Car worries.
If you check out the AUDIWORLD site, B5S4 forum, you'll find that S4 owner's relationship with their cars are LOVE / HATE to say the least. So much joy, and soo soo much pain. It has to do with that incredible motor....an incredibly complicated motor. Twin turbo V's are a rarity. A "V" configuration demands 2 heads, 2 cams, 2 exhaust manifolds, 2 sets of valve-train components, 2 down-pipes, 2 turbos...well you get the point. It's TWICE as much of everything packed into a little itty bitty space, and TWICE as many possible complications, especially in a finicky force-induction system where boost pressure is high and must be maintained.
Anywayz, I was driving across our local bridge, not the big one, but the small one into our little island. As our two lane approach merged into one lane, a C230 Benz was pinching me off and attempting to dive-bomb my entry onto the one lane bridge. I was in 2nd and in the power-band, romped on it and blew right by the little Merc with 50 yards to spare...EAT SOME EXHAUST dive-bomber!
My celebration was short lived cause after I lifted, I hear a WHOOSH sound coming from the engine bay...sounded like a ridiculous blow-off sound ala Subaru...oh-oh. Pulled over and did a quick diagnosis hoping I didn't blow a turbo, an S4 owners first and worst fear:
1. No blue smoke from the tips.
2. No putrid burnt oil smell.
3. No loping idle.
4. After some revs, no dentist drill wails.
So I figured it might have been an intercooler hose popping off. That's happened 3 times so I figured it must have happened again....but nope, all the clamps looked nice and tight. The engined sounded normal so I hopped in and continued my commute home. But as I accelerated to 3000 RPM, BUZZZZZ, sounded like someone just fondled my nuts with a hand buzzer...WTF!! I lifted quickly and again, WHOOSH. WHAT'S GOING ON!
As soon as I got home, I cooled the motor, shut it off, popped the hood, and started my on-line research...all the while hoping I hadn't killed the turbos. I guess you should know that killing a turbo requires the engine to be pulled and the turbos replaced...no other way around it.
ONE turbo runs $1000 new, associated hardware and piping another $500 for each, and the labor, at best averaging 38 hours (at $100 an hour), so you're looking at Seven Grand just to fix it...ouch. Most folks at this point upgrade to what is called Stage III, a full RS4 Upgrade. The upside, you're pulling 550HP!!! (and I've ridden in a Stage III car on the track and can tell you, it absolutely rips your face off. Crazy passing Vipers and Vette's in a 4-door sedan). It's rock-solid, no more worrying about over-boosting and boost spikes. The downside?...$$$$$, and I ain't in any position to drop that kind of cash however intoxicating the power might be. So back to work.
Decided to pull my diverter valves and take them apart to see if the internal gaskets have blown. The passenger side DV looked and actuated just fine but the driver's side piston seemed to have a bad seal...but I can't imagine it producing a buzz.
On-line owners mentioned pulling off the lower intercooler hoses and peak into the IC housing. If you see debris of any kind, you...are...screwed. But what you should be looking for are small metal particles,...why?...cause if your turbo blows, pieces of the impeller wheels will break off and shoot into the IC intake. Luckily I found NO debris of any kind. So I scheduled my mechanic to take a look see.
The next day, I got onto the local super highway and made the long 1 hour trip down to my shop. I kept the car under 2500 rpm the entire way. It's odd for me to be the slowest guy on the freeway. Minivans were passing me in the slow lane but I had to keep it under 60.
When I got to the shop, I told my mechanic of my tale of woe and he said he would take the car out for a spin. I described the sounds in detail and that I would be happy to drive the car and/or be in the car as he drove. He responded, "No, I'll take care of it." He hopped into my car and drove out of the parking lot like he was coming out of pit-lane at Talladega....I couldn't even watch and I had to plug my ears. After several agonizing minutes, he returned...at least the car wasn't on fire. He poked his head out and said, "Your car has alot of power. It's making some funny sounds though. We'd better have our S4 specialist take a look at it. Leave it here a couple of days and we'll let you know." I asked him if I had blown a turbo, and he said "I don't think so...and if it was close to failing, it would have failed after that test drive...hehe." Oh lord, good news. Actually, he's still not sure if it's a bad turbo but I'm pinning my hopes on even the slightest positive remark.
