New S4 Owner – upcoming mods, lots of questions, and mini-review
02-19-2012, 10:42 PM
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New S4 Owner – upcoming mods, lots of questions, and mini-review
Hello everyone! I originally posted this over at Audizine but decided to post this here as well, I hope that's ok. I've actually been a member here for 8 years or so. Long time lurker...
After a couple years of looking at the BMW 3 series and A4s, I pulled the trigger on a 2010 S4. I’ve driven an Acura TL for the past 8 years and it’s been solid. I was a little hesitant buying my first German car but decided that it was now or never. I was 90% ready to get the new 328i or a new A4 but I was able to find a good deal on a used S4. I flew out to California to test drive it and was floored by the performance. I hadn’t driven an S4 prior to that. The previous owners kept it in excellent condition. While a new A4 with chip would’ve kept me happy, the S4 acceleration off the line is unbelievable.
Pickup at the Mall.
Specs: The car has just about everything I wanted; Ibis White, DSG, Prestige, B&O, Sport Diff, Advanced Key, Nappa and stainless steel inlays. Previous owner had it tinted and put in the Stratsmosphere Intake, which I like. The only thing it doesn’t have is the backup camera. More on that later…
Driving Impressions: Since it was my first time driving an S4, I was surprised by the DSG, at the least the clunkyness of it. I’m used to it but the hesitation off the line is still annoying. I also had the brake squeal issue but thanks for the forum, I was able to get it resolved through the TSB. In fact, my initial reaction when I test drove it was that the brakes were too grabby, but I got used to that as well. The new brakes are less grabby but still good enough. As others have pointed out, the car shakes when turning the wheel all the way to one side, is there a fix for that?
Now for the good: even after nearly a month, I’m still amazed by the acceleration. I really have to be careful when merging on the freeway, I usually like to give it some gas but with this car it’s so easy to hit 70-75mph without blinking. As for handling, it’s also great. I can really feel that rear end come around on corners when the sport diff in in dynamic. One word, awesome. So glad I held out to find one with the sport diff. I’m looking forward to auto crossing this season, it’s really the only place I can safely push the car and find the limits. The ADS lite is also a nice touch, quite a difference in how the transmission and steering responds. As for ride comfort, the ride is definitely harder than my Acura but not bad considering it rides on 19” wheels. I don’t think I would want to lower or change out springs as it’s probably and the best balance for me. One side note, while test driving out in CA, it was funny how many people wanted to “race” during the test drive.
Around town, I'm getting about 16 mpg but that's having fun. I had one longer drive (25 miles) and was able to get 29 mpg, not bad! I'm hoping to get around 18 mpg average.
Other Impressions: The seats are comfy and the driving position is good. Great interior, of course. The Nav Traffic works pretty well, I’ve been surprised at how accurate it’s been. The advanced key is great, I love walking up and just getting in. The Nav system is good but I wish I had the revised system coming out on the refreshed A4/S4. Same with the climate control, the dial for the seat heater opr fan speed should be one step, not two. In this regard, some of the user interaction feels like a step back from the Acura. However, for someone like me into tech, it’s not an issue. It’s great that all of the controls are by the shifter, very nice.
So as soon as I got the car home, I started buying the usual car care products. I’ve used Zaino before but thought that it wasn’t necessary with a white car. I read good stuff about the NXT2 Tech Wax and will give it a try. I also got 303 for the interior, Tuf Shine for the tires, and a bunch or other stuff. For now, I’m going through a power wash at a gas station, it’s not touchless but I haven’t noticed any fine scratches from it yet. I’ll probably only do this during the winter. Anyone have issues with non-touchfree washes? I have the weathertech fitted floormats, I highly recommend them. I also bought the trunk liner but haven't received it yet.
UPCOMING MODS: So on to the fun stuff, like I said, I’m into my tech toys so my first mods are not performance related. My first mod was to install the license plate LEDs, I went with the Blesk brand from hidconcepts. Looks good and easy to do. No error codes so far. I’m going to replace the dome and puddle lights as well. Can the rear backup or front turn signals be changed to LED?
