1998 Audi A4 2.8 Quattro Oxygen Sensors

I took my A4 into the Audi dealer today due to excessive exhaust noise. They determined it is both catalytic converters which are covered under warranty. (Thank God, $1900 each).

Anyway, the dealer says I should change out the oxygen sensors while they do the catalytics. This will cost over $900 and apparently it should be done, eventhough all 4 o2 sensors are not reading faulty. Apparently it is a 4-5 hour job to change these sensors.

Does anyone have experience with this sort of thing? Would it be a waste of money to change the sensors now?

Thanks for any help.

Reply to
NV_BC
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If it were me, I would not have them do it - if they do end up going later, you can them done MUCH less expensively at an indepedent shop. $900 is way too much. This topic is being discussed on the Audifan's quattro list, on a 2000 Passat GLS and the numbers being thrown around are m ore like $50 - $100 each, parts and labor...

Dan D '04 A4 1.8Tq MT-6 Central NJ USA

Reply to
Dano58

NV, No way - don't let them pick your pocket. It may be so that they'd be charging you 4 to 5 hours by the book to change the sensors, but they'd have the car opened up to service the cats, so that $900 is essentially for the 4 sensors themselves. You can go to your local auto parts store, buy a generic 2, 3, or 4 wire sensor and splice it into the Audi harness (I got a

3-wire Bosch for my 5ktq from Canadian Tire for around $40). And that's if they're not working (which they probably are). The cats probably broke up from vibration - I've heard of that happening alot - not from a mass OXS malfunction. That's what's called a "Plus Sell", like when a shoe store tries to sell you running shocks with a new set of running shoes. Except the store is paying for your replacement shoes, and so they're trying to soak you with a set of $900 socks. Cheers! Steve Sears 1987 Audi 5kTQ - running happily with a generic, spliced-in OXS, on the original cat, passed emissions with flying colours last year, one more test to go........ 1980 Audi 5k - no OXS, no Cat, no worries 1962 and '64 Auto Union DKW Junior deLuxes - No.....(where do I start?) (SPAM Blocker NOTE: Remove SHOES to reply)
Reply to
Steve Sears

Thank you Dan and Steve. Your advice is much appreciated. I had a feeling they were just trying to pad their loss on my warranty repair work.

I will turn them down and hopefully they don't mess with the car in some way to make the problem more urgent.

I would hope Capilano Volkswagen Audi in North Vancouver wouldn't do that.

Reply to
NV_BC

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