Just bought an S4

Sulli

Sulli

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After much searching and managing to sell my Focus ST2, I bagged myself a 2004 B6 S4,Top spec in Silver with MillTech, AMD remap and a few other nice bits :yes:

I love the whole package - spec, understated but almost menacing look, V8 growl through Milltech is comparable to my E39 M5 with Eisenmann (which was about the best sounding V8 I have ever heard), immense grip and nice flat handling (got uprated bushes and ARBs). All in all, so far, the perfect car.

2 slight concerns, hopefully nothing major...

Firstly, there's a slight vibration on full lock at low speed turning - maybe power steering, maybe transmission, maybe normal.

Second, tonight I pulled off from some lights in 2nd as it was a little damp, gave it a fair few revs and rode the clutch a little, revs rose, but power not going down.... Quickly righted itself, so I thought was that the clutch or traction control engaging??? drove a bit further and gave it some in 2nd into 3rd, all fine. slowed and slowly accellerated in 4th from 25mph - no slipping or anything. Then smelt burning clutch??? Not sure if that was from what might have been the initial slipping off lights or me giving it some through 2nd and 3rd... I let the car cool off for half an hour at home then took it out for a little run, slowly, to check clutch again in 4th from 20mph - no problems. The car had a new clutch and flywheel at Audi earlier this year around 5k miles ago.

Any ideas?

Oh and here's a couple of pics of my new toy:

SAM_0370ebay.jpg


3009633-2t.jpg


SAM_0367.jpg
 
Welcome to the forum, car looks nice :thumbsup:

Have you checked the power steering fluid? They all tend to 'hum' a bit if you hold them on full lock as the pump is pumping against nothing. Where you moving? The quattro system can scrub the front tyres a bit on some surfaces when turning slowly, this manifests itself as vibration through the steering wheel sometimes.

The clutch smell is an odd one. If the ESP had come on you'd have seen the ESP light flash yellow on the dash, assuming it works, you can check when you start the car up, or by turning off the ESP switch which will cause the light to illuminate. Has the car been stood awhile? That might account for the clutch smell the first time you boot it?
 
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nice car the clutch id say it is as you puled off in 2nd and was riding it as you said
 
Cheers
The ESP works fine, didn't notice the light, but doesn' mean it didn't come on as I was looking at the road - saying that I'd usually notice it. The car was warmed up. I'll check the PS fluid today, and not ride the clutch again!! :)
 
My S4 does this on occasion when pulling off in second gear, if I give it too many revs before the clutch is fully engaged the clutch seems to stick, if I then apply more power to move off the clutch just slips with the resulting burning clutch smell.
 
ok i need to ask when and why you guys pull off in 2nd some times ;-)
 
I often pull away in second, from a slight roll or on a downward slope.

It's called torque :moa:
 
quattrojames said:
I often pull away in second, from a slight roll or on a downward slope. It's called torque :moa:
Click to expand...
same here.... as soon as the car is moving or one any sort of downhill and 2nd is fine... normally only if I'm driving very gently though... if I'm moving hten I use firs tot get the car off the lien and then find 2nd QUICKLY.... in the 2.5TDI Quattro, the first and 2nd gear are very short (to protect the clutch) and 325lb/ft or toque does help :) Still not as short gearing as the 90's Renault Espace: I hill-started my mum's old 2.0 in 3rd once by mistake (COMPLETELY unloaded).
 
yeah well we all no that but he is not saying that he is on a hill and im sure you dont get cluch bern as i dont when on a hill but he did so im thinking he was on flat ground ;-)
 
ha yeah i no that iv been driving 19 years so done it a few times lol but thats not really gona happen on a rolling start. maybe he is getting used to the car still and thats why he let it slip mayyyybeeee
 
I wouldn't worry about it, I've owned plenty of cars that used to do the same thing when slightly riding the clutch on pull away, intentional or not. As long as you did the checks with putting load on the clutch at low revs in a high gear, which you did with no slipping, then everything should be fine.

As for the vibration at slow speeds on full lock, again, I wouldn't worry about that, it's quote common on the quattro system, its a fairly old (if you can call 7 years old in your cars case?! But in car technology it is) 4 wheel drive mechanical system, so it can seem
a bit 'raw' at times. My car does it all the time, I have to put my steering on full lock when reversing into my garage, it's always doe it but never caused any problems, I even had my audi specialist check it out and he told my it's very common and very fine. My power steering pump also makes a noise on full lock at low speeds, again I had them check it out but it's fine. That was last year it was checked out and it's not missed a beat since.

Lovely clean S4 by the way with some nice performance mods! :)
 
simon.m said:
ha yeah i no that iv been driving 19 years so done it a few times lol but thats not really gona happen on a rolling start. maybe he is getting used to the car still and thats why he let it slip mayyyybeeee
Click to expand...

I wouldn't of thought he'd have to get 'used to the car' after owning an E39 M5 with 400 bhp on tap and rear wheel drive!! The S4 will probably feel like a tame beast in comparism.
 
Az said:
I wouldn't of thought he'd have to get 'used to the car' after owning an E39 M5 with 400 bhp on tap and rear wheel drive!! The S4 will probably feel like a tame beast in comparism.
Click to expand...
LOL, cheers, it was running 440 BHP, but good point. S4 is a different animal, power delivery feels almost lesser because of all the grip, doesn't bog down but no skittishness which can give the impression of more speed.
Thanks for all the helpful replies, I checked the PS fluid and it is not only bang on the level but also fairly clear so fairly new.
I was riding the clutch as I changed down coming up to the lights then they changed just as I was coming to a halt in 2nd, so just lifted then floored it as some joker decided to try and pip me off the lights and I couldn't resist..... that's probably what did it, so I shall not do it again.
 
Az said:
I wouldn't of thought he'd have to get 'used to the car' after owning an E39 M5 with 400 bhp on tap and rear wheel drive!! The S4 will probably feel like a tame beast in comparism.
Click to expand...

power whys maybe not but clutch biting point is not the same in every car so i just meant he would need to get used to this car evan after his last bmw
 
a friend of mine has a manual s4 and hes noticed that you can practically dump the clutch but unless the rev range is correct the clutch will not come up all at once it comes up slowly ... allmost a like a clutch protection device
 
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