# Hawkman312's Ocean Blue A3



## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

Hello, Everyone!

I've owned my A3 for several years now, but never considered dedicating a thread to it. At this point in time, I feel that I have had enough experience with the car to feel comfortable talking about it. This thread will serve as a sort of "Captain's Log" for the history of my A3, primarily for my own reference, but also in an attempt to provide some sort of worthwhile content to the forum. I'm a pretty young guy, and this is my first personal vehicle. That said, I have lots of things I would like to do with my car, however, I don't have an excess of money to make that happen in a short frame of time, so this isn't so much of a "build thread" as it is a rolling history of my A3 ownership.

*Goal*
My main priority is keeping this car in as healthy a condition as I can while remaining on a budget. That is not to say that I intend to cut any corners. I have lots of modifications that I would *like* to do, but with my relatively strict budget in mind, they tend to come rather slowly, as my main priority is keeping up with maintenance first, and mods second. More maintenance means less budget for mods, unfortunately. Anyways, as far as mods *do* go, and sticking with the recurring theme of a strict budget, I prefer to save for quality over quantity. I plan on some performance mods in the near future, but I would much rather save for something I know I'll be happy with instead of impatiently wasting money on a lower quality item just for the sake of doing the modification *right now!* If I can't do it right, I'd much rather not do it at all. A worthwhile modification should be better than OEM, and the OEM stuff is pretty good (most of the time).

*Note: *All Currency In USD

*My Car*
*Year: *2006
*Current Mileage: ~65,500!* Miles (10/20/18)
*Engine: *2.0T FSI
*Transmission: *Six-Speed Manual
*Driven Wheels: *Front
*Color: *Ocean Blue
*Body: *5-Door (Sportback)
*Options: *Sport Package, Open-Sky
*Mileage At Purchase: *~28,000 Miles
*Purchase Price: *$9,999

*Modifications To Date*
Nokya Hyper Yellow Fog Light Bulbs ~$20
Dension Gateway Lite BT ~$180
Clear Front Marker Lenses ~$20
RS3 Replica Honeycomb Grille (All Black) ~$50
Handmade/Custom Center Armrest (Mk2 WIP) 
Black Forest Industries Heavy-Weight Shift Knob ~$150
3M Color Stable Window Tint ~$500
EBC RedStuff Brake Pads F/R ~$210
ECS Slotted Brake Rotors F/R ~$300
BFI Dogbone Mount Insert ~$45
Koni Coilover Kit ~$1100
GIAC Stage 1 ECU Tune @ ~55,000 Miles $0
AWE Downpipe (Ceramic Cat) ~$540

*Repairs To Date* 
Charge Air Pressure Sensor (IIRC) Wiring Shorted - Repaired By Local Audi Dealership ~$600
Intake Air Related Sensor Wiring Shorted - Repaired By Local Audi Dealership ~$200
(I need to find my paperwork on these so I can provide a more accurate description. These issues appeared within my first year of ownership and my experience with my local dealership was horrendous.)
A/C Compressor, Expansion Valve, Drier - Replaced @ 47,000 Miles By Me ~$400
Driver's Rear Window Regulator (#2) - Replaced w/ OEM @ 56,000 Miles By Me ~$130
Downpipe/Catalytic Converter - Replaced w/ AWE Downpipe @ 65,500 Miles By Me ~$540
Coolant Distribution Pipe - Replaced w/ OEM @ 65,500 Miles By Me ~$15
Brake Booster Vacuum Lines - Replaced w/ Spulen Silicone Hose Kit @ 65,500 By Me ~$50

*Maintenance To Date*
LiquiMoly 5W-40 Leichtlauf High Tech @ Every 5,000 Miles By Me ~$60
Cam Follower @ 40,000 Miles By Me ~$50
CV Boots @ 42,000 Miles By Me ~$50
EBC RedStuff Brake Pads @ 42,000 Miles By Me ~$210
ECS Slotted Rotors Front/Rear @ 42,000 Miles By Me ~$300
NGK R OEM Spark Plugs @ 47,000 Miles By Me ~$30
Bosch OEM Coil Packs @ 47,000 Miles By Me ~$70
Timing @ 47,700 Miles By Me ~$300
Hankook Ventus V12 Evo2 @ 55,000 Miles $380 + $76 (Mount and Balance)

*(Roughly) Estimated Money Saved By DIY Maintenance/Repair: *~$6,200 

*To-Do List*
Driver's Side Window Switch
Passenger's Side Window Switch
Passenger's Side Door Lock Switch
Front/Rear Open-Sky Sun-Shade Latch
Rear Armrest Latch
Driver's Side Left A/C Vent Missing A Singular Slat
Headliner
Rear Passenger's Side Window Regulator

*Wishlist*
18" BBS LMs or CCW Classics
P3Cars Gauge
S3 Leather Interior Trim
Intake



So now we're just about caught up! Everything from here on out should be current to the date of posting, more or less. I'll make sure to post pictures where appropriate!

Feel free to post in this thread or PM me about any questions, comments, or suggestions you might have.


IMG_3768


----------



## TBomb (Sep 23, 2009)

:heart: Ocean Blue :thumbup:

I have a driver and passenger side window switch set (genuine Audi originals that came from my car, in perfect shape) if you're interested...shoot me a PM.


----------



## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

TBomb said:


> :heart: Ocean Blue :thumbup:
> 
> I have a driver and passenger side window switch set (genuine Audi originals that came from my car, in perfect shape) if you're interested...shoot me a PM.


I've got some other stuff going on at the moment, (doing timing this weekend for example) but it's definitely on the list. I'll make sure to PM you when I get around to it! :wave:


----------



## TBomb (Sep 23, 2009)

Hawkman312 said:


> I've got some other stuff going on at the moment, (doing timing this weekend for example) but it's definitely on the list. I'll make sure to PM you when I get around to it! :wave:


Ha, just realized you already contacted me about them a while back. I still have them


----------



## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

TBomb said:


> Ha, just realized you already contacted me about them a while back. I still have them


That I did! Sorry for being non-committal in that PM, still trying to sort out my priorities as far as putting money into this thing goes.


----------



## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

Got some goodies in the mail earlier this week!











*Pictured*
Gates Racing Timing Belt
HEPU (OEM) Water Pump w/ Metal Impeller
INA (OEM) Tensioner
INA (OEM) Upper Roller
NTN (OEM) Lower Roller
BFI Polyurethane Dogbone Mount Insert


*BFI Insert - First Impressions*
I shoved the BFI dogbone insert in before my commute today, so I haven't had much time with it yet, but my first impressions are great!

