Audi A4 issues and problems?

[moribundman]

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PLASTIC water pump impellers? Coil pack failures so frequent peeps carry spares? 350.00 to change ATF?

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It's still amazing to me that all the half-truths and so much plain misinformation that are being dished out are being gobbled up so willingly and totally unquestioned. I guess that knowledge acquired by hearsay produces a warm and cozy feeling when tooling around in a Johnny Lightning.

 

[brianl703]

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The water pump also has a plastic impeller (may’ve been corrected in 04? ) and is also prone to failure.

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The water pump in the 1995 Ford Contour I used to own has a plastic impeller.

The original waterpump failed at 72,000 miles--the replacement one from Ford has a redesigned plastic impeller.

Now that car has about 182,000 miles on it..making that new plastic impeller waterpump 110,000 miles old.

Point is, plastic doesn't make a waterpump prone to failure. It depends on what type of plastic was used.

 

[Tornado Red]

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Yes, well, I do live in Idaho, and wouldn't trade it for the world. But in Car and Driver's latest 10-Best issue, I noted that it's not possible to purchase new (I think it was) 6 of the 10 "Best" in my town. And I live in the second-largest city in Idaho.

On the other hand, I don't go to the dealer for anything if I can avoid it, so maybe if I'm not afraid to get a little grease under my fingernails it wouldn't cost me $350 to change the auto trans fluid on one of these babies?

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I know folks who change the ATF in their own VW's, and the same procedure will almost certainly work with an Audi. BUT... you need a laptop with the right program hooked up to your on-board diagnostic (OBD) port, to monitor the fluid temperature. OTOH, I suppose if you think your tranny has the right amount, you could just suck/drain out all of it and replace with the same quantity. I've seen the work done at a club GTG (get-together) and it takes about 20 minutes -- or about the same amount of time to replace the gearbox fluid in my manual tranny.

The secret to saving money on car maintenance and repairs is to do as much as you can yourself, with guidance from friends you meet on the Internet. And for those projects you can't handle, the more you know ahead of time can determine how you find someone trustworthy. Timing belts are almost always the biggest questionmark, because so much damage can be done by a mechanic who doesn't know his own limitations.

Over at tdiclub we had a member living in western North Dakota ask about his timing belt. He lives 300 miles west of the nearest VW dealership in Fargo, and about 200 miles south of a shop in Manitoba that some members said was pretty good. One suggestion was to schedule a vacation or a road trip to Minneapolis or Denver. I think he eventually decided to buy the kit, rent the tools, and tackle the job himself. I've observed the TB job four times, but never felt like attempting it myself... but I have tremendous respect for those who can. And I imagine they feel a great sense of pride and accomplishment when the job is finished and the engine starts up without a hiccouph.

 

[Tornado Red]

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Now you are catching on!!!!! Ya think I'd be able to take a SAAB 9-5 to a dealer every time something happens? Heck no! It's me, saabcentral forums, and a Haynes manual.....and a beer or two....

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The 1984 SAAB 900T I owned from 1987 to 2003 saw the inside of a dealership one time, during the first three months I owned it. But I did have the services of an outstanding independent SAAB shop. Three guys who did not work on anything but SAABs.

 

[brianl703]

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BUT... you need a laptop with the right program hooked up to your on-board diagnostic (OBD) port, to monitor the fluid temperature.

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I suspect you could just check the temperature of the transmission pan. Either by feeling it or by using an infrared pyrometer.

 

[Tornado Red]

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BUT... you need a laptop with the right program hooked up to your on-board diagnostic (OBD) port, to monitor the fluid temperature.

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I suspect you could just check the temperature of the transmission pan. Either by feeling it or by using an infrared pyrometer.

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That might work, if it's accurate.

