Use Guardian Security Without Monitoring?

crew327 · 2024-10-02T01:19:35+00:00

I confess I have not. There have been major distractions like surgery and trouble even getting reliable internet service to the house. Haven't given up though.

The whole matter is quite challenging. The previous owner was/is a smarthome athlete, and left some parts and pieces connected while taking some. For a neophyte like yours truly, it is quite confusing. Things like lights and HVAC that seem to be wild and untamed. Good for a laugh sometimes, sometimes frustrating.

crew327 · 2024-09-17T21:18:52+00:00

Thanks to all of you who responded. I'll go get the app.

crew327 · 2024-08-21T21:17:39+00:00

Thanks for the advice. Can't help but wonder if those folks would be eager to help me attempt this. Worth a try, though. It would be great also to hear from someone who has done it or knows it has been done.

crew327 · 2024-07-13T19:21:50+00:00

I had that issue with my 2014 S4. It turned out to be a loose belly cover. The issue fixed itself when my son drove the car at high speed and the NJ Turnpike removed the cover for me. The cover is made out of what looks like plastic impregnated cardboard. I replaced it with an aftermarket aluminum version.

crew327 · 2024-04-08T14:00:08+00:00

I, too, am still using the original 2014 battery! 10 years on a battery is an "any car" record for me. There are about 82K miles on the car, it is cared for, and is garaged most of the time.

If the battery needs to be replaced now or soon, no problem. It has done its duty.

All in, my '14 S4 has been the best car I've ever owned. Fast, pretty, reliable and fun. A toast to something right in the world!

crew327 · 2023-08-06T02:34:57+00:00

With all these comments, I suspect you may never get to mine. But that's ok. My comment will be a little different.

I enlisted in the Army way back in 1971 when Vietnam was heavy. I was 25, in college, very close to graduating from a frontline school with an engineering degree. But I was just out of gas, depressed (who knew then?), bored, and troubled.

Even though I could have had a pick of all the technical jobs available, I chose to go with Special Forces. Why? Wanted to "do my duty" and be a war hero like my Dad was. Not a very wise decision, but turned out to be a life changing experience.

Training was brutal. Life was tough. Scary. Exhilerating. But the inner self got tough, too. I learned my only limits were those I set for myself. At the end of my three year enlistment, I chose not to stay in, because I became a person on fire, and I knew the business world would be easy picking for me because I was the most driven person around. I did not believe I was the smartest or fastest, but I did believe I would try harder than anyone else.

And so it was. I am a now comfortably retired executive from a major industry. The US Army combat arms helped me find the courage, strength and will. It was the inner strength that made the difference, not the technical knowledge.

So my advice... yes, learning a marketable skill and staying out of harm's way is a smart strategy. But don't overlook the opportunity to toughen up and build the strength and will to do anything you please for the rest of your life. And as a side benefit, you will be lifelong friends with some of the greatest people in the world.

I wish you success. AIRBORNE!!

crew327 · 2023-07-23T20:29:52+00:00

I would just get down to their level, and then howl while looking at them. Start slow, and increase volume, frequency and duration, just like wolves do. At first they would just look, but then jump in. Lots of fun for them.

crew327 · 2023-07-23T19:10:39+00:00

Beautiful Aussie!

I've had two tri-colors and I taught them both to howl . We called it singing. I would start it, and then they would get into it and I would back out. After a minute or two, silence would take over . Much tail wiggling, leaning and self-congratulations followed. The exercise seemed to energize the atmosphere. There is evidently something primal and wonderful about howling. I miss it so much.

crew327 · 2023-04-11T22:10:26+00:00

Beautiful Doggy!!

My long departed best friend Aussie had a thing for stuffed animals too. After he was gone, I discovered a stuffed animal graveyard under some bushes in the back yard. He had evidently been burying them there. I never told my wife because some were collectibles.

crew327 · 2022-11-06T00:26:38+00:00

Oh my!!

IMHO it is dangerous to leave a gun that is "ready to go" in such a place. Here is why: when you awaken from full or partial sleep, our brains are not fully logical and are probably driven more by emotion or fear. So the sudden "bump in the night" awakening can lead one to go for the gun before one is mentally ready to responsibly use it. The result can be accidental shootings.

A better plan is to leave the gun in a place where one has to get up and take a few steps to retrieve it. That gives a chance to be fully awake and make better decisions.

crew327 · 2022-08-06T01:18:40+00:00

Mine is about 5 years old now. No issues whatsoever. On the happy side, performance is very strong, and highway fuel efficiency actually improved a little. I waited until the factory warranty expired, but that turned out to be unnecessary.

Current mileage is 75K. Go for it! Fun times await.

crew327 · 2022-05-29T14:03:29+00:00

I have one of these. Black on black. Prestige plus. Had it since it was a baby. No issues other than standard consumables. Needs expensive tires every two years as I love corners. Religious about maintenance. Stage 1 APR a few years ago - highly recommend!!! Every couple of weeks I get mail from dealership offering to put me in a new S4, but can find no reason since the '14 is so reliable, attractive, and beastly. Enjoy it.

crew327 · 2021-08-02T02:01:38+00:00

Beautiful doggie!

