We Are All Human

Yes, it is true. No matter how much we try to change that fact, we are all human and make silly mistakes.

I had such an experience this past week which definitely made me feel quite human. :-) Fortunately only my Audi A4 is worse for the wear with it, along with some grease and dirt on me. What happened? Last Monday, while I work -- I needed to move my car since I needed to carry out a box to my car. As I pulled into the new parking spot, bordered by a cement curb, I was not paying attention and clunk, I hit the tire and rim against the curb.

I jumped out of the car and took a look, fully expecting to have bubbled the sidewall, and possibly have a deflating tire on my hands. Fortunately, it was not that bad, but still...


As you can see in the picture, highlighted in the red, not only did I scrape up the rim pretty badly, but a nice large chunk of rubber was removed from sidewall, but no bubbling or cords were showing in the tire. While it looked bad, the tire seemed to fine stucturally.

Then I thought about it -- the worst part here is that I did not want to drive on this tire for the last 6 months of the lease on this car. Nor did I want to replace all four tires, and only use 15% of them before I turn in the Audi A4 2.0T. What would I do?

I peered into the trunk, fully expecting there to be a mini-wheel for a spare or a doughnut tire that you can only drive 60 miles on. Boy, was I immediately relieved. Not only was there a full sized spare tire inside, but it was a perfectly conditioned rim / wheel as well. I devised a plan to move the "spare tire" to the rear wheel, the rear wheel to the front, and the cosmetically damaged tire to the trunk as a spare. Not only could I avoid buying new tires, but now I was going to avoid having a badly scratched rim on the car.

I drove the car home as it was on Monday evening -- driving slowly just in case there was an issue with the tire. Once I arrived home, it sat in the garage until today, when I changed out the tires.

It has been a long time since I changed a tire on a vehicle. A very long time. Getting the spare out of the trunk and the tools assebled was the easy part. Figuring out how to use the jacks and take the tire off took more effort that I would care to admit.

Firt, the mini-jack that comes with the Audi A4 is a nice, compact package rather than some of the scissor jacks I have used before. It is effectively an angled bar, with a pivot and a crank that needs to be positioned at just the right spot underneath the car.


It took me a few minutes to figure that out.

Then the silliest part occurred. I did not realize, nor had I encountered before a situation where there were plastic covers over the lug nuts. So, I stared at the breaker bar that came with the repair kit, looked at the lug nuts, looked back at the socket size and wondered how this was going to work. After about 5 minutes, I figured they gave you this bent piece of metal and the screwdriver for a reason. I tried to gently pry on the lug nut bolt covers and it moved. Genius, I thought!

(In case you are asking why I did not read the manual, well -- I tried. But, changing the tire is not covered in there, there are some cryptic pictures on the holders for the tire tools -- but they only made sense in retrospect. :-))

I then used the "grabber" or bent piece of metal to remove the covers quickly. 15 minutes later, I had the plan completed -- back tire to the front, front tire into the trunk, and the spare tire was on the rear. The Audi A4 was "just" as good as new.

Another interesting experience for me was that this was the first time I changed a tire where the threads were not attached to the wheel. Rather the lug nuts themselves had the threads on them and the tire (at least until you get the first bolt in) fits into a small groove.

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Audi A4 - Neuspeed Power Is Back!

As I wrote about (and subsequently updated) a few weeks ago -- I took my 2006 Audi A4 2.0T B7 into the Rusnak Audi for the customary 25,000 mile service. While my first impressions were that the Neuspeed Engine Management Upgrade (ECU or Chip) was still present, once I hit the freeway I knew otherwise.

It would be an understatement to say the car felt sluggish. For me, it was one of those -- what happened to my car moments. No question that I am spoiled now -- I had become so used to expecting the power to start in the 2000 RPM range as the turbo spun with the increase horsepower and torque that the ECU upgrade brings. Rather, I was not used to waiting until 4500 RPM or so for the turbo to come to life.

That meant it was time to take it back to Neuspeed (my first experience documented here). I made an appointment a couple of weeks out and in the meantime bared the lack of power on the Audi. While the wait was painful, I did gain about 3 miles per gallon on the couple of tanks of gas I put in. That is about a 10% increase from where it had been -- and with it costing $70 to fill the gas tank, it makes a little bit of difference.

On a Friday morning before work, I returned to Neuspeed to have the ECU softare upgrade reinstalled on the A4. It is important to mention here is that in the case of an Audi Factory recall or ECU upgrade, that Neuspeed does provide a reinstall of the software for free.

