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Interested in getting in touch? I’d love to hear from you. Please email me directly at cars @ nickroshon.com for any inquries. You can also tweet (@NicksCarBlog) or Facebook me (www.facebook.com/nickscarblog) if you don’t hear back from email.

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Thanks,
Nick

42 Comments

  2. Nils,
    That car looks great! Love the sprint blue color, it’s one of my favorites – the Nitto NT555s are great tires, it has a manual, it was recently detailed, and the owner has recent receipts. That makes it sound VERY solid, and also like the current owner appreciated the car. It also fits well within my B7 buyers guide. The mileage is technically considered “low” for the age of the car, although it’s inching up on 100k which is probably why the buyer wants to sell.

    In terms of the price, KBB has the “very good” price at $9994 and excellent at $10397. Although it has new tires and a somewhat rare color, I don’t see much other reason why it’s worth more than book value, especially since that warranty has expired. I would definitely negotiate here, it’s a beautiful car but a bit expensive. If he or she is motivated to sell, they’ll come down in price or it may sit for a while. It sounds like the owner appreciated it, so maybe they have a personal attachment…hard to say. i

  3. Hey Nick!

    I came across your Website yesterday and i read every single Post of all 29 Sites. Your S4 is exactly what I want to build up on my own Audi A4 B7 3.0 TDI Sline Quattro. Your Car is so beautiful in every single case, it’s also my new Desktop Wallpaper at home and at work so I always get a smile looking on it and also working on the TODO List! Your Guides are insane and I will do the blacked out headlights with the CleanMod and all that stuff. Basically I just want to say THANK YOU for this great site and I also started to post your blog on Audi Tuning sites and they all love your modifications!

    Greetings from Austria,
    Mario

  4. Thanks Mario – appreciate the kind words and glad you found the site helpful! Definitely be sure to bookmark and subscribe, there is plenty more coming!

  5. Hey Nick, your B7 is beautiful. Love the website. I have a 2007 S-line a4 that I’ve been slowly upgrading and modding, I saw that you like myself have the tipTronic transmission. as well as the Apr stage 2 tune. I was looking at getting just the stage one flash from Apr but I’ve read the CVT transmissions can’t handle the power. Did you ever have see any issues with your transmission after the Apr tune and the increased torque and horsepower? I’ve been wanting to get the tune for so long but don’t want to ruin my transmission. thank you so much, I look forward to a response.

  6. Hi Matt – I had the APR Stage 2 tune on my CVT for two years and didn’t have any issues, even after multiple track days, but it is true that transmission can’t handle too much power and is very expensive to replace. I wouldn’t add any more power than Stage 2, keep the stock turbo, and try not to be too hard on the transmission with long track days or repeated abuse/heavy driving without time for it to cool down. Even then it’s still a little bit of a risk, but a manageable one IMO. Part of the reason I upgraded to a B7 S4 was to not have to worry about the CVT transmission breaking.

  7. Thanks for the information Nick, I really appreciate it. So I have another quick question, I have 034 HFC that will be arriving tomorrow and I plan on installing this weekend. I’ve looked around for some DiY’s but most are for the manual and I read it’s different for the bigger Cvt transmission. Just looking for a good detailed DIY, Any help would be greatly appreciated.
    Thank You.

  8. Hi Matt – I had my test pipe installed professionally so I don’t have a DIY or any tips on how to do that – I hear its a huge PITA so I didn’t even attempt it. I think my shop charged me 4 hours for the work but said it actually took longer due to how little space there was with the automatic/CVT transmission to get in there.

  9. Ya that’s what I’ve heard. My shop quoted me at 4 hours as well. I Just would rather save that money towards something else. So I’m gonna go ahead and try it this weekend. Luckily my buddy that’s helping had a big turbo Jetta so he’s pretty familiar with that engine. I’ll let you know how it goes.
    Thank you.

  10. Hey nick- great blog. I want to fit the logo puddle lights to my b7 special edition but the doors don’t have any lights in them just reflectors. Can’t find a diy anywhere on how to wire them up. Any help would be much appreciated.

  11. Are you sure you’re looking in the right place? There should be lights along the bottom of the door, I’m pretty sure all models have these.

