Just another new guy thread...

[PrimaVW]

After over a month of searching I'm proud to say I'm the owner of a 1999 Casablanca White 2.8 Quattro. I recently traded my Porcelain Blue 98 Jetta 2.0 with 191K miles for this.

It has 116K miles, grey leather interior, and a few other goodies. The main reason I left VW behind after 8 loyal years, is because I was looking for a more refined car. I recently turned 27, and given my career and family, I decided it was time to let go of the VW scene for a while. VW's have treated me well, so Audi was a natural transition, although the prices for parts has me nervous. Ah well.

This is the only picture I have so far. Dat azz


And the Jetta I traded for it


So far the issues I'm discovering with the A4 are
-Needs an inspection
-Exhaust leak
-Missing all lower door trim
-Broken plastic license plate bracket on trunk
-Missing DS headlight washer nozzle cover (do any of the A4's have theirs intact?)
-Front bumper is f*cked
-Missing front lip
-Washer fluid bottle is leaking by pump/no pressure to nozzles
-ABS/Brake light on
-Terrible paint repair job on DS rear quarter, mismatched paint, etc
-Lines on PS hood/headlight/bumper are not matched well

All of this stuff is pretty minor, the motor runs great, and the car feels fresh. The chains and water pump were also done before I got the car. So I'm already chipping away at this. I'm gonna start by thoroughly cleaning the car up and getting the issues resolved. I'm going to document all repairs from the get-go. Unsure if any mods are in order (other than an S4 grille)... we'll see .

Any tips for a new Audi owner is appreciated.

[b5blazing]

Get an rs4 grille not s4 rs4 looks classier.
Obx makes a cheap full catback that sounds good on 30v.
Classifieds for broken missing stuff.
Buff it wax it and buff it again. Deep wax gloss will hopefully help you hide mismatch color

[audixride]

Sounds like you're headed in the right direction!

I'd get the S4 grill over the RS4 grill, the RS4 mesh doesn't match the rest of the lower grills and it looks tacky. S4 grill

[d15nonvtec]

Sounds like you're headed in the right direction!

I'd get the S4 grill over the RS4 grill, the RS4 mesh doesn't match the rest of the lower grills and it looks tacky. S4 grill

I would agree with this

[NeedingAnAudi]

S4 > RS4 when it comes to grills.

If you didn't already know ECS does sell the whole lower door molding set, free shipping on that too

[crazexr7]

casablanca

[PrimaVW]

Thanks for all the advice. I have an S4 grille on the way. Wondering if you guys think it would be a good idea to wet sand? The paint just feels gritty to the touch. I do have access to a buffer, so medium cut and then fine cut can work too, but I think a wetsand will smooth everything out.

I've also found a set of lower door trim pieces. She went in for an inspection tonight, so we'll see

[b5blazing]

Try a clay bar before you wet sand

[newhaus]

great car to start with also nice MKIII

[MarcMiller]

the ABS/Brake light is very common on B5s. Most likely your ABS module is shot. My car is the same way although my PO pulled the bulbs on the dash

[PrimaVW]

the ABS/Brake light is very common on B5s. Most likely your ABS module is shot. My car is the same way although my PO pulled the bulbs on the dash

Well speaking of PO's I'm starting to discover more issues as I go along...

After an attempted inspection, I found I need at least two new tires (although I will probably have to do all four), my upper front left control arm is shot, and apparently one of the ignition coils doesn't like rain.

Oh well...

So far I've acquired:
-lower door trim
-2 key fobs and 2 key blanks
-license plate holder for rear
-headlight washer nozzle cover

What she looks like in the daylight (freshly installed door trim):


I'll be going for exhaust tomorrow... thinking about a custom bent 2.25" setup with borla mufflers, nothing crazy or loud... we'll find out tomorrow

I've gotta say, I'm not used to the monster truck ride height, this thing doesn't like turns lol

[Chuckdee]

I've gotta say, I'm not used to the monster truck ride height, this thing doesn't like turns lol

then you should know what time it is.....Time for Coils! lol But try to do a video of the custom exhaust setup, i was thinking of doing the same thing in the summer.