I was always sort of skeptical about how much of a difference such a cheap and seemingly insignificant mod could make, but wow... All of the sloppiness between gears is gone. I used to never quite get my shifts perfectly smooth, despite constantly practicing and focusing on it. Immediately after installing the insert, all of my shifts are pretty much perfect, upshifts and downshifts. I always assumed I was just not all that great at driving my car in particular, but this is definitely a, "it's not me, it's you," sort of a moment. I really should have done this sooner.

I have noticed almost no changes in NVH whatsoever. There may be an infinitely insignificant amount of additional vibration through the pedals, but I'm not sure if that's just my brain telling me there is, when there really isn't. If I wasn't aware that something had been changed, I probably wouldn't have noticed it at all.

The car does seem to get the power down more smoothly, and feels more predictable and a bit quicker as a result. I floored it out of a corner that I usually get some traction control intervention in, and the car didn't skip a beat. All the power went straight to the ground, which felt great.


*Timing*
The timing belt will be going in this Sunday, and I'm hoping the blue belt doesn't end up being particularly noisy, but I guess we'll see!


----------



## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

*Timing*
Well, my timing job this last weekend was successful, but (typically) did not go as smoothly as originally planned.

As you can see in my last post, I purchased a blue Gates Racing timing belt. Unfortunately, I either miss-ordered the part (which is the most likely explanation ), or was sent the incorrect part. Either way, it didn't even come close to fitting. I believe the blue belt was actually for a 1.8T, and not the 2.0T. The blue belt had 150 teeth, while the OEM 2.0T belt should have 148. 

Luckily, I managed to hunt down an OEM belt at an auto-parts store in town, and was able to complete the job and make it home!

It hasn't blown up yet, so here's hoping it stays that way.












*Above*
Here you can see the obvious difference between the blue belt and the OEM belt.












*Above*
And here you can see the blue belt obviously not fitting. I spent about an hour trying to figure out why on earth my tensioner wouldn't, well... hold any tension. I finally gave up, and decided to count the teeth, whereupon I discovered my error.


----------



## tylaughter (Aug 31, 2010)

Where did you source your replica grill?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

tylaughter said:


> Where did you source your replica grill?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I believe I got mine from Ebay, but it looks like ECS has a fairly wide assortment: https://www.ecstuning.com/Audi-A3-FWD-2.0T/Exterior/Body/Grille/


----------



## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

After sorting around through some paperwork the other day, I found something I never realized I had! Really neat to find the original sticker, given that I'm not the original owner. It's like a glimpse into past history that I've inherited with the car, even though it wasn't mine to begin with. Makes you wonder what kind of person the original owner was, why they bought the vehicle, etc.


----------



## A3-Owner (Aug 10, 2015)

Hawkman312 said:


> After sorting around through some paperwork the other day, I found something I never realized I had! Really neat to find the original sticker, given that I'm not the original owner. It's like a glimpse into past history that I've inherited with the car, even though it wasn't mine to begin with. Makes you wonder what kind of person the original owner was, why they bought the vehicle, etc.


Cool that you found the orginal sticker. Makes me miss my 06 A3. I am glad you got the timing belt and stuff sorted out. 

I love that color. I wish i had it. 

Keep up the tasteful mods when you can. Looking forward to them as they come.


----------



## Ponto (Jan 11, 2012)

A3-Owner said:


> Cool that you found the orginal sticker. Makes me miss my 06 A3. I am glad you got the timing belt and stuff sorted out.
> 
> I love that color. I wish i had it.
> 
> Keep up the tasteful mods when you can. Looking forward to them as they come.


Such a great color! 

I have my original window sticker from New I think it was... I will have to dig it up and post it.


----------



## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

Ponto said:


> Such a great color!
> 
> I have my original window sticker from New I think it was... I will have to dig it up and post it.


Thanks! I love it...

You absolutely should!


----------



## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

Christmas came early!


----------



## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

The Koni coil-overs went in the car yesterday! The job actually took a lot more effort than I was expecting, which seems to be a recurring theme with car work... but in the end everything came together pretty smoothly! 

I was worried that going to coil-overs would ruin the ride or make the car too stiff, but I have to say I'm pleased with how these turned out. They feel a little bit stiffer and substantially more planted than my stock (10+ year old) sport suspension did, and honestly not much harsher at all. I've got the rear damping adjustment set a quarter turn from full stiff, and the front about half a turn from full stiff, and it feels very good where it is. I may make some minor adjustments from there as I get used to the new personality of the car.

In the photo below, the rears are a little higher than the halfway mark on the threads, and the front is actually all the way down, since it was easiest to get the spring onto the shock body in this position, and I haven't had time to adjust it yet. I plan on bringing the front up about half an inch or so, and then matching the rears based on that fender-to-ground measurement. 

It's amazing how much better the car comes out in photographs at a lower than stock ride-height... 

[url=https://flic.kr/p/XztJNu]IMG_3480[/URL]


----------



## ExtremePowerhouse - Mike (Dec 16, 2016)

Looks great!


----------



## Bronco (Mar 3, 2011)

Hey Hawkman,

first of all, based on your sticker, it seems like your car is the exact configuration I have (6 spd, sport package, leather seats ...) with the exception of mine not having the sunroof (and of course different colors in and out).

Secondly, my compliments on your exterior color and my hat off on you tackling the timing belt job (how many miles on your A3?). Something I am not brave and skilled to do and have to pay others :-(

And coilovers are definitely a great improvement of handling and looks :thumbup:. Agree with you, small height adjustment will make both better !

Great work, thanks for the updates, keep them coming !! :wave:


----------



## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

Bronco said:


> Hey Hawkman,
> 
> first of all, based on your sticker, it seems like your car is the exact configuration I have (6 spd, sport package, leather seats ...) with the exception of mine not having the sunroof (and of course different colors in and out).
> 
> ...


Hey, Bronco, sorry for the late reply!

That's awesome! I'm actually fairly certain that the US models were only available with the sunroof at first, and while I like it... I'm also terrified of something breaking on it or leaking, since it's practically the entire roof and a heck of a lot of glass. I absolutely love Ocean Blue, it's one of my favorite colors on these A3s and their contemporaries, along with pretty much every Audi blue, especially Sprint Blue.

