Leshkin's Sepang Blue S3 Money Pit Project
- Thread starter leshkin
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I've heard of this oil pickup pipe, after today's work, then that's the only thing left to check on my S3 and then she should be as right as rain (****** hope so after spending £1,100 alone this month!).
How much work is involved to check this? Is there any telltale signs of any potential problems? Wouldn't mind getting Andy to have a quick look over mine but I'm pretty skint at the moment.
I think you have to take the sump off to see it and then you might as well buy a brand new one and replace it at the same time. Factor in the cost of the oil as existing oil will need to be drained, plus labor, so it adds up.
Ah I see, well something for the future to check then when funds are available again, this and an engine carbon clean.
Have you got a video of what yours sounds like? As you said that Andy mentioned your head is loud.
I'm sure both Andy and mjr901 will sort you out, so best of luck and keep us updated
Thanks mate!
Yeah, thankfully one of my planned expenses for intake manifold media blasting is no longer needed with a new engine
I was planning on making a video and sharing it tonight once the engine has cooled down. When warm, the top end just sounds much louder and extremely close to an old diesel. When it's cold there is a distinct rattle from, what sounds like, the bottom end.
I'm paraphrasing here and may be off, but how Andy explained it to me - if the engine has been starved of oil over time the bearings on the crankshaft will wear and become looser. When the engine is cold, the pistons/conrods will have more room to move around due to the shrinking effect of cool metal and that is what could be causing the bottom end to make the rattling sound I have been noticing. The S3 CDL engine is an incredibly strong unit, so the slight movement is not enough to make it go boom immediately, but over time the added stress and wear caused by this movement and continued lack of lubrication will get to a point where there will be no getting away from stuff going boom.
I'm no mechanic, but it all makes sense and confirms the nagging feeling I've been having for a while now. The three options I had were to rebuild the engine (very expensive and will take me off the road for a while), get a used engine and recondition it as much as possible (still expensive and no guaranty that it has been looked after) and last option is new engine (incredibly expensive, but less risky). Thankfully @mjr901 swooped in to help and is sorting me out with brand new engine for what seems to be a massive bargain price! I think I'll owe him a beer or two after this
Yeah, thankfully one of my planned expenses for intake manifold media blasting is no longer needed with a new engine
I was planning on making a video and sharing it tonight once the engine has cooled down. When warm, the top end just sounds much louder and extremely close to an old diesel. When it's cold there is a distinct rattle from, what sounds like, the bottom end.
I'm paraphrasing here and may be off, but how Andy explained it to me - if the engine has been starved of oil over time the bearings on the crankshaft will wear and become looser. When the engine is cold, the pistons/conrods will have more room to move around due to the shrinking effect of cool metal and that is what could be causing the bottom end to make the rattling sound I have been noticing. The S3 CDL engine is an incredibly strong unit, so the slight movement is not enough to make it go boom immediately, but over time the added stress and wear caused by this movement and continued lack of lubrication will get to a point where there will be no getting away from stuff going boom.
I'm no mechanic, but it all makes sense and confirms the nagging feeling I've been having for a while now. The three options I had were to rebuild the engine (very expensive and will take me off the road for a while), get a used engine and recondition it as much as possible (still expensive and no guaranty that it has been looked after) and last option is new engine (incredibly expensive, but less risky). Thankfully @mjr901 swooped in to help and is sorting me out with brand new engine for what seems to be a massive bargain price! I think I'll owe him a beer or two after this
Thanks mate!
Yeah, thankfully one of my planned expenses for intake manifold media blasting is no longer needed with a new engine
I was planning on making a video and sharing it tonight once the engine has cooled down. When warm, the top end just sounds much louder and extremely close to an old diesel. When it's cold there is a distinct rattle from, what sounds like, the bottom end.
