VW/Audi Exorcism Thread

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willroc7: Jul 24, 2006; BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!

I'm about to take a new job in a snowy climate and was thinking about picking up a 2004 S4 with ~50k miles. It will be my only car and my DD. Am I out of my mind? I'm a bit worried about the maintenance costs but in my heart of hearts it's the car I want. Would I be better off getting a newer A4 or something like a WRX? Is this the wrong thread for this? Thanks!

# ¿ Nov 22, 2012 16:13

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 07:29

willroc7: Jul 24, 2006; BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!

Thanks for the replies. I have driven one a few years back but it was a tiptronic. It was still a blast, though. I plan on living ~10 minutes from work so gas mileage isn't a huge concern. I will definitely get a good PPI. Is there anything in particular I should look for on the test drive before I get to that step?

# ¿ Nov 22, 2012 22:55

willroc7: Jul 24, 2006; BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!

Following up on an earlier post, I'm driving up from philly to see this car tomorrow. If all goes well I hope to drive back with it. Should I look for anything in particular? The carfax says it has been in two accidents that the dealer claims were "minor incidents". Should this influence the price negotiation? It's about 1k above kbb but is a few thousand below similar cars in the area. Thanks!

http://www.thepremierpreowned.com/preowned/2004-Audi-S4-New-York-WAUPL58E34A091040.htm

The carfax is viewable there as well.

# ¿ Dec 7, 2012 22:02

willroc7: Jul 24, 2006; BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!

My 09 GTI's clutch has started to slip so I'm going to get a new one on Monday. A local shop quoted me ~450 for labor which seems fair. Is there anything I should know about this process?

# ¿ Feb 13, 2013 16:53

willroc7: Jul 24, 2006; BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!

60k. I got the car used at 57k miles and it started to slip after I got an APR tune.

# ¿ Feb 13, 2013 19:19

willroc7: Jul 24, 2006; BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!

Trans Ferdinand posted:

Has this happened to anyone else? This is scaring me away from considering getting my GTI tuned.

From what I've read it's pretty common, although it seems like just as many people don't have any issues. FWIW I went back to stock and it doesn't slip anymore. If you get it tuned you can always go back to stock within 30 days for a refund. I would still try it if I were you.

# ¿ Feb 25, 2013 16:16

willroc7: Jul 24, 2006; BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!

Aflicted posted:

The clutch in my A4 has slowly declined after getting chipped. I had it for about 6 months and it was fine. I get chipped and it was fine for another six months and then it started going downhill. I drive a lot though, have a moderate commute to work, and I drive the car pretty hard. I am at 60k and will be getting mine changed out soon. Anyone have a guesstimate at what a clutch job on a B7 quattro would be? Any suggestions on a clutch choice? Is there a better choice than stock that won't be overkill for heavy street and the occasional trip to the mountains etc?

I can't say that my driving style is great for clutch life, but the extra power from being chipped certainly did not help the situation. Pay to play I suppose.

For my GTI I was quoted ~1500 with a new flywheel at an indie shop. I've read good things about the southbend stage 2 clutches.

# ¿ Feb 25, 2013 17:14

willroc7: Jul 24, 2006; BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!

Turns out the stock clutches aren't the strongest thing in the world. I'd say 60hp is a significant jump.

# ¿ Feb 25, 2013 17:36

willroc7: Jul 24, 2006; BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!

Yup. The increase in torque is around 80ftlbs if APR is to be trusted. In 93 octane mode mine would slip in 5th or 6th gear around 3k rpm if I was flooring it. It was starting to creep into 4th as well. But like I said, it's all hunkey dorey in stock mode.

# ¿ Feb 25, 2013 18:08

willroc7: Jul 24, 2006; BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!

Got the valves cleaned on my 09 GTI TSI with 60k miles. The car idles much more smoothly now and all the random misfires are gone.

It cost me just under $500 to get it done at an indie shop that used crushed walnut media to blast them clean. Very labor intensive job and I was happy to pay someone to do it. This is definitely something to look out for on TSI engines.
After:

# ¿ Feb 27, 2013 20:09

willroc7: Jul 24, 2006; BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!

