[A4] Good and Bad Years of B5 quattros?

[Mitchell Segal]

Well Doug, I can give you my experience with my 2001.5 A4 1.8T Quattro, w/
Sport suspension, 5 speed manual, APR chipped (205hp, 237 lb-ft) and
210,000 kms, which I am still driving since the day it rolled off the lot.

It's 11 years old now, and it's still going pretty strong.  Only problems I
have on the car right now are due mainly to age.  I have some rust around
the windshield (probably due to a poor installation when they last changed
it due to rock damage), and the ABS light came on a little while ago
(probably a sensor or something).  it's never broken down or left me
stranded, and I get what I feel is great mileage, especially since it's a
chipped engine (I average about 8.6 L/100km).  The engine is starting to
burn a little oil (about 1 L every 4000-5000km), but I think that's
reasonable considering it's age.  I always have changed the oil with
synthetic since day 1.

Based on at least my own personal history with the car over 11 years, I can
say the only weak point on my car, which I consider a possible design fault
(and not regular failures, like an alternator after 8 winters), would be
the suspension.  Specifically, the Rear Wheel Bearings, and the front
Tie-Rods.

I don't know if it's a design fault that affects a lot of B5 A4's, or I
just got lucky, but I have gone through a lot of rear wheel bearings.  I
estimate for me that the Right Rear bearing goes about every 45,000km, and
the Left Rear bearing goes about every 75,000kms.  it's almost like
clockwork.  The first two went while the car was still under warrantee so
Audi changed, then, and I've changed them about 4 more times since then.
 No idea why, it just seems to start making bearing noises around those
distance periods.  I am in no way a hard driver, I don't take corners hard,
I don't abuse my car, I have on original size tires in the summer, so I
don't think I put any extra pressure on the bearings.  I drive 90% of the
time with no one else in the car, so it's not a weight issue.  Maybe it's
just the terrible roads around here, all the potholes.

The second issue I had, are the front tie-rods.  The ends seem to wear a
bit prematurely.  In 11 years I've had to change them 3 times I think
(usually discover this when they try to do a 4 wheel alignment after the
bearings are changed, they find the tie-rods are worn so much they can't do
a proper alignment without changing them.  I've gotten so I can identify
when they are starting to go, when I drive around the same bumpy cloverleaf
on my drive to work every day, when I start to feel a little looseness or
knocking sounds as I go over the bumps in a turn, I know they're starting
to get worn again.

Aside from those two suspension issues, everything else on the car is very
nice.  I like that the exhaust system from the factory is Stainless Steel,
and looks brand new 11 years later.  Very little rust around the car, due
to the excellent double-dipped galvanization that they give the body at the
factory.  Back seat leg room is very tight, but what do I care, I'm
driving. :-)

If you live in a snowy region, then most likely you won't still have the
under engine plastic cover anymore.  The problem with the design is, it's
designed to help smooth the under car airflow past the engine, but since it
runs from the bumper back to the transmission, and just ends there open, if
you are driving in winter, and happen to back up over any snow banks (ie:
backing out of your driveway after the plow has gone by), that cover acts
like a shovel, scooping into the snow, since its lower than anything else
under the car).  After the second winter, I replaced the cover because it
was all torn and hanging (about $100). After another 1-2 winters when it
came apart again, I just removed it and never put one back.  No big loss.
 Guess this applies to a lot of cars.

So, that's my thoughts on the B5 A4.  I love mine, and aside from the not
so regular wheel bearings that I have to keep changing every few years,
it's been very good to me.  Now I'm looking to possibly trade up to a nice
newish A5.


Mitchell

Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:53:11 -0700
From: Doug Johnson <ur-quattro at msn.com>
To: <a4 at audifans.com>
Subject: [A4] Good and Bad Years of B5 quattros?
Message-ID: <BAY161-W30AEEEB73E29B07F572E6E973C0 at phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1

I may be n the search fr a B5 quattro, Are there years I should focus my
attention on, and years I should avoid? Thanks in advance for your thoughts!
Regards,
Doug (in the market for a Pacific Northwest or West Coast A4 quattro)

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