To buy or not to buy - B6 S4 Avant

[Jake Ok]

Looking a buying a 2004 S4 Avant that has been very well maintain. Been reading up and seem reliability and the timing chain issue is a money pit. Car has 250,000 km

Any advice

[NALS4]

When I think of a money pit, I think over and over and over. The timing service is not cheap, but it's once and done. Factor the cost of it, and any other refreshing you would like to do, into the price and see where you are.

[All_Black_A4]

Looking a buying a 2004 S4 Avant that has been very well maintain. Been reading up and seem reliability and the timing chain issue is a money pit. Car has 250,000 km

Any advice

That wouldn't happen to be a Nogaro blue Avant by any chance would it? With the blue Recaros?

[Jake Ok]

Yep😀 you have some insight on the car?

[Atomic Avant]

Well I just got my wagon from TO and I love it. So I say go for it.

[idotavant]

I know it’s not an s4, but I just picked up a 4.2 ar with 135k miles, no tensioner service done, but also a very nice, quiet start up and idle, cold or warm.

Am I Anxious? yes. Happy? understatement




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[Jake Ok]

LOL...thanks for the feedback. So basically you guys are saying sure it could be a money pit but buy it anyways. Good stuff...LOL

[idotavant]

I am pretty confident about mine, but I’m thinking 3-4K $ repair in a year or two is doable if that’s how it goes. Still not a lot of money in the car


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[NALS4]

I don't think you're going to see anyone here pop up to say it's a cheap and carefree fun car. It doesn't have to be a money pit, but it appears that some of them are. The key to enjoyment seems to be for folks who can afford the parts and do their own work.

[CONative]

I agree with NALS4 regarding the key to enjoyment. Timing work can easily reach the $10K range if you have a shop do it. I bought my S4 knowing the timing work hadn’t been done but I just swapped the motor in my B8 Avant last fall, which gave me the confidence needed to perform the timing work on the S4 Avant. Either way with these cars, you have to pay to play!


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[idotavant]

“Money pit” is a bit strong, but anything that ticks all the boxes like this is going to be at risk of being classified as such

And mostly you hear people say money pit with a tinge of envy in their voice




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[Jake Ok]

Asking price on the car is $10K and if I have to and its not a may have to spend another $6K to play...I call that a money pit. Money is not the issue as long as it makes sense. IMO

“Money pit” is a bit strong, but anything that ticks all the boxes like this is going to be at risk of being classified as such

And mostly you hear people say money pit with a tinge of envy in their voice




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[All_Black_A4]

Yep😀 you have some insight on the car?

No, no insight. I just came across it while trolling through kijiji one night.
I think its priced a little on the high side.
Yeah it's a blue on blue B6 S4 avant with some add ons but at the end of the day it's also 250,000 kms and no timing work done.

You have to wonder how the previous owner found the guides and tensioners were still good. From what I can tell you have to be able to visually see them to know they're still good right? And if you've gone to the trouble of removing all you have to remove to do an inspection you may as well just do the job. VCDS can only tell you so much.

It's a sharp looking car for sure but I think the B7 steering wheel looks out of place.

[Jake Ok]

The previous owner is a reputable race car mechanic and well known in the Audi community. Not sure how he knows and that is my concern about the mileage and the fact the timing chain issue has not been addressed.
It is absolutely a stunning car but only if the money makes sense.

No, no insight. I just came across it while trolling through kijiji one night.
I think its priced a little on the high side.
Yeah it's a blue on blue B6 S4 avant with some add ons but at the end of the day it's also 250,000 kms and no timing work done.

You have to wonder how the previous owner found the guides and tensioners were still good. From what I can tell you have to be able to visually see them to know they're still good right? And if you've gone to the trouble of removing all you have to remove to do an inspection you may as well just do the job. VCDS can only tell you so much.

It's a sharp looking car for sure but I think the B7 steering wheel looks out of place.

[idotavant]

S4s go for more than the ARs, I think, so I dunno

Can you hear it? Do you trust the guy to tell you if it’s ever rattled or been out of time?

That’s kinda what it came down to for me. Another forum member I grew to trust claimed it never rattled, and I haven’t heard anything yet

It’s not peace of mind by any stretch, but I think it might indicate that it will go a bit before hurting you

But yeah, like others say, factor the cost, and make the offer that correlates. Then buy or walk


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[All_Black_A4]

The previous owner is a reputable race car mechanic and well known in the Audi community. Not sure how he knows and that is my concern about the mileage and the fact the timing chain issue has not been addressed.
It is absolutely a stunning car but only if the money makes sense.

Agreed. Car is stunning to look at.
I would ask about oil consumption. It may drink oil at a rate faster than gas hence the current owner not driving it much.
I’d make any offer contingent on a ppi with a compression test and dropping a borescope down to check the condition of the cylinder walls. You’d hate to have to pay for head/valve work on top of a timing job.


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[Jake Ok]

So I took the B6 S4 Avant for a test drive and boy let me tell you...when you have driven a B7 RS4 the B6 S4 is not even a close comparison. Amazing how Audi's V8 4.2 engine can feel so different. Not bashing any of the B6 S4 owners...just sharing my experience. Peace out.

[Velox]

Stock? and Compression?

[Jake Ok]

Both cars are stock with exhaust mod...not sure what you mean compression...the B7 RS4 compression is obviously different from the B6

[idotavant]

So I took the B6 S4 Avant for a test drive and boy let me tell you...when you have driven a B7 RS4 the B6 S4 is not even a close comparison. Amazing how Audi's V8 4.2 engine can feel so different. Not bashing any of the B6 S4 owners...just sharing my experience. Peace out.

For only 8k$ you can just bolt on the missing 100hp. You can take care of it it while the timing service is done


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[Velox]

Both cars are stock with exhaust mod...not sure what you mean compression...the B7 RS4 compression is obviously different from the B6

I mean id you check the compression numbers on the b6 like suggested, because I had the opposite experience rs4 power very underwhelming. Biggest difference and most impressive was the handling