I just finished installing LEDs on my B7 Audi S4 and wanted to share some pics and a quick DIY if you want to do it yourself. Above I’ve pictured the before & after, as you’ll see you get rid of that yellow-ish halogen with a super bright & clean cool white color from the LED. It takes about 10-20 minutes to install and luckily you don’t have to remove the bumper or headlights to install, you just have to wiggle your hands a bunch.

Here’s what you’ll need for the conversion:

2 BA15s Bayonet Bulbs (one for each side):

2 10-15 watt, 25 ohm resistors (one for each side):

The install is pretty simple as I said before. I followed this DIY on Tyresmoke.net but took some additional pictures to help out.

First, remove the plastic cap on the side of the housing, then pull out the stock bulb by turning it counter-clockwise. Be careful not to pull the wiring too hard or you’ll pull out the city lights too (the smaller bulb also pictured) which are very hard to remove. It’s a little tricky to get the bulb out but just be patient and if you have to, find a friend with small hands to help out For the passenger side you’ll need to remove the plastic air intake to access the side of the headlight, which is held in just by two phillips head screws. Here’s a pic of the bulbs taken out:

Next take out the stock bulb and plug in the LED bulb to the grey plastic base.

Next you’ll want to install the resistors. You’ll simply bridge the yellow and brown wires with the resistor connecting the two. It helps to strip a section of both wires so the resistor gets good contact (in theory those resistor clamps should strip for you, but I’ve found they often don’t get a good enough connection). Test to make sure the bulb works and resistor is working too (it will get very hot very quickly) before trying to put the bulb back in, as it’s a pain to wiggle it back into place.

Because the resistor gets very hot, I didn’t want it inside the headlight housing where it could melt other wires or even the headlight housing itself. So I kept the resistor outside of the housing and just kind of pinched the wiring in the cap. I then found a way for each side to tape our mount the resistor where it wouldn’t cause much trouble and stay cooler.

Just repeat for the other side and you’re all set!

B7 Audi A4, S4 and RS4 LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL) is a post from: Nick Roshon on Nick's Car Blog

I’ve owned the car just over two months, and as you might imagine I’ve wasted very little time in putting my personal touches on it and installing both aftermarket and OEM parts to enhance its looks and performance. I was lucky that a few of the aesthetic mods swapped over from my B7 A4, such as the Spoonfed Tuning Cupra R lip and the RS4 grille. I also did the (nearly free) clear corner mod, then I had my favorite body shop, Phoenix Collision and Custom Paint, match the trunk strip and paint the lower valence and filler plate matte black. I took some photos and will share more detail on each coming up…

Up front, I think the most dramatic change was getting rid of all of the chrome and amber. The new look is cleaner and more aggressive. The front lip is the icing on the cake. But what I think came out particularly cool are the custom fog grilles using RS4 mesh:

As you can see, the mesh matches perfectly between the fog grilles and the center grille, and that’s because they’re both using OEM RS4 mesh. For the fog grilles, I ordered RS4 lower grilles then cut the mesh out of the RS4 grille and then cut out the stock S4 grilles and transplanted the mesh over. It’s done much like the RS6 grille mod. I had my body shop do the dirty work on this mod, but I used this DIY as inspiration if you want to try it yourself.

In the rear, I haven’t done much. I removed the Audi rings from the trunk, which some people may not like. I kind of like it, but I have a spare set of rings lying around should I change my mind down the road. I can’t decide if I want to remove the S4 badge too, so for now it’s staying mostly out of laziness & pride. I also added an Audizine license plate frame which matches the black lower valence nicely. However I think the most important mod was paint matching the trunk strip from chrome to brilliant red so it blends in, I think that’s much cleaner.

That’s my quick update on the car two months in. I am absolutely loving the power, the looks, and the manual transmission. The increase in car insurance is no big deal and I shopped around and looked at companies like MoneySupermarket to find good rates. The decrease in miles per gallon has certainly been replaced by smiles per gallon, so no complaints there either. All in all, I’m a very happy owner of a 2006 B7 S4!

RS4 Grille + Lower Grilles Installed (plus other goodies) is a post from: Nick Roshon on Nick's Car Blog

This is a REALLY cool mod submitted to me by a reader and all-around cool guy Richard Edwards (aka BigRich). He did this on his car and was nice enough to write-up the process and share it with us. This should work on any B7 including the non-s-line version, but is pictured above in the S-line/S4 bumper.

