# 2001 Audi S4



## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

This is a work in progress... and not progressing very well.

Goals;
To be rid of bose. WTF good is a stereo if you can't use it on the highway with the windows down?
Here is the obligatory pic of the car, for reference.









First step, I ditched the malfunctioning symphony deck and replaced it with my Denon R1
If you saw my other thread, I plan to swap out the LED's for matching Audi red. (Also not progressing well)









Now I can listen to ipods and such. Horray, still sounds like ****.

I had the door panels off this weekend to fix a door lock issue, and decided to try to muscle in my MB Quart PSC216's. No go. You would think a 6.75" diameter would be the problem, but it turned out to be depth that stopped me, and left me without front speakers till I find appropriate drivers.
I'm looking to get 6.5" drivers, depth has to be less than 3", and cost is <$40/ea.

My plan for tweeters will be to have an array. This will be interesting.

With that on the backburner, I turned my attention to the amp. Pulled the stock bose amp out, and cut it apart for the plug. Soldered to the plug to make an adapter, and it came out great... no pics tho.

I mounted my amp, a PPI PC650 in the trunk where the spare tire was. And wired up to test it. Another failing point, the amp doesn't function.
Here is the test fit;









To add to all that, it rained yesterday morning, and some water ended up in the spare tire well.

So subscribe early! Maybe I'll have a functioning stereo in this car by September. Earphones for now.


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## AccordUno (Aug 7, 2009)

Nice looking B5 S4. The door issue can be resolved, look for Ben Vollmer's B5 A4 install, there's a few other solutions, just don't do kicks unless you want to deal with a bunch of harnesses and connectors (currently my hell).. Keeping an eye on this..


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## mrzapco (May 27, 2011)

was this awd?


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

mrzapco said:


> was this awd?


Still is.



And re: Ben Vollmer - I'm not ready to get into door surgery yet. Fab skills and allowance will not allow. Pun may or may not have been intended.


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## AccordUno (Aug 7, 2009)

You'll be alright, you might be able to find some 4 to 5 inch spacers. I think there's a site in Europe that have some that go from 4 to 6.5. I went the kick panel route and man what a pain..


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

I found a guy online that fit my exact speakers in this same car... so I guess I will try harder this weekend.

Here is a pic of someone else's 6.5" in a b5 door


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## mrzapco (May 27, 2011)

any turbo upgrades or modifications? this is my favorite s4


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

mrzapco said:


> any turbo upgrades or modifications? this is my favorite s4


Nothing yet. Hopefully when the stereo is done there will be money for coilovers. Chip next year, turbos when the k03s blow... so much to do, so little money.


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## mrzapco (May 27, 2011)

i have a habit at looking at upgrades for cars that i dont even own, i dont know why lol.

are you going to be going with APR tuning?


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## Arclight (Apr 29, 2011)

Nice ride...i have a soft spot for B5S4s as they are very quick (though potentially very high maintenance) and can be tuned to some riduculous HP #s.

VAST tuning builds some stupid fast B5S4s. I have one of their custom tunes for the hybrid K04 in my B6A4.


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

Progress is progress, right?
Getting sick of no music.
Speaker rings are here, I might be able to put them in this weekend


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## niceguy (Mar 12, 2006)

Nice, did you order them? Nice macro shot as well....


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## decibelle (Feb 17, 2011)

One question, why did you forego the spare tire? Nice looking car though.


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

My friend made the rings on his CNC router. For the spare, I carry a fix a flat can. I don't drive much, or very far from home.


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## negativegain (Oct 6, 2009)

definately needs moar low.

if you are not a member of audizine, check it out, lots of info.
i'm negativegain there as well, in the c5 section.


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

My birthday is this month, I'm trying to hint my way to some coils.

I am on audizine - same name


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## Ludemandan (Jul 13, 2005)

<- Another AZ member checking in, by the name of earthtodan. Looking forward to seeing how your build progresses. Too bad about that amp though. Maybe send it to one of the several people on this forum who fix stuff?


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## rdv (May 14, 2007)

alm001 said:


> Progress is progress, right?
> Getting sick of no music.
> Speaker rings are here, I might be able to put them in this weekend


are those for the fronts? I'd like to see how you plan to install them. i have a 1999 B5A4 and so far I installed only 4" speakers since i didnt want to modify the door, plus the speaker grills are small and will block most of a larger speaker's cone.


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

While trying to fix the PC650 it may have caught fire... just a little bit.

Got a replacement yesterday; The JL surfboard.










Gave putting the 6.5's in a second go. And failed again.
I'll be ordering some Dayton RS125's

The important thing is I haven't given up!


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

FINALLY made some progress last night.

Installed the amp on an acrylic plate, wired it all up.










And here is the pic of the bose interface I made from the stock amp


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## Ludemandan (Jul 13, 2005)

You made that wiring harness? Nice job.


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

Ludemandan said:


> You made that wiring harness? Nice job.


Thanks. I had no hesitation to take a bandsaw to the stock bose amp.

I put a PPI Pro 10 in the trunk to try it out... I still don't have front speakers in yet. Anyone have a slower moving build than me?


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## Ludemandan (Jul 13, 2005)

alm001 said:


> Anyone have a slower moving build than me?


Probably.


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## MTopper (Nov 4, 2009)

i do. stand still for about 10 months


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## Valoblk (Nov 25, 2008)

I went through a few builds in my S4, but I was never able to get it to sound right. There is a nasty resonance in that car that I've never been able to get rid of, either through deadening, crossover points or eq. My first build was the Diamond Hex components in the factory locations. I then moved the tweets down to the kicks and switched to Dayton RS125 mids. Imaging and staging is much better, but it's pretty much impossible to get decent midbass in those factory door locations without spending ridiculous amounts of time, money and effort. No matter what I did, I couldn't get around the fact that the mids are basically just hanging on the plastic door panels.


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

Valoblk said:


> I went through a few builds in my S4, but I was never able to get it to sound right. There is a nasty resonance in that car that I've never been able to get rid of, either through deadening, crossover points or eq. My first build was the Diamond Hex components in the factory locations. I then moved the tweets down to the kicks and switched to Dayton RS125 mids. Imaging and staging is much better, but it's pretty much impossible to get decent midbass in those factory door locations without spending ridiculous amounts of time, money and effort. No matter what I did, I couldn't get around the fact that the mids are basically just hanging on the plastic door panels.


Lets you and me discuss rs125's in the doors. This is what I plan to do. Do you have any pics?
There aren't a whole lot of suitable replacements considering budget, and size constraints.


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

I still don't have front speakers.... but I did get new wheels. My tires were shot, and these were cheaper than buying new 17" tires.










Lowering in springtime I hope.