I'll know for sure tomorrow and I'll let you know.
Anywayz, I was driving across our local bridge, not the big one, but the small one into our little island. As our two lane approach merged into one lane, a C230 Benz was pinching me off and attempting to dive-bomb my entry onto the one lane bridge. I was in 2nd and in the power-band, romped on it and blew right by the little Merc with 50 yards to spare...EAT SOME EXHAUST dive-bomber!
My celebration was short lived cause after I lifted, I hear a WHOOSH sound coming from the engine bay...sounded like a ridiculous blow-off sound ala Subaru...oh-oh. Pulled over and did a quick diagnosis hoping I didn't blow a turbo, an S4 owners first and worst fear:
1. No blue smoke from the tips.
2. No putrid burnt oil smell.
3. No loping idle.
4. After some revs, no dentist drill wails.
So I figured it might have been an intercooler hose popping off. That's happened 3 times so I figured it must have happened again....but nope, all the clamps looked nice and tight. The engined sounded normal so I hopped in and continued my commute home. But as I accelerated to 3000 RPM, BUZZZZZ, sounded like someone just fondled my nuts with a hand buzzer...WTF!! I lifted quickly and again, WHOOSH. WHAT'S GOING ON!
As soon as I got home, I cooled the motor, shut it off, popped the hood, and started my on-line research...all the while hoping I hadn't killed the turbos. I guess you should know that killing a turbo requires the engine to be pulled and the turbos replaced...no other way around it.
ONE turbo runs $1000 new, associated hardware and piping another $500 for each, and the labor, at best averaging 38 hours (at $100 an hour), so you're looking at Seven Grand just to fix it...ouch. Most folks at this point upgrade to what is called Stage III, a full RS4 Upgrade. The upside, you're pulling 550HP!!! (and I've ridden in a Stage III car on the track and can tell you, it absolutely rips your face off. Crazy passing Vipers and Vette's in a 4-door sedan). It's rock-solid, no more worrying about over-boosting and boost spikes. The downside?...$$$$$, and I ain't in any position to drop that kind of cash however intoxicating the power might be. So back to work.
Decided to pull my diverter valves and take them apart to see if the internal gaskets have blown. The passenger side DV looked and actuated just fine but the driver's side piston seemed to have a bad seal...but I can't imagine it producing a buzz.
On-line owners mentioned pulling off the lower intercooler hoses and peak into the IC housing. If you see debris of any kind, you...are...screwed. But what you should be looking for are small metal particles,...why?...cause if your turbo blows, pieces of the impeller wheels will break off and shoot into the IC intake. Luckily I found NO debris of any kind. So I scheduled my mechanic to take a look see.
The next day, I got onto the local super highway and made the long 1 hour trip down to my shop. I kept the car under 2500 rpm the entire way. It's odd for me to be the slowest guy on the freeway. Minivans were passing me in the slow lane but I had to keep it under 60.
When I got to the shop, I told my mechanic of my tale of woe and he said he would take the car out for a spin. I described the sounds in detail and that I would be happy to drive the car and/or be in the car as he drove. He responded, "No, I'll take care of it." He hopped into my car and drove out of the parking lot like he was coming out of pit-lane at Talladega....I couldn't even watch and I had to plug my ears. After several agonizing minutes, he returned...at least the car wasn't on fire. He poked his head out and said, "Your car has alot of power. It's making some funny sounds though. We'd better have our S4 specialist take a look at it. Leave it here a couple of days and we'll let you know." I asked him if I had blown a turbo, and he said "I don't think so...and if it was close to failing, it would have failed after that test drive...hehe." Oh lord, good news. Actually, he's still not sure if it's a bad turbo but I'm pinning my hopes on even the slightest positive remark.
I'll know for sure tomorrow and I'll let you know.
posted by supergoober at
9:28 AM
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