Long term concerns about ownership
03-29-2002, 11:50 AM
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Long term concerns about ownership
I purchased my S4 in October of 1999. The car now has roughly 45,000 miles. Obviously I am close to the end of my warranty.
Given all the awful things I've read about problems with the turbos in the S4 on these boards, I am losing confidence in the idea of owning an S4 for much longer after the warranty.
Of particular concern is the very cost of just replacing the turbos. Something on the order of $7000 USD, correct? I understand that the motor must be removed to perform such an operation, but that price is nonetheless outrageous. Replacing the turbos would be a certainty in the life of the car, even if you don't modify the computer.
Has anyone else given thought to longevity issues regarding the S4?
Given all the awful things I've read about problems with the turbos in the S4 on these boards, I am losing confidence in the idea of owning an S4 for much longer after the warranty.
Of particular concern is the very cost of just replacing the turbos. Something on the order of $7000 USD, correct? I understand that the motor must be removed to perform such an operation, but that price is nonetheless outrageous. Replacing the turbos would be a certainty in the life of the car, even if you don't modify the computer.
Has anyone else given thought to longevity issues regarding the S4?
03-29-2002, 12:11 PM
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As a reference point to consider...
The 1.8T, which has the same turbo (albeit only one) and a similiar appeal to the "chipping" market, was released in the the US a few years before the S4. Many of those cars (chipped and not) are at or over 100K miles with little difficulty.
Just imagine a world without AW...would any of us really be THAT paranoid about the car if we didn't hear stories every week on this damn site.
Need to start an AWA...Audi World Anonymous.
Just imagine a world without AW...would any of us really be THAT paranoid about the car if we didn't hear stories every week on this damn site.
Need to start an AWA...Audi World Anonymous.
03-29-2002, 12:14 PM
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Re: Long term concerns about ownership
The same thought has crossed my mind.
OTOH, you do need to realize that much of what you read on this board has to do with people who are having problems. This is fully understandable, since they're here trying to get help and advice.
How many people post a message to the board saying, "It's Friday, and my car is working just fine."?
Also, quite a few of the participants here have modded their cars. It's easy to get extra HP and torque out of a turbocharged motor: just put a chip in it that uses more boost. (The reality is a bit more complicated than that, but you get the idea.) This adds extra stress to the engine and drivetrain pieces. Quite a few people also thrash their cars: drag-strip starts, etc. Then they wonder why their cars are unreliable. [shrug]
FWIW, my previous car, a '91 Mazda 626 turbo, now has over 200,000 miles on it, and the turbocharger is still going strong. I sold the car a little over a year ago with about 170,000 miles on the odometer, and the current owner is putting plenty of miles on the vehicle. That's apples and oranges, of course, since it's not an Audi, but it does go to show that turbo engines don't have to grenade early.
BTW, it's Friday, and my car is working just fine. :-)
OTOH, you do need to realize that much of what you read on this board has to do with people who are having problems. This is fully understandable, since they're here trying to get help and advice.
How many people post a message to the board saying, "It's Friday, and my car is working just fine."?
Also, quite a few of the participants here have modded their cars. It's easy to get extra HP and torque out of a turbocharged motor: just put a chip in it that uses more boost. (The reality is a bit more complicated than that, but you get the idea.) This adds extra stress to the engine and drivetrain pieces. Quite a few people also thrash their cars: drag-strip starts, etc. Then they wonder why their cars are unreliable. [shrug]
FWIW, my previous car, a '91 Mazda 626 turbo, now has over 200,000 miles on it, and the turbocharger is still going strong. I sold the car a little over a year ago with about 170,000 miles on the odometer, and the current owner is putting plenty of miles on the vehicle. That's apples and oranges, of course, since it's not an Audi, but it does go to show that turbo engines don't have to grenade early.
BTW, it's Friday, and my car is working just fine. :-)
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03-29-2002, 01:11 PM
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Where does one buy extended warranty?
Audi dealers do not offer extended warranties, and when I've called GE Capital, I get turned away because I have more than 10,000 miles.
Does your extended warranty cover anything more than just what is lubricated with oil? Most are limited in this fashion so this means the intercoolers would not be protected.
Assistance with this would be greatly appreciated.
Does your extended warranty cover anything more than just what is lubricated with oil? Most are limited in this fashion so this means the intercoolers would not be protected.
Assistance with this would be greatly appreciated.