Newbie Guide Version 2
#1
11-08-2007, 09:08 AM
Newbie Guide Version 2
yeah so insomnia sucks the big one. i couldn't get any sleep last night, so i decided to revise my newbie's guide since quite a few people found it useful. I wrote the first one when i was still a noob myself and didn't know much, so i went through and added things i've learned and such. here it is...
I thought I would create a newbie's guide to try and prevent questions from being asked over and over again.
First off, when you have a question you should search. We have no problems answering all your questions, provided that you searched for them first. Some questions have been asked so many times it's not even funny. It gets very annoying to the regular guys around here and that’s why we flame them for it. If you have a question that hasn't been answered, or you need further clarification, then absolutely post a new thread and we will help you out to the best of our ability. However, you should not be starting new threads for questions already answered a million times. Why? Because it's just plain annoying, and because it clutters up the forum and makes it harder for people to search when their search results contain hundreds of threads composed of just stupid questions and people flaming them for asking. To help you newbie's out, I made this list of commonly asked questions.
Ok let's start off with the people who are looking to buy an A4.
Should I get an Audi?
It depends on your financial situation. If you are a poor teenager, then this most likely isn’t the car for you. You should have at least an extra grand after purchasing the car for repairs/maintenance. Audi’s are not cheap cars to own and maintain. The parts for the car really aren’t that expensive, although there are some exceptions. The real killer is the labor. The car cannot be serviced/repaired everywhere and the places that can do it charge you up the wazoo for labor. Working on an Audi really isn’t that much different from working on other cars though. So if you are mechanically inclined and can DIY for most things, then that will cut down on the cost of owning one significantly.
How reliable are Audi’s?
Audi’s, contrary to popular belief, are reliable cars. They just need a little more attention than other cars do. A car is only going to be as reliable as you are. If you change the oil every 5k miles with synthetic oil, put in 91 or higher octane gas, and do all the other required maintenance at its recommended intervals than the car will be very reliable. These engine’s are a marvel of German technology and are capable of exceeding 200k+ miles on them no problem. The 2.8 tends to be more reliable than the 1.8T because of the lack of forced induction. Depending on which generation A4 (B5, B6, B7, etc.) they each have their own notorious flaws just like a lot of other cars. Do keep in mind though, as far as reliabilty, Audi just can't compete with a Honda or Toyota. The style and uniqueness of Audi is legendary, and makes ownership and the satisfaction of driving in general top notch compared to any other car maker. This tends to make up for any of Audis shortcomings as far as less than top notch reliability goes.
Common Problems
Common problems on A4's are timing belt, control arms, tie rod ends, oil sludge, and sometimes wheel bearings, window regulators, abs module, and the sunroof. The timing belt tenioners in 97-99 models were a bad design. If you have a pre-2000, its better to do it sooner (60-70k miles) if it's never been done because of the crappy tensioner. Post-2000- You can wait an extra couple thousand miles but i would do it around 80k. If the timing belt snaps you are pretty much f*cked. It will most likely push the pistons up and bend the valves and other nasty stuff due to being an interference engine type, unless you are really lucky and didn't get internal damage. The former will require an engine rebuild. While having your timing belt changed, you also might as well change the water pump and a other belts. The best way is to buy a kit from renn-art, pure motorsports, or ecs tuning (our sponsors found in the Audi links.) Currently, purems has the cheapest kit. If you do it yourself it will run you roughly $300, or, you can get a local tuner to do it. A good price is around $600- $700, and if you take it to the stealership, it typcialy runs between $1,000 and $1,500!! Oil sludge is more of a problem for the 1.8T than the 2.8. Just make sure to use fully synthetic oil, and use the larger OEM updated oil filter (for the 1.8t.) Change it every 3-5k miles and you won't ever have to worry about this. For B5 models, the bushings and overall design are just no durable enough to go longer than 80k miles (sometimes less.) For the tie rods- it's just a bad design by Audi that tends to fail within 80k miles (for B5's) The sunroof can be troublesome in most A4's. It is usually one of two things. You either need to clean the contacts (DIY-http://www.audiworld.com/tech/elec.html) or you need a new relay switch.
Which A4 should I get?
