# AG's 2010 A3 S-Line Quattro



## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Late last summer I found a 2010 A3 with 42,000 miles on it and couldn't pass it up. I had been searching for an Ibis White Quattro for about 9 months with no luck. Then this car showed up at a dealer and I like I said I couldn't pass it up. My original plans were to leave it stock except for a few minor mods like blacking out the grille and fogs. It would be my daily driver and most of the year it would be used to get my ass up to the mountains to snowboard. Once I started looking thru this forum and a few others I saw some of the builds other members were doing and immediately I was hooked. Some of you guys have some beautiful cars! Here are a few photos of the car the day I picked it up.



First thing I did was black out the grille and fog rings.

A few weeks later I blacked out my stock wheels and debadged the rear end. At the end of this winter I plan on getting new wheels no making these my winter wheels with a set of snow tires.

Stock height is killing me! I wish I could afford some coils. For now I will have to settle for springs. Another item on my ever growing list for the summer.
Over the winter I was able to do some lighting as well. First I installed Ziza Bright white fogs.

Also installed An LED interior kit.

And after a few tries and an adaptor sold by BKS was able to install LED license plate lights.

Looking forward to this summer. I have a list of things I want to do and it feels like it gets longer every time I look at it. I just hope I have enough time and money to get it all done.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

*Out with the old and in with the new.*

yesterday I did a much needed interior update.


I love the look and feel of the new shift knob! Special thanks to MisterJJ for the shifter rod piece and Ponto for walking me thru the process and letting me know what I needed to get the job done. You guys rock!


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## npace (Sep 3, 2012)

Looks good. Welcome to the A3 monza club!


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## jmarch (Apr 17, 2012)

Welcome! Great start to a build. I'm jealous of the milage your A3 is at. What combo plate light and resistors did you end up using? Do you have a bulb out warning?


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

jmarch said:


> Welcome! Great start to a build. I'm jealous of the milage your A3 is at. What combo plate light and resistors did you end up using? Do you have a bulb out warning?


I tried a few pairs from ECS. One pair with built in resistors and one without and both sets gave me the dreaded bulb out warning. Then I found this adaptor at BKS.

And it took care of that annoying light. I ended up getting a third set of bulbs at a car show locally because they were brighter. I wish BKS would make this same adaptor for LED reverse lights.


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## Greddy87 (Oct 21, 2010)

Hey good chatting with you on Instagram.. lol S-tronic shift knob is soo much better than the bulky stock one.. :thumbup:


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## Ponto (Jan 11, 2012)

Love the Monza!!


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## Ponto (Jan 11, 2012)

jmarch said:


> Welcome! Great start to a build. I'm jealous of the milage your A3 is at. What combo plate light and resistors did you end up using? Do you have a bulb out warning?


Should be able to get plate lights without resistors if I am not mistaken.


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## Ponto (Jan 11, 2012)

AngryGiraffe said:


> And it took care of that annoying light. I ended up getting a third set of bulbs at a car show locally because they were brighter. *I wish BKS would make this same adaptor for LED reverse lights.*


For the reverse lights talk to DeAutokey perhaps, I got my reverse LED's off Johnny (Krazyboi)

Resistor required yes, but 400 Lumen Cree LED's and you can't go wrong.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Greddy87 said:


> Hey good chatting with you on Instagram.. lol S-tronic shift knob is soo much better than the bulky stock one.. :thumbup:


Yeah man! Thanks for the info on the grille. I'm sure I will be hitting you up with more questions about a few other mods. Keep up with all the great work on your car.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Another interior update.
Installed dimpled leather E-brake handle to match the new shifter. 

I have one more interior mod to install. Just waiting for one last part to be delivered(stupid VW back order) before the weather gets nice and I can start to do some work under the hood.


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## Ponto (Jan 11, 2012)

It's all about the little interior touches. I don't have much left I can change out haha. Just the seats now I think. Everything has been replaced. 

Sent from my Igloo


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## mypixeladdiction (Dec 1, 2011)

Car looks great! If you're ever going for a drive / event somewhere around Denver - PM me and maybe we can meet up and cruise together.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Ponto said:


> It's all about the little interior touches. I don't have much left I can change out haha. Just the seats now I think. Everything has been replaced.
> 
> Sent from my Igloo


I couldn't agree with you more. I would love to get a flat bottom wheel but that's going to have to wait. I also wish I could find a set of those grab handles for less than $800. You are a very lucky man.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

mypixeladdiction said:


> Car looks great! If you're ever going for a drive / event somewhere around Denver - PM me and maybe we can meet up and cruise together.


Yeah man for sure. If you hear about any events let me know as well.


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## Greddy87 (Oct 21, 2010)

AngryGiraffe said:


> Yeah man! Thanks for the info on the grille. I'm sure I will be hitting you up with more questions about a few other mods. Keep up with all the great work on your car.


Thanks.. Yea, lemme know.. It's fairly easy, but needs patience.. :thumbup:


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## krazyboi (May 19, 2004)

Must've missed this thread, but welcome!


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

*Still Waiting…*

Still waiting on my local VW dealer for that last interior piece. I could have/should have ordered it from ECS, but I got a better deal from VW. So I figured I might as well get my windows done while I wait.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Slow day at work so I trimmed down the rear plate filler.

Also got my fog light grilles prepped. Just need to order my grille so I can finish up the bumper.


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## krazyboi (May 19, 2004)

AngryGiraffe said:


> Slow day at work so I trimmed down the rear plate filler.


It's not evenly trimmed  . I cut mine so no plate holder is showing at all.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

krazyboi said:


> It's not evenly trimmed  . I cut mine so no plate holder is showing at all.


I think you can only see that when the gate is popped and lifted at this angle.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Our airbag guy at work is into Audi's and has Vag Com. So he was nice enough to let me borrow his set up so I could enable windows up/down from my remote. Just in time for a random April snow day
I was going to enable the rear fog, but I read that if you do it before you get the switch it will cause your tails to stay on at all times. Now I just have to find a switch with coming home and that is brushed aluminum. So far everyplace I have been able to find one is on back order. Guess I can wait until the fall. Not like I will really need one until then.


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## Tcardio (Mar 19, 2009)

AngryGiraffe said:


> I think you can only see that when the gate is popped and lifted at this angle.



in this forum, we see all issues...it needs trimming or another plate surround




AngryGiraffe said:


> Our airbag guy at work is into Audi's and has Vag Com. So he was nice enough to let me borrow his set up so I could enable windows up/down from my remote. Just in time for a random April snow day
> I was going to enable the rear fog, but I read that if you do it before you get the switch it will cause your tails to stay on at all times. Now I just have to find a switch with coming home and that is brushed aluminum. So far everyplace I have been able to find one is on back order. Guess I can wait until the fall. Not like I will really need one until then.


dealers have it and if you order the wrong one you just return it and get another one


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Friday night I installed the APR Carbonio Stage 1&2 intake.

It was a pretty basic install. There was the occasional tweaking and filing to get it to fit right. I think I am going to have to do a few more adjustments Monday at work. I have to say for how much ECS/APR charges it should have fit much better, but I guess it's to be expected when putting aftermarket parts on a car. The overall quality of the carbon is good and it looks really nice under the hood. I was excited to go test it out so I woke up early Saturday morning and went for a drive. I headed out to rout 67. Deckers area has some fun turns and I figured it would be empty this early in the morning. The foot hills got hit with a snow storm the day before, but surprisingly the roads were pretty dry and fun!

I pulled over for a break and took a few pictures.

Overall I like the intake. It sounds good, could be a bit louder I suppose and it lives up to all the reviews I read about it. After that it was time to head back to the city and give her a wash. I can't wait until summer is here and the roads are dry.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Well after more than a months wait and having to cancel two orders(dealer&ECS) I got a dead peddle from BKS. They had it in stock and it was cheaper that the other two sources. I wish I would have checked there sooner. I installed it and the peddles I had. 

I love the way they look. Glad I went with these and not some of the aftermarket ones I've seen online.


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## mypixeladdiction (Dec 1, 2011)

lookin good :thumbup:


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## Tcardio (Mar 19, 2009)

AngryGiraffe said:


> Well after more than a months wait and having to cancel two orders(dealer&ECS) I got a dead peddle from BKS. They had it in stock and it was cheaper that the other two sources. I wish I would have checked there sooner. I installed it and the peddles I had.
> 
> I love the way they look. Glad I went with these and not some of the aftermarket ones I've seen online.


so the dead pedal does not look like it sits flush with the carpet. I assume you used spacers placed behind the upper screw. My other suggestion for a tight fit is to buy adhesive velcro and place it under the square hole. I then used surgical suture and sewed the velcro into the carpet. Mine sits tight without a gap. Car otherwise looks great and love the snow pics


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Tcardio said:


> so the dead pedal does not look like it sits flush with the carpet. I assume you used spacers placed behind the upper screw. My other suggestion for a tight fit is to buy adhesive velcro and place it under the square hole. I then used surgical suture and sewed the velcro into the carpet. Mine sits tight without a gap. Car otherwise looks great and love the snow pics


Thanks man! It was such a fun morning. I thought about using some velcro. It seems to sit a little better now that I have been stepping on it for a few days. I like the spacers idea. I think I am going to have to try that Monday at work. There still is a little bit of the plastic clip(I'm guessing it lined up on the TT) left that I want to trim down. If the spacers don't work I will probably use some velcro.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

A week or two ago I found a Valentine V1 on Craigslist. I pretty much stole it from the guy(he didn't have the power cable) so I was able to talk him down from the $300 he wanted to $200. I contacted Valentine and made sure it wasn't reported stolen and had them register it to me. I hate thieves and try my best not to support them. Also had them send me out the hard wire kit. Installed it at work the other day

Overall a simple install thanks to this forum. Should come in handy for the road trip I have planned at the end of this month.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

On Friday I got a set of LED reverse bulbs from DeAutoLed in the mail. I couldn't wait to install them. I have been looking for a set of error free bulbs with out the use of resisters. These bulbs are bright!
I will be buying my amber turns and my brake LED's from them for sure. 
Oh! and it's still Quattro season in Colorado!


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## keithermadness (Mar 26, 2007)

jmarch said:


> Welcome! Great start to a build. I'm jealous of the milage your A3 is at. What combo plate light and resistors did you end up using? Do you have a bulb out warning?


Mine (2010) has 34,000.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Getting my stage 1 tune next week so I figured I might as well upgrade my diverter valve this weekend. So out with the old and in with the new.

While I had the right front wheel of I figured might as well blackout my rotors. Hate the surface rust that shows after a few days of rain or sitting. Also decided to paint the calipers.

I eventually plan on replacing them with the Porsche Boxster S calipers.

Now I just need the time and money to get rid of the Q stance. I still can't make up my mind on getting coils or going with a good set of shocks and struts? I guess I'll have plenty of time to make a decision while I save up some cash.


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## deAutoLED.com (Jun 1, 2012)

Ponto said:


> For the reverse lights talk to DeAutokey perhaps, I got my reverse LED's off Johnny (Krazyboi)
> 
> Resistor required yes, but 400 Lumen Cree LED's and you can't go wrong.





AngryGiraffe said:


> On Friday I got a set of LED reverse bulbs from DeAutoLed in the mail. I couldn't wait to install them. I have been looking for a set of error free bulbs with out the use of resisters. These bulbs are bright!


Thanks for the feedback!! 

These bulbs are great and no resistors are required, if you do need a resistor for any reason we have the resistor that BKS is selling also, we never listed it as it was not required with our LEDs, but we will look into listing it just in case anyone wants one, it is a bit cheaper 

But our LEDs do not need any resistors - plug & play:
http://deautokey.com/product/audi-194-10pc-cree-led-reverse-led-fits-audi-a3-s3-rs3-many-more

Thank you


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## louiekaps (Aug 12, 2013)

Get coilovers! No problems with my hpa shs, had them since last November and around 25k miles on them. They go on sale for Black Friday 1100 shipped.


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## jmarch (Apr 17, 2012)

Coming along nicely. Liking the build thus far, suspension plans in the future?


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

jmarch said:


> Coming along nicely. Liking the build thus far, suspension plans in the future?


Thanks man!
Unfortunately I don't think suspension will be in the budget for this year. After I get my tune this week I am going to have to try and see if I can afford a set of wheels before summer is over. It will give me a chance to do a bunch of research and figure out exactly what I want. I have been reading some pretty good things about the HPA SHS set up also would like to get a set of KW3's but they are a bit too expensive. I am already looking ahead and planning out next years budget. The list… she never ends!


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

*Happy Birthday to Me!*

So I decided to get the car tuned this year for my birthday. I made the appointment with BlueWater Performance about two months ago and have been anxiously waiting for it ever since. So Friday finally came, and I woke up to a grey and soggy Denver.

Not ideal conditions for a tune, but what can you do.
I came on a good day. There were some really nice cars in the shop. The black Golf on the lift sounded really nice

Thank you to the staff over at BlueWater Performance. You guys rock!
It looked like the weather in south west Colorado was going to be nicer for the weekend So a buddy and I decided to go on a road trip. I was itching to to break in the tune and a 1000 mile round trip ride seemed like a great way to do it. I had a concert to go to that night, but the plan was to be on the road before 8am. While I was loading the car I noticed that one of my tires was flat. I took it off and found this pesky little bastard!
Brought the tire to shop and they were able to fix it. Road trip was back on!
We started our trip in Deckers area on 67. There were some super fun switch backs and tight turns. There was also a bunch of cops. I was able to finally put the Valentine V1 to good use. 
Things got a little sketchy for a bit, but we eventually got back on paved roads. It felt like we would never escape the grey sky's and rain, but soon enough we found blue sky's and long straight aways!
I was finally able to open her up and try out the tune. It's so much faster! It cuts down on so much of that turbo lag. Passing cars with ease. While we were out we decided to check out some old ruins in Mesa Verde. 

That place is truly amazing!
A quick picture on the hike back up to the car.

It was finally time to head back home after a long weekend. We were once again greeted by blue sky's and long straight aways.

Overall it was a great trip. I couldn't be happier with the tune and I highly suggest it to anyone who is thinking about doing it. I don't think it would be the first thing I would do. Im glad I spent almost a year getting to know the car before I did it. I think it made me appreciate it that much more. Next year I plan on doing a catted downpipe and stage 2, but until then I plan on having plenty of fun with stage 1.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Waiting on ECS to send me the right grille(they sent me an 8V by mistake) I decided to clean up under the hood.
Never was a fan of the bright blue.


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## skotti (Sep 27, 2005)

AngryGiraffe said:


> Waiting on ECS to send me the right grille(they sent me an 8V by mistake) I decided to clean up under the hood.
> Never was a fan of the bright blue.


Nice- how/what did you use to paint them black?


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

skotti said:


> Nice- how/what did you use to paint them black?


Didn't paint them. I don't think paint would hold up very well. Also I wouldn't trust it on the inside of those caps since washer fluid is mostly alcohol and coolant gets hot as hell. You can buy them both online for about $15 each.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Installed the RS grille I got from ECS. Didn't care much for the euro license plate filler so I custom fit the OEM filler and installed rare earth magnets in the filler so I could have a magnetic removable front plate.
I also painted my Quattro badge, front, and rear rings to look more like the brushed aluminum S-line badges

Decided to cut the solid plastic pieces in the fog light grilles and installed some mesh to match the grille.

Here is a before and after picture.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

*Unusual P0299 code.*

6-18-15 
So yesterday while getting on the throttle my CEL came on. Had a mechanic scan it and it was P0299: turbo/super charger boost sensor (A) circuit: Control limit not reached. Searched the forum and mostly what I found was people having problems with their diaphragm DV going bad. I already updated my DV to a piston style before I had my tune done. I decided to put the car up and check the bolts on the DV to see if maybe they were loose and causing a leak. I noticed two of the bolts were less than a 1/4 turn loose. Cleared the CEL and went for a drive. It seemed like it might have had a little more lag than normal, but that could have just been in my head. Other than that the car drove/sounded fine and the light is still out(for now) has anyone else had this problem or had a Pierburg piston DV go bad on them? Could there be a leak in a hose?

7-3-15
So yesterday the CEL came back on. I'm guessing that it's the same code. I turned off my tune and am driving it as little as possible until Tuesday when it's going back to the shop who did the tune so they can do a pressure test and see where this leak is.


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## Bronco (Mar 3, 2011)

Hi AG,

I am enjoying your thread, car is looking great. Good luck with all your plans.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Bronco said:


> Hi AG,
> 
> I am enjoying your thread, car is looking great. Good luck with all your plans.


Thanks man!


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## Ponto (Jan 11, 2012)

Looking sharp!


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Ponto said:


> Looking sharp!


Thanks Ponto!


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Brought my car to BlueWater Performace yesterday and they did a boost pressure test. Turns out My PCV was shot. Looked simple enough to replace myself, and I get a parts discount at work so I figured I would save some money on labor. Installed it after work, turned my tune back on, and went for a ride. Car runs great! So relieved it wasn't my turbo.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Got a P3 gauge that another member no longer had a use for. Installed it on Friday.

Decided to go for a drive into the mountains and see some friends, but mostly to try out my new toy. Pulled over at Loveland Pass and took a few photos.

 
So far I really like the P3. It has a few modes that I could do without. Like the the speedometer that one is pretty useless, but overall it's fun and it looks great.


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## npace (Sep 3, 2012)

I love the P3 gauge. Can you share with me a little bit about how you did the fog grilles? I want to do something similar with mine, but I'm afraid that I will screw it up. Also, did your car come with the aluminum shift paddles, or did you do that yourself?


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

npace said:


> I love the P3 gauge. Can you share with me a little bit about how you did the fog grilles? I want to do something similar with mine, but I'm afraid that I will screw it up. Also, did your car come with the aluminum shift paddles, or did you do that yourself?


Car came with the aluminum paddle shifters. I didn't know they came any other way. I will post some pictures of how I did the fogs later tonight when I get home.


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## mypixeladdiction (Dec 1, 2011)

AngryGiraffe said:


> Car came with the aluminum paddle shifters. I didn't know they came any other way. I will post some pictures of how I did the fogs later tonight when I get home.


Aluminum shifters = S-Line Premium Plus. Black/Grey shifters = Titanium Package.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

mypixeladdiction said:


> Aluminum shifters = S-Line Premium Plus. Black/Grey shifters = Titanium Package.


Ah. Thanks for clearing that up. Now if you are ever sick of those paddle shifters you have and want to trade me for my aluminum ones I would gladly trade you them for your seats.:laugh:


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

*Fog light cover mod.*

This is obviously for the facelift fog light covers. Sorry I only have a few pictures in process. I wish I had taken more. I will try and explain it as best as possible. Overall this is a cheap mod, the only hard part is making the cuts. To be totally honest you can barely see them. The only time I notice them is when I'm washing the front bumper, so if you don't have the right tools or think you might fk them up and have to replace them you might want to pass they are pretty expensive for what they are. Ok the fog light cover are really easy to remove. All you have to do is grab the center and pull them forward. They should just pop right out. I took some tape and marked off the section I was planning on cutting. At first I was going to try and cut them with a razor/box cutter. I'm sure it's possible but it's going to take forever. Having to go over the same section multiple times. Lucky for me one of the techs at my shop had a little air powered dremil tool. He had a disc that was for cutting plastic. I can't remember(this was done months ago) where he said he got it. It was either Harbor Freight or a hobby store. Using the tape helped a lot as it made keeping the line straight much easier. I used Gutter Guard(you can get it at Home Depot) I gave it a coat of black paint and sized it up. I cut the mesh with a pair of tin snips/Side cutters and bent the ends. Once I had the mesh where I wanted it I zip tied the mesh to the center bars of the grille

I used 3m Pannel Bond to hold it in place. You don't have to use this, I'm sure a good two part exoxy will work. I work at a body shop so I might as well use the good stuff since I have it. Put enough on to make sure it won't move but don't put to much on or the grille won't sit right in the bumper

I put it on pretty thin but still had to go back in and trim it down because one side kept popping out. That's pretty much it. Let it dry and cut the zip ties off. If you have any questions feel free to ask or PM me.

Cheers
:beer:


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## npace (Sep 3, 2012)

AngryGiraffe said:


> Car came with the aluminum paddle shifters. I didn't know they came any other way. I will post some pictures of how I did the fogs later tonight when I get home.


Okay. My car came without paddles but I did a full MFSW retrofit. Thanks for the pics/explanation of the fog grills.  I didn't realize you could pull them out without the foglights coming with the grill. Good to know.


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## A3-Owner (Aug 10, 2015)

*Nice A3*

Nice A3. I want to get the P3 now and wish I had the titanium package. Having an A3 Quattro with extra power is fun to have in CO. It makes me want to get my car out to Western CO mountain passes for some fun.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

A3-Owner said:


> Nice A3. I want to get the P3 now and wish I had the titanium package. Having an A3 Quattro with extra power is fun to have in CO. It makes me want to get my car out to Western CO mountain passes for some fun.


Thanks! There are plenty of fun roads to drive in this state for sure. There are even some good ones in the foothills if you don't feel like spending all day in the car and just want a quick fix. I like to wake up early on Saturday and Sunday morning and go for a drive. It's nice to have empty roads. The afternoon is to crowded with cyclists and sport bikes..


