Based on the popularity of my LED Interior Lighting post, and by popular request in the comments section, I decided to write another guide for LED License plate bulbs on a B7 Audi A4, S4 and RS4. They definitely look awesome, and are a relatively cheap mod at ~$30 total. Best of all, installation takes merely a few minutes and all that is required is a small screwdriver in most cases.
The trouble with this mod is that the with some B7 models (any A4, S4 or RS4 from 2005.5-2008), the installation of these bulbs sometimes causes a Light Out error. Personally, I installed mine and never had any problems with a bulb out error message or flickering issues, and I’ve talked to countless others who have never had problems either, but there are more than a handful of examples of those who have posted on Audizine who did encounter problems.
I recently decided it was time to switch up the look of my car a little and sold my 19″ Rays Engineering Sporttechnic wheels and purchased a new set of wheels I’ve wanted for a very long time – the classic BBS CHs. What I love about these wheels the most is the race inspired looks, and the fact they come as an OEM option for b7 S4s in 18″s – this gives it a very OEM-plus look, which is exactly what I was going for. From my Audi S6 LEDs, to my OEM S4 door blades and S4 Seats, many of my modifications are parts from other Audi cars. The BBS CH wheels are also made in Germany, so they work quite well on an Audi The specs on these wheels are 19×8.5″ with an offset of ET35 which fits perfectly flush and looks great. They have the optional BBS Carbon Fiber center caps and are wrapped in 235-35-19 Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 wheels – I’ll have a separate review on those tires later once I’ve had more experience with them, but so far I’m very happy with them.
With hot summer temperatures here in Arizona, I noticed my boost to be much lower and the car felt more sluggish overall – I read reviews on the 034 Motorsports Turbo Inlet Pipe from a few other B7 Audi A4 owners and thought I’d give it a whirl – it’s definitely worth the $75! While the differences are subtle at first – a slightly more noticeable spooling sound and possibly spooling a few hundred RPM sooner – the real difference is when the car has been running a while and the engine bay gets super hot – I’ve noticed less of a loss in power after long drives or track days, which is AWESOME and worth the $75 itself. The 2.0 FSI tends to have really bad heatsoak in our cars – you can run the car for just 5 minutes and its already hot enough in there to roast a chicken. Anything to help the engine breathe easier when it gets so hot is worth it in my eyes.
Almost every die-hard car enthusiast prefers a manual transmission. One needs to have the utmost control of their vehicle when driving spiritedly and rowing one’s own gears is high on the list of priorities in that vain. Personally, I always prefer a car with a good ol’ fashioned clutch pedal to its one-foot cousins but sometimes it just isn’t an option. In the case of Audi’s A4, low availability of manual transmission cars in dealer lots across America can either force you to order your vehicle from Deutschland and wait the 3 month lead-time or compromise your sporting instincts by instant gratification from current inventory. It can be decidedly worse for those that prefer a little more cargo space in their A4 with the Avant model.
While our friends on the other side of the pond can readily order up an A4 Avant with an honest-to-goodness manual transmission, those of us in America are stuck with a six-speed Tiptronic as the only available means of changing gears. Fret not fellow driving enthusiast, I’m here to tell you that the current iteration of the Tiptronic that debuted in 2009 with the introduction of the B8 platform is not your Daddy’s slushbox.
While it was not my intention to buy a Tiptronic, circumstances made it a reasonable compromise and in the past two months that I’ve spent with my 2010 A4 Avant, I have to say I’m pleasantly surprised. I expected to hate my slow-shifting wagon but it’s proven to me that in the automotive world, just as in the computing world, positions and opinions should be re-evaluated from time to time because products and technologies evolve.
Buying used car parts through automotive forums can be a great way to buy parts you couldn’t afford otherwise. Case in point – the elusive BBS LM wheels, my favorite wheels of all time. The BBS LMs cost $1179.00 a piece on VividRacing, which is one of the best prices I can find anywhere. That adds up to a mind boggling $4,716.00 for the set, and then you still need tires. I’ve wanted these wheels since I was a kid, and always have an eye out for a used set at a price I can afford.