Depending on what year/generation you are interested in, there are several differences to take into consideration when it comes to performance, reliability and availability for future modifications. Quattro is a what Audi is most well known for when it comes to "options", and is most desireable over FWD . Try driving a FWD compared to a Quattro and you will know what I mean. They are completely different cars. It doesn’t matter if you live in a place where it doesn’t snow or other stuff like that. Quattro in my mind is a must when getting an Audi. Now which engine should you get? It depends on if you’re looking to mod the car, or if you want more reliability. The 1.8T has loads of mods and is more fun to drive in my opinion. The 2.8 is more reliable than the 1.8T but has practically no mods. It starts with 40 more hp than the 1.8T in stock form, but is also slightly heavier. The only way to get serious power out of the 2.8 is with a supercharger. But they cost 4-5 grand for a complete setup. Lots of info can be found out about supercharging the 2.8 at www.superchargedaudi.com Also more info can be found about this subject here: https://www.audiforums.com/m_355352/tm.htm
There is also a supercharger kit available for the 3.0 B6 model.
The newer generation A4's come with a 2.0T base engine and an optional 3.2 V6- both with optional multitronic, tiptronic, and 6 speed manual transmissions. And the brand new B8's that are about to come out in '08 have a 3.0TDI turbo diesel option. In case you didn't know TDI's are the cleanest diesel engines in the world, and the 3.0 is reported to get 25% better gas mileage and come with 240 horsepower and 406 lb-ft. of torque...STOCK!!
The A4 2.8/3.0
So you got an A4 without doing much research first and picked a 2.8/3.0 without knowing it had practically no mods for it, or maybe you just wanted the extra reliability but still want to mod it. So what parts are there for it? As for exhaust, there is Neuspeed, Decorsa, Thermal, Milltek, Supersprint, Greddy, Remus, and custom. For the 2.8 only Milltek and Greddy offer a full cat-back exhaust, Remus offers an axel back exhaust. The rest of those are for the 3.0. For chips, there is Neuspeed, GIAC, and Wetterauer. The Neuspeed chip claims 15whp for $300 but i kinda doubt it. GIAC's chip gives you 12hp for $500. NA engines dont get the kind of gains that forced induction engines do with chips. For intake there is Stratmosphere. For under drive pulley you have Unorthodox Racing. The last mod you can do to it is a supercharger. Pretty much the only major power mod for the 2.8. It’ll cost you around 4-5 grand, and you will be getting around 300 hp. Most people say you can't put a supercharger on a 12v, but PES said you can run their G2 with a 12v if your running standalone www.superchargedaudi.com has lots of info on superchargers and has group buys so you can get one for cheaper. No company makes a turbocharger for the 2.8 but some guys have made one-off setups so it’s possible. The downside is the relatively high compression ratio of the 2.8 (10.3:1)prevents you from running anything more than a few psi. So you'll spend more money and get the same results as the supercharger. Exhaust, intake, and a chip will get you about 20 hp. For a lot more detailed info on the 2.8 check out this link: https://www.audiforums.com/m_177186/tm.htm
(credit Grouse)
What year is my car/What are the differences between the generations?
If you want to know whether you have a 99 or a 99.5, or if you just want to know the differences of the exterior of the A4 over the years, then you should check out this link: http://ctny.audiworld.com/mark/a4/diff/ Engine wise the 97-99.5 are DBC and 2000+ are DBW. If you’re planning on extensively modding your car, DBC is easier to tune. If you’re just getting a chip and a few other mods, then it doesn't really matter. 99.5 is considered to be the best year because it is still DBC but it has all the upgrades the 2000+ had, like one-piece headlights, improved timing belt tensioner, and other stuff. In 2001, the stock hp rose from 150 hp to 170 hp. This was done through a k03s, which has a 5mm wheel shaft (k03 has 4mm), more aggressively angled fins on the compressor wheel and a reduction from 12 fins to 8, so it can hold more boost more efficiently, different compression (from 9.5:1 to 9.3:1) and different programming that increased the boost by .3 bar (from .5 to .8).