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## souno (Aug 15, 2015)

I am new on this forum and just very recently bought a low km 2009 A3 s line quattro. Where did you get that shift knob? And how you install it?
Thanks


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## TBomb (Sep 23, 2009)

souno said:


> I am new on this forum and just very recently bought a low km 2009 A3 s line quattro. Where did you get that shift knob? And how you install it?
> Thanks


Look, I don't want to sound like a dick, but I am going to be that guy and ask you if you even searched? There have been TONS of in depth posts about the shift knob upgrade.

http://forums.fourtitude.com/search.php?searchid=61766000


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

TBomb said:


> Look, I don't want to sound like a dick, but I am going to be that guy and ask you if you even searched? There have been TONS of in depth posts about the shift knob upgrade.
> 
> http://forums.fourtitude.com/search.php?searchid=61766000



This.
And I got it from BKS in Germany.


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## souno (Aug 15, 2015)

TBomb said:


> Look, I don't want to sound like a dick, but I am going to be that guy and ask you if you even searched? There have been TONS of in depth posts about the shift knob upgrade.
> 
> http://forums.fourtitude.com/search.php?searchid=61766000


that link don't work.
I saw that thread about most asked questions of mods but most links dont' work.


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## TBomb (Sep 23, 2009)

souno said:


> that link don't work.
> I saw that thread about most asked questions of mods but most links dont' work.


Click "search", select this forum, type in "shift knob", and get to reading. Tons of info. If that is too much work, then you probably shouldn't be trying this mod. Screwing up the shifter module is an expensive mistake.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

*Q3 stance is finally gone!!!!!!*

Well after working 12-15 hour days for most of July I was able to save up enough to buy a set of coilovers!

I ended up going with the SHS coilovers. I want to thank Darryl over at HPA Motorsports for a deal I couldn't pass up. I would also like to thank the guys over at BlueWater Performance. They did a great job on the install. I originally was going to install them myself but after further investigation I realized this upgrade was a little bit above my mechanical abilities. I have to say I'm glad to have payed for the install. I really didn't want to spend most of a Saturday(possibly part of a Sunday) with busted knuckles and multiple trips to the store for random tools. Sometimes piece of mind is worth a little extra $. Here are a few photo's of how she sits right now. Just waiting for everything to settle.


Side shot.



And one in black and white I've always loved B&W pics.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

I painted my mirrors covers (with Plasti Dip) to look more like the ones on the S3. I wanted to see if it was even noticeable on Monza Silver before I painted them for good. To remove the mirror covers you have to take the mirror glass out and I have read a few posts where people have cracked the glass.

There is no such thing as overkill when it comes to masking. :laugh:

It's not as noticeable as I had hoped for, but I do like the way they look. Eventually I will take them apart and paint them for good. Who knows maybe one day when I run out of things to buy I will get a set of the real ones.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

I also installed 034Motorsport's Billet Aluminum Dogbone Mount Insert.

Originally I was going to replace the mount with one from HPA but a lot of people have been saying the NVH is really noticeable. I also didn't like most of the other inserts out there because I heard over time they break down/soften up. I figured that really wouldn't happen with this one. 

It was easy to install and only took about 5-10 minutes. I am amazed in the difference it makes. It shifts so much smoother and there is minimal NVH that I've noticed so far. Tomorrow I plan on going for a drive in the mountains and really testing it out. I know it's probably not as smooth as the one from HPA, but for $50 I think it's well worth it.


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## Greddy87 (Oct 21, 2010)

Way to go on the coils.. Feels good being low lol.. & the fog grilles are awesome.. :thumbup:


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

It does! It's one of those mods that I notice every day when I walk out to my car after along day of work. Sucks that I have to raise it back up again in about three weeks. Winter mode is worth it for snowboard season!


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## TBomb (Sep 23, 2009)

AngryGiraffe said:


> It does! It's one of those mods that I notice every day when I walk out to my car after along day of work. Sucks that I have to raise it back up again in about three weeks. Winter mode is worth it for snowboard season!


Or stay low and just engage snowplow mode


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## BeeAlk (Jun 3, 2013)

TBomb said:


> Or stay low and just engage snowplow mode


This ruins the bumper.

Ask me how I know.


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## TBomb (Sep 23, 2009)

BeeAlk said:


> This ruins the bumper.
> 
> Ask me how I know.



You forgot to attach your snowplow...


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

TBomb said:


> Or stay low and just engage snowplow mode


Not an option. I could pull it off if I only planned on driving in Denver, but there is no way I'm going to try and snow plow my way around in Summit County. I have woken up to way to many times where we got 1-2 feet of snow overnight and I will be damned if I'm going to be stuck on the couch. Looks like stock height, snow tires, and a roof rack are in the forcast.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Work has been crazy lately so I have only been able to drive the car to and from. Sadly it's only a 5 mile drive each way. Today I was finally able to go for a drive and really get to test out the new suspension and dog bone insert. I went to Squaw Pass Rd also known as Western Dragon 

Such a fun road to test out new mods! The dog bone mount felt really good. Car shifts so much smoother and there is very little NVH. I've also determined that 3rd gear is by far my favorite for windy roads. The suspension is also amazing and the car hugged every turn. Even with worn out tires. Can't wait to come back next year on a weekday with some fresh tires and empty roads. Took a few pics while I was up there. Nothing like the east coast but still beautiful.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

I took a few more pictures last weekend before turning on winter mode.

I wish I could have enjoyed the new coils for a little longer. Oh well snowboard season starts in a few weeks. 

Back up to as close to stock height as I could, wax, full interior detail, put the roof rack back on, and got a set of Michelin X-Ice xi3's. Bring on the snow!


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## Tcardio (Mar 19, 2009)

AngryGiraffe said:


> I took a few more pictures last weekend before turning on winter mode.
> 
> I wish I could have enjoyed the new coils for a little longer. Oh well snowboard season starts in a few weeks.
> 
> Back up to as close to stock height as I could, wax, full interior detail, put the roof rack back on, and got a set of Michelin X-Ice xi3's. Bring on the snow!


well played sir! Thanks for all the updates!


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## A3-Owner (Aug 10, 2015)

I just ordered the 034 mount based on your review of it. Bluewater is a great shop. I like the changes you are doing and it is giving me ideas. Keep it up.


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## TBomb (Sep 23, 2009)

BeeAlk said:


> This ruins the bumper.
> 
> Ask me how I know.





AngryGiraffe said:


> Not an option. I could pull it off if I only planned on driving in Denver, but there is no way I'm going to try and snow plow my way around in Summit County. I have woken up to way to many times where we got 1-2 feet of snow overnight and I will be damned if I'm going to be stuck on the couch. Looks like stock height, snow tires, and a roof rack are in the forcast.


You guys take things too seriously. Does nobody know what the winky face means? Jeebus :facepalm:


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Did my 55k service today. Installed the NGK Iridium plugs and R8 coil packs. Didn't necessarily need the packs, but figured might as well do them with the plugs. 

All this warm weather has me itching to go for a drive. I can't wait for spring/summer so I can lower it back down and install the parts I've been collecting over the winter.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

After a winter of collecting parts I couldn't wait any longer and had to do something this weekend. So after staring at my new set of summer wheels and tires for months in my apartment I decided to put them on and adjust the height. Of corse on Thursday-Friday we got a 6 inch snow storm in Denver. Perfect timing for me to install my summer wheels :banghead: To be fare it's been 60deg's + here the last few weeks. Luckily it's Colorado and as soon as the sun came out Friday afternoon most of it had melted away. So plans were back on. I spent most the day Saturday at the shop fixing my intake and adjusting the height, but I think I finally got it right where i want it. Here are a few pictures from today.








Might have to go up just a little in the back. It rubbed a couple times today through some hard turns while out driving. I am going to give it a few days to decide before I get an alignment.








the fit is amazing with little to no poke. Lastly my favorite picture of the day.


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## Ponto (Jan 11, 2012)

Really dig the wheels! nice work.


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## adlerlaxking (Oct 28, 2013)

Loving the new wheels! Hopefully I see you around sometime!


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## TheKeywork (Jul 19, 2015)

Inspiring build thread! Thanks for sharing. I may have to start my own soon.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Thanks guys. I finally got my ride height dialed in and am going to get my alignment done tomorrow. I did however screw up and thought I didn't need tpms sensors. I thought they were in the hubs on 2010+ guess I was wrong. Had my buddy with VagCom turn off the the tpms. I couldn't stand the dash light and chime at start up. At this point I would rather spend the $400 OEM tpms sensors cost on plenty of other things like maybe my own copy of VagCom



adlerlaxking said:


> Loving the new wheels! Hopefully I see you around sometime!


Now that the weather is starting to get nicer and snow season is winding down I will be doing canyon runs every weekend. I also plan on doing a few track days this summer.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

That feeling you get when you walk out to your car after work and realize you might have jumped the gun on installing your summer wheel/tire setup.








:facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm:


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## TBomb (Sep 23, 2009)

AngryGiraffe said:


> That feeling you get when you walk out to your car after work and realize you might have jumped the gun on installing your summer wheel/tire setup.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Damn son. You make it home?


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Yeah but not without help from a shovel. Roads were bad but not as bad as the unplowed parking lot. I think I will wait until mid April to put them on next year.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Saturday I installed a Milltek non-res catback exhaust. 








Overall not to hard of a job. If you have a lift and a friend to help hold it in place.








This morning I decided to get up before anyone else, take a few laps on Squaw Mountain Pass and watch the sun rise. Figured it would also be nice to finally get a feel for the new wheel/tire setup and wanted to see how she sounds








So far I'm really enjoying the stance. Car feels more planted and a lot more fun on windy roads. Really like the way she sounds so far. downpipe and stage 2 are scheduled in a few weeks. Hopefully it will get a touch louder with the larger pipe. From what I've heard online it should be what I'm looking for. It's always hard to tell without actually being in the car. Oh and the extra hp will be welcomed as well. Still getting a little bit of rubbing in the rear wheels. Only while turning hard /going up hill at the same time and on some of those flood/water drains you cross when taking side streets to avoid traffic. I've heard of guys taking out the screws on the rear cover and using zip ties instead. Does that really work? At this point I'm just going to chalk it up to the fact I own a lowered car, and it really doesn't happen that often. Besides I really don't feel like adjusting my coils again.


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## louiekaps (Aug 12, 2013)

You need to remove the rear bumper screw and then dremel the whole tab down to the metal. Your bumper will not fall off. It won't even pop out unless you tug on it. If your rubbing on the felt fender liner eventually it will wear to the point where you won't rub anymore.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Thanks. I figured it was like the front cover and would take a bit more than 2 screws for it to fall off. It sounds like it's probably the liner. Has the same sound as the one you get when you scrape the plastic engine shield.


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## louiekaps (Aug 12, 2013)

Have a feel for the tab. It really sticks out. On my normal fitment wheels and tires that was really the only thing rubbing.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Tab sticks out for sure and can pretty much only be where it rubs. I pulled the screws out tonight. Half of each screw was shinny and paint less. Going to to see if I can get away with just pulling the screws. If she rubs over the next few days I will remove the tabs.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Spent Friday afternoon at BlueWater Performance.








Having them install an APR catted downpipe and stage 2 tune. Took a little bit longer than planned. They had to cut the downpipe and do some welding to fit it up to the Milltex non-res I put on a few weeks ago. I will get a photo of the work next weekend when I have it up in the air. Also changed my tune from Stock/91/93 to Stock/91/100. 100 will probably only get used at the track since it's a pain in the @ss to find in Denver. 
Once again we are getting a snow storm in Denver:banghead:
I will have to wait a few days before I can go have some fun and try out the new tune and see how it sounds. So far it sounded really nice on the way home, but I was mostly stuck in traffic and wasn't able to get on the throttle at all.


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## A3-Owner (Aug 10, 2015)

AngryGiraffe said:


> Spent Friday afternoon at BlueWater Performance.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Who did the install at BlueWater, Ben or Ryan? They will tell you that I live there.

Enjoy the stage 2 APR. Did you get the new 2.0 version software? 

For 100 octane I go to Bandimere raceway or IMI raceway in Dacono. Don't let the IMI employees tell you that the 100 octane Sunoco they sell is leaded because it is not. I had them call Sunoco and they confirmed it was 100 octane unleaded 260. 

http://www.racegas.com/fuel/17

http://imimotorsports.com/

Look to spend about 9 to 10 dollars a gallon at Bandimere or IMI.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

I'm pretty sure Ben did the install. Not sure if it was the updated tune. I will have to ask Jaryd. Hill Sinclair on 58th sells 100 octane. I think I was paying $6-7 a gallon last summer, but it could have gone up by now. Also found out that APR did away with the 100 turn and now it's 104. So I might be running the new update. As I was leaving Jaryd told me I had the 104 tune. Kind of sucks since 100 is all we can get here. I was running 93 tune on 91 octane. I was told at this elevation it would be fine. So I'm hoping 100 will be ok for the 104 octane tune. I'm definitely going to check with APR before I try it.


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## Tcardio (Mar 19, 2009)

A3-Owner said:


> Look to spend about 9 to 10 dollars a gallon at Bandimere or IMI.


that's just plain heroin! do it once and you are an octane junky


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## krazyboi (May 19, 2004)

Just FYI, there may be a North America GTG, and you were volunteered to paint everyone's car.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

krazyboi said:


> Just FYI, there may be a North America GTG, and you were volunteered to paint everyone's car.


Haha! Npace warned me already. I will bring my paint guns just incase


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## PreMier (Jan 4, 2006)

I'd really like a downpipe. Why Apr over the milltek?


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

I went with the APR pipe because it came with a free stage 2 upgrade ($150) and since the Milltek pipe was the same price I figured I could use the extra cash on some suspension parts. I originally planned on fitting it to the stock cat-back but got a really good deal from ECS a few months ago. I called to ask a question about some coil packs and they offered me the deal. Must have had a few sitting around they wanted to get rid of and I'm a sucker for deal :laugh: Now I'm so glad I did. Car sounds great! Can't wait to go for a drive this weekend.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

A few small updates 
first I replaced this splash shield








I must have ripped it off on some snow/ice this winter. Also installed an ECS Street Shield.








ECS only lists that it fit the FWD 2009+ A3 and when I called and asked they said they didn't have a Quattro at the shop to test fit on so they couldn't be sure. Thanks to A3-Owner for being the guinea pig. It does I fact fit the Quattro. Overall not to bad of an install if you have a lift and a buddy/co-worker to hold it in place. While I had the car in the air I checked out the downpipe.








Looks like they had to weld in a tapered section that went from the 3 inch APR downpipe to the 2.75 Milltek non-res catback. Same co-worker who helped me install the shield drove in his Porsche. 








This thing is a beast! Twin turbo, custom exhaust, and giant 6 piston brembos. Going to go for a drive soon In the next few weeks and take some more pictures.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Oh and the repair to the APR stage 2 carbon intake has failed. The repair is fine but the crack has spread below the repair. I am so frustrated with this thing. It is pretty much useless at this point. I would suggest no one buys one of these unless APR changes the design(which I highly doubt they will) I emailed them about my problem, but really don't expect much to happen. Put the stock pipe back on. What a waste of money.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Finally a day in Denver that was sunny, warmish, and I didn't have to work! Decided to got for a spirited drive and try things out. Had to make it close to home since most of the mountain roads are stil wet, have snow on them, and I didn't really get an early start. Here is a quick map incase and of the Colorado guys are interested.








Overall a really fun drive. Traffic wasn't to bad and cyclist were very few and far between. I expect most of that will change once the weather gets nicer. Keep it slow in the beginning there are some houses but eventually it will open up into a land of tight turns and switchbacks. A lot of this!








Really got a good feel for the new tune and love the Sound of the downpipe/exhaust! A nice growl while on the the throttle and the drone isn't bad at all. You finally can really hear the intake and DV. a DSG tune will defenetly be in the future. Probably not until next year though. Already have most my parts for the summer, but you never know. Here are a few pictures I took of the car along the way.


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## PreMier (Jan 4, 2006)

super clean! i miss driving on mountain roads.


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## A3-Owner (Aug 10, 2015)

*Looks Good*

That is a fun drive to do. Done that a few times.

The skid plate looks good. Glad it worked out.

How is the stage 2 working out for you?


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

So far I'm really liking the tune. There are a few other upgrades I have planned for this summer that should make the tune more fun. Now I just have to decide what to do about the stage 2 intake pipe. I'm not buying another APR carbon one that's for sure. I would like to keep the stage 1 carbon intake but am having a hard time finding a pipe that will work with it. Really wish there was a way to fix it. I don't think the stock pipe is really that restrictive but it looks hideous and it needs to go.:laugh:


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## rick249 (Feb 8, 2010)

Why are you against the the APR intake
The reason I ask, is that I'm in the market for an intake

Thanks
Rick


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## TBomb (Sep 23, 2009)

rick249 said:


> Why are you against the the APR intake
> The reason I ask, is that I'm in the market for an intake
> 
> Thanks
> Rick


Read back a couple of pages. His has cracked and is unrepairable.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

That and I think it's just a really poor design. Even the stage 1 fits poorly. Mostly where it mounts to the front bumper/grille area. If I had to do it over again I would probably pass on the APR intake and go with another brand.


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## A3-Owner (Aug 10, 2015)

*IE Intake*



AngryGiraffe said:


> That and I think it's just a really poor design. Even the stage 1 fits poorly. Mostly where it mounts to the front bumper/grille area. If I had to do it over again I would probably pass on the APR intake and go with another brand.


How about IE's new intake? 

http://www.performancebyie.com/ie-mk5-mk6-2-0t-tsi-high-flow-cold-air-intake-kit

It will replace all of your APR intake system and it flows more and I think sounds better.


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## npace (Sep 3, 2012)

AngryGiraffe said:


> That and I think it's just a really poor design. Even the stage 1 fits poorly. Mostly where it mounts to the front bumper/grille area. If I had to do it over again I would probably pass on the APR intake and go with another brand.


I had to get rid of mine as well. It cracked at the mounting tabs more than once. After JB weld for plastics and sanding, and then painting 3 different times, I gave up on it and got one from 42.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

A3-Owner said:


> How about IE's new intake?
> 
> http://www.performancebyie.com/ie-mk5-mk6-2-0t-tsi-high-flow-cold-air-intake-kit
> 
> It will replace all of your APR intake system and it flows more and I think sounds better.


That thing does look and sound nice, but I really don't want to go with a whole new intake. Just a new stage 2 pipe. I wish I could get the back half of that intake:laugh:
Ugh I might try and repair mine again :facepalm:


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

So last night after a glass or two of whiskey I decided that if I can't fix the crack from the inside then I will try and fix it from the outside. I scrapped and sanded out all of the panel bond that I put inside the pipe where the PCV breather hose connects and I bought some 7/8 heat shrink but it was too small to fit around the area so I decided to use electrical tape. I put about 3-4 layers around the area and also wrapped it a down the pipe incase it decides to crack further. I also spun the breather hose a few degrees so it sits a little more flush with the pipe. The hose now touches the heat shield, but it's the part of the hose with the silver foil and it looks like there are two other hoses that also touch the heat shield with the proctective silver foil. Will this be ok? I figure the other two are touching so it should be ok right? I slotted the mounting bracket on the pipe even further so there is no way it can pull in the opposite direction and cause stress on the PCV breather hose. I also added some rubber washers on both sides of the bracket on the pipe since the carbon is getting pretty thin in this area. I didn't take any pictures because honestly I don't think it's going to last :laugh:
I guess I will just have to wait and see. I emailed APR 2 weeks ago about my problem and haven't heard back. Kind of surprised not to get a response. I have emailed other manufacturers in this industry with problems/suggestions and have always heard back with in two weeks. Also noticed there was a lot of heat radiated from the motor causing the intake to be quite hot. Have any of you guys ever tried an aftermarket heat shield? I've seen them advertised a bunch for the FSI motor but this is the only one I could find for the TFSI
https://www.bks-tuning.com/vw-golf-...eat-protection-alu-plate-aluminium-sheet.html
I noticed there was one already on the car but it seems thin and maybe this one would be a bit more efficient. Would also like to find one in the states so I can save on the shipping.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Also does anyone know what the last year of the TT FBMFSW that will fit our cars? I might have a lead on one out of a 2013 but I want to make sure it fits. It's only the newer style wheel out of the 8V A3/TT that doesn't fit correct?


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## A3-Owner (Aug 10, 2015)

*APR Stage 2 Pipe*

What sucks is if I had known sooner you needed a stage 2 APR intake pipe I could have sold you mine. I sold it recently as it was sitting in my basement for months. You are local so I didn't need to ship it.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Haha. I don't think I would pay for another APR carbon one(used or new). I think at this point if this last attempt to fix it doesn't work I'm going to just scrap the whole set up, sell the stage one pipe for cheap(with a complemtary broken stage 2 pipe of corse) and get that IE intake. But I really hope that it doesn't come to that. I would much rather spend the cash on my suspension.


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## A3-Owner (Aug 10, 2015)

*Suspension*

I have my Unibrace XB and UB arriving today. Read a lot of great reviews on them so I am looking forward them upgrading the feel of my car. This is the first major suspension mod outside of a rear sway bar my car has. Maybe PSS10s next once I save up.

What are you looking at modifying on your suspension?


