Audi S3 8l BAM 225

[David de los Reyes]

Hi everyone , I recently purchased a 2002 Audi S3 , it has 39,000kms. Since I got it , I changed the engine oil , spark plugs (oem), air filter , fuel filter , oil filter and all the drivetrain fluids .
I've owned it for 2 months and noticed something strange .. When engine temp is 0-85 degrees , car runs fantastic !! Once I hit the normal operating temperature the car starts to feel sluggish. You will notice it after 3,000rpm as pull is noticeably weaker. Had the car scanned and found a faulty temp sensor. Replaced this but still no results . Read forums wc have pointed me to check for boost leaks , I did find some loose clamps and did replace a few of them to be on the safe side however still no prevail. Changed out the n75 with brand new unit and still no changes. Anyone with experience on this , or any idea? It is summer now in the Philippines , my outside temp indicator reads 32-33 degrees. Could it be heat soak ? But then again this only happens consistently when temp gauge is smack in the middle , anything before that and car is perfectly fine .

 

[<tuffty/>]

Need to log the car in VCDS really to see whats going on... fuelling and boost for a start... timing pull also...

If intake air temps hit 35 degrees or more than the map will take timing out and this will make the car feel more sluggish as the torque will drop off...

Any mods? FMIC? mapped? etc...

<tuffty/>

 

[David de los Reyes]

Thanks for the reply , sir . Very useful information, especially about the intake air temp threshold of 35 degrees. Safe to say this is the reason behind better performance at night ? But even at night tho after a few semi hard pulls ( WOT shifting at 5.5k rpm), it eventually backs off too .

My car is completely stock , no mods whatsoever.

About the VCDS .. I bought my car second hand , it's an import from Japan. When I got it , I saw the diagnostic cable that connects to laptop but NO cd installer . Tried downloading several versions including VCDS lite but laptop cannot read or even detect cable . It says it's installing and looking for solutions online but after a while it eventually fails. For my diagnostics I used a friends Bosch diagnostic computer and a Launch diagnostic computer as well just to check consistency in read outs . Is there another way to install VCDS?

 

[David de los Reyes]

Sorry mistake on my previous post , outside temperature is 31-38 degrees . I travel early in the morning and experience low to mid 30's. Maybe this is the reason behind performance backing off ?

 

[<tuffty/>]

Need to log intake air temps... IAT's are generally 15 degrees or more above outside ambient temps... standard side mount intercoolers are pretty rubbish at recovering temps when they start seeing IAT's above 35/40 degrees and normally just escalate... this would lead to a percieved drop in performance especially if using normal fuel...

In warmer countries its worth considering a decent FMIC even if the car is standard

<tuffty/>

 

[David de los Reyes]

Thank you , Sir! Will figure out on how to install VCDS .

With regard to bigger intercooler , what brand would you recommend ? Noticed from photos that the bigger front mount intercooler blocks part of the radiator . Will this cause overheat issues ? Reson I'm asking is bec I come from a tropical country and it can get very hot here ..
Maybe methanol kit is better ? Please let me know , thank you !!

 

[<tuffty/>]

There is a big FMIC thread in the FAQs that should help you sort out the answer to that... as long as the FMIC is not too deep and a decent free flowing one then it won't be much of an issue

WMI will help regardless but a decent FMIC is also needed as WMI can only do so much

<tuffty/>

 

[David de los Reyes]

Hi sir ! Hope all is well with you . Have another observation I would like to share . A few days ago I decided to remove the plastic cover to check all hoses if they are intact. Hoses were ok but noticed that the n249 located on the valve cover area had been bypassed (but still plugged in the harness). Car isn't throwing any codes so I'm assuming this is ok?

Also , noticed that even in cold weather , when on second gear at 2k rpm and I go WOT , power delivery isn't a continuous pull , you get this back and forth sensation till about 3.5k rpm. At 4k rpm onwards car will pull . I do not hear any dumping or woosh as I am on WOT so am assuming n75 is ok. Have read on some threads that wastegate actuator needs tightening . Can you give me an idea on how to check this and tightn ? Per my checking , it looks hard to reach and am not sure on what and what not to touch . Thank you !!

 

[JonnyDerv]

Definitely get a fmic, standard coolers heatsoak like a mo fo at that sort of ambient temp