After about an hour and a half, I received my Audi back -- and chatted with Aaron again for a few moments. I was mainly interested if at Neuspeed they had heard anything on the new 2009 Audi S4. I have seen the rumors on the Internet that they are talking about bring back the twin turbo V6 engine powerplant to that model which would be an absolute joy for tuners like Neuspeed. While Aaron did not have any specific knowledge yet -- he mentioned that they would love to see that there as with the current S4 series with a standard V8 -- not as much opportunity for mods.

I also asked in terms of my Audi A4 ECU upgrade, if their software had been updated. He mentioned mainly minor stuff, but they had been re-chipping a lot of 2.0Ts from both Audi and VW (Volkswagen) as the A3, A4, Jetta, and Golf share that same powerplant due to upgrades and recalls -- mainly around some of the automatic transmission.

I had also noticed that Neuspeed updated their website for the ECU. It now reflects a total of 257 horsepower rather than the 240 horse that I seemed to remember. Could there possibly be more power?

I drove away and immediately getting on the 101 freeway felt like I had my car back. The familiar spin of the turbos starting in the 2000 RPM range as the A4 raced just a little more quickly towards that 65 mph speed limit. But, did the A4 have more power than it did before?

Tough to say, but I seem to lean towards either changes in the Neuspeed software or possibly now in addition to the factory configured ECU it would seem so. The only evidence I have here is that since I received my car back I have now had an interesting experience twice. What has happened is that on two separate occasions traction control engaged while under throttle in 2nd gear on my front wheel drive A4. It could be due to my tires getting older, but I still have 5k-10k left on these ones so I doubt it.

Regardless, I am glad to have the performance back in the Audi -- even if it does cost me 2-3 miles per gallon on my gas mileage.

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Audi A4 2.0T 25,000 Mile Update

Jiffy Lube and other oil change vendors recommend changing your oil every 3,000 miles. My dad (who worked for Getty Oil & Texaco) always told me that anything less 5,000 miles was unnecessary. Audi recommends this service only every 10,000 miles or after a first service at 5,000 miles. Which brings me to the topic of this post, the 25,000 mile update on my Audi A4 2.0T.

On Monday, I dropped off my car at Rusnak Audi in Thousand Oaks for the service that was due. I make sure to mention that I do have a “chip” or ECU upgrade on my Audi A4 just in case the notice anything abnormal. It helps that Rusnak and Neuspeed have an excellent working relationship. My service advisor mentions that there is a ECU upgrade from Audi, so I may need to have the software re-installed at Neuspeed (no charge) if it happens to wipe it out. The only other major item done at 25,000 is replacing the brake fluid.

A few hours later, I get a call that my car was ready and by the way we had to replace a valve, under warranty. Immediately I was concerned – just a couple of months ago (link here) my turbo bypass valve had to be replaced, which I possibly attributed to the additional boost coming from the ECU upgrade.

Fortunately, the valve issue was quite different – something that my service advisor mentioned was more common on these A4 2.0T’s. Basically, the crankcase breather valve had to be replaced along with the associated gasket – as a whistling noise was detected from the engine during the test drive. Here is the text from the service receipt:

“Whistle type noise coming from engine. Crankcase breather valve sticking. Causing excessive crankcase vacuum and oil leaking from filler cap. Perform GFF. Replace crankcase breather valve.”

When I read this, I realized that when I had the previous problem, I noticed some oil on the top of the engine. So, most likely this was an issue when my turbo bypass valve went causing the check engine light to come on. So it is possible, that this has been an issue for the last 5,000 miles or so.

Let’s just say at this point that I am glad this car is a lease car. And, if I end with a 2009 A4 or S4 model when this lease is up – no question I will get the extended warranty should I decide to purchase it.

Would I have had the problems without the chip? I am not sure, but it seems like the crankcase breather valve is more common than it should be according to Audi.

On all other fronts the car is dong very well. The most exciting part is that I still have over 30% left on the tires. Which, according to Brian – he’s surprised that with the way I drive I did not burn through these higher performance tires in 20,000 miles. It looks like I can make it to the end of the lease without needing to replace them. Exciting!

While I was not able to capture the details about the version upgrade for my engine management system on the A4, I can tell that it did not wipe out the Neuspeed ECU programming. The same power is still there in addition to whatever else Audi decided to add in. I may give Neuspeed a call to see if they want to flash it again – just in case parts of the program need to be adjusted. completely remove the ECU (chipped) programming from my Audi A4. I do need to call Neuspeed and get the programming updated.

But other than the 2nd valve problem in 10,000 miles – the Audi A4 2.0T still looks and runs great. That should not be news, that is what you expect from it just 25,000 miles into the car’s life.

