The most tedious part of owning a B7 A4 is the maintenance. Although, it doesn’t have to be if you use the correct parts and fluid. In fact, it will actually prolong the life of your car.

Here is my list of common maintenance to perform before tuning (or even daily driving):

First of all and I cannot stress this enough, make sure you are using the correct weight oil with Audi-approved standards. Personally, I use Liqui Moly as they are a German-based company that must meet or exceed the exact specifications Audi follows. In addition, the owner’s manual states that you must change the oil every 10,000 miles. But, in reality, change it every 5,000 as it is way better for the life of the motor.

The most important maintenance item to check is your timing belt. Which Audi recommends changing every 90,000 miles. It is very simple to replace given you have the special tools and little common sense. But fail to replace this belt and you will total the vehicle. In today’s market, a new motor for our cars can be just as much as buying a complete high mileage B7. Even if you do all the work yourself, you will still be in the hole upwards of 3-4 thousand dollars.

Coolant! Should I get green or orange? NEITHER! Surprisingly enough, put anything other than what is recommended by Audi, and your coolant system will literally crumble apart. B7’s use a special pink coolant labeled as G12 that has special additives to help prolong the coolant system. It has become more common to find this at an auto part store, however, online or the dealership is your best bet.

Honestly, I could go on and on about what is known to fail and when. But if you follow those three guidelines and treat your car with respect, you should be fine.

-Devan