S4_SLEEPER

https://www.tcgarage.com/ My modified S4 B8 will be on display, along side a number of modified VAG cars, so if anyone from the club is going would be great to meet you.

Pencil me in, should be back from my summer hols in time.

Hi Mark, Welcome, my experience of Audi main dealers is that they are not mechanics and therefore tend to be poor at diagnostics, but they are specialists in replacing parts. I would give TC Garage a call and explain what you are experiencing, also what you have done to-date, the downside is they are a good distance away from you, maybe someone can suggest a place closer. https://www.tcgarage.com/services/ All the best Edward

I just changed mine, its a less than 5min job, the only tool you need is a flat head screwdriver and paid 30gbp for 2 OEM parts. The existing strut will have an OEM part number, I also doubled checked it https://partsfinder.bilsteingroup.com/

Hi Anders, Firstly I should say I am 100% biased because I own an S4 B8, as for which one would suit you best it very much depends on what you need from the car, the 3.0TDI will offer the best economy but the S4 B8 will put smile on your face, also it has huge reserves of power for acceleration which also makes it super safe when overtaking. I went for the DSG because the 7 speed auto box best suits the engine, the way the car drives is hard to explain and you really should take one on a test drive, I think it has more pull then the diesel and you can rev it past 7,000revs / minute. Both I think have the 4th generation Quattro which is a permanent 4 wheel drive system, driven the car in heavy snow with winter tyres and I was overtaking all the other cars on the road including Land Rovers. When I decided to get a 2nd hand car I did invest in a code / diagnostic hand held tool so I could check out the car, saved me time and money. One known issue with the S4 B8 is the steering rack, solved on the 8.5 I am told but I had to replace mine because there was excessive movement within the rack, it made a world of difference. It is important that work is carried out at the correct time/millage, I got lucky with my car and I have a copy of all the repairs/service work carried out since new. Now that I no longer use Audi main dealers my car is super reliable, the garage I use does a great job of looking after the car and has guided me on what upgrades to consider. Last summer I drove from the UK to Denmark in one day with 0 issues and that included testing the max speed on the German autobahns 🙂 (200mph+) then went via Sweden and Norway through the mountains into the arctic circle. My car has about 125,000miles on the clock and I have been told the interior looks like a car that's has done 30,000miles, the only real money I spend on the car is the performance upgrades, servicing is not very expensive. Have carried out a number of upgrades on my car, so if have any interest in getting the S4 B8 so you can upgrade it, myself and others can give you the pro's / con's on them. All the best Edward

One thing that saved me a load of money when buying a second-hand car was getting a hold of a code reader/diagnostic tool, a must have for me after I learnt the hard way and bought a car where the seller had removed the engine check light bulb from the dashboard. I always ask the seller before using it, but then the seller knows that you are serious about the condition of the car, i.e. it allows you to verify the VIN. Have used the diag tool on multiple manufacturers, happy to share what brand/ model I bought, the one I have has both diagnostics but also allows for real-time monitoring, so great when trying to diagnose an issue. Just let me know if you wish me to say what make/ model I went for. All the best Ed

Hey Steve, Overall my view is that the A4 B8 or A4 B8.5 is a solid car, but like any car if its not been looked after it will have some expensive bills, whats the current mileage? Main dealer service history is key, I can post the pages from my service book if that's of interest, this will show when certain items need to be carried out, i.e. DSG gearbox needs new fluid every 40,000 miles. I got lucky with my car, it was a fleet car, so whilst it has a few miles on the clock, its been problem free as no service items were skipped. Wishing you all the best with your venture into Audi ownership. Edward

Hi there, Sure everyone will have their favourite tuning company, I went with REVO for both engine & gearbox software upgrades and no regrets. The lack of dip stick caught me out also as my oil level sensor failed and I could not rely on the MMI, did not realise it was an optional extra 😉, hope I am allowed to post a link. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Audi-A4-A5-A6-Engine-Oil-Gauge-Level-Dipstick-Pan-Adjustable-AT437/401447767853?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D52945%26meid%3D0fcd07232df04a538fba37ef0edbac2c%26pid%3D100010%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D291342726629%26itm%3D401447767853&_trksid=p2047675.c100010.m2109 Got the one above, its adjustable so you just need to know the correct setting for your engine. All the best Edward

The guys at TC Garage (https://www.tcgarage.com/) are located close to Gatwick airport, used them to carry out all the upgrades and general work on my car todate. I have moved away but still drive a fair distance to get any work done by them, especially after I have had some less than positive experiences with Audi main dealers. Above is one of the early upgrades recommended by TC Garage, money well spent.

Hi there, Brand new member, my daily driver is an Audi S4 B8 which I have upgraded in a number of ways, so if anyone is interested I can share my experiences. Intend to keep the car as a sleeper, its so much fun leaving other cars standing at the lights or overtaking like a fox with its tail on fire. Also is there a place to recommend garages or products, for example I only let TC Garage work on my car, because I have had a poor track record with Audi main dealer garages. All the best Ed

Hi, Have the following installed on my S4 B8 and 3 other family cars, has a good beam pattern which means it does not dazzle other drivers and works as a fog light. Never had an issue in very low / high temps, been a solid performer and expect them to last the lifetime of the car. They are a direct replacement, super easy to install and do not cause any error codes. https://www.powerbulbs.com/product/philips-x-treme-ultinon-led-headlamp-h8-h11-h16 There is now a gen2 version of these bulbs which is rated 250% brighter. All the best Ed