VWR R600 - Disapointed

[TomBlueS3]

Hi all,

I’m not normally one to slate products but when something isn’t really up to the mark it needs mentioning. This of course is my personal opinion and I understand others may feel different.

I bought the product (VWR R600) along with a racing line turbo elbow and racing line silicone hose for £550 which yeah in all honesty is a shed load of money for what it is but I’m wanting to go Stage 2 and as the owner of a S3 I like to get the best for it.

When the product arrived I thought wow, this is really nice. It looks amazing and feels pretty good. The problems arouse when fitting this product, I found the screws to be very cheap/soft metal and would began to round easily even using the correct torx tool (how these are meant to withstand multiple openings and closing when taking the filter out to clean it I’ll never know)

Also the product barely lined up evenly and was a nightmare to screw in, I had to get a colleague to help hold parts in place when screwing it together just to put it together.

(Maybe this is how it’s meant to be and had I paid £100/£150 I probably wouldn’t be to concerned but for the price I expected something more premium)

I am truely annoyed I’ve paid over £500 for a product which to me just seems like cheap crap - I am dreading the day I have to remove the filter for maintainance.

I’ve not been able to test the filter yet, I think the design is good and should provide decent results.

So anyone else who has the VWR R600 find the same as me come fitting? Or have I just got a dodgy one?

Cheers!

(Photo taken before the top cover was placed on)

 

[Starry]

I've got one, I bought it 2nd hand and tbh I've not found the torx soft and mines been in and out a fair few times. The thing that did annoy me was the fixings on the front didn't line up with the holes in the the cars pannel. It proforms well though and sounds good.

 

[TomBlueS3]

I've got one, I bought it 2nd hand and tbh I've not found the torx soft and mines been in and out a fair few times. The thing that did annoy me was the fixings on the front didn't line up with the holes in the the cars pannel. It proforms well though and sounds good.

I wonder if the screws in yours may originally have been from the OEM air box and not actually the VWR ones? (I may look into swapping the screws in future)

Yeah I know exactly what you mean...tbh’ I think this was the biggest problem I faced when fitting...I managed to screw the filter in place using the cars panel but it was a real struggle (and one of the main causes of this post!). So have you just screwed them 2 holes together and placed either corner beneath the cars panel (if that makes any sense).

Yeah I can’t wait to take mine for a drive

 

[Rob2k68]

I’ve toyed with getting one but they look grey against the black engine cover so will probably go Revo again (yes I have OCD ).


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[TomBlueS3]

I’ve toyed with getting one but they look grey against the black engine cover so will probably go Revo again (yes I have OCD ).


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If I had my time again I would/should have gone with a Revo intake

 

[DJAlix]

If I had my time again I would/should have gone with a Revo intake

In testing, using both the Revo and R600 intakes on a stage 2 PFL S3 MRC vehicle, the R600 made 15bhp over the Revo. I know which I would go for

Have fitted a couple of R600's and never had any issues at all to be honest.

 

[boydyski]

I fitted a second hand one just last night, and thought it was pretty straight forward. Admittedly yes, the front two L+R holes only lined up when pulling against the intake a little bit, but once started the screws went in fine.

Upon driving to work this morning I can definitely feel the car has more urgency to get going, plus there's now a bit of drama coming from under the hood!

 

[TomBlueS3]

Thank you everyone for your comments.

I have driven it today (Currently Stage 1 Revo, Cobra cat back, GFB DV+ Plus other bits) and I’m in love with the VWR R600.

The whole fitment issue is forgotten about. It feels like it’s doing the job, the low end power has picked up even more and the whoosh noise when lifting off is a bit special...I think I can even hear the turbo slightly....worth the price? Maybe

 

[Boydie]

I agree that fitting is a bit of a pain to line up but I've had zero issues with mine in my S3 running stage 3

It is the recommended intake by MRC which I based my purchase on.

 

[MikeParkin]

I have the Forge carbon intake and it’s been great for 3+ years, highly recommend intake.

 

[+Daz+]

Just fitted mine today.What an awesome bit of kit,highly recommended if you’re thinking of it.

 

[TomBlueS3]

Just fitted mine today.What an awesome bit of kit,highly recommended if you’re thinking of it.

Yeah I’ve got it fitted and it is awesome, I agree!

The two corners of the front part of the intake have you screwed that between the vehicle or not?

 

[+Daz+]

Hi.
Yep managed to but not sure how!!!

 

[Leevr]

Yeah I’ve got it fitted and it is awesome, I agree!

The two corners of the front part of the intake have you screwed that between the vehicle or not?

Hopefully someone will come up with an answer. Just fitted my R600, turbo technics hose and turbo muffler delete. Have to say R600 back to the drawing board. Fitment issues do not reflect the £358. I've had to leave the battery side screw out completely. After much pushing, pulling and swearing, it was not to be. Marked it up aswell so no return possible. Seems to be a common complaint. Has anyone contacted racingline to highlight the fitment issues?

