[Biturbos4] Center dash display replacement?

[Brent Henry]

If I were to find a used replacement dash, how could I tell that the same
problem is not going to happen again?  Is there a version number
upgrade/fix?

And what can you do about the digital odometer?  Is there a way to set the
odo with VAG-COM back to the original mileage (not likely... probably only
can reset to zero).

Thanks,
Brent.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "adam Schwartz" <adamdschwartz at comcast.net>
To: "Brent Henry" <thehenrys at sympatico.ca>
Cc: <biturbos4 at www.audifans.com>
Sent: Tuesday, March 07, 2006 11:47 PM
Subject: Re: [Biturbos4] Buying a 2000 S4


> Welcome tot he club Brent!
>
> A good place to get used parts for 'cheap' would be:
>
> http://dadsauto.com/
>
> They have most parts, I am sure they could get you a cluster
>
> good luck,
>
> Adam
>
> On Mar 7, 2006, at 11:10 PM, Brent Henry wrote:
>
> > Hi Folks,
> >
> > Well, consider me a full-fledged member now!  The mechanics check
> > was good
> > and we purchased the car!
> >
> > Here's an overview of the mechanical review:
> > - There was no record from either dealer that the previous owner
> > (one-owner)
> > ever did the timing belt.  However, the Rick (master mechanic at
> > Agincourt)
> > used a very cool tool (a long magnifying glass tube with a light
> > inside) to
> > look at the condition of the timing belt, which looked in good
> > condition.
> > Although, it is not about to rip apart, it is time to do the belt.
> > I will
> > be setting something up with my local wrench to get that job done
> > (apparently quite a big procedure).
> >
> > - Using that same magnifying glass tube (apparently worth $5K), we
> > peered
> > into the V of the engine and could clearly see no coolant leaks.
> >
> > - Battery tested out good.
> >
> > - Rick tested the diverter valve... all good.  However, he
> > explained that
> > this valve is used for a slightly different purpose then what Keman
> > described (although similar).  He said that it is used to reduce
> > turbo lag.
> > In the condition when you let off on the gas-pedal suddenly, an
> > increased
> > amount of boost pressure is built-up between the turbo and the intake
> > manifold.  This diverter valve takes that extra pressure and
> > "diverts" it
> > back into the turbo's.  This will keep their speed up and thus when
> > called
> > upon (when you hit the gas again), they will be spinning ready to go!
> >
> > - No oil leaks.
> >
> > - Spark plugs looked good.
> >
> > - Seems like synthetic oil has been used primarily, no brown
> > colouration
> > inside the oil fill cap.
> >
> > - Center Dash dot matrix display is toast... looking for a
> > replacement...
> > does anyone have one... cheap?
> >
> > - Speakers are all good, put ear up against each one, no rattles...
> > my wife
> > had her own way to test them... Bon Jovi at 100 decibels!!!
> >
> > - Stereo, all functions working including CD Changer.
> >
> > - Rear diff showed no signs of being wet.
> >
> > - Wheel bearings do not have any noise, but I forgot to ask if they
> > were
> > originals or not :-(
> >
> > - O2 sensors had intermittent failures in the VAG code dump.
> > Cleared codes,
> > will monitor on my VAG-COM.
> >
> > - Temp gauge starts at left and warms up to the center position.
> >
> > - Suspension feels smooth, no clunks over bumps.  All rubber bits
> > look good.
> >
> > - Rick's thoughts on turbo's were that these early  models had some
> > turbo's
> > that had manufacturing flaws, and would come apart prematurely even
> > if they
> > were not driven hard (although driving them hard would shorten that
> > duration).  He said that the turbo's appeared to be original and in
> > good
> > operating condition, probably good for another 100K.  We tested the
> > turbo
> > boost with a portable VAG 1552 and saw it around 1650 mBar.  He
> > also said
> > that if the car was chipped, it would go above 1800.
> >
> > - No valet key.
> >
> > It did not require anything at all for the Safety Certification and
> > the
> > Emissions test was done by the used-car dealer that I bought it
> > from (they
> > are good for a year).  So it's certified and already on the
> > road!!!  And
> > what a blast to drive!  Love it already, my wife is overwhelmed
> > with joy!!!
