Car upgrade??
05-21-2021, 04:36 PM
#21
AudiWorld Member
I'm just back from the dealer after having my 2011 4.2 in for a nasty coolant leak that happened last weekend. I have 177,500 miles on my 4.2. I had to take it to the dealer as the plastic water pipe that is in the rear of the engine at the firewall cracked and caused the rapid leakage. There was no way I was going to tackle that one, so I let the dealer tackle that one.
I was in the same boat thinking I was going to replace my A8 before too long, I've been actively looking for a replacement vehicle for months. Would LOVE a S8 and all that power, however the problems with the turbo issues is just asking for trouble in my mind. So was wanting to try a Lexus GS350 F-sport because of it #1 reliability ratings, I even drove one this week and really liked everything about it, but its severely lacking in the power department and comfort. Too bad they don't build the V8 GSF in a AWD model.
I drove my 2014 Chevy truck that sits in the shop all the time for work this week, and that was brutal I can tell you. I was oh so close to pulling the trigger on that Lexus GS350 F-sport when the Audi dealer Called me and told me my A8 was done, so my wife and I went and picked it up. I drove my wife's A6 over to pick the 8 up an hour away and I like her A6 as well, but OMG was it great to be back in my A8 again!!! I have forgotten about pulling the trigger on the Lexus, just like that.
When at the dealer I asked my service advisor what to expect with the A8 if I kept it. He told me they have seen many with over 400,000 miles on them and even had one in with 480,000 miles on it last week, still going strong. I couldn't believe it! I was hoping to go to 250,000 miles or so, but he really has given me hope that I could possible go longer. I just replace my PVC valve again because it was really drinking the oil which now appears to have stopped since the change. So for the time being I'm planning to run the A8 for as long as I can. I have to admit I had many issues up to 100,000 but have been relatively decent till this water leak last weekend. I put front wheel bearing in myself at 140,000 or so between 100,000 and now, so Its proven that perhaps I can rack up a whole bunch more miles. It still really looks and performs well so we'll see.
I was in the same boat thinking I was going to replace my A8 before too long, I've been actively looking for a replacement vehicle for months. Would LOVE a S8 and all that power, however the problems with the turbo issues is just asking for trouble in my mind. So was wanting to try a Lexus GS350 F-sport because of it #1 reliability ratings, I even drove one this week and really liked everything about it, but its severely lacking in the power department and comfort. Too bad they don't build the V8 GSF in a AWD model.
I drove my 2014 Chevy truck that sits in the shop all the time for work this week, and that was brutal I can tell you. I was oh so close to pulling the trigger on that Lexus GS350 F-sport when the Audi dealer Called me and told me my A8 was done, so my wife and I went and picked it up. I drove my wife's A6 over to pick the 8 up an hour away and I like her A6 as well, but OMG was it great to be back in my A8 again!!! I have forgotten about pulling the trigger on the Lexus, just like that.
When at the dealer I asked my service advisor what to expect with the A8 if I kept it. He told me they have seen many with over 400,000 miles on them and even had one in with 480,000 miles on it last week, still going strong. I couldn't believe it! I was hoping to go to 250,000 miles or so, but he really has given me hope that I could possible go longer. I just replace my PVC valve again because it was really drinking the oil which now appears to have stopped since the change. So for the time being I'm planning to run the A8 for as long as I can. I have to admit I had many issues up to 100,000 but have been relatively decent till this water leak last weekend. I put front wheel bearing in myself at 140,000 or so between 100,000 and now, so Its proven that perhaps I can rack up a whole bunch more miles. It still really looks and performs well so we'll see.
05-21-2021, 04:53 PM
#22
W12 Aficionado
Fellow Michigander! Born and raised in GR, myself. Glad you’re getting a detail! Really simple little trick to keep you happy, at least for a bit 
I respect your opinion on placing more emphasis on mileage, I’ll just state why I say age is more important in this specific case and leave it at that. With the age that these cars are reaching- a decade for the first D4s- there’s a lot of materials (plastics and rubbers) and simply degrade because of age and paying a premium for a car with low mileage tends to mean that the car didn’t reach the point of replacement of many components. So oftentimes you’ll inherit a car that, while the control arms, motor mounts, fluids and seals/plastic pipes haven’t seen mileage, they’re still due to be changed. If you find a beautifully maintained high mileage car you’ll find one with fresh wear items and even get that car for a song. On a ZF8/4.2 A8 high miles is a breeze.