It was done by HS Tuning in Westlake, Ohio. Incredible group of guys there, highly recommended. They patiently answered every question I had and even gave my car a nice wash after spending 6 hours cleaning the valves.

This is the nature of the beast with direct injection engines. I understand it's worse on the 4.2L engines. Apparently R8's get it done every 15k miles. I think 60k is a good time to do it on these engines, but you could probably make it to 75k or even 100k without having problems. The shop said mine was the worst they'd ever seen. I'm not all that familiar with seafoam so maybe someone else can speak on that topic.

# ¿ Feb 28, 2013 15:26

willroc7: Jul 24, 2006; BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!

Residency Evil posted:

Out of curiosity, what kind of symptoms were you having before cleaning it? I notice every now and then my engine kind of stutters while idling. It's not throwing any codes or anything, but I'm curious if that's a sign mine could use a cleaning.

Pretty much this. It was having a lot of random misfires but 99% of the time they weren't bad enough to throw a CEL.

# ¿ Mar 5, 2013 03:02

willroc7: Jul 24, 2006; BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!

I'm guessing it just gets worse. I am not too versed on the effects of long term minor misfires on an engine.

# ¿ Mar 5, 2013 03:38

willroc7: Jul 24, 2006; BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!

Residency Evil posted:

Have any of you guys gotten your intake manifolds/valves cleaned? I've got a 2010 gti with 40k miles which I can feel misfiring slightly at idle. No CELs yet, but I imagine it'd be a good idea to get it cleaned before next winter. Is there a difference between cleaning methods? My local vw/Audi/Porsche independent says they'd do it for 2-3 hours of labor, or around $300. They don't have a walnut machine (or whatever it is), so they just open it up and give it a good manual cleaning.

I had the valves on my 09 GTI cleaned at 60k miles with the walnut blasting machine for around $400. They were severely carboned up and the car now runs significantly smoother at idle.

# ¿ Jun 3, 2013 15:38

willroc7: Jul 24, 2006; BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!

Trans Ferdinand posted:

2.0T owners: what kind of mileage are you seeing? I used to get 27 mpg (2/3 hwy 1/3 city) but now that I do more city driving it's dropped to 25-26. I haven't gotten the valves cleaned, and the car has 80k miles on it. Should I expect an improvement in mileage after getting the valves cleaned?

Mine didn't change significantly.

# ¿ Jun 3, 2013 18:22

willroc7: Jul 24, 2006; BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!

willroc7 posted:

Got the valves cleaned on my 09 GTI TSI with 60k miles. The car idles much more smoothly now and all the random misfires are gone.

It cost me just under $500 to get it done at an indie shop that used crushed walnut media to blast them clean. Very labor intensive job and I was happy to pay someone to do it. This is definitely something to look out for on TSI engines.
After:

From earlier in the thread.

# ¿ Jun 6, 2013 03:40

willroc7: Jul 24, 2006; BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!

8ender posted:

How good/bad of an idea is it to buy a Mk5 GTI? I drive a high miles 93' BMW right now so I am well versed in the german car experience. What are the common faults?

Also what is the difference between the A3 and the GTI in that generation?

I have one that I really like. If you can, try to get a 2008.5 or 2009, as they switched to the newer TSI engine that is in the Mk6. This fixes a lot of the common problems with the FSI in the earlier models. They are not without their faults, however. The coil packs have a habit of going out every 50-60k ($100-150 fix), and like many DI engines, the intake valves have issues with carbon buildup (cost me $450 to clean at a local indie shop around 60k miles). The clutch in the manual is a little weak if you are going to tune it, mine slips in 6th when using APR stage 1 but is otherwise fine. I think you'd be hard pressed to find a better bang for your buck. I don't know much about the A3 other than you will likely be paying more and have a better interior. I'm sure someone else can comment on that.

# ¿ Feb 1, 2014 15:47

willroc7: Jul 24, 2006; BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!