 

[TomBlueS3]

Hopefully someone will come up with an answer. Just fitted my R600, turbo technics hose and turbo muffler delete. Have to say R600 back to the drawing board. Fitment issues do not reflect the £358. I've had to leave the battery side screw out completely. After much pushing, pulling and swearing, it was not to be. Marked it up aswell so no return possible. Seems to be a common complaint. Has anyone contacted racingline to highlight the fitment issues?

Glad I’m not the only one! I’d say later on today or tomorrow take your screws out and put the battery one in first and then the others in. I’ve managed to get all my screws in but the ones at the front of intake are terrible.

I wouldn’t mind if it was £50 or so but £358 as you say does not reflect in the fitment at all.

This is originally for VWs and I appreciate Audi is the same when it comes to the MQB chassis etc but I wonder if there are some subtle differences that cause these fitment issues.

 

[Leevr]

In testing, using both the Revo and R600 intakes on a stage 2 PFL S3 MRC vehicle, the R600 made 15bhp over the Revo. I know which I would go for

Have fitted a couple of R600's and never had any issues at all to be honest.

@DJAlix, did you not find this on fitting then? The opposite screw is in and cannot be moved further over to get this screw in. I've messaged racingline for their comments.

 

[DJAlix]

@DJAlix, did you not find this on fitting then? The opposite screw is in and cannot be moved further over to get this screw in. I've messaged racingline for their comments.
View attachment 178759

Fitted a couple of these now and not found this issue.

 

[Rob2k68]

@DJAlix, did you not find this on fitting then? The opposite screw is in and cannot be moved further over to get this screw in. I've messaged racingline for their comments.
View attachment 178759

From pictures I’ve seen the R600 fixing tab sits ABOVE the cooling pack not below it - try that.

This photo from Racingline website ....

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[Rip]

I've just fitted one of these to my car today...

I ran this hose over the intake, I tried it underneath for a cleaner look but it was kinked, I bought it second hand so didn't have any instructions but I assume the hose is supposed to go over the top anyway:

The two front screws took a bit of pushing and pulling to get lined up properly but they did 'just' manage it:

Once lined up I found that wedging a screwdriver underneath helped get the screws to to bite into the lower piece, without the screwdriver the lower piece just bent out of the way and the screws didn't bite:

So now it's fitted (along with an MST turbo elbow and intake pipe) I've found that the car does now seem to hesitate very slightly when putting my foot down before it takes off, it's very faint but it is definitely there, I'm getting a custom map very soon so maybe that'll cure it? Anyone else find this?

Other than that the induction noise is now a bit deeper and a little louder and with the windows down I can just about hear the turbo and the diverter valve a little. I bought the intake purely for the performance coupled with a custom map and not for noise so other than the slight hesitation I'm pretty happy with it.

 

[Rip]

Looking at other photo's maybe I've installed the two front screws wrong? Was I supposed to sandwich the existing plastic trim on the car between the two halves of the R600?

Mine is currently like this, I bought mine second hand and assumed I had to use the two existing front screws that were already on the car, they are quite short so wouldn't have been long enough to allow me to sandwich the trim.

Maybe I need to get a couple of longer screws.

Mine is a PFL if that makes any difference.

Looking at Google images it seems that the tabs should go above the trim when fitted to a Golf R but on my S3 at least the whole thing seems to fit better underneath how I currently have it fitted.

 

[TomBlueS3]

I fitted the top part of the cover on top between the vehicle and onto the bottom of the plastic. I dunno if that makes sense.

I don’t whether your way or mine is correct but either way it’s still not a great fit!

 

[Leevr]

That makes it bend up on each end. With it off the car the two ends where the screws go through has a gap. But where it attaches to the front panel it has a vertical lip. So the top cover sits even higher if on top.

 

[Rob2k68]

I don’t have an R600 so bare with me but sandwiching as above is likely to compromise the upper and lower seal so air coming in the front just leaks out the gap where the ends are not meeting , this pic shows it better than I can describe......

This picture is the Racingline demo / show car. Pic was taken January this year at Autosport international .....

Fixing tabs are clearly on top so my guess is they’ve used there own bolt with a nut under the body mounting hole.


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[Rip]

I'm wondering if the fitment between Golf R and S3 is slightly different, all the photos I see of the Golf R show the tabs on top but it seems much more logical to me to the tabs underneath (at least it sits better in my car like that). With the tabs on top the whole thing looks bent up at each end (even on the Golf R) which just doesn't seem right to me (maybe it's meant to look bent up and curved?) I assume there are no S3 specific official instructions anywhere then?

 

[Rob2k68]

Any instructions from Racingline is a bit of a rarity I’m afraid .

If you buy their billet oil cap there’s nothing to tell you to remove rubber seal (which is well hidden) and refit to new cap. Shame really should at least be available to download like Revo technical stuff.


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[Rip]

Any instructions from Racingline is a bit of a rarity I’m afraid .

If you buy their billet oil cap there’s nothing to tell you to remove rubber seal (which is well hidden) and refit to new cap. Shame really should at least be available to download like Revo technical stuff.


