- 07/05/2017
- 1 Min Read
- By: Evan Madore
How to replace the hood strut and air filter on an Audi B7 S4
As we wrap up our stay with Project Audi B7 S4, we decided to take the time to address of some of the smaller issues that a "new to me" owner would tackle after taking receipt of a project vehicle. When we took in Project B7 S4 some time ago, we noticed a few small things that bugged us about the car, as well as some routine maintenance items that still needed to be addressed. In a series of small DIY's we show you how to get them done. Our first manner of business is the replacement of the hood shock on our project vehicle.
Immediately after getting the car we wanted to pop the hood and get a look at the venerable 4.2L engine found in the B6/B7, but upon opening the hood in our initial review video we noticed our hood shock was blown. It did not prop the hood, nor did it aid in opening it smoothly as intended. Something I found out the hard way after dropping the hood thinking it would stay up as intended, hurting my forearm in the process. Using a vise grip pliers to lock the hood shock in place for repairs or tinkering under the hood was getting to be a bit annoying. Many European models will use two and in some cases one heavy duty hood shock to serve this purpose, ours uses the later. Grabbing a Meyle hood strut we'll show you a quick 1 minute DIY for those suffering the same problem.
With our hood now properly supported, we made our way to the cowl and removed it and our broken battery panel tray to gain access to our cabin filter. Ours was getting old and with pollen season upon us, I decided now would be the best time to get a new OEM cabin air filter in from Mann. Mann has been a great product line for us for many years and is OEM for countless makes and models throughout European auto manufacturers. Installing one of their replacement charcoal cabin filters will aid in keeping incoming cabin air clean of particulates and pollen (something I and many others are susceptible to). The charcoal impregnated filters also help keep outside odors from making their way into the cabin.
The process of putting the vehicle together after the filter is replaced means setting in the battery tray. Ours, like many used Audi/VW's, was broken so we took this opportunity to replace it with a new one, one that does not bounce around or unhinge from the cowl cover and that cleans up our engine bay nicely.
From here we moved on to replacing the engine air filter, also with a OEM engine air filter from Mann, and in doing so we cleaned out the air filter housing that picked up some leaves and dirt over the years. In that housing we removed a K&N reusable filter, which is great and could very easily be rinsed, oiled, and reused, but it did not complement the rest of the project as these truly work best with a supporting exhaust kit or muffler mod. Replacing it gave our B7 a noticeable change in intake sound and tamed our engine noise (honestly the most intoxicating thing about our project vehicle) but also helped our MPG and everyday driveability, a fair exchange in my estimation.
Our to-do list for our project vehicle is reaching an end now, as we wrap up our work and set out to enjoy the vehicle as it was intended. We will be back with a final review video of the car, our time with it, and our thoughts about the ownership experience.