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## mushasho (May 21, 2011)

Valoblk said:


> I went through a few builds in my S4, but I was never able to get it to sound right. There is a nasty resonance in that car that I've never been able to get rid of, either through deadening, crossover points or eq. My first build was the Diamond Hex components in the factory locations. I then moved the tweets down to the kicks and switched to Dayton RS125 mids. Imaging and staging is much better, but it's pretty much impossible to get decent midbass in those factory door locations without spending ridiculous amounts of time, money and effort. No matter what I did, I couldn't get around the fact that the mids are basically just hanging on the plastic door panels


I have a 95 S6 and it's the same problem here too... I made my baffle/mounting panel from a kitchen cutting board... Super sturdy, easy to cut, non resonant and weather proof!


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## Mopar244DIY (Dec 1, 2009)

alm001 said:


> Thanks. I had no hesitation to take a bandsaw to the stock bose amp.
> 
> I put a PPI Pro 10 in the trunk to try it out... I still don't have front speakers in yet. Anyone have a slower moving build than me?


Oh Yeah!


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

Christmas progress;









Gotta spend some time in CAD, and at the router table hopefully next week


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## Valoblk (Nov 25, 2008)

mushasho said:


> I have a 95 S6 and it's the same problem here too... I made my baffle/mounting panel from a kitchen cutting board... Super sturdy, easy to cut, non resonant and weather proof!


I really wish that I'd done that in my S4 instead of MDF - I've seen the light when it comes to the HDPE cutting boards. I'm currently working on making a set of baffles out of them right now for my Land Rover LR3. The S4 is now semi-retired and seldom goes much futher than the gym or on the occasional twisty road run on Sunday mornings, so I don't really want to take the time to redo things. However, If I ever have some free time, I might just redo my doors with the HDPE for giggles.


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

Teaser:


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

and this:


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

New flange vs the old one









Here is the assembled tweeter array;









And here they are test fit in my car.









I wired these up this morning, and ran them a little (I still don't have my mids in the front door). I found I can cross as low as 2k without harshness. The extreme upper end does need a boost, and I may have to get a equalizer in the near future. (Maybe they need to break in? Anyone with this tweeter feel free to chime in)
I have the stock speakers in the rear doors, and I roughly matched them up so I could listen on a drive I took today. Clarity and volume are amazing. Just 25w/side (8w/tweeter) and at 0 gain it goes louder than I will ever want it.

Did >100 with the windows open, and the arrays kept up, no problem.


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

The wire I used was too brittle, so I took these back out to rewire. I'm also going to incorporate some quick disconnects.

I'm hoping to get the baffles for the woofer so I can do the whole front stage at once and set it up properly.


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## subwoofery (Nov 9, 2008)

http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/diyma-sq-forum-technical-advanced/331-pillar-line-array.html 
^ 3 drivers in an array is the reason you need a boost in the upper end. Please read the thread. 

Kelvin


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

subwoofery said:


> http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/diyma-sq-forum-technical-advanced/331-pillar-line-array.html
> ^ 3 drivers in an array is the reason you need a boost in the upper end. Please read the thread.
> 
> Kelvin


Yeah, I've read that thread once or twice. I know why my upper end is soft, and the outcome wasn't a surprise. I'm also not scared of boosting it some.

I am quite happy with the outcome in the brief testing so far


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

Braided new cables. 18g 300v should be a lot stronger than the phone cord, and still be small enough to fit where I need it.









1/4" starboard woofer rings are done, hoping to get them and the rs125's in tonight.


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

I take it back, my initial result was after Aoki live, my hearing was shot. I got these rewired and back in, and they are better than expected.

Glue is drying on the woofer rings right now


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

Finally got the rs125 mids in. I wish I could have gone bigger
Here is a blurry pic with foam everywhere;









Powered them up for just one song... I'm very happy so far with tonality, and clarity. I'm obviously disappointed with midbass performance because of the small woofers. I plan to do some tweaking tonight, and spend the next couple weeks dialing the front end in before I bring in a sub.

Current component listing is;
Denon DCT-R1
JL Audio 500/5
(6) Dayton ND28F-6
(2) Dayton RS125


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

I put a ppi pro 10 (ported box) in over the weekend. Low bass is awesome, especially considering it is just a 10" but I'm not happy with the 'attack' of it. 

My idea of the day is this... sell my other PPI pro10 (From the BEAST, signed by Alma Gates) and recone a 15" basket I have from a eD 16ov.2 with parts from fixmyspeaker.com.
The thing is, I have ZERO experience building speakers. I just think it might be fun.

I imagine it would go something like this;
1) Choose coil and cone that fits the gap and basket.
2) Choose a spider - I _think_ I want linear, not progressive
3) put it together with a dustcap and leads,
4) Test it, (Who has a woofer tester in the area?)
5) Model it,
6) build a box.
7) ???????????????
8) Profits!

Thoughts? I still need to get my levels and xovers nailed down in front, so I'm not rushing this.


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## fish (Jun 30, 2007)

I just wanted to comment on your tweeter arrays...

Badass! Very nice job.


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

The 500/5 crossover isn't as flexible as I would like. I can't do tweeter high pass, and mid low pass independently.

I think I'll start researching mini-dsp before I do anything else with the sub.


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

Not audio related, but got rid of the ugly wood trim;


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

Dreaming of an IB 15 if someone would buy my ppi pro 10;


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

Took my rear deck out... did some quick trimming of the non structural parts. I've got some more to do before I've got enough pass through for a 15.

Bought some expanded metal mesh to fill in the openings I'm going to put on my deck cover;









Thinking I'll do some suede/ultra suede, if it breathes enough.


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

I'm currently trying to wrap the brake light cover at my desk.
Black ultra suede was on sale this weekend.

Deck before;









Deck after;


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

And the rear deck installed;









And a quick PS of the car slammed on the ground;


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

Trunk battery!










I need to shorten up that ground some.


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## f-bolt (Feb 8, 2012)

Car looks awesome! Love my B6A4, but I would love to get a B5S4 some day. But then again, I can't seem to get one big turbo bought, let alone two....


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

Finally got the car lowered. Still haven't got the parts for my IB setup as maintenance keeps taking my fun fund.


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

Why do you love the German Post Office?


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

simplicityinsound said:


> Why do you love the German Post Office?


because racecar, of course!


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## quickaudi07 (May 19, 2010)

Love for Audi. I got one as well. Its fun to drive when everything works like it should. If it brakes its arm and leg to get anything replaced lol

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2


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## JayinMI (Oct 18, 2008)

True. A lot of my customers manage to scrounge enough money together to buy a used one, and then can't afford to fix it when it breaks..so they ignore the problem and buy stereo stuff anyway...smh.

Jay


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## quickaudi07 (May 19, 2010)

Lmao but so true. I need to replace coils and hpfp cam flower on mine..... the 200.5 to 2008.5 had some problems with cams ..... i will se they look when i replace the flower. Audi gave warranty till 120k miles on cams 

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2


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## ragnaroksq (Mar 14, 2006)

any updates?


