The Long Awaited: The Myth, The Legend, The Douchebaggery

[Sully]

My springs do the same thing, I believe it is full droop combined with shorter lowering springs. But that is just my guess

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[SlimKlim]

I guess if this is going to be my project car I should actually keep up with my project thread. The weekend before last I bit the bullet and went digging for my knock sensors. Normally, as a diseased and hopelessly diehard bmw lover I'll go toe-to-toe with someone that the older cars are actually DIY friendly and assembled in a logical order so a man and his tools can work on his car by himself because 'Murica dammit.

However, to replace these particular sensors, BMW decided to bury them on the side of the head somewhere and put the entire fuel and air deliver system on top of them. It wasn't quite "step 1 remove front clip" but it probably still took me a good 5 hours.

First I pulled the fuel fuse and cranked the car for a while to depressurize the fuel lines. It won't stop fuel from getting everywhere but it will stop you from spraying gasoline in your face. Then I disconnected the battery to avoid welding a wrench to the starter, and got down to the nitty gritty.

You start by dealing with the firewall bullshit. Pull the wipers off, pull the weather stripping off the cowl and lift up the cowl cover to get to the two screws that hold the wiring harness up. Then take the ECU cover off and disconnect it. Then take the 3 nuts off and remove the lower cowl.

Then remove the engine covers and alternator duct, intake, MAF, and throttle body (just push it out of the way). Unplug the coils, remove the bolts on the coil harness and fuel rail and disconnect the front and rear fuel rail.

Then take out the VANOS ground wire, brake booster vacuum line and the weird ass hose that goes into the bottom of the intake. Remove the bolts on the manifold support. Ease the fuel rail up and support it with a piece of string or something.

Now you can take the manifold off, replace the front sensor, remove the bracket that covers the rear sensor and replace that, but don't plug it in all the way.

Stop and take a picture.


Then put it all back together again, let it freak the fuck out when you restart it and it tries to relearn everything, then swear up a storm because you didn't plug the rear sensor in all the way. Pull the codes to check, swear more, drive it to work, come home and shove your right arm in there REAL DEEP LIKE to get to the plug, aaaaaaand you're done.

No sweat.

In other news:

This Saturday I'm planning on rebuilding the variable timing system, then Monday or the weekend after DJ is going to help me install the headers. I've also got some new OEM spring pads on the way in an attempt to fine tune my rear ride height on the cheap. After that I'm debating indulging in a grossly overpriced but oh so euro steering wheel so I don't have to claw at a skinny, ugly, 4 spoke, germ infested thing with half its stitching and none of its leather left.

If I do choose to go for that, I'm going to cut myself off on big money mods while I focus on saving for a daily driver and establishing some savings like a good grown up. I'll still spend time sorting out all the smaller/cheaper projects though, and I might end up doing a lot of paint work on it with my dad, so there should still be some stuff going on.

[ScottyB]

It wasn't quite "step 1 remove front clip"

yeah, you're pushing that line really, really hard :lol: you BMW guys are nuts.

that said, considering the age and mileage, that's not a bad run for a bunch of sensors. i guess now that you have pimpy wheels on the outside its only right to have a pimpy wheel on the inside...

[D_Eclipse9916]

It wasn't quite "step 1 remove front clip"

yeah, you're pushing that line really, really hard :lol: you BMW guys are nuts.

that said, considering the age and mileage, that's not a bad run for a bunch of sensors. i guess now that you have pimpy wheels on the outside its only right to have a pimpy wheel on the inside...

I have yet to replace my knock sensors, I probably need to do that. Mine has 156k miles on it.

[SlimKlim]

It wasn't quite "step 1 remove front clip"

yeah, you're pushing that line really, really hard :lol: you BMW guys are nuts.

that said, considering the age and mileage, that's not a bad run for a bunch of sensors. i guess now that you have pimpy wheels on the outside its only right to have a pimpy wheel on the inside...

Yeah, we're nuts. When I tell people I'm thinking about a 1.8T A4 as a daily and everyone flips out and tells me with a theatrical thousand yard stare about how all the electrical problems will break my spirit and make me sell all my worldly possessions and live in a hut, and I'm like "just..... save it."

I have yet to replace my knock sensors, I probably need to do that. Mine has 156k miles on it.

It might be easier to just wait until the next time the motor is out. :roll: In all seriousness though, mine started to fail gently with lots of warning (like 18 months, lol) so you can probably just wait until you catch the CEL winking at you when you clutch in and then replace them. I could probably bang it out pretty quick on the second go round.

[Sully]

Is the "remove cowl" part really necessary because it doesn't seem like it would be for just the intake so is it because of the knock sensor location?



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[ScottyB]

When I tell people I'm thinking about a 1.8T A4 as a daily and everyone flips out and tells me with a theatrical thousand yard stare about how all the electrical problems will break my spirit and make me sell all my worldly possessions and live in a hut, and I'm like "just..... save it."

well, if it makes you feel any better i never had a single electrical problem with mine. some other things, however...