Also throughout the years the 1.8T engines have had different codes. 97-99.5 are AEB, 2000 are ATW, and 2001 are AWM. AEB engines are the best to work on and mod and have more aftermarket. They also have the largest port head and the biggest wrist pins (20mm) so they produce the most power. They use the 058 block w/ external water pump, no MAP sensor, and nbo2. ATW use the 058 block w/ external waterpump, MAP sensor, smaller port head, 20mm wrist pins, and nbo2. It has the AEB bottom end, with a smaller head. AWM is the same as the 02+ AMB engine with 06A block, internal waterpump, MAP sensor, 19mm wrist pins, and wbo2. For 2.8 B5, there were two different versions of the 2.8L V6 available. A 12v from 96-97, and the 30v was introduced in 98. The 12v motor is the least desireable, though it is very reliable at 170hp. The 30v is also very reliable and comes with a 190hp motor that (as stated numerous times) can be supercharged
B5 Model- 1996-2001.5
B6 Model- 2002-2005
B7 Model- 2005.5-2008
B8 Model- 09+
Auto vs. Manual
In a race a manual will beat an auto any day of the week. It can launch properly and shift faster (most of the time). The manual transmission will be able to handle any amount of power you’re going to be putting into the car. The tiptronic tranny will not be able to support anything above about ~300 ft. lbs of torque (quattro). Which means your limited to either a k04, elim series turbo, or T3T4. The quattro tiptronic tranny is much better than the FWD one. Some people have used up to a 71r elim on the quattro tranny, but a k04 would be pushing the limits of the FWD tranny. If your dead set on more power and have an auto tranny, then you can get a level 10 upgrade. http://www.levelten.com/ is where you can find info about that. The upgraded valve body is the most important part to handle more power. You can cut down on the shift time of the tiptronic with a tip chip. GIAC is the only choice for this. Also the automatic tranny will lose some power through the torque converter. A level 10 torque converter will probably free up some lost hp. An auto tranny can however shift a lot better than a human can in most cases, especially when you add a tip chip. Also you can't swap an engine that was from an auto car into one that is a manual or vice versa because the cranks shafts are different.
Ok so now for the people who actually have A4's
What mod should I do first?
Okay, so you just got your A4 and you want to start modding it. Which mods should you buy first? The absolute first thing you should do is a chip. By far it offers the most bang for the buck. Expect to pay around $500 for a good one + labor and tax. With this $500 you will be getting roughly 40-50 hp and 60-80 ft/lbs of tq. When you get a chip you will also have to upgrade the DV (diverter valve). The stock ones in the car are plastic and crappy and will not be able to handle the added boost the chip provides. You don't NEED to change it at the same time but there's no telling when the stock one will blow and its best to just do it at the same time. Next mods, you can get are intake (although the stock airbox is very efficient, and anything aftermarket is mainly for the cool sound), test pipe/hfc, exhaust, turbo inlet pipe, water/meth injection, and nitrous. You can do other mods that don’t add power like snub mount, short shifter, and suspension. What you do after that is entirely up to how far you want to take the car and how deep your pockets are. If you want to know what brands are available, keep reading.
How much power can the stock engine take?
Contrary to popular belief the 1.8T's engine does not have forged internals. The pistons are forged Mahle's, but thats it. The limit of a completely stock 1.8T is around 450hp/330ft lbs (with a good tune). After that your gona start snapping rods. Other than that, you dont need to touch anything else. You could swap in new pistons to lower the compression ratio, but the stock piston's have been proven to be able to handle over 700hp. If your gona be taking the engine to over 8k RPM (sometimes 7500RPM) than you'll also want to upgrade the valve springs so you dont float a valve. There are 900+ hp 1.8T's out there.
Other basic 1.8t engine facts
VW/Audi Engine Info
-058 Block: external water pump
-06A Block: internal water pump
-Displacement: 1.8L (1781cc)
-Firing Order: 1-3-4-2
-Cylinder #1 is next to the timing belt
-All catbacks are 2.17"
-Oil Capacity: 4.6qt (4.35L)
-Head bolt size: 11mm AEB, 10mm all others
Engine dimensions for OE engines: [ul][*]Bore size - 81mm (3.19in)
[*]Stroke - 86.4mm (3.40in)
[*]Rod Length - 144mm [/ul]
What chip should I get?
This is probably one of the most commonly asked and flamed questions on AF. GIAC, APR, and REVO are each going to give you very similar hp/tq gains, so to say one company is better than the other is pointless. Each company usually has dyno results posted on their website, but you have no way of knowing what conditions the dyno was taken under and each company usually overestimates its gains for marketing purposes. So what are the differences between them? The only difference between the companies is where that added power is applied in the RPM range. GIAC tends to give the power more in the low RPM’s whereas APR, and REVO tend to have more power in the higher RPM. As a general rule, if you have a B5 go with GIAC, if you have a B6 go with REVO, and if you have a B7 go with either APR or REVO. Why I say this is because this is the general consensus of the people on AF. People who have a B5 say that GIAC is the most fun to drive and it feels like the power is more available when you stomp down on the gas. People who have B6’s and B7’s usually say the same thing for REVO or APR. But power alone should not be the deciding factor in your decision. You also have to look at where each dealer is located and what their service is like. A good chip is useless without after sales support. You might want to upgrade the chip in the future to a more aggressive file so if a certain company offers discounts when upgrading you would want to pick that one. GIAC is one company in particular that will give you a discount on the proper software needed if you upgrade from your k03 turbo to a k04 turbo. Or if your going BT in the future Unitronics and REVO both have solid BT software.
