micmckee

Hey Guys,

As the title states I'm possibly puling the trigger on a 2007 RS4 Saturday.

Someone is coming out to get my Evo tomorrow and I've had my tabs on a few cars while I've been working out the sale.

My basic reason for the switch is that I need something with better craftsmanship behind it. The Mitsu left a lot to be desired besides out right performance.

First things first, I was looking at B8 S4s as well and the dealer I went to said I was crazy for wanting to DD an RS4. They said they had reliability issues. Is that true? I've only read about maintenance stuff related to brakes, carbon buildup, etc. Am I nuts for wanting to DD this beast?

So far it has been only emails back and forth with the seller and some phone calls, and I will see it in person for the first time come Saturday.

Are there any tell tale signs I can be looking for with the big problem areas?

I've done a lot of research on the B7s and it seems that it comes down to 3 major areas of concern.

1. Carbon Buildup- Aside from looking into the manifold (which I don't think she will let me do!) is there a way to really check how much of an issue it is. I've never been in an RS4 that I know has had the cleaning done, so I don't have a baseline.

2. DRC - Knocking when hitting bumps is an indicator of leakage

3. Brakes - They were just replaced at 37k there are only 39k on the car so this should not be a huge concern, but I can check them myself.

I do most of the work on my cars so the carbon cleaning I'd tackle myself. I think I'm going to try the walnut shell method, and fabricate a piece to house the blaster and vacuum.

For the DRC there is actually some warranty balance left over (about 8k) so if there are any issues I could always cash in on that.

Other issues.

1. The vacuum system I've heard can be a problem, but it's as simple as pushing the sports button and waiting to hear if the exhaust note changes.

2. ALso the exhaust flap can seize- How deep down the exhaust are they?

3. I've read cases of the aux radiator leaking. How common is this, and how can I be checking?

There will be a lot more questions should I actually get the car, but we shall see!

Thanks,

~Mic

Reggie

The knocking you hear does sound like the DRC. You can look at the shocks and see if they are leaking.

micmckee

Reggie,

I have not had seat time in the car yet, I was merely stating problems to be looking out for. I heard that they can knock if there is a leaking or 'sweating' as they like to put it.

ELEVENS

Knocking on bumps can be caused by worn upper control arms bushings, too. So it helps to inspect the shocks to see if they're leaking before drawing conclusions.

Obviously the salesman wants to sell you an S4 thus the RS4 reliability bash. They were made to DD, and almost all of us use them as such. It's a fabulous car for that, especially in the snow belt with good snow tires. Good luck!

micmckee

Yeah that was my assumption with the dealer. One of the reasons I was set on this car was because of its inclement weather performance.

Gotcha, I plan on checking the shocks out but she does claim they've been inspected. I've no reason to not trust her but I always like checking things out myself!

Thanks

Reggie

The leaking is a visual clue they are bad and sweating was not a excuse that Audi would replace them - they had to be leaking (except for the recall which I am assuming the previous owner had done)

Is there any warranty with this car. Can you get it inspected by another Audi shop?

All of the things you listed as issues are fixable and the car is a great one for DD as elevens said.

micmckee

The only reason I'm even considering a used one is that it seems all of the common problems are a weekends worth of work at most (with the exception of maybe the shocks, even then I could just go coilovers and be done with it). Everything has seemed rather straight forward.

I will have an Audi extended warranty for a little less than 10k miles.

The owner had the recall work done on the suspension, and no problems have been noticed. Again, I'll have a bit more when I go there Saturday. When I go I just want a full clip, so to speak, when it comes to the items I should be looking at.

Cheers,

~Mic

G35Dalf

Of all the known issues, none were a show stopper for me personally. The RS4 is a great car. I would check the history of the car carefully though since any mistreatment could be expensive down the road. I would also have it checked by a reliable and knowledgeable Audi tech.

GL - hope it works out for you.

micmckee

Will do,

I'll keep you guys posted, and hopefully I'll be a part of the family come Saturday afternoon!

Reggie

Great and post pictures

If you plan to keep the car and work on it - two things that help

Ross Tech VAG-COM and a Bentley manual