Residency Evil posted:

Out of curiosity, what do you suggest for the clutch? I have a 2010 GTI with an APR Stage 1 tune that I bought used with 30k miles on it and the clutch slips in 6th-3rd when I have it in the tuned mode. I'm fine in stock mode, so that's where it stays since I just use the car for commuting.

I've kept my stock clutch and have been using APR's 91 octane program. It drops the torque a bit from 93 so unless I floor it in 6th in cold conditions, it's fine. It's still a huge difference from stock. I've read good things about HS tuning's RSR clutch kit, which should be good all the way up to K04 power. It's about a grand.

If you have access to vac-com or a scanner, check the codes from your misfires. If they are on a specific cylinder, move the coils around and see if the misfire follows. Misfires could come from the plugs, coils, carbon buildup, or injectors, but the coils are the easiest and cheapest to fix. Try that first.

# ¿ Feb 2, 2014 02:39

willroc7: Jul 24, 2006; BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!

FWIW I had the carbon cleaning (by hand, scraping) done at 60k and it made a world of difference at idle. They were incredibly dirty. If you look back and my old posts in this thread from a year ago, I posted somepics. It should be part of scheduled maintenance.

# ¿ Feb 2, 2014 21:52

willroc7: Jul 24, 2006; BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!

Uthor posted:

Are the coil packs a wear item? I'm getting a "shutter at idle" thing that is supposedly fixed with updated coil packs, but I got mine replaced because of a TSB at 32k miles with the supposedly "good" ones and it's still doing it. I was reading something about using coil packs from an R8 is the way to go.

My stock shocks still seem alright. The car isn't bouncy nor feels harsh. Seems like a thing that should be replaced now-ish, but I think I'm okay going longer on them...

The rough idle is probably carbon buildup on the valves. It is a huge PITA to do yourself so I'd pay and indie shop to do it. Should be $4-500.

# ¿ May 18, 2014 22:58

willroc7: Jul 24, 2006; BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!

I'm pretty sure carbon buildup can cause that. It did in my '09 TSI. Maybe rough idle was the wrong phrase.

# ¿ May 18, 2014 23:42

willroc7: Jul 24, 2006; BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!

Tyro posted:

Anyone here in the DC area have a VAG-COM? My mk4 1.8T is having intermittent hard starting issues (turns over but doesn't catch) but the battery is fine and lights aren't dimming. I suspect it's the crankshaft position sensor/impulse sender. I'd rather pull the codes if possible than guess and throw parts at it.

I can't help you but check /r/volkswagen, vwvortex's regional subforum, and/or audizine. Good Luck.

# ¿ Dec 29, 2015 14:34

willroc7: Jul 24, 2006; BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!

Having an intermittent issue on my 2007 S4 where the EPC and traction lights will come on putting the car in limp mode. Reconnecting the throttle body wiring harness fixes it a week or longer (sometimes months). My guess is that the wiring on the connector is loose but all the wires seem intact. Throttle body itself was already replaced by the previous owner so it has no visible buildup on it. Cleaning the connector with contact cleaner and compressed air also seems to help, but it's hard to say for sure since the issue is intermittent. The car is JHM tuned and drives perfectly otherwise. Vagcom shows:

17579 - Angle Sensor 2 for Throttle Actuator (G188) Implausible Signal
P1171 - 008 - Intermittent

Freeze Frame:
Fault Status: 00101000
Fault Priority: 0
Fault Frequency: 5
Reset counter: 255
Mileage: 71010 km
Time Indication: 0

Freeze Frame:
RPM: 1687 /min
Load: 20.8%
Speed: 54 km/h
Temperature: 54.0 C
Temperature 24.0 C
Absolute Pres.: 960.0 mbar
Voltage 13.843 V

Readiness: 0000 0001

I'm planning on replacing the wiring plug on the throttle body and rewiring it. Anyone have any thoughts? Thanks.

# ¿ Jan 8, 2016 17:12

willroc7: Jul 24, 2006; BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!