I certainly understand why you feel the way you do though.
30-35k will buy you a lot of car for sure and could get you into an S8, but likely not one that’s low miles and likely wouldn’t have turbo screen issues negated. A facelift A7 is a beautiful car. The 3.0T does have occasional chain tensioner issues but if it’s well maintained, low miles and you don’t plan on keeping it to high miles/drive a ton (seems you don’t) then it’s probably a non-issue.
I respect your opinion on placing more emphasis on mileage, I’ll just state why I say age is more important in this specific case and leave it at that. With the age that these cars are reaching- a decade for the first D4s- there’s a lot of materials (plastics and rubbers) and simply degrade because of age and paying a premium for a car with low mileage tends to mean that the car didn’t reach the point of replacement of many components. So oftentimes you’ll inherit a car that, while the control arms, motor mounts, fluids and seals/plastic pipes haven’t seen mileage, they’re still due to be changed. If you find a beautifully maintained high mileage car you’ll find one with fresh wear items and even get that car for a song. On a ZF8/4.2 A8 high miles is a breeze.
I certainly understand why you feel the way you do though.
30-35k will buy you a lot of car for sure and could get you into an S8, but likely not one that’s low miles and likely wouldn’t have turbo screen issues negated. A facelift A7 is a beautiful car. The 3.0T does have occasional chain tensioner issues but if it’s well maintained, low miles and you don’t plan on keeping it to high miles/drive a ton (seems you don’t) then it’s probably a non-issue.
05-21-2021, 06:06 PM
#23
AudiWorld Member
Thread Starter
Fellow Michigander! Born and raised in GR, myself. Glad you’re getting a detail! Really simple little trick to keep you happy, at least for a bit
I respect your opinion on placing more emphasis on mileage, I’ll just state why I say age is more important in this specific case and leave it at that. With the age that these cars are reaching- a decade for the first D4s- there’s a lot of materials (plastics and rubbers) and simply degrade because of age and paying a premium for a car with low mileage tends to mean that the car didn’t reach the point of replacement of many components. So oftentimes you’ll inherit a car that, while the control arms, motor mounts, fluids and seals/plastic pipes haven’t seen mileage, they’re still due to be changed. If you find a beautifully maintained high mileage car you’ll find one with fresh wear items and even get that car for a song. On a ZF8/4.2 A8 high miles is a breeze.
I certainly understand why you feel the way you do though.
30-35k will buy you a lot of car for sure and could get you into an S8, but likely not one that’s low miles and likely wouldn’t have turbo screen issues negated. A facelift A7 is a beautiful car. The 3.0T does have occasional chain tensioner issues but if it’s well maintained, low miles and you don’t plan on keeping it to high miles/drive a ton (seems you don’t) then it’s probably a non-issue.
I respect your opinion on placing more emphasis on mileage, I’ll just state why I say age is more important in this specific case and leave it at that. With the age that these cars are reaching- a decade for the first D4s- there’s a lot of materials (plastics and rubbers) and simply degrade because of age and paying a premium for a car with low mileage tends to mean that the car didn’t reach the point of replacement of many components. So oftentimes you’ll inherit a car that, while the control arms, motor mounts, fluids and seals/plastic pipes haven’t seen mileage, they’re still due to be changed. If you find a beautifully maintained high mileage car you’ll find one with fresh wear items and even get that car for a song. On a ZF8/4.2 A8 high miles is a breeze.
I certainly understand why you feel the way you do though.
30-35k will buy you a lot of car for sure and could get you into an S8, but likely not one that’s low miles and likely wouldn’t have turbo screen issues negated. A facelift A7 is a beautiful car. The 3.0T does have occasional chain tensioner issues but if it’s well maintained, low miles and you don’t plan on keeping it to high miles/drive a ton (seems you don’t) then it’s probably a non-issue.
The plastics are what I am worried about honestly. I keep the car nice, but she does stay outside almost year round.
I actually do drive a lot per year 20-25k miles, but last year I was able to actlquire a fun convertible for the summer, so the split is closer to 12-15 on the Audi.