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Just a few of the basic upgrades to start. I looked into those braces after someone posted about the group buy. They look nice and I like the way you can remove the inner one very easy if you need the space, but can't afford them at the moment. I'm looking forward to your take on them after you install them. I have a few of the parts I need but now the other two are on back order. It sucks because I wanted to have everything installed before the AoA track day next week.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Recently I installed the AudioVox Silverline Duo 103-AVW unit in my car. 








I originally wanted to install an RNS-E but after looking around for a while(with no luck)for a used one which are usually upward of $500 I started to look into other solutions. To be honest besides the touch screen and song/artist display most of the features were useless to me. My car already has Bluetooth for phone calls and I use my phone for navigation. I also really didn't want to go with an aftermarket head unit. Mostly because I don't want something to flashy(theft)and I'm not to concerned with upgrading my stereo. I really like the quality and sound from the Bose system. All I really wanted was something that would display the track/artist on the radio 








It also needed to show the artist/song on the dash and could be used with the MFSW(scroll songs and volume) 








Also after 3 aux cables I got pretty sick of the slight hiss in the background between songs. That's when I came across the AudioVox unit. This unit only works with head units that have the built in satellite radio option. Well technically it will work without the satellite unit, you just won't be able to use the dash display. There is a Bluetooth version which is much easier to install, but I'm personally not a fan of Bluetooth audio in my car. I hate when music cuts out unexpectedly and wanted to be able to charge my phone at the same time. Overall the install wasn't to bad(it took about 2 hours)as long as you are patient and have the tools to remove interior trim clips without breaking anything. You will also need some radio keys and will have to drop the glovebox. It's mostly time consuming because you have to run the cables from the satellite unit(which is conveniently located in the trunk) to the glovebox. This is where the Bluetooth unit would have been much easier(no cables to run) I took some photos and can post an install guide if anyone is interested. Overall I'm satisfied with it. It sounds better than the aux cable and I also like the fact that AudioVox will run updates from time to time.


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## A3-Owner (Aug 10, 2015)

The UB and XB are must haves for a good suspension. I wish I could go back and start with the suspension modding before the power train modding and these Unibraces started getting me to think this way. They have changed the driving dynamic of the car completely. The car has less body flexing, creaks are down, body roll is down and the car feels much more solid. 

I took the car up to Rollinsville, CO this weekend and it was great fun going through the twisties at the speed limit. Stage 2 and higher power is great but being able to turn well is just as fun. 

The install of the UB took me about thirty minutes and the XB took me three hours. I had to cut away the material from behind the rear seats to get to the sheetmetal. From there you drill a pilot hole and make it larger and then put in nut certs so you can mount the XB. The downside being, as you say, it reduces cargo space to a point. 

Put them on your list once you have the money saved up and if you have to choose get the XB.


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## H27 (Oct 31, 2015)

Looking goodd!!!
:thumbup::thumbup:


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Installed the P3 gauge update. AFR readings work, but now my boost readings don't work. Gauge turns on and boost starts at 28.8, then drops to 24.4 and just stays there. Didn't get to drive the car after I did the install. Will be doing plenty of driving tomorrow hoping it will reset itself. Also on the P3 website it says the update comes with AFR,0-100,60-0, and 100-0. My update only added AFR.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Ok I have everything straightened out with the P3. I had to go into the configure menu and reset some stuff and now the boost is working again. Also I want to thank Jake Thomas over at P3 for getting back to me so quickly on a weekend no less and for explaining how to use the 0-100, 60-0, 100-0(it's the left button while you are on the 0-60) I also noticed there is now a 60-130. Can't wait to try that one out


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Bored and sick of waiting for venders to get what I need back in stock so I made this.


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## SilverSquirrel (Jul 24, 2006)

Mail order bride.
Problem solved.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

SilverSquirrel said:


> Mail order bride.
> Problem solved.


Solved? Sounds more like a problem. I'm stoked to not have any of those things listed above.


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## npace (Sep 3, 2012)

I used to think like that. But with the right person, having kids is a blast. They're super fun to watch grow and learn. Mine just started to pull himself up to stand. Sounds silly, but it really is kind of amazing.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

I know. I'm just messing around I just got out of a relationship a few months ago and the extra money not spent on dinners, vacations, ect has been nice to put towards the car is all.


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## TBomb (Sep 23, 2009)

AngryGiraffe said:


> Solved? Sounds more like a problem. I'm stoked to not have any of those things listed above.





npace said:


> I used to think like that. But with the right person, having kids is a blast. They're super fun to watch grow and learn. Mine just started to pull himself up to stand. Sounds silly, but it really is kind of amazing.





AngryGiraffe said:


> I know. I'm just messing around I just got out of a relationship a few months ago and the extra money not spent on dinners, vacations, ect has been nice to put towards the car is all.


Honestly, there are pros and cons to both sides of the coin, at least for me. You can have it all, you just can't have it all at once


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## PreMier (Jan 4, 2006)

AngryGiraffe said:


> I know. I'm just messing around I just got out of a relationship a few months ago and the extra money not spent on dinners, vacations, ect has been nice to put towards the car is all.


im married but we never want kids. hell.. a wife is expensive enough


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

*Brake parts/upgrade*

Yesterday my mechanic installed the brake parts/upgrades I have been collecting over the last few months. Originally I was going to do the Porsche Boxster S front caliper swap, but since I'm only tracking the car a few times a year and don't really plan on going stage 3(will be going a different route) the stock calipers with some upgrades should do the trick. Plus I can always change my mind once these wear out. Also I got a deal I couldn't pass up. 








I found a guy in Wasington who had the slotted/drilled front rotors, Hawk HPS front/rear pads, and a set of stock rear rotors. He only wanted $150 for everything. He sold his A3 a while ago and had these parts on a shelf in his garage. I went back and forth with him for a month or so but in the end he was not willing to ship the parts. I offered to pay the shipping and pay him for his time, but he wouldn't budge. At that point I had given up. About a month later I got in touch with a friend of mine in Seattle and convinced him(and by convinced I mean paid him) to drive down to Olympia, pick up the parts, and ship them back to me. Even after paying him his small fee I saved hundreds on the parts. I got a set of slotted/drilled rears to match the fronts and some red stainless brake lines to match the calipers. Would have preferred slotted over slotted/drilled but again I couldn't pass these up. Did a fluid flush with the Motul 5.1 synthetic and installed the Tyrolsport caliper stiffeners. Night and day difference from the stock brakes. Haven't really gotten to fully test everything out, but so far the peddle feels amazing. Brakes grab much sooner. In a good way Next weekend I plan on doing some mountain driving and really testing everything out.

Here is a pic of the fronts








One of the rears after install








One of the fronts with the wheels on 








And one of the whole car.


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## A3-Owner (Aug 10, 2015)

*Nice*

Solid update AG. Congrats on the new brake goodies. The Tyrolsport Caliper Stiffening Kit looks a good decision. Your track and aggressive driving will be more fun with this setup.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

*H&R rear sway bar and 034 Motorsport end links*

One nice thing about a long holiday weekend is the shop it totally empty for once on a Saturday. Perfect time to put the car up in the air








Turn up some music, and install some suspension goodies.
I got a H&R 26mm adjustable rear sway bar and a set of 034 Motorsports adjustable end links. Here is a photo of the stock bar and the new parts for comparison.








It's amazing how much thicker and heavier the H&R bar is compared to the stock bar. Overall installation was pretty easy and once again having access to a lift makes a huge difference. The only pia was adjusting the end links to preload the bar. Mostly because you have to have the car on the ground to do it and the car is lowered so there isn't much room. I'm still not 100% sure I have it preloaded correctly. Thanks again to Npace for explaining the process of preloading to me. Here is a picture of the bar installed.








Unfortunately I am not going to be able to test these out and I still really haven't had a chance to test the brakes either. I drove the car the whole 5 miles from the shop and she is sitting for the rest of the weekend. Going camping with some friends and the new lady to celibate the 4th. Cheers everyone:beer:
Merica!


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

While I was at the shop doing the sway bar I had planned on installing the TT rear spring packing, but with the HPA SHS coilovers I have it doesn't look like it's possible. The adjusters for the springs mount on top of the spring where the packing a would go. I didn't install the coils so I'm not sure if the can still be installed. From most of the photos I've seen online it looks like everyone else who has these coils have the adjusters mounted the same way I do. Does anyone with HPA's or KW1's know if these still can be used? I got them cheap from a local dealership and I will post them in the classified section if I can't use them. Here is a photo to show what I'm talking about.








I am going to start a thread for this as well. Not sure how many people actually look at my build. Thanks for any input.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Finally got around to installing the dimmer wire on my P3 gauge. Overall it was pretty simple. Only took a few minutes to do. There is a noticeable difference in the brightness. 








The left side is lights in the off position and the right is with the lights on.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Also saved the car from a minor hail storm yesterday while I was installing the dimmer wire.








Felt bad for that poor A7 sitting outside getting hit by marble sized hail, but hey better his car than mine:laugh:


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## Tcardio (Mar 19, 2009)

AngryGiraffe said:


> Finally got around to installing the dimmer wire on my P3 gauge. Overall it was pretty simple. Only took a few minutes to do. There is a noticeable difference in the brightness.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


what pin did you place it in


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## Bronco (Mar 3, 2011)

AngryGiraffe said:


> Also saved the car from a minor hail storm yesterday while I was installing the dimmer wire.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It looks like that A7's rear left is banged up already so he can get it all fixed in one shot


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Tcardio said:


> what pin did you place it in


Figured I would do a quick how to. I know you only need the pin, but maybe someone else will find the install helpful.

Ok so first start off by removing the headlight switch. To do this turn the switch in the off position and push the knob in and turn it to the right then pull back on the knob/switch freeing it from the dash. 








Once you have the switch out disconnect all three connectors(you might have four on your car depending on the switch) we will be working on the connector/plug that controls the dimmer. 
Next strip the end off the green wire on your P3 gauge. 








Now open the right connector it should be longer and thinner. It's the connector that is rectangular shaped. Use a small flat head screwdriver(like the one you would find tighten glasses or sunglasses with) also a small pick tool will work as well. Pry the two sides of the plastic casing apart. Once you have the casing open use the screwdriver/pick to press down on the very bottom of the grey wire with the blue stripe. It will be the second of the two pin/wires and gently pull back. If you have it pressed down correctly it should just slide right out. If not push it back in and try it again. You could separate the wire from the pin and have a whole new set of problems. Once it is out I just put the green wire on top of the pin and slid it back in.








When you close the casing it will hold the wire in place. After that put everything back together and the you will want to turn you ignition on but not start the car. This will turn the P3 back on. Hold both buttons down. This will turn on the menu. The first option in the menu is for the auto dimmer(D.On). Right now your car should be in the on position. Push the button until you see ON-Auto. From there just hold the Right button and it will save the settings. Sorry I don't have more photos. Let me know if anyone has any questions or a better way to keep the green wire in place.
:beer:


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## Tcardio (Mar 19, 2009)

AngryGiraffe said:


> Figured I would do a quick how to. I know you only need the pin, but maybe someone else will find the install helpful.
> 
> Ok so first start off by removing the headlight switch. To do this turn the switch in the off position and push the knob in and turn it to the right then pull back on the knob/switch freeing it from the dash.
> 
> ...


that was a good read. thanks brother


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## A3-Owner (Aug 10, 2015)

*Nice Write Up*

AG, nice write up. I will do this to my P3 guage. I thought you could change the color in the menu's but you can't. The red looks good. How did you get the additional speed times like 0-100? Was it a software update?


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

No problem guys. Glad I could help. I checked with P3 and it isn't possible to change the color on mine unless I want to pay for a new screen. Which really isn't worth it to me right now. I do like the looks of the multicolor one better. The 0-100 came with the new software update. I think it was $20. Get it it's worth it and super easy to install.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

So ever since I did the rear sway bar(H&R)and adjustable end links(034)the bolt on the lower end link(drivers side only) where it meets the bar slowly comes loose. It takes about a week and a half to two weeks but it keeps coming loose. I finally got annoyed and reached out to 034 to see if they have ever heard of this happening or if possibly I had something installed wrong and attached some photos. They got back to me the next morning and said they would forward my issue to one of their specialists(Samuel Sanches) and after a few emails over the next few days(a couple were definitely after business hours) Sam decided to send me out some new hardware(bolts and nylock nuts) to see if that could possibly be the problem. They arrived today. The nylock nuts are different than what were origionally supplied. They have a molded flat washer attached. I'm going to install them tomorrow and see if it takes care of the problem. Not really much of an update more of a thank you for some great customer service. I know it's only some bolts and nylock nuts but customer service goes a long way. Keep up the good work 034 Motorsports!


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

*HI-Flo turbo charge and discharge pipes*

Picked up a set of Neuspeed charge and discharge pipes from a guy locally who bought them for his CC and never got around to installing them. I had not really planned on doing the pipes until next spring when I do my intercooler but I couldn't pass up the deal. He only wanted $120 for the set. Here are a few pics comparing the pipes








And the stock pipes








The stock pipes are definitely a lot narrower, flatter, and overall restrictive. I couldn't believe it when I saw this. 








As if the pipe wasn't flat enough there is even more restriction on the inside.. I know there's talk about the pipes not doing much, but they have to produce more airflow. So far I've noticed more vaccum. Gauge is reading almost 2 pounds higher(-22.5) than it used to. As far as boost goes it seems to be a little more responsive and to boost a little faster. I haven't gotten out of the city to propperly test full boost, shifting and WOT I've also been doing a bunch of rescherch on the P3 gauge and how the boost reading aren't that accurate from the obd port. I went ahead and ordered a boost tap and an analog sensor. Hoping to get them shipped and installed before the long weekend so I can do some driving and get a more accurate numbers. Not sure if I'd pay the rediculous price of $440 for these pipes. I would look into a few other companies that sell them for less. Overall I think they are worth the $120 I paid for them.


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## PreMier (Jan 4, 2006)

AngryGiraffe said:


> So ever since I did the rear sway bar(H&R)and adjustable end links(034)the bolt on the lower end link(drivers side only) where it meets the bar slowly comes loose. It takes about a week and a half to two weeks but it keeps coming loose. I finally got annoyed and reached out to 034 to see if they have ever heard of this happening or if possibly I had something installed wrong and attached some photos. They got back to me the next morning and said they would forward my issue to one of their specialists(Samuel Sanches) and after a few emails over the next few days(a couple were definitely after business hours) Sam decided to send me out some new hardware(bolts and nylock nuts) to see if that could possibly be the problem. They arrived today. The nylock nuts are different than what were origionally supplied. They have a molded flat washer attached. I'm going to install them tomorrow and see if it takes care of the problem. Not really much of an update more of a thank you for some great customer service. I know it's only some bolts and nylock nuts but customer service goes a long way. Keep up the good work 034 Motorsports!


funny you write this, after i watched this the other day
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKwWu2w1gGk

sorry, i dont recall.. what software are you running?


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

PreMier said:


> sorry, i dont recall.. what software are you running?


APR stage II


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## A3-Owner (Aug 10, 2015)

*P3 Guage Dimmer and Trackpack*

I did install the track pack P3 upgrade and I got the dimmer installed on the head light switch instead of the light dimmer. Lets see how I like it.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Nice. Mine works off the headlight switch as well. I don't think you can actually control it from the dimmer. I could be wrong, but I couldn't get it to work off the dimmer when I tried.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

*APR boost tap kit & P3 analog sensor*

Last weekend I installed the APR boost tap kit and an analog sensor for my P3 gauge. I went with the APR tap because it was one of the only taps I could find that came as a full kit. Also it uses crimp clamps on both ends of the hose instead of zip ties. Don't get me wrong I'm a fan of zip ties. I use them all the time at work, but I've see them break under stress/pressure. Kit and sensor were pretty easy to install. It did require me to remove the battery and battery tray but it couldn't have taken more than 30 minutes or so. Boost readings are much more accurate now. From what I've read most people with stage 2 tuned 2.0T FSI motors were getting between 15 to 17psi. My P3 had me around 13 to 14.75psi max and -22.5 of vaccum which seemed out of the ordinary. At first I though I might have had a boost leak. I made sure to re check the new HI-Flo pipes I had installed a week or two ago for possible leaks. The car was running fine and I hadn't gotten a CEL. Then I got in touch with Pixel and had him check and see what numbers he was getting. At this point our cars are tuned pretty similar and he was getting about the same readings. After the install the car now is regularly getting 15 to 17.5psi and the vaccum is down in the -18.5 to -20psi range. Overall I'd say using the P3 gauge with the obd2 sensor is about 3psi off at all times.


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## Ponto (Jan 11, 2012)

Man you've been busy! All I've done lately is take pictures of my old girl.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Yeah it's been a fun summer. Unfortunately I think there will only be enough time left for one more big/important mod and maybe a few small things I've been putting off before it's time to raise her back up, put the winter wheels and roof rack back on. Also there is one more track session scheduled right before snowboard season starts. Then it will be another fun winter of riding and saving money/collecting parts for next spring/summer


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Last Friday I took the day off from work and brought the car over to the guys at BlueWater Performance to have them do a DSG service and an APR DSG Stage 2 tune. The service was a few miles early. Ok well let's round it down and say 15,000 miles to early. I bought the car used with just over 40,000 and the DSG was supposed to be serviced at 35,000 but I wasn't 100% sure if it had been done by the previous owner and the last 18,000 I have put on it have been pretty hard at times :laugh: I got to look at the filter when they removed it and it looked pretty clean. The tech told me it looked like it had been changed, the fluid looked good, and it didn't have that burnt smell to it which was a good sign. I figure I will change it every 25,000 from here on out. Now for the fun part the tune. I had them turn off auto upshift but kept the auto downshift on. There have been more than a few times where I have slowed down to a light while daily driving and forgotten to shift from second into first. I had them set the launch control at 4200rpms. I was able to use it a couple times that day(haven't had the opportunity to use it since) and the car launches much better than the 3000rpms it was set/maxed at before. I wish this was something I could control on the fly. I kind of want to bring it back and have them set it to 4500 or even 4800rpms. Maybe I will at my next oil change. I immediately left town and headed to meet some friends up in the mountains. Mostly so I could try out the new tune and it's always good out of the city for a couple days. D mode is now useable again. I haven't been able to use D since I had the car stage 2 tuned. It was just a slug always sitting 1 or 2 gears to high and if you stepped on it the felt like it would sit there confused before it would downshift. For the most part this is gone don't get me wrong it still happens but when it does(mostly in the higher gears) it downshifts much faster than it did before. M mode which is all I used before the tune and what I used pretty much the whole time to and from the mountains feels like it responds faster. Upshifts seem smoother and slightly faster(this could also be from the DSG service) I mostly notice it when I downshift. Downshifting is much faster. There were times before when I would press the downshift paddle and it would take a second or two to respond. That is gone. I have used S mode the least and plan on getting a better feel for it next month at the track. Before the tune I would rarely use S mode. I felt like the car would sit in the higher 6-7000rpm range for way to long. I would find myself yelling "shift damn it!" all the time. I'm hoping this will be reduced, but on my 10 mile round trip to and from work it's hard to get a feel for it. Overall I like the tune and I really wished I would have done it when I got the downpipe and stage 2 tune done. I think APR should have had a deal maybe charge $300 if you got it done while going stage 2. $599 seem like it might be a bit to expensive. If I didn't have it it in my budget or if you don't I would hold off since M mode is still useable and personally what I prefer most of the time anyways. It was the last big purchase of the season on the car and will be the last software purchase I will be making for the car for the next year or two. Performance wise I am maxed out until the car is paid off. From here I plan on focusing on suspension, interior, exterior, and lighting mods.
:beer:


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## Ct06033 (Sep 27, 2016)

I'm hooked on what you're doing. Very tasteful! The only other modded A3s I see in town are trash so it's good to see someone treating it right.

I also have an A3 in Denver. Mine is an 11' midnight gray, titanium pkg. So far I have the Apr stage 1 intake and a Revo stage 1 tune. If I were to mod her more, it might look a bit like what you're doing. 

I don't meet many A3 enthusiasts so hope to see you around.


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## A3-Owner (Aug 10, 2015)

Nice update AG. I like your review of the APR DSG tune. 

I thought I was at 4K LC but I am at 4500. I have not had my car for a while so I forgot :laugh:. I am definitely looking forward to Emich at HPR.

Ct06033, welcome. I am another A3 owner in Denver. There are a few of us.


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## idwurks (Oct 25, 2003)

AngryGiraffe said:


> Well after more than a months wait and having to cancel two orders(dealer&ECS) I got a dead peddle from BKS. They had it in stock and it was cheaper that the other two sources. I wish I would have checked there sooner. I installed it and the peddles I had.
> 
> I love the way they look. Glad I went with these and not some of the aftermarket ones I've seen online.



These are hotness! I need to get some of these too.


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## PreMier (Jan 4, 2006)

i cant imagine not having the dsg tune, it makes the car a whole lot better. mines giac though, and i dont know what my launch control is set at anymore. been over a year since i used it


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Ct06033 said:


> I'm hooked on what you're doing. Very tasteful! The only other modded A3s I see in town are trash so it's good to see someone treating it right.
> I also have an A3 in Denver. I don't meet many A3 enthusiasts so hope to see you around.


Thanks CT! There are only a few of us in Denver with modded A3's. Check out Mypixeladdiction and A3-Owner's cars. They both also live in town and have done some really nice work to their cars as well.



