Hi all, Brand new here first post
I bought a very nice 97 A8 last week, i also bought a "Salvage" 2001 S8 (air bags not deploid!!!!)hit hard and plip over on the snow, i would like to use (swap) the S8 engine into my A8! Can i use the S8 wiring harnest? Is it possible to change harnest? Also my rear fog light switch in the dash:the light stay on all the time, can it be just the switch that is broken?
Thanks

I am sure that it is possible. I would change the tranny too. If you have a place, time ( and of course the ability )to do it, go ahead! It's going to take a few weeks. Basically you need to change the ECU, TCU, instrument cluster, tiptronic shifter, springs, brakes, sway bar and probably a few other things. You need a Bentley manual. I would start it tomorrow, but I am crazy. People here know, I take out the tranny in 2 hours just for fun.

Hi again,
Yes i was planning to change all that and more tranny, shifter,springs...the S8 has only 35,000KM!

You will need to change:

1. Wiring harness is going to be different, you will need to do a complete change over, if it will work. This includes things like headlights, totally different on the facelift cars. But the engine one is absolutely different.

2. Motor mounts on the facelift are electrical (IE have a power supply) prefacelifts do not.

3. Facelift cars have a CAN bus to communicate, pre facelift cars do not, as tozo tells you, the instrument cluster (and everything behind the dash) is totally different. The connectors aren't even remotely the same.

4. The facelift has an immobilizer in the dash, the prefacelift does not.....don't know how you will get around this one if you change the dash (which you will probably have to).

These are just 4 things that came to my immediate mind. I put a facelift center console in my 97 so I could install a Nav Plus, it was a real engineering project, took at least 60 hours of engineering to complete.

In the end the following didn't work: outside temperature no longer talks to anything and doesn't display in my pre facelift dash and the AC compressor wouldn't turn on/off, had to do a circuit mod and put in a manual toggle switch to turn it on/off (thanks Tom for helping with that!).

Good luck, we want to hear progress and it WILL NOT be easy! You will need the Bently and pretty much need to be an electrical wiz kid.

Probably the easiest thing to do would be to buy a 2000 or newer car and drop it right in.

And if you want to get rid of the transmission and rear end of that S8, I'll buy it from you!

We have a lot of knowledgeable people on this forum. If you have a question, just ask away. I am sure, that someone will help you. Buy a Bentley and ETKA and take pictures.
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Looks like it's going to be easier to fix the S8! God, Paul you may be right better to find other option.

bought it!! That's cool. If it was near me I would of :) Anyway, I agree with PaulW that swapping engine/trans issue may not be as easy as it sounds. It may be worth it to rebuild the S8 (if the frame is not too bad). Anyway, good luck with it and if you part out the S8, let me know ... I can give U a list of stuff I need!

Hard to tell from the pics on ebay, but is that grey interior the same as the pre-facelift grey? If so, I might be interested in the armrests.

Also still looking for sun shades (in the premium comfort package, according to the model guide for the '01 S8)- anyone know if the door panels and/or wiring are the same for pre/post facelift models? (would also depend on the grey color thing from above)

Tony Z

<center><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/98180/ad_12_sb.1.jpg"></center><p>Paul this is a 2001 S8 for sure, not the L model at all. Also the badges are all missing (stolen) glass sunroof is also broken.

Did you pay for it? I would take the tranny, driveshaft and rear end from you.

And you know it has the coveted sport seats.....they would go for a lot on ebay!

Yes i bought it. Don't trust guy with 0 feedback on ebay! looks like Fraud, scam.
Paul i may try to fix the car? I'll think about your offer.

Great, that tranny and rear end would probably offset a very large amount of your purchase price. If you want to email me, I'll give you my offer.

You can make a lot of money if you part it out.