First, you need to buy an RS6 Grille. They’re not cheap, especially here in the US, but if you search on eBay or call your dealership they can be found.

Next you need to cut the RS6 grille away from the surround. I used a small hack saw blade and taped it up with some insulation/electricians tape so I didn’t go cutting myself! Alternatively, a Dremel would work nicely to cut the mesh out quickly & easily, just be sure to make clean, straight cuts.

Once complete, you should have a large sheet of mesh, as pictured above.

Once you’ve removed the grill from the surround, you need to do the exact same with your A4/S4 grill, its recommended you purchase a spare grill to do this to in case you mess up and need to refit you old one.

When you’ve got them seperated, start to marry them together. You might want to take the chrome surround piece out of the grille (but leave the rest of the backing in place) to make sure it doesn’t get scratched. You’ll need to trim the edges of the RS6 grille but this is trial and error so be careful. The RS6 grill is bigger but only by a bit around the edges, so you’ll have to trim quite a bit from the bottom as the RS6 grill as it has a deeper bottom to it than the A4/S4, but again its trial and error so still be careful.

Once you feel it looks good and fits tight………Glue it, yes that right glue it! I used super glue to get most of the edges started and then once it felt good, I went over it with Sikaflex, which is a black silacone-like substance. It takes a while to cure but once it does it sticks for a long time. Here is a close-up of the glued together areas as a reference:

You can use what ever you want to stick it together and I’m sure there are many easier and better substances that would do the job, but this worked for me and looks good.

Once the glue has fully dried, just refit the surround which while it’s off you could paint or you could wrap it like I did with mine in carbon. If the RS6 grill didnt come with the audi rings, your old ones from your A4/S4 should fit on (mine did).

Whilst you have the bumper off you may need to spray the bumper beam/crash bar going across behind the grille, otherwise it will stick out and not look as nice.

And there you have it! Thanks again to Richard for the write-up on this one.

How to fit an RS6 Grille on a B7 A4, S4 or RS4 (All Mesh – No Filler Plate) is a post from: Nick Roshon on Nick's Car Blog

I was going to wait until after I got coilovers installed, but I got the itch to install my 19″ BBS CH Black Editions wheels this weekend and went ahead and gave it a shot. Normally I strongly recommend doing suspension before wheels, as it will make the wheels look 10x better, but at the same time it was killing me to just have a set of 19″ wheels sitting in my house unmounted. I also saw this thread on Audizine and saw a few cars on stock suspension but 19″ aftermarket wheels that didn’t look too bad, so I gave it a shot.

I LOVE how the color combo worked out and I’m so excited to see how the car looks with a proper suspension. Unfortunately I do think the aftermarket wheels accentuate the awkward stance of the stock suspension, particularly that the rear sits lower than the front. Aesthetically speaking, cars usually look better when the front is a tad bit lower than the rear, not the other way around. I am going to try taking the rear spare tire out to see if that maybe evens the ride height out a little bit between front and rear. Right now my front suspension looks high enough to run over a Toyota Prius, haha. Here is the before picture for comparison:

What do you think? Should I put the stock wheels back on until I get an aftermarket suspension installed? Or should I just keep rolling around as-is?

19″ wheels on stock B7 Audi S4 Suspension is a post from: Nick Roshon on Nick's Car Blog

I just finished installing HID/Xenon Fog Lights on my B7 Audi  S4 and it was super easy! The only tool you need is a T25 Torx bit and a pair of hands and you’re ready to go. I was worried I would have to remove the front bumper to do this, but luckily that was not the case. It took about 30 minutes to install the HID kit and is something that even a beginner DIYer should be able to tackle.

The HID kit I chose for my B7 (2005.5-2008) Audi S4 is made by XenTec and uses “slim” ballasts which makes them super easy to mount. The kit is about $40 which is pretty affordable, and you can pick a variety of colors depending on how bright you want them. I went with 6000k which is a nice, crisp white like the OEM bulbs. You can buy the kit from Amazon using the link to the right.

Below you’ll find a step-by-step guide on installing the HID kit on your B7 Audi A4 or S4.

Step 1 – Remove Fog Light Grilles

Locate the two tabs along the upper-inside edge of the grille. You can see one pictured above and the next pictured below. Pull downward on the tabs to release and then gently pull the grille away from the car and it will pop out.

Once the grille has popped off you can see each tab as pictured below. Place the grille aside as you’ll reinstall it later.

