Blue Haldex controller

Ashley g

Ashley g

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Was under my car yesterday having a nosey and noticed My haldex controller has a blue cover. Is this an uprated one or are they blue as standard?
My car is a 2003-03 S3 8L.

Cheers, Ash
 
I never really drove my S3 hard enough before I replaced mine with a blue unit so don't really know back to back. Silly I know but I got mine crazily cheap so thought rude not to. Same situation with the peloquin rear diff (which I am yet to fit). Apparently both are great improvements so I thought it wasn't going to do any harm. My rear diff groans sometimes during tight manoeuvres as well so hopefully it'll stop that.
 
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imho it'll throw power back and forth more on an already bodged quattro system, blue green, tartan, white, black, orange, purple - it don't matter, the physical systems crap lol, i hate the haldex system!!
 
colicabcadam said:
imho it'll throw power back and forth more on an already bodged quattro system, blue green, tartan, white, black, orange, purple - it don't matter, the physical systems crap lol, i hate the haldex system!!
Click to expand...
Why? it got me out of a load of trouble last year when there were mountains of cars abandoned at the side of the road in the snow...
 
colicabcadam said:
imho it'll throw power back and forth more on an already bodged quattro system, blue green, tartan, white, black, orange, purple - it don't matter, the physical systems crap lol, i hate the haldex system!!
Click to expand...

s3dave said:
Why? it got me out of a load of trouble last year when there were mountains of cars abandoned at the side of the road in the snow...
Click to expand...

yes it'll do that, but it's a CRAP design, drive a proper quattro and you'll find out why

you put your foot down with a blue controller mid corner and all of a sudden it goes from 95/5 to 50/50, great! lol

<tuffty/> said:
Were you aware the Veyron uses a Haldex based AWD system?

bugatti.com - Driving the Ideal Line

<tuffty/>
Click to expand...

yes, but power goes directly to it and is then distributed between the axles, sadly, every other haldex enabled car has it's front wheels driven directly from the gearbox lol

i agree a haldex unit is better than just a fwd or rwd system, but at the end of the day, it's not in the same league as a proper quattro
 
agreed you cant beat a proper quattro and i've had both
 
s3dave said:
Why did you buy one then..:think:......;)
Click to expand...

LOL - i never bought a haldex unit - it came with my car............ the s3 was pretty much what i wanted for my first car, in terms of power and size and some kind of luxury, next car will be an rs4 b5 for sure as my insurance will be another £100 on top of what i pay for the s3....

haldex is nothing but an imitation when compared to the torsen system - any serious driving nut would not want power going back and forth so much!!
 
I had proper quattro on my s2 coupe and like you say is amazing put your foot down and it sits and grips. My isnt bad just different you learn to drive it differently to original Quattro and when you learn how it works is just as good imho
 
To say the haldex system is crap is.... Stupid in my eyes.
Ive spent around 6 months on the upgraded controler now and its great, Yes. ive driven and old 80 quattro and scoobys and evo's .
Realising your not in a full on rally or track car is key . The S3 was never a race car and for the fast road car i wanted it does the job well. I regularly hoof it out of a round about and havent been caught out yet, Im told the GTR skyline ( in any shape) is a monster with its awd system... but not realy for me as a road car
 
Haldex doesn't nuke rear tyres like 'proper' quattro seems too... ;P

I think Paul has summed that up nicely... the S3 haldex is pretty unitelligent out of the box in comparision but then its designed to be used in conjunction with ESP which is NOT a driving/handling aid in the same way it is on an Evo but designed to keep the driver from having a big off...

Electronic diffs are quite commonplace these days with new Scoobies using it and as I have already mentioned the Veyron... the 8L S3 system was an early implementation so will be crude... the blue controller is a good upgrade from what I have heard but I think the point of all this is that while the early 8L Haldex system is not as good as the 'proper' quattro, electronic diffs live or die by thier electronics and thats getting better these days...