There are other chips out there, but they usually are crap. Most people who buy Neuspeed chips say they are weak, even though Neuspeed claims really high gains for less money than it's competitors. Here’s a link http://www.carbuffsweb.com/shop.asp?...temSubTypeID=1 but personally I wouldn’t get one. Your ECU is not where you want to be skimping money on. Also, chips off of ebay are usually scams if it isn't an actual ecu that is being sold with an afermarket chip flashed or soldered into it. You can't get a REAL and quality chip for your Audi for less than $500 typically. Try to find a used chipped ecu in our classifieds section if the price is too steep for you. The only exception to this rule might be SpeedTuning and Inmotion. Both of these companies offer their chips at like half the price of the "good" chips. The guys who have bought them, like them, but there have been some problems, and people seem to have different results. Also there is no dyno results yet, and you have to send them your ECU so they can chip it, so your gona have some down time. But if your cheap, its a good option.
There is another option to a chip if you have a MAP equipped car (2000+). You could do a diode mod and be able to boost 16-18 psi safely. More info courtesy of cincyTT can be found here- https://www.audiforums.com/m_535568/tm.htm
What intake should I get?
The best intake you can probably get is Carbonio. However, this intake costs $389. That’s a a lot of money just for an intake. Personally, I would suggest an Evo intake over a Carbonio one. Costs quite a bit less but still does the job just as good. A lot of people suggest doing the air box mod. It’s cheap and does everything a new intake does but there is a little risk involved. Water may get in ingested and cause miss fires or even hydrolock. Most of the guys who have done it have never had any problem with it and highly recomend it. More info on it can be found here: https://www.audiforums.com/m_260779/tm.htm Also an intake DOES NOT add 15-20 hp as advertised by many companies. You might get a couple extra hp from a carbonio, evo intake, and even the stock air box mod, but don’t count on it. The only reason to get an intake is to make the turbo and DV more audiable. If you want a heatshield, there is a guy on audizine who sells a really good heatshield or you can make one yourself. http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...ght=heatshieldBut on the 1.8T, a heat sheild isnt really important. The engine bay is cool when you car moving and also the air being sucked in will come out the turbo roughly the same temp as it would as if you had a CAI. The combination on heat from the turbine and compresion of the air will heat it to practically the same temp. This differnce will then be completly negated by the IC where it will be brought down to w/e % of ambient the IC is capable of, resulting in the same IAT's. As long as you dont place the intake on the maf directly above the turbo and manifold, you should be fine.
The cheapest way is to make your own. All you need is a 2.75" silicon connector to connect to the MAF and then whatever piping you want to run. Some just stick a filter on the end of the MAF, but that places it really close to the turbo, I would suggest using either a 90* bend or a u-bend and stick a BPI Flowstack on the end of that and you have just as good of an intake as Evoms.
Which exhaust/test pipe should I get?
