Trying to get comfortable with the new car.

[S3 Paul]

Good Afternoon All
Well, I am trying to get to know this car a little better.
By that i mean knowing what to keep an eye on , what to look out for. what to change... what products to use.
So sorry for the probably obvious questions but here goes...
I had a 2001 S3 and was comfortable i knew what needed doing/ checking and when. What would cause the usual issues and how to resolve them.
A few members on here helped out so much and make this my go to site.
So hoping to follow that path again...
What oil are people using? Standard Audi stuff?
For gearbox oil change, do people go with what Audi use? Or is there better?
Do coil packs fail on these cars much? I know the old 20v turbo coils used to so i carried a spare or 2 on road trips.
Is there any bottle necks for a little more power? Does fitting the intake and filter increase intake noise? I have the "audi sports exhaust " option. Does this improve performance or is it all about the sound and black tailpipes?
Has anybody bought the OBD Audi dongle? The dealers local to me recommended it. I have a VW one sat in a draw but assume they are different in some way?

Thanks to anybody who takes a moment to help/ direct me a little.

 

[8YARWY]

Good Afternoon All
Well, I am trying to get to know this car a little better.
By that i mean knowing what to keep an eye on , what to look out for. what to change... what products to use.
So sorry for the probably obvious questions but here goes...
I had a 2001 S3 and was comfortable i knew what needed doing/ checking and when. What would cause the usual issues and how to resolve them.
A few members on here helped out so much and make this my go to site.
So hoping to follow that path again...
What oil are people using? Standard Audi stuff?
For gearbox oil change, do people go with what Audi use? Or is there better?
Do coil packs fail on these cars much? I know the old 20v turbo coils used to so i carried a spare or 2 on road trips.
Is there any bottle necks for a little more power? Does fitting the intake and filter increase intake noise? I have the "audi sports exhaust " option. Does this improve performance or is it all about the sound and black tailpipes?
Has anybody bought the OBD Audi dongle? The dealers local to me recommended it. I have a VW one sat in a draw but assume they are different in some way?

Thanks to anybody who takes a moment to help/ direct me a little.

Castrol edge 5w-30 for the oil

DSG oil change just buy the OEM fluid / filter.
Tom Fox @creweaudiparts are a sponsor and can supply everything you need, it’s where I bought all mine when I had the 8V

Coil packs are pretty robust on the newer cars.

I changed the Turbo elbow / inlet hard pipe for Revo 4” items when I mapped my 8V, biggest restriction is at the elbow.

Forget the OBD dongle can’t see the point of it.
Buy VCDS or something similar, far more useful, you’ll need this when doing a gearbox oil change to tell you the temp of the fluid as it needs to be in the 35-45 Deg C range before draining it.

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[flybynite]

Castrol edge 5w-30 for the oil

You not using 5w40? Audi have gone this way now along with some tuners.
These 5-pot do run hot so I can see the logic

 

[8YARWY]

You not using 5w40? Audi have gone this way now along with some tuners.
These 5-pot do run hot so I can see the logic

Lol I’d have a job seeing as I sold it over a year ago.

Everytime I had it serviced at Audi they used 5w-30 so every service I did inbetween I kept to the same, not an oil ‘expert’ but I look after cars so saw no need to change oil spec.



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[flybynite]

Lol I’d have a job seeing as I sold it over a year ago.

What do you put in the 8Y? Thought the same would apply as it is still basically a DNWA.
You must have changed the oil by now even if Audi didn't

 

[8YARWY]

What do you put in the 8Y? Thought the same would apply as it is still basically a DNWA.
You must have changed the oil by now even if Audi didn't

0W-30. As per Audi spec.


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[flybynite]

By that i mean knowing what to keep an eye on , what to look out for. what to change... what products to use.

A good stage 1 remap can also get rid of a few of the better known niggles like cold start revs & wastegate rattle, left foot braking etc, and a decent boost in performance without changing a thing.

 

[S3 Paul]

Morning again !
After driving my car for a few month now im thinking about maybe an intake and a mild tune. Sorry if this has been covered many many times but is there any documented difference between the intakes? Prices seem crazy . On a previous car i had a large intake and open filter, this released a bit of turbo/ intake noise which was nice is this a bad idea on this car? Turbo elbow... does this give an improvement? I spoke to MRC about their Stage 1 and TCU.It comes with elbow, hardpipe and filter which should see between 470-490bhp? map is £850 and with the hardware it is £1390 so the elbow, hard pipe and filter is an extra £540. Online i have seen APR and Unitronic named too ? Any owners that have real experience of these tunes? I kind of want a "fit and forget " set up

 

[flybynite]

Personally i would just do a stage 1 map and then see how you feel before changing any parts. Another option is Revo as they do have the reputation for being a well developed map that is usable rather than chasing willy-waving figures.

I would be careful about pushing too far past basic stage 1 without upgrading intercooler, these engines get hot enough as they are.

They do also do a full stage 2 "performance pack" with intercooler, elbow and intake which IMHO is a sensible well rounded package. If their map switching was customisable it would be what I would go for. I don't give a stuff about headline figures, it is 'area under the graph' that make cars quicker. I like the Revo map for this. Revo elbow is one of the best for a RHD car.

