B6/7 S4 convertible.....good buy?

[1781cc]

Originally Posted by paulrstaylor

I've got one for just that reason, 4 seat soft to with a V8 and a clutch is perfect for it

That said, they are not without potential issues. mainly timing chain related on the BBK engine, plastic tensioners/sliders that fail and bork the engine = lots on ebay as breakers.

Clutch and DMF can take some stick, but if they fail = £££

I've had three S4s, each has needed a new starter!? Can be done in situ, so not the end of the world.

Usual B6/B7 issues possibly compounded by front end mass, top suspension arms semi-consumable and can be a PITA.

Auxiliary radiators can seep and leak due to corrosion, front end off job.

Oil pressure sensor went last year, changed in situ thanks to my "girlish" hands.

On the soft top the motor tends to fail, easy and inexpensive to have refurbished though as it's just the bushes.

Auto is more of a cruiser than the manual, lower RPM on the motorway. Milltek catback frees up the V8 soundtrack, but the non-resonated can be boomy on the auto (but the manual is okay as you can pick another gear).

Xenon headlights will be rubbish, unless the reflector bowls have been changed - I fitted new projectors and all good now!

Look out for corrosion, mine will get a pair of new wings this year (assuming it doesn't end up on ebay with a borked engine )

I've had two B6 S4 Manuals and all of the above is perfect advise.

Only other thing I would add is check for inner front arch rust, broken clips on the armrest cover and the operation of the inlet manifold flap which can stick and cause 4K rpm misfires.

You can also fit Milltek race downpipes that become full decats and will need a remap to bypass the sensors, I did this on my first one and Minhea from MRC logged 371bhp on their dyno. If thats too drastic, you can gut the pre-cats (piggies) and that helps free up a little power for free.

These engines respond well to LPG if thats your thing, I ran one of the two on a BRC system for 2 years, cost peanuts to run and when the donut tank in the spare wheel well ran dry it auto-switched to petrol seamlessly, its essentially a dual fuel. Incidentally, a dual fuel with the piggies gutted passes the MOT with a probe in because it runs cleaner and the cats "look" present but actually are free flowing

Good cars, part of my desire for an S8 was because it was a natural step up from the S4 and to all intents and purposes behaves like a bigger S4 with more refinement.

AudiSRS and RS246 have good dedicated sections on these cars over there.

Finally, timing change rebuild can set you back up to £3K and if you get a good one, the sky is the limit tuning wise but it wont be cheap - JHM in the US are world leaders for this platform and have supercharged several with devastating results.

[Zip]

Couple of questions:

- are they all Bose?
- assume RNS-E is a plug and play upgrade?
- is centre armrest easy retrofit?
- what about cruise?
- do any have memory driver's seat?

ta,
Z

[1781cc]

Originally Posted by Zip

Couple of questions:

- are they all Bose?
- assume RNS-E is a plug and play upgrade?
- is centre armrest easy retrofit?
- what about cruise?
- do any have memory driver's seat?

ta,
Z

I can't answer all with 100% certainty but from things I have looked at:

- All Bose in the S4
- Yes to Plug and play
- No idea
- Cuise might be an option, but was on both of mine for sure
- No memory in drivers seat, recaros are lush though, not sure if they are in all cabs but can be retrofitted from Saloon but you lose the quick access feature, if its just two of you though, sod it

[Adrian E]

Originally Posted by 1781cc

I can't answer all with 100% certainty but from things I have looked at:

- All Bose in the S4
- Yes to Plug and play
- No idea
- Cuise might be an option, but was on both of mine for sure
- No memory in drivers seat, recaros are lush though, not sure if they are in all cabs but can be retrofitted from Saloon but you lose the quick access feature, if its just two of you though, sod it

RNS-E is plug and play as long as the OEM stereo is double DIN - if it's single then there's other changes required to the centre console to move the climate panel down etc. Perfectly doable but more parts required. That's based on some research I did when I was considering an S4 saloon.

Assuming the centre armrest is no different to other Audis of the period, I believe it's a simple retrofit IF you can acquire the parts needed.

Cruise is a fairly simple retrofit - new stalk and some wiring/coding. Used to be a popular retrofit in period.

[paulrstaylor]

To add to this, single DIN RNS-E is still plug and play with a wiring harness, the only difference from a double DIN car is you need to remove the centre console and it does require the use of a hacksaw on some plastics - the end result is the same and if you want an arm rest wont mean any additional work.

That said, the arm-rest on the B6/7 was fairly useless, personally I found it was always in the way!

Cruise is an easy retrofit if needed, but again not essential in my mind on a weekend "fun" car

Memory seats were an option, but seem very rare. Recaro's standard on the S4.

See attached brochure, I have the B6 one as well but not much changed spec or options wise

[Goran]

Probably not relevant, I drove a B8 S4 convertibel auto at an Audi day, and found it very wallowy and loose in the bends, it couldn't hold a bend very well at speed. Then I drove the avant S4 and it was much more planted and better in the corners.

[1781cc]

Err, B8 S4? do you mean B7 or A5 convertible

[IT]

Originally Posted by Zip

Couple of questions:

- are they all Bose?
- assume RNS-E is a plug and play upgrade?
- is centre armrest easy retrofit?
- what about cruise?
- do any have memory driver's seat?

ta,
Z

Bose wasn't standard, but like the D2 S8, was a common option. Look out for the 'Bose' logo on the front door speaker grills.

RNS-E is a plug and play upgrade, subject to double din as mentioned by others.

Armrest was standard kit afaik ?

Cruise control is not too difficult to do. I fitted it on mine easy enough.

Memory seat was a rare option. Works exactly the same way as the A8, but wont do seatbelt or steering column iirc.

Don't get too excited about the rear leg room. The back seats are good for shopping, bags and, preferably, a wind deflector. But folks won't thank you for a long journey in them

[IT]

Originally Posted by 1781cc

Err, B8 S4? do you mean B7 or A5 convertible

I was wondering that.... lol....

[Zip]

I'm the same as you Ian..... don't NEED any of those options, but I hate looking across at others with envy even more....

Thanks for your advice. Couple of possibles out there.

Z