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## quickaudi07 (May 19, 2010)

OP i was going though your pics again, and can you please get new RCA cables !!!!!!!!

Let me know if you need some I got extra !!!


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

ragnaroksq said:


> any updates?


Nothing for a while, sorry



quickaudi07 said:


> OP i was going though your pics again, and can you please get new RCA cables !!!!!!!!
> 
> Let me know if you need some I got extra !!!


Those RCA's are more of an adapter than anything else. The harness at the deck feeds the rcas to the stock wiring then I hook up the bare (chopped off) end of the RCAs you see to a terminal block in the trunk.


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## quickaudi07 (May 19, 2010)

Ahh got ya....


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## oca123 (Aug 16, 2010)

quickaudi07 said:


> Love for Audi. I got one as well. Its fun to drive when everything works like it should. If it brakes its arm and leg to get anything replaced lol
> Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2


I bought a used, 6 month old S5 about a year ago. I didn't keep it very long. After 4 months of ownership and only 500 miles, the engine failed and had to be replaced.

Of course the dealer took care of it, but I mean.... the car was less than a year old and had 6000 miles on it.

That's the only Audi I ever owned. It was fully optioned, and was rather nice, but I thought all of the controls were clunky and in the most counter intuitive locations. Also, I always had to twist my arms at funny angles while driving around.


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## JayinMI (Oct 18, 2008)

Did you not test drive it first? Hope you didn't lose too much money on that.

Jay


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## quality_sound (Dec 25, 2005)

Wow, that might be the first complaint about ergonomics in a newer Audi I've ever heard of, and I'm on a LOT of VW/Audi boards and clubs. I agree their MMI is absolute **** and, like all German cars, they are expensive to maintain, but ergonomically bad? I dunno.


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## oca123 (Aug 16, 2010)

quality_sound said:


> Wow, that might be the first complaint about ergonomics in a newer Audi I've ever heard of, and I'm on a LOT of VW/Audi boards and clubs. I agree their MMI is absolute **** and, like all German cars, they are expensive to maintain, but ergonomically bad? I dunno.


its a long story. basically we moved back here from europe after living there for 4 years. therefore the decision was rather rushed and i had to have a car right away. i dont know how much money i lost on it. i think 5k or so. i traded it for a MB S63 that has become my wife's daily driver. Im not even suggesting one is better than the other, its watermellons and apples here 

i did test drive it, and it was a lot nicer than the diesel bmw i had in europe. but the euphoria lasted a few days only. i have spoken to quite a few ppl who did not keep their S5s so im not alone.
in comparison, the first time i took the s63 and really drove it, my pecker literally got hard

edit: i was replying to the first post.
shrug, the bmw was better in terms of ergonomics. so is the benz, and so is my current car.
the a/c controls are retarded on the audi. i think i finally stumbled upon the button to shut off the air a week before i sold it. the mmi is a total failure.
the car felt way too light for me, and the steering was too light esp on freeways


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## hurrication (Dec 19, 2011)

OP, do you still have the Alma Gates PPI sub for sale? I bought one of her autographed ones on ebay and it got lost in the mail... I've wanted one ever since!

It's true, the b5 platform will eat you alive with maintenance since they are all getting old and worn out and everything on the cars are over-complicated and incredibly expensive. This spring I bought a '98 a4 with 125k miles and a blown 2.8 and since I am a machinist at an auto engine rebuilder I thought it'd be no big deal to rebuild it and have a nice car and be ahead of the game. *NOPE*. Not only did I end up having to go the used engine/transmission route because none of the aftermarket engine parts companies make parts for the v6's, but 2 transmissions were bad and the engine leaks about a quart of oil every 100 miles. I've got about $6k and maybe ~50hrs of my own labor in the car and it still has a huuuuuuge list of problems that will probably bump me up to $8-9k total in the end.... all for a car that's worth maybe $3500 if it was mint.


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## AccordUno (Aug 7, 2009)

hurrication you messed up by getting the 2.8, it's a nice engine, but the 1.8T offers a lot more, easier to work on, and there's a ton load of parts available.. my 99 b5 went from autotragic to 5 spd recently, and what a world of difference.. The only issue I have: was wife didn't want to spend the funds on timing belt, 1500 later, we get a used engine, and on the 5 spd swap, dual mass flywheel started to come apart. 

Yeah so far what I've seen is that S-Line cars, if you don't mess with them they are ok, once you start to tinker, you better do it right or it's going to cost you..


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## quality_sound (Dec 25, 2005)

Yeah, but that's pretty true with anything in the VAG family, to include the 1.8T.


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## hurrication (Dec 19, 2011)

Yeah, I would have preferred the 1.8 but I just got sucked into a good deal and didn't do my research. This car actually came into the shop to get a motor job done and the customer abandoned the car and after 90 days my boss filed a title 42 on it and let me buy it. It LOOKED to be in good shape - good paint, interior is in good shape, low (for its age) mileage, I ran a carfax on it and it had lots of dealer service records and no accidents. I expected to just rebuild the engine and have a nice daily driver. 

I bought the special timing belt tools and did a timing belt and a complete re-seal of the used engine before I put it in. Changed the fluid in the transmission to Pentosin. Got the engine in and fired up and the CEL/ABS/airbag/brake lights are on and the radiator is bad. Replaced the radiator and took it for a test drive. Transmission slips like crazy. I didn't want to mess with a 5spd swap because the car's at work and I needed it on the road asap so I bought another auto and slapped it in. This one had a bad torque converter. Replaced that and finally I can drive it. Tires turned out to be junk so I bought 4 new ones. I notice that the front suspension has a nasty creak/grind that's so loud you can hear it echoing off the barriers on the side of the highway. So, I replaced all of the control arms and that fixed the creak but now it vibrates under acceleration like the car has a poltergeist. I replaced the axles and tie rod ends and had it aligned. Still vibrates, so I had the tires re-balanced. Still vibrates. I drive 90% highway so it's brutal. I start to notice huge oil spots underneath the car and it appears that the upper oil pan is leaking. I yank the whole front of the car apart and drop the front subframe (~11hr job) and re-seal the oil pan. It still leaks just as bad so I figure the original has a crack in it somewhere. I find a new oil pan and do the job again. It STILL leaks... and I mean it leaks so bad that it leaves a smoke trail behind me when I'm on the highway. I do some reading and figure out that the PCV system is problematic and can cause excessive crankcase pressure which blows out the seals and causes leaks. I figure it's a 3 dollar check valve like every other car on the road.... nope, it is a complicated system with an electric pump and it's $150. Now that the pcv is new, I have to go through the engine *again* and re-seal all of the blown out seals. When that's done, I still have to figure out what is causing the horrible vibrations. Then I have to replace the ABS ecu, and then the vacuum locking pump, and then I MIGHT get a break before something else fails!!!


