Howell
Storage? I am Storage!
Well yeah I have a Honda K20. It was difficult to find reports on the Audi engine. My manual calls for changes at 3k ish. Honestly an expensive oil change spread out over months is not that big a deal.
The storageforum Audi S4 Thread
- Thread starter Stereodude
- Start date
Well yeah I have a Honda K20. It was difficult to find reports on the Audi engine. My manual calls for changes at 3k ish. Honestly an expensive oil change spread out over months is not that big a deal.
Stereodude
Not really a
That's quite a jump from 3k to 12k. Are you using synthetic 5W20 to get a 12k mile change interval?
Stereodude
Not really a
There's a 2000+ post thread to help you figure it out over on AZ. I've read through it cover to cover at least once.
Howell
Storage? I am Storage!
Nope. Just whatever random 5w20 stuff the mechanic has for normal changes. It's a good shop so I'm sure it's decent stuff even if dino. As far as they are planning I'm changing it every 3700.
The most miles I've put on an oil change was 10.5k but the analysis breakdown indicated I could try for 12k. I may try for 20k eventually the same way I worked my way up from 3k in 2k-ish increments as suggested by Blackstone.
Don't get me wrong, the oil is wearing. The viscosity changes over the miles and the TBN is dropping. But it is all within acceptable limits.
ddrueding
Fixture
Are you doing these analyses personally? What is the price for something like that?
Stereodude
Not really a
Blackstone Labs gets you for $25.
ddrueding
Fixture
Awesome. Thanks!
Stereodude
Not really a
Howell
Storage? I am Storage!
Yep. Plus $10 for the TBN which I was also interested in. You can get a test 6 pack for $19 per.
In their current newsletter they are running tests on oil they bought on eBay.
http://www.blackstone-labs.com/Newsletters/Gas-Diesel/April-1-2012.php
Why doesn't the diameter of the tire change between x8 or x8.5? If I stick the same tire on an x8.5 isn't it now stretched wider which in turn reduces the diameter a little or does that not happen? Did you decide on that specific offset with anticipation of using a spacer or will the offset not matter because a 5mm spacer is relatively small? Why not an offset of 42mm like the 19x8.5" wheels?
18x8 = offset 47mm
19x8.5 = offset 42mm
18x8.5 = offset 38mm (with a 5mm spacer)
I've seen it and read through portions. I'll have to reread it again to refresh my memory.
That's nice to read. I wouldn't have paid for it past the 3 months anyway, but I'm assuming we're paying for the cost upfront. I never found it useful in my current car and never subscribed past the 3 month trial.
Stereodude
Not really a
I guess it technically does change, but only ever so slightly.
I went with 18x8.5 ET38 because the 245 tire should protrude 5mm less on each side of the wheel then a 255 tire. That means the outside edge of the rubber of a 245 tire on a 18x8.5 ET38 wheel should be in the same absolute place in the wheel well as a 255 tire on a 19x8.5 ET43 wheel (stock 19" setup). That should mean no rubbing with a slightly wider stance / more flush look than the stock 18x8 wheel / 245 tire setup.
Stereodude
Not really a
I got my Forgestar F14 wheels today. I've taken a reasonably close look at all 4. I was surprised to find the barrel of the wheels are black. I was under the impression the entire wheel would be Titanium. The finish quality could also be a little better. There are a few minor defects in the "front" powder coat per wheel like very small air bubbles on the "titanium" surface. There are a few slightly larger imperfections in the finish of the black barrel like globs in the powdercoat, but those will likely never be visible when installed on the car. I guess I was expecting a little more given the cost of the wheel and fact that I bought a custom finish.
That's does sound a little disappointing given the time it took and the price they cost. They must have a lot of work to crank out and maybe the attention to detail slips a little. Are you going to keep them, or call them for a return or anything? I assume the next step is to get the car and then have the factory tires swapped onto them?
I got a call back from my sales agent a few minutes ago. She said my S4 is in production now and that the car is estimated to be loaded onto the boat on the weekend of July 2nd. The estimated delivery to the dealer is roughly at the end of July on 7/30. Looks like I'll be waiting for mine an extra month after yours and I placed my order only a few days after you. :-/ At least I have tentative dates now, and I can plan to get wheels by that time. I still haven't decided what I want to do with wheels just yet. I like the different wheels from VMR like the 710's you linked to earlier. I still like the RS4 inspired 708s and even the 701s. I know they aren't as light as the Forgestar wheels, but I'm almost beyond caring about getting the lightest wheels possible and getting something I really want within an acceptable weight (around 22-25lbs/wheel). The 708's are at the tail end of that range at 25.5lbs for the 18x8.5 and the 701s are about 24lbs.
