Audi A4 suspension query

buzzing147

Hi
Had the car into Audi for service, its an Audi A4 2009, got a call saying it needed 2 rear springs, 390euro to supply and fit. Is this a correct price? I rang a few car parts shops about springs and was quoted around 40-50 euro each, and local mechanic 50 to fit them. Big price difference. Just wondering is it more than just springs Audi are fitting? It says on service report, "rear springs".

colm_mcm

Make sure you're pricing good quality springs from the motor factors. You're not gong to get good ones for €40.


I wouldn't get them done at the dealer as there's not great benefit, the car is well out of warranty now, but you can certainly get OEM quality for much less than €390.

buzzing147

colm_mcm wrote: »

Make sure you're pricing good quality springs from the motor factors.
I wouldn't get them done at the dealer as there's not great benefit, the car is well out of warranty now.

Cheers, yea just shocked at the price, also said I needed 2 tyres at 195e each! Thanks for advice

Motormadcork

I recently bought rear kyb coil springs from motorparts.ie for my 09 Audi A4 @ €60 each. My local mechanic was looking for 90+vat per spring!

turbostan

Motormadcork wrote: »

I recently bought rear kyb coil springs from motorparts.ie for my 09 Audi A4 @ €60 each. My local mechanic was looking for 90+vat per spring!

Well it pays to shop around sometimes, but the different brands will vary in price obviously.
Lesjofers for example (I think they're Swedish) are as good ad you'll get but this is also reflected in the price.
Kyb are generally that bit cheaper, but it's ok stuff too.

tossy

When it comes to suspension components cheapest is not always best.

colm_mcm

tossy wrote: »

When it comes to suspension components cheapest is not always best.

Cheapest is rarely best in anything!

tossy

colm_mcm wrote: »

Cheapest is rarely best in anything!

True that, buy ****e buy twice.

Truckermal

Madness getting a 09 serviced in Audi it kills me giving them 190 euros for a oil and filter service.

Motormadcork

Truckermal wrote: »

Madness getting a 09 serviced in Audi it kills me giving them 190 euros for a oil and filter service.

If your any bit mechanically minded it's a great way to spend an hour or so tipping away at it yourself. Castrol Oil and mann filter from my local motor factor cost just over €50. Needless to say the neighbours were giving queer looks whilst I was doing it!

Truckermal

Motormadcork wrote: »

If your any bit mechanically minded it's a great way to spend an hour or so tipping away at it yourself. Castrol Oil and mann filter from my local motor factor cost just over €50. Needless to say the neighbours were giving queer looks whilst I was doing it!

I will be doing that once it's out of warranty!

Cee-Jay-Cee

buzzing147 wrote: »

Hi
Had the car into Audi for service, its an Audi A4 2009, got a call saying it needed 2 rear springs, 390euro to supply and fit. Is this a correct price? I rang a few car parts shops about springs and was quoted around 40-50 euro each, and local mechanic 50 to fit them. Big price difference. Just wondering is it more than just springs Audi are fitting? It says on service report, "rear springs".

Seems ridiculously expensive when you consider you'd probably get a full set of four quality Eibach lowering springs for around €160-180.

neddynasty

buzzing147 wrote: »

Hi
Had the car into Audi for service, its an Audi A4 2009, got a call saying it needed 2 rear springs, 390euro to supply and fit. Is this a correct price? I rang a few car parts shops about springs and was quoted around 40-50 euro each, and local mechanic 50 to fit them. Big price difference. Just wondering is it more than just springs Audi are fitting? It says on service report, "rear springs".

I have an 2009 A4 TDI. Last week the drivers side rear spring snapped while I was driving. I was away from home so had to take it to not my normal garage. Cost €194 inc. VAT to fix. They said it was an s-line spring (blue & pink coded) and it cost about €100 plus there was another €13 for some rubber part that got lost when it broke + labor.

I was expecting it to cost a lot more.

buzzing147

colm_mcm wrote: »

Make sure you're pricing good quality springs from the motor factors. You're not gong to get good ones for €40.


I wouldn't get them done at the dealer as there's not great benefit, the car is well out of warranty now, but you can certainly get OEM quality for much less than €390.

I got a set of rear springs, mechanic said only 1 was broke other was fine do he just replaced one, is this normal? He said no need to replace the other rear one.

Toyotafanboi

Motormadcork wrote: »

If your any bit mechanically minded it's a great way to spend an hour or so tipping away at it yourself. Castrol Oil and mann filter from my local motor factor cost just over €50. Needless to say the neighbours were giving queer looks whilst I was doing it!

Did you check out the rest of the car while servicing it or are you just hoping for the best with that?

bazz26

Most suspension parts including springs are recommended to be replaced in pairs on the same axle. Replacing only one can cause an imbalance and puts extra strain on the older one which more than likely will mean replacing it not long afterwards.

Toyotafanboi

The originals are prone to snapping with age in those A4s anyway. If I was paying someone to do one, I'd get the other done while he was in there.

Neilw

I wouldn't buy original springs anywhere other than a main dealer.
There are so many different specs for an A4, the only way to ensure you replace like for like is to buy from Audi by vin number.

Bring them to a local mechanic for fitting to save a few bob.

buzzing147

Should I go back to mechanic and get the other rear spring put in? No point taking it back to motor factors. They were suplex springs, are they bad!? Or (ok)!?

