Some Guy's Mediocre S4 Build Thread

B6/7 S4/RS4
#1

Hey y’all

So I’ve been fairly active in the Audi community over on AZ and I’ve been lurking for a long time here on AR. I figured I’d start a build thread over here because AR seems to be a much more technically-centered community and y’all seem to actually know what you’re doing and never hesitate to help. That’s what I’ve loved about reading AR.

Anyways, one year ago on this day, I brought home my 2004 Silver B6 S4. I’d spent almost a month searching for one that had been perfectly maintained, loved, and most importantly, had alcantara seats :). While I wasn’t able to find one in Imola, my dream color, I did find one that suited me perfectly.

http://i.imgur.com/xdAibgE.jpg

Since then, I’ve done a decent amount to the car. First order of business was plasti-dipping the rear valence and all four front grilles because I couldn’t stand how they all didn’t match each other. Shortly after, I installed a FI nonres catback. After spending a few weeks with it, I decided that it didn’t make quite enough noise so I decided to buy and install some XS-Power 2.5" downpipes with HFCs. I understand that they’re a controversial company and many would not support them but for the price, they were the best option at the time and I’m still very happy with them. The sound is just perfectly refined and it really wakes people up when I get on it. Makes the car an absolute joy to drive around.

http://i.imgur.com/J8N0HtA.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/sJTzKq5.jpg

I threw on a Cupra-r lip and an Apikol snub mount as a small weekend project and have since adjusted it a little more forward.

The next big project was installing some used H&R coilovers I was able to buy. Since the install, I’ve loved them. The car handles very well and I haven’t really noticed any sacrifice in ride quality.

http://i.imgur.com/0revZ4d.jpg

HUGE shoutout to my main man Josh (Evildsmer) for helping out whenever I need it. He’s the Imola

http://i.imgur.com/dbgAeV0.jpg

Car’s been through a lot of weather and there hasn’t been a moment when quattro hasn’t impressed me

http://i.imgur.com/TVv5Z6T.jpg

However, the mod that has impressed me most is definitely my RD install. It’s an Escort 8500xi. Every time I drive, it has never missed a cop and most of the time, I’m amazed at how quickly it works. I love it!

http://i.imgur.com/E01IpvM.jpg

Put some Klutch KM20 wheels on the car about a month ago.

http://i.imgur.com/lfgGfYp.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/mFSEjPI.jpg

And last but not least, I got a JHM tune about a week and a half ago. Here’s a picture of me flashing it in my garage. The flashing process itself was pretty difficult in terms of getting everything set up but Jake@JHM never hesitated to help me out and it got all taken care of. The tune’s pretty much totally adapted now. I’ve noticed that the throttle response is amazing now and the launch assist definitely works, however, living at 5300ft of elevations doesn’t exactly let me get the most out of this engine so it’s not like it’s a rocket ship or anything. I’m still very happy with it and I can’t wait to see how it drives at a lower altitude with 93 octane.

http://i.imgur.com/UsTaq27.jpg

In the next couple weeks, I’ll be doing timing and a myriad of other mods and maintinence. Here’s a full list of the items I just ordered:

  • Crank Seal, Front or Crankshaft Seal
  • Crank Seal, Rear or Rear Main Seal
  • JHM Timing Chain Service Kit (JHM-OEM) for B6-B7 S4 - INTERMEDIATE
  • Oil Change Kit (JHM) Motul X-cess 8100 (5w40)
  • 034 Density Motor Mounts w/ Resistors
  • PCV
  • Fuel Injector O-rings x16
  • Fuel Injector Pintle Caps x8
  • JHM 6-Rib Kit
  • JHM Intake spacers
  • JHM Oil Cooler and Auxiliary Radiator Delete Kit
  • 034 MAF Hose
  • Valve Cover Gasket Kit
  • Valve Cover Bolts
  • Right Cam Chain Tensioner Gasket
  • Left Cam Chain Tensioner Gasket
  • Throttle Body Gasket
  • Oil Cooler O-ring
  • Oil Check Valve Service pieces
  • Power Steering Cooling Pipe to Reservoir hose
  • Power Steering Cooling Pipe to Steering Gear hose
  • 034 Trans Mount
  • Bosch 4-electrode (Platinum) Spark Plugs x8
  • Updated OEM COil Packs x8
  • Trans Fluid, PS FLuid, Coolant, etc.
  • Cabin Filter
  • Apikol Rear Diff Mount (Street)
  • 034 Density Line Adjustable Upper Control Arms
  • 034 Zero-gap Snub Mount Bracket
  • Driveshaft Flange Gaskets x2
  • Assorted Sealants
  • Evolution Imports Thor Skid Plate

If anyone sees anything that’s missing from that list, please definitely let me know about it! I’ll update the thread as I go with those mods.

Now for the negatives I’ve been encountering with the car…

First con is the usual chain rattle, I’m getting the timing kit so that should take care of it.

Next has been my power steering. It’s been leaking so I ordered both return lines in the hope that they’ll take care of the issue.