Backup Cam: I just bought the Alpine Hce-c300r backup camera.
http://www.alpine-usa.com/product/view/hce-c300r
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=la_GowMdRE8
It’s pretty interesting, it uses the camera and will detect motion on the camera and give an audible beep/warning. Anyone have experience with this? I still need to buy the module that will interface with the LCD. It seems I have 3 choices, Nav-TV, tvandnav2go, or xcarlink. I think I’m going with Nav-TV since that’s what 3 of my local installers have recommended. I’ve read about issues with xcarlink so will probably avoid that. Anyone with Nav2Go experience and the B8 model? It’s half the price of the Nav-TV. I’ll post reviews when I’m done. I looked into getting a Gentex LCD rearview mirror but was told that the mirror is not compatible with our cars since it has the rain sensor. I got a quote from Best Buy to install this for $80. That’s really cheap. I know a lot of people aren’t fans of BB but I met with the installer and he said he’s done a lot of work on Audis. I showed him the manuals for the module and camera and he said he could do it. What do you think? Can I trust Best Buy? If I go somewhere else, the install will be closer to $250-300. One thing I haven't figured out is where and how to mount the camera. The license plate mount would block the trunk release.
Radar Detector: My next mod is an installed radar detector. I’ve used the V1 and Escort 9500xi but wanted to go with an installed unit since I hope to keep this car for 8+ years. After spending some time over at radardetector.net, I’ve decided to go with the Bel Sti-R Plus. It seems like everyone agrees it’s the best out there. I’m going to try the install myself. I’m also hoping to install the led display into the rearview mirror. I have a V1 and 9500xi for sale, please PM if interested. Photos below show the look I'm going for.
Photo from radar-mirror.com
Remote Start: The last tech mod I’m planning on installing is either a Viper Smartstart or Compustar Drone remote start system. Yes, I’ve heard a lot of people say how complex our cars are but I’ve talked with a couple installers that have done these on Audis and say they’ve had no issues. I figure the worst case is that I have to pay to have it removed if a more serious issue comes up and the dealer makes an issue. What do you guys think? Is this a bad idea? I don't want to risk my warranty. The installer told me that I’ll be able to start my car from my iphone, walk up to the car, get in and drive off (assuming the advanced key is in my pocket).
Wheels: I plan on getting the Avant Garde M310 wheels in Black. I looked at VMR vs AG, and it sounds like most people say the AG is better for the money. I just need to find some good summer tires. I’ll be using the OEM wheels with snow tires next season. Anyone know how the AG M310 compares to the OEM in terms of weight? Will it be suitable for auto crossing?
Other: Some other mods I’m considering are Lamin-X in light tint for the tails and the Alu Kreuz Drivetrain Stabilizer. I’ve read the posts about the Alu Kreuz, it always gets great review but do you guys think it’s worth it for everyday driving? I’ll Autocross only a couple times a year so I don’t think it’s worth it just for that.
Sorry for the long post, but I’m excited to be part of the Audi club. I’ll update this post as I complete my mods.
After a couple years of looking at the BMW 3 series and A4s, I pulled the trigger on a 2010 S4. I’ve driven an Acura TL for the past 8 years and it’s been solid. I was a little hesitant buying my first German car but decided that it was now or never. I was 90% ready to get the new 328i or a new A4 but I was able to find a good deal on a used S4. I flew out to California to test drive it and was floored by the performance. I hadn’t driven an S4 prior to that. The previous owners kept it in excellent condition. While a new A4 with chip would’ve kept me happy, the S4 acceleration off the line is unbelievable.
Pickup at the Mall.
Specs: The car has just about everything I wanted; Ibis White, DSG, Prestige, B&O, Sport Diff, Advanced Key, Nappa and stainless steel inlays. Previous owner had it tinted and put in the Stratsmosphere Intake, which I like. The only thing it doesn’t have is the backup camera. More on that later…
Driving Impressions: Since it was my first time driving an S4, I was surprised by the DSG, at the least the clunkyness of it. I’m used to it but the hesitation off the line is still annoying. I also had the brake squeal issue but thanks for the forum, I was able to get it resolved through the TSB. In fact, my initial reaction when I test drove it was that the brakes were too grabby, but I got used to that as well. The new brakes are less grabby but still good enough. As others have pointed out, the car shakes when turning the wheel all the way to one side, is there a fix for that?
Now for the good: even after nearly a month, I’m still amazed by the acceleration. I really have to be careful when merging on the freeway, I usually like to give it some gas but with this car it’s so easy to hit 70-75mph without blinking. As for handling, it’s also great. I can really feel that rear end come around on corners when the sport diff in in dynamic. One word, awesome. So glad I held out to find one with the sport diff. I’m looking forward to auto crossing this season, it’s really the only place I can safely push the car and find the limits. The ADS lite is also a nice touch, quite a difference in how the transmission and steering responds. As for ride comfort, the ride is definitely harder than my Acura but not bad considering it rides on 19” wheels. I don’t think I would want to lower or change out springs as it’s probably and the best balance for me. One side note, while test driving out in CA, it was funny how many people wanted to “race” during the test drive.
