The coolant flange is one of the more common parts to fail on a 1.8T. I have witnessed three different situations where the original flange failed right around 120k-140k miles, I have heard that it can happen sooner as well. Typically when it does fail, it is accompanied by a large coolant leak...

Due to the AWD design of the B6/B7, the front of the engine needs to be positioned in front of the front axle longitudinally. With the weight of the engine positioned over the front axle, this causes a phenomenon known as “understeer”. In order to combat understeer, a stiffer rear sway bar can be...

For many Audi & VW 1.8T owners, the stock diverter valve is prone to failure even under stock daily driving and the factory boost pressure settings. Moreover, once you begin making any engine performance enhancements and alterations to your vehicle the efficiency and reliability of the...

A cost effective brake upgrade is to replace the single piston calipers with the two piston calipers that are found on many different Audi models, such as the D2 A8, C5 A6 with 2.7T engine and B5 S4. The B6 A4 upright has the same caliper bolt spacing as the B5 S4, so the caliper bolts right up....

A common failure point in the VW/Audi family are the engine mounts. In order to reduce NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) transmitted into the cabin, the engine mounts are filled with a damping fluid as opposed to being made completely out of rubber. This makes for a more comfortable cabin,...

Tired of looking at your outdated B6 key fob? Well, you're in luck! You can easily upgrade to a newer B7 key fob with simple hand tools and a little patience. Here's how. First things first, obtain a B7 key fob. These can be found on eBay for around $20, but do your due diligence. Make sure you...

Modern fuel injected vehicles need a way to tell the computer how much air is coming into the engine in order to supply the appropriate amount of fuel. Most automakers do this with a MAF (mass air flow) sensor. The MAF sensor works together with other sensors in order to determine the amount of...

I recently picked up a used Thor Skid Plate. A skid plate is nice to have if your car is lowered to protect the oil pan as well as other components and is a lot more durable than the plastic belly pan. This installation took place on my B6 Audi A4.   Install The install is pretty...

Oxygen sensors are a common fault after 100,000 miles on most any vehicle. My old B5 Audi A4 once needed the upstream (pre-cat) oxygen sensors replaced, both of which being accessible from under the hood. Tools Required Crow's foot (specialty socket for O2 sensors)3/8" Drive Extension (about 2'...

For many people, a turbocharger is a magical device that makes cool noises, and their car go faster. As Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear once said, “Exhaust gasses go into the turbocharger and spin it, witchcraft happens and you go faster.” As funny as this explanation is, he isn’t too far off, aside...