I'm paraphrasing here and may be off, but how Andy explained it to me - if the engine has been starved of oil over time the bearings on the crankshaft will wear and become looser. When the engine is cold, the pistons/conrods will have more room to move around due to the shrinking effect of cool metal and that is what could be causing the bottom end to make the rattling sound I have been noticing. The S3 CDL engine is an incredibly strong unit, so the slight movement is not enough to make it go boom immediately, but over time the added stress and wear caused by this movement and continued lack of lubrication will get to a point where there will be no getting away from stuff going boom.
I'm no mechanic, but it all makes sense and confirms the nagging feeling I've been having for a while now. The three options I had were to rebuild the engine (very expensive and will take me off the road for a while), get a used engine and recondition it as much as possible (still expensive and no guaranty that it has been looked after) and last option is new engine (incredibly expensive, but less risky). Thankfully @mjr901 swooped in to help and is sorting me out with brand new engine for what seems to be a massive bargain price! I think I'll owe him a beer or two after this
Oh I do like beer!
Great! Next time I'm in your neck of the woods I'll be sure to let you knowOh I do like beer!
Here is a video of what it sounds like @HHS3 , but the phone mic is not picking up the underlying booming sound coming from the head. The high-frequency clicking are the injectors and really, the only sound you should be hearing from the TFSI engine. My unit has a loud and quite distinct clunking/diesel-like sound, which is not normal. It's like the cam shaft has worn out and is lifting higher than the valves reach, so when it comes down again it makes a more pronounced clunking. Like I say though, phone doesn't seem to pick this up all that well, but you can just make it out if you listen hard enough.
The bottom end may have not cooled down enough to sound like it does early in the morning, so can't hear much there.
The bottom end may have not cooled down enough to sound like it does early in the morning, so can't hear much there.
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When I hear things like this happening it really makes me want to sell up and get something newer with warranty, this could so easily happen to my car. Trouble is, I've been out in an 8V S3 and although you know it's a step forward, having spent the last 2 years improving mine, it felt like a step back. A sorted 8P S3 really is a great car.
Well done for having the guts to stick with it
Well done for having the guts to stick with it
Man, I absolutely love this S3 and while stuff like this makes you wonder about what other options are available. Thing is, I have put so much effort and money into this car to make it my own and improve other aspects of it, that I can't bear to get rid of it. I can't think of a more perfect car for me and the family - the understated looks, enough space to carry all three of us in great comfort for long distances, handles just like how I like a car to handle and has plenty of go for the kind of driving I do. With a new engine, I think I'll hold on to it for much, much longer
That's exactly it in a nutshellMan, I absolutely love this S3 and while stuff like this makes you wonder about what other options are available. Thing is, I have put so much effort and money into this car to make it my own and improve other aspects of it, that I can't bear to get rid of it. I can't think of a more perfect car for me and the family - the understated looks, enough space to carry all three of us in great comfort for long distances, handles just like how I like a car to handle and has plenty of go for the kind of driving I do. With a new engine, I think I'll hold on to it for much, much longer
OK, I've been spamming this thread all day, so one more post can't hurt
My view on today's events is one of "When life throws you lemons, make lemonade"... So, I need everyone's advice on what extra work or upgrades to do while the engine is out. My logic here is that while the car is a half-assembled Lego set, replacing/upgrading bits that are hard to reach would not add much to the labor cost, so I might as well get a few more go-faster bits in.
Now, a big turbo or hybrid is out of the question due to the already huge cost of these items, but I'm sure there are other small bits that are a pig to fit when the engine is in place, but still offer some performance or reliability benefits.
My list so far:
Definite:
My view on today's events is one of "When life throws you lemons, make lemonade"... So, I need everyone's advice on what extra work or upgrades to do while the engine is out. My logic here is that while the car is a half-assembled Lego set, replacing/upgrading bits that are hard to reach would not add much to the labor cost, so I might as well get a few more go-faster bits in.
Now, a big turbo or hybrid is out of the question due to the already huge cost of these items, but I'm sure there are other small bits that are a pig to fit when the engine is in place, but still offer some performance or reliability benefits.