Step 2 – Remove the Fog Lights

Next remove the fog lights themselves by removing the three screws pictured above. They are T25 torx bits and simply unscrew like a normal screw would. Once the screws are removed the glass housing will pop out and you can then remove the halogen bulb by pressing in the tab and pulling the wiring off the back of the bulb.

Step 3 – Connect the HID ballast & bulb

Next, you can install the HID kit. The OEM factory wiring plugs into the back of the ballast, then the wiring coming out of the ballast plugs into the bulb, matching the red wires and black wires to each other, as pictured below:

Next insert the bulb into the housing and turn clockwise to lock it in. Once locked in, turn the fogs on real quick to ensure all of the connections are solid before screwing the fog light housing back into place. If the fog light doesn’t light up, check your connections and wiring to make sure nothing is loose or mis-matched.

Step 4 – Mount the HID Ballasts and Reinstall Everything

The HID kit comes with double-sided tape to mount the ballasts with. Stick the tape to the plastic side of the ballast (not the metal side) and then find a place to tape up the ballasts. Make sure the metal side of the ballasts are not touching any plastic as it gets hot enough to melt plastic. I mounted the drivers side as pictured above, and the passengers side as pictured below.

Step 5 – Admire Your HID Fogs

The difference in light output & color is huge! I took a few shots to compare before and after with the drivers side having the HID kit installed, and the passenger side being the OEM halogen bulbs. It’s quite the difference, and these photos don’t even do it justice.

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the light output:

Any questions? Let me know in the comments below…

HID Fog Lights on a B7 Audi A4 and S4 is a post from: Nick Roshon on Nick's Car Blog

Upon purchasing my 2006 S4, one of the first things I noticed was all of the annoying chimes! I had eliminated them through VAG-COM on my A4, but moving to a new car meant all of my VAG-COM mods were gone. This annoyance didn’t last long, as I plugged my handy VAG-COM cable from Ross-Tech into my car’s OBDII port and started changing codes. If you don’t have a cable, try to find a friend with one, invest in one yourself, or see if your local Audi/VW tuner can change these settings for you. The cable is a little expensive $300 to purchase, but also comes in super handy if you ever retrofit anything (like Recaro seats, navigation, bi-xenons, or any other parts your car didn’t originally come with) or you need to diagnose any check engine lights, reset the service light, or otherwise alter your cars’ settings.

VAG-COM Mod #1 – Disable Seatbelt Chime

Open VAG-COM and go to Components – 17 – Instruments

Change the second to last digit from whatever it currently is to a 0. The 0 will disable all seatbelt chimes. This doesn’t have any impact on the airbag system or effectiveness of your seatbelt, it simply removes the annoying “ding ding ding” noise you hear. I still highly recommend wearing your seatbelt at all times, no matter how short of a distance you’re driving, but this makes it so the chimes don’t occur if you’re just sitting in the car testing out a new mod or just letting the car warm-up first.

VAG-COM Mod #2 – Remote Windows Up/Down

Go to Components – 46 – Central Convenience and select “Coding.” Add 64 to whatever number appears – in my case, it was originally set to “11836” so I added +64 and got to “11900” as the correct number.

After this is complete, you can now roll down your windows by pressing and holding the unlock button on your key fob. Likewise, to roll the windows up, press & hold the “lock” button on your keyfob. You can now remotely control your windows! This mod is excellent as an Arizona resident, so I can let the hot air begin to dissappate before entering the car. To get extra range on the key fob, hold the key fob to your chin as you press the button and your body acts as an antenna, increasing the distance at which it can communicate with the car.

VAG-COM Mod #3 – Lamborghini Navigation Screen

This one is kind of fun – some may love it, some may hate it, but I dig it. You can change the “welcome” screen of the navigation to show the Lamborghini emblem rather than the Audi emblem when you first start-up the car. The RNS-E unit in the B6/B7 Audi S4 is actually the same as the Lamborghini Gallardo, so with a simple change of settings in VAG-COM you can trick the navigation unit to think it’s in a Gallardo!

To change this go to  Components – 37 Navigation – Coding. You then can change the second digit to a “1″ to set the navigation to Lamborghini settings. You can set it to a 3 to change it back to Audi.