PreMier said:


> i cant imagine not having the dsg tune, it makes the car a whole lot better. mines giac though, and i dont know what my launch control is set at anymore. been over a year since i used it


Yeah I really wish I would have gotten it done months ago. Launch Control is one of those things that is good to have, but rarely ever gets used. 



A3-Owner said:


> I thought I was at 4K LC but I am at 4500. I have not had my car for a while so I forgot :laugh:.


I am going back to BlueWater in a few weeks for an oil change and will probably have them change mine to 4500rpms.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Been spending a lot of time up in the mountains lately. Getting the house ready for the upcoming snowboard season and driving the car on some mountain passes. Took a few pics over the weekend. 
















Trying to drive it as much as I can. In a few weekends the car will go back into winter mode. Winter wheels/snow tires, roof rack, and that dreaded Q3 stance.


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## audivwpassion (Oct 4, 2016)

Hey! Denver I'm in Denver and have an a3 need to figure out how to post my pictures it won't let me !!!! But yea great build do far hope to see more


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## A3-Owner (Aug 10, 2015)

Need to get up to the mountains with you again AG. I am going winterized too with the wheels/tires/height here in a bit with the cooler weather coming.


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## Bronco (Mar 3, 2011)

audivwpassion said:


> Hey! Denver I'm in Denver and have an a3 need to figure out how to post my pictures it won't let me !!!! But yea great build do far hope to see more


audivwpassion,

here is how you post photos here:


Upload your photos to an external site like Photobucket, Flickr or others. When you compose your message:

1. go to your external site (Flickr, Photobucket ...), go to your photo and choose "Share Photo"
2. in Flickr, I use "BBCode" that gives me this:


```
[url=https://flic.kr/p/v6LZt8][img]https://c2.staticflickr.com/1/542/19099707001_25908c29e2_z.jpg[/img][/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/v6LZt8]Hotel parking[/url] by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/broncohyrman/]Bronco Hyrman[/url], on Flickr
```

3. I only use this part:


```
https://c2.staticflickr.com/1/542/19099707001_25908c29e2_z.jpg
```

4. put your cursor where you want the photo to be
5. click on icon "insert image" in your menu, paste the above link and click OK

The message editor will insert (your) link to your photo between image tags and your photo should show once you use the "Preview Post" button to - preview:












Make changes if needed and "Submit Reply" once you're ready to publish your post.


Cheers,


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

A3-Owner said:


> Need to get up to the mountains with you again AG. I am going winterized too with the wheels/tires/height here in a bit with the cooler weather coming.


Yeah man! Unfortunately I am winterizing the car the weekend after the HPR track day. Unless it starts to snow in the mountains then I am going to do it as soon as I get back from the track. I will probably stop by the Prestigue Imports Oktoberfest this Saturday. Let me know if you plan on going and want to go for a drive before/after the car show.


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## adlerlaxking (Oct 28, 2013)

AngryGiraffe said:


> Yeah man! Unfortunately I am winterizing the car the weekend after the HPR track day. Unless it starts to snow in the mountains then I am going to do it as soon as I get back from the track. I will probably stop by the Prestigue Imports Oktoberfest this Saturday. Let me know if you plan on going and want to go for a drive before/after the car show.


AG!! I haven't been on the forums in a hot moment, but I'm back! Hopefully I'll see you around town and snap some pics or something! :thumbup:


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Planned on going up to the mountains and playing in the snow today, but this morning I woke up to a dead battery. Jumped the car and brought it to work so I could swap out the battery. I got a group 48 from Napa. It came with a 36 month warranty and they delivered to the shop so I didn't have to bring them the core. While I was there I installed my DeAutoLED rear brake, rear fog, and rear directional bulbs. Damn! They are super bright and clean looking. With regular amber bulbs the turn signals always just looked red. Now they look yellow. The bulbs shine through the red plastic.








The crappy phone pic doesn't do them justice. All of the rear bulbs have been swapped out to LED's. Now I just have to do the front fogs and turn signals. Last week I installed an MK7 hatch pop kit from USP Motorsports. I'm still working the kinks out to get it to pop open in freezing cold temps. I will post some pictures next week if everything works.


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## korben007 (Apr 21, 2010)

What exactly does the pop kit do?

-Avantwerks Audi Customization Specialist


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

It opens up the rear hatch with the button on our key. If you press the button right now it will just unlatch the hatch. By replacing the shocks with a stronger set the hatch will open by its self. It works fine in most weather so far, except for freazing temperatures.


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## Bronco (Mar 3, 2011)

AngryGiraffe said:


> ... While I was there I installed my DeAutoLED rear brake, rear fog, and rear directional bulbs. Damn! They are super bright and clean looking. With regular amber bulbs the turn signals always just looked red. Now they look yellow. The bulbs shine through the red plastic.


I take it that for the brakes you changed 2 bulbs in the outside light and 1 in the inside (hatch) light - on each side, so 6 LEDs for the brake lights, correct ?

I believe DeAutoLED recommends to use red LEDs for the brakes as white ones turn out to look pink. Did you use red?




> Now I just have to do the front fogs and turn signals.


What fogs do you have, H7 or H11? I've got H7 and would be interested to put LEDs in but I think that those came with fans and didn't physically fit in the fog light housing.


Your lights look great.

Thanks,


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Bronco said:


> I take it that for the brakes you changed 2 bulbs in the outside light and 1 in the inside (hatch) light - on each side, so 6 LEDs for the brake lights, correct ?
> 
> I believe DeAutoLED recommends to use red LEDs for the brakes as white ones turn out to look pink. Did you use red?
> 
> ...


Correct. 6 total bulbs and yes they are the red LED's. As for fogs I have H11's. Right now I have some Ziza bulbs. They are ok(on my second set in 2 years)but I would rather have LED's


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## npace (Sep 3, 2012)

Looking good. I finished winterizing my car right before Thanksgiving, which was just in time. Which reminds me.... I need to update my thread.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Haven't done anything to the car in a while so while besides collect parts for the spring/summer and wash it. So while I was at work I painted my engine cover flat silver. Also added some carbon vinyl to match the intake. 








Also did the section on the side.








Took a few hours to do the vinyl work. Cutting around the TFSI and the individual pieces inside of the rings was a giant PIA! 
Here is one of it on the car.









As always winter is fun here in Colorado, but I'm looking forward to some warmer weather in a few months. I really want to go for a drive or a lap around the track right about now.
:beer:


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## adlerlaxking (Oct 28, 2013)

AG - Warmer weather this weekend, maybe I'll see you on a drive!


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

I ordered a set of paddle shifter extensions from Pinalloy.com after seeing the set PreMier got. Took close to 2 months for them to arrive. I'm pretty sure they walked them from the factory to my house. I had to go with the cut out style since I have curved paddles.








Personally I like the style of these paddles better, but I am not a big fan of the red. I held one in place and immediately knew the red had to go. At first I was going to paint them. Then I started looking into stripping them to their original aluminum finish. Turns out stripping anodized coating off of small parts isn't to hard. First I tried Aircraft Stripper. We use it on cars and it takes minutes to to remove all the clear/basecoat/sealer off a panel. After letting them soak for 5 minutes I cleaned them off and the stripped didn't even scratch the surface of the anodized coating. I read online that oven cleaner particularly Easy Off would work. So on my lunch break I went down to the local grocery store to pick up a can. Apparently(at least at the chain I went to) the store is discontinuing the toxic stuff(the kind you need) so I grabbed the last two cans they had. I sprayed them down on a piece of foil in the shop(make sure you do this in a well ventilated area this stuff stinks) and let them sit for 5 minutes. Then sprayed them down with some water. The Easy Off took the coating off with no problems.








Next I took some black paint and filled in the +/- 








Lastly here is one of them on the car.








So far I have only been able to try them out around town and on the highway since the weather here right now is less than ideal for driving. Overall I like the look and feel of them. I am now able to shift coming out of a turn without moving my hands. I was worried about this since the reviews I've read on most paddle extensions is that you are unable to press the top of the extension and have enough force to press the actual paddle. So far these do just that and will work until someday when I get enough money for a MFFBSW with a set of ST2's


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## A3-Owner (Aug 10, 2015)

Hey AG,

Based on your review I ordered a pair of these also. I got the black ones.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

I hope you like them(in 2-3 months when they arrive.:laugh are your OE paddles black? If they are not or you want to strip them/paint them another color let me know.


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## A3-Owner (Aug 10, 2015)

I just got the paddle shifters today . They came from China also. They are a nice sturdy kinda feel. These screws are small and so is the allen that comes with them. I will install them soon and let you know. The stock ones I have are black so I will prob keep them black.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

*ECS Turbo Muffler Delete Pipe Kit*

Since the weather here has started looking better I decided to install the muffler delete.








Here is a picture of them side by side








I bought it because I have the charge/discharge pipes already installed and I figured it would help with more airflow. Besides who doesn't like more turbo sound? Overall it looked like a fairly easy install. Boy was I wrong this thing is a PITA to install. First off ECS doesn't give you any instructions and I couldn't find anything online of anyone else installing one on an 8p A3. I did find a bunch of diy videos on other VW/Audi's and they looked fairly simple. This wouldn't be that big of a deal if there was enough room but there just isn't. What should be an hour install at max took close to three hours. The problem is you have to remove the two bolts holding the N75 bracket so you can remove the old muffler and install the new one. Once the new muffler is installed there is no room whatsoever to slide on pipe. So the N75 bracket bolts had to come back out. After wrestling with the pipe for a while I finally got it in place. Then had to fight with the bracket forever to get it back in place. There just isn't room for the pipe so it is touching the bracket. I used the clamp they give you in the kit to pull the lines out of the way along with a few zip ties to give me as much room as I possibly could. I was only able to get one of the two bolts back into place. You can see in the photo below how tight everything is and how it is almost impossible to get the other bolt in place. 








Oh and I did this at work where I have a lift. Good luck doing this on the ground under jack stands. Maybe I'm doing something wrong? I don't know since there were no ******* instructions :banghead: Overall it does sound a bit louder but nothing obnoxious. Also I've noticed a little more boost/vaccum on the P3 but haven't really gotten a chance to drive the car. I'm planning on going up to the mountains this weekend so I will be able to test it more then.


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## PreMier (Jan 4, 2006)

those paddles look good. you just screwed them on, no double sided tape? i was wondering how well theyd hold up.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Yep just screwed them on. Didn't ever really tighten them. Just snugged them(was worried about them digging into the OEM paddles) and so far they have held up pretty good. Can't wait to test the at the track soon.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

*Another company with great customer service.*

I want to thank the people over at deAutoLED. I was having a problem with one of my tail light bulbs. I got a bulb out warning about a week or so ago. Every time I turned the ignition off or got back in the car it would go out then come back on a few miles down the road. Checked/cleaned all the connections, but it kept happening. Eventually I noticed one bulb was much dimmer than all the others.








Swapped this bulb with the one in my rear fog and the bulb out waning has been off ever since. So I emailed deAuto on a Saturday afternoon and someone got back to me in an hour or so. Which was awesome. Most companies I email on Saturday(only time I have to get car stuff done since work is crazy all week long) don't get back to me until much later in the week. They immediately sent out a new bulb and only asked that I would send the old bulb back for testing. Another great bit of customer service. I thought they would say something like "ok well send us the bulb and we will test it and get back to you with our results" which ends up in me getting frustrated after a few weeks or so of silence and having to call/email to get any results. A problem I've had in the past with other companys/vendors car and non car related. The new bulb arrived in a few days. Swapped it out and sent the bulb back a day or so ago. I will continue recommend and use deAuto products. Although at this point there is very little left on my car that isn't already a deAuto bulb. Thanks again guys! Keep up the great work:beer:


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

*Go Fast Bits DV+*

Went to the shop this morning and installed the Go Fast Bits DV+ I purchased over the winter. I was already running the piston style diverter valve, but got a really good deal on the GFB. Also I was interested in the Pilot Actuation System that is supped to out perform the OEM piston diverter. Didn't take any photos as it's a pretty simple install. Took the car for a quick drive in the foothills(still in winter mode) and noticed a slight difference of boost/vacuum and a change in sound compared to the OEM diverter. Also got a new set of TPMS from Deutsche Auto that will be getting installed in my summer wheels this week. Finally I can turn my TPMS back on and leave it on all year. I will have more to update in the next week or so when I can take off my snow tires.


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## A3-Owner (Aug 10, 2015)

I need to install TMPS into my summer tires also. The light on my dash is annoying.

Have fun at the track tomorrow. Once my brake, rear LSD and suspension upgrades get installed I will join you.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

*034 Track density strut mounts/front & rear subframe kits.*

Late last fall/early winter I started to notice that my car would make a clunk sound when shifting into reverse and rough shifting from a stop or giving it some gas after downshifting. Also I would hear a similar clunk sound over bumps. I ordered a set of the 034 track density strut mounts and some new bearings. I also got front and rear subframe kits. 









My plan was to pay a mechanic buddy of mine to install the 034 track density strut mounts and bearings last Saturday afternoon. While he was doing that I was going to install the 034 front subframe collars and rear subframe inserts. After we were done I was going to drop the car off at BlueWater Performance for an alignment and have them adjust my ride height. I adjusted the height last year when I installed my new summer wheels and always felt it didn't sit right. Also last season at the track(High Plains Raceway)the wheels would rub in turns 3, 6, 11. 
The only problem with all of this was I wasn't going to be able to make it for the first open lapping day at the track this season on Sunday afternoon. Which sucked because I missed the final open lapping day of last season(sold out) and I wasn't able to try out all the new stuff I had installed last fall. 
Tuesday evening I was looking at install guides for the strut mounts and trying to figuring out which tools we would need for the job. I'm glad I did because there was a tool my mechanic didn't have. It's the tool used to remove the strut bolt. I know people sometimes hold the strut with vice grips and then spin the nut off, but I wanted to do it right. I called around the next day to see if any of my friends might have one or if I could buy one. Then I decided to call BlueWater and see how much they would charge me. I figured the car was going there in a few days anyway. Their price to install the strut mounts/bearings was right around the price to buy the tool(I would only use this one time) and have my mechanic do the install. I asked them if there was any way they could get me in and have my car done so I could join them at the track on Sunday. Jayrd said they could get me in, but they would need the car Thursday morning. This was great news! But it also meant that I was going to have to drive home on my lunch, pick up my summer wheels, drop them off at the tire shop to get balanced and the new tpms installed. Also I was going to have to install the front and rear subframe kits that night. Work has been crazy busy and I knew I was already going to be working a 12 hour day. So sometime around 7pm I pulled my car into the shop and got to work. 









First I installed the Rear Subframe inserts. Overall they were pretty easy to install. The instructions 034 posts online are easy to follow. Having a lift for this isn't really necessary but it was nice. The only difficult part was removing the two old washers located towards the front of the car. There isn't much room to get leverage to pry them off. With a little patience they eventually came off. 
Next it was time to install the front subframe kit. I was a bit worried about this. Only because it was getting late and 034's instructions said it would take 90mins. Again having a lift for this isn't necessary, but it made it a whole lot easier and saved a bunch of time. Here are a few pictures comparing the bolts. 


















I honestly can't believe Audi uses these bolts. No wonder why they bend. 

I had everything installed just after 9:30pm and drove the car straight to Blue Water. As soon as I put the car in gear I could feel the difference. The clunking was gone! 
I picked the car up Friday afternoon on my lunch break and went straight back to work. I didn't really get the chance to drive the car much since I had to work all day Saturday. 

Track Time!

The track is by far my favorite place to test/get a feel for new parts. A lot has been done since my last track day(brakes/sway bar/charge+discharge pipes/dsg tune/strut mounts/subframe kits) and it was noticeable at the track. I shaved close to 3 seconds off my previous best lap. The celebration was short lived. Nothing brings you back to reality like a Corvette passing you on the straights at 100mph like you are standing still. 










The track was a lot of fun. I feel like I learn something new every time I go. I can't say enough about the 034 front subframe kit. The car feels great right now and I'm excited for everything I have planned over the next few months. I also want to say thanks to Jayrd, Ben, and the rest of the guys over at Blue Water for getting me in on such short notice.


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## Tcardio (Mar 19, 2009)

I endorse those rear mounts as well. Shifts are very smooth and I receive more feedback in the corners. I really did not think they would make a difference as i have all the other goodies on the car but they exceeded my expectations


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## JRutter (Nov 25, 2009)

AngryGiraffe said:


> I honestly can't believe Audi uses these bolts. No wonder why they bend.


In their defense, it would make sense that they want the subframe to shift in a high speed collision to transfer energy away from the unibody. Sort of like the shear pins that hold jet engines in place on aircraft wings. Designed to fail in order to save lives. I replaced mine, too though, lol...

As always, great to see people tracking their A3s!


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

That makes sense. Guess I never thought about it like that. It's kind of like a crumple zone in a hood.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

*Finally got my own copy of VagCom!*

Earlier this week I ordered a cable from Ross-Tech. I got the HEX-V2 Enthusiast($199) it comes with 3 vins. I figured that would get me through the next decade or so and you can add additional 10 vins down the road for $160. I can also read/clear codes for friends. I got it because I got tired of asking my mechanic buddy to borrow his. I have a few small things planned in the next few weeks and will need it for hours at a time. It arrived on Friday and I have spent the whole weekend messing with it. So here is my current problem. A couple years ago when I got the car I had the windows and sunroof coded with his copy of VagCom to open/close with the remote. The Windows have always worked fine, but the sunroof has never worked(tilt or open/close) with the remote. The sunroof will work(tilt) when you unlock/lock the car with the key in the drivers door lock. Does anyone with a 2009+ have this same issue or does anyone have a solution? I'm pretty sure I just have it coded wrong/a box unchecked. I have been searching all weekend online and looking on VagCom but can't seem to fix it.


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## Tcardio (Mar 19, 2009)

AngryGiraffe said:


> Earlier this week I ordered a cable from Ross-Tech. I got the HEX-V2 Enthusiast($199) it comes with 3 vins. I figured that would get me through the next decade or so and you can add additional 10 vins down the road for $160. I can also read/clear codes for friends. I got it because I got tired of asking my mechanic buddy to borrow his. I have a few small things planned in the next few weeks and will need it for hours at a time. It arrived on Friday and I have spent the whole weekend messing with it. So here is my current problem. A couple years ago when I got the car I had the windows and sunroof coded with his copy of VagCom to open/close with the remote. The Windows have always worked fine, but the sunroof has never worked(tilt or open/close) with the remote. The sunroof will work(tilt) when you unlock/lock the car with the key in the drivers door lock. Does anyone with a 2009+ have this same issue or does anyone have a solution? I'm pretty sure I just have it coded wrong/a box unchecked. I have been searching all weekend online and looking on VagCom but can't seem to fix it.


is sunroof coded for comfort opening/closing?


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## Bronco (Mar 3, 2011)

AG, your build is still a great read !! Thanks :thumbup::thumbup:


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## A3-Owner (Aug 10, 2015)

*Ross Tech*

Has Ross Tech......Jealous.......Looks in wallet for money for Ross Tech.....Moth flies out of wallet.......Sad......


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## TBomb (Sep 23, 2009)

A3-Owner said:


> Has Ross Tech......Jealous.......Looks in wallet for money for Ross Tech.....Moth flies out of wallet.......Sad......


:laugh:


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Tcardio said:


> is sunroof coded for comfort opening/closing?


I think so. Here are a few screenshots of my current settings. 





































I have tried to reset the sunroof by holding the button open/closed for 10 seconds and that also didn't fix it. I don't understand what I have set wrong and why it won't open/close with the remote. Anyone see anything wrong with my settings?


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

*Timing Chain Tensioner & Fluidampr Pulley*

Over the winter I went down the Timing Chain Tensioner & preventative maintenance rabbit hole. I know that it's a debatable issue. Personally I feel that piece of mind is huge. Also the way that my luck goes my tensioner would have failed at the track or when i was a few hundred miles away from home. Causing noting but a huge tow bill and even more $ in an engine rebuild. At that point I would have been kicking myself for not replacing mine while I could afford it. One of the things that helped me in replacing it was that I get a pretty big discount at the local VW dealership when it comes to parts. That always helps soften the blow when it comes time to discuss the labor costs for most installs. 








So over the winter I decided to start buying the necessary parts. After talking with Ben at Blue Water we decided that only replacing the Tensioner & lower engine cover was the best rout to go with my car. I only have 60,000 miles on it. Now if i had 100,00+ miles that would be a different story. While I was looking into the install I noticed the crank pulley needed to be removed to do the repair. The Fluidampr pulley was something I had read about over the winter. After reading some reviews and talking with A3 Owner who has one on his car I decided to add it to the install. The pulley is supposed to cut down on the NVH that the motor & transmission mounts that I plan on installing later this summer can cause. Also there is supposed to be some added HP/torque. I bought a new serpentine belt as well. I know that there was no reason for this to to be replaced at this point but hey might as well replace it while they were there and I now know it won't need to be replaced for quite some time. When I dropped the car off on Wednesday morning I asked them to check my tune since I had heard APR had updated their tune for the 2.0tsi. Turns out that i was running the 2.1 tune and they updated me to the 2.4 tune. I also had them adjust my launch control from 4000rpms to 4500. I picked the car up late Wednesday night after a very long work day. The car seemed like it had some new life to it and was a bit quicker but I was exhausted and just wanted to get home. My plan was to go for a nice spirited drive this weekend, but as luck would have it Friday morning I woke up to a P2015 code. Sounds like my intake manifold has decided to fail. I plan on bringing my car to BlueWater tomorrow morning. I know this code has absolutely nothing to do with the work they have done. I also know that there is an extended warranty on this issue. There are a few remedies for our manifolds that are pretty inexpensive and from what I've read the dealer only replaces your manifold with another manifold with the same weak/prone to failure areas as before. Worse case the car will be at the dealer Monday afternoon and they will be up selling me on a carbon cleaning which we all know will have to happen sooner or later anyways. All I know is I cant wait to have the car back with the added HP and piece of mind.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Intake is shot. Car is going to Audi of Denver on Wednesday May 3rd. It was the earliest they could get me in. So I'm going to baby the car for the next week. Luckily I only have a 10 mile round trip commute each day so I should only put an additional 100 miles max on the car in its condition. At this point I just hope they will cover it under the extended warranty.