  12. Not all euro models unfortunately. It has an indentation in the plastic where it should be and the one on the side has a red reflector instead of a light. My mates b7 is the same. I think they are an extra from the factory here in Europe even on my sline special edition which kinda sucks.

  13. Hey Nick, just a couple questions. I recently got my 034 HFC installed. I also have a custom magnaflow exhaust, and it’s time for some new spark plugs. I was wondering if you had any suggestions with the specific mods that I have. I eventually wanna get the Apr Tune and the Carbonio Cai but as of right now all I have is the exhaust and HFC. I ordered spark plugs of ecs tuning before I got my HFC and they didn’t really seem to be right. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. My other question is your opinion on coilovers. I’m going to upgrade my suspension this summer and I can’t decide between these two different sets:

    http://shop.achtuning.com/Vogtland-GT1-Coilover-Kit-for-Audi-B6-and-B7-A4.aspx

    I like these because of the warranty and that they are German made.

    http://www.redline360.com/bc-racing-coilovers-audi-a4-s4-S-02

    and i’ve heard these are some of the best you can get for $1000 but I haven’t seen a lot of Audi’s with these coils. What do you think?
    thanks!
    Matt.

  14. Hi Matt – I never messed with the spark pulgs on my A4, I kept the OEM ones, so I’m afraid I can’t help there – but the tune & CAI sound like good next steps! You shouldn’t really need to upgrade your plugs for just these mods (Stage 2, as APR calls it), but if they need replaced anyway then perhaps it’s worth looking into further.

    In regards to coilovers, I’ve heard good things about Vogtland, not as familiar with the BC racing ones. Also check out ST Suspensions (KW’s budget line) and have a $100 mail-in rebate through the end of May: http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php/650294-ST-coilovers-with-a-100-mail-in-rebate-for-the-month-of-May. The Solowerks coilovers are actually supposed to be pretty decent too for the price, my local shop has installed a few sets and have been impressed with them, and they’re usually pretty snobby about “budget” parts.

    Good luck, Matt!

  15. Nick,

    Thanks for all the great information.

    I was hoping I could ask a couple questions.

    My 23 year old son just bought a B7 A4, I think it’s a 2006. He did this without any help or advice from dad. As you can imagine…being a parent…I have a lot of advice 🙂

    His car came without an owners manual, and has a few small problems. I’m trying to research those issues but I can’t figure out what keywords to use when searching for solutions on different forums. An example; his car is a 6 speed auto, it won’t up-shift in manual mode, everything else about the transmission is good. It feels like an issue related to a switch. I don’t have a clue what the tranny is called to start diagnosing and researching.

    So…my questions;

    1. Where would I find all the info related to this car? I have a BMW, I use the last 7 of my vin at realoem.com and I get the build date and all parts data broken down to schematics and part number and name. Is there something like that for an Audi?

    2. Where is the best place to find a replacement owners manual? I would assume eBay.

    3. What would you recommend as the best Audi forums to do research?

    Thanks again for all the great advice. Had the boy waited half a second and let his dad help, I’m sure I would have come across your site. You could have a saved us/him from some very costly mistakes.

    Thank you

    Mike
    Portland, Oregon

  16. One more question…

    Is there an OBDII code reader specific to an Audi?

    I have one because BMW use codes specific BMW.

    Thanks again

  17. Hi Mike!
    Here’s some recommendations:
    1) not sure of any site like that for Audis, I’d suggest the owners manual, a Bentley manual, or just Google for starters
    2) Yeah, eBay is probably your best bet, dealership charges an arm and a leg…
    3) Audizine.com is definitely the best (and most widely used) forum and you can find a ton of info there…
    4) Yes, a VAG-COM cable is what you’re looking for. The best option is made by a company called Ross-Tech and runs about $300

    I haven’t heard of the specific issue you’re describing before, that is quite odd. The B7 A4 is a great car though, he’s going to enjoy it. Check out my B7 Buyers Guide for other common things to look out for like the cam follower: https://www.nickscarblog.com/reviews/b7-audi-buyers-guide-2005-5-2008-audi-a4-s4-rs4

  18. Hello Nick,
    I love your page! I have concerns about buying a used 2008 Audi 2.0T A4. I have never own an Audi and I have no idea what to look for in a car. The price is great and it only have 54,000 miles. What are your recommendations for me to do in the car? All the maintenance record are in order. Here is the website of the car I am looking to buy http://www.raisor.com/Used-2008-Audi-A4-20T-Lafayette-IN/vd/28486484

    Do you think the price is right? Should I do any maintenance? or Should I request the dealer to do a maintenance check? I am assuming the dealer did an inspection already. Any recommendations are welcome!!!