Which exhaust you should get depends on what kind of sound you want. Neuspeed and some custom setups are and can definitely be the loudest. You must be careful when going custom to not end up with a ricerish sound. You need to make sure a custom exhaust is done at a reputable shop so you dont get exhaust leaks and poor construction. But done right, you can have the sound of a name brand exhaust at a fraction the price. Milltek gives the “classiest” or most "sophisticated and refined" sounding exhaust.. It is the most expensive exhaust but has a very nice deep tone to it. Borla is my personal choice. It’s cheaper than Milltek but still provides that nice deep tone. 2.25”- 2.5” exhaust is what you want to get. Unless you go BT, then you will want a 3” exhaust. A higher flowing exhaust should add as much as 10-15hp. If you want your car even louder and you want even more power you should also get a test pipe. Makes the exhaust so much more mean sounding but doesn't add that much overall power with a stock turbo. Not everyone can install a test pipe though. It gets rid of the cat and therefore you will not be able to pass rolling emissions with it, if your state just scans the car you will be fine. If you live in a state without emissions you are fine, but if you have emissions you can’t. Your best bet would be to then get a high flow cat or have new ends welded onto the cat. I have an ecode test pipe in my car and it sounds great with the Borla exhaust. Getting a custom exhaust is usually the best way to go with 2.8/3.0's because of the limited aftermarket. It’ll probably run you cheaper than buying an exhaust from a company and still works great. Here are some sound clips of different exhaust’s on A4’s:
Magnaflow
If you have the Audi A4 2.8 V6 http://images.magnaflow.com/04sound/...d/driving2.swf In Car Sound
If you have the Audi A4 2.8 V6 Click http://images.magnaflow.com/04sound/...ing_test3a.swf Car Launch
If you have the Audi A4 2.8 V6 http://images.magnaflow.com/04sound/...ing_test2a.swf Drive By Sound
If you have the Audi A4 1.8 I4 Click http://images.magnaflow.com/04sound/...dia4_incar.mp3 In Car Sound
If you have the Audi A4 1.8 I4 Click http://images.magnaflow.com/04sound/...ia4_launch.mp3 Car Launch
If you have the Audi A4 1.8 I4 http://images.magnaflow.com/04sound/...a4_driveby.mp3 Drive By Sound
If you have a B6 A4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRHjy...ed&search=
Milltek
Inside Cabin
http://www.stratmosphere.com/a4tqm_g...g_56_24000.wav
B6 1.8T Rev
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2jR7wIdU-s
B6 3.0 Rev
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8p6I8-XChsk
B7 2.0T Comparison to stock
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BQ6aXMOoeU
Borla
B5 1.8T standstill rev
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mxbcpl5j-MQ
B5 1.8T standstill revs 2
http://www.awe-tuning.com/media/multimedia/revs2.mov
B5 1.8T driving away
http://www.awe-tuning.com/media/mult.../driveaway.mov
B6 1.8T standstill rev
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xF0XSV93jTU
Techtonics
(i know the vids say Borla, trust me its Techtonics, which uses Borla mufflers. This exact exhaust and testpipe are in my car)
B5 1.8T making a few passes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkRIKJmwxjE
B5 1.8T standstill rev
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiEPwIwCHgA
Neuspeed
B5 1.8T Neuspeed Exhaust + ecode test pipe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8RbNRUTrB8
B6 1.8T
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-DwpbjZnL4
B7 3.2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUQCYX170Hc
B7 2.0TComparison to stock
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmZ-iWZDRRI
AWE
B7 Comparison to stock
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwvFIDm4GOU
B6 standstill rev
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2JgT-Rh-6E
B7 tp/exhaust combination comparison
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttD8JZQwz3c
APR
B7 Comparison to stock
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io53j0Smeg0
B7 2.0T standstill rev
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymPCwo-D00A
B6 1.8T standstill rev
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STs_TAZ-pGE
Custom Exhausts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2Lv3Yiz6jU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8Qd9z8sFHU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qYubA07190
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISWbDY7PTvM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6l93NhlCDZM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gF-DB32RUm4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBedJjEIqPg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VryiqC0ng7A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eh-UEfVe1BU
What kind of BOV should I get?
Due to the closed loop turbo system in our A4's you can not release the air into the atmosphere, you have to recirculate it back into the system. The MAF calculates air before the DV so if any air is lost after that calculation by releasing it into the atmosphere you will run rich for a little while. How damaging this is, is disputable, but on 2000+ models the car adapts to running a BOV because of the MAP sensor so you will only run rich for a day or 2. The BOV will need to stay closed at idle. A BOV that remains open at idle is not good for a car with a MAF and you will stutter and stall. Forge 004 and SSQV are both closed at idle and good choices. If you run standalone software (034 Motorsports carries it) you can run any BOV you want.
There are also hybrid BOV's that only vent a portion of the air. The most popular are the Forge Splitter, and GFB. The splitter is the easiest to install and run and the GFB is just a little tougher, but you can adjust the amount released to atmosphere for 10-50%. The GFB is ~$250 and the Forge is $175 and can only release 10% vta or full dv (should only be left as both since it releases more air).
And if you have a B6, they are equipped with a Wideband o2, stock. the ECU is programmed from the factory with the target AFR, and it will adjust fuel trims accordingly to maintain that, tuned or untuned. So you can remove your MAF and run any BOV you want. Won't work with b5's.