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Audi A4 Fixed w/ Bad Turbo Bypass Valve (BPV) - Under Warranty

Yes, there was a problem with my Audi A4 2.0T. As I had previously mentioned -- my check engine light on my 2006 A4 turned on about 4 weeks ago and then mysteriously turned of early this week. With a scheduled appointment at Rusnak Audi in Thousand Oaks, I still took my car in.

I dropped the car off in the morning, and explained the issue to the service representative. Given the random nature of the engine light turning on and off, they performed a guided fault finding (GFF) to determine the issue. While the GFF showed some issue around the turbo, the turbo itself tested out fine.

However, after a test drive -- engine misfired during the drives and further inspection was done. Apparrently the valve cover on the Turbo Bypass Valve (BPV) had a leak and was causing the issue. The technician replaced the cover / clip on the Turbo Bypass Valve and the problem was fixed.

Perhaps the most concerning yet comical part of the day is that when I called Audi earlier in the day I spoke with another service representative other than the one working on my vehicle. During that conversation he mentioned there was a burnt valve and the engine needed a valve replacement. I did some googling after I heard that and found that a couple of other folks had issues with valves on the 2006 Audi A4's with the 2.0 turbo engine and intermitent check engine lights. Luckily, that was not me as that sort of issue would have been a more extensive and concerning problem with the engine. Luckily, that ended up not being the case.

The good news is that I have the car back -- seemingly with a little more power, which may be the case since the Turbo Bypass Valve (BPV) was leakign out pressure. Also, it could just be a mental thing. The main thing is that there was nothing "major" wrong with the vehicle or engine -- that is great news!

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Audi A4 2.0T Check Engine Light Turns Itself Off

Back on September 8th, I had an unexpected mishap with my little 2006 Audi A4. After some driving on Pacific Coast Highway and entering the Interstate 10 in Santa Monica, my check engine light came on.

Adding to the concern were a couple of items:
1. After I stopped the car and opened the hood to look at the engine, I found around a teaspoon worth of oil on top of the engine -- not being sure if it happened with the incident or had been left there during the last service at 15,000 miles.
2. I have a Neuspeed Engine Management (ECU) upgrade installed on my A4. Of course I was worried that the additional 40 horsepower may have contributed to an issue.

Since I had been up in Mountain View the last three weeks, my car sat in the garage -- not having the opportunity to get it into the dealership, Rusnak Audi of Thousand Oaks. Finally, last Thursday I made an appointment with Rusnak's service department for tomorrow to had the engine light looked into.

Oddly enough, on Monday Ashley drove my Audi A4 to work since I needed her car to pick up Luey from his training. Ashley called me on the way to work to mention that the engine light on the car was no longer on.

One reason that was odd, is that it appears that after 3 weeks of sitting, the computer may have reset itself. I had previously checked the obvious causes for an engine light like loose hoses or more commonly, the gas cap being loose on a newer vehicle. All items were snug and in good condition. The engine light resetting itself was definitely unexpected.

Still, I will be taking my car to the dealership tomorrow to see what they see. My guess is that the on-board computer will have recorded the incident and it can be determined what happened.

Has anyone else had this kind of issue with an Audi A4?

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Audi A4 Road Test at 20,000 Miles - 2.0T FSI B7

It has been another 5,000 miles since I reported in on my 2006 Audi A4 2.0T FSI (B7). It has been a quick 5,000 miles, but has also included a Neuspeed ECU upgrade to provide a "chipped" horsepower of at least 240hp from the little 2.0L turbo engine. I must say that the last 5,000 miles of the car have been the best.

Until mile 20,002 this was going to be a flawless report on the B7 Audi A4, however the Audi started to experience a problem at mile 20,002. As Ashley and I were driving down to Cason, California on September 8th for the Los Angeles Galaxy game, a check engine light promptly came on as we transitioned from Interstate 10 West to Interstate 405 South. Having not heard a thing at the time, I did not know what to think since the car was still running normally.

A quick run through the manual by Ashley while I was driving did not give too much assistance, however it did state that you should stop immediately if the light flashes or turn to red. I pulled over, stopped and hit the 'check' button to have the Audi A4 2.0T cycle through the tests. No issues to report with the engine or cooling system. Good news. The only concerning factor was that there was a little bit of oil on top of the engine. Although, it did no look fresh, seeing that after the issues raises some concerns. However, We continued our trip without issue.

On Monday, I called the dealship, Rusnak Audi of Westlake Village to see what the issue might be and in order to arrange service for the vehicle. After speaking with the service advisor, the assumption is that the issue has to do with an oxygen sensor or some other component of the emissions causing the warning. That since I could not get the car in for a couple of weeks due to travel, it was not a huge concern. Only if the service light starts to flash would the concern continue. Unfortunately the car does not go in for another couple of weeks. It will be interesting to find out what it is and if I am "responsible" since the car now had the Neuspeed ECU modification in it.