    Have a great day

    Thank you for your time
    Marisol

  19. Hi Marisol,
    Looks like a nice find. Check out my B7 Buyer’s Guide for common things to look for: https://www.nickscarblog.com/reviews/b7-audi-buyers-guide-2005-5-2008-audi-a4-s4-rs4 – in terms of maintenance, you can always have a third party dealership do a Pre Purchase Inspection (PPI). I’m sure the dealer selling it will tell you it has already been done though, but if you have any doubts take it to an official Audi dealership for an impartial run down of any potential issues.

  20. Hey Nick ! I have saw ur a4 b7 DRL headlights post . May I ask u something for drl .
    My headlights is Xeon but my drl is not work only city light n xeon work …is tht any country code I need to change ??

  21. Hi Winston – DRLs only come on when your main headlight beam is off. They should be “running” during the daytime when your headlights aren’t on. There is a switch on the dash next to the headlight switch that says DRL and there is a 0 and a 1 setting. You’ll want to turn it to the 1 setting for it to be on, then it should come on anytime the headlights aren’t on.

  22. Nick, I just purchased an audi a4 2.0T and am wondering what a good automatic starter for it would be as well as what would a good navigation/backup camera system be?? THanks!

  24. Hi Nick, I bought my second B7 A4 manual avant (2008 titanium s-line) only 5 months ago, but we are a family of five plus a dog, and my love for the cars outdid my common sense for the purchase. I need to sell one and get a bigger second car for carpools and am having to let go of the nicer one because I am pretty sure I will get crushed on the 2005.5 (I bought that one used in early 2014). I have put over $3k in the newer one (preventative maintenance: timing belt change, carbon clean-out, major service with replaced filters, etc, a new cam follower and more) and am looking to sell it for what I paid ($17.9k). I know because I have two of them that the 2008 is in killer shape–as perfect as possible on the inside contradicting its 87k miles and it was in CA before Boston, so this is its first winter (no corrosion underneath). I am not in a rush to sell it (I don’t have the replacement yet, but could live without it for a couple of months if I were able to sell it right away). Any tips on the best location to sell this kind of car? Someone not looking for manual or titanium will flinch at the price, but when I’ve seen similar cars, they seem to go for similar prices. As it is, with the repairs I’ve done and shipping it across country, I’m taking a bath on this deal! Any input welcome. I’ve bought them twice and did fine there, but this is my first time selling one. I wish, I wish I could keep this car but I will have to start strapping kids to the roof for carpool ;). Thanks for your help.

  25. I would start with enthusiast forums: Audizine, Fourtitude, and VWVortex all have classifieds and those are the type of people who are more likely to pay a premium for a MT Titanium Avant in White (definitely some unicorn options!). The cheaper car might move quicker and personally I’d keep the nicer one for myself, but totally understand you have to prioritize things. eBay Motors is another option that tends to do better for rare or more desirable/hard to find cars, although I’m not sure a B7 A4 Avant is quite highly-desired enough for it to work…typically that works better for collector cars, but maybe worth a shot? Next up I’d try Autotrader and then down the line from there…

  26. Hi Nick, I recently took on the task of replacing my valve cover gasket and will need to replace the round seal at each plug location on the valve cover. The seal is now very brittle and will need some help as to how to remove them, any suggestion would be greatly appreciative.

    2007 S4 Avant

    Thanks,
    Tam

  27. Sorry Tam, I’ve never done that procedure so I don’t really have any tips to offer. If you ordered the parts through JHM you could maybe give them a call and see if they had any pointers?

