B5 S4 Ownership Questions

[RSS]

Re: B5 S4 Ownership Questions

That's a Calgary money maker mentality right there. WTF would you need to pull the engine for unless your changing the turbos.

The only other thing would be Wastegate hard lines?

[Ur0Drivr]

Re: B5 S4 Ownership Questions

So spend some time, find one with good records that hasn't been abused, keep up with maintenance and you should be golden [emoji6]


Sent from my perch atop Mount Olympus

[JVD]

Re: B5 S4 Ownership Questions

I loved both of my B5 S4s... and was only left stranded twice. Once from the clutch going, and another when an axle popped off due to a backyard mechanic install. Looking back my last was the most fun car Ive owned, and possibly one of the most fun cars Ive driven. Makes a huge difference if you can DIY the small to medium stuff, which is fairly easy with a Vag com and the resources on various forums.

Id love to have another someday as a weekend toy...

And I'm the current owner.

So far I've only replaced a clutch, axles and coilovers... and rebuilt the transmission... oh and rebuilt the turbos. Those are the only things I HAD to do. Other than that just put new Brembos. New wheels/tires...twice. New bi-pipe because I hate the throttle body boot. Various gaskets/seals. Many oil changes. Lots of spark plugs.

This was a very well cared for car when I got it.

I've been stranded twice. One bad crank sensor in the first week of ownership and a lower inter cooler pipe blowing off on the highway.

My advice is that if you have very little disposable income or NEED a car that runs everyday look elsewhere. I think these cars were originally like $65k or something back in 2000. Parts are not cheap and these are not the kind of cars you can take shortcuts on or use budget parts. They are lovely cars to own if you have the time to tinker and money to support that hobby. At the same time they can be quite frustrating if you want something that just runs. I have another vehicle for that reason.

[JVD]

Re: B5 S4 Ownership Questions

Cliffs: I call BS on those rainbows and lollipops descriptions of B5 S4s.

I still love my car. I don't know what could replace it to be honest... but it's definitely not a fairy tale ownership.

[R-Audi]

Re: B5 S4 Ownership Questions

And I'm the current owner.

So far I've only replaced a clutch, axles and coilovers... and rebuilt the transmission... oh and rebuilt the turbos. Those are the only things I HAD to do. Other than that just put new Brembos. New wheels/tires...twice. New bi-pipe because I hate the throttle body boot. Various gaskets/seals. Many oil changes. Lots of spark plugs.

Damn, rebuild tranny and turbos? Did you stick with regular K04s or upgrade? Was it just a syncro that went?

[Ur0Drivr]

Re: B5 S4 Ownership Questions

Cliffs: I call BS on those rainbows and lollipops descriptions of B5 S4s.

I still love my car. I don't know what could replace it to be honest... but it's definitely not a fairy tale ownership.

Lol...lollipops and rainbows mostly
I've been stranded twice in the 6 years. Once on the Leavenworth cruise due to secondary water pump shitting the bed (actually not that bad, as it was in the states when it happened and timing belt was done down there as a consequence...cheaper than Calgary FTW). Second time was the clutch slave cylinder. I daily mine and do routine maintenance and that's about it. I do an average between 25k to 30k of driving a year in Heidi.

[gheron]

Re: B5 S4 Ownership Questions

Lol...lollipops and rainbows mostly
I've been stranded twice in the 6 years. Once on the Leavenworth cruise due to secondary water pump shitting the bed (actually not that bad, as it was in the states when it happened and timing belt was done down there as a consequence...cheaper than Calgary FTW). Second time was the clutch slave cylinder. I daily mine and do routine maintenance and that's about it. I do an average between 25k to 30k of driving a year in Heidi.

* Side note - he drives like a grandma

i had a stage 3 for 3 years and logged a ton of miles on her, never had any major issues like everyone says if the turbos are original and the car hasn't been taken care of prepare the bung hole, take your time find one that's been maintained and treated properly and you'll love the car, maybe take someone that's familiar with these cars with you to check them out.

another side note... don't drive a stage 3 car if you are not prepared to spend the dough to make yours stage 3 the following weekend.

[asp gti]

Re: B5 S4 Ownership Questions

another side note... don't drive a stage 3 car if you are not prepared to spend the dough to make yours stage 3 the following weekend.

This!

