End of Warranty Check - common warranty claims

[jammy78]

Hi all,

I've owned my S4 for nearly a couple of months and it's coming to the end of its warranty.

I have it booked in for a health check but is there anything I should ask the dealer to look at... I.e any areas the S4 Avant B9's have a common issue / warranty fix?

I've only driven the car once (from the garage), it's been sitting on the drive - so no idea if there's any issues.

Cheers

 

[Exx-on]

I’m assuming this may be a common issue across a lot of the current Audi engines - keep an eye on the coolant level.

My A4 went in for a check when under warranty as it was using/losing coolant which ended up being a leaky water pump (or maybe thermostat). Something to do with a design fault of this part.

Easy one to spot with the lower coolant level and also leftover white marks under the engine where it’s dried.

In fact my car has recently starting losing coolant again and it now not under warranty…


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[hellodave]

Coolant leaks were certainly a common issue on the 2.0tfsi engine.

The petrol S4 has a reputation for chocolate thermostats. Doesn't usually leak everywhere so I don't know how easy it is to spot. First sign is fans running full speed the whole time and temp gauge 1 notch over normal.

Mine suffered from a stuck headlamp washer early on, which was a known issue.

 

[SiPie]

Yup, thermostat housing issues. Close eye on temp and signs of fans remaining on but other than that I’m not sure how to identify.

 

[Nick_B]

I had the coolant leak issue (40 TDI engine) – I think it was the water pump which was replaced under warranty. It was a very slow leak and therefore engine never overheated (topped up as soon as the low warning came on).

I do notice, however, that from time to time the fan runs for quite a while after the engine is switched off – and the engine smells very hot (if that makes any sense!). Have others had this….? I have always assumed it is related to a DPF regen.

 

[DyslexicDog]

I had the coolant leak issue (40 TDI engine) – I think it was the water pump which was replaced under warranty. It was a very slow leak and therefore engine never overheated (topped up as soon as the low warning came on).

I do notice, however, that from time to time the fan runs for quite a while after the engine is switched off – and the engine smells very hot (if that makes any sense!). Have others had this….? I have always assumed it is related to a DPF regen.

I get this - it's likely a regen.

 

[wideboybloke]

I get this - it's likely a regen.

I had the leaking thermostat housing when mine went in for its 4 year service. There were no symptoms so I think it must have been caught at an early stage. No other engine issues, but I had a brake servo failure and I’ve had to have the rear washer fixed twice, which the dealer blamed on using supermarket washer fluid. At the moment I’ve got a worn bush on one of the front wishbones and a worn rear rubber suspension mount, both of which are booked in for repair later this month and under warranty thank goodness.

 

[stuart scott]

Im on my second thermostat in 6000 miles id get yours checked

 

[DyslexicDog]

Im on my second thermostat in 6000 miles id get yours checked

The regen is quite distinct from any overheat. There’s a hot exhaust smell, tons of heat from the DPF and an increased idle.

 

[jammy78]

So after my health check - no evidence that there is any coolant leak but the level was low = need to keep an eye on the level for the next week.

But there is a slight leak from a rear shock - it's "weeping". Was told it's not a warranty job as it's not yet failed!? Is this true, surely there's a fault should the shock be losing a little fluid... it's now only a matter of time until it fails, which would be after the warranty has ended

 

[DyslexicDog]

So after my health check - no evidence that there is any coolant leak but the level was low = need to keep an eye on the level for the next week.

But there is a slight leak from a rear shock - it's "weeping". Was told it's not a warranty job as it's not yet failed!? Is this true, surely there's a fault should the shock be losing a little fluid... it's now only a matter of time until it fails, which would be after the warranty has ended

Would it fail an MOT? If so, I’d class it as a warranty claim.

Sounds like they’re lazy and would rather not deal with the paperwork.

 

[jds_sg]

I had the coolant leak issue (40 TDI engine) – I think it was the water pump which was replaced under warranty. It was a very slow leak and therefore engine never overheated (topped up as soon as the low warning came on).

I do notice, however, that from time to time the fan runs for quite a while after the engine is switched off – and the engine smells very hot (if that makes any sense!). Have others had this….? I have always assumed it is related to a DPF regen.

What you describe is a DPF regen that has possibly not completed fully, hence the fan runs after switching the engine off, is coupled with a hot smell, like burning rubber almost and increased idle speed. If you leave the engine running for a few minutes when it is doing this it will usually return to normal idle once completed. The fan will continue to run after completion.

If you put your hand by the back of the car by the exhaust the gas coming out is noticeably hotter than normal too, but not dangerous, which is a sign the DPF regen is working.

Mine has a knack of deciding to do this within a mile or two of the destination, so you arrive sometimes with the fan on and hot smell!! This is the main issue with diesels these days unfortunately.

 

[Matt]

So after my health check - no evidence that there is any coolant leak but the level was low = need to keep an eye on the level for the next week.

But there is a slight leak from a rear shock - it's "weeping". Was told it's not a warranty job as it's not yet failed!? Is this true, surely there's a fault should the shock be losing a little fluid... it's now only a matter of time until it fails, which would be after the warranty has ended

I've heard differing stories about rear shocks weeping. Mine went in to have a checkover prior to possibly taking out a warranty and they came back saying about their being misting on the rear shock and wanted to charge a small fortune to replace it. I've had a look and cleaned the shock up so I can monitor it and can't see any misting or weeping over 2 months later. Misting of shocks on VAG cars also appears to be normal going off the research I've done and seems to vary from dealer to dealer as to whether they will even mention it or not.

 

[cuke2u]

I kept my A4 2.0ltfsi beyond the normal warranty period. One thing I had done under the extended warranty was the brake servo sensor, common issue if the car isn't used for any length of time. The other thing I would have claimed for was the rear suspension mount as it was an advisory under the MOT, at only 18,000 miles I would consider this to be a fault. See this thread for more information https://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/rear-suspension-mount-corroded.419959/