Advice on spending money on the right things for my s3

[Alex_Wil]

Hi.

very close to going to AMD on friday and getting my car tuned @ stage 1 .

Sorry if people have asked this before but I have about 600-700 to spend and want to know the best thing to do with that money for tuning.

someone recommended I got stage one and air filter or stage one and dsg gear box upgrade.?

Any advice???

Cheers

Alex

 

[S3Alex]

Hi.

very close to going to AMD on friday and getting my car tuned @ stage 1 .

Sorry if people have asked this before but I have about 600-700 to spend and want to know the best thing to do with that money for tuning.

someone recommended I got stage one and air filter or stage one and dsg gear box upgrade.?

Any advice???

Cheers

Alex

Hi Alex,

First thing I'd say is that in your area,you're going to the right place to have your work done,as they've done all of the work on mine,and I can recommend them unreservedly.

At the budget you're talking about,a Stg1 remap and CAI will probably give you the most for your money,as the DSG shouldn't need it's torque settings uprated until you're around 360lbs,or Stg2/2+.

If you do have any money left over,uprating the ARB's will make a big difference to the roly-poly handling,before considering anything else like coilovers.

 

[Alex_Wil]

Hi Alex,

First thing I'd say is that in your area,you're going to the right place to have your work done,as they've done all of the work on mine,and I can recommend them unreservedly.

At the budget you're talking about,a Stg1 remap and CAI will probably give you the most for your money,as the DSG shouldn't need it's torque settings uprated until you're around 360lbs,or Stg2/2+.

If you do have any money left over,uprating the ARB's will make a big difference to the roly-poly handling,before considering anything else like coilovers.

Hi Alex.

AMD is about 45 minutes from me so not far at all! Glad to know its the right place .

sorry if its supid question can you explain cai? Benifits e.c.t?

Is it worth getting induction kit?

 

[S3Alex]

Hi Alex.

AMD is about 45 minutes from me so not far at all! Glad to know its the right place .

sorry if its supid question can you explain cai? Benifits e.c.t?

Is it worth getting induction kit?

CAI is short for cold air induction kit.

You should gain a few extra bhp and maybe better throttle response,and AMD market one they developed with AS,that's as good as any on the market.

If you're there on Friday you might see the manifold that's coming for mine,if it turns up on time.

 

[Alex_Wil]

Yeah I will most definitely do that . Is the induction kit on there website ? Cant see it?

Have you done alot on your s3 through AMD?

What do you think id get 0-60 with the stage 1 and induction kit?

Sorry for all the questions!

 

[S3Alex]

Yeah I will most definitely do that . Is the induction kit on there website ? Cant see it?

Have you done alot on your s3 through AMD?

What do you think id get 0-60 with the stage 1 and induction kit?

Sorry for all the questions!

If you're up for a long night,read my build thread by clicking at the bottom of this post.

AMD have taken it from Stg1,through a big turbo and engine build,to an even bigger turbo now.

On conservative settings,it's around 500bhp.

I'd expect you to take about 1s off the 0-60time or thereabouts,but what you'll really notice is how much more usable the car is.....you won't have to stir it up to get some torque.

 

[Alex_Wil]

If you're up for a long night,read my build thread by clicking at the bottom of this post.

AMD have taken it from Stg1,through a big turbo and engine build,to an even bigger turbo now.

On conservative settings,it's around 500bhp.

I'd expect you to take about 1s off the 0-60time or thereabouts,but what you'll really notice is how much more usable the car is.....you won't have to stir it up to get some torque.

Just had a brief look....at page 1 and noticed theres a fair few more to read haha

500 bhp - and how quick is that!??

Ill be happy with 1s off !...for now !

how much is the induction kit?

 

[S3Alex]

Just had a brief look....at page 1 and noticed theres a fair few more to read haha

500 bhp - and how quick is that!??

Ill be happy with 1s off !...for now !

how much is the induction kit?

I think the kit is around £300 without a heat shield and £350 with,but AMD are usually open to a bit of dealing when more than one thing is involved so have a chat with Ben and see what they can do on the day.

I've always found them to be very helpful,right from the start,and they've never recommended things that aren't worthwhile.

Mine.....well it's certainly quick,and approaching the point where it demands a little respect from me at times.
From 4000 to 7000rpm it's way faster then it was with the previous GT3071 turbo.

