Thread: S3 really under powered help please

I took my car for a custom remap last week. It went on a 4wd dyno before and after.
The standard reading was 149bhp
The remapped reading was 180bhp
I would have thought that the remapped reading was what it should be like anyway at standard.
Maybe the 149bhp should have rung alarm bells with the tuners and they shouldnt have done it.
I took it home and it was fine all the way, parked it up and went out later. As soon as i set off it started jerking at low revs, as soon as i floored it, it seemed fine. When i let off and crusied the problem came back again like the fuel pump was cutting on and off.
I turned around and went home, when i got home i could hear the cat ticking really loud glowing slightly.
I have since changed the coilpacks air flow meter and lambda sensor with no joy.
I took it back to the tuners saturday and they changed some settings telling me the torque was turned up too high. It now runs ok but the power seems to come in stages through the rev range. The cat doesnt glow now but the exhaust is quite a bit louder.
Still concerned that something is wrong with the car and whatever they have done is going to cause some damage.
Its been on numerous fault diagnosis machines and there is never any faults recorded.
I raced a standard renault 5 turbo last light and only just beat him.
Any help really appreciated.

Forgot to mention its a 2002 (52) 225bhp BAM

well first thing is the tuners shouldnt have never touched the car in the first place, who was it ?

have you tried connecting it up to a vag com ?

The company was called G-spec performance tuning and styling (S****horpe). I only used them as they were the closest with a 4wd rolling road.

Its been on vag com and nothing found

Are those power readings at the wheels, or flywheel?

Originally Posted by Ess_Three

Are those power readings at the wheels, or flywheel?

This was the first thing to spring to mind too.

Bear in mind those old R5 GT's were true pocket rockets, and go like fook!

Power readings are at the wheels.
With a remap what should i be putting out at the wheels realistically. He was saying that i should add on 50 bhp to work out whats at the fly. So that works out at 230 bhp. Thats Only 5 more than stock.
Ive been looking at getting decat and back box custom made, would this make a bit of diffference.

Originally Posted by bigjim

Power readings are at the wheels.
With a remap what should i be putting out at the wheels realistically. He was saying that i should add on 50 bhp to work out whats at the fly. So that works out at 230 bhp. Thats Only 5 more than stock.

I don't believe Haldex 4WD onlt losed 50 BHp...my FWD Golf looses nearly 55!
Haldex 4WD is nearer 70 on a MAHA dyno.

So assuming your car was fine as standard, it was making 220 BHP...about spot on I'd say on an accurate set of rollers (mine made 208, it was an AMK 210 version)
So nothing wrong there..

and now you have around 250-255..which again is spot on for a generic first stage remap on an accurate set of rollers.
My first remap made 245 on a MAHA dyno...all this bull**** about 280 BHP from a remap only is just that...
Weak horsepower at best...at worse, lies.

If you have an accurate 180 BHP into 4 driven wheels...there is no problem.

Ive been looking at getting decat and back box custom made, would this make a bit of diffference.

No.

It would make it sound Chavvy (highly likely) and add no power.
I added a 100 cell high flow cats and a full system and go to real gain...so save your cash if you are looking for gains there.
It may make a bit more torque...but power?
No.

It seems to me, you have found one of the few, accurate sets of rollers around...

Can I ask a question Ess Three please? (there's one all ready!)

Would you expect a generic remap only to make 35bhp then as standard? (I say only it's still 35bhp!) Im hoping my Revo stage 1 remap will make 50 but maybe im hoping for to much then!

Cheers

Originally Posted by fran-s3

Can I ask a question Ess Three please? (there's one all ready!)

Would you expect a generic remap only to make 30bhp then as standard? Im hoping my Revo stage 1 remap will make 50!

Cheers

At the wheels..quite possibly.

My first remap took my S3 from 208 BHP to 245 BHP - a gain of 37 BHP at the flywheel...or not much more than 30 BHP@wheels.

Of course, if I'd used another dyno my S3 'might have been a good one' and made 225 BHP std (it was a 210)...which is about as realistic as some S3s making 10-20 BHP more than standard!
Then, it may have showed 270 BHP after the re-map...the actual power would have been the same...the company who's map it was would sell more maps...and I'd be happy. Wouldn't I?

Well no...
I always prefer honest power readings to ego massaging bull****.

Some remaps are better than others..and remaps have evolved since I got my first APR map years ago...some still give more than others...but there is still much bull**** spoken bout actual, repeatable power outputs.

