Addicted and the build thread starts here!!

[Skippy-S3]

Ok so a few days ago I had discovered this forum and even started a thread blaming you all for causing me to become obsessed with modding my S3.

Given when I collected the car I had no cruise control, so I had this fitted first off the bat.

My next thing I had to do was buy a VCDS cable and software and today very cautiously I turned on my DRL on the front and rear lights. This was very daunting for me the first time i connected to my car as I was scared I was going to wipe something or make a mess or it. But my first time was a success and I now have rear DRL activated ;-) so my VCDS virginity has been taken lol.

It has bothered me that the car didn't have ambient lighting since I have had it, so this was my next mission and today my overhead map/interior/ambient light unit arrived. I new there was no VCDS coding needed and that this was a straight plug and play task, so off I went:



So I popped out the cover of the old existing light unit and straight off you get the microphone connected to it. I left this connected for now and continued to remove the main unit



Once the 2 screws were removed I found it to just lower down and out and began to start disconnecting all the cables including separating the microphone and cover by unplugging it. Once all cables were disconnected I swapped it for the new unit and began connecting all the cables back in. Fitted back into the roof reconnected the microphone and bingo all done on my first easy self mod.




Next will be the Footwell lights/door warning lights and puddle lights on there way from RobinA3.

On another note I have decided not to do a stage 1 on my car just yet as I have a full manufacturers 12 month warranty left and I am scared that I will void it by doing any work on the engine. So instead I will focus on visual mods that have less audi warranty risk and will do the wheels spacers and hubs painted and possibly some coilovers.

We shall see

 

[S3Alex]

You wait,and see where this ends......you're on the top of the road to ruin there!

 

[RYes3]

Look great, how much did the ambient lighting cost?

I too will be holding off on engine mods for a while as I have 3 years warranty.

Instead I will be doing coilovers, arb's and anti lift kit... that is in 6 months when I can change insurers!

 

[RYes3]

You wait,and see where this ends......you're on the top of the road to ruin there!

Having said what I just have above, Alex may also be correct about mine!

 

[S3Alex]

Having said what I just have above, Alex may also be correct about mine!

Like I said.......just look back in a year or so.

 

[Skippy-S3]

Ambient light map light unit was £90 including vat from my local rip off dealer. Oh wait I meant Audi dealer.... Dirty robbing bast#*#s lol

 

[rOb_A]

you fitting the Footwell lights/door warning lights and puddle lights yourself?

 

[Ash187]

Haha this is going to be a good build thread! It's only been a few days and you have already taken bits off and started coding! Soon you will find mods of things that can be done you wouldn't have thought possible and then you'll be in real trouble. Here is an easy one for you though... Passat fan jet spray

 

[Brodster]

The ambient lighting unit is cheaper through Stoke Audi so give them a bell. As for mapping under warranty....well my S3 was only 2 days old then I mapped her. Remember you can go for companies such as Shark/Revo//Bluefin who supply the units that hold both original and performance maps so you can swap over when the car needs warranty work. This is exactly what I do when the car needs to go in.

 

[Skippy-S3]

yeah going to fit these myself fella, got the VCDS coding ready just waiting on the kit time arrive. will do it this weekend hopefully.

 

[Skippy-S3]

swap over? how does that work mate?

 

[Reload]

swap over? how does that work mate?

A lot of remappers can supply (at additional cost) a handheld switching unit which connects to the OBD port on your car (the same as used for your VCDS cable) and can change between stock and remap in a few seconds. This can be done as many times as you like. To my knowledge Revo, shark, bluefin and GIAC can provide this

 

[RYes3]

A lot of remappers can supply (at additional cost) a handheld switching unit which connects to the OBD port on your car (the same as used for your VCDS cable) and can change between stock and remap in a few seconds. This can be done as many times as you like. To my knowledge Revo, shark, bluefin and GIAC can provide this

But it's still detectable....

 

[Skippy-S3]

that's why I'm not going to take the chance while under warranty. I will stick to safe mods for now ;-)

 

[thebluefox]

Looking good mate!

I know I'm being incredibly lazy, but got any part numbers for the ambient light unit? Straight swap with your standard S3 with Bluetooth?

 

[PaulAr]

But it's still detectable....

If they look for it.

I have had LOADS of dealer visits including major warranty work with REVO and SHARK installed on 3 different VAGs and no problems in 6 years.

The dealer did once query "is your car chipped Sir.." to which I replied "Nope..", he then went to explain the warranty could be affected if it was....then fixed it anyway. I think he felt obligated to ask becasue the Tech pointed it out but no intentions in pursuing the matter.

The dealers have little reason to make a fuss, they get paid for the work anyway, whether thats you or AUDI, so no incentive to be difficult. If they were, you would just go elsewhere anyway, and they lose any potential repeat business from you, through their Sales and/or Service Dept.

That said, nothing is ever risk free....

If I couldnt have my S3 mapped, I wouldnt have one at all.

Cheers
Paul

 

[Skippy-S3]

So started cleaning my wheels down today!! I even had some H&R+ Spacers ready except I think the wrong ones have been delivered. I got 10mm for the front which look to fit fine, but I also got 12mm for the rears but the diameter of the plate does not sit flush with the hub like the front 10mm ones do, so I assume they have sent me the wrong ones??

So all I could do was clean my alloys including the inner drum and get rid of that horrible rust!! So here goes:


You can see the Rust in the hub and the inner drum of the alloy is black with dirt and brake dust!!


So these were in a bad way so I hit them with Tar-x, Bilberry and then Iron-x. You can see the Iron-x cutting into the baked on brake dust. Now let me tell you these were a b****d to clean and I had to scrub like nothing else and my arms are aching unbelievably. But I kept scrubbing and hitting them with Iron-x over and over. Eventually a wore away at the dirt and finished with this:


All clean and now I hit them with Cquartz allowed to set for an hour, polished and then gave them another coat allowed to dry, polished and all done.

While the wheels were being hit multiple times with Iron-x and Bilberry I started my wheel hubs:


I taped paper around the brake callipers and back plate etc and then started to sand the rusted areas with Wet and Dry 240 grit paper. I wanted to ensure the VHT silver calliper paint I was using had a good chance to adhere to the hubs. After sanding I used a surface cleaner spray from Halfords that removes all the Grease and Wax, again to ensure good adhesion.


Finished and looking loads better. Give the car a wash and now I'm knackered.




This weekend I will be fitting my puddle/warning lights, Footwell Lights and illuminated Door Handles that arrived today and this will complete my ambient lighting in the Car.

Once I get the Spacers fitted I will put those on and then aim for the AP Coilovers. I'm thing of smoke tinting my rear brake lights? What do you guys think? Is that going to Chav?