My list so far:
Definite:
- Forge replacement FMIC - don't want to go mental here as larger core FMICs are likely to cause issues at my stage of tune as per Andy's advice
- RS4 136BAR Rail Pressure Valve - I have stock S3 one and it holds fine at the moment, but I might as well upgrade it now
- Check/Replace if needed flywheel - As advised by Andy
- Intake Manifold Runner Flap Delete - is there a benefit here with just Stg2+? If so, which kit to go for?
- Silicone hoses - I doubt there is a performance benefit here, but may go for a blue set to match the rest of the car
- Turbo muffler delete - again, will I see an improvement?
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Wow, what an up and down day you've had but the new engine at that price from MJR must have gone a fair way to giving you something to smile about. One of the best loved and cared for cars on the forum, just goes to show that $hit doesn't care where it happens...!
Good luck with the plans Bud.
Good luck with the plans Bud.
Man, I absolutely love this S3 and while stuff like this makes you wonder about what other options are available. Thing is, I have put so much effort and money into this car to make it my own and improve other aspects of it, that I can't bear to get rid of it. I can't think of a more perfect car for me and the family - the understated looks, enough space to carry all three of us in great comfort for long distances, handles just like how I like a car to handle and has plenty of go for the kind of driving I do. With a new engine, I think I'll hold on to it for much, much longer
It is a shame that your engine has developed this issue, must be properly frustrating as you take good care of it and keep it immaculate in pretty much every area. I think we all at some point have to spend big bucks on sorting out problems with the car and eventually you get to the point where it makes financial sense to keep the car. I'm in that same position and I've only spent money on maintenance and replacing broken things really! As much as I would like to cut my losses and get a nicer, sporty car, I say to myself: "Do I want to have to go through the hassle of getting another used car which may have the same number of hidden problems (obviously you will do more research the second time but still)?
So with that in mind, yes, you are having to foot a huge bill (no denying that), but it's almost like having a fresh new car and you can carefully treat and gently run-in the new engine, safe in the knowledge that no-one else has thrashed your car, only you! It probably has suffered some extended oil changes in the past before you owned it, but I'm sure you will do it even earlier than you plan to after this episode!
As for upgrades, not sure what else you can do if you aren't going for a massive turbo build, but how about some lightweight underdrive pulleys? May help the engine rev easier/quicker with the lower rotational mass. Not sure on prices though, but may be worth a look.
It's on 65k at the moment, which should be nothing for this car. Consider that it still runs and delivers the power in line with what you would expect from a Stage 2+, but it has been sounding increasingly worse over the course of last year. When you own a car and run it for a number of years these slight increases in noise levels are very easy to miss until you get to hear a 100% healthy 2.0tfsi lump side-by-side, like I did today with one of the mechanics at Storm. My heart sunk at that moment
The Seat Cupra I was listening to sounded like a well-oiled sawing machine, with just the sound of the injectors clicking away.Also, if you think about it, a skipped oil change or bad/incorrect oil in the past could all have contributed to oil pickup line getting partially clogged and once it happened, it would be difficult to unclog with good oil and regular changes...
That is if the problem is the oil pickup in the first place. Andy mentioned that it could be a bad oil pump, which wasn't providing enough oil pressure to correctly push the oil through the system and over the years things wore out sooner than they should have done. The way these engines monitor oil pressure is not in the ideal location apparently, so this sort of long-running issue can be missed by onboard diagnostics systems. We'll hopefully know more once it's out.
I've played this vid with the sound through my Bose headphones and my eyes closed trying concentrate and pick up the sound but the camera does not do it much justice.
I would love to hear this in person man as I have my concerns about mine but Audi keep telling me all is well.
When are you looking to get the work started? I may be passing near your area later this week.
I would love to hear this in person man as I have my concerns about mine but Audi keep telling me all is well.
When are you looking to get the work started? I may be passing near your area later this week.