[PrimaVW]

then you should know what time it is.....Time for Coils! lol But try to do a video of the custom exhaust setup, i was thinking of doing the same thing in the summer.

Nah prolly not... Maybe springs or a cup kit but trying to avoid too many mods. I have a cabrio for the wife we r gonna do up.

[SlimQuattro]

hey man tried to messege you but your inbox is full, here's your tracking number 0312 0090 0001 7822 6221 through usps and should be there thursday. thanks again

[PrimaVW]

hey man tried to messege you but your inbox is full, here's your tracking number 0312 0090 0001 7822 6221 through usps and should be there thursday. thanks again

emptied it thanx.

Striking out with trying to find a stock front lip for a facelife bumper

[crazexr7]

emptied it thanx.

Striking out with trying to find a stock front lip for a facelife bumper

should be no difference between prefacelift and facelift lips.

http://www.ecstuning.com/Audi-B5_A4-...r/Body/ES5538/

[PrimaVW]

Update: Just finished up sourcing some parts for my custom bent catback. Went with a magnaflow 2.25" In & Out muffler, 2.25" OBX straight through resonator, and a Magnaflow 2.25" In 3" Out dual tip. Only set me back $140. Will post pics/video when I get it all installed.

[MarcMiller]

Update: Just finished up sourcing some parts for my custom bent catback. Went with a magnaflow 2.25" In & Out muffler, 2.25" OBX straight through resonator, and a Magnaflow 2.25" In 3" Out dual tip. Only set me back $140. Will post pics/video when I get it all installed.

you'll love the magnaflow with the 2.8...i love my exhaust so much..its prob my favorite thing about my car.

[PrimaVW]

you'll love the magnaflow with the 2.8...i love my exhaust so much..its prob my favorite thing about my car.

Yeah I'm pretty excited, although this is the first time I am attempting to piece together an exhaust. I've listened to a few different exhaust notes on youtube, and I'm pretty sure this setup will sound proper without being over the top. I'm fighting the urge so hard to let the bug bite me again.

And since this has become a sort of "build it back to a decent car" thread...

Today's project was LED license plate bulbs. I've seen these on a few different cars lately, and like how the bright-bluish light makes the tail end look.

The rundown:

The filthy plate light lens. Turns out both of my plate bulbs were blown... go figure. You can see one of the LED bulbs in the back, they fit right in the stock location, LED's down.


After a thorough cleaning with some dish soap and a bit of CLR. The "gaskets" have seen better days. Something else I've probably got to source.


With the LED bulbs installed. The two contacts need to be fiddled with a bit, as chances are they haven't been removed since the car rolled off the line in Deutschland. I took the oppurtunity to clean the contacts in the trunk lid as well... the setup they made for stupid license plate bulbs seemed a bit over-complicated to me.


Daylight. (Yeah its dirty under there, no amount of scrubbing with a cloth is taking it off. I'll get there.)


Nighttime



These f*ckers are bright (and probably illegal), but I'm gonna stick with it for now. Thanks for looking.

[crazexr7]

I need to pick up a set of those. I doubt they're illegal though, if anything cops probably love them since they can see your plate better.

[PrimaVW]

Today, I did some more "resto" work. A pretty simple task... key fobs. When I purchased the car, I got a broken key fob and a key that was welded to a washer.

I found 2 key fobs: $40
2 Key blanks: $7 on ebay

I also found two roll pins to replace the worn out ones in the Fobs. Next was to find a place to have the keys cut. The local VW stealership refused to cut my blanks because they weren't OEM, so I contacted A1 Lock & Key in Lewisburg, Pa to do the side-cuts.

$30 later and I have two working switchblades.

Anyway I also had to program the fobs.