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## quickaudi07 (May 19, 2010)

oca123 said:


> its a long story. basically we moved back here from europe after living there for 4 years. therefore the decision was rather rushed and i had to have a car right away. i dont know how much money i lost on it. i think 5k or so. i traded it for a MB S63 that has become my wife's daily driver. Im not even suggesting one is better than the other, its watermellons and apples here
> 
> i did test drive it, and it was a lot nicer than the diesel bmw i had in europe. but the euphoria lasted a few days only. i have spoken to quite a few ppl who did not keep their S5s so im not alone.
> in comparison, the first time i took the s63 and really drove it, my pecker literally got hard
> ...


The same impression I got after driving 2011 A4 it felt like the car will go all over the road.... I wouldn't buy another and the control's are stupid as hell. Navi is a total joke and you can't replace HU in that car.... what a bummmmmmer!


Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2


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## quickaudi07 (May 19, 2010)

Oh god! I'm sure u did all the work yourself but still that's nuts!

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

hurrication said:


> OP, do you still have the Alma Gates PPI sub for sale? I bought one of her autographed ones on ebay and it got lost in the mail... I've wanted one ever since!
> 
> It's true, the b5 platform will eat you alive with maintenance since they are all getting old and worn out and everything on the cars are over-complicated and incredibly expensive...


No, just sold the PPI a couple months ago. I have another non signed 104 in my possession that might be for sale soon tho...


As far as your 98? Holy ****... that sounds terrible. It sounds a lot like my brother's 96 2.8 - it was a great car to drive, but ball joints / egr / suspension was just a mess on it. 

I have had very good luck with this b5 so far (I didn't let the 96 sour me on them) I bought it in kind of rough shape - valve covers leaking, bad alignment, notchy shifter, curbed to hell rims (all 5!). The dodge dealership that had it seemed to be pretty scared of it.
As soon as I got it I did timing belt, water pump, valve cover gaskets, cam seals, fixed exhaust leaks and tie rods. Italian tune up got rid of the smoking exhaust, previous owner must not have driven it hard, constant driving has loosened up the shifter as well.
Since then its just been EGTs, coolant temp sensor, and minor things. Coilovers cured the brake dive, rolling (And noise from bad struts) but they have now exaggerated my axle clicking, but I'll fix that by the end of this month.

Of course if my turbos blow, I will completely change my tune and tell you its the worst car I've ever had.


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## AccordUno (Aug 7, 2009)

Man, dude, that's a lot of work for that car.. Yeah, my A4 has had issues and will probably have more issues not that it's lowered, swapped, and drink by my oldest (he's got some Corvette wheels to put on it now <shakes head>)

Now, I also got a Pissant Wagon, damn that car has given so many damn headaches.. but keeps on ticking.. 

Either way, I'll probably get another VAG product later down the road, probably another B5 or B6, a R32, VR6 Swapped Mk2, just want something fun to drive that I can give me kid later down the road..


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## quality_sound (Dec 25, 2005)

quickaudi07 said:


> The same impression I got after driving 2011 A4 it felt like the car will go all over the road.... I wouldn't buy another and the control's are stupid as hell. Navi is a total joke and you can't replace HU in that car.... what a bummmmmmer!
> 
> 
> Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2


Were you in a tornado or something? The B8s are heavy as hell. My '11 A4 Avant NEVER wandered. Not even a little bit.


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## hatemi (Dec 23, 2011)

Audis this old are cheap, reliable, easy to maintain. That is if you stay away from AUTO (crap) and V6. 1.8T or 1.9TDI are the ones to get. Especially the TDI. With AWD and all whatnot its one of the best cars for the price. You just need to know what is going to need to be replaced, and with what. If you replace the control arms with crap you need to change them after 5000km. Quality parts last ALOT longer.


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## oca123 (Aug 16, 2010)

AccordUno said:


> Man, dude, that's a lot of work for that car.. Yeah, my A4 has had issues and will probably have more issues not that it's lowered, swapped, and drink by my oldest (he's got some Corvette wheels to put on it now <shakes head>)
> 
> Now, I also got a Pissant Wagon, damn that car has given so many damn headaches.. but keeps on ticking..
> 
> Either way, I'll probably get another VAG product later down the road, probably another B5 or B6, a R32, VR6 Swapped Mk2, just want something fun to drive that I can give me kid later down the road..


cough murci cough


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

hatemi said:


> Audis this old are cheap, reliable, easy to maintain.


got jokes!


Heres another pic.









I did some cad work on a bracket for my rear deck IB setup... not any closer to progress tho.


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## hatemi (Dec 23, 2011)

What I said I meant 100%. Easy to maintain and cheap. At least here. And if you know what you're doing. If you don't, get ready for some learning and paying. And stay the Fxxk away from any VAG auto. Be that DSG, Tiptronic or Multitronic. All are just crap. 6speed manuals are damn near indestructible.


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## quality_sound (Dec 25, 2005)

If you can do the work, the parts aren't outrageous and once you learn the German's "method" for assembly stuff comes apart easily. I REALLY prefer working on German cars. Plus, the plastics don't scratch if you look at them sideways. My next car WILL be German. Either something in the VW family or I'll replace the Tundra with another M3. I miss mine.


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## hurrication (Dec 19, 2011)

^ Yeah.. at first I really cursed the "service position" but once I started racking up labor hours working on the car it made sense and made things a lot easier. Hatemi's right.. once you "learn" the car they aren't bad (just labor intensive)... but let me tell you when I first dove in I wasted soooooo much time figuring out how things fit. Example - the starter on the v6.. for a regular dude it would probably be a weekend job, but I know how to get it out in less than 15 minutes with a jack, a piece of wood, 7 bolts, and the solenoid connections.

I still think the parts are way outrageous in price and inconvenient because you have to order everything, and the fact that you need so many specialty tools, but I'm used to working on domestic cars where you can get say a pair of reman brake calipers for 18 bucks or a PCV valve for 3 bucks. I'd assume that Audis in Finland are like Ford trucks in America - cheap and bountiful with plenty of cheap parts available in parts stores.


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## quality_sound (Dec 25, 2005)

Yeah, the specialty tools kind of suck but once you get the ones you use a lot, they'll more than pay for themselves in time saved. I don't remember the last American car I owned so I can' say what those parts cost but German vs. Japanese are damn near the same. Audi parts in Germany are more expensive than in the US because they pay Euro for everything. Example, oil for my M3 is a Castrol synthetic only available at dealerships. In the US $11-$14 per liter. In Germany, 38 Euro PER LITER and the car needs NINE liters... Everything is cheaper, from dealerships, in the US because it's what the people will pay.