That's exactly it - the phone mic is not capable of picking up the lower frequencies that you can hear in person all that well, I can just pick some of the noise out but it's right at the edge of what the phone can record.
I think the plan is to get the engine to Storm some time next week and once the additional bits arrive, I want to get the work done as soon as possible after that. Feel free to pop over at any point and we can compare them.
I think the plan is to get the engine to Storm some time next week and once the additional bits arrive, I want to get the work done as soon as possible after that. Feel free to pop over at any point and we can compare them.
Thanks for uploading the video leshkin. Whilst my engine (nor any TFSI) sounds lovely, mine certainly doesn't sound like your poor S3
I had my cam chain & tensioner done yesterday of which the pronounced tapping has disappeared, however a sound which developed last week is still there which I'm concerned about as I thought it was related to this.. It was serviced two weeks ago (prior to this new sound) of which all looked fine then and then a VAG garage looked at it yesterday and didn't mention any issues. I don't want to hijack your thread so I'll create a new one but Storm Devs is only 5/10mins away from my home and so I was wondering when you're next in? As I'd like to compare sounds etc. and get Andy to give me his opinion on the noise.
Having spoken to S3Alex about the RFD, if you're staying at stage 2+ then there really isn't any point of getting it done as you'll only get an extra 10bhp at peak power which you won't notice to be honest, you have to get them mapped out as well otherwise start-ups aren't very nice either.
Silicone hoses aren't going to get you any performance benefits as you say but it'll be a nice looking engine bay
I've not heard of this TMD before, so would be interested in knowing more about this myself.
scotty dugg
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Very true!
I'm the same as you and whilst I haven't had any chronic problems, I've sunk £2,000 into maintaining my S3 in the first year of ownership and am starting to get really pi$$ed off with what seems to be an endless list of fixes! So hats off to you leshkin.
Silicone hoses aren't going to get you any performance benefits as you say but it'll be a nice looking engine bay
I've not heard of this TMD before, so would be interested in knowing more about this myself.
I'm thinking of doing some of the hoses that are easily visible to make things pretty - a few are part of the FMIC kit or come with the CTS kits, so will see what else I want to replace there.
The Turbo Muffler Delete is a piece of CNC machined pipework that attaches to the turbo and replaces the stock piece that then leads to the intercooler. The idea behind this is to reduce restrictions and air turbulence for the air traveling from the turbo to the IC. The throttle pipe connects to the cold side of IC and further reduces the restrictions that are present with the stock plastic pipe.
Removing the baffles does make the turbo noise more pronounced, but is meant to improve airflow at higher rpm.
All this makes it easier to go to a hybrid or big turbo in the future if I want to go dow that route in the future and given my situation, I might as well get some of this stuff done now.
MICHAEL PARKER
S3 Sportback
SnazzyWafles
Registered User
Part of me feels very sorry for such a crap thing happening to you, but the more I read your posts it's clear that your make lemonade attitude will only turn this into something good. You'll get to have a new slate of an engine while at the same time keeping all the hard work you've spent on the car. Good luck to you @leshkin!
Anyway I must dash, a TDI oil burner guy in a S3 thread is always going to end badly
Anyway I must dash, a TDI oil burner guy in a S3 thread is always going to end badly
http://samtechperformance.co.uk/ - never used them before, but the price seems too good to pass on, so I called and spoke to them. They have a very big shipment from CTS due in early next week, so hopefully I will not have to wait long to get it.
I'm starting worry about available space in my car to carry all these goodies to Storm
Part of me feels very sorry for such a **** thing happening to you, but the more I read your posts it's clear that your make lemonade attitude will only turn this into something good. You'll get to have a new slate of an engine while at the same time keeping all the hard work you've spent on the car. Good luck to you @leshkin!
Anyway I must dash, a TDI oil burner guy in a S3 thread is always going to end badly
Thanks, means a lot and always nice to have some emotional support. I may have to store my credit card in the freezer for the next few months, while I recover from the financial shock of this week.