I'm at about 50,000 miles (~80k KM) on the car, which is definitely early for the timing belt, but I wanted to go ahead and do it because of the age, and because I can afford a timing belt, but not a new engine. So it was just to be safe rather than sorry.

The coilovers have continued to be awesome!


----------



## Bronco (Mar 3, 2011)

Wow, just 50k miles? You don't drive much ... no wonder car looks so good 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

Bronco said:


> Wow, just 50k miles? You don't drive much ... no wonder car looks so good
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Well, to be fair, I bought it at 28,000 miles about three years ago. I've been driving much more than I used to since I've been at university for a little over a year now, but I still don't drive much compared to a lot of people!


----------



## Bronco (Mar 3, 2011)

Hawkman312 said:


> Well, to be fair, I bought it at 28,000 miles about three years ago. I've been driving much more than I used to since I've been at university for a little over a year now, but I still don't drive much compared to a lot of people!


I see. That was a great buy for you then !


----------



## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

Bronco said:


> I see. That was a great buy for you then !


Yes, absolutely! I probably hunted around online for a car for a good year looking for something I liked, could afford, and was fairly low mileage. It seemed to be a classic "pick two" sort of thing. I didn't even know what an A3 was until I decided to pick it from the menu on AutoTrader one day just out of curiosity. Well I decided I liked it a lot, did some research, got an insurance quote, and a few days later my car popped up!


----------



## Bronco (Mar 3, 2011)

Hawkman312 said:


> Yes, absolutely! I probably hunted around online for a car for a good year looking for something I liked, could afford, and was fairly low mileage. It seemed to be a classic "pick two" sort of thing. I didn't even know what an A3 was until I decided to pick it from the menu on AutoTrader one day just out of curiosity. Well I decided I liked it a lot, did some research, got an insurance quote, and a few days later my car popped up!


Awesome, congratulations!! You did great, your car looks like one of a kind. Enjoy !




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## TBomb (Sep 23, 2009)

Bronco said:


> Awesome, congratulations!! You did great, your car looks like one of a kind. Enjoy !
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Well, maybe two of a kind around here 










Love ocean blue!


----------



## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

TBomb said:


> Well, maybe two of a kind around here
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Your's looks way shinier! Do you have some sort of coating on it? Or maybe just edit your photos a specific way? Either way, looks awesome! I like the wheels too.


----------



## A3 Wannabe (Feb 22, 2017)

Hawkman312 said:


> Your's looks way shinier! Do you have some sort of coating on it? Or maybe just edit your photos a specific way? Either way, looks awesome! I like the wheels too.


Agreed- your paint looks amazing! I guess I am the third Ocean Blue here, but yours looks way more vibrant. I haven't even detailed mine since I bought it 4 1/2 months ago, but if I can get it to pop like that I'll be a happy camper!


A3 blue 3.2 by mbk1487, on Flickr


----------



## TBomb (Sep 23, 2009)

Hawkman312 said:


> Your's looks way shinier! Do you have some sort of coating on it? Or maybe just edit your photos a specific way? Either way, looks awesome! I like the wheels too.





A3 Wannabe said:


> Agreed- your paint looks amazing! I guess I am the third Ocean Blue here, but yours looks way more vibrant. I haven't even detailed mine since I bought it 4 1/2 months ago, but if I can get it to pop like that I'll be a happy camper!
> 
> 
> A3 blue 3.2 by mbk1487, on Flickr


Thanks! That picture was just taken with an iPhone and nothing was done to it. I try to keep the paint polished once a year (Megs 100/HD Finishing Polish) then top it with Duragloss 105. Ocean blue looks really good when the paint is polished and topped with a good sealant.


----------



## Bronco (Mar 3, 2011)

TBomb said:


> Thanks! That picture was just taken with an iPhone and nothing was done to it. I try to keep the paint polished once a year (Megs 100/HD Finishing Polish) then top it with Duragloss 105. Ocean blue looks really good when the paint is polished and topped with a good sealant.



That's for sure !! :thumbup::thumbup:


----------



## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

I've got a few updates from the last month or so!



I desperately needed tires, and I finally got around to it a few weeks ago. Living in Florida means mild weather, so I decided to go for some summer performance tires. After doing a bit of reading, the Hankook VentusV12 Evo2 seemed like a good choice for me, especially given their price. I got a full set of four, (225/45R17) for a bit under $100 a tire. 

Compared to my bald Hankook no-seasons, the new tires improved ride-quality tenfold. Everything feels smoother, stickier, sharper, and more silent than before.



My next update is even more fun, and will ensure these new tires won't last nearly as long as I'll need them to... 

This past summer, I was gifted a GIAC Stage 1 ECU tune by my boss. Unfortunately we had some technical difficulties and were not able to get the tune to stick at the time, which meant waiting until the next most convenient time to try again, which turned out to be last week.

The first time I drove the car after the flash, first, second, and third gear definitely felt faster (it'll blow the tires off all through second gear...), but I wasn't as impressed as I thought I would be. That changed once I got some room to try the next three gears. Stock, the car feels pretty quick, but fourth, fifth, and sixth gears are nothing to write home about. The tune gives the car the little extra power it needed to really pull in every gear, instead of just mildly accelerating. It's an absolute riot on the highway!

I can't comment about how it compares to the other tunes out there, but the GIAC tune feels completely stock. It's very well behaved and if I had never driven the car before, I would probably think it came like this from the factory, unless someone told me otherwise.

Throttle response is much sharper and more linear. The engine feels more free-revving, and is much easier to modulate than before. Stock, the throttle can feel a bit like an on/off switch, which is a characteristic that is nowhere to be found after the flash. 

The top-end of the power band feels much more useful and doesn't fall off like before, either.

I never really felt like the car needed a ton of extra power before, but where it's at right now feels almost perfect for the street to me.

All in all, I'd definitely recommend it, and I'm interested to see how my opinion matures after I spend some more time with it.


----------



## Bronco (Mar 3, 2011)

Hawkman312 said:


> I've got a few updates from the last month or so!
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Hey Hawkman312,

sounds like you've made your car noticeably better and definitely more fun !!

New tires are new tires and getting these under $100 sounds pretty good.

When I got my Stage 1 it made a big difference (from 200 to 250 HP and similar for torque). Also, from my research, Stage 2 would have barely half of the gains and I would have to spend additional $$$ for required upgrades so it just may not happen for me.

In the mean time, I am enjoying the setup I have as I'm sure you are as well. Congrats !!!