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## oca123 (Aug 16, 2010)

i second that from experience. i got a bmw in france and there was no after sales service other than warranty... i was shocked when i was asked to pay for the inspection, etc. also the car was a lot more expensive and so were parts. and dont even get me started with the attitude - even after i bought 2 cars from there, in cash, without bargaining too much.

over here its free, they wash your car too and they kiss your ass.




quality_sound said:


> Yeah, the specialty tools kind of suck but once you get the ones you use a lot, they'll more than pay for themselves in time saved. I don't remember the last American car I owned so I can' say what those parts cost but German vs. Japanese are damn near the same. Audi parts in Germany are more expensive than in the US because they pay Euro for everything. Example, oil for my M3 is a Castrol synthetic only available at dealerships. In the US $11-$14 per liter. In Germany, 38 Euro PER LITER and the car needs NINE liters... Everything is cheaper, from dealerships, in the US because it's what the people will pay.


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## quickaudi07 (May 19, 2010)

I have to replace my motor mounts on my A4 07, and dealer cost is over 160$, internet price for the same thing is 135$. And from 034motorsport are $95 and they are better, but they are on back order because so many were bought at once.

Also I don't think dealers here kiss your ass, they want the sale but they wont deal with you too much unless you sit there for hours to have them drop the damn price on something that you want.
In my world all cars are great until things start to brake.


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## oca123 (Aug 16, 2010)

I didn't mean kissing ass as in straight up getting their nose brown... I mean being courteous and thinking (well, at least pretending) to care about the customer, how they feel, etc. whether they are there to purchase a vehicle, or to have one serviced.

its been my experience that dealers here are way nicer, even after the sale. In Europe, they were ****.ng rude, to everybody. last time I took my wife's benz for service, I was given a brand new CLS63 AMG with XX miles on it as a loaner for the day.

Then again, in the US, money talks and I'm an easy buyer... I come in, I already know which car I want b/c I saw it listed on autotrader, I discuss price a little bit, then I pay cash and drive off. I can't really comment on how "regular" people are treated, but I will say that I have noticed that here you get:
- coffee, water, etc.
- everyone is courteous, and in the service department they take the time to explain everything and are polite
- etc.

The again, this is the result of two things:
- It's good business, and Americans are good at business
- It's driven by competition

Anyway - totally hijacked the thread, I'm sorry.


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

oca123 said:


> Anyway - totally hijacked the thread, I'm sorry.


No problem, you are providing more content than I am!

I said what I said about maint, and costs because parts like an exhaust temp sensor are 500 for the pair, and located in a place where you consider if breaking your arm might actually help you reach.
(When I needed to to EGT's I actually bought a spare motor for cheap, and made my money back 10x over selling random parts I didn't need)

Once you get used to service position, and do all your own work maintenance is no big deal - and this is why I am loving this car. If I had to pay someone to do ANY of the work I had done, I would probably sell it and choose a different car.


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## oca123 (Aug 16, 2010)

That's funny you said that about breaking your arm. I just inquired about upgrading the alternator in one of my cars, and I was told that in order to do so, you have to drop the engine, and that it's a $4000 job at least. Replacing the starter also requires dropping the engine.

And I was asking an independent shop, not a dealer.


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## quickaudi07 (May 19, 2010)

A shop told me that, they need to take off my turbo to replace my mounts. I though bout it, and said he is smoking some bad ****.. and walked out.

Went on Audizine.com and looked up DIY, B6 A4 has the same frame, and no one has ever pulled a turbo of the car to replace a mount on that car....

There are people that will tell you crap, so they could make the money on you... look up DIY on google and i'm sure you will find something good that will help you do things other than a shop.

I'm going to replace the mounts myself


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## oca123 (Aug 16, 2010)

quickaudi07 said:


> A shop told me that, they need to take off my turbo to replace my mounts. I though bout it, and said he is smoking some bad ****.. and walked out.
> 
> Went on Audizine.com and looked up DIY, B6 A4 has the same frame, and no one has ever pulled a turbo of the car to replace a mount on that car....
> 
> ...


There are no DIYs on this specific car on the internet. I did find the service manual DVDs and was able to download them off megaupload. I got lucky cause Megaupload got shut off by the FBI the next day. With the DVDs, I was able to pull diagrams of the system to figure out which wires I needed to cut. The car is based off a VW/Audi platform.

Anyway - I don't need to upgrade the alternator, I was tripping, the stock alt provides plenty enough power for my needs since I'm switching to IB. Currently waiting for some FI IB15s 

That said I will check the service DVD for the procedure to replace the alternator and the starter. Maybe you don't have to drop the engine. Who knows. I don't, I'm not a car guy.


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## quality_sound (Dec 25, 2005)

I dunno, the absolute best service I EVER received at a dealership was at Euler BMW. It might have been because I had my M3 in there but they were always very quick, better labor pricing than I've ever gotten in the U.S. (oil, transmission, and differential fluid change total was 120 Euro), and they do a full, including putting the car on a lift and looking at the undercarriage and suspension, inspection, completely cover the seats, teering wheel, shifter, brake handle, and floor mats. Then they wash the car properly, i.e. no swirls. The best part, the car is ALWAYS ready on time, or early, and they tag everything they did with the mechanics signature. I was FLOORED when I saw this. Then contrast to service at a US VW dealer. I LOVE VWs but I won't use a delaer for anything unless I have to. 

It almost made me want to stay in Germany. Almost...


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## oca123 (Aug 16, 2010)

quality_sound said:


> I dunno, the absolute best service I EVER received at a dealership was at Euler BMW. It might have been because I had my M3 in there but they were always very quick, better labor pricing than I've ever gotten in the U.S. (oil, transmission, and differential fluid change total was 120 Euro), and they do a full, including putting the car on a lift and looking at the undercarriage and suspension, inspection, completely cover the seats, teering wheel, shifter, brake handle, and floor mats. Then they wash the car properly, i.e. no swirls. The best part, the car is ALWAYS ready on time, or early, and they tag everything they did with the mechanics signature. I was FLOORED when I saw this. Then contrast to service at a US VW dealer. I LOVE VWs but I won't use a delaer for anything unless I have to.
> 
> It almost made me want to stay in Germany. Almost...


Yeah, I forgot to emphasize the fact that my experience with german car dealers was in France, and, well, the French are rude to begin with.... and my experience with German dealers in the US has only been in SoCal, and, well, we have good dealers here


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## edouble101 (Dec 9, 2010)

Nice photography throughout the build


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## oca123 (Aug 16, 2010)

edouble101 said:


> Nice photography throughout the build


I noticed, what kind of camera/lens?


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

edouble101 said:


> Nice photography throughout the build





oca123 said:


> I noticed, what kind of camera/lens?


Thanks! Another hobby to spend money on.