Additional VAG-COM Mods

Ross-tech has a few other mods for the B6/B7 platform, which you can check out here: http://www.ross-tech.com/vag-com/cars/audiB6.html

Must-Have VAG-COM Mods for B6 and B7 Audis is a post from: Nick Roshon on Nick's Car Blog

Today was a big day! I’m now the proud owner of a 2006 Audi S4. When I first saw her, I knew I had to buy it…she was everything I was looking for and then some. The vitals:

• 6 speed manual transmission (my first must-have)
• brilliant red (my second must-have)
• platinum silver interior
• RNS-E
• only 24,000 miles!

I knew looking for a red S4 in manual was going to be tough, then when I found one with ridiculously low miles, I acted quick. A big thanks to Brian McCauley at Audi North Scottsdale for an amazingly easy & hassle-free transaction.

To top off the excitement of buying the car, I was lucky to have some of my closest friends (who also happen to be Audi-philes) come with me and turn the car buying process into a full day affair of driving and chatting about cars. Thanks Matt, John, Craig, Fran and of course my girlfriend Moira for tagging along!

Me (Left) getting the keys to the S4!

There will be much, much more posts and pictures of this car, but I wanted to post something ASAP to share my excitement.

The Next Chapter: Brilliant Red B7 S4 6MT is a post from: Nick Roshon on Nick's Car Blog

It’s no secret that one of the reasons Audi cars rank so highly as performance vehicles is their engines. In addition to being used in the Audi-branded vehicles we all know and love, however, the automaker’s powertrains have also been used in other performance cars over the years.

Among the interesting and exotic vehicles powered by Audi engines are the 1989 Zender Fact 4, a concept car that was fitted with the same 3.6-liter 4-valve-per-cylinder twin-cam V8 that was used in that year’s Quattro sedan, a German sports car known as the Gumpert Apollo (which also used a V8 engine, though this time it was a 4163 cc bi-turbo, intercooled version), and the Spyker C8 Aileron, which comes equipped with a 290 horsepower 4.2-liter V8.

This week, however, Audi engines – and Audi cars in general – made a leap in a different direction. The London-based corporation Limo Broker has announced the creation of the fastest limousine in the world, and it’s basically a super-powered, stretched out, Audi R8.

While it’s not yet available for actual use, the Audi R8 limousine will be built to street-legal specifications, sporting the same 5.2-liter, 525 horsepower V-10 engine in the standard R8, which is said to accelerate from 0 to 62 miles per hour in a mere 3.9 seconds, and reach a top speed of 197 mph. The stretch limo doesn’t yet have any official test results, but it seems likely that it will break the current speed record (held by a Ferrari limousine) of 0-60 mph acceleration in 6 seconds, with little trouble.

Speed, of course, is just one aspect of the Audi R8 stretch limousine. Inside, there is room for eight passengers, seated in three rows of red-upholstered bucket seats that face forward. Other features include gull-wing doors (reminiscent of retro DeLoreans) for the second and third rows of seats, with conventional doors for rows one and four. The limo will likely be fitted with the same R-tronic automated manual transmission system found in conventional Audi R8s, but there is no final word on whether it will also have the Quattro all-wheel drive.

Who had the bright idea to build this super-limousine? According to Limo Broker, which says at least one stretch R8 should be available to rent in about three months, it’s being manufactured by Carbonyte UK, the very same automaker that built the Ferrari 360 limousine mentioned above.

We’re not sure if more than one stretch R8 will be constructed, but we do know that finding cheap car insurance for such a unique vehicle is likely to be a challenge.

Coming Soon: The Audi R8 Limo – The Fastest Limousine in the World is a post from: Nick Roshon on Nick's Car Blog

Photo of a leisurely drive in my father's 1939 Rolls Royce Wraith

Nowadays, driving is seen as more of a chore than a pleasure to some. Heavy traffic and hectic schedules means motoring is about getting from A to B as quickly as possible; the glamorous early years of the horseless carriage have been left on the lay-by like so many empty crisp packets. Far from dressing up in a sumptuous dust coat to take the car out for a spin, functional clothes like comfy trainers, elasticised waistbands and non-wrinkle shirts rule the roads.

But you the car aficionado – with a nice car and fashionable aspirations – don’t surrender yourself to slobbing behind the wheel while you wait for the lights to turn green. Why not inject a little old-school pizzazz into your driving get-up, and go? Your daily commute will seem like a winding drive down the French Riviera if you’re dressed the part – and who knows, it might inspire you to patch up your old banger and go on a proper jaunt on some unknown roads on the Continent. Grab yourself some European breakdown cover, a dapper companion and a few classic driving accessories:

1. Scarf

How to look like a 1950s pin-up babe while cruising in a convertible? Wrap a scarf gracefully over your delicately styled coif before heading out, adding a pair of large dark sunglasses if conditions are bright. Bold patterns on sultry silks will nicely offset that slick of scandalous red lipstick you’re wearing.