If you have a pre-00 A4 can you run a BOV? Technically no, but I run one on my 98.5 with no problems whatsoever. You only run slightly rich right after you "blow-off" and I can't see it doing any damage. Maybe a catalytic converter in the long run, but I doubt it.
**note: I take no responsibility if you put a BOV on your car and it fvcks it up.
What DV should I get?
It is entirely up to you. First option is the 710N. This DV comes stock on Audi TT (225hp version) to compensate for the added boost from the k04. It is the cheapest one you can buy (typicaly found for $35-$40) and will work fine on any k03/k04 application. It is not serviceable however. The next option is a Forge series DV. Forge 006 and Forge 007 (virtually the same thing but the 007 has a smaller external design for optimal fitment on an S4 application). They are fully serviceable and adjustable. If you are upping the boost all you need to do is switch out the spring. This (007) is probably the most widely available and recommended DV to get. It is ideal if you’re going to be upgrading the turbo. There are other DV’s out there like Bailey’s, EVO, Hyperboost, Stratmosphere, etc. They are essentially the same as the Forge series, so whichever you can get for cheapest is the one you should get. A new DV will not add any power but it will make the “psshh” sound more audible, especially with an intake or air box mod.
More info on DV's can be found here- https://www.audiforums.com/m_531160/tm.htm
Vids Comparing the Forge 006 (DV) with Forge 004 (BOV)- https://www.audiforums.com/m_732318/tm.htm
The Forge 006 is the same thing as the Forge 007 only slightly bigger so the sound between the 2 should be the same. Mods on the car were k04 running ~16psi, intake, and exhaust, which should be comparable to a chipped k03 w/ intake(or airbox mod) in terms of sound
What is Water/Meth Injection?
A mixture of water and methanol is injected into the intake manifold to cool the intake charge. This allows for more timing, and more boost without knocking or detonation, and you are also able to run a race gas program on pump gas. You can use -20 deg windshield washing fluid since its 25% meth, if you can't find meth or don't wana spend the money.
It cleans cylinders, increases octane rating along with all the above. The best setup is a dual nozzle system since the closer to the TB, the better the knock protection and the further away, the better the cooling effect. The two best place to install nozzles with a dual set up would be just after the ic (never before since it would pool in the ic) and just after the TB (with a smaller jet). With a single nozzle, your best bet is to place it ~1ft from the TB to get a as much as both cooling and knock as possible. USRT usrallyteam.com has a program you download to find the size nozzles for your application. As for brands, the snowperformance and devils own are the most popular. You really should spend the extra $100 for the stg 2 kit to maximize the potential of the system. Also they come in map and maf kits. The maf is proactive since it will be spraying as the boost is hitting the mark you want to inject at while the map kit wont spray until you reach a certain psi. So you have to take those pros with the cons of the maf's **** to getting dirty and failing.
(courtesy of cincyTT)
Which Turbo should I get? Another guide I made that goes more in depth into this- https://www.audiforums.com/m_816714/tm.htm
K04- easiest and most reliable replacement turbo. It is a direct bolt on replacement. You don't need to replace anything but it is strongly recommended that you get new programming. The most popular is GIAC and with it you will also need a 5 bar FPR. GIAC also offers 3 aggressive files PC-16 for Pre '00, J31 for '00, and Hammer for '01. They are each different but all require an adjustable FPR, bigger injectors, fmic, and you will most likely need a new clutch soon after. If you have a B6 or B7 A4 the k04 is a pointless upgrade. You will only gain a 5-10 hp because of the k03s. It has a 1mm bigger wheel shaft, and more aggressively angled fins on the compressor wheel so it can hold more boost more efficiently. A big injector file for the k03 will put out almost the same numbers as a k04 setup. k04 will max out around 250hp
Elims- The cheapest and easiest BT setups. They eliminate the need for a new exhaust manifold and testpipe like full turbo setups require. The gt2x is only oil-cooled and has a not so good reputation, but it is the cheapest. The gtrs is a good choice. Lots more power than a k03/k04 yet has very little lag. Another choice is the 71r Elim. It has the same housing as the gtrs but a larger comressor wheel. Because of this it has slightly more lag but produces more power. With each of the elims you will need bigger injectors, software, fmic or water/meth, intake, MAF, FPR, and a clutch would be a good idea too. It's also recommended you get a braided oil return line cause the stock one is a pain to get it. GTRS will max out around 300hp. 2871r elim will max out around 350hp.
