BlueDog944

I've got a lot of experience with the A4s. First off, the quattro system is AWESOME in the snow! The reason the BMW IX didn't feel right is that it's still biased to the rear wheels. Only Audi and Subaru build TRUE all wheel drive systems when the power is 25% to each wheel all the time.

If you want to mod the car, there ins't much you can do to the 2.8. A simple chip gets the 1.8T motor into and better performace than the 2.8.

In the early cars the 1.8 was rated at 150hp/150tq. 2001 they upped it to 170/170. Adding a chip gets it to 210/240.

There are sport and non-sport versions. Difference is sport has heavier sway bars, stiffer shocks and lower springs. (If you are not sure if the car is a sport version or not, look at the shocks. If they are red, then it's a sport.) Having converted mine from non-sport to sport with all OEM parts and aftermarket springs the difference was night and day.

The weak spot in the A4s is the timing belt. Audi says to service at 100k, but they have failed as early as 60k. So everyone seems to go with doing the service at 60-70k. Audi motor are interfearance motors, so if it goes, it ain't pretty.

The quattro system is maintenance free and I've never heard of one going bad. Only exception is if the car gets towed with 2-up/2-down instead of a rollback, it will seriously screw things up.

UDPride

More good info thanks. I dont think the IX AWD is working AT ALL despite the rear bias in godo working order.. Certainly like driving a Corvette in the snow compared to my departed WRX. I spun the tires in the snow and the fronts didnt move. Hence I think it crapped out on me.

I think I may schlep through the winter and spring with the IX and then find something in the summer. Much easier to shop for cars then.

A4 2.8 would be the cheap route. If I could find a good 2000 S4 with 75K miles for 16K or less Id be real interested. Im not as gaa gaa over the early/mid 90s S4 body style.

If anyone on the Renny knows someone with an S4 for sale between now and this summer, keep me posted.

BlueDog944

AudiUSA.com has a great search tool for Certified Pre-Owned cars. You can search the used car (Audi) inventory of all the dealers in the US. >> http://www.audiusa.com/certified

nickg

www.audifans.com look on there

Jfrahm

As far as I know the E30 325ix had a viscous AWD system, which means that if the clutch and front differential are working, you will get torque to the front wheels. Can you check the AWD clutch fluid?
Jack up one front tire and see if it spins freely. If so, can you see movement in the front driveshaft?
If so, the AWD clutch might be dry or otherwise broken.

http://www.unofficialbmw.com/ftp/bmw/FAQ.15

The ix should be great in the snow, might be sensible to fix it rather than sell it broken in the spring.

-Joel.

UDPride

I dont have a clutch. Its an automatic.

Dont laugh at that if that was a stupid statement.

Wheres the AWD clutch fluid.

Good idea though on the AWD. If its NOT working a single front tire should spin freely right.

Jfrahm

You have a viscous AWD clutch. It's a pumpkin with silicone fluid in it that transfers power to the front wheels. If the front wheel spins freely and the front driveshaft does not turn, you have a bad front differential, bad front driveshaft splines (or maybe a missing front CV axle or something.) If the driveshaft also turns, perhaps no power is coming out of the AWD clutch (fluid all leaked out or generally broken.) It might not be easy to check the fluid, check some BMW resources maybe.

Another 325ix FAQ:
http://home.earthlink.net/~wardellhi...ral/iXfaq.html

Alpine951

checkout www.audiworld.com. You should get a lot of info there also. i have a 1994 90S fwd I grabbed 2 years ago with 130k on it for $2500. Its my winter ride. Now its got 144k on it. Wanted a Quatro coupe but snow was coming and I needed something quick. I just noticed a control arm bushing is shot.

Marc Gelefsky

The A4's are pretty good cars, I have one buddy with a 160K miles on his 97 2.8, it's a solid car.
My S4 has been a good car, but it's like maintaining a 951!
quattro is unstoppable in the slop!

