Reliability- B6 S4 vs. B5 S4

[EUROTEK//S4]

GO!

[drexplode]

B5 - Preventative maintenance is important! That can probably be said for ANY car...but maybe more so for the B5 bi-turbo. If you are looking to buy, keys are: history are maintenance. Knowing the previous service history and knowing the previous owners can go a VERY long way.

Heck, im about to post my B5 S4 FS in a week or two. If you REALLY want to know the history I can send you a quick PM...I already have EVERYTHING typed out. Almost like a brand new car! 2002 w/ 93k miles, silver, black leather, 6MT, + warranty (which includes turbos)!

[EUROTEK//S4]

B5 - Preventative maintenance is important! That can probably be said for ANY car...but maybe more so for the B5 bi-turbo. If you are looking to buy, keys are: history are maintenance. Knowing the previous service history and knowing the previous owners can go a VERY long way.

Heck, im about to post my B5 S4 FS in a week or two. If you REALLY want to know the history I can send you a quick PM...I already have EVERYTHING typed out. Almost like a brand new car! 2002 w/ 93k miles, silver, black leather, 6MT, + warranty (which includes turbos)!

Thanks for the info,

I have 01' B5 S4 TIP, Ive owned for about a year or two and Ive never had a month were its not been in the shop, I also have a list as long as yours or longer, I'm actually getting new turbos installed as we speak. I'm just sick of my car always being in the shop....I have an aftermarket warranty so I really don't pay anything out of pocket...but its still annoying.

[Audi0s]

My B6 S4 has had no days in service yet, soon to change with my finding the aux radiator leaking. My friend bought a B5, about the same time, October. So far hes had...
Tbelt, water pump, etc
2k mi later-Bad chain tensioner in the head
3k later-Rack went
2k later-wheel bearing, and subframe replacement,
all in all, hes 6600 in after about 7k miles, and thats being generous. I on the other hand, bought an aftermarket warranty and will probably never get my 3500 back haha.
GO B6!!!!

[Beelzeebub]

B5 not even close.

[EYE4SPEED]

B5 not even close.

I don't want to assume anything, but are you stating that the B5 is more reliable?

I have friends with the B5's and while my B6/B7 friends have issues, there is no way they have more than the B5's.

[whartung]

I don't want to assume anything, but are you stating that the B5 is more reliable?

I have friends with the B5's and while my B6/B7 friends have issues, there is no way they have more than the B5's.

no hes saying that the b5 isnt even close to the reliability of the b6/7

[Jmk508]

I would agree...

I have heard that the b6 has very few issues and that the b5 has alot more things that can go wrong way before the current model year.

[CAA]

My B6 has been solid but I guess if I have to be honest my timing chain tensioner is due to shit the bed once I hit 100k.

[joeycuccaro]

The B6 S4 is bulletproof. End of debate

[GFRRS3]

The B6 S4 is bulletproof. End of debate

I agree...

[xzone909]

B6 S4 69k miles and not a single problem yet even though I often drive it hard.

[Jdubya]

To be honest I've had more small issues out of my B6 than I did with my B5 S4 and it had 115K miles on it when I sold it. I would agree that the B6 is overall much more reliable.

[s6sputnik]

One should not do a boosted vs. NA car comparison.

My $0.02

[Beelzeebub]

no hes saying that the b5 isnt even close to the reliability of the b6/7

yup.

[phantomRS4]

One should not do a boosted vs. NA car comparison.

My $0.02

i agree...
my $0.01 cuz i stole his idear

[Bimmerchop]

Thanks for the info,

I have 01' B5 S4 TIP, Ive owned for about a year or two and Ive never had a month were its not been in the shop, I also have a list as long as yours or longer, I'm actually getting new turbos installed as we speak. I'm just sick of my car always being in the shop....I have an aftermarket warranty so I really don't pay anything out of pocket...but its still annoying.

Curious to know what aftermarket warranty you have

[gcoy]

This is a funny debate, because it is a little subjective to what car you own.

I have both, B5 & B6 silver avants.

Right now my B6 is broke down with a cam adjuster problem...

SOooo, right now my B5 is more reliable.. LOL

[dparm]

3rd gear.

/thread

[aj44mc]

The B5 I had was way more problematic. CV boots, window regulators, abs module, LCD screen, coolant tanks. The only engine related problem was shortly after doing the Timing belt my belt tensionor pulley came apart. One thing that killed me on the B5 was I seemed to always be chasing boost leaks. It seemed I was rarely able to get to full boost.
In my B7 there has been a few small frustrating issues. Engine speed sensor has been the worst so far. I had replaced the front end in both cars so that would be about equal and they were both at about the same mileage 100K.

[Abev]

Since the b6 is naturally aspired one could assume that the engine takes less of a beating. My friend owned a stock B5, but he flipped it just in time for the next owner to blow a turbo. (Could have been the driver though). Not to mention many B5s have been upgrading to STG 3 with RS6 or frankenturbos, with a good amount of PSI. You could say that puts some strain on the engine.

[B6JoeS4]

Both can be reliable and both an be unreliable shitboxes.

A B5 can be reliable if you do preventative things like replace sensors, control arms, and admit the fact that it will need new turbos at some point between 70-130k depending on the boost level and all that. Don't do any of that and it falls apart. The problem is that as the B5's get old, they get cheap and some are so hacked together that they just never run right

A B6 can be reliable too if you admit that it will need a timing service(3-5k) by 120k miles, it will probably eat through an A/C compressor by then, and it likes fresh serpentine components every 15k or so, and you have to worry about cylinder scoring.

By the time the B5 needs every damn electrical component and turbos replaced, and the B6 gets a timing service and an a/c compressor, and a few sensors, it works out to be about the same. You have to EXPECT that though. it's not an accord, its a fairly low production German sports car, both of them are.

