Reliability of B5 platform
 

I am currently interested in purchasing a B5 S4. Many of the S4's in my area have around 70K miles. I am worried about the reliability of the turbos, Timing belt and clutch. Also what are some major things to be aware of on this engine. I'm a Chevy man and i'm looking for a more sophisticated rocket and the S4 definitely fits the bill. All through my chevy days I was taunted by AWD turbo cars and always enjoyed the rapid surge of power when the turbo kicks in. I posted a similar question yesterday and was surprised with all the info i got linked to. I'm looking more for first hand expirience to answer the questions as opposed to articles. Thank you all in advance for any input given.

very simple...
 

the engine is bullet proof. Provided you maintane it. TB kits are about 270.00 plus 350-500 in labor from an Audi Savy Indy..never a dealer. The clutch..well I have 107K on mine (allroad 2.7T) and I just did a 600 mile trip with a 4000 lb Uhaul in tow. Mountains of NY and PA included. No problems at all.

With any Audi get its ownership and repair history (not form carfax) but from an audi dealer/service dept. If its a chipped car, keep looking, you may have one that a kid had and beat on. Ebay has many stock 2000-2003 S4 cars all the time. But you may want to look at the A6 2.7T and the allroad (6 speeds are a blast).

the platform is quite solid.
 

turbos - they'll either last 200k miles or 2k miles. proper maintenance will put you closer to the former rather than the latter.

timing belt - change it proactively and you'll save yourself a possible headache.

clutch - no use worrying with it unless you are going stage 3.

engine awares - you need to do a lot of searching the archives. one post won't tell you everything, but here goes: get the newest diverter valves, run synthetic everything, keep your filters changed (all of them), warm the car up and cool it down, get a cooler afterrun thermoswitch, watch for oil consumption (cam seals and valve cover gaskets are suspect) and coolant consumption (reservoirs are suspect), everything that has to do with the timing belt should be changed every 60k to 75k miles, f hoses and tbb suck on 2000s, watch out for boost leaks (boost gauge is your friend), get a vagcom to diagnose the sucker


and remember, don't be afraid to drive it

bought a 2000 w/ 51k in January...more...
 

It's stock and I have 60k on it now. The car is fun to drive stock but there is huge potential if you want to increase performance (search the archive for info on turbos, chips, intercoolers, suspension and more). I purchased an extended warranty and it has paid for itself already. When the warranty expires I'll tune the engine...suspension will be my summer project next year.

I'd also recommend checking out the b5 S4 forum.

Check this link out for more info...I've found it helpful.<ul><li><a href="https://forums.audiworld.com/s4/msgs/1407640.phtml">https://forums.audiworld.com/s4/msgs/1407640.phtml</a></li></ul>

Re: very simple...
 

Thanks a lot,you guys really helped me out. Now i can go shopping for my S4 and look like i know something. Will also keep the dealers from taking advantage of me. I've been reading the forum for about a week now and have found out so much about the S4. This is a great resource for any S4 owner. You guys do a great job. Thanks again for the help.

If you're a decent wrench you'll be fine...
 

The 2.7tt is pretty complicated compared to a US V8 but all the principles are the same. I've owned a B5 for 9yrs now(A4 Avant and 2 S4s) and its a very comfortable platform. I've done a good bit of work on them and there are certainly tricks to be efficient in the servicing of stuff but it's not a hard car to maintain.

I've done a good bit to mine(pics in my picposter of some of the mods) and having a 4dr car with baby seat in back that can reel in C6 Corvettes is much fun. Haven't found a replacement yet but considering an Allroad for a possible change/larger car. The 2.7tt is a true thing of beauty, shame Audi dropped it.

I know this is way late, but excellent. 125K miles....
 

w/stock turbo's, chipped @ about 25K miles. No noise, just raw power. Only turbo issue was a torn boot.