UDPride

if the transfer case ATF fluid was empty would that make the car run like a RWD car? Just looking for possible answers to my problem. If the splines are hosed, that sounds like bad news.

Jfrahm

The transfer case/clutch/whatever you want to call it uses some weird silicone fluid to transfer power to the front wheels. I'm pretty much winging it here, but I reckon if it leaked out (or became quite low on fluid) power would no longer transfer, and some bearings would probably eventually go bad or something similarly expensive and inconvienent. I have heard of 325ix's wearing out the front driveshaft splines, which might not be a huge deal if you fix it (replace driveshaft) before the splines the shaft mates with wear away. I expect there would be some noises up front if this were happening. Another failure mode is losing teeth on the front pinion gear. It would have been noisy for a while until all the teeth were gone, then the front axle might quiet down but not do anything.

No point in speculating, might as well run some tests first.
-Joel.

UDPride

Im looking at this 2001 S4:

Anyone with any opinions? Anyone in Chicago area ever heard of these guys?

2001 Audi S4 for sale

Skip

I've no idea what the prices are around your area, but that'd be a steal for $17k here in the PacNW. Silver over Black is quintessential European car of any make - while a bit cliqué, it's what I prefer. We ended up with Silver over Gray, which is still nice. If that'd been on the lot the day I was out, it'd be mine... ALL MINE!!!

Chris_924s

Chris, Never heard of the dealer, but it's a pretty YUppity area in the western 'burbs.

Keep me in mind if you sell the bimmer. I'm looking for THAT model.

Der Rennwagen

I've been hooked up with the Audi quattro club for the last 10+ years, and we are on our 9th Audi quattro, a 1995 S6. One of the best cars ever made. The 1992-95 original S4 and S6 cars (http://www.s-cars.org) are the bomb. 20v turbo 5 cylinder with 227hp stock. Chip 'em and you've gained another 65+hp. Add in the Porsche designed RS2 goodies and a fat turbo with bunch of other parts, more power, you get the drift. All are 5 speeds and can be upgraded to the 6 speed (01E quattro) gearbox similar to the 01E 968 but quattro of course. These can be had for $5K-12K range all day. Mine has 156k miles and drives like new. Heated leather Recaro Sport seats, 20v turbo, Audi/Bose 10 speaker system, locking rear diff, headlight washers, parabolic lights, 23 mpg, and of course a roosting quattro drivetrain.

Out of the nine Audi quattros I've owned, 2 of these were the famous Audi ur-quattros, 83 and an uber rare 84. These have locking diffs center and rear. Since 89 > Audi dropped in the Torsen center diff and still had the locking rear diff. From 95.5 on they swapped to the Torsen rear as well. The best quattro is a 5 speed, however the tiptronic version is very robust.

The 2001 S4 bi-turbo's rock. The V6 under full boost will send tingles down yer spine, but they haven't come down in price yet.


I'd be happy to help you out finding the right quattro or questions you have, just PM me. Here are some other TRUSTED sources
http://www.andersonmotorsport.com Keith Anderson is the owner. Steve Beddor (many many many time over Ruf owner) has them tune his Sport quattros.

http://www.karquattro.com is a wonderful place to buy them in MN
and of course (i'm partial to this site because I designed the logo over ten years ago)...
http://www.audifans.com

Alas, what do I drive everyday? An early Porsche 944! With a LSD gearbox and good snow tires you just can't beat it in the snow, it steers with such precision, plus it galvanized and so are Audis past 1990. Audi quattros tend to push when driven hard in the snow. Actually the only way to really make a quattro work is to left foot brake the h*ll outta of it and keep the turbo spooled up! Then, you get the four wheel drifts that they are famous for.

Anywho, here's some more holiday fodder for yaa to ponder. My old Amazon Blau 1984 ur-quattro #919 in it's element out racing around >> http://audivideos.com/Events.htm

Thompson
1985 944.1 Club Sport Targa
1995 Audi S6