At this point, nothing has jumped out t me as a really good deal, I will probably just keep what I have, and go from there. Is I can potentially get 170 out off it, it certainly won't owe me anything!
05-21-2021, 06:28 PM
#24
W12 Aficionado
Small world, I have family out there, lovely area.
If it’s sits outside it’s a good idea to keep everything UV protected. Give the rubber seals on the doors, hood, trunk and sunroof a good treatment once a year and a UV protectant on the headlights, tail lights and other exposed, unpainted plastics like the rain tray and the vertical pieces on either side of the windshield. The mechanical stuff there’s unfortunately not much you can do, minimize hot/cold cycles if you can without being impractical.
Small aside: check out this neat spot Audi did for the D4 showing it’s all-weather testing. I happened to find a DVD copy of it and I play in on the front and rear screens when I take my car to meets and shows, ha!
If it’s sits outside it’s a good idea to keep everything UV protected. Give the rubber seals on the doors, hood, trunk and sunroof a good treatment once a year and a UV protectant on the headlights, tail lights and other exposed, unpainted plastics like the rain tray and the vertical pieces on either side of the windshield. The mechanical stuff there’s unfortunately not much you can do, minimize hot/cold cycles if you can without being impractical.
Small aside: check out this neat spot Audi did for the D4 showing it’s all-weather testing. I happened to find a DVD copy of it and I play in on the front and rear screens when I take my car to meets and shows, ha!
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DallasDave (05-24-2021)
05-24-2021, 06:30 AM
#25
AudiWorld Member
05-24-2021, 08:29 AM
#26
Super-Duper User
Definitely not snake oil. I had a 2010 D3 (US) with 120K miles on it. It kept reporting misfire on cylinder #2, turning on the check engine light. Audi wanted $4K to replace all injectors and instead, I added a full bottle of Seafoam every time I filled the car with Gas. The misfire stopped after 3 bottles. I heard of people adding it to the oil, about a week before they change it, but I did not have the courage to do it. I now have a 2017 D4 with 33K on it, still under original warranty, which I plan to extend, so no concerns yet
That (off-topic) discussion was about valve stem deposits, not injectors. ...and about the aerosol product, not the gasoline additive.
.
And as you know, fuel additives won't effectively clean intake valve stems in the TFSI engine.
.
Last edited by A8L_New_England; 05-24-2021 at 08:34 AM.
05-24-2021, 09:03 AM
#27
AudiWorld Member
. My (off topic) comment was around seafoam not being snake oil for its intended purpose.Long live the 4.0T engine and the updated air struts and compressor of the D4.
05-25-2021, 03:21 PM
#28
Soooo your actually telling me a w12 is just as reliable as a 4.0T?
I hope it helps you make your decision.
The W12 is also a trim and not just the engine. Yes the engine is quite a bit more powerful, faster and very very smooth (as is required with all V12 ownership you are required to do the ‘coin test’ when you first buy it where you start the car while balancing a coin on the engine- both my D3 and D4 W12s have passed) but it was also $55,000 more than the 4.0T L for more reason than one. The list of standard features is pretty long. There are also a couple things you can only get on the W12.
-LED headlights
-sport suspension and adaptive steering
-multi-contour seat
-reclining rear seats with heat/cooling/massage
-RSE
-pano roof
-Alcantara headliner
-heated steering wheel
-dual glazed windows
-extra sound deadening
-soft close doors
-power sunshades
-DVD changer (so you can watch the same movie on front and rear screens)
-110v outlet
-etc, etc
Finding another trim with all these options added is pretty tough, then extremely difficult when you want to add a couple options that the W12 is generally specc’d with like full leather and B&O. Add the reliability to it and it’s a serious bargain.. well, at least it was. I’ve had my D4 for 2 years now, added 45,000 miles and the way the market looks today I actually haven’t lost much money on it, granted I could sell it for near the current average asking price.
I don’t want to drone on about the W12 as I already do that too much, but to address your statement about wanting power off the line, the 4.2 right off the line actually outshines the 4.0T and even S8 unless you’re brake boosting. It’s simply the nature of the turbo. The engine without boost has little power, so it takes that split moment to gain its power, then it takes off. Great for country roads. The 4.2 has more torque at idle and is more engaging in the city and denser suburbs. The W12 is as savage off idle as you could like, the benefit of displacement and 4 more cylinders.
