Audi A4

[SVT32V]

Painted wheels, yeah, you'd want to be careful.  But in the right dose, acid-based cleaners are about the best you can do for wheels.   Just about any wheel cleaner you buy is slightly acidic...there's just a threshold where they become "too acidic."  I've read that a mix of about 10-12% acid and the rest water is good for wheels.  I've never mixed it myself, but who knows.

Many wheels are clear-coated, you don't want to use any kind of abrasive or strong chemicals on them.

[giant_mtb]

 

[SVT_Power]

Well it seems my mom's caught the Audi bug. She may be joining the A4 club soon. But in wagon form.

[giant_mtb]

[SVT_Power]

She actually dragged me to the Audi stealership today.

[giant_mtb]

You had to be dragged to an Audi dealership?

[Catman]

We have some friends with an A4 with 30K on the odo.  I think they have had every part in the car replaced at least once.  They had another one prior that was much better but this one has been so bad they will never get one again.  Repair costs are outrageous.  

[saxonyron]

We have some friends with an A4 with 30K on the odo.  I think they have had every part in the car replaced at least once.  They had another one prior that was much better but this one has been so bad they will never get one again.  Repair costs are outrageous. 

Huh??  Any repairs should have been covered under warranty.    I have only paid $475 for brakes on my A6, plus a set of tires and wipers.  No other repairs.  Audi covers all the maintenance even.  Mine's a CPO car, so I think I get a better deal, but even so, at 30k miles, warranty should cover it all, even a new one.  And I have only needed normal maintenance and one repair for a check engine light at about 50k miles. Of course that's not statistically significant, but in general Audi's have been scoring real well with Powers and CR.

[giant_mtb]

[Catman]

Huh??  Any repairs should have been covered under warranty.    I have only paid $475 for brakes on my A6, plus a set of tires and wipers.  No other repairs.  Audi covers all the maintenance even.  Mine's a CPO car, so I think I get a better deal, but even so, at 30k miles, warranty should cover it all, even a new one.  And I have only needed normal maintenance and one repair for a check engine light at about 50k miles. Of course that's not statistically significant, but in general Audi's have been scoring real well with Powers and CR.

It must have a bit over 36K because the warranty is expired.  They took it in for pulsating brakes and a rough idle and they ended up doing the brakes, cylinder heads and the choke thing in the air box.  While it was at the dealer the drivers window stopped working. 

[The Pirate]

It must have a bit over 36K because the warranty is expired.  They took it in for pulsating brakes and a rough idle and they ended up doing the brakes, cylinder heads and the choke thing in the air box.  While it was at the dealer the drivers window stopped working. 

Brakes are certainly a wear item, but the rest is unacceptable on a modern car with that mileage.  I'd probably be leery to buy another one too.  Hopefully their car was just as a lemon.

[SVT_Power]

I think that car is the exception. Like CJ's accord...

[saxonyron]

Brakes are certainly a wear item, but the rest is unacceptable on a modern car with that mileage.  I'd probably be leery to buy another one too.  Hopefully their car was just as a lemon.

Not to sound to fanboy-ish, but it seems like this is more the exception to the rule.  Any car can be a lemon so that's the chance you take no matter what you buy.  Look at all the Toyota owners who used to be so smug.    But I know that Toyotas are incredibly reliable for the vast majority owners, and the same is true for Audis.  My A4 ran 45,000 miles till I turned the lease in.  There was only one minor unscheduled "check engine light" stop at the dealers that didn't cost me a dime. Otherwise it was perfect.  But that's yet another reason why I prefer the CPO's at a year or 2 old. You get the full manufacturer warranty to 100,000 miles, plus maintenance to 75,000.  Come to think of it, I'm hitting 70,000 miles tomorrow. That means the next scheduled 75k mile maintenance is my last freebie.    At least I have another year or so of no repair costs.

[SVT_Power]

I might talk my mom into a CPO. But it seems like there aren't many low mileage Audi CPO's to choose from. BMW has tons, but Audi doesn't seem to. We went to the closest Audi dealership and their newest CPO on the lot was a '08 I think.

[The Pirate]

Not to sound to fanboy-ish, but it seems like this is more the exception to the rule.  Any car can be a lemon so that's the chance you take no matter what you buy.  Look at all the Toyota owners who used to be so smug.    But I know that Toyotas are incredibly reliable for the vast majority owners, and the same is true for Audis.  My A4 ran 45,000 miles till I turned the lease in.  There was only one minor unscheduled "check engine light" stop at the dealers that didn't cost me a dime. Otherwise it was perfect.  But that's yet another reason why I prefer the CPO's at a year or 2 old. You get the full manufacturer warranty to 100,000 miles, plus maintenance to 75,000.  Come to think of it, I'm hitting 70,000 miles tomorrow. That means the next scheduled 75k mile maintenance is my last freebie.    At least I have another year or so of no repair costs.

