A3 3.2 8p1 - Sport Cats, Downpipes and flexis

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splbound

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My flexi's are blowing on my A3 3.2 8p1.
Flexis are one piece attached to the downpipe and cats so damn expensive to replace.
I have the Milltek non resonated cat back exhaust already fitted.

Now my issue is that OEM is basically the same price as a Milltek Downpipe+Sports Cat+Flexi pipe remap.

Major things stopping me are:
  • Sports cats and MOT Emissions. Anyone with feedback regarding sport cats and issues with passing\failing MOT emissions.
  • MIL light and sports cats, I hear of some cases even with a remap the MIL lite still comes on.
Thinking of just sticking to the safe side fitting OEM, this way MOT and Insurance company will be a non issue.

This car is burning a hole in my wallet but I just love driving it.
 
I've got the scorpion sports cats and no problem for the last 3 mots, in fact the emissions are incredibly low, like the factory cats.

Engine map will remove the engine light, mine hasn't come on since the map was done over 3 years ago. Stage 1 maps won't stop the light coming on. Custom and stage 2 maps will. If the light comes in it doesn't actually affect anything.
 
I've got lufficer manifolds, down pipes and sports cats. Didn't have the engine light come on once.
And it's fine with mots.

Go on r32 owners club forum and look up lufficer
 
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I had the flexi' s replaced on my old 3.2 for about £300.
Not cheap but cheaper than full replacement.
 
Thanks Guys!

I think will have to fit the OEM system. Insurance want's a stupid more £££ out of me for sports cat and downpipes for some reason... so a big issue.
Also. don't really want to stress the engine any more by having to stage 2.. yep I'm paranoid about the chain on it.
The OEM will have the extra resonator boxes as well. It's probably me but don't want to head to a more raspier note i.e. R32.

Have to put it off for a few months to save some more £££, in the meantime my car is puffing like a choo choo train at times but happy that MIL light is staying off.
 
Last edited:
-Ju- said:
I had the flexi' s replaced on my old 3.2 for about £300.
Not cheap but cheaper than full replacement.
Click to expand...

Where did you get the flexi's replaced? Two garages I have been to flat out said no as it's a bitch to do.
 
It was a local exhaust centre.
They had the car for the day as it needed to be trial fitted before fully welding.
Must be a common thing on the 3.2's as I've heard many people having issues
 
For £300 i guess its worth pursuing in the meantime.
I'm near Bromley so looking local.
Have been recommended STS Tyre Pros in Bromley so will give them a shot. I think they do custom powerflow exhausts so should be able to do the job. Whether they want to will be the question.

Craps me that Audi made that section one piece... ***!
 
You can't stress the engine by going for a stage 2 engine map (260-270bhp) when it can handle 420bhp before it needs any work.
 
Tempting... I'm just trying to justify going OEM. Either way mr insurance will not play ball with me and still have 10 months on this policy. MOT is also due before this and it will definitely not pass that with the leak in place. The timing is absolute balls.
 
My manifold, downpipes and sports cats cost me £700 or you can just get the down pipes and sport cats for less.
Money you save you can pay the insurance rather than go oem. I did fit my self which saves on the labour cost.
 
Humpers said:
My manifold, downpipes and sports cats cost me £700 or you can just get the down pipes and sport cats for less.
Money you save you can pay the insurance rather than go oem. I did fit my self which saves on the labour cost.
Click to expand...

I wish I could fit it myself, would save on labour.

I found the Lucifer downpipe and sport cat's on the r32 forum. £700 delivered is a much better price. £850 including manifolds as well.
Would it be possible for you to comment on the quality of the set when you fitted it, good welds, cat quality etc.
Was there plenty of clearance from the driveshaft to the down pipes?
Most importantly was it a straight no fuss fit on the A3 and is there anything else worth updating during the fitting?