GT28RS- You will need to get a new exhaust manifold due to the different flange, the stock one would most likely crack and rob it horsepower anyways. You also need a new testpipe/cat or you could just get a new flange welded on. You will also need a 3" VR6 MAF, custom intake, 3" turbo inlet pipe, 2.75"-3" exhaust, FMIC, bigger injectors (660 or 440 usually depending on the software), walboro 225lph fuel pump, stage 3 or higher clutch, adjustable fpr, and oil and coolant lines. And new mounts (all of them engine, tranny, differential, snub),a bigger oil cooler, new suspension, and bigger brakes are good ideas as well but not required. Cost will vary depending on what you have done to your car already. For a stock A4 expect a shop to charge you 7 grand, if you can do it yourself it'll cost around 4 grand for everything. It will max out around 350hp.
T3S60- This turbo is very simular to the gt28rs but unlike the rs, it is a journal bearing turbo. It spools a little slower than the 28rs while making simular numbers. The cost of this turbo is also about 1/2 of the 28rs
GT2871R- Pretty much the same as the GT28RS only with a bigger 71mm compressor wheel. .63/.64 A/R is the faster spooling one. It should be fully spooled ~3600RPM. The .82/.86 A/R has a bit more lag, full boost right around 4KRPM, but it produces more top end power. With the .86 A/R you will need the same mods as the gt28rs, but with the .64 A/R you will need that plus new forged connecting rods if your planning on running it past 20psi. Most AEB guys go with Scat rods, and all others use Integrated Engineering rods w/ 19mm wrist pins (unless you swap in 20mm pistons). Some people dispute whether or not you need new rods with the .86 A/R but there are some guys using stock rods and haven't run into a problem...yet. And you'll also want a stage 4 clutch. 2871r will max out around 500hp
GT3071R- Bigger turbine than the 2871r. The .63 A/R spools ~4KRPM and produces more power than the 2871r .86 A/R. There is also a .82 A/R on the 3071r which hit full boost around 4500RPM. You'll want a stage 4 or 5 clutch and new rods for both these turbos. It will max out around 600hp.
GT3076R- Uses the gt30 turbine wheel and a 76mm compressor wheel and spools the same as a 3071 maybe 100rpms later. Also where the 3071r tops out at just over 400whp, this turbo is efficent enough to reach 500whp with a proper tune and upgrades. On pump and low boost (22-24psi), expect to see just ~400whp and mid 300tq depending on mods. Popular with guys who bore their engine out to 2.0L to put down sick numbers.
GT3082R/GT3040r- A combination of the gt30 turbine wheel and the same 82mm compressor wheel found on the gt35r and gt40r. It is a decent turbo that is capable of high 500whp and will spool between the 3076 and gt35r.
GT3582R- The big daddy turbo. Good for 700hp+ and 10 sec 1/4 miles. Spool is expected about 47-4800 on a .63. This turbo is known to surge on stock displacement so a anti surge housing is a good idea along with a AEB head and/or stroker engine.
T3/T4- Turbo's that use a t3 turbine and a t4 compressor. These come in so many sizes and variations its ridiculous. They can produce anywhere from 300 to 700+ hp depending on the turbo and your setup. The only one that really should be used is the 50trim. It is the most effient of the 50,57 and 60 trim turbos. Unlike the gt turbos, these use old technology with journal bearings. This gives the turbo slower spool but is more gradual. This also makes it easier on the rods to where higher hp numbers can be achieved on a stock engine. The only other drawback is that the turbo doesnt respool as fast as a dbb turbo. But on the brighter side, these turbos can be had for a mear $575-625 depending on where you shop. Also the lag can be decreased by using a .48 housing or a .63 housing for more top end. A 50trim will spool just past 4k and is capable of making 350whp easy.
There are others as well, but these are the popular choices.
Boost comparison of all the turbo's
Ebay
eBay, this wonderful online auction where you can normally get stuff for dirt cheap, is NOT the place you want to be buying stuff for your Audi. There are some exceptions though. The eBay short shifter is one of these. They are a lot cheaper than the ones you find from tuning companies and yet still work just as good. The eBay intercooler- most people used to think they were all crap and did no good whatsoever. This however is not true. Most of the ones found on eBay now are actually pretty good. Just make sure its a bar and plate design and not the old tube and fin design (not really sold anymore). eBay testpipes recently got good reviews as well, so they are worth looking into. Definitely stay away from all headlights, chips, and stuff that looks cheaply made. The headlights are poorly made, fog up all the time, and quite often have leaks that allow water to get inside the housing. Don't ever buy a turbo setup off ebay. Most of them are glued together or have other crappy parts, especially the exhaust manifold. There are ATP clone cast manifolds on eBay that DO work very well tho.