I got a call back from my sales agent a few minutes ago. She said my S4 is in production now and that the car is estimated to be loaded onto the boat on the weekend of July 2nd. The estimated delivery to the dealer is roughly at the end of July on 7/30. Looks like I'll be waiting for mine an extra month after yours and I placed my order only a few days after you. :-/ At least I have tentative dates now, and I can plan to get wheels by that time. I still haven't decided what I want to do with wheels just yet. I like the different wheels from VMR like the 710's you linked to earlier. I still like the RS4 inspired 708s and even the 701s. I know they aren't as light as the Forgestar wheels, but I'm almost beyond caring about getting the lightest wheels possible and getting something I really want within an acceptable weight (around 22-25lbs/wheel). The 708's are at the tail end of that range at 25.5lbs for the 18x8.5 and the 701s are about 24lbs.
Stereodude
Not really a
I guess I should contact ModBargains and complain, but I don't really what what to expect. I had to sign a contract of sorts when I ordered them saying I understand I can only get 50% back if I return them. I can probably get my credit card company involved and get all my money back under the guise that they're not as advertised / have defects, but it seems like a hassle no matter what. Assuming I get my money back, I don't really know where that leaves me. There aren't really any other similarly priced light'ish weight options and I don't want to step up to a $4k set of HRE's or similar.
In short I guess I'll complain with low expectations. I can always take the opportunity to post some well documented threads letting other people know what they might receive if I feel sufficiently unhappy with the outcome / treatment.
Glad to hear your car is moving along. Have you looked at the various Hartmann wheels? I like this one in an 18x8 ET32. It's probably what I should have done instead of the Forgestar F14's.
Stereodude
Not really a
Stereodude
Not really a
It looks like this was all wrong. S4s have hit dealer lots, so they're not being embargo'd or held anywhere.
In other news it looks like the soundaktor is confirmed on the 2013 S4. I don't see a big problem with it, but I'm sure it will be polarizing either way.
I read the same on Audizine from the guy who posted about the S4 and S5s that arrived at their dealer in California. It's a bummer the car now has a Soundaktor, but someone else suggested that maybe it was both that and a revised exhaust. I'm surprised that the dealers already got some S4s and S5s but our orders are taking longer. It seemed like dealers didn't know about the ordering until we did, yet they're getting theirs a couple months before us. Does Audi preconfigure some and send them beforehand?
Stereodude
Not really a
Yes, Audi builds some cars in reasonable "safe" configs and just sends them on to the dealers. Reportedly each dealer will get 1-3 cars. The first ordered cars are 4-6 weeks out depending on the geographic location of the dealer (the variance due mostly to shipping details).
Stereodude
Not really a
I got my oCarbon silver "carbon fiber" trim / inlays for the S4 on order today.
Stereodude
Not really a
I think you need to re-read my post. Admittedly it could have been a little clearer.
To answer your question I'll let you know in 4-6 weeks.
I mentally skipped over the "on order" part. I understand now.
I got a call from my sales agent this morning and she left me a message. She said something about there not being an audi upplier program available yet but she thinks maybe in June it will be updated? I'm not sure what shenanigans they may be pulling because when I ordered from them in April she said they would accept the supplier program from my company.
I got a call from my sales agent this morning and she left me a message. She said something about there not being an audi upplier program available yet but she thinks maybe in June it will be updated? I'm not sure what shenanigans they may be pulling because when I ordered from them in April she said they would accept the supplier program from my company.
I think I finally figured out how to get the certificate I needed. My company's discount website was very uninformative on how to get the certificate. The only provided a sample certificate to download which isn't accepted.
I found a list of company codes in one of the audiworld forum threads (using google) and from there I was able to get the code for my company which I could then plug into the audisupplier website. Once I did that and filled in my name, it auto-generates a PDF certificate filled in with the codes and certificate number I need. I feel more confident in bringing this into the dealership now. The problem with the dealership is they are new to this and they kept telling me to contact my company's CFO to get the certificate. When really, I just needed the dealership to look up my company's Audi supplier number to plug into their website.
I found a list of company codes in one of the audiworld forum threads (using google) and from there I was able to get the code for my company which I could then plug into the audisupplier website. Once I did that and filled in my name, it auto-generates a PDF certificate filled in with the codes and certificate number I need. I feel more confident in bringing this into the dealership now. The problem with the dealership is they are new to this and they kept telling me to contact my company's CFO to get the certificate. When really, I just needed the dealership to look up my company's Audi supplier number to plug into their website.
Stereodude
Not really a
Glad you got that sorted out.
FWIW, my sales guy tells me they should have their first demo S4 in 2 weeks. I guess the folks in Cali are a little ahead of the game.
FWIW, my sales guy tells me they should have their first demo S4 in 2 weeks. I guess the folks in Cali are a little ahead of the game.
ddrueding
Fixture
Neither of my dealerships have any yet, but I'll be going by there again in a couple weeks and will check again.
I didn't bother asking when my dealer would have S4 demos coming in. You're further west and closer to CA than I am, so it could be even longer for my area to get demos.
In the past several months I haven't even seen an S4 on the road while driving. I see way more A4s than S4s in this area. I've seen a couple S5s and yesterday I passed an A7 on the highway that I thought looked very nice. I love how it looks with the 20" 10-spoke wheels. Too bad it doesn't come in a 6MT.