----------



## PreMier (Jan 4, 2006)

I ran the GIAC tune for quite a while and loved it. With an intake and exhaust it was a big improvement over stock. have fun with it!


----------



## Ponto (Jan 11, 2012)

PreMier said:


> I ran the GIAC tune for quite a while and loved it. With an intake and exhaust it was a big improvement over stock. have fun with it!


I had a Giac tune on my old MK4 and man it was excellent!


----------



## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

Went down to a drag strip with some friends a few weeks ago. This was my first time ever out at a strip in my own car, so I can't say I'm too proud of my driving, and the car is certainly capable of more than I am... but at least I beat a Honda! My best run of the night was a bit better at 15.2 and 94mph. Pretty fun evening for $25!


----------



## Bronco (Mar 3, 2011)

:thumbup:


----------



## PreMier (Jan 4, 2006)

that looks like a lot of fun


----------



## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

Last week I had my left rear window regulator go out on me about an hour before it started raining. I had to scramble to get home, get the door card apart, and fish the window out so I could tape it up before the weather deteriorated. It has since been replaced and everything is working as intended!  Annoyingly, this is the second time this left rear window regulator has broken on me, the last time being only about a year and a bit ago. Both times it shattered immediately after someone shut the door with a bit more force than required. The failure point in the plastic regulator was the same both times. Luckily they aren't very difficult to replace!


----------



## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

I ordered some cheaper goodies this week out of spite for my window regulator going and my headliner being on its last legs. I'm still debating biting the bullet and saving for a new OEM headliner or settling for a DIY repair with non OEM fabric. The university student budget will give me plenty of time to decide before I pull the trigger, luckily!


----------



## Bronco (Mar 3, 2011)

Hawkman312 said:


> Last week I had my left rear window regulator go out on me about an hour before it started raining. I had to scramble to get home, get the door card apart, and fish the window out so I could tape it up before the weather deteriorated. It has since been replaced and everything is working as intended!  Annoyingly, this is the second time this left rear window regulator has broken on me, the last time being only about a year and a bit ago. Both times it shattered immediately after someone shut the door with a bit more force than required. The failure point in the plastic regulator was the same both times. Luckily they aren't very difficult to replace!



Nice work man :thumbup:

Where did you get the parts so quickly and how mucho dollaros ?


----------



## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

Bronco said:


> Nice work man :thumbup:
> 
> Where did you get the parts so quickly and how mucho dollaros ?


I have a connection with a local independent shop in my area so I’m able to get a lot of things directly from the Audi parts network within a day or two. The wholesale price for the OEM part was about $130 USD. I usually use ECS Tuning, 034 Motorsport, etc, for a lot of things that aren’t as urgent, and they’ve always had a pretty good selection and service in my experience.


----------



## uniqueflh (Jan 10, 2015)

Car looks good. 

Scanned thru the thread and didn’t see that you’ve completed the window switch swap(s) yet. 

Curious as to if you’ve checked the wiring in the door hinge area? I swapped my switches due to intermittent problems, only to find degraded wires inside the rubber boot in the driver’s door. Repairing the wires in the driver’s door fixed all the doors. 

Just something to look at. 


Brad.


----------



## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

uniqueflh said:


> Car looks good.
> 
> Scanned thru the thread and didn’t see that you’ve completed the window switch swap(s) yet.
> 
> ...


I actually have some being shipped to me as we speak. My driver's window switch works almost always, but is very finicky. There is a very small location on its range of motion that actually seems to send a signal to the window. That said all of the windows do operate, you just have to have a gentle touch on the switch, which is annoying. If simply replacing the switch doesn't fix it, I'll absolutely have a look at the wiring. Thanks for the tip!


----------



## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

IMG_5499


----------



## uniqueflh (Jan 10, 2015)

Hawkman312 said:


> I actually have some being shipped to me as we speak. My driver's window switch works almost always, but is very finicky. There is a very small location on its range of motion that actually seems to send a signal to the window. That said all of the windows do operate, you just have to have a gentle touch on the switch, which is annoying. If simply replacing the switch doesn't fix it, I'll absolutely have a look at the wiring. Thanks for the tip!


Good luck with the switches, it’s a pretty straightforward swap. 
My car showed the same symptoms as you mentioned, so I assumed the driver’s door switch was the culprit. Come to find out, there were three (3) worn wires that I had to mend. 


Brad.


----------



## A3 Wannabe (Feb 22, 2017)

uniqueflh said:


> Good luck with the switches, it’s a pretty straightforward swap.
> My car showed the same symptoms as you mentioned, so I assumed the driver’s door switch was the culprit. Come to find out, there were three (3) worn wires that I had to mend.
> 
> 
> Brad.


Same issue here- that wiring loom eats wires! I'd look in there first...almost can guarantee that there is some exposed copper in there. I had 4 or 5 to repair after I bought mine last May. Little snip, twist, solder and heat shrink tubing and good as new...


----------



## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

A3 Wannabe said:


> Same issue here- that wiring loom eats wires! I'd look in there first...almost can guarantee that there is some exposed copper in there. I had 4 or 5 to repair after I bought mine last May. Little snip, twist, solder and heat shrink tubing and good as new...


Thanks again for the tip, I'll absolutely have to take a look at it. Just to clarify, the section of wire that generally gets worn is the section surrounded by the corrugated rubber hose between the door and body of the car? I just want to make sure I'm understanding that correctly.

I'll report back with my findings!


----------



## uniqueflh (Jan 10, 2015)

Hawkman312 said:


> Thanks again for the tip, I'll absolutely have to take a look at it. Just to clarify, the section of wire that generally gets worn is the section surrounded by the corrugated rubber hose between the door and body of the car? I just want to make sure I'm understanding that correctly.
> 
> I'll report back with my findings!


Yes. 

Pull the rubber loom from the body side, and you can push it towards the door and inspect the wires within. 


Brad.


----------



## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

*The goodies have arrived!*










*GFB DV+*
As many of you know, our cars are notorious for diverter valves that aren't up to the task. Since I purchased my car with fairly low mileage, and given it's age, I suspected it more than likely had the original diverter valve, and that it was probably an early revision with the rubber seal. Not all that long ago, I went to a GIAC Stage 1 tune and chances were that my diverter valve would let go at some point. Out of curiosity, I started doing some research on the available assortment of upgrades, and came across the Go Fast Bits "Diverter Valve Plus" lineup of products. Essentially this kit replaces the OEM plastic and rubber valve with aluminum and brass, while retaining the factory solenoid. Their reasoning for this is that the factory solenoid is capable of opening the valve faster and more precisely than a fully mechanical system. The factory valve only has two positions, open and closed, which means that at part throttle or between gears, chances are the factory diverter valve will just dump all of the pressure. The GFB system uses an optional spring that allows the valve to open progressively and release only the amount of pressure required to prevent compressor surge/stall, allowing the system to feel more responsive, with less lag. GFB's website has a much more technical explanation than this, for those interested. I chose the product mainly because it appeared to be a bulletproof upgrade to the OEM system that wouldn't affect drivability, or add complexity.

