RS3 Haldex calibration on S3

[Fiddie]

Hi!

As I think you know, Haldex system on the new RS3 has been modified to get an agressive behavior as you can see in promotional videos.

Do you think its posibble recalibrate Haldex system in our S3 as RS3 on official dealer without loose warranty?

Thanks!

 

[The Challinor]

Come on @veeeight your running late

 

[Fiddie]

He must be on holidays!

 

[veeeight]

meh.

 

[The Challinor]

meh.

Come on, there is a massive long response waiting somewhere

 

[veeeight]

What are you expecting to get out of it?

The RS3 fights the potential understeer by having wider tyres on the front, are you going to do that on your S3 as well?

Quite honestly, I can get the Haldex on my S3 working quite well, but this is the nub of the problem. If the car is already in understeer, having Haldex lock up quicker (which is all the RS3 re-calibration looks like its doing) is going to just push the nose of the car wide into yet more understeer. Hence the wider tyres on the front of the RS3.

So before I launch into a potentially long response somewhere, what are you expecting this Haldex recalibration to do for you?

 

[elpaulio]

I had a similar thought re the RS3 calibration in the S3 but the above about being pushed off the road rather than just understeering off the road keeps popping up in my head.

Does the Haldex kicking in earlier not drop the power/torque/drive (which ever term is technically correct ) to the front wheels sooner therefore giving them a chance to grip and turn the car in while the rear wheels are now pushing as well as the front ones pulling?
Otherwise isn't the Haldex system pretty pointless as it doesnt kick in until you loose front end traction and all it'll then do is push you further off the road?!

The underlying problem is always going to be be though, that there is no diff therefore no way to get more than 45%ish of the power/torque drive to the back end so it's never going to drive like a real quattro...I think...and I'm guess this is what the OP is looking to get.

 

[veeeight]

You can get it to lock up before it slips (which is what it does when you switch ESP OFF) - in this scenario the torque (if all 4 wheels are on equal friction surface) will the 25% at each wheel.

You'll only ever get near (or close to) 100% torque at the rear wheels if the front of the car is suspended up in the air.

The drive split, as you allude to above, will always still be 50:50.

But remember - Haldex only aids/improves (mainly straight line) *traction* - does not improve *handling*


It will never (in "normal" conditions) - give you rear wheel drive car characteristics.

 

[Fiddie]

Yes,

I though it will be able to improve handling, and of course, have a sport sensation. Thanks for the answers.
.

 

[mfl]

What are you expecting to get out of it?
?

According to Top Gear 'In fact, Audi's quite proud of this fact. "The driver is able to perform controlled drifts on low-friction road surfaces," we're told.'

I haven't had a chance to try - but does this mean if you switch the ESP off on the S3 you can do the same or is this only possible on the RS3 ?

 

[veeeight]

Marketing promotional bumpf.
No difference between a S3 and RS3 or Golf R in terms of Haldex drive. Whatever speed the front wheels turn at, the rear wheels will turn at the same speed/rate.

You can do the same with the S3 on a low friction surface if you switch the ESP off.



In fact, here's the Golf R doing the same thing





.

If you have studded tyres, and load the boot up with weight (more torque transfer to the rear wheels), you can get a much better drifting experience on a frozen lake - again - the caveat is that snow/ice is a unique surface, and you would struggle to replicate this on tarmac - because the fronts will always be trying to drive you out of the drift, pull you straight, as Tiff demonstrates in the thread linked below.

Note that in the video above, he is almost always changing direction with momentum/lift-off, rather than the traditional RWD technique of breaking traction by throttle on.

(Caveat - the Golf R is better set up in terms of steering and handling than the S3 )


More on Haldex:
http://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/haldex-quattro-system.218361/

 

[batch]

Not quite the same thing, but on my 8P S3 (renowned for being understeery) I fitted the Eibach Pro-Kit (front springs only in this application) and dramatically reduced understeer - made the car much more dynamic. Love the characteristics now!

 

[mfl]

Marketing promotional bumpf.
No difference between a S3 and RS3 or Golf R in terms of Haldex drive. Whatever speed the front wheels turn at, the rear wheels will turn at the same speed/rate.
You can do the same with the S3 on a low friction surface if you switch the ESP off.
/

thanks V8,
I have a track day coming up at the end of April, so should be interested to see how it goes.
I have had the chance to drive a Sirocco R, mk7 GTI PP & mk7 R around the same track so will be fun to compare