And thirdly, there’s been an intermittent ABS issue. It only happens when the car’s been warmed up for a while. It happens when I let the car idle stationarily for a while. Usually it happens at a red light.
What happens is that the ABS and ESP lights will both turn on at once. The speedometer will stop working and will only read 0mph no matter how fast I go with the car. In addition, the steering becomes wayyy more sensitive and light and and I barely have to turn the wheel to control the car. Finally, the last symptom is that while I’m driving down the road in say 3rd gear, if I let of the accelerator, the car will buck as if all the brakes are engaging partially at once or as if the clutch is being released abruptly. It’s all very strange and I hate it when it happens

http://i.imgur.com/iu5DzoU.jpg

I decided to replace my wheel speed sensor in the front but the issue still came back afterwards. I bought an ABS module and the harness that connects the ABS module to the wheel speed sensor in the hopes that the two will fix my issue. I’ll be installing them tomorrow so I’ll update the thread if it works. Fingers crossed.

#2

Looking good pwest, glad you finally got a build thread going over here. Let me know if you ever need an extra set of hands. I should have my new wheels on next week.

#3

Nice ride!

#4

Will do man, thanks! Can’t wait to see how those wheels of yours look with some rubber on. Are the PSS’s finally off backorder?

#5

Thanks man!

#6

I stopped in a Big O Tire on Sunday just to see if they could get them before Discount Tire and TireRack. They had 3 in stock and 1 was in Vegas so they shipped the one which should be here by Monday I was told. It apparently disappeared at the moment because it was supposed to be here by Wednesday so now they’re tracking it down.

#7

Sweet! Your car’s gonna be amazing with that grippy rubber on it

#8

Welcome you are on the right forum all the very technical guys came here a while ago and most of us have pulled motors and done timing service so we can help.

Great car and smart plan. XS is a shit company and most of us don’t support stealing as a way to make products. I think the real issue is with the headers. Because they don’t work but they make it look close enough to the jhm ones that people who don’t know any better will be sucker and get them. It’s hard to really say that about the dps you got because it’s just straight pipe.

Other the. That it all looks good. The timing service and all the other little mods will help the car perform better so you might get more out of the tune after all the little stuff is done.

Nice job so far. Lookin forward to seeing more

#9

Thanks! Yeah I’m well-aware of XS-Power’s practices and had I to do it again, I wouldn’t have made the same choice but I’d rather kinda forget that my dps are from XS

I am curious to see if anyone else on this forum has seen or heard of the ABS problem my car’s been having. Seems very strange and no one’s been able to pinpoint it for certain

#10

Those are very strange symptoms. I’d start a new thread specifically for this issue. I’ll bet you get an answer a lot faster and it won’t clog up your build thread.

#11

I’ll be sure to do that if I can’t fix it with the new module this weekend

#12

Sorry I completely missed your abs question. Log into vagcom and pull up the abs codes that will be great for helping get an idea on what’s happening

#13

Props for tackling all this by yourself! Love that snow picture, and yeah S4 in the snow is a lot of fun. Btw I believe there’s another guy in Colorado with an S4 that will be attempting timing job. Might be a good idea to team up for such a task. In for more updates.

#14

So I wasn’t able to get around to putting the ABS module in this weekend… oh well

But I do have an update! I decided it was time for a new battery so I decided that I’d buy an Optima D51R lightweight battery and make my own relocation kit. IMHO JHM charges way too much for their kit so I went out and bought everything myself. I used some 1/0 cable to run the length of the car just to make sure there was plenty of insulation and that the cable could withstand the current. 1/0 is probably overkill but I wanted to be safe. I also bought a few terminals as well. Here are some pics.

http://i.imgur.com/3DVDrmm.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/hJuhHYN.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/DH6ScWx.jpg

All-in-all, it wasn’t a bad day-project. The hardest part was definitely threading that thick cable through the side trim and under the carpet to the front and snaking it out through the ECU box. It all went pretty smoothly and the car starts and runs as well as it ever has. I can’t say I feel a difference or anything but I didn’t expect to in the first place. I hope to be installing the ABS module some time this week if I see the ABS issue pop up again but who knows, the new battery might have solved it.

#15

I did that once before (pretty sure it was a week or so after I replaced the wheel speed sensor) and the only code that I saw in the ABS through vagcom was a “short to plus” error on the driver’s side front wheel speed sensor. I then reset the ABS but it the error still came back a day later

#16

That battery install looks incredibly clean. If you have enough pics it would be cool to see a DIY and a parts price list. I didn’t even know Jhm had a kit but what you did looks super clean. It would be cool to hear more.

As for the abs see if you can get the actual code from the abs module. Then after you grab the code put the abs through the output test that might help reduce other components being part of the issues

#17

Thank you! I’m very happy with the way the battery turned out. I do have a decent amount of pictures so I could probably put together a descriptive DIY.

With regard to the ABS, I’ll see if I can scan it later in the week to diagnose it again. I’ve never heard of that output test so that would be a great thing to do. Valuable little bit of info there, thanks!

#18

X2 on clean battery relocation job! At first when I skimmed through your post without reading and saw pics I thought it’s was JHMs kit. Great job man! I’m thinking of doing the same thing down the road with the exception of using RS4 parts. Good idea on a DIY.

#19

Just finished the DIY write-up!
http://audirevolution.net/forum/index.php?topic=3475.0

#20

The weight reduction might be negligible, but you’re one step closer to evening out your weight distribution. Thanks for DIY!