*42DD Solid Shifter Cable Endlinks & 034 Solid Shifter Bracket Bushings*
I picked these up because they're a quick and easy mod that can only improve feel. There's not much to explain other than aluminum is stiffer than rubber, which means less slop in the system. 

*Chinese-ium Window Switch Replacements*
I got these off ECS for like $20 for the driver's and $8 for the passenger's. From what I can tell they look and feel identical to my OEM switches currently in the car. I'll have to take a look at the wiring loom, as suggested, before going to the trouble of installing these. :wave: I guess they're good to have on hand, regardless. 

Here's a closer look at what comes with the GFB DV+.










Here's my stock diverter valve, which actually seems to be in remarkably good condition. It did have a drop of oil fall out of the wiring connector plug, but it seems to work fine.










The solenoid with stock valve removed. It just lifts right off.










And with the GFB part installed (with optional spring).










Be careful not to drop your new mounting screw on top of your subframe where you can't see anything and have to spend 20 minutes with your cellphone camera as a makeshift mirror and a right angle pick trying to fish it out! :banghead:










Here's the new solid bracket bushings installed. Admittedly there isn't much to see.










Here is the old rubber end link. One intact and the other after removing the rubber. Mine were so stiff and dry-rotted that I'm pretty sure they were just as solid as the aluminum I replaced it with! Also, note that this is not a reversible process. The rubber is cast into the end link and has small plastic supports holding it in place. You need to break these to remove the rubber.










And with the new solid end links.










Installed and adjusted!










*Results*

As far as the diverter valve goes, I can't say that I entirely noticed a difference before and after the installation. The throttle may be a bit crisper in the mid-range when modulating the pedal, but besides that I haven't noticed any new/different noises, or much difference in feel with the spring installed. That said, I do still have the stock intake, so it's possible it might sound different with an aftermarket intake. That said, I'm confident this design probably holds boost better than the factory design, and I'm sure it will last much longer, which is enough to make me happy.

The end links and bushings made a slight, but noticeable improvement in shifter feel. Things feel more precise than before, and a bit less sloppy. I would be interested to know if it would have made a more noticeable difference with fresh rubber end links compared to my old and stiff ones. Either way, I'm happy with it! I have never had any complaints with the throw of my stock shifter, but I imagine the necessity of a mod like this would increase for those with shorter than stock shifters.


----------



## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

I walked out to my A3 this morning to this.

It seems the window regulator gods are not on my side... :banghead::banghead::banghead:

I'm looking at trying out one of these metal aftermarket regulators that seem to be all over eBay from a German company called LST. Does anyone have any experience with them? It seems like it should eliminate the weak point in the design. Here's a link to one of the eBay postings: (https://www.ebay.com/i/162615708577?chn=ps) and a captured photo in case the posting ever gets moved or removed for some reason: 










I'll probably end up trying one out, regardless. What's it gonna do, break on me?


----------



## uniqueflh (Jan 10, 2015)

Did you check your driver’s door wiring yet?

This latest window issue falls right in-line with that front harness being the culprit. 


Brad.


----------



## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

uniqueflh said:


> Did you check your driver’s door wiring yet?
> 
> This latest window issue falls right in-line with that front harness being the culprit.
> 
> ...


Apologies for the obnoxiously late reply. Unfortunately the door wiring and regulators have been pretty low on my list of priorities with the car and life in general, but it'll obviously need to get sorted at some point.


----------



## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

A few weeks ago I noticed a rattle coming from underneath the floor of the car at low speeds. It grew in intensity and frequency over the following days until it was noticeable in all gears between about 1800 rpm and 1000 rpm, and only during off-throttle deceleration. Shortly after that, I experienced a distinct loss of power above 2000 rpm, with only the first ~20% of throttle pedal travel being responsive. In other words, there was no noticeable difference between 20% and full throttle. 

If you listen carefully, you can hear it. Apologies for the vertical video: https://youtu.be/iOdNYadRRDo

I discovered the noise to be coming from the catalytic converter, and getting under the car and banging on it with my palm verified the rattling: https://youtu.be/vrZisbrU1qA

The day after that, the car finally threw the check engine light, and VCDS/VAGCOM scanning revealed a "P0299 - Boost Pressure Regulation" fault. Ross Tech's web page provides the following explanation as a possible cause for this code: "internal problems or the exhaust system is restricted (typically the Catalyst) ..." 

Well great... 

After some research and weighing my options, I've decided to go with AWE's downpipe, since it'll end up being cheaper than getting a new OEM downpipe, I'll get the extra performance out of my GIAC tune, and all the other reasons people don't stay stock, etc. 

The part came in earlier this week, and I'll be installing it this weekend. AWE was very prompt about getting the piece made up and shipped out ASAP, and their customer service was great.

This is a 2.5" downpipe, instead of the more common 3" that most companies seem to go with. AWE gives their detailed reasoning for this on their website, with dyno sheets. It may not be obvious in photos, but after looking at the part in person, the flange is actually around 3", which then tapers down to 2.5" at the end of the downpipe section before the catalytic converter. It is 2.5" from this point on. This is just a detail I found interesting. The construction of the entire piece looks great, and the welds are very neatly done.


----------



## absolutt (Aug 10, 2007)

Nice log you've got and great work on the car. I've got your DSG twin, a 2007 A3 in Ocean Blue with most of the same options.










$10k for a 2006 with 28k miles is a terrific price. :thumbup: I bought mine brand new back in 2007.









Also looking into a blackout grille. I don't want to go RS3 style, as I have to have a front license plate and I think that kills the look.










My car is now 11 years old... and the exhaust is getting near that point of needing replacement. May look into what you've got for an upgrade.

Btw, what roof rack system do you have?


----------



## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

absolutt said:


> Nice log you've got and great work on the car. I've got your DSG twin, a 2007 A3 in Ocean Blue with most of the same options.
> 
> 
> $10k for a 2006 with 28k miles is a terrific price. :thumbup: I bought mine brand new back in 2007.
> ...


