20th Jul 2013, 11:26

Update: 95,000 miles.

Since my last post I have had the front engine mount replaced, also known as the "snub mount" on Audi forums and "jounce bumper" according to Audi terminology. The old mount was nowhere near failing, but it did have cracks in it, was easy to get to while the front pan was off for oil service, and as usual a good preventive maintenance item to take care of. The part, directly from Audi, was about $20 and the labor was somewhere around $100.

I am continuing to service the car every 7,500 miles with Liqui-Moly full synthetic 5W-40 oil and Liqui-Moly's anti-friction MOS2 oil additive, and it runs beautifully without the excessive oil consumption reported by others.

The BEST thing that has been done since my last post was the addition of a new set of Continental ExtremeContact DWS tires to replace the Hankooks. What an unbelievable difference this has made. This car has never been so smooth and quiet, and the ride is markedly improved as well! The Hankook tires wore very evenly and still had plenty of tread left, but they were always noisy since new and will not be missed.

Otherwise, nothing new to report. The car still drives like new and makes every trip enjoyable.

31st May 2014, 23:11

Update: 105,000 miles.

Since the last post, but not long after it, I did need to replace the A/C compressor and drier because the system's cooling was diminishing at idle. After studying the forums a bit, it seems these cars have somewhat weak compressors and mine actually lasted longer than many usually do. So, this was my first real disappointment with the car, since I have never had to replace A/C components in my other cars, none of which were as new and expensive as this one.

All of that said though, everything else is great with the car. It's been so great, in fact, that I decided to shake up my life by buying something which could potentially ruin me: a 2000 Land Rover Discovery. I am keeping the Audi because it makes a lot of sense to own, but the Land Rover now exists in my life to relieve the still-beautiful and like-new Audi of duties such as trips to the home improvement store, my nomadic moving tendencies, and trips to Tybee Island where parking a pristine vehicle like it can be a risky proposition.

24th Oct 2015, 14:05

Update: 113,000 miles. In an impulsive move, I sold the A4 to a friend to buy a 2014 Volkswagen CC R-Line back in February. The CC was purely an emotional "want" purchase, as the Audi was still in perfect shape and realistically made more sense to keep. The only other maintenance performed on the Audi since the last update (aside from the standard oil services) was a comprehensive replacement of cooling system components, since plastic only has so much of an expected lifespan. I was not experiencing any leaks or problems, but based on what I saw with other VWs and Audis with not too much more age and mileage on them, I decided to be proactive. We replaced the thermostat, the cylinder head flange, water temp sensor, expansion tank, and every hose and line that carries coolant. Basically everything except for the radiator itself (I have tremendous luck with radiators since I keep them flushed and serviced regularly), and the water pump (was replaced with the timing belt a while back).

Overall I was extremely pleased with my ownership of this car. There were some expensive maintenance and repair items along the way, such as the A/C compressor and overpriced ZF transmission service, but aside from the A/C compressor, I never really experienced any PROBLEMS. I spent loads on preventive maintenance, but looking back on it all, a lot of that was unnecessary for my ownership period. It will however, pay dividends for the new owner, and the car should be very sound for at least a 200,000 mile lifespan.