It’s funny watching the classic psychology states play out with RS4 carbon…
Denial — As the reality of carbon is hard to face, one of the first reactions is Denial. The RS4 owner is trying to shut out the reality or magnitude of the situation, and begins to develop a false, preferable reality. This state was most heavily evidenced by the original owners, who could not fathom a sub-optimal design was produced by Audi. Recent owners will perform frantic forum searches on “carbon” hoping that it doesn’t apply to their RS4.
Anger — The most common stage. Many RS4 owners cannot move beyond this stage, and some get rid of their RS4s instead of trying to understand carbon. The person in question can be angry with himself (for purchasing a “defective engine”), or with others (for making a “defective engine”), or at a higher power (“why me?!”), and especially those who are close to them (fellow forum members).
Bargaining — The third stage involves the hope that the individual can somehow undo or solve the cause of carbon. Seeking to understand the root cause, and provide long term solutions is the sign of a great car owner. Many solutions have been sought, and new RS4 owners commonly move through researching (and sometimes repeating) investigations. The results of this research lead to the next stage of acceptance…
Depression — “My engine doesn’t make 420hp, why bother with anything?”; “What’s the point with owning a RS4?”; “I have carbon, why go on?” During the fourth stage, the grieving RS4 owner begins to understand the certainty of carbon. Much like the existential concept of The Void, the idea of living with carbon becomes pointless. The RS4 loses its luster. Because of this, the RS4 owner may become silent, refuse to post online and spend much of the time crying and sullen. This process allows the RS4 owner to disconnect from car culture, possibly in an attempt to avoid further trauma. Oftentimes, this is the ideal path to take, to find closure and make their ways to the fifth step, Acceptance.
Acceptance — “My RS4 is going to be okay.”; “I can’t fight carbon, I may as well prepare for it.”
In this last stage, RS4 owners come to terms with the inevitable carbon build-up. The owner understands that carbon only affects peak horsepower (high rpm), and is only noticeable to the seat of the pants when the build-up is extreme. The accepting owner will track mileage between carbon cleanings, and understands that a well maintained car requires a carbon clean every 15,000 to 30,000 miles (depending on their state of OCD). This owner understands that while the RS4 is not perfect, it is damn close to the mark. Carbon build-up can be managed, and is really a very small blemish on an iconic vehicle.
(credit to Wikipedia entry for Kubler-Ross model for 5 stages of grief)