2013 Audi A4 B8.5 - Advice for maintenance and mods

[AudiNovice78]

Hello,

Before starting I wanna say, as my username suggests I am quite a bit of a novice but I am very interested in learning as much as I can and hopefully getting my hands dirty. This may be a long post, maybe should be split into different posts but I am hoping someone can help me with as much information as possible!

I currently own a 2013 Audi A4 quattro b8.5 manual trans. I got the vehicle used a little over 2 years ago at a little over 140,000 km (87,000 miles). As of right now im slowly approaching 170,000 km (105k miles). In that time I have changed the clutch, changed front passanger side control arm (from a winter accident ), I have had 3 springs break within months from each other (rear right, rear left, and front strut all replaced with used scrap parts), front flex pipe leak (currently being worked on), and some touch up body work was completed.

I am currently a student... I know this is not a student car but I work occasionally, enough to cover necessary expenses. Due to the car market right now in Eastern Canada i am not very interested in selling this car, instead I am hoping I can spend this summer doing all the proper maintance and putting my car in good condition to last me the remaining 3 years of school I have left. Heard some scary thing about the T2.0 2L engine that i do NOT want happening to me. My goal is to hopefully get this car to last me the next 3 years without any major issues. Therefore, I am asking for some help regarding what maintenance I should be doing at 170,000 km. Since i got the car I have not done much other than the standard oil changes. I would appreciate if someone could tell me what maintenance I should do and how important each one is and what I should get done first. Additionally, I am hoping to start working on this car myself, so knowing what can be done myself vs. what needs to be taken to the shop would be great. And if anyone has any tips regarding what equipment i should get to start doing DIY projects on my car that would be great, I hope to make this a lifelong thing. So,

What maintenance should I do for my car?
What equipment should I get to start working on the car myself?
Intake carbon cleaning?
Should I change my engine coolant?
Brake fluid?
Brake service?

Should I get Vag com and how does it help?

Aside from maintenance to hopefully prevent any major issues, I am also interested in making the driving experience more enjoyable so I am interested in what small modifications I can do to my car. I am not necessarily interested in maximizing power at the moment (maybe in 3 years), more so just looking for aesthetics and comfort.


Cold air intake - mostly for noise not for any preformance boosts. Any ideas on that?
General enhancements - diffusers, floor mats, ambient lighting, new MMI screen, aftermarket rear camera? I installed audi puddle lights on my front doors and even that cheap install has made a big difference for me so anything helps! I also plan on dechroming my badges as I have an all black sedan. I also need new rims as im rocking a combination of steel and alloy .

I do hope to eventually tune my car and add some bigger upgrades, downpipe etc. But that is for hopefully after my car survives a bit longer.

Lots of questions, im sure I have more but ill leave it at that for now. Would love any help or advice I can get!

[adamazing]

Do you happen to have access or a copy of the vehicles service history? (I'm guessing no, or probably extremely limited)
At 100k, I would take the conservative approach and assume most, if not all, of the major maintenance tasks remain open. With that in mind, and knowing what I know about this platform, I would want to get the foundation of the car as solid as possible. Here's what I would prioritize in your position:


Priority Items

1. Timing Chain, Timing Guides, and Tensioner Replacement.
   Most of all of these parts have had several revisions since your car's original build date. You'll want to make sure you're getting the most up-to-date versions.
   While the shop is in there, they'll want to try to find the Cam Bridge Oil Screen. It's falls out of every engine over time. Most of the time it gets stuck somewhere safe and causes no harm. Other times, it works its way into a cylinder, scores the wall, and causes total decompression.
   
2. Transmission and Differential Fluid Replacement
   You may have already done this with the clutch job.
   
3. PCV Valve
   They fail. And while it's not the end of the world at first. If left unresolved it can exacerbate blow-by accumulation in the charge piping, intercooler, and intake manifold, as well as causing cylinder misfires. A bad PCV also leads to a blown rear main seal. You already had the transmission out 20,000 miles ago, you don't want to have to do it again.
   

Secondary Items

1. Carbon Cleaning
   Most non-enthusiasts aren't aware of how caron buildup accumulates in direct injection engines. Safe to say your vehicle has probably never had it done, and it probably needs it.
   
2. Misc Fluids (Brake, Coolant)
   If you're on your original fluids, its well past time to change them out.
   
3. Plugs and Coils
   This, in conjunction with carbon cleaning, and a good PCV will help to stave off intermittent or persistent misfires.
   
4. Bushings
   Suspension bushings fail over time. Enough of them fail and they start to negatively affect your alignment and ride quality. A simple inspection should be able to identify any in need of replacement.
   

I'm sure other will chime in with additional guidance I'm forgetting at the moment. But with these core items addressed you'll be giving yourself a solid foundation toward longevity and peace of mind. From there you can turn your attention to modding.

[Raj1471]

I highly recommend getting VCDS and run a scan to see if any codes are present or stored in the vehicle. Also run cam phase adjustment on VCDS (search here...many articles on this forum as well as YT to walk you thru this procedure) to see how far the timing chain has stretched. More than likely you're going to need to replace the timing chain, guides and check the oil screen that adamazing mentioned above and then work on the rest of the list he mentioned.

[Theiceman]

I highly recommend getting VCDS and run a scan to see if any codes are present or stored in the vehicle. Also run cam phase adjustment on VCDS (search here...many articles on this forum as well as YT to walk you thru this procedure) to see how far the timing chain has stretched. More than likely you're going to need to replace the timing chain, guides and check the oil screen that adamazing mentioned above and then work on the rest of the list he mentioned.

This .. very first thing is VCDS as this is a great tool in assessing your cars health and making some tweaks to make your car more enjoyable.

There are not too many "updated" parts for your engine, but certainly things that need addressing at that mileage.

There are things you can do that cost you nothing if you ve a set of ramps or jack stands...

remove the timing chain inspection cover , stick you phone ip there and try and get a clear picture of the tensioner, you will have the latest tensioner, but the pic will give is a clear indication of how stretched it is. VCDS will give you a number which you can check against out timing chain thread which will give you am idea, but at 170K id say that chain is near end of life. ( The chain is in fact one of the updated parts.

so you will likely need new chains and guides at a minimum, lots of other threads on this.

A manual gear box you can do gear oil but it is not necessary like the autos.

Brake fluid flush is easy and and can be done easily so why not .. should be done every 2 or 3 years anyway. Even if to just ensure bleed nipples don't seize.

Your suspension might be getting tired too sao all lnew shocks and spring all around and can lower it about 35mm at the same time is naic as its preventative and a nice mod, but not urgently needed.

you didn't mention oil consumption at all .. this can be a kilter on these cars.. and end the romance quickly.