S8 - Amazing Experience + Questions for Forum Members
08-21-2014, 06:43 AM
#11
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08-21-2014, 11:32 AM
#12
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08-21-2014, 01:33 PM
#13
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Do yourself a favor and buy the extended warranty. The experienced, knowledgeable people on the forums will tell you that owning a car like ours, weather it's a daily driver, like mine or a weekend driver, like you are planning, will cost money to keep it running as it should.
I have been back to the dealer 4 times this year alone, (both front airbags on the suspension, TPMS replacement, leak on the water pump and replacement of the thermostat, trunk motor and struts). Just in these repairs, the approximate retail would have been around $6k. My warranty cost $4500 with no deductible.
The warranty has also replaced the manifold and all fuel injectors, as well as bushings, 1 rear B&O speaker, door handle and passengers arm rest.
My Beast has been serviced exclusively at Downtown LA Audi since new, (bought it 2 years ago with 44k, lease return). I now have 71k and love every minute I am in it.
BTW, my mechanic there tells me I have to drive it HARD every once in a while, to lessen the carbon build up that is prone to the 2007-10 S8's.
Besides the having to take it downtown (pain), it's become an adventure to see what loaner I am going to get. Two weeks ago I drove a 2014 S4 for a week. Fun, cute...no S8.
Hope this helps.
2. I do not have a warranty on this car. I've budgeted $15k-$20k for maintenance/repairs over the next 3 years, and intend to drive her as a weekend car w/ intention to put ~7,500 a year in mileage.Does this seem like reasonable maintenance budget assuming that car has been well cared for? --
I have been back to the dealer 4 times this year alone, (both front airbags on the suspension, TPMS replacement, leak on the water pump and replacement of the thermostat, trunk motor and struts). Just in these repairs, the approximate retail would have been around $6k. My warranty cost $4500 with no deductible.
The warranty has also replaced the manifold and all fuel injectors, as well as bushings, 1 rear B&O speaker, door handle and passengers arm rest.
My Beast has been serviced exclusively at Downtown LA Audi since new, (bought it 2 years ago with 44k, lease return). I now have 71k and love every minute I am in it.
BTW, my mechanic there tells me I have to drive it HARD every once in a while, to lessen the carbon build up that is prone to the 2007-10 S8's.
Besides the having to take it downtown (pain), it's become an adventure to see what loaner I am going to get. Two weeks ago I drove a 2014 S4 for a week. Fun, cute...no S8.
Hope this helps.
2. I do not have a warranty on this car. I've budgeted $15k-$20k for maintenance/repairs over the next 3 years, and intend to drive her as a weekend car w/ intention to put ~7,500 a year in mileage.Does this seem like reasonable maintenance budget assuming that car has been well cared for? --
08-21-2014, 01:55 PM
#15
AudiWorld Super User
Broad warranty coverage [probably not even practical]/core engine reliability
Going back to your original question on the motor, having been here since the S8 was first intro'ed, I'm not sure I remember even one post on a catastrophic S8 motor failure, and perhaps not even one on oil burning or some such that led to a motor replace.
More generally, the core drivetrain on D3's is solid no matter what the motor. Very few reports in general on motor or tranny failures, now even with many higher mileage ones way off warranty. Much different than the D2, where the prior 5 speed tranny became well known as a weak spot. Maybe an occasional radiator issue, but not all that common either. Thus in terms of warranty, I would tend toward either extensive coverage (at the right price), or going bare and factoring the $ into your annual budget. Things likely to come up over time but where you have to be careful on exclusions/fine print are the front upper control arms, various sensor issues, some HVAC door/flap and general effectiveness (often just refrigerant) issues, MMI screen motor issues, various door switches, trunk motor and latch, TPMS sensors, soft close doors and the like. Thus even on a broad coverage basis, some of those will still be defined out. On a narrower coverage basis, likely most all.
When my CPO ran out, I was a bit too high on miles to get the broadest coverage ("Platinum") type plans. I tested the other plans (like "Gold") against the known D3 issues like some of the above and others I had experienced or knew about. Many if not most weren't even covered, or the "wear and tear" caveat would knock them out too--which I asked my service advisor about in very specific terms like upper control arms and lower sway bar links. Having since run two+ more years and 25K miles, I have mostly dealt with the things mentioned here that would not be covered except by very broad coverage plans--that I couldn't even get if I was willing to pay the premium.
More generally, the core drivetrain on D3's is solid no matter what the motor. Very few reports in general on motor or tranny failures, now even with many higher mileage ones way off warranty. Much different than the D2, where the prior 5 speed tranny became well known as a weak spot. Maybe an occasional radiator issue, but not all that common either. Thus in terms of warranty, I would tend toward either extensive coverage (at the right price), or going bare and factoring the $ into your annual budget. Things likely to come up over time but where you have to be careful on exclusions/fine print are the front upper control arms, various sensor issues, some HVAC door/flap and general effectiveness (often just refrigerant) issues, MMI screen motor issues, various door switches, trunk motor and latch, TPMS sensors, soft close doors and the like. Thus even on a broad coverage basis, some of those will still be defined out. On a narrower coverage basis, likely most all.