 

[S3 Paul]

Personally i would just do a stage 1 map and then see how you feel before changing any parts. Another option is Revo as they do have the reputation for being a well developed map that is usable rather than chasing willy-waving figures.

I would be careful about pushing too far past basic stage 1 without upgrading intercooler, these engines get hot enough as they are.

They do also do a full stage 2 "performance pack" with intercooler, elbow and intake which IMHO is a sensible well rounded package. If their map switching was customisable it would be what I would go for. I don't give a stuff about headline figures, it is 'area under the graph' that make cars quicker. I like the Revo map for this. Revo elbow is one of the best for a RHD car.

Thanks. The last 2 cars i have had 8l S3 and B5 rs4 were both mapped by JBS with custom code. S3 was custom map as was their hybrid turbo trial car. RS4 was stage one generic i guess. Both just felt like more of the same... which if that makes sense? A bigger number but same driveability . I dont want to be pushing anything too hard just comfortably within the cars limits

 

[flybynite]

Thanks. The last 2 cars i have had 8l S3 and B5 rs4 were both mapped by JBS with custom code. S3 was custom map as was their hybrid turbo trial car. RS4 was stage one generic i guess. Both just felt like more of the same... which if that makes sense? A bigger number but same driveability . I dont want to be pushing anything too hard just comfortably within the cars limits

The EA855evo is a good engine but IMHO it is a bit higher strung and easier to damage that the S3 or RS4. It gets hotter too. Live custom mapping just gets further towards the limits I am happy to stay away from.

For me the main reason to map is to improve the drivability, it is not that great on the standard FL RS3. A map like Revo helps with drivability and also fixes a lot of issues like cold start, wategate rattle, left foot braking etc etc. TVS gearbox map helps with drivability also.

 

[S3 Paul]

The EA855evo is a good engine but IMHO it is a bit higher strung and easier to damage that the S3 or RS4. It gets hotter too. Live custom mapping just gets further towards the limits I am happy to stay away from.

For me the main reason to map is to improve the drivability, it is not that great on the standard FL RS3. A map like Revo helps with drivability and also fixes a lot of issues like cold start, wategate rattle, left foot braking etc etc. TVS gearbox map helps with drivability also.

Thanks again for taking time to reply. is TVS a company or the actual gearbox map? what do you mean by cold start issue? Thanks again.

 

[flybynite]

Thanks again for taking time to reply. is TVS a company or the actual gearbox map? what do you mean by cold start issue? Thanks again.

Every cold start the car revs to 1400 rpm to heat the cats up for emissions. Firstly it can be too loud for some in some situations especially if you like your neighbours, more importantly it is not good for a cold engine to be thrasing away just to warm the cats. Many tunes map it out.

TVS engineering

DQ500 - TVS Engineering

tvsengineering.com

 

[S3 Paul]

Is an uprated dog bone mount recommended for these cars? I had one on my old 8L S3 when i did the clutch as it was off anyway. I have read a couple of things recently saying these cars need one to avoid damage to the prop and transfer box? I do not launch the car so hopefully it isn't exposed to the kind of forces that can damage these things ? 2018 RS3

 

[wuta3]

Just to chip in:

• I went APR stage 1 which for me as a daily driver just ironed out the niggles. The TCU tune is absolutely essential IMHO. The standard gearbox map is crap, especially for town driving. Their tune isn't too aggressive, I feel happy with their R&D and that they actually know what they're doing.
• I upgraded the rear ARB and droplinks which really improved cornering and made the car feel much more neutral and less "safety understeer", highly recommend for the cost.
• Went with PS4S 235/35/R19 all round, going square and ditching the Pirellis was a huge win again
• Next went to 18" with 235/40/R18, again for my usage a huge improvement
• Newer revision coilpacks were a huge improvement. Mine were on old revision ones, had the odd misfire. Newer revision packs improved rev response, idle.
• Transfer box on the 8V is non-service listed, but I get mine done when it is in for the usual service.
• Brakes are a total PITA - Been experimenting with pads and disks, not found a non-squeaky set yet.
• The cabin on mine (sunroof, roof-liner, behind dash) is prone to rattles. They're slowly getting ironed out.

I might do turbo elbow and dogbone. There is a lot of engine movement, especially with the TCU tune giving more aggressive shifts. I don't think it's a risk of damaging anything, but the movement can feel unpleasant.
I'm opting for an OEM+ approach: Improve the bits where cost savings were made. Make things stronger. Don't ruin the character of the car and keep as much OEM as possible. I'm dreading the day the virtual cockpit gives up the ghost.

So far, 60k miles, zero problems. Just routine maintenance.

 

[flybynite]

Is an uprated dog bone mount recommended for these cars? I had one on my old 8L S3 when i did the clutch as it was off anyway. I have read a couple of things recently saying these cars need one to avoid damage to the prop and transfer box? I do not launch the car so hopefully it isn't exposed to the kind of forces that can damage these things ? 2018 RS3

Not very helpful I know but it all goes down to how you drive the thing. If you are aggressive with the throttle, the car behaves aggressively and wear on bits increases, IMHO you don't need to be aggressive to be fast but that seems to be a rare opinion these days. Some might be Stage 3 and not need it, I have seen some get the engine moving around on a standard car.

Best thing you can do for the transfer box is change the oil every 20k like they now do on the new ones.