Go with David's suggestion. Keep cash on hand for repairs - you will most likely not get your money's worth out of that warranty.

DubWerks has a very good reputation.

Turbo lag is something you have to live with when you have a turbo. It can be minimized, but never eliminated. The bigger the turbo, normally the bigger the lag. System design means a lot too. I chipped recently and havent noticed any difference in lag.

 

I find that changing the oil isn't worth my time or investment.

Wallyworld does it for less than 29 and change with Mobil 1. I supply the mann filter. That is about 6 dollars more than the oil costs off the shelf.

Just make sure they know to use your filter, and not to overfill. They seem to think that the correct level is the top of the crimp on the dipstick, not the top of the hatch marks.

 

Okay, I have learned more here than I could ever hope, thanks so much...

David, I have read in other posts that you have talked about fluid flushes but I searched and can't find any real breakdown of all of them, so what would be ideally the first step when I bring this car home on Wednesday? Are there certain things that I should take care of right away?

and brrman I will keep Dubwerks in mind, I think I will chip once I get a constant week of temps in the 50's, Michigan weather was so screwy last year, we had three days in the 70's then a freaking blizzard...in late APRIL! I want to enjoy the added performance and want to make sure the car is in tip top condition...

I already have a name...I think it's the best name for an Audi...Abigail...aka Abby...

Thanks again to everyone who has responded I really appreciate this...

 

None of this is a crisis, but you don't know how the previous owned of your car treated it, or when procedures were last done.

The caveat is that I am not a mechanic, nor a particular expert in Audis. I have been driving for 30 years, and tinker with cars ranging from MG, Triumphs, and my current daily driver (Audi)

If you haven't done so, invest in a manual for the car. You may be able to find a Haynes manual for 15 dollars at Pepboys, etc. They have them for the B5, but I can't be sure that they have them for the B6. Once you purchase it, read it.

Or you can purchase the B6 A4 service manual on paper, or the factory service manual on CD from Bentley.com. They are also available on eBay. Price ranges from 60-100 dollars. Consider it an investment.

Purchase a Vag-Com from Ross-Tech. This allows you to pull error codes from your car, reset service intervals, and check fucntion of all the electronic systems of the car. this costs about 230 dollars. It will easily save you that ten times over the life of the car. Consider it an investment rather than a cost.

You don't say whether your car is a tiptronic or manual.

Many things can be done by you with kitchen utensils, some require a bit of mechanical knowledge, some are more complicated.


1. Change the oil and filter to synthetic. Use the newer larger OEM or Mann filter. Change every 5K miles

2. Check the fluid level in the reservoirs for brake fluid, PS fluid and radiator overflow tank to make sure they are OK.

3. Check the battery electrolyte level. The batteries are low maintenance, not no maintenance. Pry off the caps and with a flashlight check the level. It should be above the plates, but just below the bottom of the filler holes. Top up with DISTILLED water only.

4. Brake fluid should be bled every two years according to Audi. Brake fluid is hydroscopic and sucks moisture from the air. This lowers the boiling point and can cause loss of braking at high temperatures. In addition, may contribute to rusting of calipers. I believe that DOT 4+ fluid is recommended. Do not use silicone brake fluid.

5. If the antifreeze is Pinkish, you are OK. If it is muddy or brown, it means that someone put in the wrong antifreeze in there and it will need to be flushes and replaced with a 50/50 mix of G12 antifreeze and DISTILLED water.

You will end up changing the antifreeze anyway when you do the timing belt somewhere in the next 30K miles.

6. Power steering fluid. DO NOT USE "POWER STEERING FLUID" FROM YOUR GENERAL AUTOMOTIVE STORE. DO NOT USE TRANSMISSION FLUID. DO NOT PASS GO. DO NOT COLLECT 200 DOLLARS.
Buy a can of Pentosin 11S fluid. Get a small turkey baster and suck as much old fluid as you can from the reservoir. then refill with fresh fluid. Then drive for a while and repeat. I do this every 30K miles or so, for no other reason than it is easy, cheap and is probably why I have had PS pumps last over 300K miles.

7. The tiptronic is a sealed unit. That said, it probably wouldn't hurt to drain out the pan and put in a few quarts of fresh fluid sometime in the next 20K miles.

8. Manual transmission Drain and refill with fresh gear oil. Repeat ain another 50K miles

9. Front central and rear differentials. Change gear oil with fresh. Repeat in another 50K miles.

 

It's a 2002 Audi A4 1.8T Quattro Automatic Tiptronic with 51,350 miles.

I guess the best way to do the Vag Com is with a laptop...too bad I dropped my girlfriend's and broke it...

So I'll do the oil, the brakes, check the fluids and battery, and as long as the PS is as simple as you say, I can do that too.

I'll let the dealer do the tirptronic after about a year or 15,000 miles or so

What about the differentials? Is it time to do those or are they okay?

 

1. Stay away from the dealer. Just my recommendation. Search around for a good independent garage that specializes in Audi/VW. Hook up with a local or area Audi group to find a good shop.

If you do your own oil, make sure you know which plug to pull. The one you see with the belly pan on is the transmission. You have to take the belly pan off to access the oil pan drain, which is further forward.