Its a Canon Rebel XS... Pics are with either the kit, or my 50mm 1.8, and I think there is one with my 500mm mirror.
I've also got a Sears 28mm f2.8 (m42 mount) to play with


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## oca123 (Aug 16, 2010)

Sweet! I have an EOS7D, only reason I got it over the Rebel is because it's a little bit more responsive.
Unfortunately I use ghetto lenses. Tamron wide angle, Tamron 18-270mm (good walkaround lens though) and I've got a cheap Samyang fisheye (which is a lot of fun for time-lapse sky shots)

I've never really tried car photography before, and it's a shame cause I got some real nice cars, how did you learn, do you have some resources/links?



alm001 said:


> Thanks! Another hobby to spend money on.
> 
> Its a Canon Rebel XS... Pics are with either the kit, or my 50mm 1.8, and I think there is one with my 500mm mirror.
> I've also got a Sears 28mm f2.8 (m42 mount) to play with


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## AccordUno (Aug 7, 2009)

alm001 said:


> Once you get used to service position, and do all your own work maintenance is no big deal - and this is why I am loving this car. If I had to pay someone to do ANY of the work I had done, I would probably sell it and choose a different car.


Hahaha, Service mode. First Timing belt I did I was like WTF is service mode.. :laugh:

so practically took off the from grill area off and worked on it that way.. Never again, use the bolts from the bumper on the crash struts(or whatever they are called) loosen the for bolts on top and slide that puppy out and enough room to work on it.. 

Yea, I did the dealer once here in town ABS computer (I got like 2 spares now), and I won't go back. We have a shop in town (GPO in Nashville, MF in Knoxville, and forgot the other in Memphis) that support the local scene big time, they will fix your car right and not have buttsex with you. 

But yeah, two engines, 3 TB, 2 Engine mounts, 5spd swap, not to mention the numerous MK2 GTI iterations, I will DIY most of my work or contact GPO for them to do it.. 

I love my Titan, but I love my A4 better, even my Passant Wagon is fun (nothing like a fat ass whipping it's tail thru the cruvvy roads going to helen, GA for SOWO passing up mk4 and mk5 thru the curves).. :laugh::laugh::laugh:

Okay, so back the install..


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## quality_sound (Dec 25, 2005)

AccordUno said:


> Hahaha, Service mode. First Timing belt I did I was like WTF is service mode.. :laugh:
> 
> so practically took off the from grill area off and worked on it that way.. Never again, use the bolts from the bumper on the crash struts(or whatever they are called) loosen the for bolts on top and slide that puppy out and enough room to work on it..
> 
> ...


You've seen my old variant on Passat World, right?


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## AccordUno (Aug 7, 2009)

Not sure, I venture every now and then over there.. But in all honestly, variants are fun, except I will probably have to get rid of mine, too many demons created by the previous owner.. I have a picture of how I would love to see mine (18"s and lowered) but with the Ms. driving, there's no way that car would survive.. So I'll get me another B5 A4 and go that route..


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## quality_sound (Dec 25, 2005)

I'd do the Passat simply because there's less markup on the VW parts vs Audi parts and other than Quattro and the A4 being smaller I can't justify the price difference, especially if it's a FWD A4.


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## hurrication (Dec 19, 2011)

Hey AccordUno, would you be willing to part with one of those ABS ecu's? B5 a4 right? That's on the list of things to fix with mine.. my dashboard warning lights shine like a christmas tree!


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## niceguy (Mar 12, 2006)

Beautiful car, one of the few I'd always wanted as a teen/young adult but these stories are what kept me away. My little brother has an '00 540i V8 auto which could be a nightmare too but he has over 140k IIRC and it's been pretty sturdy besides vc gaskets and routine stuff. Beautiful car, my favorite chassis too but I'm too nervous to risk buying a 10+ year old BMW V8 as I don't own a BMW dealership lol...


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

oca123 said:


> Sweet! I have an EOS7D, only reason I got it over the Rebel is because it's a little bit more responsive.
> Unfortunately I use ghetto lenses. Tamron wide angle, Tamron 18-270mm (good walkaround lens though) and I've got a cheap Samyang fisheye (which is a lot of fun for time-lapse sky shots)
> 
> I've never really tried car photography before, and it's a shame cause I got some real nice cars, how did you learn, do you have some resources/links?


My lenses are ghetto, that mirror lens only cost me 85$ (and is pretty weak contrast wise), and the 28mm 2.8 was like 10$ on craigslist, but takes great pictures. (Before I had the Canon 50 1.8, I had a Pentax Super Takumar 55mm 1.8. Got it for $5 on craigslist - and it was AWESOME. Just impossible to focus.)

I look at speedhunters.com a lot. A LOT. And lots of other car blogs. I mostly learned from doing, and I can definitely tell my pictures have been getting better over the last 2 years.
I might have picked up some decent tips from froknowsphoto.com - Had been following him on google+, but he hasn't put anything up in a while, and I've been too busy to catch up on his site.

I'm going to Portugal in a couple weeks and I'm going to rent the Canon 10-22, and 24-105 f4L to take with me.


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## AccordUno (Aug 7, 2009)

hurrication said:


> Hey AccordUno, would you be willing to part with one of those ABS ecu's? B5 a4 right? That's on the list of things to fix with mine.. my dashboard warning lights shine like a christmas tree!


What year is it? I have two, one from a 99 passat and one from a 01 A4 I might be willing to work something out..



> I'd do the Passat simply because there's less markup on the VW parts vs Audi parts and other than Quattro and the A4 being smaller I can't justify the price difference, especially if it's a FWD A4.


Yeah, the Passat are some what cheaper, but I like the A4 body lines instead.. but really going to try to hold out and save up for an R32, if I can't find a decent one, then B5 A4 18tQ 5 spd and spend some money on lowering and other items I would want to do, minus big turbo and chip.


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## quality_sound (Dec 25, 2005)

AccordUno said:


> Yeah, the Passat are some what cheaper, but I like the A4 body lines instead.. but really going to try to hold out and save up for an R32, if I can't find a decent one, then B5 A4 18tQ 5 spd and spend some money on lowering and other items I would want to do, minus big turbo and chip.



I hear that. The A4 is a bit prettier. I'm also debating between a Golf R or another M3. It's so hard to argue against an M3. lol


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## oca123 (Aug 16, 2010)

Oh shnizzles, i just realized the OP is the author of one of my favorite posts on this forum:



alm001 said:


> NO WAY WOULD 100 WATTS EVER WORK, PUT 500WATTS AND DON'T EVER TURN THE VOLUME DOWN
> 
> MY SPEAKERS NEED 50WATTS, I USED TO HAVE A 49WATT AMP, AND THEY WOULDNT EVEN TURN ON. I GOT A 50W AMP AND NOW THEY ARE AWESOME. CANT TURN IT DOWN THO


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## quality_sound (Dec 25, 2005)

Us Audi/VW owners have a bit of a sarcastic streak. lol


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## subwoofery (Nov 9, 2008)

quality_sound said:


> I hear that. The A4 is a bit prettier. I'm also debating between a Golf R or another M3. It's so hard to argue against an M3. lol


It depends on what you're planning to do... aftermarket-wise  

Kelvin


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## hurrication (Dec 19, 2011)

AccordUno said:


> What year is it? I have two, one from a 99 passat and one from a 01 A4 I might be willing to work something out..