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## mypixeladdiction (Dec 1, 2011)

My Q3 has been there since Friday - weird metallic knocking noise on the throttle / deceleration, and it's leaking transmission fluid (it's only at 14.7k). Still no word from them but I'm assuming they're trying to figure out how whatever it is isn't covered by the factory warranty.


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## Tcardio (Mar 19, 2009)

AngryGiraffe said:


> I think so. Here are a few screenshots of my current settings.
> 
> 
> Anyone see anything wrong with my settings?


maybe activate automatic roof and is there anything in the DIS to check box?


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## npace (Sep 3, 2012)

AngryGiraffe said:


> I honestly can't believe Audi uses these bolts. No wonder why they bend.


I'm just now seeing this. To second / sdd to what JR said: the bolts are like this because in the event of an accident, they are supposed to shear off and help keep your feet from being amputated by the subframe pushing into the cabin. I know the tyrolsport collars come with replacement bolts made by ARP that are reusable and, while stronger, should still shear off in the event of an accident. I assume that the 034 ones are similar in that regard. 

Nice updates. I've been back and forth on whether to get the fluidampr or not. I had the timing chains, guides, and tensioner replaced when the bottom end was built. Let me know what you think of the fluidampr; I've seen mixed reviews.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

npace said:


> Nice updates. I've been back and forth on whether to get the fluidampr or not. I had the timing chains, guides, and tensioner replaced when the bottom end was built. Let me know what you think of the fluidampr; I've seen mixed reviews.


Thanks man. I will let you know how I like it if/when I get the car back.



Tcardio said:


> maybe activate automatic roof and is there anything in the DIS to check box?


There is no other settings in the DIS. Just the setting for the windows. Also I'm pretty sure that the automatic roof is a setting for the cabriolet A3. At least that's what I've read it's for.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

mypixeladdiction said:


> My Q3 has been there since Friday - weird metallic knocking noise on the throttle / deceleration, and it's leaking transmission fluid (it's only at 14.7k). Still no word from them but I'm assuming they're trying to figure out how whatever it is isn't covered by the factory warranty.


I know they are super busy right now which might be why your Q3 is taking so long. Audi Boulder wasn't able to get me in until May 14th. I know how you feel I have this feeling that they are going to say that since my car is tuned that they won't be covering my intake under warranty. Even though these intakes are known to fail and AoA has extended the warranty to 120,000 miles. From what I've read they have to be able to prove that the tune was the cause of the failure, but at the end of the day its up to them to decide weather it's true or not. I am going to take off the linage arm this weekend and see if it possibly has broken. If it is I will just order the gruvenparts billet arm and cancel my apt.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

*Intake manifold/carbon cleaning/APR Intercooler/034 Motorsport catch can install*

So last Wednesday I dropped my car off at Audi Denver for my intake manifold issue. It's an amazing looking dealership with a showroom full of cars to drool over. 








Their service department was also state of the art. The tech assigned to my car sent me a video of the diagnosis of my car and told me that my service advisor would call soon. Which he did. He said that the valve in my intake manifold had failed and that it wouldn't be covered under warranty. Which is total sh*t. Everything I have read and watched online says that the intake fails in 3 different places. The arm, the valve, and the sensor. Any of which the manifold should be replaced. He said they could replace the valve alone and that it was going to be close to $500 I asked why it wasn't covered and he said it's only covered if the runner breaks. He also wanted to up sell me on a brake fluid flush(nice try but I just changed my brake fluid 5,300 miles ago) and a coolant flush. Sad part is that if they would have covered the intake under warranty I would have done the coolant flush and I would have let them up sell me on a carbon cleaning. But that is a bunch of sh*t right there. Oh and they didn't have the valve in stock and would need my car until Tuesday or Wednesday of next week and I was on my own for a rental. When I asked him what the possibility of the runner breaking down the line was and how that would affect the $500 I paid them to put basically a band aid on a faulty part that had its warranty extended to 120,000 miles? I really never got a solid answer back on that question In the end all I got was a a bill for $140 for them to tell me what I told them was wrong with my car to begin with.:banghead:

So at this point I had 3 options. Leave the car with Audi Denver. Which was not happening.I could try and and get an appointment at Audi Boulder who I already had an appointment with that I canceled for May 14th because Audi Denver got me in faster. That would probably mean it wouldn't now be until the 21st or later before they could get me in. Pay them a $140 and hope they would cover it under warranty. That seemed like foolish, time and money wasting. Also this car is my daily and uber is my ride to and from anyplace once my car is in the shop which gets pretty expensive. Plus that would also mean more time away from work. So I called the guys over at Blue Water Performance. They said they could put a new intake on my car for less than what the dealer wanted for to replace just the valve. Oh and guess what? They could have it done by Friday afternoon. So I decide to have them do it. I already had an appointment with them to install an APR intercooler later in the month so we canceled that appointment and installed the intercooler while the car was there for the intake. I bought the intercooler from a guy on the forum who had it on his TTS. 








The intercooler only had around 6000 miles on it and I got it for a really good price. To save a little bit of install money on the intercooler I remover the bumper, headlights, and dropped the car off Thursday morning. The car was also going to be getting a much needed carbon cleaning. Later that day Jaryd sent me some before and after photos.



























I can't believe there was that much build up. The car only has 60,000 miles on it. I'm not really to sure what type of gas the PO used. All I know is that the last 18,000 miles it's pretty much been Shell Nitro 91. Unless I'm on a road trip and choice is limited or the occasional 100 octane fill up for the track. I picked the car up on Friday around lunch time. Thanks again to Gabe, Jaryd, Ben, Ryan, and the rest of the guys over at BlueWater Performance. They do great work and have always worked around my crazy work schedule. I wasn't able to work The car until Saturday afternoon after I was done at work.








I reinstalled the bumper, headlights and did a little maintenance cleaning my CAI intake filter and MAF sensor. I also installed a 034 Motorsport oil catch can that I had purchased over the winter. I figured it was the best time with the new intercooler and carbon cleaning. Install was pretty straight forward due to their easy to follow instructions. I'm looking forward to see what it collects over the next few weeks. I also installed a valve at the end of the hose it came with for easier draining. Here is a picture of the engine bay after a quick clean up. The valve is over by the coolant bottle and is kind of hard to see in the photo. I will try and get a better picture of it later.








Sunday morning I drove the car down to Pikes Peak International Raceway to check out the time attack series. I have a few friends who race in it and say it's a lot of fun. I plan on racing in it in a few months and wanted to check things out. But mostly I was looking forward to the 176 mile round trip drive in the car. I never really got to drive it after the APR software update and the Fluidampr pulley. The intake failed pretty much the day after I pick it up. The car is so much more fun and feels more alive now. It has always been fun in 3rd gear and I do feel like it pulls handed than before, but 4th and 5th are where I've noticed the most gain. Before if I was in 6th and down shifted to 5th it was noticeable and fun/helpful to pass cars. Now when I downshift the car want to go. Making passing easy and ear grinning. 6th-4th was always fun and now it to is a lot more fun than before. 
I am going back to BlueWater later this month to have the car put on the Dyno to get some actual numbers where she sits. A little present I'm getting myself. Figured it would be a fun way to celebrate a birthday. All I kept thinking on that drive was I can't wait to do some mountain pass laps and what gains will I see in lap times at the track. While I was on that drive I was able to forget about all the stress and money the car has caused me over the last few weeks and just smile as I made my way around the other cars on the highway.


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## TBomb (Sep 23, 2009)

AngryGiraffe said:


> *I can't believe there was that much build up. The car only has 60,000 miles on it. I'm not really to sure what type of gas the PO used. All I know is that the last 18,000 miles it's pretty much been Shell Nitro 91. Unless I'm on a road trip and choice is limited or the occasional 100 octane fill up for the track. * I picked the car up on Friday around lunch time. Thanks again to Gabe, Jaryd, Ben, Ryan, and the rest of the guys over at BlueWater Performance. They do great work and have always worked around my crazy work schedule. I wasn't able to work The car until Saturday afternoon after I was done at work.


I know it's been discussed and debated ad nauseam, but since the fuel never sees the intake valves in these direct injection engines, the fuel quality has pretty much nothing to do with the intake valve deposits. In a traditional fuel injected vehicle, sure...but sadly you could run the highest quality fuel with the best detergents and it won't do a thing for the intake valves. 





> Sunday morning I drove the car down to Pikes Peak International Raceway to check out the time attack series. I have a few friends who race in it and say it's a lot of fun. I plan on racing in it in a few months and wanted to check things out. But mostly I was looking forward to the 176 mile round trip drive in the car. I never really got to drive it after the APR software update and the Fluidampr pulley. The intake failed pretty much the day after I pick it up. The car is so much more fun and feels more alive now. It has always been fun in 3rd gear and I do feel like it pulls handed than before, but 4th and 5th are where I've noticed the most gain. Before if I was in 6th and down shifted to 5th it was noticeable and fun/helpful to pass cars. Now when I downshift the car want to go. Making passing easy and ear grinning. 6th-4th was always fun and now it to is a lot more fun than before.
> I am going back to BlueWater later this month to have the car put on the Dyno to get some actual numbers where she sits. A little present I'm getting myself. Figured it would be a fun way to celebrate a birthday. All I kept thinking on that drive was I can't wait to do some mountain pass laps and what gains will I see in lap times at the track. *While I was on that drive I was able to forget about all the stress and money the car has caused me over the last few weeks and just smile as I made my way around the other cars on the highway.*


That's really what it's all about! That's why I can't see myself moving on when I am looking at some significant repairs - the car is just too enjoyable to drive :thumbup:


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## Bronco (Mar 3, 2011)

Interesting and fun read AngryGiraffe :thumbup:

Thank you for sharing :wave:


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## A3-Owner (Aug 10, 2015)

TBomb said:


> I know it's been discussed and debated ad nauseam, but since the fuel never sees the intake valves in these direct injection engines, the fuel quality has pretty much nothing to do with the intake valve deposits. In a traditional fuel injected vehicle, sure...but sadly you could run the highest quality fuel with the best detergents and it won't do a thing for the intake valves.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I think there is a dollar limit to the repairs that push you over the edge with keeping the car verses getting rid of it. A new engine, block, mech unit or head are the most expensive repairs and those can be the hardest to live with. A new water pump, intake manifold, etc sucks but they are more tolerable. These are fun cars to drive in Stage 1,2 or 3. Staying at stage 2 or 2+ (K04) is the way to go I think.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

I don't think it's just a dollar limit. There are a number of things to factor in when something really bad happens(block, trans, engine). Like can you afford the repairs without going into debt or using a credit card? Is the car paid off or are you still making payments? What's the overall condition of the vehicle? Do you have the chance/budget to do something creative or unique?
Luckily for me the intake manifold wasn't the worst problem to have. Also the day I found out it failed I started to save. I had this feeling they weren't going to cover it under warranty. So I wrote down a quick estimate of what I thought it would cost and started cutting back on dayly spending. Also worked Saturday's for a few weeks.


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## mypixeladdiction (Dec 1, 2011)

Nice update! I'm about to hit 75k and the carbon buildup is something that is always on my mind.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

I had to work yesterday so I figured while I was at the shop I might as well do something to the car. I installed a set of footwell LED's. 








Overall not to hard of an install. The pin location was a bit different on the facelift A3. Once I located the correct harness it went pretty smooth. I like the fact that I can set the brightness in the display. I have them set to 100% when any door is opened and 20% on while driving. The passenger light is on it's just being blocked by my headrest in the photo.


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## TBomb (Sep 23, 2009)

AngryGiraffe said:


> I had to work yesterday so I figured while I was at the shop I might as well do something to the car. I installed a set of footwell LED's.
> 
> Overall not to hard of an install. The pin location was a bit different on the facelift A3. Once I located the correct harness it went pretty smooth. I like the fact that I can set the brightness in the display. I have them set to 100% when any door is opened and 20% on while driving. The passenger light is on it's just being blocked by my headrest in the photo.


Nice! Can you tell me more about being able to set the brightness based on the doors being open or closed? Any idea if that is a function that is only available on the facelift cars?


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## VW KEVIN G (Oct 26, 2000)

A3-Owner said:


> Has Ross Tech......Jealous.......Looks in wallet for money for Ross Tech.....Moth flies out of wallet.......Sad......


Could be worse...You could have a Ross Tech and have it be a worthless paper weight because it will not connect properly to your A3.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

TBomb said:


> Nice! Can you tell me more about being able to set the brightness based on the doors being open or closed? Any idea if that is a function that is only available on the facelift cars?


Not sure if it's only available on the facelift cars. In VagCom I had to go into long coding and checked a few boxes for the footwell lights. Next time I scan the car I will look and see which ones I checked. Also I might have been wrong. I think the door open is auto set to 100% and you might only be able to adjust the lights while driving in the dis. I didn't get much time to mess with it on Saturday. It was getting late and it had already been a long day. I will check that next time I drive the car which won't be until Saturday. I'm biking to work every day for the next month and a half since it's hail season here in Colorado.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Saturday I installed a set of puddle/warning lights that I bought over the winter. Overall not to bad of an install. The door cards on the A3 are super easy to remove. Thanks to guys like TP and RobinA3 wiring up the lights was pretty easy. Took my time and had everything finished in a few hours.









The only problem I had was that the lights I bought were not LED's and they didn't match the rest of the lights in my car. So Sunday morning I got ahold of a local guy who sells LED's. I got all of my other interior bulbs from him a few years ago and haven't had any issues. Also I figured it would be the best way to make sure that they all matched. I got 4 bright white bulbs for the puddles and 4 red bulbs for the warning lights. 
Here is a picture of both doors with both bulb types to compare.







r
The LED's look so much cleaner. Unfortunately the lighting in my parking garage sucks. I will try and get a better picture some night soon.


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## A3-Owner (Aug 10, 2015)

*K04?*

K04?


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

A3-Owner said:


> K04?


 sure I'd love one. Are you offering to buy me one or something


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## A3-Owner (Aug 10, 2015)

AngryGiraffe said:


> sure I'd love one. Are you offering to buy me one or something



I knew it would be confusing. I saw your name with APR K04 next to it on Jaryd's white board at BW. Sounds like you had a conversation with him.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Haha! I figured that's what you were talking about. I was just messing with you. It's definitely something I'm looking into, but won't happen for some time. Need to pay the car off first. I'm going to go for a drive tomorrow morning(if you're interested)just not sure where yet. Also the Prestige Imports Mountain Tour is next Saturday June 3rd. I can't remember if we had to register last year or just show up. Was pretty fun and I will be going this year for sure.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Over the weekend I installed some S3 mirror covers for my dumbo mirrors. 










Overall it was pretty easy once I had the glass out and could get access to the tabs. I also installed a set of the euro blind spot mirrors glass.









I really like the euro mirror glass. The tilt/curve in the glass actually helps more than I thought it would.

Also I was able to get a better picture of the puddle/warning/footwell lights the other night. I didn't have my camera with me so it's still a crappy phone pic, but I really like the way they all match now.


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## PreMier (Jan 4, 2006)

Your car is so clean, it looks great! Where did you get your mirror covers?


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## A3-Owner (Aug 10, 2015)

This is probably the best exterior/interior modified A3 that posts here. I like the mirrors. I missed your message about a drive this weekend. I coulnd't have done it because of a new job. Hope you had fun. 

A K04 would be a great upgrade. Good power increase and you don't have to get to 4-5K RPM to use it.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

PreMier said:


> Your car is so clean, it looks great! Where did you get your mirror covers?


Thanks! I got them from a guy in Florida. He bought them for his A5 and then realized they were the wrong covers. I can't find any stamp/marking that says they are OEM. So I have my doubts, but they fit perfectly. I wish I knew where he got them so I could share the info with you guys and incase I ever have to buy another set.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

A3-Owner said:


> This is probably the best exterior/interior modified A3 that posts here. I like the mirrors. I missed your message about a drive this weekend. I coulnd't have done it because of a new job. Hope you had fun.
> 
> A K04 would be a great upgrade. Good power increase and you don't have to get to 4-5K RPM to use it.


Thanks man! Unfortunately weather kind of ruined the drive. Prestigue Mountain tour is this weekend if you don't have to work. I am going for sure. Just trying to figure out what time it starts and if I need to RSVP.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Friday night I installed an aftermarket RS3 grille.








I ordered it close to 3 weeks ago and planned on installing it when I had the bumper off for the intercooler install, but shipping became an issue. I really like the look of it. I ordered a new grille emblem. That one is in rough shape. Most the tabs are broken or about to break after being transferred to the 3rd grille. I plan on posting my old RS grille with the modded OEM/magnetic plate filler soon. I just need to clean it up.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

*Prestige Imports Mountain Tour*

So the last two weekends have been pretty fun. Two Saturday's ago I met up with Mypixeladdiction at the Prestige Imports Mountain tour.








Overall it was a pretty fun day. There was some traffic at times, but there were a few parts where we were able to open up the cars through some twisty roads and take in some sights. 








Here are a few pictures I grabbed from their website of Pixel and I on the drive.
























I ran into A3Owner at the end of the day as well. It was good to catch up with him and talk about our cars, upcoming track events, and how much we both wish we could afford to put a 2.5 in our cars. :laugh:


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

*AlphaEuros Track Day*

Last Saturday AlphaEuros a local car club rented out the Colorado State Patrol Track. This is basically their personal training and testing track. The event was limited to 100 cars since it was a pretty small track and to keep down the amount of cars on the track. It was a cool experience and something I'm not sure I will ever get the chance to do again. I have heard they(CSP) have had events in the past but I haven't heard of them doing anything recently. The track is located in Golden Colorado which is just outside of Denver making it really convenient. Here is an overhead view of the track. It has a weird almost coat hanger shape. The track was very narrow and had a lot of rocks/boulders just off track so I was hesitant to really push the car. Like most tracks for me at this point it took most of the day to finally get my driving line down. By the time I really felt comfortable it was hot outside and my brakes/tires were feeling the strain of another long day at the track.








Here are a few pictures of the car on the track. 

















I feel like every time I get on a track I learn so much about my car and how far I can push its/my own ability. I wish I could track my car every weekend, but it's just to expensive and the wear and tear on a daily is just to much. My plan is to one day make this car my track/weekend car and get something like a Q3 or Tiguan to drive during hail season and in the winter.


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## JRutter (Nov 25, 2009)

Sounds like a unique event!


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Yesterday I installed a set of the DeAutoLED amber turn/directional bulbs. Not only are they super bright, but they are also pretty cool looking. 









Here is one inside of the housing.









I tried getting a picture of them in my dark parking garage to show how bright there are. 








I took the headlights out to install them. Not sure if you can do it with the bumper and headlights still on the car. I've taken this bumper off so many times that I figured it was probably faster than trying to fumble with expensive bulbs in tight spaces.
Also finally got a picture of the valve I installed on my catch can. 









This is what I drained from the can for the first month. I really haven't driven the car much this month so I doubt there will be much to drain. 








I've decided to drain it monthly but might change it to every 3 weeks in the winter. I've read a few posts of guys not draining there cans in the winter and having lines freeze up over night.


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## nathanpineda (Mar 21, 2014)

Hi Angrygiraffe,

do you have a link for that grill? it looks very well built.

regards




AngryGiraffe said:


> Friday night I installed an aftermarket RS3 grille.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## dp_motley (Nov 12, 2016)

Hi AngryGiraffe. May I ask you a question? You have bi-xenon headlights on your car. Is your car equipped with the headlight auto-levelling system? Are there the auto-levelling sensors on both axels or only on the rear one?


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

I'm pretty sure I only have the one sensor that is located on the drivers side rear lower control arm.


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## dp_motley (Nov 12, 2016)

AngryGiraffe said:


> I'm pretty sure I only have the one sensor that is located on the drivers side rear lower control arm.


Thank you. I thought it was a mistake in the manual.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

So with the new grille I was unable to find a way to mount the magnets I had from my old grille and I was forced to buy a tow hook plate holder. I went with the one from US Millworks. It is a bit more expensive than some of the other plate holders out there, but it has the most mounting options. Install was super easy and I think it looks pretty good.








I also installed a set of stainless hex screws for the rear plate, but I don't think a picture is really necessary. Sunday was also my first time driving in the Pikes Peak Time Attack series. Overall I got 6th place(out of the 17 cars)in my division. It was a ton of fun and took the final 2 runs for me to be able to put down a good lap. Consistency is something I really need to work on. I plan on going back and competing at all of the remaining events for the season.


