2013 A8L 4.0 TFSI exhaust vibration repaired - parts #s listed
 

Hi All,

Recently bought a 2013 Audi A8L 4.0 TFSI and it had the 1k and 3k exhaust vibration. I am the third owner and the car was out of warranty (79k miles on the clock).

I called Audi USA Corp customer service, explained my situation and BonnieE said Audi may replace the pipes as a "courtesy repair", but no promises and a dealer had to see the car first. I went to my local dealer with the TSBs and vibration knowledge gained from the longer "4.0 Vibration thread". Service Manager drove it with me as co-pilot and he felt the 1k vibration before we left the dealer parking lot.

A "manager" from the dealer contacted the regional Audi rep and he authorized complete replacement of the exhaust pipes without charge to me and told the dealer to order the parts.

Today, I got the pipes replaced - no more vibration!

Parts numbers and some prices (the dealer repair paperwork did not list prices - Google the part numbers to find your best deal):

1x 4H4-253-300-J (left side) Pipe $271.74 Plaza Motors / $383.82 audiusa.com
1x 4H4-253-350-P (right side) Pipe $271.74 Plaza Motors / $383.82 audiusa.com
2x 8K0-253-115-K Gasket $7.61 ea. Plaza Motors
2x 1K0-253-141-N Clamp $14.95 ea. Europaparts / $24.82 ea. Plaza Motors
6x N-911-308-02 Nut $1.36 ea. audiusa.com
1x G-052-112-A3 Paste $49.50 audiusa.com (probably anti-seize paste - buy it locally...)

I asked for a copy of the official Audi TSB regarding the vibration, but the Service Advisor said Audi prohibits giving that to a customer. The TSB # is 2045720 after software update. TSB # 2045720/2 for exhaust pipes.

Hope this helps someone and thank you to all who contributed to the original "4.0 Vibration thread".

Mike

That's great news! I bought a 2013 A8L 4.0t two weeks ago with the vibration issue. I spoke with my dealer yesterday to see if they would work with Audi USA to see about covering the TSB/Downpipes.

I have an appointment scheduled with the tech next Tuesday. I will post my results next week.

Thank you for this post - very timely! :)

Glad to help and good luck!

I think Audi USA will cover it no charge, but on a case by case basis...

It helps to have those TSBs in hand when one goes to the dealer the first time over the vibration issue plus there are not as many A8s with this issue compared to other Audi models sold over-all.

I got my car back from the Audi dealer today. It runs butter smooth - all prior vibrations are gone!

I took the TSB #27 15 25 2036392/4 March 20, 2015 in with me for the appointment and asked them to call Audi USA. They got Audi USA to cover 75% of the cost. I was out the door with new downpipes, clamps, and gaskets for $326. I took a risk with the out of warranty and non-CPO purchase, but so far I'm not complaining...

If you're going to take it in I recommend having the TSB printed and in-hand. Great advise - Thanks!

You did great getting Audi USA to cover 75%...

I would have been happy with the same deal, guess I got "real lucky" with them covering 100% of my repair.

Good advice regarding having the vibration TSB in hand and "asking" Audi USA to cover the vibration repair even when our A8 / A8L are out of warranty...

Glad this posting helps you, just like the others that alerted me to the vibration issue to begin with.,,;)

A8L
 

Excellent news!!!

Enjoy your "butter-smooth" Audi now like I did/do after my exhaust pipes were replaced... :)

I have a 2014 S8 with the same issue here in the UK. Can anyone point me to the actual TSB .pdfs please ... or attach them here if possible? I would have purchased from the CarMD site but its only possible with a US billing address. Thanks so much.

Here you go:

Wow.... thanks for the very quick response! I was under the impression though that there is a TSB that actually indicates the issue being with the downpipes which is how everyone has managed to get them replaced by Audi despite being out of warranty? Or maybe I am misreading the responses...

The issue is NOT the down-pipes, but the flex pipes AFTER the down-pipes...

The TSBs "document" the vibration issue, but it comes down to whether your local Audi dealer will or will not help you with free or reduced cost replacements. By having the TSBs, you go to the dealer and have the service manager ride or drive your car to "feel" the vibration. In my case, we went 300 feet and my service manager felt it and did a u-turn back to the dealership and told the service adviser that I indeed had the vibration issue as described in the TSBs. My service adviser contacted the area Audi service rep who then contacted AudiUSA who then authorized the no-cost to me repair even though I was out of warranty.

What helps is having those TSBs in hand when you first go to the dealer and make "them" aware you know about the vibration issue.

Some on the board got it covered for free (like me), others at a reduced price and others denied any help from AudiUSA. Just depends on your dealership and persons involved...

Good luck and keep up posted!

Thanks, I see. Is there a TSB specifically that says it is the flex pipes and that they were redesigned on later cars? The TSBs attached earlier are only concerning the software update for the engine mounts. Thanks.

Sam,

Since the pipes repair, I changed out computers - so I am having trouble locating TSB files...

On my invoice from the dealer (dated 3JAN18), they listed four TSBs to be referenced (in order) to be followed to resolve the vibration problem:

#1 TSB 2036392/4
#2 TSB 2036392/6
#3 TSB 2045720
#4 TSB 2045720/2

The last one (#4) is the one that referenced new pipes. I asked for a copy of it, but they could not give it to me for my records. The dealer will update software, then check motor mounts, then align exhaust system and finally, replace exhaust pipes in that order.

There are other threads about the vibration issue. Within one of those threads, someone linked TSBs to download, but I don't think you will find the last one (TSB 2045720), but I may be wrong.

This is all I can do for you. I found what I needed by reading ALL the A8 vibration threads and went from there...

Good luck!