Mine's a '98. I was considering just getting mine rebuilt by one of the mail order module companies but I've had horrible luck with that in the past.


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## AccordUno (Aug 7, 2009)

quality_sound said:


> I hear that. The A4 is a bit prettier. I'm also debating between a Golf R or another M3. It's so hard to argue against an M3. lol



Dunno man, the Golf R I saw at the APR booth last year at SOWO and the one at the local dealer, it's very, very enticing..


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## quality_sound (Dec 25, 2005)

I've driven it, a Scirocco R, and my M3 on The Ring. The VWs are both great fun as daily drivers but they aren't in the same galaxy as an e90 M3 for performance or comfort. The VWs will get about 10 miles per gallon better and are miles easier to do a stereo upgrade in but they are very, very different cars. the only reason I'm considering the VWs again is cost to mod and mileage. If it wasn't for the atrocious mileage I'd look at an STi or Evo as well.


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## Schnitz (Jun 26, 2008)

I would reconsider the STi. Once tuned the mileage is very reasonable. Stage 2 is a perfect daily IMHO. Ive had 11 sec drag cars, a Kawi Ninja and my stage 2 '06 STi was by far the most fun daily car I ever had and the gas mileage was the best of anything I had owned.


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## oca123 (Aug 16, 2010)

OP, do you think you can share the CAD drawings you've made for your IB setup? My FI IB315s are shipping soon and I should probably start worrying about how I'm going to fit them. I don't have the same car at all, but I'm curious to see what you've come up with.



quality_sound said:


> the only reason I'm considering the VWs again is cost to mod and mileage. If it wasn't for the atrocious mileage I'd look at an STi or Evo as well.


I'm glad I do most of my work at home and barely drive. I checked the ECU on all of my cars yesterday and all of them show less than 10 miles/gallon.


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

oca123 said:


> OP, do you think you can share the CAD drawings you've made for your IB setup? My FI IB315s are shipping soon and I should probably start worrying about how I'm going to fit them. I don't have the same car at all, but I'm curious to see what you've come up with.



Its not even close to complete. Farthest I got was the sketch with the outer frame, and I figure I can bolt the main baffle to that for servicing.
(Sub dimensions are from a Dayton IB 15

View attachment S4 sub design.zip


And while I'm at it, here is the cad for the Dayton ND28 partial array if anyone wants it.

View attachment Array 12.27.11.zip


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

these gps mounts are starting to fail. The sockets have cracked, and they will fall off of the balls occasionally. Sometimes they will lose suction, and fall of the windshield. Looks like it might be time for Tweeter Array mkIII
Anyone want to give some input?

Rearview window mounts might be a bit extreme.


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## oca123 (Aug 16, 2010)

alm001 said:


> these gps mounts are starting to fail. The sockets have cracked, and they will fall off of the balls occasionally. Sometimes they will lose suction, and fall of the windshield. Looks like it might be time for Tweeter Array mkIII
> Anyone want to give some input?
> 
> Rearview window mounts might be a bit extreme.


the hips on my hot neighbor are starting to fail. the pants have cracked, and she is turning into a ball slowly. i'm sure she has lost suction, and fallen off many men's radar. looks like it might be time for a new hot neighbor next door.


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)




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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

Rearview mirror mounts! Way more solid, but pretty much permanent.










Yes, I plan to rewrap my a-pillars. That stain goes away when I clean it, but comes back after a couple weeks.

And another pic of the car for fall;


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## FLYONWALL9 (Nov 8, 2009)

quality_sound said:


> I've driven it, a Scirocco R, and my M3 on The Ring. The VWs are both great fun as daily drivers but they aren't in the same galaxy as an e90 M3 for performance or comfort. The VWs will get about 10 miles per gallon better and are miles easier to do a stereo upgrade in but they are very, very different cars. the only reason I'm considering the VWs again is cost to mod and mileage. If it wasn't for the atrocious mileage I'd look at an STi or Evo as well.


I've been a fan of the VW's body styles sense prolly 2000, the reasonable price and resale. Likewise Audi has had some attractive body styles. Perhaps the prices were a bit inflated, that can be argued by any brand. But bang for the buck I'm with the VW camp. I was impressed sense a v8 Mustang picked an interstate fight with buddy and I in a GTI vr6. The Mustang just couldn't shake us off his rear bumper, plus the car felt rock solid. Not just that, my Pop has a TDI Jetta with 240k miles and still gets 55mpg and the car is as tight and smoke free as the day it was new.

I DO understand the attraction to the M3 though. I guess this is why it has gotten so many automobile awards


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

Submitted the sale priced Dayton IB15 to Santa... so hopefully I'll have some updates soon.
Dayton IB385-8 15" Infinite Baffle Subwoofer 295-455


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

Tried a couple different epoxies now, they all fail after a couple months.

Getting fed up with the tweeter arrays. Think I should sell them? It's a tough call for me considering how much I love listening to them.


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

Tweeters are for sale;
http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum...yton-nd28f-6-partial-tweeter-line-arrays.html


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## JVD240 (Sep 7, 2009)

May I ask how you mounted the front mids? I popped the door card off the other day to have a good laugh. I planned on putting 6.5" mids in there... May just need to learn to fiberglass. The other thing I was thinking was cut all the old nubs off and adhesive mount HDPE spacers with threaded inserts in them. I dunno.

In other news, my 1-2 collar is fully boned as of today. Oh the joys.


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

JVD240 said:


> May I ask how you mounted the front mids? I popped the door card off the other day to have a good laugh. I planned on putting 6.5" mids in there... May just need to learn to fiberglass. The other thing I was thinking was cut all the old nubs off and adhesive mount HDPE spacers with threaded inserts in them. I dunno.
> 
> In other news, my 1-2 collar is fully boned as of today. Oh the joys.


Sorry to hear about the shifter! 

If you go back a page or two you will see how I mounted them. I cut as much of the old mounting out as I could, and made ABS rings. Then glued the rings to the door card, filled around with foam, and screwed the mids in to the rings from the back.

I couldn't get the 6.5's I had to fit, you may have better luck with a different brand.

also going to put my FS link on this page:
http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum...yton-nd28f-6-partial-tweeter-line-arrays.html


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## JVD240 (Sep 7, 2009)

alm001 said:


> Sorry to hear about the shifter!
> 
> If you go back a page or two you will see how I mounted them. I cut as much of the old mounting out as I could, and made ABS rings. Then glued the rings to the door card, filled around with foam, and screwed the mids in to the rings from the back.
> 
> I couldn't get the 6.5's I had to fit, you may have better luck with a different brand.


Cool, thanks! That helps. I'll probably do something similar. How poor is the midbass response? I was hoping I could get a bit. Did you leave the stock foam? Do any other deadening? Oh, and what prevented the 6.5's from fitting? Magnet diameter? Or depth?

