Just got an A4 B5 and the fun starts

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frankiejr

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Hey guys (girls),

I have just bought myself a 1999 Audi A4 B5 1.8T in black with 160,000 on the clock. Not sure what engine block it is but it is drive by cable.

I am really happy with how sturdy it is and quiet to drive (used to a fiat stilo diesel) and overall it is in really good shape interior & exterior. However I have already found a few gremlins under the bonnet. Hopefully you guys can help or point me in the right direction in getting them diagnosed and fixed.

1. The wipers have a mind of their own. use intermittent and it usually works with the wipers stopping in the right place. use any other setting and they may or may not stop. It may or may not be in the right place. Any ideas what could be causing this? From reading posts on here it sounds like a relay or the motor. How do i identify the cause?

2. When the engine is hot and i dip the clutch the revs drop to around 400rpm then back up to 900rpm. I don't think it is missfiring as i don't feel anything odd when accelerating. When in reverse it is very easy to stall. (that could be me though lol)

3. It feels like the car is down on power. I believe it is 150bhp as standard but it doesn't feel like that's what i have available. I know the car is heavy but would expect more. The car seems to accelerate ok in 1st & 2nd but 3rd onwards feels like it lags to 3500rpm then starts to pick up. Even in 1st & 2nd it feels like the turbo only kicks in @2000rpm. It could well be that this is right and the nowm as i have never owned a petrol turbo, only diesel and that kicked in at 1750. Someone has mentioned there could be a split hose/vac pipe but i have no idea which to check or where they are under the bonnet.


Long post i know but i thought i would get it all up for help and advice. Overall i am happy i bought it. fells safer than my old car and better built. And for the price i got it for was a steal.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Frank.
 
frankiejr said:
Hey guys (girls),

I have just bought myself a 1999 Audi A4 B5 1.8T in black with 160,000 on the clock. Not sure what engine block it is but it is drive by cable.

I am really happy with how sturdy it is and quiet to drive (used to a fiat stilo diesel) and overall it is in really good shape interior & exterior. However I have already found a few gremlins under the bonnet. Hopefully you guys can help or point me in the right direction in getting them diagnosed and fixed.

1. The wipers have a mind of their own. use intermittent and it usually works with the wipers stopping in the right place. use any other setting and they may or may not stop. It may or may not be in the right place. Any ideas what could be causing this? From reading posts on here it sounds like a relay or the motor. How do i identify the cause?

2. When the engine is hot and i dip the clutch the revs drop to around 400rpm then back up to 900rpm. I don't think it is missfiring as i don't feel anything odd when accelerating. When in reverse it is very easy to stall. (that could be me though lol)

3. It feels like the car is down on power. I believe it is 150bhp as standard but it doesn't feel like that's what i have available. I know the car is heavy but would expect more. The car seems to accelerate ok in 1st & 2nd but 3rd onwards feels like it lags to 3500rpm then starts to pick up. Even in 1st & 2nd it feels like the turbo only kicks in @2000rpm. It could well be that this is right and the nowm as i have never owned a petrol turbo, only diesel and that kicked in at 1750. Someone has mentioned there could be a split hose/vac pipe but i have no idea which to check or where they are under the bonnet.


Long post i know but i thought i would get it all up for help and advice. Overall i am happy i bought it. fells safer than my old car and better built. And for the price i got it for was a steal.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Frank.
Click to expand...

Hi and welcome :)

1. Most likely a relay - check the fusebox which is located under the cover on the O/S edge of the dashboard with the warning writing on it

2. Mine does the same but when it's cold and I slow down to a stop and put it in first

3. I would first check the MAF and for boost leaks

Good luck. :)
 
voteforpedro said:
Hi and welcome :)

1. Most likely a relay - check the fusebox which is located under the cover on the O/S edge of the dashboard with the warning writing on it

2. Mine does the same but when it's cold and I slow down to a stop and put it in first

3. I would first check the MAF and for boost leaks

Good luck. :)
Click to expand...

Cheers for the quick reply mate.

1. any ideas how you check the relay?

2. i have seen posts about 'hunting' (think that is what i would class it as) and all manner of things that could be the cause, any ideas how to narrow it down? It only does it initially when it first drops and then reverts back to 900rpm and stays there. it does flicker slightly and you can feel it in the car but only very slightly.

3.i disconnected the maf and it felt worse so i think i can discount that. also it looked pretty new. any other ideas?

Thanks again.

Frank
 
The wipers is most likely the motor as the relay gets its park position setting from the motor.

I would clean the throttle body and do a throttle body adaption, that will most likely cure the hunting prob and smoothe the idle out.

Power can be so many things, make sur all visable pipes are good and clips tight, and invest in a VAGcom cable from ebay ( £10 ish) and scan for fault codes, that may help.