Low and behold, my dream wheels get posted on VWVortex 5×112 Classifieds the other day for $2,000. Over half off new! I’ve seen them fetch between $2,500-3000, so I thought this was going to be a great deal. And sure enough – it was too good to be true. This guy was a pure con-artist who actually came very close to nabbing my money.
Using my sick PowerPoint skills (yes, Powerpoint, lol), I spent days a half hour creating the awesome graphic you see above to be the welcoming screen of the all new Nick’s Car Blog page on Facebook. Any of you Facebookers out there that have found a post helpful on this blog, I’d really, really appreciate it if you took a moment to “Like” my page – I promise not to overwhelm you with updates (this blog only gets updated about once a week, you can handle it), plus I’ll post some sneak peeks at upcoming mods and other cool stuff along the way. If you become a fan, feel free to write on my wall, make any special requests, go nuts – this could get fun. I don’t get a lot of blog comments but I’m hoping maybe I’ll get a little more interaction via Facebook.
Likewise, if any of y’all are tweeting it up on the Twitter – I’d love for y’all to follow me: @NicksCarBlog – be sure to @ reply me and let me know you read this post and I’ll be sure to follow you back!
Thanks for connecting with me, whether it’s through the blog, Facebook, Twitter or all three, and please feel free to reach out to me and let me know how I could blog (or tweet or Facebook) better – I’d love to hear any constructive criticism or feedback you have for me – thanks! -Nick
I recently ordered and installed a carbon fiber Audi S4 rear valence and installed it – and I think it turned out great. The finish is awesome and it definitely brings out the quad tip exhaust a little better. The price was great too ($180 shipped) but when I got the product, the fiberglass work was a little sloppy – essentially it didn’t fit very well. I emailed the seller and he told me to take it to a body shop – which I scoffed at because the valence can normally be installed in about 60 seconds by a total moron. You simply remove two screws, one at each end, then it pulls right out. To install the new one, *normally* all you’d have to do is reverse that process – snap it in, then replace the two screws. However, the tabs that snap in were a bit too thick, so I couldn’t get it to snap in and fit flush.
A lot more than you’d think! It undergoes an aging process that adds 12 years to a vehicle in just 9 weeks (kind of sounds like when I loan my car to my girlfriend, lol). According the movie, all Audi models also undergo these tests, which also include:
2.5 million test kilometers (~1,553,428 miles)
Tested in heat, rain, 300 km/h wind, salt, snow, 100% humidity
The whole car is frozen(!) and subjected to any other kind of harsh weather you can imagine
Must withstand well dressed men that stop to admire the front fender fitment in the middle of the desert?
The latest incarnation of the Audi A8 luxury saloon will be available to order late July 2010 (ships December 2010). With a reworked engine (3 litre, 4.2 litre and 6.3 litre options), an extra 13 cm added to the wheelbase and the body length (all at the rear), and features like heated seats, climate control and electric rear and side window blinds, the emphasis is on passenger comfort and engine power and efficiency.
This month’s featured ride is quite the special Audi – it’s the actual movie car used in the production of Iron Man 2! This Tsuzuka Grey Audi R8 Spyder was driven by Robert Downey Jr. aka Tony Stark and when I heard it was going to be in Scottsdale I had to go see it.
Welcome to Nick's Car Blog - here you will find blog posts about my modified Audi A4 including pictures, DIYs, local Phoenix-area meets, friends rides, as well as various Audi and automotive related posts. Be sure to check out the Photo Gallery while you're here - thanks for visiting!
Whether you're happy to travel the length of the UK, or just look for local used cars, they're all online at Motors.co.uk!
So if you're looking for that people carrier for all the family, or just a two-seater for rides in the country, check out the used cars at Motors today.
The specs on these wheels are 19×8.5″ with an offset of ET35 which fits perfectly flush and looks great. They have the optional BBS Carbon Fiber center caps and are wrapped in 235-35-19 Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 wheels – I’ll have a separate review on those tires later once I’ve had more experience with them, but so far I’m very happy with them.