I wouldn’t say there are any maintenance issues, but if you haven’t done any of the following by now then I would save up a couple bucks and get these done:
-spark plugs
-air filter
-fuel filter
-check for carbon build-up (at 125k it is absolutely in there) and have a carbon cleaning done
-brake fluid
-coolant drain/fill
After all this you’ll definitely see more torque and responsiveness and some better MPG.
One last little tip/trick I tell people when they want to sell their car because they’re maybe getting a little bored of it: get it detailed! A freshly detailed car ALWAYS feels so good and usually re-sparks that love for the car.
The W12 is also a trim and not just the engine. Yes the engine is quite a bit more powerful, faster and very very smooth (as is required with all V12 ownership you are required to do the ‘coin test’ when you first buy it where you start the car while balancing a coin on the engine- both my D3 and D4 W12s have passed) but it was also $55,000 more than the 4.0T L for more reason than one. The list of standard features is pretty long. There are also a couple things you can only get on the W12.
-LED headlights
-sport suspension and adaptive steering
-multi-contour seat
-reclining rear seats with heat/cooling/massage
-RSE
-pano roof
-Alcantara headliner
-heated steering wheel
-dual glazed windows
-extra sound deadening
-soft close doors
-power sunshades
-DVD changer (so you can watch the same movie on front and rear screens)
-110v outlet
-etc, etc
Finding another trim with all these options added is pretty tough, then extremely difficult when you want to add a couple options that the W12 is generally specc’d with like full leather and B&O. Add the reliability to it and it’s a serious bargain.. well, at least it was. I’ve had my D4 for 2 years now, added 45,000 miles and the way the market looks today I actually haven’t lost much money on it, granted I could sell it for near the current average asking price.
I don’t want to drone on about the W12 as I already do that too much, but to address your statement about wanting power off the line, the 4.2 right off the line actually outshines the 4.0T and even S8 unless you’re brake boosting. It’s simply the nature of the turbo. The engine without boost has little power, so it takes that split moment to gain its power, then it takes off. Great for country roads. The 4.2 has more torque at idle and is more engaging in the city and denser suburbs. The W12 is as savage off idle as you could like, the benefit of displacement and 4 more cylinders.
I wouldn’t say there are any maintenance issues, but if you haven’t done any of the following by now then I would save up a couple bucks and get these done:
-spark plugs
-air filter
-fuel filter
-check for carbon build-up (at 125k it is absolutely in there) and have a carbon cleaning done
-brake fluid
-coolant drain/fill
After all this you’ll definitely see more torque and responsiveness and some better MPG.
One last little tip/trick I tell people when they want to sell their car because they’re maybe getting a little bored of it: get it detailed! A freshly detailed car ALWAYS feels so good and usually re-sparks that love for the car.
05-25-2021, 10:35 PM
#30
my bad, it was a honest question I’m new and don’t have much car Experience. Have been reading alot on these because my goal is to get a 2013 A8L 4.0T but then I started seeing from what 2turbos was sayin that the response was basically better with the 4.2 because it’s naturally aspirated? And the 4.2 is highly more reliable then the 4.0T but is that just because of the turbos adding extra maintenance? Just my very new comer never worked on a engine before understanding of it all...if I can get the options that are a must for me which is mainly the pano roof and B&O with a 4.2? It’s not very far behind performance wise from the 4.0T so would it be a better route too get a little bit older 4.2 with almost just as nice interior n specs that I want n do sum performance upgrades too get it on par yet be a more reliable daily? (I know performance mods n reliability go hand n hand) also at that point after theoretically spending that much cash is the w12 just the overall better performing reliable beast? Nothing but luxurious anybody who knows the name A8 W12(I’m still not too good with the D4-D5 classification)knows that’s what it is straight pure luxury but me being the average joe I guess I thought w12 “more cylinders more problems” I definitely have realized I need too take it from behind the wheel consumers not any site or word of mouth which is why I’ve been blessed the passed month or so reading into this site and decided today too pull the trigger on making the account and really starting this learning process so with all that being said I’m open to any an all criticism and feedback I need it and appreciate it to the fullest