flashes upon start up and then stays on after about 5 mins. It's orange yellow / orange colour.

I also did the 5th gear 30mph clutch test... and there is some judder although the revs and speed evenley increased.

I shall get hold of MRC in Banbury and get them to give it a VAGCOM check and see where we go from there.

Stealer is offering a years warenty with AA for £300. Is this worth taking and just how far would this cover me?

Thanks again for all the help. The car is sat out side my window at work and it looks the dogs!! roll on home time.

[1781cc]

I have a failing engine mount on VAG-COM and its similar to the experience you are having, it costs about £205+VAT to replace using inde-tech in Milton Keynes, so thats a good guide price for you.

I had to replace an aux-rad as well, £260+VAT fitted (same people), basically the coolant kept going down, not fast, but enough to notice.

the noises are common on startup

[BlingBling]

NCA01: If the aux rads do need replacing them get the enging mount chaged at the same time because the bumper has ot come of for both jobs. Also the serpentine belt, alternator belt, is worth doing at the same time becasue the bumper alos needsot be removed. A lot of little jobs but done together will save you on labour costs overall.

[jamess4cab]

I paid circa £300 all in for two aux rads fully fitted - well the warrantly company did anyway! I also paid £350 ish for 2 years AA warranty direct with the AA. Thats the Premium cover as well. I would go direct to the AA - you will need to google "AA warranties" as its not on their theaa.com site.

[Lion]

Hi

How can those prices be right for the aux rads fitted?! I was quoted £140 for each rad as just a part item!! unless they are sourcing them at a much lower price, but from where was only Audi have them AFAIK.

Cheers

Lion