NoWake posted:

I was having intermittent EPC issues that got worse and worse with my 09 CC's 2.0tsi, not sure if our motors have the same bits in common but maybe. Looking back at the car's service history, the throttle body had already been replaced once in it's lifetime.

Since it was out of warranty, I was going to attack my issues in the order of cheapest and easiest to more complicated and expensive: 1) re-pin harness with gold plated connectors 2) clean any gunk out of throttle body 3) replace throttle body entirely.

#1 instantly turned the engine from a shaking shuddering non-idling persistant EPC limp mode mess into running smooth as chocolate. This calm only lasted a few months though before the EPC/limp mode popped up again twice, but both times it went away after a dozen engine on-off cycles. Fortunately I was able to dump the car back at the dealer due to unrelated problems with paperwork, so I never did get the chance to dissect the throttle body.

Well that's mildly discouraging. In my case the engine runs smoothly even when the lights come on, although sometimes the idle is high or hunting. Once the harness is reconnected it's perfect, idle and all. Looks like re-pinning is the way to go though.

willroc7 fucked around with this message at 19:22 on Jan 8, 2016

# ¿ Jan 8, 2016 19:19

willroc7: Jul 24, 2006; BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!

jeff8472 posted:

I have a 2011 GTI, been happy with it so far with just standard scheduled maintenence. At 55000km (34000 miles) and replaced the ignition coils and spark plugs after a CEL. Anything else I should be checking to ensure long term reliability (I know... VW....)

Just anything thats worth checking or replacing before it becomes a horrible problem.

Timing chain tensioner, but probably not until around 75K.

# ¿ Jan 13, 2016 16:23

willroc7: Jul 24, 2006; BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!

Disgruntled Bovine posted:

I've been doing a bit of research into the B8/B8.5 S4 as a possible next car but I'm curious whether it is really that much better than the older S4's on the reliability front. The only major issues I've seen anyone talking about are DSG failures, which aren't an issue as I'd get a manual, and problems with the E-Diff. My current car is a 2007 S60R, which has cost me quite a bit in repairs, probably around 2.5k/yr in the time I've owned it. This is worse than average for an S60R, but by most accounts less what an M3 or B6/7 S4 would cost. I don't want another money-pit car, and maybe that means German performance is just not for me, but I'm hoping the B8 S4 might be the answer.

Am I setting myself up for a big mistake here?

No. They are significantly more reliable than the B6/7. The early models had some water pump/thermostat issues but they should be ironed out by now. The manual is pretty bulletproof and for me, it felt like a jet fighter to drive.

# ¿ Feb 4, 2016 13:48

willroc7: Jul 24, 2006; BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!

I would absolutely go for a B8/B8.5 S4 over a brand new Golf R. Get a certified preowned if you want a warranty. The manual transmission S4's are pretty damned solid. DSG is nearing must have warranty territory though. In general I'm a big proponent of buying lightly used over new so you don't take that massive depreciation hit. I haven't driven the MK7 R, but I have driven the MK6 and the B8 S4. The S4 was in another league performance wise. Even stock it pulls like a jet fighter. Also quattro > haldex any day all day.

Disclaimer: I drive a used B7 S4 I got for less than the cheapest new civic you can get. Even has a warranty! :smuggo:

# ¿ Feb 24, 2016 21:55

willroc7: Jul 24, 2006; BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!

Or perhaps, an effeminate man?

# ¿ Mar 2, 2016 22:16

willroc7: Jul 24, 2006; BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!

veedubfreak posted:

e: also most people see it as a "40 thousand dollar golf" vs a "40 thousand dollar S3" which is more accurate.

It is a 40 thousand dollar golf. The S3 is a fifty thousand dollar one.

# ¿ Mar 17, 2016 18:34

willroc7: Jul 24, 2006; BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!

Not trying to talk up the S3. It's a golf with haldex and two pedals. It's more VW than Audi. Can't even have it in a hatch here anyway.

# ¿ Mar 18, 2016 18:17

willroc7: Jul 24, 2006; BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!