  28. Hey Nick, wondered if I could get your advice on exhaust. Running a Miltek, resonator d, Miltek cc mod. Still not liking the sound. Too quiet. Looking for an aggressive louder sound. Any suggestions on mufflers? Thanks

  29. Hi Bill – what engine do you have? How loud are you looking for? I really like JHM/Fast Intention’s exhaust options, but if you’re just looking to swap out the mufflers than Magnaflow makes some great mufflers that are pretty affordable and should increase sound.

  30. Hi nick. I have a 2011 Audi A4 Quatrro. I want to upgrade my halogens with and HID kit. The one I’m looking at is the opt7 with canbus ballast. Would I need relays and capacitors? Also, did you have to alter or modify the headlight housing any way? I noticed a rubber housing seal and wasn’t sure if you needed to make a hole in it to fit the wiring. I’m trying to do without alters if possible. Also, after seeing your blog on the fog lights HID upgrade, I noticed the originals are H11L’s. I couldn’t tell if you replaced them with HID H11’s or H11L’s. Does it make a difference? If you did go with the just the H11’s did you have to alter the housing? Thanks.

  31. For my fogs I just did standard H11s, I think the L just means low beam but it doesn’t really matter for HIDs.

    For the headlights anytime you go from halogen -> HID you’ll need at a minimum ballasts in addition to bulbs, as well as the wiring (relays) to power the ballasts. Usually this all comes as part of an HID kit. You shouldn’t need to modify anything, but your headlights will blind everyone since you don’t have a built in projector to focus the beam. I’d recommend going for OEM housings, bulbs and ballasts for the best look, but I know this is much more expensive than what you were planning for. You could also retrofit a projector lense from https://www.theretrofitsource.com/

  32. Hey nick, lots of good information. I had a question regarding performance parts. I have a 2008 audi a4 2.0l, and was wondering what I should buy first; cold air intake, exhaust, or the tune. thanks man.

  33. Tough call – they all work best together. Tune will have the biggest impact, but if you do intake, exhaust and test pipe you can get a “Stage 2” tune that will give you more power, but you can’t go Stage 2 unless you have the other parts. I think most companies only charge a small fee to update. The intake and exhaust sound cool so they aren’t bad places to start, but the tune is great.

  34. Hi Nick, enjoy your blog. Advice please… I am wanting to buy an Audi RS4 B7. In your opinion what is the most miles on the car you would buy. And what would be the most important areas to consider if buying a high mileage RS4.
    Thanks,
    Marc

  35. Hi Marc – my buddy picked one up with 175k miles on the clock, drove it for a year, never had an issue, and sold it. Nothing in particular to look out for that isn’t already included in my Buyer’s Guide: https://www.nickscarblog.com/reviews/b7-audi-buyers-guide-2005-5-2008-audi-a4-s4-rs4 – if it was well taken care of, that engine is strong and should be in good shape. Maintenance records are key when buying a high mileage car – did they stay on top of oil changes, what major maintenance has been done, etc.

  36. Hi Nick, thanks for the quick response. That is good news. I was looking at a higher mileage due to cost as the low mileage ones are a bit pricey, thought maybe I could find a “deal”.

  37. Hi Nick..I’m looking at purchasing a 2010 Q5 w/ 97K miles. This will be my first Audi to own but my brother has an A6 that he LOVES! It’s being sold at a Hyundai dealership and I plan to take it to an Audi specialist to have it looked over. Assuming they give it the thumbs up, what kind of work and expenses might I be looking at since it’s about to hit 100k? And, do you (or any of your site members) happen to know of a reputable Audi specialist in the Dallas/Ft Worth, Texas area?

  38. Hi Ralph – i don’t have a shop recommendation, but DFW is a big area so I’m sure there is a good VAG (VW/Audi) specialist or two. Does the Q5 you are looking at have the 2.0T engine? That’s a pretty reliable motor if so, shouldn’t have any major watch-outs. Enjoy!

  39. Nick – Hi from Australia. RE. clear lens for turn indicator, do you actually have to remove the Grill & Front Bar to accomplish this?

  41. Nick,

    I just sent you an email asking a specific detail about your S4. I’m not sure if you’re still active, but I’m desperate for an answer that the web can’t seem to provide. How in the world did you remove/replace your C-pillar caps from oCarbon??? I’ve just received mine and with the door panel removed I still cannot figure out how to install. HELP!

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