Wear while driving: A soft top – if your car has a roof, it’s not only pointless viz. protecting your hairdo, it’s self defeating in terms of trying to look cool. Anyone catching a peep through your driver window is going to think you’re an old lady.

2. Driving gloves

The ideal pair will have soft kid leather, popper fastenings and external seams. Get some that fit tight around the palm but loose around the fingers – glove lovers say you’ll get a better feel for the road and they’ll stop sweaty palms slipping on the wheel (this should be considered a bonus, really, as their true purpose is to make you look like a suave sophisticate). Make sure you’ve used a route planner before you set out: SatNavs can ruin the retro vibe, not to mention it can be tricky to work the fiddly buttons with leather-clad fingers.

Wear while driving: Driving gloves are a sexy addition to any road user’s wardrobe but look exceptionally good when clasping the wheel of old fashioned roadsters, like Hudsons or MGs.

3. Aviator sunglasses

These shades were originally intended for use on high-powered machines, at high altitudes, in high glare – and they give you the air of someone who’s complete mastery over their machine. Since Tom Cruise first went Maverick by wearing them on the road rather than in the clouds, Aviators have been the go-to accessory for the understated yet totally rock ‘n’ roll rebel speedster.

Wear while driving: Larger machines, like Hummers and VW vans. You’ll look potent, intimidating – in control of a both a mighty motor and your own destiny.

4. Driving hat and goggles

A style exemplified by Mr. Toad in Wind and the Willows, the ‘driving hat and goggles’ look is not to be attempted by the faint hearted. Either go for a flat cap or a saucy over-the-ears number – then, find a pair of dark-rimmed leather goggles with thick enough lenses to protect you from the flack your wheels throw up. Accessorise with a beaten up bomber jacket or a racing jacket (see below) and throw a pale white scarf casually around your neck for a devil-may-care, caddish appearance.

Wear while driving: Convertibles, unreliable old bangers with engines that tend to smoke

5. Racing jacket

Give your car the illusion of speed by wearing a thick racing jacket – whether you’re stuck in traffic or on the school run, remember that pace is a state of mind. Decide between an old school leather style or a bright, hi-tech fabric creation (see Ryan Gosling in Drive) – and make sure you find one that nips in at the hips and wrists to stop unpleasant drafts.  For ultimate style props, find a design that matches the brand of your car and have a racing seatbelt installed.

Wear while driving: Any car that’s capable of over 30mph.

 This is a guest post from Green Flag, the automotive (and fashion!) experts in Europe.

Top 5 driving accessories: What to wear when you’re on the road is a post from: Nick Roshon on Nick's Car Blog

A recent press release from the German car company shows that Audi achieved its highest ever American annual sales by thanksgiving weekend. The company surpassed its previous sales record of 101,629 which was set in 2010. With under a month remaining the car manufacturer are expected to do well over the Christmas period, which will add further to the impressive sales figures.

This new record marks the second time the Audi brand has beaten the 100,000 sales mark since it first established the American side of the business more than 41 years ago. Audi has been setting records throughout the year – the company surpassed expectations every month so far this year. The American market for Audi models has been gaining momentum in recent months and December is expected to be similarly profitable. Audi announced in the same release that they believe that they will see an 11th record month when the full November sales totals are reported later this week.

The company also established another new record with its certified pre-owned car sales. Sales of pre-owned cars through the end of the Thanksgiving weekend amounted to 33,102 vehicles, which demonstrated an increase of 32% compared to a year earlier.

 ”The Audi momentum story began a few years ago with the restructuring of our U.S. business model and the steady arrival of exciting new models that have captured the imagination of the American premium car customer,” said Johan de Nysschen, President, Audi of America. “Through precarious economic conditions, we have held fast to this plan along with our dealers who have devoted record levels of investments in their franchises.”

The German car company has been making significant gains in the American car market. They are expected to do similarly well next year. The cars are well known to be stylish, reliable and good value. So it is no wonder they are taking the American market by storm.

Well done, Audi!

Audi Takes America by Storm is a post from: Nick Roshon on Nick's Car Blog