Also 160 k miles is a lot for the original turbo unit so also ceck for oil in intercooler pipes or white smoke at idle
 
Byzan A4 said:
The wipers is most likely the motor as the relay gets its park position setting from the motor.

I would clean the throttle body and do a throttle body adaption, that will most likely cure the hunting prob and smoothe the idle out.

Power can be so many things, make sur all visable pipes are good and clips tight, and invest in a VAGcom cable from ebay ( £10 ish) and scan for fault codes, that may help.

Also 160 k miles is a lot for the original turbo unit so also ceck for oil in intercooler pipes or white smoke at idle
Click to expand...

Cheers for the reply.

if it is the motor are they easy to take out and repair or would it be replacement time?

what is the throttle body adaption? like a position reset?

there is a pipe that looks like it may have perished. when looking at the intake manifold there is a pipe connected to it nearest the radiator if that makes sense. it comes of a metal teet and the pipe goes across the front of the engine toward the airbox?

Cheers again guys,

Frank.
 
OK i just taken the hose off to the throttle body and had a look inside. there is a tiny bit of oil in there but by no means excessive. Otherwise its pretty clean inside.
 
The TB should adapt itself if you just flip the ignition on and dont start the car. You can hear it whir and click for a few minutes then it should stop.

The pipe at the front of the engine that you say is perished, can you get a photo of this?
Its important to remember its a multivalve petrol engine, and its power curve is very differnt to a derv. Derv peak torque happens very low in the rev range, usually shortly after the turbo hits full boost. Petrol turbo will start to produce boost around 2k as you say and wont be producing full torque until about 4500rpm. Peak power is at 5600rpm, so unlike a derv you do need to rev it to make it go.
 
aragorn said:
The TB should adapt itself if you just flip the ignition on and dont start the car. You can hear it whir and click for a few minutes then it should stop.

The pipe at the front of the engine that you say is perished, can you get a photo of this?
Its important to remember its a multivalve petrol engine, and its power curve is very differnt to a derv. Derv peak torque happens very low in the rev range, usually shortly after the turbo hits full boost. Petrol turbo will start to produce boost around 2k as you say and wont be producing full torque until about 4500rpm. Peak power is at 5600rpm, so unlike a derv you do need to rev it to make it go.
Click to expand...

I will try and get a pic up tomorrow. I think it will take some getting used to driving a petrol again. I do still think something doesnt feel right though. could just be me.

One other fault i forgot to mention. My temp gauge constantly reads 70-75. it only goes to 90 when in standing traffic. any ideas?

Could some of these issues be related?

It has just started raining heavy here and for the first time all the wiper settings are working perfectly? would this now point more to the relay or is it still a guessing game?

Oh the joys of motoring lol.

Frank.
 
Still the motor, but when the screen is wet the baldes slide free'er and tend to allow the motor to wipe past the "bad" bit of the carbon track it uses to keep track of the position.

Thermostat would be what you need to change to fix the temp sadly, the main thing that will cause is possibly slightly higher fuel consumption. I would clean the TB and remove the battery neg ( assuming you have radio codes) for half hour, reconnect, switch the ignition on but do not start the car, you will not the squeeks and groans coming from the TB.

Give it a few mins, switch off the ignition. Then you are free to restart the car as the TB will have re adapted and any long term trims stored in the ECU will have been reset, allowing the ECU to re learn your driving style
 
Byzan A4 said:
Still the motor, but when the screen is wet the baldes slide free'er and tend to allow the motor to wipe past the "bad" bit of the carbon track it uses to keep track of the position.

Thermostat would be what you need to change to fix the temp sadly, the main thing that will cause is possibly slightly higher fuel consumption. I would clean the TB and remove the battery neg ( assuming you have radio codes) for half hour, reconnect, switch the ignition on but do not start the car, you will not the squeeks and groans coming from the TB.

Give it a few mins, switch off the ignition. Then you are free to restart the car as the TB will have re adapted and any long term trims stored in the ECU will have been reset, allowing the ECU to re learn your driving style
Click to expand...

Can i remove and repair the wiper motor or will it need replacing?

How do you remove the throttle cable from the body? The spring area it connects to is a bit caked in crap so will clean that while i am at it.

Is replacing the thermostat a DIY or better leaving to a professional?

Thanks guys, the posts have been really helpful.

Frank.
 
i did mine myself, and it was the first job i did on the car when i baught it.