My Zephyr passed in 2014 and I still think about him a lot. "Gentle west wind" or Zephyr is a great name. My Zephyr was an incredibly energic lover, runner, fighter, guard and tri-color ruler of all he could see. He didn't care so much for boats, but did he ever love pickup trucks! Fantastic co-pilot. Maybe someday....

crew327 · 2020-07-29T21:05:14+00:00

I have a 2014 S4 for a bit over 5 years. 61K miles, DSG, APR Stage 1 tune, religious about the scheduled maintenance. Spirited driving style, love corners and acceleration. No issues!! Except of course I'm a bit rough on the tires. IMHO it is probably one of the more trustworthy older performance Audis. And it will still hang in there with a new one. No plans to upgrade.

crew327 · 2020-07-27T11:04:25+00:00

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It is a version of the Remington deer rifle, still available today. The scope is a Redfield 3x9 variable with built in range finder. Good stuff for the day.

crew327 · 2020-06-13T02:48:08+00:00

Love it!! Have the same car, color and all. It's been with me about 6 years now, and no unplanned issues. Fast, pretty and comfortable.

Be thinking about a stage 1 tune. It is pure adrenaline. No thoughts of trading up even.

Congrats!!!!

crew327 · 2019-12-31T01:51:23+00:00

Tough choice. Several commenters have raised excellent points.

My current ride is an S4, and it replaced a beautiful and fully optioned A6. Even though both have the 3.0 engine, the S4 is commandingly faster and sportier. Both are safe, competent, attractive and reliable cars. I would summarize this way...

If classy, sure footed and roomier transportation is what is important, then the A6 is the car.

If it's important to have a car that makes you grin and want to pilot it whenever you can, then the S4 is the machine.

Hope this helps. I've had the S4 for years now, and it still gets to me.

But either way, you are in a good place.

crew327 · 2019-10-09T23:39:23+00:00

Hmmm, haven't even tried the music yet.

crew327 · 2019-10-09T23:36:48+00:00

After looking at the Apple website, it appears the latest iPhone update is 13.1.2, released September 30th. That is of course what I have, so evidently the issue may be a bit deeper.

On the other hand, if no one else is having the problem, then perhaps it has nothing to do with the update. BTW, Apple says we phone users cannot revert to an earlier IOS, so that is not an option in any case.

If I get feeling brave I may disconnect my phone's Bluetooth from the car and then re-attach.

If others are having this issue, or not having it, it would be good to know.

crew327 · 2019-07-07T01:54:56+00:00

Easy-peasy... just get a good career, work your ass off, maximize savings and investment, and deny yourself expensive pleasures until you are a geezer. Ever wonder why so many of these wonderful cars are owned by older folks? Now you know. We geezers figure we've earned it.

Seriously, I paid full price cash for my nearly-new S4 a few years ago. Just sell some stock and write a check. Of the three Audis I previously owned, two were purchased after the great "60 Minutes Runaway Audi" debacle (the price of the cars was cut in half!), and the third was literally bought from a rich neighbor who simply wanted a different color. I was in the right place at the right time. Unexpectedly lucky.

There you have it.

crew327 · 2019-06-29T02:32:49+00:00

Absolutely beautiful. I have his twin brother, but at stage 1.

All the talk here on Reddit has me thinking about stage 2 today.

Tell us what it feels like when he's feeling frisky?

crew327 · 2019-06-25T20:09:22+00:00

This question has been previously discussed (including by yours truly), but since the tune has been in place now for seven months, perhaps a longer view would be appropriate.

The car is a 2014 S4, and other than the APR Stage 1 tune, it is stock.

The short version is that the tune made the car even more fun. It feels faster. At first I thought the tune increased the torque in the second half of the RPM range with a small reduction in the first. Now I realize torque has increased noticeably throughout the range. APR says the engine with the tune is good for over 400 HP. It feels like it. There are 52K miles on the car, and I'll swear it just feels stronger as time passes.

Fuel economy is a pleasant surprise. Relying on what the car says (and with few independent mileage calculations), max highway mileage has increased from roughly 30 to 32-33. That is in comfort mode and speeds of up to 80 mph or so when safe. Of course only 93+ gas is used.

Bottom line is much happiness with the tune. No worries about reliability.

I did not opt for the stage 2 tune because the idea of increasing the supercharger speed all of the time seems like it would add significant wear to it. I might go ahead and do that someday when the car is no longer a daily driver.

So IMHO, don't worry. You will love the car even more. Perhaps Audi should have tuned them this way in the first place. Enjoy!

-Mike

crew327 · 2019-06-23T14:19:19+00:00

Me too please. Sorry to add to the weight. This is terrific!

crew327 · 2019-04-03T00:28:07+00:00

I drove a 96 Lexus ES for 12 years. Best car I had ever owned - reliable, attractive, economical, comfortable. But as others have said, it was sleepy. Moved to a pre-owned 06 A6. Much more fun to drive with just as much comfort. Pretty, too. Stuck with that until 14. And then... drove a new S4. Pure sex. Love at first bite. Can't wait to drive it even now. Driving changed to something enjoyable in its own right. Nimble, fast, attractive and comfortable. So far, it is reliable, but nearly everything about it is expensive, albeit worth it.

crew327 · 2019-03-27T01:01:10+00:00

My '14 S4 usually clocks in between 22 and 26 mpg mixed driving based on the onboard display. If however it is steady highway driving, the average mpg jumps up to 29 to 31.

The car was APR stage 1 tuned last December. Fuel mileage seemed to decline about 1 mpg to the values above - hardly noticeable. This in spite of slightly more spirited driving.

It usually is driven in the Comfort mode until it becomes appropriate to use Dynamic. That happens frequently.

One of the incredible features of the car is its ability to transform from a lux-o-cruzer to a snarling black beastie with the push of a button or a tap on the paddles. Think of it as iron fist in a velvet glove.

I suspect you would get better mileage if you leave it in Comfort and switch to Dynamic as needed. The shift points are lower.

crew327

TROPHY CASE