There is another Haldex upgrade (although it could be the same controller) from HPA under the guise of a 'Competition' controller... this apparently retains haldex lock under braking too which improves overall braking...

The S3 is what it is and does the job quite nicely... IMO of course :)

<tuffty/>
 
The HPA item is known as the "orange" for anyone who doesn't know. It's now silver though, just to confuse matters.
 
On the topic of Haldex, i'm actually looking forward to the various 'snow playgrounds' this winter :) That is when you appreciate the haldex system!
 
Byzan said:
Aint that the truth, I love mine, but she eats tyres. You lot and your posh Golfs and part time 4wd don't know how lucky you are....
Click to expand...

You knowz it buddy :)


Alex C said:
is an uprated haldex controller on your shopping list at all Tufty?
Click to expand...

One day maybe... I have other stuff to buy thats higher up the list... once I am happy with the engine/performance then ARB's followed by a Haldex controller maybe... if they were a tad cheaper or I had to replace due to fialure of the current unit it would be a no brainer...

The std one seems to hook up ok... have done a 4.2 secs 0-60 on a std controller but I guess its reall benefit would be in corners etc...

<tuffty/>
 
The situation mentioned where you drive into a corner and nail it halfway round ?
This isnt the way i was told to corner ... Hold the power at same level from entry to exit. Shed the speed and line up right before you get there and power all the way through it.
To nail it then i found was more a show off "moment" than a faster way round.
If your controler is linked to a useless haldex system sell it to another member? Some pocket money for you and a smile for another member maybe?
 
S3 Paul said:
The situation mentioned where you drive into a corner and nail it halfway round ?
This isnt the way i was told to corner ... Hold the power at same level from entry to exit. Shed the speed and line up right before you get there and power all the way through it.
To nail it then i found was more a show off "moment" than a faster way round.
If your controler is linked to a useless haldex system sell it to another member? Some pocket money for you and a smile for another member maybe?
Click to expand...

you speak mostly the truth, however tyre technologies now mean you can brake later and while turning. whereas "in the day" you had to do one or the other due to tyres being crap.

you would find the advantage in track conditions in being able to hook the car up a bit earlier assuming the haldex is already engaged to avoid the shunt( however small) that may put you off if driving 10/10's
 
My car was fine with no Performance Controller fitted @ADI, if you have your car setup properly for cornering, I can't see any real benefit of the performance controller unless you are running big power. I just planted my foot just before the apex in each corner and it stuck!
You will have to wait another 12 months for my performance controller @ADI review though! lol It changes the balance of the car mid-corner no doubt, but I didn't have enough power to break traction, maybe in the wet is another story, in the snow it's very noticeable when you plant it for a drift!
 
Ive only ever run tyres such Dunlops and toyo t1r's so not a full on sports tyre.
I agree that the leeps and bounds forward in grip from tyres will probably out weigh the gains from the haldex upgrade. But i was looking into the upgrade as i read it would help with the understear i felt when leaving a roundabout or tightish corner. The BANG a unit came up cheap so my mind was made up. I have never drove the car 10/10th as i had a big spin/roll/crash in my old car . But the car feels better in bad weather or when i have a mad moment.
 
S3 Paul said:
But i was looking into the upgrade as i read it would help with the understear i felt when leaving a roundabout or tightish corner. The BANG a unit came up cheap so my mind was made up. I have never drove the car 10/10th as i had a big spin/roll/crash in my old car . But the car feels better in bad weather or when i have a mad moment.
Click to expand...

It doesn't really reduce under steer as such, it just makes the back end more active on part throttle and above, as it locks the Haldex 100% on 50% throttle and above, before any tyre slip comes in. If you have a sorted front end, this performance part will come into it's own, if you want to balance the car on the throttle midcorner. In my opinion.
 
audi upgrades
No i havent as of yet.
Its in the pipeline once i find some 18's to put on the car,
I was told an R32 rear antiroll bar would make a big diffrence?
 
I dont know about the benefits of specific brands over others but i know the ARBs on mine have significantly reduced the understeer if not entirely
 
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