As for the insurance its the remap that is the issue as my existing policy covers a non standard exhaust and manifold.
 
screechmr2 said:
You can't stress the engine by going for a stage 2 engine map (260-270bhp) when it can handle 420bhp before it needs any work.
Click to expand...

You mentioned in another thread "the sports cat/decat noise is an acquired taste, sounds quite tinny". Tinny is something I don't really like the sound of from an exhaust. Is this comment referring to using a resonated cat back exhaust or non res?

Just spotted my mistake in the original post. My Milltek cat back is Resonated.
 
The manifold and down pipes are very well made, the welds are very good. I've had no problems with the cats and no lights on the dash. In my opinion they are better than milltek. The fit was very good the manifolds and down pipes fitted with no hassle, only had to fit a reducer from centre section to middle and rear as the lufficer pipe is 3inch diameter to the milltek 2.5 inch diameter.

If you are on face book join the a3 3.2 owners club as there is a few vids on there of mine.

Also check my build thread on here
 
Humpers said:
The manifold and down pipes are very well made, the welds are very good. I've had no problems with the cats and no lights on the dash. In my opinion they are better than milltek. The fit was very good the manifolds and down pipes fitted with no hassle, only had to fit a reducer from centre section to middle and rear as the lufficer pipe is 3inch diameter to the milltek 2.5 inch diameter.

If you are on face book join the a3 3.2 owners club as there is a few vids on there of mine.

Also check my build thread on here
Click to expand...
Got a link to the FB group? Cannot seem to find it :(
 
Cant get link to work search audi a3 3.2 owners should come up
 
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splbound said:
You mentioned in another thread "the sports cat/decat noise is an acquired taste, sounds quite tinny". Tinny is something I don't really like the sound of from an exhaust. Is this comment referring to using a resonated cat back exhaust or non res?

Just spotted my mistake in the original post. My Milltek cat back is Resonated.
Click to expand...

it's hard to describe the sound, it's a resonance from the engine when sports cats/decats are fitted, look at the r32 forum, it's mentioned a few times. i just can't think of the best way to describe it, my first thought was kind of a tinny noise when accelerating hard (no resonance under normal driving/acceleration) and tbh when i first had it i wasn't very keen but grew to like it when i realised it's a more mechanical noise rather than the loud boomy noise from a 1.2 corsa with a big exhaust so less attention grabbing. People following me have commented that at full chat it sounds a bit like a race car exhaust - i.e not bassy/boomy but purposeful. I think it's me growing up and tastes changing (used to have loud exhausts on toyota mr2 turbos etc which i thought were great), i heard an r32 the other day with quite a loud exhaust and didn't like it, preferred mine.

my exhaust comprises of scorpion downpipes and sports cats with a milltek resonated cat back
 
Thanks screechmr2 your description is very helpful. I am not a fan of a metallic raspy sound. I more prefer the resonated milltek sound, am getting old so loud and resonating does not appeal to me anymore. I'm more of a deep burble v8 kinda guy now.

I heard that the rasp is defeated in our A3's by the extra resonator behind a cat and before the y pipe on the oem exhaust. From pictures I see the scorpion, lucifer and milltek do not have this resonator hence a more raspy note.

I think for m,e one advantage of the OEM for me would be the sound.

You must have had a stage 2 remap to cover the sport cats bringing on the check engine light.
Mind me asking how much BHP the downpipe back exhaust freed up?

Price wise going the lucifer\scorpion downpipes and sport cat will save me about £300 over the OEM and Milltek.
 
no idea about bhp as not had it rolling roaded since the work was done, although it produced 242bhp with the split flexi at badger 5. my downpipes/cats were only replaced because of the flexi and i managed to get the scorpion ones for £550 delivered (new).

when my mate used to have his s4 4.2 v8 with a milltek exhaust, even if you were stood the other side of mine you couldn't even hear my car idling if it was parked next to his and under acceleration was when you really noticed the v8 bass and v6 resonance noises they made. it did take me a while before i liked the noise mine makes.
 
