10 Audi A4 common problems and fixes

Audi A4 cars are so well build, that it's practically impossible to encounter any kind of problems with a new A4 car. Nevertheless, exceptions happen. Problems may appear when you are driving reckless or when you take no care of your car. If you add time to that mix, you will definitely get an Audi A4 with minor problems that can become annoying (or even expand) if you don't fix them soon. I will start with the problems that I've encountered in my Audi, and I will add problems encountered by other users, along with a way of fixing them.

Audi A4 - common problems and fixes

1. The sensors

If you have an older Audi A4, at one point you can expect to have a faulty sensor. I had my ABS break sensor to fail, and when I pressed the break pedal, the ABS activated by itself, no matter the speed or conditions. That was really annoying. I finally got the car to a service and they fixed the problem with minor tweaks. Other CTS sensor fails could cause more fuel consumption, random misfire or other malfunctions. The common fix for these issues is to use a new green top sensor (CTS).

2. The window
On old Audi A4 models, you can expect the window regulator (or a piece of it) to fail at some point. The fix may include changing the full regulator, or just the window regulator plastic (which is way cheaper). In both cases, you need to strip the door panel down, and that's a difficult job to do. If you hear strange noises when you use an electric window, you can expect the regulator to fail pretty soon. In order to avoid this, you can use that window less. But, eventually, it will fail, so be prepared for it.

3. Electrical components
Electric failures are sometimes encountered in Audi A4 cars: the brake lights could stay on, the trip display can act strange, the power window motor could fail, a door speaker might crack. It's better to acknowledge these issues and try to fix them before they will expand and create even more problems. Keep your car in good health

4. Starting problems
If the Audi doesn'r start, and when you turn the key there is no "movement" from the car, you have a dead battery, a bad starter or a bad electric connection from the battery to the car. Check the battery cables, and check the electric power at the starter with a measurer while asking someone else to switch the key. If the power is there, but the car won't start, you will probably have to replace the starter.

5. Water leak inside the cabin
This was probably the worst problem I had with my A4 car. One day, out of nowhere, water was under my front seats. The problem: under the battery, there is a pipe (like a sink) that allows the water gathered from the windows to flow down to the ground. Because of leafs and everything that gets stuck there, sometimes the pipe gets clog, and the water has nowhere to go. So, it uses other orifices and holes. Some of them are going straight to the cabin. So, be sure to keep the area under the battery as clean as possible, and check it from time to time. In order to have access to it, remove the batter and open the two screws under the batter holder. 


6. No heat from the vents
If the motor is on and everything seems ok, but you get no heat from the vents, you should check the fluid level. The common repair is to replace an O-ring piece that's found under the intake manifold. It's a common TBS problem encountered in A4 cars.

7. Auxiliary fans problems
Auxiliary fans can act crazy sometimes, staying on or off as they please. Usually, the problem is caused by a CTS sensor fails or the fan control module. You can try to replace the sensors by yourself, but it's probably better to have the car diagnosed by a dealer.

8. Transmission/oil leak 
If your car is loosing oil or a strange liquid, you are probably having a leak somewhere. I had an oil leak in my A4 because of a loose connector, and I had transmission oil leak because of a broken pipe. Try to identify the problem by yourself, and go to an authorized service for a fix. The connector was pretty cheap, and if you're on a tight budget you can get those parts from a second-hand dealer.

9. Side mirror or navigation selector knobs
This knobs are made of cheap plastic, and after extended use, they might fail. The navigation selector could pop off in some cases. The replacements are not that expensive, and you can replace them by yourself. Check on youtube for a repair tutorial.

10. Headlights flickering
This happens mainly with Audi A4 cars that have Xenon lamps. Before going to a service with it, you can try to swap the faulty bulb to the other side. If the flickering continues, you have a bulb that needs to be changed. If there is no flickering, you probably have an electric problem with your faulty side of the car.

Bonus:
Strange/stinky smell in the cabinIf you experience strange smell in the A4's cabin, then you probably need to replace the air filter. If the problems persists after the filter replacement, you may experience water leak under the seats, and you need to fix it. Also, you need to clean the carpet under the seats, because the carpet is impregnated with stinky water, causing the awful smell.

Where Can You Get Cheap A4 Parts

Finding the best A4 part can be tricky because you will find cheap A4 parts, but you won't get the quality you need. This does not mean you should buy the most expensive A4 parts you find in order to get quality. Quality is not always about the price, is about the supplier.

