S3 8P 'Charlott' = Turbo Nightmeare

[AJames]

Hi, most of you senior members will remember my build thread and many chats together.
For the others, please dig out the build thread for more pics and info!

Today I wanted to inform you all that I am living a Nightmare with my K04 turbo!

Here are the facts:
- the OEM turbo (on 2+ full bolt-on spec) failed at just 73.000Km
- sent the failed turbo to Turbo Dynamics UK for rebuild and Hybridizing
- got the turbo back, and had a new RR custom remap to make sure all is working well, about 1.65bar
- performance-wise, I had a lot of torque, but not a punchy engine as I recalled from before.
- a month ago I start seeing some white smoke from the exhausts, mainly after hammering it.
- today, at only 79.800Km it started smoking BIG time, journal/ball bearing seal probably gone

Now I need to fix the car real quick, but really do not know what turbo to purchase to be safe.
Main idea is that of purchasing a new OEM part, and to have the car remapped with a Revo stage 2+, hoping it stays safe...

Any experiences and advice are warmly welcomed!
Cheers to all, AJ

 

[PH1L]

buy a new turbo and go revo

 

[NHN]

I have to ask, but what about the warranty as Turbo Dynamics give you a year/mileage warranty, surely they knew the power you would be running through it & hence should be covered yes?

 

[AJames]

I can't find the papers right now, but there should be some kind of guarantee.
I wrote an email to TurboDynamics, let's see what happens...

 

[NHN]

I know when my turbo blew, I ordered a hybrid sent to me in Venezia from them & it had iirc 1 yr & 60k warranty, cant recall mileage exactly but sure thats right, so yours should easily be covered I mean 6k only, they built it to handle the power, so for me they should resolve, what ****** me of is that if there part breaks down then you are liable for the removal & fitment, whereas if there part hadnt failed you wouldnt have the cost huh.

 

[AJames]

That is quite right, the fitting will set me back of at least 500 Euro...
Don't know if to ask for just a standard turbo, or another hybrid.

 

[NHN]

Mate if its under warranty then you should challenge them over the removal & fitting costs & say if it wasnt for your faulty build, I wouldnt have these extra costs, what do they intend to do about it, ridiculous how companies dont take responsibility for there workmanship & consequencial loss of there clients these days, I stand by my work, so why cant they.

 

[AJames]

Quite right. I am also in a good position to challenge them: they know I am about to build an Evo X, with their turbo.
For real, I think that If they will provide me with a new part I will already be very surprised...
I just can't continue loosing time, stress and money for other people's mistakes.

 

[AJames]

http://turbodynamics.co.uk/acatalog/AUDI S3, TTS & Seat Cupra R 265bhp Hybrids.pdf

 

[akash_sky1]

Wow your TD hybrid didn't last very long, sorry to hear that.

I am also having incredible bad luck with mine. My original turbo blew, sent that to TD, they said the turbine housing was too badly cracked to use.
So I bought another off eBay with only 18k miles and seemed mint although hard to tell form pictures, however the seller took my money and never sent the turbo :-(

So i bought turbo number 2, off a mk5 gti with 34 k miles, in working order apparently sent this to turbodynamics, apparently it was in even worse state then my original turbo and also a complete waste of time money!!!! Refunded a small amount from this from the seller ...

Now i have a reconditioned turbo from turboactive with 1 year warranty, waiting to be installed, fingers crossed, after the problems with my clutch being installed the wrong way around, I am pretty ****** off.

I think you should go for a GT30**R and get a good custom map along with some RS4 injectors if I were you, and try get TD to cover your labour costs.

 

[AJames]

I am sorry to hear your bad luck Akash, really unbelievable!
Usually I follow the rule 'spend more, spend once'. Probably this would have saved you a Lot of money...

My car has only prime new components, Bardhal syntetic oil changed every 3-5.000Km max, so the spark plugs.

The Gt30.. would push my engine internals too badly, and I don't want to run in to other reliability issues, or I will set the damned beast on fire!

 

[NHN]

Wow your TD hybrid didn't last very long, sorry to hear that.

I am also having incredible bad luck with mine. My original turbo blew, sent that to TD, they said the turbine housing was too badly cracked to use.
So I bought another off eBay with only 18k miles and seemed mint although hard to tell form pictures, however the seller took my money and never sent the turbo :-(

So i bought turbo number 2, off a mk5 gti with 34 k miles, in working order apparently sent this to turbodynamics, apparently it was in even worse state then my original turbo and also a complete waste of time money!!!! Refunded a small amount from this from the seller ...

Now i have a reconditioned turbo from turboactive with 1 year warranty, waiting to be installed, fingers crossed, after the problems with my clutch being installed the wrong way around, I am pretty ****** off.

I think you should go for a GT30**R and get a good custom map along with some RS4 injectors if I were you, and try get TD to cover your labour costs.

***, you & turbo's just dont work do they chap, did you get paypal claim up for ebay & refunded yet, also 2nd turbo assume you got full refund if it was knackered, not partial?

 

[akash_sky1]

***, you & turbo's just dont work do they chap, did you get paypal claim up for ebay & refunded yet, also 2nd turbo assume you got full refund if it was knackered, not partial?

I know im so peeved, been without car for 3 weeks now, and about 1 month last november after having it sent to England on a truck!

My paypal dispute is at the 'awaiting other parties response' stage, its pretty obvious he isn't going to reply, as I've had nothing from him so far. So will hopefully get a full refund from Paypal soon.

Regarding the second turbo, the seller was a decent guy off here, he said he couldn't assure me the turbo was working as he never fitted it, only that is was sold to him as a working unit, so just bit the bullet and accepted a partial refund from him.

 

[Khufu]

Thats truely crap about that seller, I'd hoped by now you'd got it by now. I hope you set a swift resolution from ebay. Failing that, we can pop round to his address & you can practice some of your dental work Marathon Man style!!

 

[akash_sky1]

Thats truely crap about that seller, I'd hoped by now you'd got it by now. I hope you set a swift resolution from ebay. Failing that, we can pop round to his address & you can practice some of your dental work Marathon Man style!!

Lol its something that did cross my mind! ps do not buy anything of eBay user 'ravy_singh'. I think they'll delete his account soon anyway, scumbag.

 

[akash_sky1]

I am sorry to hear your bad luck Akash, really unbelievable!
Usually I follow the rule 'spend more, spend once'. Probably this would have saved you a Lot of money...

My car has only prime new components, Bardhal syntetic oil changed every 3-5.000Km max, so the spark plugs.

The Gt30.. would push my engine internals too badly, and I don't want to run in to other reliability issues, or I will set the damned beast on fire!

s3_alex is running that turbo on standard internals, as said with a smooth progressive map in low and mid range to give a more progressive torque curve the internals can handle it. There is also the GT2871R which can push about 400 power and torque for a milder upgrade and would run cooler then a K04, but obviously the gains are less BHP/££.

 

[AJames]

Let's see what TD says. If it takes it, I will hit the road and drive up there, but I want the car fixed for good.

 

[AJames]

How many of you are running Revo 2+ on full stock turbo? Issues?

 

[S3Alex]

I was running Stg 2+ on mine for over 18 000 miles before the bigger turbo arrived,with no problems other than a misfire due to airflow limitation with the stock intake,and later,a full bore misfire due to old plugs.

The current setup did have one mother of a misfire when the plastic top of the fuel pump cracked and interfered with the wiring coming out of it.....AMD have seen a few with this fault,which is NOT due to the internals,but a crappy bit of plastic moulding on the top of the pump.