Hey, thanks! I love the thing, despite the troubles it's been giving me recently. 

Yours looks great as well. I'm a big fan of the S-Line front bumper on these cars, and it'd look great with a black grille. You could look into a flip out license plate holder if that's a possibility for you.

My car doesn't have a roof rack, actually. Some other Ocean Blue owners posted their cars earlier in the thread, maybe you saw one of theirs?


----------



## A3 Wannabe (Feb 22, 2017)

No roof rack here, just sadness...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## absolutt (Aug 10, 2007)

Hawkman312 said:


> Hey, thanks! I love the thing, despite the troubles it's been giving me recently.
> 
> Yours looks great as well. I'm a big fan of the S-Line front bumper on these cars, and it'd look great with a black grille. You could look into a flip out license plate holder if that's a possibility for you.
> 
> My car doesn't have a roof rack, actually. Some other Ocean Blue owners posted their cars earlier in the thread, maybe you saw one of theirs?


Yeah, sorry about that -- I was skimming through page 1 and saw this (but it belongs to *TBomb*):









Yeah, I agree the S-Line front end from 2007 on looks pretty sharp.

I just had my tires rotated by my local shop (don't have my own garage/workspace) and they pointed out my rear brake wear... amazed at how more significant it is in the rear than the front. You'd think the front would take the greater load. Anyway, seeing my car afterward I took more notice of the stance and I'm a little jealous of the reduced gap that the lower suspensions show. But knowing the roads in my neighborhood, I wouldn't want to go any lower than I already am. We have some pretty high speed bumps!


----------



## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

The downpipe is on and my CEL is gone! The install went about as smoothly as expected, and the downpipe itself was simple and straightforward. However... as usual, nothing can ever be too easy when it comes to working on a car. At some point throughout the process, the coolant distribution pipe got bumped, and broke at the weakest point, spilling coolant everywhere. Thank god this didn't happen while the car was being driven. This thread sums up pretty much exactly what happened in my case: (https://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?8769041-Replace-This-Part-ASAP-if-You-Havent-Yet!-Cheap-Easy-Fix-Coolant-Distribution-Pipe). It doesn't surprise me at all that an aluminum replacement exists: (http://www.gruvenparts.com/vw-audi-bpy-billet-radiator-hose-4y/). Since I was short on time, I had to pick up an OEM replacement from the local VW dealership, but if I've got the extra cash at some point, that aluminum piece would be one less thing to worry about.










After buttoning everything up and taking a test drive around the block, my check engine light came back on, throwing a code for a "bank 1" lean condition at idle. After some hunting around the engine bay, I discovered my brake booster line was cracked and splitting, creating a small vacuum leak. Here's another thread with a good picture of that, as well: (https://www.golfmkv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=198625&page=2). Again, as expected, there's an aftermarket part made of the not-as-cheap material that Audi should have sent the car out of the factory with in the first place: (https://www.uspmotorsports.com/SPULEN-2.0T-FSI-Brake-Booster-Hose-Kit.html). I ordered this for a long term fix since it is actually cheaper to replace all three similar lines with this kit than it would be to replace the singular line that caused the issue on my car with the OEM part. In the meantime, I've got a cheap bit of PCV hose in its place to get me around town until the kit comes later this week.

Regardless of all that nonsense, I'm glad to be rid of the OEM downpipe and the maraca of a catalytic converter attached to it.










The AWE downpipe itself went on without a hitch. Paired with the OEM catback, it isn't much louder than stock at all, however the tone is a bit different. The sound the car makes is less "filtered" than before. You can hear more of the sound the engine actually makes, rather than just a flat hum. In addition, the tone is a bit deeper and more rich sounding, and the turbo is more audible. 

The performance increase surprised me. Maybe it's just because I've been stuck driving a car that was down on power for a few weeks, but it surprised me in the same way that the Stage 1 tune surprised me. The throttle has much more immediacy than before, and seems much more responsive. The turbo seems to spool faster and comes on at a lower rpm. It seems much happier to do its job. I don't know how much more power the car is making, but it's definitely more... It's especially noticeable in higher gears, where previously putting your foot to the floor would seem more like a suggestion than a command. With the stock hardware, the power would build slowly and begrudgingly, but now it's much more of an effortless push across the entire rev range. Lower gears have even less trouble breaking traction than before. 

All in all, I'm very happy with it and would recommend it to anyone.


----------



## absolutt (Aug 10, 2007)

^ Congrats on the upgrades and thanks for letting us know the details. Yeah, it's annoying how Audi skimped in a few critical places. If they'd just used quality parts to begin with, what cost impact would it have been? I didn't keep track of all the TSB's that were coming up and being addressed by Audi under warranty, but there were at least a handful where the dealer performed work on my car. I believe that included the PCV... but now after reading up on PCV failures I'm going to check and confirm if this was addressed.

I may need to replace my downpipe sooner than later, so I'll definitely keep an AWE replacement in mind.


----------



## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

My original OEM shift boot has had it... It's cracking, rough, fading, and all sorts of other nastiness that happens to leather with age. Luckily, I've got some black leather laying around that matches my interior perfectly, and the shift boots are a simple design, so here's a few hours worth of work:

The original boot:



















The original boot vs new leather:










Eyeballing-ish the pattern:










All sewn up:










Good as new! (ft. BFI Shift Knob)


----------



## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

I'm tempted to try my hand at wrapping the grab handles, but that's a whole 'nother animal from putting two triangles together.


----------



## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

IMG_8427-2

Tons of fun at the track with some friends this past weekend!


----------



## Ponto (Jan 11, 2012)

Hawkman312 said:


> I'm tempted to try my hand at wrapping the grab handles, but that's a whole 'nother animal from putting two triangles together.


It sure is! But nice work on the shift knob! 

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk


----------



## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

Oh man have my last few months with this car been rough....

It alllllll started with some random fuel cuts on the highway. I got two or three cuts, which freaked me out enough to limp it home and scan it up immediately. No check engine light, but P2293 and P310B were stored. After some research I decided to throw a new LPFP and fuel filter at it. That did the trick and the car had no issues for two weeks as I put it through its paces to make sure everything was correct. Problem solved! ...or so I thought. 