 

[fcbuff]

I have owned 3 Audi A4's, 1 from every generation B5,B6 and now B7. They are definately higher maintenence than a Honda. However, they all were very nearly trouble free with the exception of routine maint. Coil packs?, fixed under warranty. In all 3, the only problem I ever had was 1 O2 sensor. It cracks me up to hear all these "car buffs" raving about their trouble free Hyundai's etc. Whoopdi doo! The differences are night and day, just drive an Audi or BMW. A CRV is a civic on steroids...Many of the above recomendations are correct. Use Synthetic oil, change frequently, replace the timing belt with tensioner and water pump at 60K...and enjoy the ride!

 

[BrianWC]

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Now you are catching on!!!!! Ya think I'd be able to take a SAAB 9-5 to a dealer every time something happens? Heck no! It's me, saabcentral forums, and a Haynes manual.....and a beer or two....

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The 1984 SAAB 900T I owned from 1987 to 2003 saw the inside of a dealership one time, during the first three months I owned it. But I did have the services of an outstanding independent SAAB shop. Three guys who did not work on anything but SAABs.

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Not too many SAAB indies in Louisiana....

 

[Auto-Union]

My 1987 Audi Coupe GT I-5 is at 240k on the original TB, WP Rad and Clutch. Let's check out some 1987 Hundais, lol.

 

[Tornado Red]

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My 1987 Audi Coupe GT I-5 is at 240k on the original TB, WP Rad and Clutch. Let's check out some 1987 Hundais, lol.

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Apparently it does not have an interference engine. I can't tell if the waterpump is driven off the TB, but probably not.

 

[moving2]

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It's still amazing to me that all the half-truths and so much plain misinformation that are being dished out are being gobbled up so willingly and totally unquestioned.

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moribund- please let us know what parts are half-truths and plain misinformation. The coil-pack problem and plastic impeller WPs are well-known issues among certain model years. The dealer tranny fluid change $$$ is also a reality.

 

[moving2]

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It cracks me up to hear all these "car buffs" raving about their trouble free Hyundai's etc. Whoopdi doo! The differences are night and day, just drive an Audi or BMW.

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fcbuff- there are pros and cons to all brands. No doubt Audi/BMW interior quality, NVH, etc. are better than Hyundai. I think the point that Hyundai owners may be trying to make is that Audi isn't building the same reliability into their cars compared to Hyundais that cost half as much, and I think this is a valid point. With the price point of Audis, people should expect and get greater reliability than what is currently available.

And no, I don't drive a Hyundai (see my sig) and my brother had a 1998 Audi A8 that he babied and it was nothing but trouble.

 

[VeeDubb]

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fcbuff- there are pros and cons to all brands. No doubt Audi/BMW interior quality, NVH, etc. are better than Hyundai. I think the point that Hyundai owners may be trying to make is that Audi isn't building the same reliability into their cars compared to Hyundais that cost half as much, and I think this is a valid point. With the price point of Audis, people should expect and get greater reliability than what is currently available.

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I think the audi guy was just replying to the Hyundai guy's little jab.

People don't buy audis and BMW's because they are "low maintenance." They buy them for the fun to drive factor and the fact that they are half-toy, half-car. They are not only interested in getting from point A to point B.

If people want minimal hassle transportation from point A to point B, people should buy Hondas and Hyundais. But when point A to point B guy starts criticizing Audis for "high maintenance" then he is missing the point. It's like the guy who is dating the ugly low maintenance car ripping the guy who is dating the smokin but high maintenance girl. To each his own.

 

[moribundman]

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moribund- please let us know what parts are half-truths and plain misinformation. The coil-pack problem and plastic impeller WPs are well-known issues among certain model years. The dealer tranny fluid change $$$ is also a reality.

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A recall took care of all affected vehicles with potentially defective calls. The car in question is a 2004 model, but the coil issue was MY 2001-2003:
http://www.v8sho.com/SHO/VWCoilPack.htm

The water pumps with plastic impeller (GEBA) have been superseded by those with metal impellers (HEPU). That dealers are still unloading the old water pumps is regrettable and I suggest every alert VW or Audi owner should make sure he gets the current part installed.