In the past several months I haven't even seen an S4 on the road while driving. I see way more A4s than S4s in this area. I've seen a couple S5s and yesterday I passed an A7 on the highway that I thought looked very nice. I love how it looks with the 20" 10-spoke wheels. Too bad it doesn't come in a 6MT.
Stereodude
Not really a
So I sent ModBargains a note complaining about the finish of the Forgestar wheels. The asked for pictures so they could send them to Forgestar. I provided 10 photos of one wheel. ModBargains then asked for pictures of the other three wheels. So, I took pictures of the other three and provided them all to ModBargains this morning. As you might imagine I am curious to see what they will say.
Stereodude
Not really a
I didn't either until this morning.
The cars arrive through different ports depending on where they're going. Our cars will not come through a port in California.
I typically see a B8 S4 on the road maybe every few weeks. Someone in my neighborhood has a B6 or B7 S4 in the garage. I'm not sure that I've ever seen it out though.
I continue to read good things about ModBargains. I hope they make things right for you. It could be out of their hands if Forgestar doesn't come back with anything.
I'm interested in getting the Injen SP air intake from them once someone can verify it fits the 2013. I want to hear the supercharger and I'm somewhat surprised at the HP gains from just an intake, so I'll take those with a grain of salt.
I found a set of wheels I like. The BC Forged HB04 Wheels look pretty sharp and weigh in around 20lbs for the 19x9.5 according to a poster in this thread. The downside of course is price. I found some example prices online in the $3500-$4000 range. That isn't going to happen.
Last, I think I would want to consider the AWE exhaust if the exhaust on the 2013 isn't that good.
I'm interested in getting the Injen SP air intake from them once someone can verify it fits the 2013. I want to hear the supercharger and I'm somewhat surprised at the HP gains from just an intake, so I'll take those with a grain of salt.
I found a set of wheels I like. The BC Forged HB04 Wheels look pretty sharp and weigh in around 20lbs for the 19x9.5 according to a poster in this thread. The downside of course is price. I found some example prices online in the $3500-$4000 range. That isn't going to happen.
Last, I think I would want to consider the AWE exhaust if the exhaust on the 2013 isn't that good.
ddrueding
Fixture
S4s are all over the place here, the guy down the street has a black on white A7 with 20" black wheels that looks awesome.
The cars here aren't quite as nice as Palo Alto (where all the Benzes are AMG, the Bimmers are M, and the Audis are S). But I rarely have the nicest car in any lot.
The cars here aren't quite as nice as Palo Alto (where all the Benzes are AMG, the Bimmers are M, and the Audis are S). But I rarely have the nicest car in any lot.
Stereodude
Not really a
I hope somebody steps up. Worst case I guess I will get them media blasted and refinished locally.
I'm not opposed to a little supercharger whine myself. It's a little disappointing they went to such efforts to conceal it. I might get an intake after a while. This seems like a good candidate. However, I don't recall the dyno plot quite showing the gains ModBargains is claiming. Then again they knowingly advertise the wrong weights for the Forgestar F14 wheels too.
Those look nice, but too rich for my blood.
I don't have any interest in changing out the exhaust.
ddrueding
Fixture
Can I get some pictures of your wheels? I'd like to know what to keep my eye out for when mine arrive.
Stereodude
Not really a
I notified my salesperson at ModBargains and I'm not thrilled with his/their response so far. He asked for pictures so I sent him some of one of the wheels. Then he asked for pictures of the other wheels before providing them to Forgestar. So, I send him pictures of the other three. Maybe I'm being too picky, but I haven't gotten any sort of apology or acknowledgement from him that what I got is unacceptable or that ModBargains would make it right one way or another. Seems like it's just business as usual. I asked for a time frame on how long it would take to sort this out. I also asked what the usual outcome is (refinishing the wheels?) since he made a comment that finish problems are more common than they should be with Forgestar. I didn't get any reply to either question. I'm a few days away from sicking AmEx on them for a full refund and the three of them (AmEx, ModBargains, & Forgestar) can sort it out on their own.
Here's a very large montage of the defects in a single wheel. No defect is photographed twice.
Stereodude
Not really a
So, apparently Forgestar says this is "normal" for the 3 stage Titanium finish and they're discontinuing it due to recent complaints. My ModBargains sales person wants to discuss my options with me on the phone.
ddrueding
Fixture
Unfortunate for you, but I am glad they didn't reply that this is normal for all their finishes. Mine are 1 week out.
That is surprising they admit to it and they're discontinuing it, but you as a customer who just spent a bunch of money on a nice wheel, that's not nice to hear. It's nice that the spots aren't too plentiful, but I would have concerns that those areas may have a failed finish prematurely over time since it's slightly exposed. None the less, I would be disappointed also.
Stereodude
Not really a
I'm going to have to disagree with you on that front. The wheels are too bad to use IMHO. I wouldn't use them on my S4 if you gave them to me for free.