I think 40-50 BHP and 60-70 lb-ft would be seen as a very good remap now.
Which is potentially late 30s at the wheels.

Fair enough, just expected a bit too much i suppose.

Don't get me wrong...it could be underpowered...perhaps a faulty MAF. But someone that knows what they are looking at would spot that...

But if those were ATW figures and the dyno is accurate...you are about spot on, to probably nothing to worry about.

...and don't forget, re-mapping the S3 doesn't make it *that* much quicker in a straight line...but much quicker in gears, off roundabouts etc where you aren't changing gear up at the rev limiter!

Guess who's getting a Revo remap today!!!

Can't wait, willl report back!

Wow so I had the Revo remap, what a difference!!! As Ess Three said, straigh line speed its quicker not massively, but the abillity to pull away from mid revs is absolultey phenoemenol! Soooooo quick, so impressed!

Unfournately its highlighted a weakness in my car, and after an hour my car cut out and was idling bady! (really thought I'd killed the engine was a horrible moment!) Troy from Northamptom Motorsport came out and rescued me and we got it back to his garage... Turns out 2 of my pipe that are joined together my moulded plastic has some off! Which is in a really arkward place, infront of the engine underneath a plenium metal cover which was a pain to get to... Been temporarily repaired but need a new joiner to it or whole new pipe as mine has a slight split it it, so I've turned the map of for now until I get it.... (Have SPS controller) Obv the extra boost forced this to go so it would of gone eventually.

What I did notice however is that in third gear from 3.5 - 4k it would hesitate noticelbly and then when it hits 4 pull hard again?! Strange, Troy said that it should iron itself out as the map takes time to adapt to your car and I should find over time it will get quicker to!

Anyone else experienced sliggh hesitation? 1st and 2nd gear are fine!

MAF sounds like a possibility mate, if its jerking that sounds like could be mixture running bad man, air density from maf could cause all kinds of issues, also check hoses to dump valve & surroundling pipes even small split of the smallest kind can cause all kinds of issues, with the increased boost if the audi clips & jubilees arent tight enough they will of course allow leakage, check these as mine used to regularly pop of & caused similar issues because of increased boost.

Also when doing remaps the intake pipe to turbo from airbox actually folds due to the increased vacumm, thats why forge etc have made a replacement so it is stronger & can hold the vacumm increase after remap, imagine if the air intake is lower then turbo cant produce so much power on boost, therefore lower bhp I would say.

Where bouts are you cause my mate owns AMD & he could have look at for you, he's good, let me know anymore info.

Smiler.

Originally Posted by nigelhobden

MAF sounds like a possibility mate, if its jerking that sounds like could be mixture running bad man, air density from maf could cause all kinds of issues, also check hoses to dump valve & surroundling pipes even small split of the smallest kind can cause all kinds of issues, with the increased boost if the audi clips & jubilees arent tight enough they will of course allow leakage, check these as mine used to regularly pop of & caused similar issues because of increased boost.

Also when doing remaps the intake pipe to turbo from airbox actually folds due to the increased vacumm, thats why forge etc have made a replacement so it is stronger & can hold the vacumm increase after remap, imagine if the air intake is lower then turbo cant produce so much power on boost, therefore lower bhp I would say.

Where bouts are you cause my mate owns AMD & he could have look at for you, he's good, let me know anymore info.

Smiler.

Thanks for the reply mate. I actually had a new MAF fitted 2months ago so I really doubt it's that... or it's gone again all ready which it better not have! Check the hoses to my Bailey DV seems to be securely on. Interesting you had issues with your hoses to, did you replace all your jubilee clips to.. I presume this sorted the problem eventually?

So yeah as you said, ive got a split pipe that been temp fixed but having that replaced.. It blew of at first and my brake pedal went hard, think it provides air for the brake servo to!!!!! It's near the front of the engine in an arkward position which goes into a T shape plastic thing... Anyway ordering a new part, so *maybe* it may be that that's causing the hesitation... But I doubt it as its at the same point in 3rd gear everytime! (3200 rpm to 4000 rpm) Weird and very annoying as it's like someones braking!)

Yeah, as I Ess Three said above he didn't really notice a difference with a new TIP fitted so Im going to get my grage to check all my piping and jubillee clips as you say also for any leaks.. I've put it back to standard map for now until I get the new hose fitted!

Arr cheers, Im actually in Northampton mate so if it's close by and I still dont get to the bottom of it I'll take you up on that mate, thanks!