The stat is located underneath the alternator, and is reasonably accessible from underneath, just follow the lower radiator hose. The only bit i found tricky was getting the stat back in, mainly because i didnt have a new seal, and trying to get the stat and old seal back in the hole and the elbow back on top was a bit tricky.
 
hey guys. thought i would give you an update.

yesterday i took the wiper motor out to see whats what. getting the wiper arms off were as equally difficult as getting the motor out. i cleaned the contacts in the motor and WD40'd the linkages and all is now well. it actually stops where it is meant to and when it is meant to.

i am having the timing belt done tomorrow and was going to do the thermostat at the same time but forgot buy it!! so thats a job for another day.

thanks again for the help and advice.
 
ok gonna sound reallly basic but i had a problem with my drivers side wiper, would never stop in the right place, sometimes wouldnt even move, but it was as simple as tightening the bolt that connects the arm to the motor. just pop the cap off to access the nut. cured it for me
 
frankiejr said:
i am having the timing belt done tomorrow and was going to do the thermostat at the same time but forgot buy it!! so thats a job for another day.
Click to expand...

i wouldn't leave it for another day unless you want to replace the timing belt again, what about the water pump and tensioner? not sure if this drives throught the timing belt like my V6; if it is i would look at getting it all done at the same time IMHO esp. with that mileage.
 
Im sure the tensioner came with the kit. Should be able to fit the stat after. Yeah with the water pump am takin a risk.
 
wate pump is seperate from timing belt. it would be easier to get it done at the same time as the belt prob. i done them seperate so its not a problem.
 
Ye the water pump is external on a B5 1.8T so you dont have to do it with the timing belt.

If your still suspecting power issues then i'd suggest getting a vagcom log of a full thottle run in third to ensure your getting the correct airflow readings etc.
 
aragorn said:
Ye the water pump is external on a B5 1.8T so you dont have to do it with the timing belt.

If your still suspecting power issues then i'd suggest getting a vagcom log of a full thottle run in third to ensure your getting the correct airflow readings etc.
Click to expand...

i got a cable and vag-com free edition but it doesnt want to connect. will give it another go tomorrow.
 
ok we got the front off for the timing belt and the water pump was ******. so picked one up yesterday and fitting it tomorrow.
 
make sure you get a water pump with a metal impeller. most of the OEM branded ones are now but there are still plenty with the cheap plastic impeller...they fracture and stop spinning
 
will check that tomorrow. was £45+vat. how much would it be if it was plastic?
 
The VAG ones are mostly plastic too.
 
are they. I got lucky as I got mine from the US. chunky bit of metal in mine
 
Even if the pump does fail, it doesnt mean the engines going to suddenly explode.

The temperature will climb pretty quickly, which if you've got half a brain you would notice immediately, especially when its followed by the "BEEEEP" and massive warning light. Kill the motor and pull over, get it recovered and replace the pump.

Its only going to kill it if you ignore the nice loud beep and continue driving.

Mate of mine baught a vectra with a similar fault, drove it for about 4 miles and the temp guage rammed itself into the red so he got it recovered home. Headgasket was still perfect, and while he had the head skimmed for good measure, it wasnt actually bent.
 
not worth relying on a temp sensor when there is a known fault with the plastic pumps IMO.
only takes a few degrees too much to damamge a head gasket so that it will go properly a long time later.
 
well ye, but i'm not off to rush out and change my pump just becuase it might be plastic and might fail...

When i do the timing belt and have the front end off i will change it, but half a days work just to change a pump thats currently working fine makes no sense, more so if your paying a garage to do the work.
 
here is another update:

work completed:

timing belt
tensioner
water pump (plastic impeller)
thermostat
all other belts
rear discs & pads
front discs & pads
near side cv boot
front indicator bulbs
rear brake light bulbs
full service
mot

should be good now for a few more years.

if i was to sell her now, with the above work completed, what kind of price you think i would get?

Although i really like the car i have a baby on the way and a dog so would be a lot better with a hatchback. :(
 
Although it was great fun having the A4 she is now sold. It has been kept in the family though as my sister bought it. £1400 plus her clio RT. I already miss it :(

Now for the clio to be sold as I have replaced the Audi with a Vectra SXI. The build quality isn't as good but I now have a safe car for the new baby and a boot that can ethically fit a dog in. Dodgy grounds putting one in the boot of the A4 lol.

Thanks guys for all of your help while I have been in ownership. I will still be around for a while as I am addicted to Sienna's project Outlaw. :p
 
frankiejr said:
here is another update:

work completed:

timing belt
tensioner
water pump (plastic impeller)
thermostat
all other belts
rear discs & pads
front discs & pads
near side cv boot
front indicator bulbs
rear brake light bulbs
full service
mot

should be good now for a few more years.

if i was to sell her now, with the above work completed, what kind of price you think i would get?

Although i really like the car i have a baby on the way and a dog so would be a lot better with a hatchback. :(
Click to expand...

Heh.. Coulda done you an avant a wee while back... thankfully keeping her (for now) though.
 
Done well getting that money for her!

I'd have gone for the avant too for the dog ;) Thats one of the reasons i managed to persuade the missus to sell her fiesta and buy the A4 in the first place.
 
i tried but the missus was having none of it. it will be on the cards in future don't worry ;)
 
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