[RSS]

Re: B5 S4 Ownership Questions

People say stage 3 is like crack but it's more like crack is a wannabe weak ass version of stage 3!

[funkin]

Re: B5 S4 Ownership Questions

*
another side note... don't drive a stage 3 car if you are not prepared to spend the dough to make yours stage 3 the following weekend.

If you'd want to drive one I can supply and also have all the parts for another car for anyone wanting to take that next weekend leap

[JVD]

Re: B5 S4 Ownership Questions

Damn, rebuild tranny and turbos? Did you stick with regular K04s or upgrade? Was it just a syncro that went?

The compressor wheels on both were a little chipped up so I put fresh CHRAs for peace of mind. I'm sure they would have been fine for some time but it was one of those "while the motor is out" things and I got a great deal on the BW CHRAs. I considered changing turbos but to be honest I really love the power band of the car. It's a great inner city car and that's mostly where I'm driving.

1-2 collar started getting really sticky after a couple attempted high RPM 1-2 shifts. It still had the old collar so I wasn't too shocked. Common on these cars. JHM rebuild and it shifts beautifully again.

All of the work has been done by myself so I've "saved" a ton of coin. Lol.

Side note: I don't drive like a grandma. I try to enjoy the car daily. Waiting for oil temp is so stressful for me everyday. Haha.

[BaggedGLI]

Re: B5 S4 Ownership Questions

Good Read.

http://www.superstreetonline.com/fea...ying-a-legend/

[gheron]

Re: B5 S4 Ownership Questions

Side note: I don't drive like a grandma. I try to enjoy the car daily. Waiting for oil temp is so stressful for me everyday. Haha.

didn't mean you haha... Rod is the one that drives like a G ma

If you'd want to drive one I can supply and also have all the parts for another car for anyone wanting to take that next weekend leap

I'll take you up on driving that monster

[DeViLz x DeMoN]

Re: B5 S4 Ownership Questions

Thanks for all of the replies guys! I will definitely take this info when searching for one! Haha

[Parts Erik]

Re: B5 S4 Ownership Questions

Thanks for all of the replies guys! I will definitely take this info when searching for one! Haha

I have owned my 2000 S4 for about 6 years now and I averaged between 15 - 20,000 kms per year on semi daily duty all four seasons of the year. It has been Stage 3 for 5 of those years and if stage 3+ is a thing still, it has been that way for just over 2 years now. It is super sorted, but it was quite the journey to get to this point and I still do a ton of regular maintenance on it yearly.

I have been working for Audi since the B5 S4 came out in Europe in 1997, even had the original poster over my desk that had 'Someday' written on it by my boss who went to the launch to lust over as I worked. Being here at the dealer level and a part of the tuner scene, I can say I have seen my fair share of vehicles in every level of disrepair to absolutely perfected and sorted 500+ HP cars. To sound pompous I would consider myself well versed on these vehicles, perhaps an expert? Professional Audi guy? Meh I am not sure.

Let's face it, at this point unless you are getting a barn find 50,000km vehicle there will be things to fix. Hell even a barn find like that is going to need a serious once over. ( I know they are out there I have a line on one with 60k on it that is mine when the customer can no longer drive it due to age.) 95% of them have been played with performance wise at some point in their lives. 95% of those have had a few corners cut on those mods when being put in. So this is what you need to look at upon purchase of said vehicle of legendary capabilities.

If you do not have the appropriate funds to make it a decent base to work from, save up. $5000 invoices will not even break a sweat for one of these cars to be properly reconditioned. Mine was a 1 owner vehicle that I have 10 years of service history on before I bought it off the hoist here. It was in for $4000+ worth of repairs and the previous owner foolishly test drove a brand new one. This was the 3rd major repair that needed to happen in less than 3 years. Cars get old. Old performance cars that get driven like they were intended, age even quicker.

Never forget you are fixing and maintaining an $80,000 car. Even though you bought it for $3000 16 years later. Parts are still rare and expensive it was low volume back when it was new, it is lower volume now.