> > I think we did good :-).
> >
> > Thanks again to everyone that helped,
> > Brent.
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Keman" <keman at interwolf.net>
> > To: "Brent Henry" <thehenrys at sympatico.ca>;
> > <biturbos4 at www.audifans.com>
> > Sent: Sunday, March 05, 2006 10:26 AM
> > Subject: Re: [Biturbos4] Buying a 2000 S4
> >
> >
> >> Hi there Henry. Welcome to the biturbo s4 mailing list.
> >>
> >> i'm one of the lists resident (but somewhat dorment) ex audi
> >> techs, and I
> >> used to have an '01 S4 Avant. I would recommend you check the
> >> following:
> >>
> >> 100k issues or points of notice:
> >>
> >> timing belt (and water pump) .. if it's not done now, do it. While
> >> I've
> > seen
> >> them go 130k, I would do them every 60-80k miles. If it does slip or
> > break,
> >> you'll experience the pain of replacing a lot of intake valves on
> >> top of
> >> pulling the engine and turbos, as that's the only way to get the
> >> heads
> > off.
> >> If noone can tell you if it's been done or not, peer at the belt
> >> by prying
> >> back the timing belt cover a few mm and look at the belt with a
> > flashlight.
> >> If it looks fresh and new and black, it's new. If it looks worn
> >> and old,
> >> well.. it's not.
> >>
> >> coolant: Right now it should be fresh and bright pink, not
> >> brownish or
> >> orangish. Don't base it off the coolant overflow bottle, as it
> >> will be
> >> somewhat discolored by now. But, those are only $28 at the dealer
> >> and I
> >> recommend replacing them as they come with a new cap, if/when you
> >> do the
> >> coolant flush. It's long life coolant, but 100k miles is a long
> >> time and
> >> that's when it should be flushed. The only drain is the block drain,
> > located
> >> between the trans and engine directly underneith looking straight up
> > through
> >> the bellhousing. It's an 8mm green hex key bolt, it will be very
> >> tight and
> >> need an 8mm hex driver and breaker bar, and needs a new O-ring
> >> (available
> > at
> >> the dealer) once removed. You need a vacuum coolant filler to put
> >> coolant
> >> into these engines properly, so either borrow one or pay the
> >> dealer to do
> >> this job for you.
> >>
> >> Coolant leaks: Inspect for any pink crustys. Particulary look into
> >> the V
> > of
> >> the engine from above once the middle engine dress cover is removed,
> > peering
> >> in at a 45 degree angle through the small gap below the throttle
> >> body. If
> >> you see any pink in there, your afterrun pump or coolant hardline is
> >> leaking. Also look in back of the engine on the passenger side.
> >> Any pink
> >> crustys = leak.
> >>
> >> Battery: If it looks old and original, the cells probably need
> >> topping off
> >> with distilled water. It's a maintanence item but few actually
> >> know that
> >> it's supposed to be topped off regularly. Just twist each cell
> >> cover off
> > and
> >> there's a little MIN/MAX bar on each one.
> >>
> >> Diverter valves: While looking for coolant leaks, start the engine
> >> up and
> >> reach normal operating temperature. Put your hand on the two black
> > roundish
> >> looking valves, roughly 3" in diameter that point towards the
> >> throttle
> > body.
> >> There will be small vacuum lines running to each. If you feel either
> >> "vibrating" or making fluttering or honking noises at idle, it
> >> might be
> >> shot. To look further, if you pinch off one of the vacuum lines
> >> with a
> > pair
> >> of pliars and it goes away, that valve is shot. They die often,
> > aftermarkets
> >> that don't break (they use a piston instead of a diaphram) are
> >> available
> > for
> >> a couple hundred bucks. Highly recommended as I ate through about
> >> 4 sets
> > of
> >> the updated TT ones by 96k miles. They decrease strain on the
> >> turbos when
> >> you lift off the throttle, so.. when they're dead, well... there's
> >> more
> >> strain = wear and tear.
> >>
> >> Oil leaks: Check the rear passenger and front drivers side of the
> >> V of the
> >> engine. Any wetness would be the legendary timing chain tensioner
> >> gaskets.
