[A4] I'm baaaaack

[Rocky Mullin]

Well it's been since about 2010 since I sold my second A4 (B7 Avant), which was preceded by my first ever new car (B5 Avant) and before that an '83 quattro.

I've driven various things since, some of which I still have around: various motorcycles, Benz Sprinter 118 high roof, Lotus Elan, AWD Chevy Astro conversion, Jetta wagon. 

Last week I picked up a B5 S4 Avant from a co-worker. Crap paint, fancy rims I don't really care for, 164k miles. Oh it's a 2002 and damned near one of the last B5 S4 cars to roll of the assembly line, surely to my advantage. It runs well, save a couple codes, which of course are preventing smogging and registration. He's put maybe 500 miles on it in the last couple of years. I know I'm in for some pain, but it's a good runner, not modded, and wonderfully trashed for my single parent lifestyle. He's a good guy, my coworker, and the price was pretty rock bottom.

Yes, the timing belt has been done. It had a mega extended warranty and supposedly the people at Rector Audi shudder to hear my coworker's name. Apparently it's gone through six turn signal stalks, that's the main reason. The current one only locks the high beams on with the stalk given an affirmative, perhaps firm tap. Cruise control doesn't actuate or power on at all.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

So, those codes. It's in my preferred shop at the moment. Looks like a hole in the wall but they do great work, are highly regarded, and have done work for me in the past. When I first picked it up they were P0300 and P0113, now only the latter remains. ScanGauge clears it but it comes back on restart. There may be ever so slight a stumble to the operating cadence but that first code has never returned. for the 113, between that and the fact that the CE light happens exactly when the OK disappears from the screen with a slightly audible "tick" from under the dash, I'm figuring it's a voltage issue from one of the sensors or hopefully just a dirty air filter. I'm having the shop throw a K&N air filter while they're snooping for codes anyway, and doing the brake fluid as well. 

Anything else I should do to the beast? From having been sitting, I mean, and of course because of that bloody code. I've seen on various fora upon searching for bits of info that it's been a PITA for numerous people. I'm driving to Palm Springs on Wednesday. I already had the oil done, M1 0w-40 with a K&N filter and some Marvel Mystery Oil in there just for grins. 

I just read that Phil Payne has passed, back in 2012. Condolences to family and those who knew him. Dude could be a pain in the ass but mostly because he was always right, and in an encyclopedic way. I have a feeling all our cars will run just a bit poorer in his absence.