 

[Alex_Wil]

I think the kit is around £300 without a heat shield and £350 with,but AMD are usually open to a bit of dealing when more than one thing is involved so have a chat with Ben and see what they can do on the day.

I've always found them to be very helpful,right from the start,and they've never recommended things that aren't worthwhile.

Mine.....well it's certainly quick,and approaching the point where it demands a little respect from me at times.
From 4000 to 7000rpm it's way faster then it was with the previous GT3071 turbo.

Ill give him a call tomorrow. If he can do induction and stage 1 for 600 then happy days but 700 is probably more realistic !

Sounds like yours is rapid...got some catching up to do haha

cheers for your help appreciate it ! If your about that / this way give me a shout!

 

[S3Alex]

Ill give him a call tomorrow. If he can do induction and stage 1 for 600 then happy days but 700 is probably more realistic !

Sounds like yours is rapid...got some catching up to do haha

cheers for your help appreciate it ! If your about that / this way give me a shout!

Yes...probably nearer £700 but worth a try.

I'm always happy to separate a fellow member from his/her hard earned cash.


Seriously,the car is great fun,and has been a great project for a few years now,as well as an everyday driver,and the guys at AMD have done a fantastic job for me.
Hope you enjoy yours as much.

 

[Alex_Wil]

I'll start at 600 and go from there!

Highly doubt will be all I spend !

Cheers sure I will, is there link on amd to that induction kit?

 

[S3_Jacko]

Have you done alot on your s3 through AMD?

Haha question of the night just there....


Stage 1.... cai .... Uprated divertor and nice tts engine cover to tidy up the engine bay is all you need

 

[nluk100]

I would say;

1. Remap
2/ New OEM plugs
3. DV+
4. Gut the pre-cat

 

[stetheo]

Interesting that people recommend stage 1 and a CAI.

I remember chatting with someone about this and was told that CAI has little benefit at stage 1 as yes you take in more air, but then having the restrictive standard cat on the S3 means all that air you've sucked in cannot leave the exhaust efficiently so therefore has minimal to no effect and that the OEM air intake is more than sufficient for Stage 1. Not sure to what degree this is true but thought I'd just pass on what I have been told.

For me I would be getting Rev D DV, Stage 1 and ARBs as IMO even at stage 1 the handling isn't great when pushing on. Then down the line get a CAI, exhaust, HPFP and sort the suspension out. All my opinion of course.

 

[Alex_Wil]

Just had a brief chat with Ben from AMD and he thinks getting cat-back and stage 1 map as the map is half price if you get a cat back ?

Worth getting the cai on top if I get the cat-back?

 

[stetheo]

Nice, I have a Non-res catback on mine and it sounds much better than stock so I would say yes. Catback doesn't add anything performance wise though, just sounds 100% better.

As I mentioned above though, I would get ARB's over CAI personally.

 

[Alex_Wil]

Decisions Decisions! you want to get one thing and it leads on to another and then you end up a very poor man! haha

 

[stetheo]

Haha tell me about it!! I said I wouldn't mod this car, was going to keep it standard.

That lasted a whole week before I went stage 1...then changed rear lights, interior lights etc. List is never ending haha.

 

[Alex_Wil]

That's exactly what I said - had the car two months and have a long list already!

 

[Alex_Wil]

Thought I'd post am update:

After a lot of thinking I am booking the following to be done for Friday-

Cai - in blue
Stage 1 remap
Miltek cat back non resonated

I have also ordered tts engine cover to fit after works done on Friday!

Should keep me happy for a while!

Will post updates in my s3 thread once done !

Alex

 

[Alex_Wil]

Hi All,

Looking for some further advice on what to get next for my s3 on £500 budget!?

Is it worth getting dsg remap and uprated diverter ?

Any advice would be great !

Cheers

Alex

 

[stetheo]

Yeah I would get the rev D DV, OEM and does the job as well as any after market ones.

Can't comment on the dsg remap, but I'm sure someone will be along soon who can. If not look at ARBs, will sort the handling right out and about 350 fitted I've been quoted.

 

[prt57]

If you are keen on the oem DV then revision G has a lot of respect. It has a diaphragm and so might eventually split. However there have been reports that the revision D which uses a piston actually leaks boost from new. The G cannot leak boost unless the diaphragm splits. The G is about £43 and the D is over £60. Easy change over if you engine cover is off. I have a DV+ on my S3 with No complaints.