As far as your TDI goes, then I'm sure I could give you a run for your money as far as clunky engine sounds go. Well, at least until the new unit is in that is
MICHAEL PARKER
S3 Sportback
I saw it with that company , £135 does seem cheap , i may wait and see if any of the trade stands at the VAG have them on sunday , good luck with your engine btw .
Things are slowly coming together. Engine is now with @mjr901 and is being prepared for shipping tomorrow. He was kind enough to send over some photos:
It will be coming with a new belt, gaskets, bolts and washers to ensure that everything that needs replacing during an engine transplant will be done, as well as a RS4 fuel return valve.
As mentioned, I've decided to treat the engine bay to some new pipework, so ordered the following:
Forge FMIC
Forge DV to Intake Return Hose
Forge Lower Silicone Coolant Hoses
Silicone Coolant Hose Kit
CTS Throttle pipe
CTS Charge pipe
I'm being a bit of a tart and ordered all of the Forge pipes in blue - may even stop hiding the engine bay at the shows after this
Really can't wait for everything to arrive so I can start pestering the guys at Storm Developments for a slot to get the engine swap done - want my baby working 100% again
On an unrelated note, we just bought a 2007 Mini Cooper S for the Mrs (put the deposit down just before "The Event"), so I've been enjoying that little go-kart while I'm waiting for all this to blow over. Fun little cars, although a little agricultural for my taste
It will be coming with a new belt, gaskets, bolts and washers to ensure that everything that needs replacing during an engine transplant will be done, as well as a RS4 fuel return valve.
As mentioned, I've decided to treat the engine bay to some new pipework, so ordered the following:
Forge FMIC
Forge DV to Intake Return Hose
Forge Lower Silicone Coolant Hoses
Silicone Coolant Hose Kit
CTS Throttle pipe
CTS Charge pipe
I'm being a bit of a tart and ordered all of the Forge pipes in blue - may even stop hiding the engine bay at the shows after this
Really can't wait for everything to arrive so I can start pestering the guys at Storm Developments for a slot to get the engine swap done - want my baby working 100% again
On an unrelated note, we just bought a 2007 Mini Cooper S for the Mrs (put the deposit down just before "The Event"), so I've been enjoying that little go-kart while I'm waiting for all this to blow over. Fun little cars, although a little agricultural for my taste
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Hope the mini isn't a money pit like the S3 lol
We bought our 07 MCS 12 months ago. In that time it's had,
Timing chain and tensioner kit
Full decoke
Hpfp
Air con compressor
Thermostat housing
Rocker cover.
All covered under approved warranty thank god......I love it though, even with all the suspension mods on the S3, the mini flies around corners!
We bought our 07 MCS 12 months ago. In that time it's had,
Timing chain and tensioner kit
Full decoke
Hpfp
Air con compressor
Thermostat housing
Rocker cover.
All covered under approved warranty thank god......I love it though, even with all the suspension mods on the S3, the mini flies around corners!
Me too!!! I've heard some stories about them, but I always liked how they handled and given that the Mrs wanted either a Fiat 500 or this, there was only one real option
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Just had mine done, red oil pressure light came on, didn't have low oil light come on for what seemed like ages, it was completely blocked... about £200 all in with new oil I think I paid...
Cool, cheers for that Tony.
So the £200 was for the new oil pickup pipe, oil and labour? Not as bad as I thought, I guess it's the oil sump which is expensive if needs replacing. I need a new A/C compressor unfortunately, so this will now have to wait a little longer.
Yeh, the pipes about £30, couple hours labour, decent oil refill... Happy now it's done!
Decided against it in the end it. Went for CTS Throttle and Charge pipes instead. Looking at it now, I'm unlikely to get them before the car goes in, so will probably put them on myself later.
Also got told by Forge that the FMIC I ordered is on back-order with a 3-4 week lead time - I might cancel that and try to source one from elsewhere if they have it in stock.
It's never as straightforward as you plan it
