Newbie-Poss purchase of 1998 S4.

[Trig]

Going to have a look at a silver 's' reg S4 tomorrow.
80k miles FASH. Just had cambelt done.
What else do I need to look at?
What's the common faults?

I have read the FAQ's and the buyers guide but just need afew more pointers.

What should I be paying for a car like this?

TIA.

 

[PaulJC84]

I would try and get a later facelift one. Not many differences but the interior is quite a bit nicer in my opinion.

 

[SmoothAssault]

Plus you get the nice digital climate control with the facelift too =]

 

[Trig]

When did the facelift ones come in then?

 

[mwarrey]

There were a few changes with the facelift model, I wouldn't say the interior was much different, certainly wasn't a factor when I bought mine (I have a pre facelift). There were a few mechanical improvements to fix known problems such as the manifolds\heatshields oil pipes etc.

My advice would be to look out for overall condition and service history. Buy the best car you can and don't worry about if its a facelift or not. There are a few "cheap" S4's around but be careful, it could easily end up costing you a lot as a few people on here have found out!

 

[Blue_Thunder]

You get a digital climate control with the pre-facelift as well.

Admittedly the centre console is nicer to look at on a facelift, but that's just cosmetic.

The mechanical differences between pre/'mid'/post (some 99 cars were a ******* mix of the two) aren't actually that significant. Most notably, improved manifolds. Most of the changes were cosmetic, ie: one piece headlights, different boot, different door handles, etc.

For reference, I bought a pre-facelift with 80k 14 months ago for £7500, and that was very good condition when I got it. I reckon you should be looking to pay around the £6500-7500 mark for a good condition one depending on the options with that mileage.

If you know anyone with Vagcom, it would be very useful to check the car for fault codes in addition to the checks that are recommended in the buyers guide.

It would also be beneficial if you have driven another S4 before. I was lucky when I went to see mine that a friend is a performance car dealer, so he knew what it should feel like (I got him to do the driving!).

To the uneducated, even a very poorly performing S4 can feel powerful in comparison to other cars.

Good luck with it.

 

[Trig]

Its being offered at £6K.

Blue Thunder, you had any trouble with yours?

 

[Blue_Thunder]

Its being offered at £6K.

Blue Thunder, you had any trouble with yours?

Let's just say it's not been perfect! Find a good garage is my advice.

It's definitely a good price. If you are happy with the car, i'd say go for it, but I really would suggest giving it a really good going over. Ideally, get a healthcheck done on it before you buy it. Knowledgeable garages(ie: those which see a fair few S4's) should be able to do this for about £40. They'll pressure test it, check for fault codes and stick it on a ramp to look for oil leaks, etc.

It's not the sort of car you buy and just drive around. Extreme paranoia is a side effect of S4 ownership. Every bump, creak, squeak and knock sends shivers down your spine and makes your wallet twitch. You have been warned.

Even though I've had many bad times with mine, the good times far outweigh them. I've never driven such a nice car. And with a few £££'s thrown in the right direction, you'll be looking at 310-320bhp!

 

[Trig]

Let's just say it's not been perfect! Find a good garage is my advice.

It's definitely a good price. If you are happy with the car, i'd say go for it, but I really would suggest giving it a really good going over. Ideally, get a healthcheck done on it before you buy it. Knowledgeable garages(ie: those which see a fair few S4's) should be able to do this for about £40. They'll pressure test it, check for fault codes and stick it on a ramp to look for oil leaks, etc.

It's not the sort of car you buy and just drive around. Extreme paranoia is a side effect of S4 ownership. Every bump, creak, squeak and knock sends shivers down your spine and makes your wallet twitch. You have been warned.

Even though I've had many bad times with mine, the good times far outweigh them. I've never driven such a nice car. And with a few £££'s thrown in the right direction, you'll be looking at 310-320bhp!

Its already got S/S pipe and chip I think.
Guy says its 320 BHP now.

Will 'check' tomorrow

 

[Trig]

Well drove the 'beast' today.
Car is std cept Milltek pipe and DV's, and Revo remap.
Pulled really well but stuttered at 5 when pulled again to 7.
Front bumper didn't fit well and no main beam on stalk, but OK on flash.
Really nice I thought, everything worked well cept above, and host of receipts.
service light is on.
Anyone know an VAG independant garage thats good?

 

[billybravo]

i would use all that to get the price down alot or get him to fix the prob before you buy you need main beem to pass an mot.


did you get it VAG-Com'd

 

[Blue_Thunder]

Where are you based Trig?

The car could have stuttered for a number of reasons, but it's not neccessarily a problem. I'm sure i've read before that Revo maps on the S4 aren't all that smooth.

Boost leaks (including due to faulty DV's - a £40 fix) can cause a hesitation, or it could be the ECU pulling the timing back for a number of reasons. Defo worth getting vagcom'd to check for codes.

 

[Trig]

i would use all that to get the price down alot or get him to fix the prob before you buy you need main beem to pass an mot.


did you get it VAG-Com'd

There is NO MOT at the mo, so the guy is having one done along with bumper refit and main beam.