 

[Alex_Wil]

cheers for the advice - AMD are only down the road from me so what do you think of getting this? -

GFB GFB DV+ for late model VAG 2.0T for Audi S3 265 quattro 2.0T

 

[prt57]

cheers for the advice - AMD are only down the road from me so what do you think of getting this? -

GFB GFB DV+ for late model VAG 2.0T for Audi S3 265 quattro 2.0T

This is what I have on my car and I bought it from AMD.
If you have a spare day you could plough through this thread where there is loads of interesting discussion including feedback from GFB themselves:
GFB DV+ Diverter Valve Kit - anyone tested this? - VW GTI MKVI Forum / VW Golf R Forum / VW Golf MKVI Forum / VW GTI Forum - Golfmk6.com

Some people get soft code fault as it is operating in a different way to the oem DV.

I would be very interested to find out the views of AMD as they have been selling and fitting them for about 6 months now. Please let us know.

P.

 

[Alex_Wil]

This is what I have on my car and I bought it from AMD.
If you have a spare day you could plough through this thread where there is loads of interesting discussion including feedback from GFB themselves:
GFB DV+ Diverter Valve Kit - anyone tested this? - VW GTI MKVI Forum / VW Golf R Forum / VW Golf MKVI Forum / VW GTI Forum - Golfmk6.com

Some people get soft code fault as it is operating in a different way to the oem DV.

I would be very interested to find out the views of AMD as they have been selling and fitting them for about 6 months now. Please let us know.

P.

What's your views on it ? any problems ?

A nice 57 pages to read through! :O

Ill give AMD a call today and see what they say and let you know - I may go ahead with GFB DV+ , ARB and DSG Remap - but need to do some research on best parts to get!

Alex

 

[prt57]

What's your views on it ? any problems ?

A nice 57 pages to read through! :O

Ill give AMD a call today and see what they say and let you know - I may go ahead with GFB DV+ , ARB and DSG Remap - but need to do some research on best parts to get!

Alex

I have had no problems with my DV+.
However, R-Tech the well regarded mapping company based in Hinkley suggest the oem revision G as giving best results. I just replaced a G revision on my son's 2008 TT 2.0 with my spare G. His car is stock and had covered nearly 24,000 miles and his diaphragm was still OK. So they are not going to split overnight!! However, if there is a problem it is only a case of undoing 3 Allen bolts on the DV located at the front of the engine. Much more difficult to do on the TT where the DV is on the turbo and you need to get under the car.

Yes, I would be very interested to hear the current thoughts from AMD about the best DV to use.

Peter

 

[Alex_Wil]

I have had no problems with my DV+.
However, R-Tech the well regarded mapping company based in Hinkley suggest the oem revision G as giving best results. I just replaced a G revision on my son's 2008 TT 2.0 with my spare G. His car is stock and had covered nearly 24,000 miles and his diaphragm was still OK. So they are not going to split overnight!! However, if there is a problem it is only a case of undoing 3 Allen bolts on the DV located at the front of the engine. Much more difficult to do on the TT where the DV is on the turbo and you need to get under the car.

Yes, I would be very interested to hear the current thoughts from AMD about the best DV to use.

Peter

Do you get gains from DV+ and if so what would they be ?

I've sent email to them asking for their opinion so ill copy the reply into here once I get it.

Alex

 

[prt57]

Do you get gains from DV+ and if so what would they be ?

I've sent email to them asking for their opinion so ill copy the reply into here once I get it.

I only have my butt dunk and so no concrete evidence. However, if you browse through that link you will see that people report increased boost pressures and less need for boost build up between manual gearbox shifts. In addition, there are some people who can notice no difference and have taken them off and stuck them on EBay.
This is why the thoughts of AMD who have been fitting them is important. If they report no benefit or even a poorer performance, mine will be coming off and a rev. G oem will be going on. My car has a stage 1 tune.

P.

 

[Alex_Wil]

Do you get gains from DV+ and if so what would they be ?

I've sent email to them asking for their opinion so ill copy the reply into here once I get it.

I only have my butt dunk and so no concrete evidence. However, if you browse through that link you will see that people report increased boost pressures and less need for boost build up between manual gearbox shifts. In addition, there are some people who can notice no difference and have taken them off and stuck them on EBay.
This is why the thoughts of AMD who have been fitting them is important. If they report no benefit or even a poorer performance, mine will be coming off and a rev. G oem will be going on. My car has a stage 1 tune.

P.

If that is the case it actually worth me even getting one ?