But in the meantime, my left CV joint starts clicking and popping and causing all sorts of strange vibrations. Great, well... I've already rebuilt it once, so I figured it would be best to just replace the axle. I also suspect half of the issue was the inner CV, as well as the outer. I decided to go with Raxles, given their reputation for quality parts, and that they're still cheaper than OEM. They look great and seem beefier than stock, which is definitely confidence inspiring. They offer an option for lower cars that shortens the axles a bit to compensate for change in suspension, but I opted out since my car isn't extremely low, and since it was an extra Benjamin for the option, but I assume they might last longer regardless. The install was easy, and I've had no issues since!



















Except.... It didn't quite fix all the vibration I was getting at highway speeds, which I'm nearly certain a wheel bearing is contributing to. A while back, idiot me jumped a curb on the left side, but besides an alignment there didn't seem to be any side effects besides my wounded ego and rocker panel. I'm guessing this is the real source of my CV and wheel bearing issues, although it's interesting that it took months to catch up to me. I'm sure the track day within the last year didn't do any favors either.

I've yet to fix the wheel bearing since the vibration isn't unbearable, but hoping to get it done here in the next few weeks once I've got some summer paychecks under my belt.

Anyways, I got that CV axle done in preparation for a longer road trip I planned on taking with a friend, and with the fuel issue sorted, I thought I was good to go!

About 250 miles in with no issues, we pulled over to take a quick break and freshen up. Came back to the car annnnnnnnddd... no start. :sly: Tried it a few more times and nothing. It would turn over just fine but absolutely refused to catch. I pulled my laptop and VAGCOM from my luggage and scanned it up, but there were no codes. Mystified but stranded in a pretty remote part of my trip, I called for a tow. Magically, there was a VW dealer in the next town up the road, which just so happened to be the only VAG shop within a 200 mile radius in any direction. I did some research during the wait and decided it was definitely still fuel related. Given that I'd replaced the LPFP and filter, that ruled those out, leaving a few sensors and the HPFP. Well, the HPFP I knew was fine, so I called ahead to VW and asked if they had the sensors anywhere close. They had one of the two in stock, and the other was a day out even after they pulled some strings. I showed up and bought the first and threw it in in the parking lot. No joy. Ordered the second and found a hotel for the night. 

The next morning back at the dealer I got my hands on the second part and swapped it out as well. Fingers crossed turning the ignition... still nothing. 

After standing around in the parking lot for a few hours trying to figure out how much money it was going to cost me to get myself, my passenger, and the car home, not to mention cancelling plans at our destination, I decided to pull the LPFP as a last ditch effort. Honestly just out of spite.

I'll let this photo speak for itself:










Essentially the line blew somewhere on my first leg, and ran on suction from the HPFP since the fuel level in the tank was higher than the hole in the hose. When I turned the car off and tried to restart it, the LPFP would prime, but all the pressure was dumping out that hole, so no fuel was getting to the engine, leading to my no start.

The heros at this particular VW rigged me up with some fuel line they had laying around as a temporary fix, and I immediately got them a box of donuts for all their effort in getting me back on the road.




























Finally got to our destination a day late and had to fight with the hotel to get into the room that we had already paid for, even after telling them we would be late. 

The trip back was relatively uneventful... besides nearly getting taken out by an old guy who ran off the road and bounced off a barrier back towards me. I missed him by maybe a foot, and I'm incredibly grateful I was paying attention and saw it coming because I was on ABS before he even hit the guardrail, and it was still THAT close. 

https://youtu.be/f17eWgoBvMs

(I'm so sorry this is a recording of a recording and sideways. )

Some other drivers helped us clear the road, and I waited a bit to show my dashcam video to the sheriff who showed up. From this point on the A3 was very sluggish to start, but did, and ran just fine. Terrified it wouldn't crank on me again, I left it running the remaining 350ish miles to home, hot-fueling it twice along the way.

Since that trip I've RMA'd the new-broken LPFP, and so far the replacement has held up.

Hell of a "vacation."

Strangely the new fueling parts all seem to function just fine and without hiccups while the car is running, but it is still very sluggish to start since the return trip. If you jump in and try and start it without letting it sit and prime with the ignition in the "on" but not "start" position, it will take a good five seconds. Letting it fully prime seems to help, but it still seems slower than normal. I tried replacing the fuel rail check valve thinking that maybe it for some reason wasn't holding pressure in the rail while the car was sitting, but it doesn't seem to have made a difference. I'm not quite sure what would be causing this issue at this point, so if anyone has any ideas, I'm all ears.


Up next on the to-do list are wheel bearings, tires, a window regulator, door switches, headliner, sideskirt/bumper (at some point...), and hopefully something actually fun at some point like an S3 intercooler, intake, stage 2 tune, and exhaust.

Part #s of all the fuel related parts I've replaced at this point:
LPFP - 1K0919051DB
Filter - 1K0201051K
Low Pressure Fuel Sensor - 06E906051K
Fuel Pump Control Module - 1K0906093K
Fuel Rail Check Valve - 079130757


----------



## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

Finally got annoyed enough at the stock engine cover/air-box combo that I gave in and got myself some _*woosh*_ noises!










I chose the Integrated Engineering intake as the components seemed to be high quality, while the intake is still affordably priced. It makes no sense to me to pay $500 or more for an aluminum pipe with a 90-degree bend in it, and I even toyed with having a custom one welded up. The IE intake can be found for $350, which is much more reasonable in my opinion. All of the hardware is perfect and goes together very easily. It took me about an hour to install and secure everything (I wasn't in a hurry, either).

The one thing I didn't like, which is admittedly an easy fix, is that the support bracket that attaches to the vacuum pump seems to just barely collide. It's probably fine in the long run, but I'm planning on grabbing a washer from the hardware store to space it out that extra millimeter, when I get the chance. They also gave me a crimp-style clamp to block off the unused S3/GolfR relocated diverter valve port, which I wasn't a fan of. I replaced it with a generic jubilee-clamp instead.










Fuel trims seem good at first glance, if a tad rich. I'm wanting to get some more miles on the car before I check again to see how they change over time, and if they get closer to 0% or run away from it. Relevant components to how my fuel trims could be affected are the GIAC Stage 1 software and AWE downpipe I'm currently running, for anyone unfamiliar with my car. 

I've read a fair share of reviews saying the IE intake was very loud. It's definitely audible, but I wouldn't consider it to be loud or obnoxious at all. I have the GFB DV+ which may also contribute to a difference in my woosh noises compared to stock.

All in all, I'm happy with it so far!