Here is the full truth no bull-**** list of smallish to big ticket repairs aside from turbos on this chassis off the top of my head. Yes I am the dealer. No I do not think you should only come here to service your B5. There are many qualified shops in the city and surrounding that I have and still would trust my personal vehicle with. I would look at it and most likely send you to one of them anyways so you can save some money, as you are about to spend a ton anyways:

ABS module. - Can be repaired, best option. A new one is worth cubic dollars.
Control arms. - These are re-occurring throughout the life of the vehicle. Aftermarket kits are very cost effective. Really good aftermarket kits are big money think 034 adjustable with the nice stiff bushings in them.
Brakes. Yep cheap aftermarket ones. Just remember if you make your car go faster the brakes also wear out faster. I get 7-9000kms to a set on mine if I am lucky. About a billion upgrades out there, let your wallet dictate your decision.
Timing belt. - Do it! No matter what the other guy says. Unless you watched the install being performed by a qualified technician the car needs a new one right away. Do not skip this step! Also do not skimp on this step. Do the water pump, thermostat ALL of the oil seals, every vacuum line, the octopus pretty much all of the soft lines and hard plastic stuff under there.
Wiper transmission. - Often forgot about right up until you need it. They are still not free, not brutal but not a fun install.
Central locking pump. - Yep, it is a thing. An expensive thing.
The center screen in the cluster. - 90% of these are toast. They are nice to have and I think it makes your vehicle look like a clapped out civic when they are broken. The same guys that fix these usually can fix the ABS modules.
Airbag light. - Many things it can be. None of which are a cheap fix. (Well, maybe if it is just the wiring repair it is not too bad.) It is a safety thing for you and your passengers. You should take it seriously.
Sunroof potentiometer. - Say that 3 times fast. 8 times out of 10 that is why your sunroof stopped 1/2 way closed now that it is raining / snowing.
Rear springs are broken. - If they are still factory and they are not, they are about to be. There are again a billion options on these also, you get what you pay for on this one. Choose wisely.
Driveshaft center bearing. - Do not call here! I will sell you a whole driveshaft. Neither of us wants that.
Wheel bearings. - I do not know why, but these things plague me.
Power steering pump.- Do not buy an aftermarket pump. I went through 4 of the 'good' aftermarket ones before I gave up and spent the money on an OEM one. Otherwise you sound like a '90's Ford in a parking lot.
Oil return seals. - Yep they are leaking again. About the only thing cheap and easy to do on the whole car. IF! you know what you are doing.

While most of those things won't leave you on the side of the road, many of them will affect the vehicle's drivability and your overall enjoyment. If they are left unchecked they can lead to much more costly repairs and that is when most people dump them. They just get them to the drivable stage and let them go. Usually for way too much, but they will always sell for whatever the market will bear.
If you are spending more than $5000.00 on one, get it looked at. If you are spending less than that have 10 grand in your pocket for all of the crap I listed above, plus more as it probably is not running and when it does start it will for sure have a CEL with a laundry list attached to it.

RULE #1. Never get it looked at by the shop that services it. EVER! B5 guys usually have a really great relationship with their regular service shop, even our shop. I am not saying shady things might happen but why risk it? You want someone who does not know that particular vehicle to take a look with a fresh set of eyes so nothing gets overlooked. I know we are brutal when guys bring in vehicles for pre-purchase inspections. We get called every name in the book by the seller, but hey he is getting rid of it for a reason right? I want the new guy to get into it with both eyes open and the least amount of surprises.

Rule#2. Do not buy an automatic. Just... Don't.

So yes a B5 S4 is not for everyone, just like a Ferrari or a sport bike. But if you are educated and realistic with your goals and timeline and have a real budget... Get one, I recommend it. Owning one of these cars on the cheap is not a reality. The average cost of ownership over 5 years is about the equivalent cost wise of making monthly payments ($350ish) on a nicely equipped Camry that you put 8 - 10 grand down on. It is for sure not a Camry, It also does not have Bluetooth or a backup camera or 20 airbags. It is however equipped with 3 rear facing mirrors to watch said Camry vanish behind you.

Once all of this is in check and up to date. Now it is time to Google B5 S4 performance mods. If you thought your wallet was sore before, man you are going to be in trouble now.

Stage 3 is a game changer, no question. It also alters your wallet for life, much like having children. Much like having children it is not wise to rush into stage 3 early into a relationship.

Let me know if you have one to look at, I know a guy here in service that can hook you up nicely on an inspection. It will not be quick, you will not enjoy it. You will however have very few surprises.



Erik Kocoj