[WRXtranceformed]

When I tell people I'm thinking about a 1.8T A4 as a daily and everyone flips out and tells me with a theatrical thousand yard stare about how all the electrical problems will break my spirit and make me sell all my worldly possessions and live in a hut, and I'm like "just..... save it."

well, if it makes you feel any better i never had a single electrical problem with mine. some other things, however...

Here at MM, we are quite adept at destroying motors! Scotty I know you and I both are in that club....haha

[SlimKlim]

Is the "remove cowl" part really necessary because it doesn't seem like it would be for just the intake so is it because of the knock sensor location?

Removing the lower cowl gives you an extra inch or two to shove the wiring harness back into. The rear edge of the block sits under the cowl, so you have to finagle the manifold up and out from under it, and you need to be able to push the harness out of the way.

well, if it makes you feel any better i never had a single electrical problem with mine. some other things, however...

So from one car nerd with a high tolerance for pain to another, what was the worst part about owning it? I know the 1.8T loves to wreck ignition coils and go through various sensors. Then obviously the CV boots and stuff are bound to be a nightmare, then bushings, suspension and interior stuff can't be any worse than a BMW...

I get irritated when people act like they are going to teach me a lesson about why I shouldn't buy that car and start with "So I took it to the shop and they....."

[ScottyB]

So from one car nerd with a high tolerance for pain to another, what was the worst part about owning it?

the maintenance, and the way in which the car is designed to be maintained. and by that i mean these things in order of importance of watching out for them and the headaches they cause: sludge, t-belt, control arms. nothing is easy to get at, parts are expensive, and when all is said and done its not worth it for such an ordinary car. maybe an S4 i could understand, but not an A4. i could go on with stories of other PITA "character" traits those things have.

my advice is to look at a later 190hp 2.8 V6 car if you insist on an A4. they are just as fast, only slightly less economical, sound better, drive better, and don't have the sludge problems.

i love audis, and i still love how B5's look and when they run right, they are smooth as silk and have a wonderful suspension. but i'm not going to talk you into one.

[SlimKlim]

Whoops, I meant a B6, I always get mixed up. I like the idea of the little turbah but I would consider a 6spd 3.0. If I wait long enough (like a year) I might be able to swing a B7 (which I think are the best looking A4s ever made) not sure If I'd go with the 2.0 or the 3.2 or whatever the V6 is.

[xvxax]

While I am not in the position to tell you what to do, one of the things I enjoy most about my DD is that it never, ever, ever, breaks. There is never any confusion as to what car is my project, which has been awesome to me so far. While you are mechanically inclined, why set yourself up for that?

[JustinG]

While I am not in the position to tell you what to do, one of the things I enjoy most about my DD is that it never, ever, ever, breaks. There is never any confusion as to what car is my project, which has been awesome to me so far. While you are mechanically inclined, why set yourself up for that?

^^^^^This.

Why I DD a XJ. SHIT DOES NOT BREAK EVER.

[SlimKlim]

When I get close to making that decision I'm going to earnestly explore a LOT of different options. The high falootin' rebadged VW is just my latest whim.

I just don't like driving stuff I'm not into, and as such will get antsy as fuck if I'm in some honda or other vanilla, ultra reliable DD that I hate driving. I'd rather have another car that I love to get into in the mornings, has some nifty features, and if I have to do a little wrenching on it to keep it on the road in exchange for that, then fine. I'm hooked on the Audi most recently because it seems to be a really good buy, gets good mileage, is funnish to drive, but has an excellent ride, heated things, and the interior doesn't feel like ass.

All that being said, this is a minimum of 6 months out, probably a little longer, and there are probably cars that would be (reasonably) reliable that I'd still love to get in and drive to work.

[ScottyB]

the B6 is an improvment over the B5, but the B7 is a whole new ballgame. if you want a VW product, wait to get something with the 2.0T and be done with it. its a fantastic engine.

[SlimKlim]

If I'm patient enough, and save aggressively enough, I could probably swing an early B7. That would definitely be a car I could ask my old boss to look for at auction, and hopefully get a really awesome deal on one. If that's out of my price range I could probably do the same thing with a GLI/GTI. Especially with that DSG, I wonder how those hold up after they've accumulated some miles...

[D_Eclipse9916]

While I am not in the position to tell you what to do, one of the things I enjoy most about my DD is that it never, ever, ever, breaks. There is never any confusion as to what car is my project, which has been awesome to me so far. While you are mechanically inclined, why set yourself up for that?

^^^^^This.

Why I DD a XJ. SHIT DOES NOT BREAK EVER.

+1 (and im the third one to do so). It also means more time you can spend on your fun car.

[xvxax]

I mean, I get where you're coming from but there must be some sort of happy balance between a honda accord 4 cylinder and an audi a4 in terms of fun to reliability ratio. The reason those cars are affordable used is because it is well known that it's in your best interest to run, not walk away from them when they get old enough to become problematic. My .02.

[.RJ]

I really want an A4 or S4 avant. You're not helping. The later 3.2 might be nice too.....

[SlimKlim]

I really want an A4 or S4 avant. You're not helping. The later 3.2 might be nice too.....

Go buy one right now and then in 6 months if you're still alive and financially above water I'll buy one. K thx.