----------



## absolutt (Aug 10, 2007)

Glad to hear the new CAI is working out for you, *Hawkman*. :thumbup:

I'd missed seeing your June posting... wow, so sorry that you went through all that fuel pressure chaos. Fuel leaks are serious business. EXAMPLE. Also sense your frustration -- seems you'd had quite a few things going wrong nearly at the same time. How many miles do you have on your A3 now?


----------



## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

absolutt said:


> Glad to hear the new CAI is working out for you, *Hawkman*. :thumbup:
> 
> I'd missed seeing your June posting... wow, so sorry that you went through all that fuel pressure chaos. Fuel leaks are serious business. EXAMPLE. Also sense your frustration -- seems you'd had quite a few things going wrong nearly at the same time. How many miles do you have on your A3 now?


I’m up around 75,000 miles now, although I’m not the easiest on the car. Still a little bit of a vibration at highway speeds but it hasn’t seem to have gotten any worse. I’m thinking it’s probably either a wheel bearing or ball joint. I need to fix it but it’s one of those things where I’d rather go for an upgrade instead of a replacement, and if I’m already down there doing suspension work, I may as well do the ten other things I want to do all at the same time so I can just get one alignment and be done with it. It’s just a lot of money I need to spend all at once lol.


----------



## absolutt (Aug 10, 2007)

Hawkman312 said:


> I’m up around 75,000 miles now, although I’m not the easiest on the car. Still a little bit of a vibration at highway speeds but it hasn’t seem to have gotten any worse. I’m thinking it’s probably either a wheel bearing or ball joint. I need to fix it but it’s one of those things where I’d rather go for an upgrade instead of a replacement, and if I’m already down there doing suspension work, I may as well do the ten other things I want to do all at the same time so I can just get one alignment and be done with it. It’s just a lot of money I need to spend all at once lol.


Has a good bit of that been in city driving? Mostly in Florida? I've had my car in NY/NJ area since new, the first 1/3rd of my ownership piling on significant highway mileage (100 miles round trip for work 5 days a week). Then when I started working from home and avoiding all that commuting mileage, my annual mileage average began to drop a lot. Nearing 88,000 miles now, averages less than 7,400 miles a year. This has been the most reliable car I ever owned (2nd place goes to a Nissan Maxima).


----------



## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

absolutt said:


> Has a good bit of that been in city driving? Mostly in Florida? I've had my car in NY/NJ area since new, the first 1/3rd of my ownership piling on significant highway mileage (100 miles round trip for work 5 days a week). Then when I started working from home and avoiding all that commuting mileage, my annual mileage average began to drop a lot. Nearing 88,000 miles now, averages less than 7,400 miles a year. This has been the most reliable car I ever owned (2nd place goes to a Nissan Maxima).


I'd say I'm pretty evenly split between city and highway driving. Most of my time is spent around town, but our major cities are quite spread apart down here, so if I actually need to go somewhere, its about an hour of open highway to get anywhere. My driving "schedule" is pretty erratic, so it really just depends on what I'm up to in a given month.

I'd consider my A3 to be reliable, but it's also starting to show its age. This joke drawing comes to mind:


----------



## Bronco (Mar 3, 2011)

Hawkman312,

just wanted to mention that I keep reading - and enjoying your thread. Thanks for sharing your experiences with your A3 :thumbup:


----------



## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

Bronco said:


> Hawkman312,
> 
> just wanted to mention that I keep reading - and enjoying your thread. Thanks for sharing your experiences with your A3 :thumbup:


Thanks for the support! I know the thread is pretty slow moving. I've got lots of ideas but not a lot of disposable income at my current stage in life. Hopefully that will change here pretty soon if only for the sake of entertaining the ~10 of us that still frequent this forum, haha


----------



## Bronco (Mar 3, 2011)

Hawkman312 said:


> I know the thread is pretty slow moving.


My kind of speed ! 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

S3 Intercooler Time!


----------



## strangetdi (Feb 5, 2002)

Bolt on install? Or is there some modifications required?


----------



## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

strangetdi said:


> Bolt on install? Or is there some modifications required?


It's an OEM part number: (1K0145803P) 

It'll bolt right on! These were used in the Euro S3 and some really early Mk6 Golf Rs before switching to the model with plastic end-tanks. Supposedly the plastic flows a bit better but I'd personally rather have the full aluminum part. The only thing you'll need to sort out are the hoses, since they connect differently. You can modify the original ones to fit right on, or buy aftermarket. I went with some silicone from Forge, which required some cutting to fit properly. I'm not super happy with their fitment, but they do work just fine, and I didn't want to modify my original hoses.

The best thing about these are that you can find them really cheap, and they're basically perfect for a K03 car. They're something like 33% more surface area than the stock A3/GTI intercooler.


----------



## TurboSharef (Jun 2, 2014)

sweet car man! i never see a3's in a colour usually when i see one here where i live its, silver black grey and occasionally white.

i have the exact same gunmetel 18" audi wheels you have. question for you, iv been trying to get some info on them as to which audi they came from, do you know?


----------



## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

TurboSharef said:


> sweet car man! i never see a3's in a colour usually when i see one here where i live its, silver black grey and occasionally white.
> 
> i have the exact same gunmetel 18" audi wheels you have. question for you, iv been trying to get some info on them as to which audi they came from, do you know?


Not sure exactly which wheels you're referring to. The ones on my car are the stock 17s.


----------



## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

It's impossible not to have fun while driving this thing!


----------



## TurboSharef (Jun 2, 2014)

Hey I was referring to these wheels, I saw them on your car in a picture a few pages back. These are 18's on my A3









Sent from my SM-G965W using Tapatalk


----------



## Hawkman312 (Nov 4, 2016)

Unfortunately I didn't get many photos of the work... but yesterday was a very full day for me and the car. Here are the things I got done!

Strut mounts and bearings. I went with the TT top mounts as they are supposedly a bit more firm.
Ball joints.
Tie rod ends.
BFI lower control arm mounts. These add caster and are built with the RS3/TTRS solid rubber bushings.
Brake flush. Finally got around to this after my most recent track day.
Alignment! For obvious reasons.

Here's the alignment specs I ended up with. I'd like a bit less camber and toe in the rear but I'll need adjustable upper arms to get any more adjustment out of it. The front camber evens itself out a bit with me in the car, and the BFI mounts look like they added about a half a degree of static caster.










The car feels a lot tighter and more solid with all new everything. I haven't gotten the chance to do much driving yet to compare the new vs. old control arm mounts, but in general it feels like a brand new car!


----------