Neilw

buzzing147 wrote: »

Should I go back to mechanic and get the other rear spring put in? No point taking it back to motor factors. They were suplex springs, are they bad!? Or (ok)!?

There's a fair chance they are wrong, your original springs will have different colour paint dots on them unique to the spec of your car. Whether it has sport suspension, s line extras, petrol or Diesel engine.

As mentioned you should fit a pair of them.

At the end of the day it's your car, it wouldn't be the way I would repair it though.

turbostan

Neilw wrote: »

There's a fair chance they are wrong, your original springs will have different colour paint dots on them unique to the spec of your car. Whether it has sport suspension, s line extras, petrol or Diesel engine.

As mentioned you should fit a pair of them.

At the end of the day it's your car, it wouldn't be the way I would repair it though.

I take it you work for Audi Neilw 😂

Neilw

turbostan wrote: »

I take it you work for Audi Neilw ��

Nope, not in the trade at all. I just know when to buy from a dealer and when not to.

buzzing147

Neilw wrote: »

Nope, not in the trade at all. I just know when to buy from a dealer and when not to.

Would you buy a throttle body from main dealers for nearly 500 or one in auto factors for 180?

Neilw

buzzing147 wrote: »

Would you buy a throttle body from main dealers for nearly 500 or one in auto factors for 180?

Motor factors once it was made by the oe supplier and the same part.

Very different to what you have bought, what you have is a generic fits all spring made by a non oe supplier.

buzzing147

Neilw wrote: »

Motor factors once it was made by the oe supplier and the same part.

Very different to what you have bought, what you have is a generic fits all spring made by a non oe supplier.

It must fit in some way cause no rattle at rear of car now, better than driving with a broken original spring. If it ends up exploding I'll buy 2 originals

Neilw

buzzing147 wrote: »

It must fit in some way cause no rattle at rear of car now, better than driving with a broken original spring. If it ends up exploding I'll buy 2 originals

Of course it will be better than a broken original but how do you know the spring rate is the same as the original spring? Is it made to match the ride height of the original too?

Your car could handle strangely with mismatched springs, hence why I recommended buy the correct ones from Audi.

buzzing147

Neilw wrote: »

Of course it will be better than a broken original but how do you know the spring rate is the same as the original spring? Is it made to match the ride height of the original too?

Your car could handle strangely with mismatched springs, hence why I recommended buy the correct ones from Audi.

True, but seems to be ok so far on these 2 springs, rang Audi 2 rear springs costs 224euro, 112e each, 390euro to get them to supply and fit. crazy price considering I have 2 new ones in now and total cost was under 150 for everything.

166man

buzzing147 wrote: »

True, but seems to be ok so far on these 2 springs, rang Audi 2 rear springs costs 224euro, 112e each, 390euro to get them to supply and fit. crazy price considering I have 2 new ones in now and total cost was under 150 for everything.

Not a crazy price at all. You went to a main dealer with a near 9 year old car - do you expect that Audi wouldn't charge a premium, given it's a premium brand?

You got them done for €150 though I dare say your motor factors and mechanic has significantly lower overheads than the main Audi dealership - but don't let that get in the way of slating a main dealer.

colm_mcm

€224 for springs that are known to snap though

166man

colm_mcm wrote: »

€224 for springs that are known to snap though

Timing chain issues on BMW diesels - people still buy them

tossy

colm_mcm wrote: »

€224 for springs that are known to snap though

The snapped on a 2009 of unknown mileage, we also don't know what kind of life the car has had but you're right people should be marching in the streets

buzzing147

tossy wrote: »

The snapped on a 2009 of unknown mileage, we also don't know what kind of life the car has had but you're right people should be marching in the streets

Car has, believe it or not, only 72,000 miles

jca

buzzing147 wrote: »

Car has, believe it or not, only 72,000 miles

Is that supposed to be low or something? My own 09 car has similar mileage 9000 per year, no broken springs luckily..

buzzing147

jca wrote: »

Is that supposed to be low or something? My own 09 car has similar mileage 9000 per year, no broken springs luckily..

Yea that's supposed to be low or something.

dr.fuzzenstein

buzzing147 wrote: »

Hi
Had the car into Audi for service, its an Audi A4 2009, got a call saying it needed 2 rear springs, 390euro to supply and fit. Is this a correct price? I rang a few car parts shops about springs and was quoted around 40-50 euro each, and local mechanic 50 to fit them. Big price difference. Just wondering is it more than just springs Audi are fitting? It says on service report, "rear springs".

buzzing147 wrote: »

Cheers, yea just shocked at the price, also said I needed 2 tyres at 195e each! Thanks for advice

That's 780 for 2 tires and 2 springs. Holy Moly!!!! :eek::eek::eek:
Did the mechanic foam at the mouth when he said that? Were there €€ signs in his eyes?

buzzing147

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

That's 780 for 2 tires and 2 springs. Holy Moly!!!! :eek::eek::eek:
Did the mechanic foam at the mouth when he said that? Were there €€ signs in his eyes?

The secretary was foaming at the mouth when she said that, the guy at the Tyre centres mouth had no foam on it when he said all 4 tyres are at around 4.5mm no need to change yet!

hamburg

I always get kilen or KyB springs from my local factors an never had a problem with them. Good quality items I have always found. Also has anyone ever thought that opels seem to bust springs more than most other makes?