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## PreMier (Jan 4, 2006)

what kind of helmet do you use, if required?


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

It is required. I have a Conquer Snell 2015. Not the best helmet out there but it's affordable and gets the job done.


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## A3-Owner (Aug 10, 2015)

*Fun Day*

It was a fun day at the track. AG and I hung out with friends who are really good drivers and who get some of the best times of the day. One friend has a stock 1998 5 Series with 150 HP and he drives faster around the track then a driver with a 500 HP modded M2 :laugh:

I was a few tenths of a second behind AG. AG responded well within minutes of my best lap and beat me. We are both getting competitive within our class.

I loved how the Subie driver in front of me in line says my car is slow to a friend and I end up beating him by a second. 

What I took away from that day:

Better brakes then stock so use them to brake as late as possible into a turn.
Hit the apex of the turn.
Take the shortest line through the turn.
Accelerate out of the turn better using the front wheels of the haldex AWD system to do most of the work for grip.
Don't accelerate too soon out of the turn or the haldex could lead to understeer.
Don't be afraid to push the car. You need to learn the car's limits so you can drive right under the limit.

When I would ride with really good drivers, the FWD car felt like a roller coaster and the RWD car felt like it was sliding around. Two different experiences but both fun. These drivers hugged the edge of the track and had great lines and really pushed their car hard.

Photo from the day: (You can see a storm front on its way that day in the background. Thankfully we finished before it fully hit)


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## PreMier (Jan 4, 2006)

Can't see the picture because I guess photo bucket requires people to pay now? Looked at my thread and I can still see pics but maybe other people can't?


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## korben007 (Apr 21, 2010)

AngryGiraffe said:


> So with the new grille I was unable to find a way to mount the magnets I had from my old grille and I was forced to buy a tow hook plate holder. I went with the one from US Millworks. It is a bit more expensive than some of the other plate holders out there, but it has the most mounting options. Install was super easy and I think it looks pretty good.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


What brand grill. Having trouble finding one with a proper mesh around rings

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

A3-Owner said:


> It was a fun day at the track. AG and I hung out with friends who are really good drivers and who get some of the best times of the day. One friend has a stock 1998 5 Series with 150 HP and he drives faster around the track then a driver with a 500 HP modded M2 :laugh:
> 
> I was a few tenths of a second behind AG. AG responded well within minutes of my best lap and beat me. We are both getting competitive within our class.
> 
> ...


It is pretty crazy how Ben's car is almost 90% stock with 100 less hp than our cars and he is setting lap times that are 3 seconds faster:laugh:
I really need to get a brake upgrade. Also hitting the apex is key and takes me the better part of the day to get it down. It is tough finding that perfect point to accelerate out of the turn. 

F[email protected] that guy in the Subie! I hope we finish ahead of him every race. 

It's super fun to be able to race with you. Our cars are so similar and we are within tenths of second on our lap times. I also feel that by the end of the season we will be battling for spots much higher up in the standings. Not gonna lie I'm also excited for the days that Keith(TTS) doesn't show up and there is a battle for first place.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

korben007 said:


> What brand grill. Having trouble finding one with a proper mesh around rings
> 
> Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk


Grille doesn't matter. I used the ring holder from my old grille I bought off ECS and transferred them to the new grille because it came with one that was solid plastic and looked terrible.


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## korben007 (Apr 21, 2010)

Now I just need to find a ring holder

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk


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## Bronco (Mar 3, 2011)

A3-Owner said:


> It was a fun day at the track. AG and I hung out with friends who are really good drivers and who get some of the best times of the day. One friend has a stock 1998 5 Series with 150 HP and he drives faster around the track then a driver with a 500 HP modded M2 :laugh:
> 
> I was a few tenths of a second behind AG. AG responded well within minutes of my best lap and beat me. We are both getting competitive within our class.
> 
> ...





AngryGiraffe said:


> It is pretty crazy how Ben's car is almost 90% stock with 100 less hp than our cars and he is setting lap times that are 3 seconds faster:laugh:
> I really need to get a brake upgrade. Also hitting the apex is key and takes me the better part of the day to get it down. It is tough finding that perfect point to accelerate out of the turn.
> 
> [email protected] that guy in the Subie! I hope we finish ahead of him every race.
> ...




Good on you guys to track :thumbup: ! I would definitely be interested to spend some time on a track to get a better feel of what the car does in more extreme situations and also learn how to predict and handle these situations in a safe manner. I enjoy "spirited" driving and feel that I am a reasonably decent driver but nobody is perfect (including me ;-) and there is so much more to learn ...

I like how you noted that power of the car is not everything :thumbup:


Thanks for sharing your experience,


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## A3-Owner (Aug 10, 2015)

AngryGiraffe said:


> It is pretty crazy how Ben's car is almost 90% stock with 100 less hp than our cars and he is setting lap times that are 3 seconds faster:laugh:
> I really need to get a brake upgrade. Also hitting the apex is key and takes me the better part of the day to get it down. It is tough finding that perfect point to accelerate out of the turn.
> 
> [email protected] that guy in the Subie! I hope we finish ahead of him every race.
> ...


I am looking forward to the next race. F that subie owner. I am going to spank him again and this time with some new changes to my car. 

I did get a copy of VCDS and the USB cable today and I left work early to play with it. Here is a cool forum post about what we can change on the MK6 GTI:

http://www.golfmk6.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36478

Since our cars are GTIs with haldex and Audi clothes on, I knew the settings would be very similar. 

I have tried a number of the performance mods tonight.

The torque steer compensation using the steering wheel makes the steering heavier and you can feel the slight change in the FWD aspect of the haldex system. I can't say this helps at all with my UM haldex tune kicking on under moderate acceleration so fast. I will try a lap with it on and see if it helps.

The brake assist set to two really gets the brakes to respond on little pedal travel. This is probably good for a track event. I will give this a try.

The XDS looks like it would help you more then me. I have the front Pelonquin LSD so I didn't use this feature. I think you should try it at track day.

The driving steering recommendation has turned on for me at track day so I may turn that off. 

The disable ESP by turning off the steering wheel sensor really works. I was able to turn off traction control and all other nannies. The car felt more raw and you could tell it was just you, the car and the road. I will turn this off at next track day. I know at times my TC has turned on at track day and has killed some of my turns. One GTI driver on the forums said his lap time improved by 2.5 seconds with his TC off. Maybe I can get similar results. I want to be able to push the car hard like Ben does his BMW.

I think the biggest setting to help with track day will be the the service interval timer. Changing that or resetting it will help greatly on the track..........:screwy:........:facepalm::what:

Back to being serious, I love how we can alter settings on our cars with computer software. Granted we can brick our cars if we don't know what we are doing or we make a mistake but the small risk is worth it. The ability to log also is great. 

Keith there with his TTS is a target for us to reach for. The Subies are there for us to walk all over.

Photo from last track day that Photobucket doesn't let me make public:

https://ibb.co/bYyQUk

You can see the thunder storm on its way but we were able to finish our laps before it fully hit. This photo was taken by the track photographer.


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## dp_motley (Nov 12, 2016)

Hi A3-Owner! As you are going to play with the VCDS today anyway, would you mind to check out what a bit 3 in a byte 13 in central electrics (09) means? I'm looking for a bit that enables the headlight washer system that I just retrofitted. I used Obdeleven to change coding, but it doesn't show any description of a bit, so I have to know exactly what bit to check/uncheck if I need to change anything right. I would appreciate if you could help.


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## A3-Owner (Aug 10, 2015)

dp_motley said:


> Hi A3-Owner! As you are going to play with the VCDS today anyway, would you mind to check out what a bit 3 in a byte 13 in central electrics (09) means? I'm looking for a bit that enables the headlight washer system that I just retrofitted. I used Obdeleven to change coding, but it doesn't show any description of a bit, so I have to know exactly what bit to check/uncheck if I need to change anything right. I would appreciate if you could help.


Sent you a PM with a screenshot. I don't see that bit listed under that section.


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## dp_motley (Nov 12, 2016)

A3-Owner said:


> Sent you a PM with a screenshot. I don't see that bit listed under that section.


Thank you, I saw the screenshot.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

*Huge mod/upgrade update!*

I got a set of these OEM floor mats the other day! 








They should add a few hundred HP and the weight I will save swapping them out with the all weather mats should be enough to put me in a solid 1st place at the time attacks this weekend:laugh:

Seriously though I have been looking for a set of these for a while. The dealer wants a rediculous $170 for a set:screwy:
I got them on Craigslist for $45 shipped.


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## dp_motley (Nov 12, 2016)

Congtats on a bargain deal  Didn't you have the mats before or were they too worn out? 

Where did you get the aluminium foot rest from? I thought wasn't available for an A3 and people modified the TT ones to fit our cars.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

I bought the car used and it came with a set of the all weather mats. The dead peddle\foot rest is from the TT. You really don't have to do much modifying. I'm pretty sure you just have to break a few tabs off the back. Can't really remember at the moment. I'm pretty sure I posted about it on here.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

*034 Motorsport Motor/Trans/Dogbone Mount & HPA Subframe Insert Install*

This weekend I spent most of Saturday night installing some new mounts. Ever since I had my APR tune updated I have been getting some hard shifts. Mostly when I let my foot off the brake after a stop light turns green or rolling away from a stop sign all while giving 15-20% throttle max. Also the car would shift really hard from 2-3 and 3-4 when I was getting on the throttle. Downshifts really haven't been an issue and like always shifting into reverse has been really rough. A lot of this smoothed out when I installed the 034 subframe front and rear insert kit. But over the last few months it has slowly gotten worse. About two weeks ago I put the car on a lift and re torqued all the subframe bolts front/rear but it didn't fix the problem. So I began looking into motor, transmission, and dogbone mounts. I wanted something that was a bit stiffer than stock, but wasn't going to cause to much NVH. As much as I would enjoy a stiffer set up at the track this is still my daily and in the winter I commute 150 miles round trip to the mountains 2-3 times a week. After researching a few different brands and a ton of reviews I ended up getting the 034 motor/trans/subframe inserts. 

I also went with the 034 dogbone mount. I originally was going to get the APR dogbone mount but it was $70 more and it didn't seem to be to much different than the 034. They both were light weight and had spherical bearings. If my car was stage 3 I might have gone with the APR one, but at this time I have no plans for stage 3. Also ECS was having a sale on all the 034 parts so that definitely played a part in my decision making.
Two days after placing my order a friend of mine asked me if I wanted a slightly used HPA subframe insert he recently took out of a customers car who didn't like NVH it caused after installing it. I'm guessing he only had the insert and nothing else done. I figured I would install it with everything else I got. Also installing the 034 two inserts would mean that I would have to drop the subframe and get an alignment. Not sure if I will ever install them. Maybe I the spring when I have some more suspension goodies installed and I will need an alignment. Might end up selling them or waiting some time and see if the upper insert gets weak due to the stiffness of the the HPA lower insert. I also decided to replace all the bolt. I don't think all of the bolts are stretch bolts but I figured new bolts and a good amount of loctite should keep everything in place. 

The install went smoothly. Thanks to the instructions provided by HPA and 034. 034 only has instructions for the dogbone mount but I was able to find an install guide from BFI for the motor and trans mounts so thanks to those guys as well. 
Here is a picture compairing the two Dogbone mounts.

They both felt like they weighed about the same. The 034 might be slightly heavier.
After cutting the rubber out of the oem subframe insert I used a small saw blade by hand to cut a v in the plastic and the old insert practically fell out. 

Just make sure you go really slow and keep checking to make sure you haven't gone all the way through the plastic and into the metal of your subframe. Here is a pic compairing the two inserts.

The more I upgrade more I notice how almost all the rubber in this car is designed for comfort and not for performance.
I will say having something to press it in really did help with the install of the HPA insert. 

I'm sure a rubber mallet would have also worked. Just make sure to work it evenly and take your time. The last thing you want to do is pinch the insert.

Once I got the motor mount out I couldn't believe how much play there was in it. I could easily move it in all directions. The car only has 63,500 miles on it. Now granted the last 20,000 have been some hard miles. The transmission mount was a little better but again I was able to move it in all directions. Here is a pic compairing the motor mounts.

One thing I really liked about the 034 motor/trans mounts is how OEM they looked. You would really have to look to notice that they had been upgraded. 

After installing everything I gave the car a wash and went for a drive. Immediately I could tell the difference. The motor felt more planted. Shifts felt smoother and the clunking in between shifts was gone. There is little to no NVH! Now I do want to say I have already installed a Fluidampr pulley and its supposed to cut down on NVH from upgraded mounts. So I can't say for sure how much NVH the upgrades would add normally. There is a bit of a rough idle right now at lights and stop signs, but I have a feeling some of that will smooth out over time. I haven't even put 100 miles on everything yet. So far I'm really happy with everything. I can't wait to put some miles on the car and I'm really looking forward to this weekends Time Attack event. I will try and update this again on Sunday after I get back from the track.


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## mypixeladdiction (Dec 1, 2011)

I'm really surprised there was no noticeable increase in NVH after the Density Line Inserts. My NVH went up 1000% and I suspected it was them. Next time we're at an event or hanging out we'll have to compare.

:thumbup::thumbup: The car is coming along nicely


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## Ponto (Jan 11, 2012)

The hpa puck mount alone is a worth while upgrade. I think I've almost got 80k km on mine now. And it's been great. 

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk


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## A3-Owner (Aug 10, 2015)

Let's see how they help you this Sunday.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

mypixeladdiction said:


> I'm really surprised there was no noticeable increase in NVH after the Density Line Inserts. My NVH went up 1000% and I suspected it was them. Next time we're at an event or hanging out we'll have to compare.
> 
> :thumbup::thumbup: The car is coming along nicely


Thanks man. There is some noticable NVH. But it's minor. You installed the duel 034 inserts correct? I went with the HPA single insert. It would be nice to compare the cars. I also have the Fluidampr pulley. Maybe it's helping with the NVH more than I thought. If you haven't done your tensioner yet you should have the pulley installed when you have it done. They have to take off the OEM pulley to do the tensioner so the labor is practically free. It's a win/win. Except for the part where you have to pay at the end. There is no winning there:laugh:


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Ponto said:


> The hpa puck mount alone is a worth while upgrade. I think I've almost got 80k km on mine now. And it's been great.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk


Yeah I was pretty excited to get it and try it out. I just wish I could have gotten it a few days sooner. I wouldn't have gotten the other inserts. Oh well can never have to many car parts


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

A3-Owner said:


> Let's see how they help you this Sunday.


Yeah. Can't wait for Sunday! Not sure how much a difference it will make for lap times. Weight wise everything was pretty close to OEM. Give or take a few grams here and there. Have you seen the layout for this months course? It looks pretty fast. Don't think it works in our advantage at all. Turns 1&2 look tight but that it pretty much opens up. Either way it should be a fun day. You rolling out with us or are you staying in The Springs again?


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## A3-Owner (Aug 10, 2015)

AngryGiraffe said:


> Yeah. Can't wait for Sunday! Not sure how much a difference it will make for lap times. Weight wise everything was pretty close to OEM. Give or take a few grams here and there. Have you seen the layout for this months course? It looks pretty fast. Don't think it works in our advantage at all. Turns 1&2 look tight but that it pretty much opens up. Either way it should be a fun day. You rolling out with us or are you staying in The Springs again?


I will head down to the Springs with you guys this time.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

i figured I would update this since I haven't in a while. Just before winter I had to have an emissions test done. My car wouldn't pass so I had to have my APR downpipe cut to allow for a bigger test cat.








The APR cat would normally have passed emissions but my K03 is starting to go bad. So it was either cut the downpipe(something I really didn't want to do) or go K04. As much as I would have liked to go K04 and plan on do it in the future it wasn't the time to do it. Mostly because if I go K04 I will be bumped up to the AWD A class in the Time Attack Series and I'm still enjoying the competition in the B class. I could also have bought another K03 but that would have been foolish and more money than having the test pipe made. The plus side is that the car now is cattless and I can hear the Miltek exhaust much better. It also gained some of the DGS farts back. The APR DSG tune definitely quieted them down some but now they are back. 

Since then things have been pretty quite. It's been a pretty disappointing winter here in Colorado snow wise and I have been working 12+ hour days 6 days a week. The good news is I've had no time to enjoy the limited amounts of snow and have been spending most of my money on car parts. 








For now boxes are starting to collect under my table in anticipation for this years race season. I am still waiting on a few more things and will have some more updates in the spring. Until then it's back to work and spending any free time researching parts. Cheers :beer:


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## PreMier (Jan 4, 2006)

dang, thats a bit of a bummer on the k03 going bad right now. glad you were able to get the emissions sorted and still enjoy the car. the k04 will change it so much, its crazy. have you noticed a change in the nvh of your mounts since install?

ive gone a few thousand miles and either im used to them, or they have gotten quite a bit better. i visited some family in salt lake late january, and i couldnt believe it was 50 degrees and very little snow!


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Funny you are the second person to ask me about the mounts and I have noticed very little NVH. This could be because of 2 things. 1 I have the Fluidampr Pulley installed and it's supposed to cut down on NVH from mounts or 2 NVH doesn't really bother me and I tend not to notice it.:laugh:

Yeah I have some friends in SLC and they are struggling about as bad as we are.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

After a year or two of getting sick of this happening every time it goes from cold to warm/warm to cold outside.









I decided to get a BlendMount for my Valentine 1









It defenetly wasn't cheap, but it's one of those upgrades that I think why the hell didn't I do this when I got the Valentine 1? It moves the radar detector closer to the driver and makes it easier to read/see what band is going off. BlendMount was super helpful on deciding what mount will work for your car. They have like 8 different mirrors listed for the 8p A3. Just email them with a picture of your mirror and they will get back to you(within a day in my case) with a link to the mount that will work for your car/mirror. It shipped fast and was easy to install. They have mounts for most of the more popular radar detectors. If you are in the market check them out. Their mounts are quality. 

I have quite the pile of parts in my apartment right now and will be updating this thread often in the coming weeks, but for now it's just the radar mount.


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## PreMier (Jan 4, 2006)

that does look quality. how do you like it since its lower? does it get in the way of your vision at all?


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

I like it in the new lower spot a lot more and it doesn't get in the way at all. Also it's nice to not have to reach across the car to turn the volume up/down.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

*Porsche 17z BBK*

Over the winter I spent some time trying to figure what would be my next big purchase for the car. I’m pretty maxed out HP wise for my class in the Time Attack series and I do plan on going K04 at some point, but for now I’m happy in the class I’m in. So I figured I would spend most of this race season focusing on the main area my car is lacking. Which is braking and suspension.
The brake upgrade(stainless lines/TyrolSport caliper stiffing kit/slotted rotors/Street pads) I did a year or so has been good, but they were a weak point of the car for sure. Originally I was going to go the rout that most do with the Porsche Boxster NQSBBK as it’s effective and doesn’t cost a fortune. 
While researching different kits I came across the 17z kits that RotorLab makes. After speaking with Rob the owner of on the phone a few times I was convinced this was the kit for my car. The added stopping power, easy ability to swap track/daily pads, and price put this kit at the top of my list. Also the size and look of these calipers is unbeatable.










I ordered the kit mid January and Rob assured me he would have my kit shipped to me in time for my install date in mid April and in time for the first Time Attack event. The kit showed up at my work about a week early and as soon as I opened the box I could tell that Rob and his guys do quality work. The calipers looked amazing! 










A week later I dropped my car off at my tuner BlueWater Performance to do the brake install and a few other suspension upgrades(more on those later) Overall the kit went in pretty smoothly. There were a few hang ups here and there but the guys were able to get everything installed and after a few days I was able to pick up my car. 










Daily review:
Immediately I noticed a difference, but let’s be honest it would be impossible not to notice. The car now stops on a dime and in every day traffic I only have to lightly press the pedal(maybe 10-15%) to get the car to stop. For testing purposes I stomped the brake on a side street and was amazed on how quickly the car stopped. Luckily I had my seatbelt on or I would have smashed my big dumb head on my windshield. 

Track review:
This past weekend was our first Time Attack event of the season and overall I didn’t do to well. I finished 9th/17 and much higher up than I would have liked. It was a bit of a challenge getting used to the car and it’s new upgrades. Before the event I had only driven the car to and from work(5 miles each way) and wasn’t able to put any highway or mountain miles on the car due to work being super busy and weather not being very cooperative. But the brakes did perform really well and I noticed the difference for sure. It was hard to get used to the setup since we only got 5 laps and each lap was spaced out about an hour and a half due to the fact that there were 271 drivers when last year we had maybe 125-150 max. This weekend there is an open lapping event at another local track and I should be able to get used to the new set up of the car and give a better review of the kit. 









Pros:
Looks-the calipers look so good behind my summer wheels(well all my wheels)It’s hard not to notice them each time I walk out to my car. 
Size- the 6 pistons provide more than enough stopping power and lets be honest it’s probably overkill for our car. I will probably get a set of R32 rears at some point just to balance out the braking. 
Price- I paid around $1100 total for the kit, pads, lines, and shipping. Which wasn’t to much more compared to sourcing, refinishing, and having a Boxster kit rebuilt. 

Cons: 
I’ve only had the kit for about a week so if there are more to this list I will update it in the future but here is what I’ve gathered so far.

Noise- it’s probably just the EBC red pads I’m running, but the brake squeal is pretty bad. Good thing is you can swap pads on this kit in a few minutes and I plan to run a quieter pad for daily driving so I’m not really sure if this falls under a con.