Mine is 2012 and done 19000 - what are the chances of it going wrong at stage 1 or is it essential I get one ??

To be honest I am not sure I will go stage 2 as I commute everyday around 60 miles and costs me enough in fuel let alone putting a turbo back on and the going stage 2!

Alex

 

[Alex_Wil]

Also just thinking will mine be fitted with a revision D already ?

 

[stetheo]

I removed my Rev G DV when I bought the car and it was in tatters. Replaced it with a Rev D as advised to do so and have since been told it's now performing very strong. I'd get someone (AMD) to test boost pressures and see if your current one is holding out with it being such a new car!

Mine is stage 1 and it performs great still after about 5K.

 

[Alex_Wil]

I removed my Rev G DV when I bought the car and it was in tatters. Replaced it with a Rev D as advised to do so and have since been told it's now performing very strong. I'd get someone (AMD) to test boost pressures and see if your current one is holding out with it being such a new car!

Mine is stage 1 and it performs great still after about 5K.

You'd hope it would be as its such a new car!??

So what DV will my car have at the moment rev G or D?

 

[stetheo]

If my memory serves me correctly it should be the latest, which i'm certain would be a D.

If you can do a quick search on here, i'm sure it'll be somewhere I think it was sorted MY10. As you say I think it will be fine to be honest. You'll know if it isn't working 100% as the boost wont be as strong as normal.

 

[Alex_Wil]

If my memory serves me correctly it should be the latest, which i'm certain would be a D.

If you can do a quick search on here, i'm sure it'll be somewhere I think it was sorted MY10. As you say I think it will be fine to be honest. You'll know if it isn't working 100% as the boost wont be as strong as normal.

Fingers crossed! was one of the last 8p models made before new one came out - got a full main service with Audi this Saturday with agreement when I got car so can always ask them?

Don't want to start upgrading loads if I only stay at stage 1 with things I don't need if that makes sense - stage 2 wouldn't be realistic for me unfortunately unless I got a second car...

 

[stetheo]

Yeah you could just ask them what revision you have, if anyone should know it's them.

Haha that's what you're saying now, give it a few months. I'm pretty sure most people start off saying they're not going to do any modding. There are some stage 2+ cars out there that return very reasonable economy considering, better than I am able to get out of my stage 1! A cheap diesel runaround is always a possibility and if I have to do more miles I think it's the route i'd go down if it worked out cheaper (car cost, tax, MOT, insruance etc) than the additional money in fuel used in a year

 

[Alex_Wil]

Yeah you could just ask them what revision you have, if anyone should know it's them.

Haha that's what you're saying now, give it a few months. I'm pretty sure most people start off saying they're not going to do any modding. There are some stage 2+ cars out there that return very reasonable economy considering, better than I am able to get out of my stage 1! A cheap diesel runaround is always a possibility and if I have to do more miles I think it's the route i'd go down if it worked out cheaper (car cost, tax, MOT, insruance etc) than the additional money in fuel used in a year

Yeah ill see what they say.

AMD came back and all they said was they recommend the GFB DV+ - to be honest it's probably worth getting to be safer than sorry - are they easy to fit?

I probably will end up getting a run around eventually ! I know I will want to do more and more to the car ! haha

 

[stetheo]

Yeah ill see what they say.

AMD came back and all they said was they recommend the GFB DV+ - to be honest it's probably worth getting to be safer than sorry - are they easy to fit?

I probably will end up getting a run around eventually ! I know I will want to do more and more to the car ! haha

Yeah pretty easy, i'm sure there is a guide knocking about on here too. That's up to you, if you think it's worth changing it out then may as well.

With yours being s-tronic as well, so easy to get to stage 2+ as you don't have to worry about the clutch haha.

 

[Alex_Wil]

Yeah pretty easy, i'm sure there is a guide knocking about on here too. That's up to you, if you think it's worth changing it out then may as well.

With yours being s-tronic as well, so easy to get to stage 2+ as you don't have to worry about the clutch haha.

I tend to type anything s3 related onto Google and Audi-sport comes up straight away haha - I just want to keep the car as solid as possible at stage 1!

That is very true - saves a bit of money! I can see I am going to have a love/hate relationship with this car! love the extras hate the money haha

 

[stetheo]

Yeah that's the best way to be honest, google has the answer to pretty much anything and everything. Yeah I think at this point though your current DV should be holding boost as it should be. You will know if it's not the car suddenly appears to drop in power.

Haha couldn't have said it better myself!