Thanks Screechmr2. Only reason I am having this done is because of the flexi as well otherwise I would be happy with the OEM downpipes + exhaust.
Milltek\Scoprion\Lucifer are all modular so flexis and cats can be changed over much easier and cheaper in the future than having to buy the whole thing again going OEM.

An update is that I can get insurance at a small, premium increase.

So I have to choose between the Milltek or the Scorpion. AFAIK not much between them, quality wise. Both UK companies etc.
About £300 for the Scorpion though so that is swaying my decision a lot.
On the other hand it would be nice to have all Milltek from headers down, but for £300 hmmm.

Now waiting to hear on availability for the two....
 
Done and dusted, wallet said to save £300.

Scorpion downpipes and sport cats ordered. Have to wait 2 weeks till AMD Essex gets it in and then its fitting and remap.
 
All fitted and done. Thanks to the team @ AMD Essex.

Happy with the sound, tame when pottering around but a lovely note when given some stick. Makes you want to keep revving. Backside dyno feels like no low end torque lost and according to the remap I have gained a little hp across the board and Tq lower down.

Actually liking the rasp and the note from cold engine start. Happy it turned out ok but damn the cost... hope for no more big ££££ issues for at least a year.
 
Thought I would update a couple of years later. Exhaust going strong. No issues with emissions and MOT the past years.
 
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Resurrecting an old thread here.
Same issue split flexi and having a mate trying to find anyone in the midlands who will change it.

many one know if the scorpion down pipes are still available? I’ve found a gravity set with sports cats, just worried about a possible fail at mot time.
 
splbound said:
Done and dusted, wallet said to save £300.

Scorpion downpipes and sport cats ordered. Have to wait 2 weeks till AMD Essex gets it in and then its fitting and remap.
Click to expand...
We’re these a special order as I can’t find them listed anywhere!
 
F652E561 6364 46DE AFC6 8C5DA483F76F
So I got my flexi leak done in the end. Went for the lucifer downpipes and sports cats coupled to a Milltek non resonated system. Luckily for me the old pipes came off with no issues at all as these are renowned for bolts snapping, which can lead to all sorts of problems. Really happy with the tone and the car seems to have a bit more go, picks up a bit quicker.
159D64D8 D050 4F3D BB12 0EAD359FB632
 
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abmat said:
View attachment 211837 So I got my flexi leak done in the end. Went for the lucifer downpipes and sports cats coupled to a Milltek non resonated system. Luckily for me the old pipes came off with no issues at all as these are renowned for bolts snapping, which can lead to all sorts of problems. Really happy with the tone and the car seems to have a bit more go, picks up a bit quicker.
View attachment 211836
Click to expand...

Just to have another 'holy thread resurrection, batman!' moment;

Can I ask if you had to do anything to avoid the dreaded MIL engine light coming on?
I'd be up for buying a sports cat set of pipes from Lucifer on R32oc, as long as I don't have to have the car mapped to do it, and so far, OEM parts are like rocking horse **** and no one local to me seems to want to get into replacing flexis, but they would fit pre-assembled parts.
 
Just bolt on and away you go. No Mil light.

That’s not saying you won’t have one.

The danger is the removal of the old pipes. If they come off nicely all is good. If bolts start snapping that’s a totally different ball game.
 
I've heard to do it well, or at least easier to get to the connection at the manifold, that the subframe should come off the bottom of the car. I guess that complicates things, is it really needed? or something that the specialist garages prefer to do as it opens up the access fully?
 
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I don’t think my subframe came off. I can’t remember. If it does iirc specialist tools are needed to align it. I had new top mounts and lowering springs done at the same time so it may have been done.

The danger is the bolts snapping when separating the downpipes from the manifold. If that happens then it’s a whole lot of pain. I was lucky and mine went really smoothly.

This is why a lot of places won’t replace the flex joints alone. 1. It’s near impossible to do on the car and 2. If it goes wrong it’s a whole load of more work.
 
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