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Well that's a poor effort .

 

[Rob2k68]

I'm wondering if the fitment between Golf R and S3 is slightly different, all the photos I see of the Golf R show the tabs on top but it seems much more logical to me to the tabs underneath (at least it sits better in my car like that). With the tabs on top the whole thing looks bent up at each end (even on the Golf R) which just doesn't seem right to me (maybe it's meant to look bent up and curved?) I assume there are no S3 specific official instructions anywhere then?

I think the two cars are the same but without removing original front scoop and comparing side by side I’m not 100%

I’m thinking above or below shouldn’t make much difference but definitely not sandwich. May have to source own nut and bolt as not sure of lower half of R600 has captive threaded inserts ?


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[Rip]

No thread inserts from what I remember, just a plain old hole for a self tapper .

 

[Rob2k68]

No thread inserts from what I remember, just a plain old hole for a self tapper .

Ah ok , so .......

If original factory scoop sits above (which I think it does) and body has tapped thread then put both halves above and use original bolts if long enough.

If going below with both parts you’ll need different nut and bolt in order to secure properly .




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[Rip]

Ah ok , so .......

If original factory scoop sits above (which I think it does) and body has tapped thread then put both halves above and use original bolts if long enough.

If going below with both parts you’ll need different nut and bolt in order to secure properly .




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Sorry I meant the lower half of the r600 has a hole for a self tapper, the hole on the car is just a big clearance through hole .

 

[Rip]

I'll have another look at mine this afternoon and see how the ducts line up depending on where the mounting brackets are.

 

[Rip]

OK after another look I'm convinced I have mine fitted correctly, the ducts appear to line up correctly and the whole thing sits flush like I believe it should. Sandwiching the upper and lower halves of the intake over the existing bracket on the car would bend either end of the intake up and create a gap which would break the seal, and if I mounted the whole intake above the existing bracket in the car then the intake would sit much higher than I believe it should AND you would need some additional nuts to mount it. This is how mine currently sits:

I'm not sure if it makes a difference but my intake has this badge on it, maybe they did different revisions?

 

[Rip]

The intake vents on the Golf R seem like they are higher than on the S3 as they sit up on top of the grille rather than be part of the grill, maybe that's why in all the photos of this intake on Golfs show the intake mounted higher?

 

[Leevr]

OK after another look I'm convinced I have mine fitted correctly, the ducts appear to line up correctly and the whole thing sits flush like I believe it should. Sandwiching the upper and lower halves of the intake over the existing bracket on the car would bend either end of the intake up and create a gap which would break the seal, and if I mounted the whole intake above the existing bracket in the car then the intake would sit much higher than I believe it should AND you would need some additional nuts to mount it. This is how mine currently sits:

I'm not sure if it makes a difference but my intake has this badge on it, maybe they did different revisions?

My intake has the same name plate. Only bought it a few weeks ago.

 

[Rip]

The only thing I'm really concerned about now is that looking at it looks like I should be chopping these bits out as currently the air flows in the vents where the S3 badge is and just hits the radiator and kind of has to find its way up to the intake vents hidden behind these solid pieces, with these pieces removed the air would be forced directly into the intake ducts, maybe overthinking it for turbocharged car as it'll be sucking air into the intake anyway rather than relying on a 'ram-air' effect.

 

[Leevr]

The only thing I'm really concerned about now is that looking at it looks like I should be chopping these bits out as currently the air flows in the vents where the S3 badge is and just hits the radiator and kind of has to find its way up to the intake vents hidden behind these solid pieces, with these pieces removed the air would be forced directly into the intake ducts, maybe overthinking it for turbocharged car as it'll be sucking air into the intake anyway rather than relying on a 'ram-air' effect.

I solved that by fitting the RS grill. Bit of a faff to fit but definitely worth it.

 

[Rip]

I solved that by fitting the RS grill. Bit of a faff to fit but definitely worth it.

Yeah there is that, I have parking sensors in my grille so I'm not sure I can be bothered tbh lol

 

[MikeParkin]

The only thing I'm really concerned about now is that looking at it looks like I should be chopping these bits out as currently the air flows in the vents where the S3 badge is and just hits the radiator and kind of has to find its way up to the intake vents hidden behind these solid pieces, with these pieces removed the air would be forced directly into the intake ducts, maybe overthinking it for turbocharged car as it'll be sucking air into the intake anyway rather than relying on a 'ram-air' effect.

They just pop out of the grill pal I had already done this mod on my standard grill. Now I have an aftermarket grill but I would still do the mod it’s on here somewhere.

 

[Rip]

That makes sense as there is a seam in there indicating that it is a separate piece to the actual grille, I'll have a look at how it comes out as I don't fancy taking the whole grille out .

 

[MikeParkin]

That makes sense as there is a seam in there indicating that it is a separate piece to the actual grille, I'll have a look at how it comes out as I don't fancy taking the whole grille out .

You don’t need to take the grill off for the mod pal. I’ll see if I can find the thread.