Here is what I did in my time owning my B6. I hadit from 82k to 105k.
All four O2 sensors - $650
All control arms -$400
Both front bearings - $500?
Brakes - $1000
Clutch - $2200
CTS - $40
Serpentine tensioner and idler - $200
3 serp belts - $60
VC gaskets - $50?
And tons of other little shit like the top coolant elbow, some EVAP valve, battery, coolant tank, two coolant changes to get it clean, trans fluid, diff fluid, spark plugs, and obviously tons of oil changes. So as you can see, they are reliable cars and I didn't have really any problems with mine but that is because I spent a ton of money keeping it perfect.

Also, my A/C barely worked but I kept that off the list, and I never did my timing stuff but I would have if I kept it.

[dparm]

Well said, Joe. But in the end the B6 is WAY more refined than the B5 ever was. Interior is miles ahead, ride is better, less road noise, more room, etc. B5 was a hot sedan, B6 was more of a muscle car.

Sadly the B8 doesn't have as much character as the older S4s. Way faster and more competent but a bit muted and dull. It's too smooth, too quiet, too planted.

Each car has its appeal. You just have to decide what's important to you.

[audisfour]

B6>B5
One of my good friends owns an 85k mile B6 S4 and I own a 140k mile B5 S4.

B6: His car has never ending electrical problems, passenger seat stopped working, was fixed a broke again, brake lights were losing connection, and the door wiring was having connection problems to name a few. Mechanically the B6 is superior, never has ignition problems but the only thing is his transmission has either blown synchros or a bad 1-2 collar.

B5: Ive had a ridiculous amount of ignition problems and boost leaks. Replaced all ignition components and torn boots. Cheap and easy fixes however, just very annoying. Electrically I've had probably the same amount of problems if not more. Central locking pump, ecu wiring harness corroded, all sensors (O2's, EGT's) went out.

Overall it's sort of old vs new as far as mileage and years, but his B6 has been far more reliable than mine until the transmission problem occurred.

[Lefthook]

Both can be reliable and both an be unreliable shitboxes.

A B5 can be reliable if you do preventative things like replace sensors, control arms, and admit the fact that it will need new turbos at some point between 70-130k depending on the boost level and all that. Don't do any of that and it falls apart. The problem is that as the B5's get old, they get cheap and some are so hacked together that they just never run right

A B6 can be reliable too if you admit that it will need a timing service(3-5k) by 120k miles, it will probably eat through an A/C compressor by then, and it likes fresh serpentine components every 15k or so, and you have to worry about cylinder scoring.

By the time the B5 needs every damn electrical component and turbos replaced, and the B6 gets a timing service and an a/c compressor, and a few sensors, it works out to be about the same. You have to EXPECT that though. it's not an accord, its a fairly low production German sports car, both of them are.

Here is what I did in my time owning my B6. I hadit from 82k to 105k.
All four O2 sensors - $650
All control arms -$400
Both front bearings - $500?
Brakes - $1000
Clutch - $2200
CTS - $40
Serpentine tensioner and idler - $200
3 serp belts - $60
VC gaskets - $50?
And tons of other little shit like the top coolant elbow, some EVAP valve, battery, coolant tank, two coolant changes to get it clean, trans fluid, diff fluid, spark plugs, and obviously tons of oil changes. So as you can see, they are reliable cars and I didn't have really any problems with mine but that is because I spent a ton of money keeping it perfect.

Also, my A/C barely worked but I kept that off the list, and I never did my timing stuff but I would have if I kept it.

lol I don't want to post the list of things that I have done to mine. It's in the shop right now getting a new master cylinder because I just don't have time to do it myself while I'm working 80 hour weeks.

[ProgMetalHead]

Well said, Joe. But in the end the B6 is WAY more refined than the B5 ever was. Interior is miles ahead, ride is better, less road noise, more room, etc. B5 was a hot sedan, B6 was more of a muscle car.

Sadly the B8 doesn't have as much character as the older S4s. Way faster and more competent but a bit muted and dull. It's too smooth, too quiet, too planted.

Each car has its appeal. You just have to decide what's important to you.

This is how I view the B8, though I've never driven one.
I know the B8 is technically better in basically every way, but as an outsider looking in, it does look like it's just missing that X-Factor that the B6/B7 possesses.
The V8 is a huge part of that, but That being said, the V8 is definitely understated in the stock setup...

I'll probably own a B8 S4 eventually, though.

[FLIPFLOPS4]

I got rid of my B5 end of October last year cause one night after going into 7-11 to get some cash out it wouldn't start. My friends said they couldn't hear the fuel pump, but who knows if that was the issue or not. One day on the way home from work, it just shut off on me, I would have known if I hadn't had the stereo up, but once I saw all the dash lights come on and the steering got sloppy, I knew the car had shut off lol.... Neways, had to replace the passenger side axle shaft, passenger side HID ignitor module and obviously replaced both D2S bulbs.... Had oil leaks, coolant leaks, and who knows what else was leaking, I might have even had a boost leak, who knows.... Other than that it was a solid car, drove strong and hard, but the maintenance was starting to pile up, cause the perfectionist I am, I wanted to and was going to change all the fluids, TB/WP, etc..... But had enough that night and traded it in. However seeing how well the B6 platform does somewhat better than the B5, I am looking at getting into another S4, and this time looking at the B6 platform. Wanted the B6 platform from the get go, but the B5 was the cheaper alternative.....

Just my 2cents

[auditrackspeed]

Cam Chain Tensioners on b6 FAIL 24/7 B5 way better car

[blai76]

Cam Chain Tensioners on b6 FAIL 24/7 B5 way better car

Seriously? You revive a two year-old thread with that weak trolling?