Wheel fitment- the biggest problem with this kit is getting wheels to fit with it. I have 3 different sets of wheels and all of them need spacers to clear the calipers. Luckily none of them poke(as I can’t stand the look of poked wheels) but the car is on the verge of poke and has a much more aggressive stance now. Also I’m getting some fender liner rub on my summer wheels(18’s) due to the spacers. I have found a few company’s that said they make wheels that fit without spacers in a kit this big so I will be selling my summer wheels eventually when I have the money to get something that fits a bit better/with no spacers. 
As of now that’s about all I have for pros/cons. Also I will be selling my old brake upgrade in the classifieds soon. I just need to clean everything up and take some photos. Pm me if you are interested.

Like always I would like to thank Jaryd, Ben, Alex, and all the guys over at BlueWater Performance for the top quality work they continue to do on my car. Also I would like to thank Rob at RotorLab for his quality work and for getting my kit done in time for the first race of the season.


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## Bronco (Mar 3, 2011)

Nicely done sir ! :thumbup:


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## PreMier (Jan 4, 2006)

Those look great! I can definitely see how that would jack your lap times up. You have to learn the car all over again. I’m still debating on the front kit to run then I’ll go with the mk5 R32 rears as well


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Thanks guys! So far the kit has been great.


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## PreMier (Jan 4, 2006)

oh i meant to ask, what wheels will you be going with to accommodate the new brakes? im concerned that mine wont work when i upgrade brakes.. and with the offset i have now there would be poke with spacer :facepalm:


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

I haven't really made it that far with the wheels. I know Enki made a couple of sets that were supposed to fit. I've kind of warmed up to the aggressive stance it has now and I'm not entirely sure if I am going to buy a set of wheels just yet. What's your offset? My summer Niche wheels are a 42 so if you are below that you will be fine. I have to run a 20mm spacer up front and I have very little/no poke.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

The last weekend of April is the spring track day that a local dealership Emich VW puts on. It’s always a lot of fun and a good time to really get a feel for any new parts I’ve put on the car. 
I was especially excited for this event because of the new brake kit and I now have a dedicated set of track wheels/tires. I got a set of TR Motorsport FF10’s(17x8) and some Hankook Ventus RS-4’s (225/45/17’s)








The wheels were not my first choice. It's not that I don't like the way that they look it's just that they are kind of basic looking. But at the end of the day they are track wheels and looking good really isn't one of their jobs. The main reason I ended up with these is because of cost and weight. I got the set for less that $600 and they only weigh 16lbs! Compared to my summer wheels which weigh 26lbs. These were a huge drop in unsprung weight. I decided to get 17's because of the weight savings, cheaper tires, and my 18's rub pretty bad now being spaced. These wheels also have to be spaced to clear the new BBK.








Since they have to be spaced out so far they also give the car a more agressive look much like my summer wheels. But enough talk about the wheels let's focus on the the important part. The tires. 
These tires are super sticky! They are the highest rated tires I am able to use in my class at the Time Attack series. The grip in the dry in phenomenal! I used to think the Michelin Pilot Sport a/s3's I have for summer were grippy, but these blow them out of the water. Now grip in the rain. Well thank (whatever God you subscribe to)I haven't had to drive with them in the rain yet, but I'm sure it will happen at some point this summer coming home from the track and since I'm a betting man I'm sure it will be late in the season and they will we significantly worn by then. Oh and did I mention that the drive home from the track is about an hour and a half of highway speeds where the speed limit is 75mph and no one does it. To top it off it's along a mountain range where the weather likes to change drastically without warning? Ask A3-Owner he knows what I'm talking about. Haha

Anyways lets get to the important stuff. Stuff like lap times and performance. My personal best lap at High Plains Raceway last season was a 2:23:30. With the new wheels/tires, and BBK I was hoping to get around the 2:20:00 mark. The first few laps were frustrating because I hit some traffic and wasn't able to get a clean lap in. But later in the afternoon a lot of car started to leave and the track started to quiet down. 








On lap 6 I put down a 2:17:61 and couldn't believe it! The car felt great but I had just put 3 hard laps on her and temps were starting to point me towards the pits. After a good 45 minutes of cool down I decided to call it a day. Open lapping really likes to eat tires/brake pads and I need this set up to last the rest of the season. Maybe at the end of race season when Emich does their Fall open lapping day I can push the car harder and get in the range of 2:15:00. Most of all what I got from the session was a feel for the car again. The braking points had changed dramatically. For instance the straight section of the track I usually get to about 105-108mph and then start braking at the first marker(1of5) now I'm able to get to 110-115mph and brake later(around 3/5) before the next turn. This is pretty common with every turn. I'm now able to take a lot more speed into a corner and still achieve slow in fast out. I think the biggest problem I had at the last time attack event was I didn't know where my limit was with the car. I now have a better understanding of where my limit is and am really looking forward to this months Time Attack event. 

Sorry if this sounds a bit much like the ramblings of a guy who has had a few beers. This is because as I write this I'm sipping on a cold beer at anairport bar about to take a much needed vacation. I will have some more update when I get back in town. Until then!
Cheers
:beer:AG!:beer:


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## PreMier (Jan 4, 2006)

AngryGiraffe said:


> I haven't really made it that far with the wheels. I know Enki made a couple of sets that were supposed to fit. I've kind of warmed up to the aggressive stance it has now and I'm not entirely sure if I am going to buy a set of wheels just yet. What's your offset? My summer Niche wheels are a 42 so if you are below that you will be fine. I have to run a 20mm spacer up front and I have very little/no poke.


18x8.5 and et 45, i think by "below" its an increased number?

edit: congrats on the new lap time!


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

*Time for a break!!!!!*

A few weeks ago I took a much needed vacation and went to Granollers Spain see the F1 race at The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.









The race was so much fun and was the 2nd F1 race I have attended(many more in the years to come) 










I'm not going to lie I spent some time wishing there was some way I could afford to bring my car to this track and take some laps, but unfortunately my pockets just aren't that deep. Being a RedBull fan the race didn't go the best but the team finished 3rd & 5th so overall it was a good race. Many pints were consumed and while I was at the track I fell in love with this BMW. Haha










Not going to lie. If we had them in the states I MIGHT think about trading my car in for one. Some coils, a set of wheels, a tune, and some suspension goodies and that car could be a lot of fun. 

After the race I spent a week in the city of Barcelona. Mostly wandering the streets in search of delicious food, beer, and conversation with local F1 fans. One of the first things I noticed when I got to Spain was how many 8p A3's there were. I started out the first few day taking pictures of all the A3's. 1.6/1.8ltrs, 2.0's, and TDI's. Guys there were dozens! I took so many photos that I soon became bored. Haha so here is a couple of pictures of some of them.










It wasn't uncommon to see 2 of them on any given block.










I kept thinking somewhere in Spain there is a graveyard full of interior/exterior parts for our cars!:laugh:
I only saw one RS3 while I was in town, but he was in the city and was only creeping through the intersection as my jaw dropped. Tomorrow I will post another upgrade/update on the car. I just figured I would share this with you. Until then cheers:beer:
May your pints be full and frosty!
AG-


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

*Control arms, bushings, wheel bearings, and ball joints*

While the brakes were being installed I also had BlueWater install some B6 Passat control arms. I had a set of B6 Passat spindles to go with it, but unfortunately they wouldn’t bolt up with the new BBK. Even with the brackets that RotorLab provided. So along with the old brake upgrade I will be posting these in the classified section. 










The weight savings were only minimal so not being able to install them didn’t really bother me to much. What they were able to install were the control arms, RS3 rear control arm bushings, new wheel bearings, new ball joints, and also a new set of lower control arm bushings(all OEM) since the set that came on the used control arms were in pretty rough shape. 










I was able to do a pretty good job cleaning up the control arms/spindles using a red scotchbrite and a waffle wheel on a right angle grinder at a slow speed. Any squirrel or small rodent that I run over will surely be impressed. 

Before









After









The new control arms and stiffer bushings have really made a difference suspension wise. Making everything a bit stiffer and also gaining a bit of unsprung weight. There is also a bit of a better turn in radius. Which is helpful for sure. 




















While talking with the guys at BlueWater their opinion is that if I want to get rid of the rubbing issues up front my only/next move would be camber plates for the front, a set of rear adjustable control arms and a set of rear adjustable toe links. I have no problem with doing the rear, but I don’t really want to pay to drop the front suspension for a 3rd time. So I’m not to sure that camber plates will be getting ordered in the near future. The rubbing issues I’m having are really only track/spirited driving related so at this point I will live with it.

I still have a plans for some more suspension upgrades, but that won't be until late summer/fall or next spring. For now I'm happy with the way the car handles & brakes. Now that vacation is over I guess it's time to spend the summer focusing on other areas of the car. As soon as hail season ends I will get back to enjoying the new mods. For now it's back to late nights at work and using my bike as transportation. One day I will grow up and buy a second car/truck:laugh:


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

*KMD Tuning lower stress bar & ECS Street Shield mod*

Over the winter I was doing some research on ways to stiffen up the front of the vehicle without adding an upgraded sway bar/end links. Personally I was happy with the stiffness of the suspension in the front end and was just looking for a way to just tighten up the subframe/frame, try and reduce some body roll, and help improve the turn in that the control arms had produced. I came across the KMD Tuning lower stress bar while reading through A couple forums. 
https://www.golfmk6.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1767049
Here is a link for an in depth review for this part and what to expect from it. They have updated the bar since it first came out. Here is the most recent version of it for our platform.










The bar(from what little I have driven the car) definitely makes the front end feel stiffer/more planted. It feels like there is less body roll when entering a turn, but I just did the control arms so it's kind of hard to tell how much it's helped at this point. I kind of wished I had done it before I had the arms installed so I could get a better feel. For it. I have done quite a bit to the front end this spring and haven't been driving much (150-200 miles max) in the last month and a half. So at this point everything feels new, different, and is taking some time to get used to. It's showing in how I'm placing in the time attack series for sure. It's been hard getting a feel for the car when at this point in the year it only gets driven to and from the track. All of this will end once hail season is over here in the Rockies and I can take the car out for some much needed spirited driving through the twisty mountain roads.










The one problem I ran into with the bar was that it sits pretty low and when installed I wasn't able to put my ECS street shield back on. I drove the car a few time without it but didn't like the fact that I no longer had anything protecting my oil pan. So I brought the car back into the shop and began measuring and cutting the shield. I was able to cut the shield to allow it to make room for the bar while still protecting the oil pan.










Also as a coincidental bonus I am now able to access my drain plug without having to remove the shield for an oil change. If you have one of these shields you know what a PITA it is. So it's a win/win as far as I can see. 










Although I have recently been looking into oil extractors since I track the car often and like to change my oil(probably more often than I need) after a few track days/time attacks. Even though mileage wise it doesn't make much sense.


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## Tjtalan (Jan 19, 2013)

Very cool I will be looking into this!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## A3-Owner (Aug 10, 2015)

Copy cat time. I just ordered mine. Now I need to get my street shield cut like yours. That is awesome that you can get to your oil drain plug now. Will it drain cleanly into your oil container with the shield still on?


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

A3-Owner said:


> Will it drain cleanly into your oil container with the shield still on?


Not sure. I haven't changed the oil since I cut it.

Also you will have to get some longer bolts/spacers for the 3 bolts in the rear of the shield that connect it to the subframe. That or cut away more of the shield on the sides.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Also not sure if KMD still has the rear upper stress bar(boomerang) listed on their site, but if the do don't buy it if you have a Quattro. It will not fit the car and you will have to send it back. Luckily enough for me they allowed me to return with some heavy/deep scratches in it from trying to install it.


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## A3-Owner (Aug 10, 2015)

I will see about getting the Street Shield adjusted when the PNP K04 is going in soon.

You asked about chassis bracing since Unibrace stopped making the hatch brace for our cars and now is only making the underside brace. I love my Unibrace but you pay a premium for the brace.

https://www.eurosportacc.com/produc...-D3UQ5tWqG2TLUOLoT3F8UMaldF0epRBoCUB0QAvD_BwE

This looks like a good, cheaper alternative. It is only two contacts points in your chassis but I don't think having four, like the Unibrace, is going to make much of a difference. The other plus is that you can still use your hatch more or less. At least you have more room to get something under this brace. With my Unibrace, my hatch capability is greatly reduced with a wide brace in the back between the seats and trunk.

Look at Tyrol's brace and ask them if it fits an Audi A3 if that one looks good.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Thanks for the link. The only problem I see with that bar is it looks permanent. One thing I really like about the Unibrace is it’s removable with the pins. A permanent bar would be a giant PIA when I have to swap tires in the spring/fall. I will look into Tyrol’s brace as well or see if I can convince the guy at Unibrace to make me one for my A3.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

*RNS-E & 2015 Q3 Climate Contro*

The next few updates are going to be interior/exterior related. I feel like it's always good to break things up when working on the car. i might have a few more performance related updates later this summer/fall.

RNS-E
I've always wanted one of these and often curse the PO for not buying one when the vehicle was built. I'm not a big fan of the aftermarket head units. I know there are a few good ones out there, but most of them are garbage. Plus I prefer the clean look of the OEM unit. Also from what I've read with most of the aftermarket units you are no longer able to use the MFSW and that's a deal breaker for me. 
I was able to find a used RNS-E from one of the vender we use at the shop. I got a really good deal on it because the screen was heavily scratched. But typically the scratches are in the anti glare coating and not in the screen and usually they can be repaired/cleaned up. I got pretty lucky with the scratching and was able to fix it. Next I installed an anti glare screen protector that I got online. I'm really happy with how it turned out. Installing the unit was super easy since I've had the radio out before. 










One thing I was unaware of and found cool was the navigation now shows up in the DIS and I find myself using it more than my phone now just so I don't have to look down as much. I also purchased a cheap knock off updated map disc on eBay that didn't work. Good thing it was less than $10(you get what you pay for right?)I found a better quality disc with better reviews so I ordered it. Should be here in the next few days. Hopefully this copy works. The unit has the 09/10 disc right now which is missing quite a few streets/addresses in my city & state. 

Before









After









2015 Q3 Climate control
While I had everything apart I decided to install a used Q3 climate control. Mostly just because I think it looks so much cleaner. The white LED display goes with the DIS so much better and I also really like the high/medium/low button for the heated seats more than the 6 setting wheel that came with the car. There was a little coding to be done to get everything working also the temperature setting on the seats for Q3 are set much higher and made the highest setting way to hot so I turned it down. Another cool feature I found(this might also work with the A3 climate control) is if you turn both switches at the same time you can lock both zones. So you can change them both with just the drivers switch. Now as soon as the passenger changes their temperature it will unlock, but it's a cool little feature none the less.


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## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

AngryGiraffe said:


> if you turn both switches at the same time you can lock both zones. So you can change them both with just the drivers switch. Now as soon as the passenger changes their temperature it will unlock, but it's a cool little feature none the less.


Another cool trick (at least on my earlier red screened A3 climate control) is if you want to have the temperature setting scroll faster, you can turn the knob towards hotter or colder and also hold down the corresponding fan up/down button at the same time. It'll flick through the degrees much faster.


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## Ponto (Jan 11, 2012)

AngryGiraffe said:


> The next few updates are going to be interior/exterior related. I feel like it's always good to break things up when working on the car. i might have a few more performance related updates later this summer/fall.
> 
> RNS-E
> I've always wanted one of these and often curse the PO for not buying one when the vehicle was built. I'm not a big fan of the aftermarket head units. I know there are a few good ones out there, but most of them are garbage. Plus I prefer the clean look of the OEM unit. Also from what I've read with most of the aftermarket units you are no longer able to use the MFSW and that's a deal breaker for me.
> ...


Pretty sure if you push and hold the auto button it syncs them as well.

I always have/had my sync'd and the wife always changes it. Drives me nuts haha OCD problems. 

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk


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## PreMier (Jan 4, 2006)

i think i like the red better, but its probably nostalgia lol. that looks really nice though. did you notice any sound quality changes with the upgrade?


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Sound quality seems to be the same as before.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

*RS3 Looking Rear Diffuser*

This is an exterior mod I have been looking to do for quite some time, but getting one of these in the states is a lot harder than one might think. If you look hard enough on eBay you can find them. I purchased 2 of them both from different vendors. Then received an email a day or so later saying "Sorry but we have refunded your order. We do not ship to the United States" even though it says ships worldwide on the website. 










So with some help from forum member dp_motley (who lives in Denmark) I was able to find a company that sells them in Europe. I then had the seller ship it to my friend in Germany. Once she received it she shipped it my way. 

It took a few weeks, but when the box finally got here it was destroyed and I had little faith that when I opened it I would find the diffuser in one piece. Much to my surprise the diffuser had made it in tact. Overall the quality of the diffuser was pretty good. I did have to do some trimming while I was I pre fitting it. There was also a lot of imperfections in the fiberglass so I had to sand and prime it three separate times. Sorry I didn't take any pics of the painting process. I was eager to get working on it and forgot to take pictures. I do have a picture of it after I painted the lip and unmasked it.










First I painted it gloss black, then sanded down the lip and sprayed it silver with a matte clear coat. While I was painting the lip of the diffuser I decided to paint the lip on the front bumper to match.



















Overall I'm really happy with how both pieces turned out. I think it make the rear end of the car stand out a lot more and I never really was a fan of the look of the OEM gun metal finish on both bumpers. Now they match the S-line badges on the fenders. Here is a before and after photo.










And a few different angles of the diffuser of the car out of the shop.


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## dp_motley (Nov 12, 2016)

Wow, thats great news! I'm glad you didn't give up on this diffuser. 
Looks great! The silver lip painted more accurate then mine. Well done!


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## bangarng (Aug 24, 2017)

That looks awesome! What are your thoughts on the RS3 spoiler?


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

dp_motley said:


> Wow, thats great news! I'm glad you didn't give up on this diffuser.
> Looks great! The silver lip painted more accurate then mine. Well done!


Thanks man! I'm really happy with how it turned out.



bangarng said:


> That looks awesome! What are your thoughts on the RS3 spoiler?


Thanks! I would love to get ahold of an OEM RS3 spoiler, but they are stupid expensive and hard to find. From what I've seen/read the aftermarket ones don't fit/look very good. So it's on my list just way down at the bottom.


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## Ponto (Jan 11, 2012)

Glad to see you still progressing with this beauty! Nice work man. 

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Thanks Ponto and congrats on the new car! Can't wait to see what you do with it.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

*Schwaben Oil Extractor, K&P Engineering Oil Filter, and GrüvenParts Billet Aluminum Dipstick Handle*

An oil extractor has been on my list for a while now. I have talked with a few guys at the track who use them and have gotten positive feedback for the most part. The one thing everyone said was to do a traditional oil change about every 5/6th oil change. I ended up getting the Schwaben oil extractor from ECS because they were having a sale. It is super easy to use and works great. I love the fact that you can use it anyplace. It also came with two different sized hoses. One of which conveniently fits in my catch can drain tube perfectly. This will now be my preferred method of monthly draining my catch can as well. 










I read about the K&P oil filter online and was interested in the idea of a reusable oil filter. Also they are a local company and it looks great under the hood. It is supposed to protect against oil contamination, have consistent filtering across entire filter surface, magnetic pre filtering, and 7 times the flow of comparable paper oil filters. From the looks of it it should be pretty easy to clean and reuse.



















The GrüvenParts Dipstick handle has been one of those things that I’ve wanted for a while now, but never really had a reason to buy. I figured I might as well do it now as it adds some more aluminum under the hood to match the Porsche oil cap and the new K&E filter. The install was kind of a PIA and I’m still not really happy with the way it is currently fitting so I am going to go back and re trim it next time I work on the car. It was getting late and it had been along day at the shop(on my day off) so I left it for now. If you buy one of these all I can say is go slow and take your time when cutting off the old handle. It's really hard getting the base of the old handle flat enough for the new handle to sit flush, without cutting into the metal of the dipstick itself.










Lastly here is a picture of how everything looks under the hood.


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## Ponto (Jan 11, 2012)

Looking sharp!


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## absolutt (Aug 10, 2007)

Very nice upgrades -- your A3 is looking sharp!

I wish the 2010 rear diffuser would work for the 2006-08 bumpers... just don't like what was offered for earlier A3 models.


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## PreMier (Jan 4, 2006)

AG, did they ever figure out what your oil pressure issue was?


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Replaced oil pump and sensor. So far the light has not come in the 500 miles I've put on the car. So at this point fingers are crossed.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

*Time Attack, New Track Cars, and Wheel Hangers*

So ever since the oil pump issue the car has been running good. Unfortunately it caused me to miss a race. Luckily they drop your 2 lowest scores so the 0 for not racing that event will be dropped along with the race I missed while I was in Spain. 

The Time Attack event went pretty good overall. I finished 5th in my class. I was fighting for 3rd/4th all day and had good pace on my final lap to regain the position, but I hit a cone on the 8th turn and got a DNF. Overall I was really happy with how the car performed and have 1 more upgrade to put on before the last race of the season in a few weeks. 
Here are a few pictures from the event that make my car look a lot faster than it is. 



















BlueWater Performance brought out their new track car. It used to be one of APR's S3 race cars. This thing is completely stripped and fast as hell. The guys at the shop have big plans for this car and I can't wait to see what they do with it. I will make sure to post some pictures of it next season.