> >> They'll almost never leak so bad as to create a steady drip of
> >> oil, but
> > they
> >> will start to leak and get wetter and wetter, making some mess as
> >> mileage
> >> goes up. These can be spendy to have replaced, with dealers charging
> > around
> >> 8 hours of labor for both sides. If you've not done it before, I
> >> wouldn't
> >> try it yourself as you can drop tiny bits into the engine. I used
> >> to use a
> >> small magnet to catch them. Valve covers- these start getting wet
> >> at 100k
> >> miles. Loosening all the 10mm nuts that hold them on and then re-
> >> torquing
> > to
> >> 115 INCH/lbs working from the center nut outwards in a clockwise
> >> pattern,
> >> slowly but surely, they may stop leaking forever. Or you can just
> >> change
> >> them.
> >>
> >> Spark plugs: Even though they're double platinum the engine still
> >> eats
> > them
> >> like candy. Misfire codes are a telltail sign. I'd swap them every
> >> 25k
> > miles
> >> if you like to get on it.
> >>
> >> Oil: 5W-40 synthetic is a good idea. 0W-40 German Castrol is nice
> >> too,
> > 0W-30
> >> works alright. Basically, anything synthetic is great for this
> >> engine, and
> >> non synthetic is bad. You can tell what it's had all it's life by
> >> looking
> > at
> >> the oil fill cap. Take it off and look inside. If it's shiny
> >> metal, it's
> > had
> >> synthetic all it's life. If it's crusty and caked and brown, it's
> >> not. The
> >> more gelatinous cake under the cap, the less synthetic oil it's
> >> seen in
> > it's
> >> life.
> >>
> >> Interior: The dot matrix display is a common failure. New gauge
> >> clusters
> >> have bugfixed designs that don't drop dots or lines (usually) but
> >> fetch a
> >> high price, $750 or so (remanufactured, which is good cuz it's
> >> bugfixed).
> >> I'm a big fan of Stabilant 22 and CAIG's DeOxit D5, but I've not
> >> read of a
> >> success using it on this problem. It does resemble a connection
> >> type of
> >> problem between the display and the driver board, as mine used to
> >> drop a
> >> line but only when it was really cold out. The gauge cluster comes
> >> out
> >> without touching the rest of the dashboard, it's held in with a
> >> couple of
> >> torx screws accessable by popping the top steering wheel trim off.
> >> You'll
> >> have to reach in behind once the cluster is out a few inches and
> >> pop the
> >> spring-cam-lock connectors (all three) on the back kind of blind
> >> to get it
> >> all the way out.
> >>
> >> Speakers: If they rattle with bass, they're probably in need of
> > replacement.
> >> The Bose Symphony audi system doesn't take kindly to aftermarket
> >> replacements (it ends up sounding like crap) and the factory
> >> replacements
> >> are around $90 each. In a sedan, the rear speakers are accessed from
> > above,
> >> not below. Kind of a pain. The door panels are much easier to remove.
> >>
> >> Stereo: If it changes channels on you, it's posessed. They do that
> >> sometimes. If it stops working, it'll need replacement. They've
> >> gotten
> > MUCH
> >> cheaper last I checked. < $200 at the dealer now for a reman if you
> > provide
> >> your old one as the core.
> >>
> >> Rear diff: Sometimes the seals on the output shafts get a little wet.
> >>
> >> Wheel bearings: They'll be either freshly replaced, or needing it
> >> soon.
> > They
> >> like to abandon ship at 100k miles. But they do so rather gracefully,
> > giving
> >> you 10-15k miles of warning with a steady increase in rattling noise.
> >>
> >> O2 sensors: These don't like to live forever. There are 4. The
> >> rear 2 are
> >> easy. The front 2 ... well. Only easy if you've done them before.
> >>
> >> Coolant temp sensor: These get flakey. They're easy, check out
> >> audiworld
> > for
> >> instructions. If the temp display is anything but in the middle at
> >> normal
> >> operating temps, the sensor is toast.
