jechambe

I recently moved to germany and trying to decide between these two cars for a family tourer around europe.
I love the RS4 Avant and want to take the opportunity to own one while in europe however the reality is these cars have about 40,000 km's on them and out of the original warranty since they are over 2 years old. They also happen to fall in the same range for a brand new order 2010 US spec M3 sedan which I also like.

Being in germany I think I would appreciate the quatro system immensly in the winters here and the extra utility of a touring wagon would be nice.

What is there to look out for besides the potentially leaking shocks on this vehicle? Any warning signs I should look out for?

bruised rs4

oil burning issues.

Reggie

Leaking shock (DRC) as you said but a recall is coming on that. Oil burning is not that big of a issue from what I have seen on the forums but carbon on the valves are as there is no way to clean the valves in normal driving since the gas is injected directly into the cylinder head

bergstrom

I have only read about DRC and valve deposit issues on non European sites. Either way, I can hear the argument for the benefits of an Avant, but as for winters, unless you are in the mountains the winters are pretty mild and you will make it without a Quattro!

I’m finalizing right now and will most likely move back to LA within a few months, which unfortunately also means I can’t bring my RS4 Avant, you can buy mine

titsataki

DRC is a major one.

I hear that if they leak they will replace them with revision B.
But also I hear of more incompetent dealers than knowledgeable ones that really know how to perform the task.

Valve deposits is another one.

Due to the fact the engine is "FSI" aka direct injection there is no fuel injected on the intake/valves. There is a pretty sophisticated "cyclonic separator" that unfortunately is not up to the task. Different things have been proposed for an aftermarket fix as it is very hard to get Audi to acknowledge and act on it. Even if they do it is a band aid fix since it will come back.

Cheers

Nick

jechambe

I just moved from LA! How many miles are on yours? I was looking for white but silver may do. :-)

I think the deposits are from the low grade fuel in the US. The N54 3.0L twin turbo motor in all the bmw's had problems b/c of the crappy fuel and apparently its fine in europe.

Anyways, it looks like most dealerships selling the car list a warranty. Not sure if that is an actual warranty or just a 3 month deal.

How would I be able to check for signs of carbon deposits on a car I may purchase anyways? I can check for leaking shocks easily enough.

Winter driving would be just on primary roads out of the mountains. I really like to have access to a proper sport wagon which is why i would only consider the avant and not the sedan. A brand new M3 sedan for about the same price is pretty tempting still. thanks for the input.

bergstrom

Welcome to Europe! I’m pretty sure you are right in regards to the gasoline quality and that being the main reason for valve deposits.

I guess anything bought in 2007 or later will still be under Audi warranty, In Sweden there is one insurance company Audi works with and as long I use them, I get 5 more years’ full warranty for any car failures at no extra cost. Could be something like this?

If you are planning to go back to US I would probably pick a car that exists in the US, as the M3 sedan, this way you can at least bring it with you.

P.S. Buying a RS4 will be cheaper for you in Germany then buying mine, cars are relatively cheap in Sweden, but they are even cheaper in Germany.

jechambe

I went over to check out a white one at an audi dealership nearby. Of course they close at 1400 and i arrived at 1500. I'm still not used to having everything not open all the time. I guess the dealership isn't hurting that much for customers. At least the ring is open on sundays. thanks. I'm still debating the M3 sedan versus RS4 Avant. I'm going to test drive an M3 with DKG next week and then also test drive that white RS4 avant.