Lastly I picked up one of these wheel hangers from ECS. If you swap your wheels a lot like I do this thing is a must have. Pretty cheap(around $12) and takes the pain out of wrestling with the wheel while threading the bolt. 


















Excuse the dirty calipers. I just got home from the race and hadn’t washed the car yet.


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## Bronco (Mar 3, 2011)

AngryGiraffe,

dirty callipers excused, great stuff and a great read, thank you and good luck with your future racing (any left this season?).


Cheers,


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

1 race left for the season and I will post the results of the race/how I finished for the season. I might start a new thread next year for racing or just keep adding them here. Not sure just yet.


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## PreMier (Jan 4, 2006)

so cool! :thumbup:


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

*Tyrolsport Stage 2 Hatch brace, Final race of the season & overall race points*

Sorry for the late post. The final race of the season was a few weeks ago and I have had family in town. So I am now finally getting around to posting this.

Unfortunately Unibrace no longer makes a brace for our cars. So after a little bit of searching I found the Tyrolsport brace. It was a bit of work getting everything installed and I had to cut away a bit of the fabric in the car to make it work. Also there is nothing from the factory to mount the Stage 2 bar. Luckily there were holes predrilled in the body so all I had to do was install some nutcerts. But it was a typical installing you know the ones where you say to yourself "this should only take an hour. Two tops!" and next thing you know its getting dark outside, your tired, hungry, and it"s taken 4 hours to install.:banghead:










Overall I'm really happy with how it turned out and it helps stiffen the rear of the car up a bunch. The effects were noticed instantly at the track. The best way I've heard it described is hatchbacks are like a shoe box that is missing the rear panel of the box. Causing our cars to flex a lot and this brace is basically like putting that panel back in the box. I also like the fact that its easy to remove for snowboard season or when I have to haul around a set of wheels. The brace isn't cheap, but I feel like it's worth it. If you don't track your car then I'd probably say its not needed.

The last race of the season was a lot of fun. The track layout was full of turns and suited the car. I finished in 6th place and I finished in 6th place overall in my class. It has been a really fun season. I feel like I've learned a ton about the car and about driving/racing. I can't wait until next season. I probably wont post much over the winter since I don't plan on doing much to the car. I do have a few big updates/installs planned for the spring so stay tuned. Here is one last picture of the car from the last round of the Time Attack series


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

*Airbag recall finally done.*

Well for over a year I've been getting notices and letters telling me I had to have my Airbag recall done. Then I'd call the dealer only to be told the parts weren't available for my car yet. Well I finally got a phone call a few weeks ago that the parts were in and had the recall done this morning. It only took about 2 hours. now hopefully Audi will stop sending me notices every few weeks. Fingers crossed


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

*K04 Turbo Install, New Tunes, and more!*

The K04 install is an upgrade that I have been looking forward to and prepping the car for over the last 2 years. Getting everything ready so I could essentially drop in the turbo, tune it and then go have some fun. So last fall when A3Owner decided to part out and sell off his A3 I bought his new(only 2 months old and he only put a few thousand miles on it) port and polished Integrated Engineering K04 Turbo. The port and polish was done by SoCal Porting. Being the good friend that A3Owner was(we raced together often) he gave me the PTP Turbo Blanket to go along with it. 

I bought everything from him just before winter this past year and didn't really want to have it installed before snowboard season. Mostly because I wanted to get a good feel for the new power, learn the cars new boundaries, and just enjoy it on some dry roads. So putting a turbo that I have wanted for over 3 years in a box on a shelf in my apartment and staring at it for 5ish months was no easy task. 









A pic of the turbo before it went into its box of a long winters nap.

Eventually spring arrived and 2 weeks ago I made an appointment with the guys over at BlueWater Performane to have it installed. If you are in Colorado I highly recommend bringing your car to their shop. They do amazing work. Give them a follow on Instagram and you will see they are constantly doing so great builds. While the car was in the shop I began discussing tuning options with Jaryd. I have to this point been running APR tunes. There are a few things I've really liked over the years when it comes to APR. there have also been some things that I haven't liked as well. I'm not going to get into the details of what I like/don't like, but overall I would say my experience with APR tunes have been very good. So the thought of switching tunes was something I had to think about for a few days. The idea of switching ECU tunes wasn't to big for me since either way I was going to have to pay for a K04 tune, but the idea of spending another $500 on a TCU tune was something I was going to have to think about for a few days. I have had issues with my APR DSG tune ever since there was an update to the tune about a year or two ago. After the update the car never really would shift correctly. We tried re flashing the tune several times but it would always shift hard. Also from a red to green light in traffic the car had almost a stutter. It's kind of hard to explain. It almost felt like a manual transmission about to stall. I have driven/ridden along with several A3's and GTI's with the same stage 2 ECU/TCU combo I had and never felt the issue and when I told the owner they said they had also never experienced my issue. So maybe it was something with that particular tune and the way I have my car modded. I don't know. Either way I was nervous that spending the money on the tune would solve this. 









The best pick of the blanket I could get after it was installed on the car.

In the end I decided to go with the United Motorsports ECU&DSG tunes. I can say that the car still shifts kind of hard. Now I know most of it is due to my upgraded motor/trans, puck, and dog bone mounts, but I feel like the car now shifts smoother. Also the standing start issue is completely gone and I like the fact that I no longer have to turn off TCS to use launch control(even though 99% of the time when I use launch control its at the track and I of course already have TCS off) it's just ready to go at all times. So overall I'd say I'm happy that I made the switch. Also I can't compare the UM and ARP ECU tunes since I have only driven my car with the UM tune, but hopefully soon I will run into someone with a K04 APR tune and go for a lap around the track with them.

Ok so now for the fun part the turbo review! I can't really give much of a review on the turbo blanket and port/polish since I didn't have the turbo on the car without these. I will just give an overall review. 
The car is sooooo much more fun now. The power difference is amazing. The car is so much more responsive in higher gears. 2nd & 3rd are obviously much improved and the car really pulls hard now in these gears, but I've really been enjoying 4th & 5th on highway drives. When I'm cruzing on the highway in 6th and need to pass I just downshift to 5th and the car just moves!. Also the turbo is a lot louder than the K03 and I can now really hear my intake and GFB diverter valve. With the K03 I had to actually listen for them, but now they are audible with the windows up in the cabin. I feel like this is what a stage 1 tunes 8p S3 and must feel like and wish they would have just brought over an S model version of our cars so many years ago. I'm really happy with the car and how everything has turned out. There are a few more things I have planned for the car for this summer, but at this point it's just time to go drive/enjoy it!

Also race season starred back up a week or so ago. I'm just waiting for the official times to be posted. Have been thinking about making a separate thread dedicated to the time attack series I take part in and other track days. Mostly just me rambling about the season with some pictures and videos.

Until then here's a picture from the 1st race of the season.


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## npace (Sep 3, 2012)

Looks good, and congrats on the turbo. Did bluewater tell you your power numbers? In the end it really doesn't matter, but I'm curious about a pnp'd K04 vs. what I'm currently running.


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## PreMier (Jan 4, 2006)

Yea, congrats! im stoked for you getting the k04, it makes all the difference in the world. does this mean your class changes in the racing?


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

npace said:


> Looks good, and congrats on the turbo. Did bluewater tell you your power numbers? In the end it really doesn't matter, but I'm curious about a pnp'd K04 vs. what I'm currently running.


I don't have dyno #'s just yet but I will post them when I do. I should be in the 345whp range at sea level so sadly it will only be on the low 300's here in Colorado. I do plan on going on a road trip somewhere out west and having some fun with how the car is really supposed to perform later this summer.




PreMier said:


> Yea, congrats! im stoked for you getting the k04, it makes all the difference in the world. does this mean your class changes in the racing?


Yep I have moved up to the AWD A class now. There are some really fast cars in this class and I have my work cut out for me this season. So happy it's race season!

Oh and congrats to both of you on what you are currently doing to your cars. PreMier that brake kit looks killer and Npace that manual swap is insane! Keep up the good work guys.


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## SuperAudiA3 (Oct 6, 2018)

This change in class will get you away from Stacey's TT . 

Look at Ultra Racing USA for the extra braces you can get for your car. I like them.

Enjoy the turbo turbro and the UM tunes.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Haven’t posted on here in a while. I have been lurking and trying to comment if I have anything useful to say or if I can help. I've been pretty busy with life and to be honest I haven’t done much with the car lately. It’s hail season here in Colorado so I haven’t been racing and the car has sat in the garage for the better part of 2 months. 

A few days before I left for Montréal(Canadian F1 Grand Prix) the water pump decided it had enough and left me with a $700 bill. Great timing & thanks car. Even with the unexpected car trouble the GP was a ton of fun and I was able to meet up with an old friend, have some beers, and watch some racing. 










Before I put the car away for the spring I found a guy with a set of 18x8 OZ Ultraleggera’s that were in really good condition. I was able to talk him down on the price and sold my old wheels in the process so the swap only cost me about $350. The wheels originally were flat black, but the black wheels didn’t really work with what I was trying to do with the car. 










So I decided to strip the wheels down and paint them aluminum matte to match my S3 mirrors, front lip spoiler, and rear diffuser. Here is picture of them after I painted them. They came out with a little bit more gloss than I wanted, but overall I really like them. 










After that I got a set of 225/40/ZR18 Hankook Ventus S1’s for the car. This wheel set will only get about 3000 miles a year and most of my spirited driving is done at the track and I have have a track set up so I was just looking for something with decent grip and not total trash in the spring & fall in heavy rain/light snow. 










Unfortunately they still don’t fit the 17z BBK and I have to run a 2mm spacer on the front 2 wheels only. But the 2mm is a hell of a lot better than the 20mm spacers I used to have to run on all 4 corners with the old Niche wheels. The best part is I no longer have any rubbing issues at all. Also these wheels are 7lbs lighter per wheel and are way easier to clean. 










I’ve given up on trying to find a wheel that looks good to me and doesn’t require a spacer with this brake kit. This is the closest I’m going to get. 

It’s nice to finally have the car where I want it. There are still little things here and there I want to do and will post them on here, but for now I can just enjoy driving/racing it. I’ve also gotten pretty deep into Sim Racing over the winter/spring and for now that is taking up most of my free time/toy funds these days. :facepalm: There’s always something.


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## BlackMagic VW R32 (Oct 25, 2014)

Curious, but during the time you installed the Tyrolsport brace was Unibrace not making the XBQ?


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## PreMier (Jan 4, 2006)

I’m so freaking jealous. This is the wheel setup I wanted to run, but they wouldn’t clear my callipers either =( I ended up with a different OZ wheel that I’m not as happy with.


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## Bronco (Mar 3, 2011)

AngryGiraffe said:


> Haven’t posted on here in a while. I have been lurking and trying to comment if I have anything useful to say or if I can help. I've been pretty busy with life and to be honest I haven’t done much with the car lately. It’s hail season here in Colorado so I haven’t been racing and the car has sat in the garage for the better part of 2 months.
> 
> A few days before I left for Montréal(Canadian F1 Grand Prix) the water pump decided it had enough and left me with a $700 bill. Great timing & thanks car. Even with the unexpected car trouble the GP was a ton of fun and I was able to meet up with an old friend, have some beers, and watch some racing.
> 
> ...




Great read AngryGiraffe !! :thumbup::thumbup: Keep it coming !

Good luck with all your racing and the car upgrades !


Cheers,


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

PreMier said:


> I’m so freaking jealous. This is the wheel setup I wanted to run, but they wouldn’t clear my callipers either =( I ended up with a different OZ wheel that I’m not as happy with.


Thanks man! I really like the look of them so far. Why didn't you just get the ultras and space them? Im not a big fan of spacers, but the 2mm ones I run up front are super small. It's not ideal but it works and nothing rubs. Also what OZ wheels did you end up getting? 






BlackMagic VW R32 said:


> Curious, but during the time you installed the Tyrolsport brace was Unibrace not making the XBQ?


Yeah last I had checked they were no longer making the UB. I probably would have gotten that one instead. On the other hand TyrolSport is easier to install and taking it out to put stuff in the hatch only takes a minute or two.


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## dale333 (May 14, 2016)

AngryGiraffe said:


> This is an exterior mod I have been looking to do for quite some time, but getting one of these in the states is a lot harder than one might think. If you look hard enough on eBay you can find them. I purchased 2 of them both from different vendors. Then received an email a day or so later saying "Sorry but we have refunded your order. We do not ship to the United States" even though it says ships worldwide on the website.


Any modifications needed to the diffuser or was it a simple bolt on?


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Bronco said:


> Great read AngryGiraffe !! :thumbup::thumbup: Keep it coming !
> 
> Good luck with all your racing and the car upgrades !
> 
> ...


Thanks Bronco!


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

dale333 said:


> Any modifications needed to the diffuser or was it a simple bolt on?


Definitely not a simple bolt on. It's been a while since I did the install, but I remember having to to file/mod the the mounting tabs and also having to shape/fix the lower curved area. Also the fiberglass was full of pinholes and imperfections. So there was a few rounds of priming, blocking, and repriming before I could paint it.


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## PreMier (Jan 4, 2006)

AngryGiraffe said:


> Thanks man! I really like the look of them so far. Why didn't you just get the ultras and space them? Im not a big fan of spacers, but the 2mm ones I run up front are super small. It's not ideal but it works and nothing rubs. Also what OZ wheels did you end up getting?


yea i didnt want to run a spacer. i went with the superturismo lm's. they look good, i just wanted fewer spokes.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

*75,000 mile service & new wiper arm/blade*

A few weeks ago I did my 75k mile service. Well actually I did what was left of my 75k service. Over the last year and a half I have been slowly doing the bigger items of it like the haldex service. So at this point all that was really left was a cabin filter, oil change, and some other minor items. One of those minor items was the rear wiper blade. I have always hated the blade on the rear arm of our cars. It's the old metal style blade holder and the blade is stiff and never fully cleans the rear window. I also don't like the look of the arm and hate that no matter what the arm sags. The bolt is tight and I've even tried to remove it and set it higher, but it always end up miss aligned. Here is a picture of the old wiper arm and how it used to sit










I ended up finding a seller in Europe on eBay who had a rear wiper off an 8v A3 so I bought the wiper arm and cap from him. I also got a Bosch Euro rear wiper blade for it as well. here is a picture of how it looks now. 










I like the look of the 8V wiper better and since it is able to curve it actually cleans the back glass pretty good.

Let me know if you guys want some part numbers and I will post them here. Also the washer jet from the 8P rear arm work with the arm off the 8V. That's about it for car right now. Winter has already shown its face here in Colorado so it looks like the only laps I will be doing will have to be at home on my racing simulator.


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## strangetdi (Feb 5, 2002)

AngryGiraffe said:


> I like the look of the 8V wiper better and since it is able to curve it actually cleans the back glass pretty good.
> 
> Let me know if you guys want some part numbers and I will post them here. Also the washer jet from the 8P rear arm work with the arm off the 8V. That's about it for car right now. Winter has already shown its face here in Colorado so it looks like the only laps I will be doing will have to be at home on my racing simulator.


Yes please! Part numbers and race simulator info!

Thanks,

Chris


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## absolutt (Aug 10, 2007)

AngryGiraffe said:


> I like the look of the 8V wiper better and since it is able to curve it actually cleans the back glass pretty good.
> 
> Let me know if you guys want some part numbers and I will post them here. Also the washer jet from the 8P rear arm work with the arm off the 8V. That's about it for car right now. Winter has already shown its face here in Colorado so it looks like the only laps I will be doing will have to be at home on my racing simulator.


Looks great! Thanks for posting about it. Part numbers would be great. :thumbup: So even the current production e-Tron sportback in US has the older wiper arm? As for the blade, it's only available from European sources?


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## BlackMagic VW R32 (Oct 25, 2014)

AngryGiraffe said:


> Let me know if you guys want some part numbers and I will post them here. Also the washer jet from the 8P rear arm work with the arm off the 8V. That's about it for car right now. Winter has already shown its face here in Colorado so it looks like the only laps I will be doing will have to be at home on my racing simulator.


Would love part numbers, this is definitely a mod I'd want to do!


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

Ok guys here are some part numbers for the 8V rear wiper conversion. 

Wiper arm
8V39554071P9

Wiper cap/cover
4G9955205

Wiper blade
8V3955425

I did not buy/use the OEM wiper I bought a Bosch euro wiper from Amazon instead. Here is that part number in case you want to go that rout.

Bosch rear wiper blade
A332H/3397008635

Hope this helps. Also I will try and post some picks of my racing sim later this week.


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## SteveKen (Oct 6, 2009)

AngryGiraffe said:


> Ok guys here are some part numbers for the 8V rear wiper conversion.
> 
> Wiper arm
> 8V39554071P9
> ...



Not 100%, but this may work, too.

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-assembled-by-ecs-parts/rear-aero-wiper-conversion-kit/6q6955707kt/


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

*Biting off more than I had planned for*

So for some time now(2+ years) my RMS(rear main seal) has been leaking. The leak started shortly after my PCV failed and all I did to fix it was replace the diverter valve (GFB) and PCV. Later I pulled the PCV and replaced it with a catch can(034 Motorsports). At the time I didn't have the cash/was to concerned with upgrading the car to worry about the leak to fix it. Well fast forward to winter 2020 and the seal is now shot.

Is it affecting performance? No. 
Is it making mess of my garage floor and Engine bay? Yes!

I was going to be down a few days for surgery(preventive) so I figured now was the best time to get the car fixed since I wouldn't need it(it's still my daily) and this is the best time to leave the car outside overnight (Colorado hail storms have gotten out of control over the last 3+ years and have become pretty unpredictable in the spring and summer) also the car is pretty much where I want it(minus a few interior bits & a haldex tune) so spending $1k+ on something that adds 0HP seemed a reasonable idea to prolong the life of the car.

Well shortly after I got out of surgery I get a call from my tuner and they told me that my flywheel was shot. It was so bad that they didn't feel comfortable putting it back into my car (I was able to confirm this once I saw the flywheel. There wasn't just a small amount of play. There was almost a wobble) Not really the news I wanted to hear, but what are you going to do when you have a car that has been launched more times that I care to count and has seen 25+ track days.

At this point I'm to far into this build to let something like a flywheel determine whether I should sell the car and get something new. Don't get me wrong I have had my eye on some newer model Audi's but I stil really love my 8P A3. As of right now the options for a single mass flywheel for the DSG are limited. My tuner used one on their shop race cars and they had a bunch of problems with it and in the ended up replacing it with an OEM duel mass. There are talks of a few companies coming out with a light weight duel mass, but since I couldn't wait on the possibility of this happening I just went with another OEM flywheel.

I didn't post any pictures because this isn't really one of those happy posts where I can talk about gains or how different the car feels on track. Today I'm just happy that my A3 is still alive. For now I'm just looking forward to warmer weather and track days in 2020!


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## SuperAudiA3 (Oct 6, 2018)

AngryGiraffe said:


> So for some time now(2+ years) my RMS(rear main seal) has been leaking. The leak started shortly after my PCV failed and all I did to fix it was replace the diverter valve (GFB) and PCV. Later I pulled the PCV and replaced it with a catch can(034 Motorsports). At the time I didn't have the cash/was to concerned with upgrading the car to worry about the leak to fix it. Well fast forward to winter 2020 and the seal is now shot.
> 
> Is it affecting performance? No.
> Is it making mess of my garage floor and Engine bay? Yes!
> ...


I am glad she is still alive and thriving. It is hard to walk away from a car sometimes. It appears you both had a surgery of a type and both are doing well I take it?

I hope to join you for some track time this year. You should look at Ultra Racing USA and the braces they make for the car.

I finally took the next step on the Audi journey. I put down a deposit on a Blue 2019 RS3. It is light on options, just the tech package, but I am ready for it in many ways.

I have a front and rear LSD for it that will go in after a number of years as the warranty expires. I will go Stage 2 with E85 at the same time so I will collect parts in the mean time.

I will keep the A3 and its 340WHP as a track car and fun car to hoon in.


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## Bronco (Mar 3, 2011)

SteveKen said:


> Not 100%, but this may work, too.
> 
> https://www.ecstuning.com/b-assembled-by-ecs-parts/rear-aero-wiper-conversion-kit/6q6955707kt/



I looked at the link but when plugged in 2006 A3 8P 2.0T FWD I've got the "Does not fit" thumb down :thumbdown:

It listed B5s and C5s as vehicles the above part would fit.


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## AngryGiraffe (Sep 21, 2014)

SuperAudiA3 said:


> I am glad she is still alive and thriving. It is hard to walk away from a car sometimes. It appears you both had a surgery of a type and both are doing well I take it?
> 
> I hope to join you for some track time this year. You should look at Ultra Racing USA and the braces they make for the car.
> 
> ...


 Hey man! Yeah both the car & I made a full recovery. Hahaha 

I'll look into those braces. Can't wait to check out that RS3. I was thinking about buying the one BlueWater was selling back in October, but eventually decided to spend the money on something else.

Glad you are keeping the A3

I hope that we are able to get some track time in this season. Looks like both Pikes Peak Raceway & High Plains Raceway have both closed down due to CV19. 

I'm really glad I have my Racing Simulator right now that everyone/everything is on lock down.

Stay safe man and everyone else on this forum.
:beer:


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