A3 2.0TDi Engine Upgrades £1000 budget

DCW87

DCW87

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Hi Guys,

First off, I'm completely new to this site, and in fact this is the first forum ive ever joined so sorry if this is in the wrong place or a bit of a "noob" question :S

Just bought myself a nice 2003 2.0Tdi A3 Sport, having owned a 1.2 8v clio prior to this it goes without saying that im absolutely blown away by it!

Now i've got a few mates who are into engine modding and upgrades who have hinted that the power of this car has yet to be fully released, so far all i know about is remapping which can see initial gains of around 40bhp? So im looking to set off on this route with my A3.

so my questions are.....

1. For £1000, what are the best options for upgrading (Im talking in terms of performance, not aesthetics)
2. Is it safe to take the car to sub 200bhp levels?
3. Any reccomendations for where to go for remapping?

Thanks!

DC
 
2003 is almost certainly a 140.

First i'd make sure the car is mechanically sound before you start throwing money into upgrades, your first port of call should be to keep a very close eye on the how much coolant it uses (or not as the case maybe) the earlier 2.0L TDI are very well known to have porous (cracked) heads and costs around about your budget for the mods. #justsayin.

You won't get 200BHP from a remap all you get is a popped turbo, i know this from experience, previous A3 was rolling roaded at 190BHP and the turbo went bang not so long after. You're going to need more than a grand to get more the 200 as you will need bolt on upgrades IE hybrid turbo, possibly new injectors, i don't know.

On a remap I'm told a safe power upgrade is around the 170-175bhp mark that said the turbo in stock form still is known for being totally bomb proof!

Enjoy the car though!
 
itwasntme187 said:
a 140 with a hybrid and map will take it to about 220-225 BHP :D
Click to expand...
Is that how easy it is to get 220BHP ish from a PD 140?

I thought they were much more work involved!

How much would a Hybrid cost then? Same sorta thing as a OEM turbo? I can see a few people going down that route if they OEM turbo has popped as you'd have to pay for the new turbo then £300 max on a decent custom tune after for some decent power.
 
*sigh* its also a 2006 not a 2003, not doing to well on this!
 
hybrid is about £600 ish, one of the guys here has had a hybrid put in his by a company around Northampton, cant remember the name of the company but they do a swap service which is good and reasonable price.
i didnt see the 2003 part but yes on the earlier PD engines the cracked head issue is there so you would want to check that out and make sure its not a problem on your car as that can cost you about £1500!
 
Last edited:
DCW87 said:
*sigh* its also a 2006 not a 2003, not doing to well on this!
Click to expand...

You'll have 1 of the 2 revised heads fitted then which is a big brucey bonus for you!

My 05 head went, sacked the car off when i got a new one i made sure i had the latest revised head.
 
itwasntme187 said:
hybrid is about £600 ish, one of the guys here has had a ybrid put in his by a company around Northampton, cant remember the name of the company but they do a swap service which is good and reasonable price.
i didnt see the 2003 part but yes on the earlier PD engines the cracked head issue is there so you would want to check that out and make sure its not a problem on your car as that can cost you about £1500!
Click to expand...

Worth a thought then if it goes pop!
 
I'm no mechanic but im hoping the car is mechanically sound as its Audi Approved. I'm not looking for ridiculous gains, id be more than happy with something around the 180bhp mark as its already got a nice kick to it. My main concern was whether the stock components would be fine with this power increase? from what ive read, engine longevity is reduced by something like 3-5% but im wondering if i need to upgrade other areas alongside increasing the power.
 
itwasntme187 said:
i didnt see the 2003 part but yes on the earlier PD engines the cracked head issue is there so you would want to check that out and make sure its not a problem on your car as that can cost you about £1500!
Click to expand...

Would this be an issue on my 2006 model?? :S
 
AidenUK said:
You'll have 1 of the 2 revised heads fitted then which is a big brucey bonus for you!

My 05 head went, sacked the car off when i got a new one i made sure i had the latest revised head.
Click to expand...

just seen this, thats a relief! Is there anything else i should be wary of on my model?
 
on the 2006 engine the cracked head should not be a problem.
as for the 180BHP mark all you need is a remap to get it to 170-175BHP. but the 2.0TDI are known for their chocolate turbos so you may end up having to change it if it does go pop
 
Thanks mate, i think its had a turbo replaced on it already.

I'll start off with the remap and take it from there.... my other stock components should be okay to handle this right?
 
I have the same car but its 2004 ive replaced the turbo twice after a remap so you will have to at some point if you do go ahead with the remap.
 
yh the other stock parts should be fine... is it a manual or auto? as some have gone and replaced their clutch with a sachs clutch but i think that applies more to the 2.0TFSI and S3
 
Get it to Awesome GTI Awesome - VAG Specialists as it's just up the M6 from you in Irlam - generic map is half-price at the moment at £150 to take you to 180bhp. I had it done before Xmas and it's great. Fit 312 carriers for your calipers and put 312 discs on to improve your braking. H&R or Eibach springs fitted with new geometry set up (by Awesome too) and that's your £1k spent - keep a bit to one side for the new clutch you'll eventually need too :)
 
dont waste your money on anything like an air filter or exhaust - they dont add anything at all.

if you go down the hybrid turbo route, then decatting the factory downpipe is almost free and helps to improve the turbo spool-up, and its a lot cheaper than any type of aftermarket cat or exhaust.

spend any extra money on sorting out the suspension - with a chipped 2.0tdi you'll get a lot of wheelspin and understeer without some good tyres and possibly suspension help.
 
If you only have £1000 to spent remap the car and spend the rest on a good set of pads and lowering springs. You cannot fit/map a PD140 for £1000 before the fact that the standard clutch will not last long with a hybrid so another £700 odd will be needed for an uprated clutch with fitting.
 
Thanks guys,

From what you've said i think im going to go down the remap route to 180(ish) and then upgrade brakes and potentially the springs. munchkincoupe, I'll look into that place, i've actually booked in at another place for next saturday which is also £150 on special offer...and come to think of it is roughly in the same place......

I'll let you know how i get on!

Thanks for the tips and advice
 
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