Why I love Amazon for Cheap Car Parts

There are plenty of trusted websites that will provide quality, warranty and great returning policy. For some time, Amazon has developed an enhance car-parts section on their website that allows you to search cheap A4 parts by year, model...

Amazon offers plenty of discounts for almost every category, you just have to search for it.

Here are some general results for a quick Audi A4 2005 search:

• Audi A4 Performance & Tuning (air intakes, filters, exhaust, suspensions, electrical, brakes, fuel system, engine cooling, lubricants, tuning accessories) 
• Audi A4 Maintenance & Repair (filters, brakes, wipers, ligthing, spark plugs, shcks, engine parts, transmission, fuel system)
• Audi A4 Exterior Accessories (cargo management, winches, car covers, deflectors, shields, mirrors)
• Audi A4 Wheels & Tires (tire pressure monitoring, tire accessories, tire chains)
• Audi A4 Interior Accessories (seat covers, floor mats, cargo, liners, dash mats, steering wheels, safety)
• Audi A4 Car Electronics (audio/video electronics, car safety, radar detectors, amplifiers and speakers)
• Audi A4 Car Care (interior and exterior care, chemicals and fluids, detailing accessories)
• Audi A4 Tools & Equipment (diagnostic, test tools, jump starters, portable power, engine tools, tire equipment, garage and shop tools)
• Audi A4 Special Lighting Kits, Bulbs, and Accessories

Are you looking for something for your car? Before going to local store I think it's a good idea to take a look at this huge collection of A4 car parts in order to see the prices (click the image), read the reviews and see all the alternatives. The shipping is pretty fast (few days).

Audi A4 Air Filter Replacement

Air filter replacement for various Audi A4 models

Changing the aur filter on your Audi A4 is the among the easiest tasks you could do. Just watch these tutorials and see how you can do it yourself!

2006 Audi A4 2.0T Air Filter Replacement

Audi A4 2002 - 2008 How To Replace Cabin Microfilter Fresh Air Filter

You can check cheap A4 air filter on Amazon :

Audi A4 2004 Window Regulator Fix

Audi A4 is a great car, but like everything that's almost perfect, there is something that will not work as you expected. I was reading on the internet about Audi A4 common problems, and the most interesting problem of this car is the Window Regulator. For some reason that plastic breaks pretty often. In this video you'll learn how to fix Audi A4 2004 window regulator.

A4 Winndow Regulator Replace Tips

• prepare the tools
• take your time to do the job
• make sure you have the replacing part ready

Check Audi A4 Window Regulator Parts

source: Friv

Audi A4 2002 - 2008 How To Replace Spark Plugs 2.0 L FSI engine

Before starting the replacing of Spark Plugs 2.0 L FSI engine on Audi A4 2002-2008, you should take these precautions:

• work in a well ventilated area
• wear eye and skin protection
• work on level, hard surface with adequate light
• protect yourself from injury

This tutorial on How To Replace Spark Plugs is a general overview and does not include all the factory information. Therefore, you could observe changes in the diagnosing and repairing methods presented here. Make sure you have the same car!

Best of Luck


Source:  Spark Plugs Parts

How To Replace A Leaking Audi Valve Cover Gasket

works on

Audi allroad 2.7 liter V6 30 valve

4 Signs to diagnose this problem: engine smoke, oil saturation, oil leaking, oil drips. Follow this tutorial to see how to change the Valve.
Sources:
Audi A4 Bumper
Audi Valve Cover Gasket Set

A4 - I love this car

Ok, I'll start with the truth. Audi A4 is not that cheap, but compared to my wife's SEAT EXEO (small engine, 2lT, 211KW) Audi seems like the dragon from the story. I have this car for some time and let me tell you this, I'm into it! It's fast - 244 km / h , get 100 km in 7.1s.

Audi A4 - The King of The Road
Last year I went to a showroom and saw amazing cars like Ferrari, Porsche, Mercedes, BMW, Honda, Hyubdai, Opel, Ford but nothing was like my own car Audi A4 - my own Black Beauty.

With this in mind, I welcome you to my Audi A4 HowTo blog. Some of the posts have roots in the troubles I faced with my Audi cars over the years, and some are just things that did not occur to me yet (but maybe you have that trouble with your A4). Best of luck! PS. For fanatics, you can check these Audi R8 V10 Plus pics