 

[Jett Rink]

I have a next door neighbor with an Audi A4. That is a really nice car. The interior is really outstanding, a cut above, if you haven't seen one. But, of course, alot of that might just be taste. Some people don't care about ergonomics, or the way a car feels inside.

I guess if a person's view of things automotive is how do I get the lowest cost of mile traveled? Something like (cost of purchase + maintenance + gas)/ miles travelled...then perhaps the Audi A4 is not for you. But if you can afford an AudiA4 over a Hyundai, then I can't imagine someone choosing the Hyundai.

I've never owned an Audi. I have a 1989 BMW with about 165,000 miles on it, which is my only personal experience with BMW. Based on this, all this worry about BMW maintenance is way, way overdone. It is just basic maintenance (fluids, filers, brake pads, spark plugs, etc.) There is no rocket science here. Do parts cost more than an 1989 Cavalier or whatever? Yeah, I'm sure. But get behind the wheel and it would be pretty clear which one you'd want to actually drive around.

 

[Russell]

Jett well said. BTW, my daughter like the new camry till she drove one. She said It was boring!!! I agree. Also, the camry interior looked good, but had a cost cutter feel.

 

[windnsea00]

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Jett well said. BTW, my daughter like the new camry till she drove one. She said It was boring!!! I agree. Also, the camry interior looked good, but had a cost cutter feel.

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The new Camry has a horribly isolated drive, we have 50 `07 LE's in our rental fleet...it's floaty also.

One car editor summed up these type of cars well once IMO, "They are for people who hate to drive." They don't want to deal with the pleasure of driving or any extra costs that go with it. Thus these threads can become polluted with opposite ends of the spectrum...if point A to B per cent cost is one's main goal, that's fine.

However, someone who really takes on the joy of driving will typically place that lower on their needs and buy a vehicle suited for their style.

I had a `07 Hyundai Sonata V6 as an insurance replacement for a day, it was such a horrible drive I had to return it at the end of the day. The suspension tried to be smooth while still taut...which just ended up giving me and my friend a headache. The torque convertor was so slow to lock up that you had to plan ahead for full throttle passings. The front wheels would grap up onto holes and bumps while taking off causing the whole structure to shake. At the end, the Mazda3 hatchback I got in exchange was far better

 

[moving2]

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If people want minimal hassle transportation from point A to point B, people should buy Hondas and Hyundais. But when point A to point B guy starts criticizing Audis for "high maintenance" then he is missing the point. It's like the guy who is dating the ugly low maintenance car ripping the guy who is dating the smokin but high maintenance girl. To each his own.

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It is this type of response to Audi/VW's poor reliability that I do not understand. I do not see quality feel/materials and excellent reliability as being mutually exclusive.

As I stated earlier, Audi isn't building the same reliability into their cars compared to Hyundais that cost half as much, and I think this should be improved. With the price point of Audis, people should expect and get greater reliability than what is currently available, something up to par with the Japanese. Do you disagree?

 

[moribundman]

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A recall took care of all affected vehicles with potentially defective calls.[/url]

"coils"!

 

[VeeDubb]

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As I stated earlier, Audi isn't building the same reliability into their cars compared to Hyundais that cost half as much, and I think this should be improved. With the price point of Audis, people should expect and get greater reliability than what is currently available, something up to par with the Japanese. Do you disagree?

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In an ideal world, I'd agree with you. But since we live somewhere south of utopia, a carmaker has to pick and choose what it wants to emphasize. Audi and BMW sales are strong despite the "high maintenance" so if you were the CEO of either company what would you do?

Besides, reliability is only one of probably a dozen factors that make up the caliber of a car. So if everything else was equal between a Hyundai and an Audi, I'd say yeah, Audi should deliver more reliability to justify the higher price. But an Audi will blow away a Hyundai in just about every other category so the extra price is justified, unless you happen to be point A to point B guy where low/cheap maintanance is the single most important factor to you.