> >>
> >> Suspension arms: If it clunks over bumps, it'll need them. I
> >> recommend the
> >> VW Passat suspension arm kit from the dealer, it's 4 arms for the
> >> price of
> > 1
> >> audi one, and it's the identical part in every way shape and form,
> > including
> >> the part #. These can be installed without an alignment of any sort.
> >>
> >> If well taken care of, 5k synthetic oil changes religiously,
> >> allowed to
> > warm
> >> up (one notch up on the oil temp gauge) before you get into the boost
> > [which
> >> can take an agonizingly long time], and cooled down (go slow the last
> > couple
> >> of miles) when hot, the turbos will last 200k miles. If oil
> >> changes get
> >> skipped, you like to get into the boost while backing out of your
> >> driveway
> >> on wintery mornings, and you drive around in 100 degree heat like
> >> a madman
> >> and arrive at your destination and flick the key off and walk away
> >> immediately, the turbos won't make it to that point.
> >>
> >> There are failures unfortunately, and when they do fail it's
> >> talked about
> >> very vocally because the price is extreme: $4-5k to have them
> >> replaced.
> > They
> >> must be done by the pair. If you chip it, it's going to add
> >> another factor
> >> to this equation (heat) and make it more likely to fail (but not
> > necessarily
> >> so with much care and dilligence).
> >>
> >> I liked to clean my climate control buttons if they got sticky
> >> with 70%
> >> isopropyl alcohol. I'd just spray it on and wipe it off with a cotton
> > cloth
> >> a minute later, padding gently to soak it up. Repeat until the button
> > frees
> >> itself. Someone else mentioned just water, which works too but
> >> sometimes
> >> takes a bit too long to dry and also might not attack the dried out
> >> Coca-Cola sufficiently well.
> >>
> >> That about sums it up for my sunday morning. Hehehe. They're great
> >> cars, I
> >> miss mine still and I've got an '05 S4 Avant. I had mine for 96k
> >> miles
> >> before FOOLISHLY selling it in prestine condition.
> >>
> >> Oh and just for reference: The car should come with two
> >> transmitter key
> >> fobs, a valet key (it won't unlock the trunk), and a plastic thin
> >> wallet
> >> key. (4 keys total). The radio manual should have the security code
> > sticker
> >> in it. Don't let the dealer try to tell you that they can't do
> >> anything
> >> about those being missing- they can cut/make/reprogram them all with
> > blanks
> >> on hand and I wouldn't sign for the car unless they hand you all
> >> four.
> >>
> >> Remember: Be picky. It's an Audi. The engineers were picky,
> >> there's no
> >> reason why the customers can't be. :)
> >>
> >> Keman
> >>
> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >> From: "Brent Henry" <thehenrys at sympatico.ca>
> >> To: <biturbos4 at www.audifans.com>
> >> Sent: Saturday, March 04, 2006 7:35 PM
> >> Subject: [Biturbos4] Buying a 2000 S4
> >>
> >>
> >>> I have put a down payment on a 2000 S4 today.  It has 170,000kms
> >>> (or just
> >>> over 100,000 miles), but appears to be in excellent condition...
> >>> I gave
> > it
> >>> an extremely thorough review inside and out with a lengthy test
> >>> drive.  I
> >>> have also scheduled an appointment at the local Audi dealer to run a
> >>> complete 300 point check on the car before I make my final decision.
> >>>
> >>> I would like to hear some feedback on what to look out for in these
> > cars,
> >>> with regard to electrical or mechanical weakness for cars with
> >>> this much
> >>> mileage.
> >>>
> >>> The only things that I noticed wrong with the car, was that the
> >>> trip-computer display was a little scrambled (intermittent)...  I
> > believe
> >>> that this could be cured with an application of Stabilant-22 contact
> >>> enhancer -- on all of the dash connections?  How easy is it to
> >>> remove
> > the
> >>> dash?  Is there any procedures listed on the web somewhere?  The
> >>> other
> >>> thing was that some of the Climate Control button movements were a
> > little
> >>> sticky... I suspect spilled coffee from a poorly placed in-dash cup
> >>> holder?
> >>>
> >>> Thanks for any feedback that you can provide.
> >>> Brent Henry.
> >>
> >
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