To do this:

1. Place a key in ignition and turn it to the AC position (as far as it will go WITHOUT starting car)
2. Take second key and place in door lock, turn it to the lock position and hold it.
3. Click the unlock button on the fob 1-4 times (The alarm module has 4 seperate positions for fobs. Hit unlock the number of appropriate times for desired assigned position). You should see the fender light blink.
4. Continue to hold for 8-10 seconds. Hit Unlock on the fob again, this time it should unlock the car. If not start over.

Reminder: Once the fob is programmmed you're going to have to remove the seperate key from the ignition to try it out.

I guess I saved a pile of money by going with salvage stuff, $77 total for two sure beats the dealer's price for new fobs since they don't sell blanks alone. I do recommend finding new roll-pins when doing this, as taking the old ones out tends to make the new blank wiggle in the old slot.

Tags:
Programming Key Fob for Audi B5 A4, Keyfob, program

[drumonay]

nice steal on those fobs, i guess I should check ebay for one before going anywhere else...I badly need a spare haha

[PrimaVW]

nice steal on those fobs, i guess I should check ebay for one before going anywhere else...I badly need a spare haha

I thought so. Actually, I got the fobs from posting the classifieds.

Another project done today: S4 Grille installed


Also got this in the mail...

[JsmokeVR6]

bringing her back to life. niceeee. reverse LED's look good to. really cheap on ebay if you wait for shipping from hong kong.

[crazexr7]

someone needs to buff their bumper

[PrimaVW]

someone needs to buff their bumper

a buff won't do it, it needs a respray... i'm getting there

[99.5blacka4]

a buff won't do it, it needs a respray... i'm getting there

for Casa

I have a set of Casa a4 headlight squirter caps i'll sell ya. I had them away for a rainy day but i've moved onto the bigger brother and they are different in shape.

[PrimaVW]

Not a whole lot new to report, exhaust is scheduled to be done midweek. I spent a few hours today replacing the washer fluid bottle which went smoothly enough. However, now the nozzles don't seem to want to throw any water. I'm assuming they are somehow clogged, although a pin didn't seem to help. They are the underhood, heated nozzles. I guess I can remove them and soak them?

With the hose pulled from the nozzles fluid does flow, but the nozzles aren't doing anything

[PrimaVW]

Another little thing done... lower grille installed... $7 used on ebay.



thinking about spraying that S4 grille flat black... any opinions?

[Lazer Viking]

I'll trade you my painted s4 grille for your non painted one

[PrimaVW]

I'll trade you my painted s4 grille for your non painted one

post up a pic of yours

[Lazer Viking]

the trim and rings are painted silver, and the insert is black

id rather have one that isnt painted, if you are going to paint it anyway

[PrimaVW]

Finally had a chance to do a good thorough detailing of the paint. Clay barred, buffed, polished, and waxed. Also, The exhaust has been done, just need to find my firewire so I can upload a video. Sounds pretty good!

I've been hiding the imperfections, but since its going for paint on the 29th, f*ck it

Still need a front lip. The bumper will be repaired and sprayed


This pick shows the mismatched quarter panel, which will be stripped and the body work will be done right. The rear bumper was also f*cked with, so that will done at the same time.


My favorite view of my car for now, since it has minimal scuffs and scrapes

So far, I've managed to take care of a bunch of issues, but I still have a few things to accomplish before I'm happy with it.

-Diagnose ABS/Brake Light
-Repair DS Upper Control Arm
-Tires
-S4 Avus'????? (Fighting the urge to buy a set of these, but will kill two birds with one stone if they have fresh tires.... opinions?)

[red slushie]

Looks good! I wish I had a white B5

I remember that Jetta from when I used to frequent the MK3 forums.. seems like a popular transition these days.

It's amazing how clean these cars look with zero to minimal exterior work done.

[PrimaVW]

Looks good! I wish I had a white B5

I remember that Jetta from when I used to frequent the MK3 forums.. seems like a popular transition these days.

It's amazing how clean these cars look with zero to minimal exterior work done.

Yeah, unfortunatley it was sold locally and the chick who drives it now sold the keskins and threw on some cheap hot pink multi-lug wheels... looks like ass. Ah well

B5 went in for paint today, should be good to go for friday!