Nothing wrong with a little bias, we all have it.  I'm inclined to agree with you, hence the lemon comment.  But per Greg's original post, the car has a history of issues.  As much as I love Audi, that would personally leave me with a bad taste in my mouth.  Warranty work or not, a car doesn't do any good as transportation (or fun) when it's spending a lot of time at the dealership.  We're all funny that way, statistics may say otherwise, but if our specific example of a car proves to be unreliable, then many of us will have burned a bridge with that manufacturer.  You've got a solid MO, CPO with a warranty.  Were I to buy a nice car, that's the way I'd go too.

And fer chrissake, don't bring Toyota into this!  This is an enthusiast forum, are you trying to scare off the members? 

[Colonel Cadillac]

Well it seems my mom's caught the Audi bug. She may be joining the A4 club soon. But in wagon form.

Do it!!! I take the new A4 out whenever I get the chance. It's got to be so much more fun than the A6 wagon.

[SVT_Power]

Do it!!! I take the new A4 out whenever I get the chance. It's got to be so much more fun than the A6 wagon.

We looked at a A6 wagon (CPO) briefly but she decided she liked the A4 wagon moar.

[giant_mtb]

I have discovered that AFour does have a sort of hill-start-assist function.  Essentially, if the handbrake is left on or engaged, a certain amount of throttle/clutch let-out/movement trips the computer to disengage the parking brake so the car can move and not roll back.  Nifty.  I've used it in real traffic a couple times, and discovered it accidentally when backing out of a parking spot and thought "hm, I should prolly turn off the handbrake!" but it had already done so for me once the car started to tug.

[Raza]

Is it a mechanical handbrake or an electronic one?

[Tave]

I have discovered that AFour does have a sort of hill-start-assist function.  Essentially, if the handbrake is left on or engaged, a certain amount of throttle/clutch let-out/movement trips the computer to disengage the parking brake so the car can move and not roll back.  Nifty.  I've used it in real traffic a couple times, and discovered it accidentally when backing out of a parking spot and thought "hm, I should prolly turn off the handbrake!" but it had already done so for me once the car started to tug.

I'm not saying you're wrong, but a car can move forward with the handbrake on.

[Laconian]

Why does the Audi A4 smell like brakepads now?

[Tave]

Why does the Audi A4 smell like brakepads now?

A lot of times, I'll drive for like 10 miles with the emergency brake. That doesn't say a lot for me, but it really doesn't say a lot for the emergency brake.

It's not really an emergency brake. It's an emergency make-the-car-smell-funny lever.

[Raza]

A lot of times, I'll drive for like 10 miles with the emergency brake. That doesn't say a lot for me, but it really doesn't say a lot for the emergency brake.

It's not really an emergency brake. It's an emergency make-the-car-smell-funny lever.

When did the emergency brake moniker come about?  I always knew it as a handbrake until I was in cars that had the brake pedal or button activated. 

[TBR]

A lot of times, I'll drive for like 10 miles with the emergency brake. That doesn't say a lot for me, but it really doesn't say a lot for the emergency brake.

It's not really an emergency brake. It's an emergency make-the-car-smell-funny lever.

Been there done that, but Chris's A4 has an electric handbrake so I imagine that isn't an issue.

[giant_mtb]

I'm not saying you're wrong, but a car can move forward with the handbrake on.

No kidding, but it's an electronic handbrake and the indicator light turns off when I do the hill-start thing, and I can hear the servo disengage it.

+ there's no foul smells or binding or slow movement.  I'm quite sure it's a failsafe for the very purpose of keeping you from driving with the handbrake on.

[Laconian]

No kidding, but it's an electronic handbrake and the indicator light turns off when I do the hill-start thing, and I can hear the servo disengage it.

+ there's no foul smells or binding or slow movement.  I'm quite sure it's a failsafe for the very purpose of keeping you from driving with the handbrake on.

Is there a failsafe for the failsafe? VAG electronics, you know.

[Rupert]

[giant_mtb]

Reverse causes the clutch to make an odd, grinding-like sound?  Does not make the same sound in first when starting out, just in R.  Is there something different about R?  I don't gettttttt ittttttttttttttt.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Reverse causes the clutch to make an odd, grinding-like sound?  Does not make the same sound in first when starting out, just in R.  Is there something different about R?  I don't gettttttt ittttttttttttttt.

Yeah, what's different is R goes the other direction form the other gearz. I bet it's not the clutch. Your tranny is toast.

[giant_mtb]

It makes the noise right before the clutch fully connects the trans/engine.  Sounds similar to the sound you'd hear if your brakes were rubbing.