Around town, I'm getting about 16 mpg but that's having fun. I had one longer drive (25 miles) and was able to get 29 mpg, not bad! I'm hoping to get around 18 mpg average.
Other Impressions: The seats are comfy and the driving position is good. Great interior, of course. The Nav Traffic works pretty well, I’ve been surprised at how accurate it’s been. The advanced key is great, I love walking up and just getting in. The Nav system is good but I wish I had the revised system coming out on the refreshed A4/S4. Same with the climate control, the dial for the seat heater opr fan speed should be one step, not two. In this regard, some of the user interaction feels like a step back from the Acura. However, for someone like me into tech, it’s not an issue. It’s great that all of the controls are by the shifter, very nice.
So as soon as I got the car home, I started buying the usual car care products. I’ve used Zaino before but thought that it wasn’t necessary with a white car. I read good stuff about the NXT2 Tech Wax and will give it a try. I also got 303 for the interior, Tuf Shine for the tires, and a bunch or other stuff. For now, I’m going through a power wash at a gas station, it’s not touchless but I haven’t noticed any fine scratches from it yet. I’ll probably only do this during the winter. Anyone have issues with non-touchfree washes? I have the weathertech fitted floormats, I highly recommend them. I also bought the trunk liner but haven't received it yet.
UPCOMING MODS: So on to the fun stuff, like I said, I’m into my tech toys so my first mods are not performance related. My first mod was to install the license plate LEDs, I went with the Blesk brand from hidconcepts. Looks good and easy to do. No error codes so far. I’m going to replace the dome and puddle lights as well. Can the rear backup or front turn signals be changed to LED?
Backup Cam: I just bought the Alpine Hce-c300r backup camera.
http://www.alpine-usa.com/product/view/hce-c300r
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=la_GowMdRE8
It’s pretty interesting, it uses the camera and will detect motion on the camera and give an audible beep/warning. Anyone have experience with this? I still need to buy the module that will interface with the LCD. It seems I have 3 choices, Nav-TV, tvandnav2go, or xcarlink. I think I’m going with Nav-TV since that’s what 3 of my local installers have recommended. I’ve read about issues with xcarlink so will probably avoid that. Anyone with Nav2Go experience and the B8 model? It’s half the price of the Nav-TV. I’ll post reviews when I’m done. I looked into getting a Gentex LCD rearview mirror but was told that the mirror is not compatible with our cars since it has the rain sensor. I got a quote from Best Buy to install this for $80. That’s really cheap. I know a lot of people aren’t fans of BB but I met with the installer and he said he’s done a lot of work on Audis. I showed him the manuals for the module and camera and he said he could do it. What do you think? Can I trust Best Buy? If I go somewhere else, the install will be closer to $250-300. One thing I haven't figured out is where and how to mount the camera. The license plate mount would block the trunk release.
Radar Detector: My next mod is an installed radar detector. I’ve used the V1 and Escort 9500xi but wanted to go with an installed unit since I hope to keep this car for 8+ years. After spending some time over at radardetector.net, I’ve decided to go with the Bel Sti-R Plus. It seems like everyone agrees it’s the best out there. I’m going to try the install myself. I’m also hoping to install the led display into the rearview mirror. I have a V1 and 9500xi for sale, please PM if interested. Photos below show the look I'm going for.
Photo from radar-mirror.com
Remote Start: The last tech mod I’m planning on installing is either a Viper Smartstart or Compustar Drone remote start system. Yes, I’ve heard a lot of people say how complex our cars are but I’ve talked with a couple installers that have done these on Audis and say they’ve had no issues. I figure the worst case is that I have to pay to have it removed if a more serious issue comes up and the dealer makes an issue. What do you guys think? Is this a bad idea? I don't want to risk my warranty. The installer told me that I’ll be able to start my car from my iphone, walk up to the car, get in and drive off (assuming the advanced key is in my pocket).
Wheels: I plan on getting the Avant Garde M310 wheels in Black. I looked at VMR vs AG, and it sounds like most people say the AG is better for the money. I just need to find some good summer tires. I’ll be using the OEM wheels with snow tires next season. Anyone know how the AG M310 compares to the OEM in terms of weight? Will it be suitable for auto crossing?
Other: Some other mods I’m considering are Lamin-X in light tint for the tails and the Alu Kreuz Drivetrain Stabilizer. I’ve read the posts about the Alu Kreuz, it always gets great review but do you guys think it’s worth it for everyday driving? I’ll Autocross only a couple times a year so I don’t think it’s worth it just for that.
Sorry for the long post, but I’m excited to be part of the Audi club. I’ll update this post as I complete my mods.
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