Residency Evil posted:

So my 2010 APR Stage I GTI's clutch is slipping at 55k. It's been slipping in tuned mode for a while so I've just driven it in stock tune, but stupidly tried to go back to tuned, slipped the clutch, and now it's slipping in stock mode at WOT in third even.

I've been thinking of a car change next year. Should I:

1. Replace the clutch now with a stock one (would I need to do the clutch, pressure plate, and flywheel?)
2. Replace clutch now with an uprated one (and if so, which one?)
3. Comedy option: Replace car early with a Cayman GTS.

Get HSTuning's RSR clutch.

# ¿ Mar 23, 2016 14:17

willroc7: Jul 24, 2006; BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!

Residency Evil posted:

Ok, looks like I found a top-rated local place that will do the install for $600. Before I buy the clutch:

1. You guys sure I want the HS Tuning one?
2. I don't need to replace the flywheel right?
3. Anything else I should ask him to replace/upgrade while he's in there? He mentioned the transmission mount maybe?

1. Yes.
2. No, not unless yours is damaged which I doubt.
3. Shrug.

# ¿ Mar 24, 2016 02:43

willroc7: Jul 24, 2006; BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!

Depends if you want it to feel factory or aftermarket. From what I've read, the RSR has the closest feel to stock. It's sourced mostly from VAG parts IIRC.

# ¿ Mar 24, 2016 03:04

willroc7: Jul 24, 2006; BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!

Residency Evil posted:

Guys I'm still pretty psyched I don't need a new clutch after all. I'm convinced those red coil packs are voodoo.

I'm not exactly sure how you mistook the minor (or major) misfires that aging coilpacks will give you for a slipping clutch honestly.

# ¿ Mar 29, 2016 03:11

willroc7: Jul 24, 2006; BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!

fake edit: I did not buy this

# ¿ Mar 30, 2016 18:58

willroc7: Jul 24, 2006; BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!

veedubfreak posted:

Whoever did it messed up by not making it red though.

True.

-red text haver

# ¿ Mar 30, 2016 21:42

willroc7: Jul 24, 2006; BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!

PabloBOOM posted:

So I might be starting a VW adventure. Looking at a 2009 GTI with about 100k miles. Small shop/dealer asking a little over 9 grand with the DSG. Stopped by on a whim to drive it today and was impressed by the shape it was in. Other than some things I'm willing to overlook (magic shrinking headliner, and a torn seem on the driver's seat that could be fixed in 60 sec), seemed solid. PO had it maintained at the shop so they have records and then the shop bought it off him when he upgraded.

I'm doing my homework over the weekend since I haven't paid close attention to VW or cars in general since the MkVs were new. A buddy who is a VAG fanatic is going out Monday to check it out with me, but any standard maintenance to check on or resources that could make my research easier would be awesome!

Make sure the DSG services have been done and the timing chain tensioner has been updated. Also, 2009's have a common issue with the ABS module going out. If you can, try to test drive it in the wet and see if the ABS kicks in under hard braking. The ABS and traction lights will come on and ABS will not activate if there is an issue. Curiously, these lights go away when you restart the car, so they only way you can tell if you have an issue is by attempting to activate the ABS on the road. You might also be able to scan for codes with vagcom but if they've been cleared by the PO or dealer, there will be nothing there. It's a costly fix.

# ¿ Apr 10, 2016 12:38

willroc7: Jul 24, 2006; BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!

veedubfreak posted:

People think that a poverty spec Audi is more grown up than a high spec GTI. That's why. Even though they're still both hatchbacks.

They're not? Not anymore. A3's are sedans only in the US.

# ¿ May 2, 2016 20:03

willroc7: Jul 24, 2006; BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!

Yes, I'm sure that's what he was talking about. The A3 is garbage dilution of the brand in my opinion anyway. They will sell like hotcakes though. Those, and Q1-3's.

# ¿ May 2, 2016 20:51

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 07:29

willroc7: Jul 24, 2006; BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!

What will happen to all the bought back vehicles?

# ¿ Jun 28, 2016 17:41

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