Other than this minor issue the past couple of weeks, the car continues to be relatively flawless. The only other news on the car is that there have been no other issues, and the car looks almost better than after the lot after getting the end of summer coat of wax.

I say relatively, because my main issue with the car is something I could have prevented by buying the right model, a quattro. That is really the bottom line, if you are getting an Audi A4 and are going to drive it at all -- get the quattro, there is a huge difference in the handling.

On that last point, has anyone caught the images of the new 2008 Audi A4? The car is stunning, taking several design queues from the Audi A5 line. There is no doubt that in 2009 when the lease on this 2006 Audi A4 is up, I will be eyeing the latest Audi S4 model that will hopefully be introduced by Audi in the later part for 2008!

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Audi R8 drift in a 360 degree circle - getting sideways (Video)

If you've seen these cars in person, you know how special they are. With huge markups and severely limited -- I count myself lucky to occassionally catch two Audi R8's in the Thousand Oaks / Malibu area on the weekends!

Great video of the now world famous Audi R8 V-10 414-hp 4.2 liter engine made an appearance on YouTube in tandem with a Porsche 911 Carrera 4S. To those who questioned it, the Audi R8 is definitely able to get sideways in a hurry. The bright red Audi R8 does some impressive drifting, all around a circle track and maintains the drift for all 360-degrees!

Great slow motion repeat of the entire drift scene. The video starts off with brief drifts of the Audi R8 and the Porsche 911 Carrera 4S.

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Audi RS4 vs. BMW M5 on Russian Highway (Video)

Someone recently sent this video to me and now having watched it several times, I had to post it for everyone to enjoy. It is not that new of a video, posted in late 2005 -- nor is it for the faint of heart. Here is the story.

A BMW M5 is cruising a Russian highway at a pretty quick clip, with a center mounted camera taking in the action. After a few seconds of cruising, the driver approaches an Audi RS4 Avant in the middle of some heavy traffic. The Audi RS4 takes off weaving through traffic and once the open road is spotted -- dusts the BMW M5. In fact, the Audi RS4 goes so quickly ahead of the BMW M5 that it can no longer be seen in the video until the next section of traffic comes up.

The video continues with some crazy traffic driving and in each case on the open road the Audi RS4 Avant pulls completely away from the BMW M5. Enjoy the video!

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Neuspeed ECU Upgrade 2nd impressions - Audi A4 2.0T

This may be the last article I write in the short term about the recent upgrades to my 2006 B7 Audi A4 2.0T FSI front wheel drive car. I have had a couple of weeks with it thus far and feel I have a pretty good handle on the pluses and minuses of the upgrade.

I am still 100% positive on the upgrade. The power increase as well as the consistency in the power delivery through the RPM band is as advertised. It is really how the car should have come and the performance is undeniable.

In addition, the gas mileage has not changed, or better put – has not decreased with the upgrade. While I have seen a slight decrease (5-10 miles) in the miles I get on a tank of premium unleaded gas (running nothing less than 91 on a tuned car), it is because of a change in driving habits rather than a change in the car. I definitely will have heavy acceleration 1-2 times a tank more than I used to and that easily explains it.

The biggest note I should make about the upgrade is that if you have a front wheel drive B7 Audi A4 2.0T, this is the only upgrade you should do to the car. Why? Because the car simply cannot take any more. Putting in a cold-air intake, better exhaust, or other performance parts may result in more engagement of the traction control and understeer.

A few things that I have distinctly noticed thus far:
If I accelerate hard in first around a corner, the traction control engages
If I am on a slight upslope and accelerate hard, the traction control engages

The reality is that with the added horsepower you really should be driving a Quattro. That would enable more consistent power distribution and should help keep the tires glued to the road. In general, that has been the only regret about my car, even before the upgrade – that I did not wait for the Quattro. Rather, the fact that a 6-speed A4 2.0T in black was available in Southern California at all took me by surprise.

The only negative I have on the ECU upgrade with the performance management software is when the engine is cold. What I have found is that in the morning, when the engine is still warming up for the first two blocks that the delivery of power is inconsistent during slow acceleration or driving at less than 25 mph. It causes a little bit surging which is annoying. However, after running for about a minute, the sensations drop. Even when cold, it is only noticeable in first gear and lower RPMs in second gear.

I would definitely advise anyone looking for a little more horsepower to think about getting the ECU upgrade via the performance software for the engine management. Just beware that if you think you can go much beyond that with a front-wheel drive A4, then you would be wasting your money.

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