Thanks again.


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

JVD240 said:


> Cool, thanks! That helps. I'll probably do something similar. How poor is the midbass response? I was hoping I could get a bit. Did you leave the stock foam? Do any other deadening? Oh, and what prevented the 6.5's from fitting? Magnet diameter? Or depth?
> 
> Thanks again.


Lower midbass is pretty weak. I am only using 5's though.
I was trying to fit MB Quart 6.5's and the way they sat in the card would cause the magnet to hit the window support.


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## JVD240 (Sep 7, 2009)

alm001 said:


> Lower midbass is pretty weak. I am only using 5's though.
> I was trying to fit MB Quart 6.5's and the way they sat in the card would cause the magnet to hit the window support.


Ahhh ok. I guess I'll just have to give it a try.

Thanks man.

PS. We're twins. Mine is Silver too.


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

JVD240 said:


> Ahhh ok. I guess I'll just have to give it a try.
> 
> Thanks man.
> 
> PS. We're twins. Mine is Silver too.


Hahaha, aren't they _all_ silver??

I assume yours doesn't have fogs based on your location - and I deleted mine, so there's another commonality.
Are you on audizine?


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## JVD240 (Sep 7, 2009)

alm001 said:


> Hahaha, aren't they _all_ silver??
> 
> I assume yours doesn't have fogs based on your location - and I deleted mine, so there's another commonality.
> Are you on audizine?


Lol. Ya, pretty much all. No fogs on mine, nope. 

I lurk on audizine. Just got the car but have come close to purchasing numerous B5's in the past. They always had little issues that scared me away. Waited for a nice stage 3 car to pop up locally.


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## Orion525iT (Mar 6, 2011)

Sorry thought this was in tech section, cut and pasted to tech section. Post deleted, Apologies.


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## bassfromspace (Jun 28, 2016)

Orion525iT said:


> I am not a big fan of necroposting, but since there was already a thread on this, I thought I would share my experiments.
> 
> Basic setup is 8" 225rs in the flush in the kick panels. Single 5 channel amp with Note 2 as source. No real process, no TA, just physical placement. I was using 5" mids crossed to tweeters at 2500k on passives. The rs225 crossed to the mids/tweets at 175hz. Overall sq was good, with decent center. But I was getting some rainbowing especially in vocals. It didnt matter how I angled or places the mid or tweeter, there were too many compromises. I even tried to place the tweeter under the mid to steer the stage upward, but results were not great. I was also having issues with the pedal assembly blocking the drivers side mid.
> 
> ...


Pix?


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

Orion525iT said:


> Sorry thought this was in tech section, cut and pasted to tech section. Apologies.


No worries. Found it funny that my thread was thought to be "dead" when I still think about working on the car everyday.

Interesting read about your findings with arrays in your car. I never tried any other positions since I had intended, and designed this setup specifically for on axis use.


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## Orion525iT (Mar 6, 2011)

bassfromspace said:


> Pix?


Hey moved it to tech sorry. Will update there.


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

Finally got different tweeters back in the car. From a MB Quart PSD216 set. 25mm I think.
Love the way MB Quart tweeters just snap in to the B5 door cards.
Ran all new wire front to rear for the tweeters and mids.

I went from turning the mids up to match the loudness of the mini-array, to turning the quarts up to match the loudness of the mids. Sad day for efficiency.

Not nearly what it was, but it still sounds pretty good. Need some tweaking, and a SUB.


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## quality_sound (Dec 25, 2005)

What mods are you using that are so efficient that you have to turn Quart tweeters down?


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

quality_sound said:


> What mods are you using that are so efficient that you have to turn Quart tweeters down?


Sorry, I was referring to the efficiency of the mini-array.
I had calculated them at 97.9db/w.

With the mini array I had the tweeter channel gain at 0... Mids had to be turned up to keep up.

With the quarts I have the Mids at 0 (I have to bring this up soon, I run out of HU volume on some songs.) and I had to bring the tweeters up to blend.


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

Reversed polarity of my tweeters. This build is progressing greatly.


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

My IB15 is on its way to me. I'm going to get material and start getting into making the frame and baffle if I have any free time this weekend.


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## JVD240 (Sep 7, 2009)

Going behind the seats or in the rear deck?


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

JVD240 said:


> Going behind the seats or in the rear deck?


Rear deck. I'm not counting on a perfect seal, but I also won't be counting db's.


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

I was just going to jigsaw it out, but my friend was running some radiant flooring and threw this in for me.


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

alm001 said:


>


So here's my idea for mating the baffle to the rear deck...

The shape is great, but the mounting surface is not perfectly flat (of course).

I'm going to get some Split Foam Insulation, and run it along the perimeter of the whole baffle. Possibly hold it in with glue. Then run 6-8 bolts through the baffle into the deck, and pull it tight. Thoughts? Objections?


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

This took forever to get to, and only about an hour to install. I'm very happy with the results so far.

I dropped 4 3/8" bolts through the deck. (The one that looks crooked isn't tight.)









Then it was as simple as putting the board up, and tightening it down.
I put 3/4" pipe foam all the way around to close any gaps between the deck and the baffle. There are only 2 small spots that can pass air that should be dealt with.









I have to take it back down to re-install the rear deck, and at that time I will put a better looking wire.


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## Mless5 (Aug 21, 2006)

Not bad! I'd suggest yoga mats between baffle and rear deck. I also advise that you use big fender washers to stop nuts from damaging the baffle and causing rattles down the road. It looks like you've used nuts with nylon inserts - good call!


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## JVD240 (Sep 7, 2009)

That looks awesome, man! What sub again?


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## strong*I*bumpin (Oct 3, 2005)

Looks like the Dayton IB


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

strong*I*bumpin said:


> Looks like the Dayton IB


This is correct.
Still dialing it in, but it is very enjoyable so far.


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## mitchjr (Mar 8, 2010)

Subscribe


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## DonutHands (Jan 27, 2006)

what are your plans to seal up the trunk from the rest of the car. You still have all those giant holes in the rear deck. the seats dont seal well at all. the trim around the trunk has giant air gaps behind it that basically vents into the side bolsters of the rear seats.

You have quite the task ahead of you trying to isolate the trunk.


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

DonutHands said:


> what are your plans to seal up the trunk from the rest of the car. You still have all those giant holes in the rear deck. the seats dont seal well at all. the trim around the trunk has giant air gaps behind it that basically vents into the side bolsters of the rear seats.
> 
> You have quite the task ahead of you trying to isolate the trunk.


In the spring (if I still have the car) I will address any larger openings. For right now, it is sealed up as much as I need it to be. I'm enjoying having the low end back in my system.


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

The holes along the top in that picture do not go to the cabin if I remember correctly.


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

This car has been sold.

Here it is backing out of the garage;









Good news is I kept the Denon, and that will go into the next car!


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