When my CPO ran out, I was a bit too high on miles to get the broadest coverage ("Platinum") type plans. I tested the other plans (like "Gold") against the known D3 issues like some of the above and others I had experienced or knew about. Many if not most weren't even covered, or the "wear and tear" caveat would knock them out too--which I asked my service advisor about in very specific terms like upper control arms and lower sway bar links. Having since run two+ more years and 25K miles, I have mostly dealt with the things mentioned here that would not be covered except by very broad coverage plans--that I couldn't even get if I was willing to pay the premium.
Last edited by MP4.2+6.0; 08-21-2014 at 02:00 PM.
08-21-2014, 04:47 PM
#16
AudiWorld Member
Under low load and high revs the Fine Oil Separator will start to bypass and let vaporized oil from the crankcase into the intake manifold, this has the effect of contributing even more to the problem.
Even taking that out of the equation, heating the intake valves with hard driving may help in some small manner over an extended period of time, but it would do nothing for the buildup in the intake runner area leading to the valves.
Last edited by EHLO; 08-21-2014 at 04:51 PM.
08-21-2014, 08:53 PM
#17
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Going back to your original question on the motor, having been here since the S8 was first intro'ed, I'm not sure I remember even one post on a catastrophic S8 motor failure, and perhaps not even one on oil burning or some such that led to a motor replace.
More generally, the core drivetrain on D3's is solid no matter what the motor. Very few reports in general on motor or tranny failures, now even with many higher mileage ones way off warranty. Much different than the D2, where the prior 5 speed tranny became well known as a weak spot. Maybe an occasional radiator issue, but not all that common either. Thus in terms of warranty, I would tend toward either extensive coverage (at the right price), or going bare and factoring the $ into your annual budget. Things likely to come up over time but where you have to be careful on exclusions/fine print are the front upper control arms, various sensor issues, some HVAC door/flap and general effectiveness (often just refrigerant) issues, MMI screen motor issues, various door switches, trunk motor and latch, TPMS sensors, soft close doors and the like. Thus even on a broad coverage basis, some of those will still be defined out. On a narrower coverage basis, likely most all.
When my CPO ran out, I was a bit too high on miles to get the broadest coverage ("Platinum") type plans. I tested the other plans (like "Gold") against the known D3 issues like some of the above and others I had experienced or knew about. Many if not most weren't even covered, or the "wear and tear" caveat would knock them out too--which I asked my service advisor about in very specific terms like upper control arms and lower sway bar links. Having since run two+ more years and 25K miles, I have mostly dealt with the things mentioned here that would not be covered except by very broad coverage plans--that I couldn't even get if I was willing to pay the premium.
More generally, the core drivetrain on D3's is solid no matter what the motor. Very few reports in general on motor or tranny failures, now even with many higher mileage ones way off warranty. Much different than the D2, where the prior 5 speed tranny became well known as a weak spot. Maybe an occasional radiator issue, but not all that common either. Thus in terms of warranty, I would tend toward either extensive coverage (at the right price), or going bare and factoring the $ into your annual budget. Things likely to come up over time but where you have to be careful on exclusions/fine print are the front upper control arms, various sensor issues, some HVAC door/flap and general effectiveness (often just refrigerant) issues, MMI screen motor issues, various door switches, trunk motor and latch, TPMS sensors, soft close doors and the like. Thus even on a broad coverage basis, some of those will still be defined out. On a narrower coverage basis, likely most all.
When my CPO ran out, I was a bit too high on miles to get the broadest coverage ("Platinum") type plans. I tested the other plans (like "Gold") against the known D3 issues like some of the above and others I had experienced or knew about. Many if not most weren't even covered, or the "wear and tear" caveat would knock them out too--which I asked my service advisor about in very specific terms like upper control arms and lower sway bar links. Having since run two+ more years and 25K miles, I have mostly dealt with the things mentioned here that would not be covered except by very broad coverage plans--that I couldn't even get if I was willing to pay the premium.
08-22-2014, 09:20 AM
#19
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I'm a huge fan of Ayrton Senna. That is one of the reasons I bought an NSX! 
You are a lucky man to have attended the 1984 Monaco Grand Prix! I was not there... but then again, I was only 4 years old at that time... so even I was there, I probably would not have remembered much.
You are a lucky man to have attended the 1984 Monaco Grand Prix! I was not there... but then again, I was only 4 years old at that time... so even I was there, I probably would not have remembered much.
08-23-2014, 08:34 AM
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I found an aftermarket exclusionary warranty from Nissan Motor Co. (QualityGuard+) The coverage appears fairly broad. Below are the excluded items. Would appreciate feedback to the excluded items --- they appear to be wear/tear, so in my mind this is very broad coverage. The warranty terms are either 3 years/36k miles for $4300 or 4 years/48k miles for $4900.
EXCLUDED ITEMS -- http://oi58.tinypic.com/4puomu.jpg
EXCLUDED ITEMS -- http://oi58.tinypic.com/4puomu.jpg