Audi S4 owners, need your help again

[IanW505]

Got a PPI today for the 2000 S4 i'm looking at, and here's what came up.

Left CV boot torn, right one not too far behind
Belly pan cracked
Cam chain tensioner "seepage"

The car has a warranty with a $200 deductible until December of this year.

The chain tensioner thing is the only one that really bothers me, since it's like a 10 hour job to replace, though I have no idea what "seepage" means, and what that implies as to the severity of the issue.

What are your thoughts? does this sound like normal stuff for an 80k mile car? Opinions or suggestions?

Thanks!

-Ian

[jbryant]

80k on an s4 could mean $$$ soon. Be prepared. I have had 6 audi's and they always start costing $ around 80K miles.
S4 are NOT going to be cheap to fix.

[nostatic]

yeah...how much money ya got?

[Halm]

So, for $200 you can get this stuff fixed under warranty?

[IanW505]

That's what i'm trying to figure out...."seepage" isn't really a concrete problem that they can fix, so i have to look into that some more.

I'm not too worried about these things, just want a confirmation that it's typical wear for an 80k mile car, and possibly what to expect in the future.

JBryant, could you give some specifics on what you had to take care of on your cars? Thanks,

-Ian

[Halm]

I agree with you about the seepage. Can you ask a dealer for clarification?

[jbryant]

Ian-

I sold my 01' S4 at 60K...so I never had a problem with it. But I do know it had A LOT of "stuff" that was very expensive looking on and in it!
I sold it at 60K because of past experience with audi's. Lots of electrical, etc. Currently my wife drives an Allroad, it has 58K miles and has been in the shop SEVEN times for electrical and air susp. problems.
A major PITA. Also, parts are not cheap, i just paid $180, yep, $180 for an AUDI battery (it is the only one that fits in the space), a major hosing.

They are a blast to drive...but you should have a ready reserve of cash for repairs.

[asphaltgambler]

I know these cars well. This is a common problem. There is a hyd cam timing adjuster sits on top of the drivers head between the two cams and the rear on the pass side head. Under the adjuster, is a small half-moon shaped seal. The seal shrinks with heat over time and starts to leak oil.

There is factory waranty up to 100K or 5 years. Looks like it may or may not qualify depending on the dealer (believe it or not) . The COD charge to repair runs about 6-8 hrs plus gaskets. The other issue they have is water pumps leaking or failing causing the timing belt to fail and major damage to the engine. The T-belt replacement should be 4 yrs or 90K or if you need to replace the w/p.

Other stuff is minor. The belly pan is about $150. The CV boots are wear and tear items

[jbryant]

Asphaltgambler-

Is your shop in Warrenton?

[asphaltgambler]

I live in Warrenton, but the shop I work for is in lower Fairfax. PM me if you need any further info/help.