V6 TDI tuning. What are my options

[clough103]

I am picking up my Audi A4 2.5tdi this week.

As usual with all the diesels i have bought i will look to give it a bit of a kick up the *** so to speak by doing a few simple mods that have always seemed to make a good difference.
With the 130hp mondeo i have at the moment I have done a decat, blanked off the EGR and had a remap giving it about 170hp.

What options can anyone reccomend for the V6 TDI?

Obviously a remap is an easy option

Has anyone decatted their V6 TDI by simply swapping the cat for a straight pipe, and will this affect any sensors or cause any particular troubles?

Will blanking the EGR off bring on an Engine Management Light or cause any other problems? In the mondeo it would do if a Euro 4 engine but not the Euro 3?

Anything else anyone could reccomend

Cheers

 

[nanafagis]

I'm at work at the moment so can't access youtube, but go on there and search for 2.5tdi exhaust. There's 2 night time videos of a black B6 avant with a straight through pipe with tips welded on. Sounds great but there's not much info on what else he's done so can't advise you on sensor troubles.

There was a bloke on here (corkycat?) who said he had made some tweaks plus a tuning box to get about 260bhp from his 2.5tdi, but haven't seen him post for ages. I think from memory he had 3.0 injectors aswell.

What does blanking the EGR actually do?

 

[clough103]

From what i understand EGR (exhaust gas recirculation valve) recirculates some of the exhaust gasses back into the intake, recycling the polluted air if you like, all for emissions sake. So your intake of air is part clean air from the air filter and part recirculated air from the EGR. In the mondeo the valve which is about 30mm in diameter used to cake up with baked on black deposits and over time this builds up and up and restricts the flow of air into the engine. A way of diagnostic when down on power is to check and clean the EGR and when i took it off there was probably about a 15mm diameter gap for air to pass though.

Blanking it stops this build up of crap so the restriction will not apply ever again, also means the intake of air will be 100% fresh air from outside and not partly burnt waste thus seems to make it feel a little more responsive. Can compare the difference to how your car seems to feel that bit pokier when you are driving your car on a cool evening when the cold air seems to give it that bit more of willingness.

 

[BahnStormer77]

you're gonna hit a limit with how much usable power you have: there's too much torque there for just the front wheels...

 

[adamss24]

First of all i would make shure ALL your belts are in good condition and good quality Contitech ones and NOT Dayco rubbish. Also make shure the water pump has been replaced at the belt time. The v6 is waay too torquey for front wheel drive. I had tweaked a c5 a6 avant,with ported heads, fitted bigger nozzles, Steinbauer tuning box, refurbished injector pump and the cambelt(fitted by garage a few months ago) let go on me last week. Now i will make shure i rebuild it properly...with quality parts ! Me other toy(98 a4 tdi quattro) has a breathed on AKE lump, big turbo, big nozzles, PSI tuning chip and a few more tweaks...torque is addictive !

 

[clough103]

i note from the timing belt invoice that the water pump was not changed. Is this likely to cause a big problem do you think?

Was thinking of taking out some sort of warranty anyway just in case, you never know

 

[adamss24]

You better save the money than pay any extra on a waranty as most are not worth the paper is written on ! The pump runs off the cambelt and also check what make of cambelt you have in there, if its Contitech or Gates is fine but if its Dayco change-it asap. It will break in few thousands miles-ask me how i know !

 

[clough103]

i know a lot of the warranties are crap. I was thinking of taking out the AA breakdown cover with their Repair package. It covers most engine work and car faults upto 500 per claim as long as you have serviced it when it should be done. Its only £12 a month including a good breakdown package.

As per your advice I will check the belts later on at home, from the invoice it wasnt done at the dealer. It lists a timing belt kit for about £160 then the labour etc.

Was thinking of leaving out the costs of remapping and putting them towards a good service initially including the transmission oil! Read plenty about what can happen if this isnt done.

 

[Les 51]

If the water pump wasn't done, I'd look at getting it sorted. Everyone who goes for a cambelt changes the pump. Rumour has it the impellors give up. I had mine replaced with a pump with a metal impellor not plastic.

 

[BahnStormer77]

just had a mail from Chip'N'Spin... they're doing their remaps with a before and after rolling road and test drive for £250 again.... (Bromsgrove)

 

[clough103]

For those who didnt already know. Search a form called R Tech based in Leicester. Nick who runs the place is a Ford/VAG specialist in tuning and does it all on a load based dyno for very reasonable prices.

He has quoted me £185 for the remap, but with the advice given here am going to look into some checks and servicing first to make sure the car will be good for it first.