FMIC
If your gona go with a name brand FMIC expect to pay anywhere between 500-1000 for the fmic and piping. Evolution Racewerks or a Garrett core would be my choice if i had a lot of money. Or you could get an Ebay Intercooler. Most people like the Godspeed one and expect to pay ~$50 for the core and ~$100 on some universal piping. Or they sell kits with both FMIC and piping that range from $200-$400. But there is not much space to stick an intercooler behind the A4’s stock front bumper, so more cutting may be required. If the FMIC is taller than 6" you will have to cut some of the bumper support. Also try and stick with one that is under 3" thick or you'll need to do more trimming. As for piping size, if you have a k03/k04 2.25" piping is ideal, with BT setups use 2.5" piping. Reason why you dont want to put 2.5" piping while running a k03 is cause you will actually lose boost. The Ebay cores are very low density and require a larger core to cool as effectively as a smaller denser core resulting in pressure drop. Also newer tube and fin design cores from Forge and PWR are great for lower hp cars (400bhp and less) since they cool efficently and are less restrictive than bar and plate, resulting in less lag and pressure drop, but are very costly
Here's a DIY courtesy of thebishop- https://www.audiforums.com/m_382435/tm.htm
Keep in mind your power goals when choosing an intercooler. The small ebay cores will only hold ~300hp, the bigger ones around 400hp. Evolution Racewerks Comp FMIC or the Racetec Dominator will hold up to pretty much anything, and Garrett cores are sold by how much hp they can handle, so I'm sure you can figure that one out on your own
Big Brakes
A very good idea if your going BT, or just want more stopping power. There are a lot of options with this one. The most popular due to its low price is the A8 upgrade. It uses the A8 rotors and TT carriers. Or you could spend a little bit extra and get A8 Rotors, purems carriers, and Porsche calipers. Or you could just go all out and do a Porsche big brake kit. There are many options with this one and it all depends on how deep your pockets are. ECStuning and PureMS are both good places to look for complete big brake kits.
The A8 rotor with TT carriers is the cheapest and most popular brake upgrade. Plenty of stopping power at a really nice price. PureMS has the cheapest. And don't bother with Drilled/Slotted unless you like the look or track the car a lot. Blanks are stronger, and will stop better under normal driving conditions. Not to mention they're much cheaper. I would suggest you get ceramic pads and SS lines with some DOT 4 fluid as well. You'll be amazed at the difference.
Recommended Service Intervals
http://www.bentleypublishers.com/tech/audi/
Last time i checked it had everything you needed for 97-04. Very detailed. Only thing is you gotta have is a .pdf reader to see them. If you don't have adobe reader, then download Foxit Reader, its free, small in size, and better than adobe IMO.
Stereo Info
All of this information is for the Bose system. I can't say for certain it is the same for the non Bose system, but i think the speaker sizes are the same. The front doors and rear dears both have 5 1/4" speakers, and the rear deck has 6 1/2" speakers. A lot of people don't believe these are the speaker sizes because they can't get the same size speakers to fit. This is because the Bose speakers have custom mounts. If you are going to be installing an aftermarket speaker, you will have to get an adapter. The factory bose amp is on the driver's side trunk under the parcel shelf.
The stock headunit does not have RCA connections. If you want to add a sub and amp your going to have to use a line level converter, wihch you can pickup at like Best Buy. Here's how to hook it up
Or you can just get an aftermarket headunit with RCA jacks.
You should also use a crossover to get the most out of your setup. Here's how to install one along with a line level converter http://www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/IS...s_install.html
What oil should I use?
You should always use synthetic oil and change it every 5k miles. IMO, Amsoil is the best. Your engine will run at a cooler temp, and gas mileage slightly improves, but it is more expensive than most other oil, and most Audi places won't put it in the car since it's not on the certified list of approved oils for some reason. Mobil 1 is the most commonly used, however there was recently a lawsuit filed against them. Apparently after some lawsuit with castrol, they reformulated it into a Group III oil, not a group IV. Any group IV oil is what you want to use. If you live in cold weather you should get 0w-40, if you live in hot weather you should be putting in 10w-40. Some people use up to a 15w-50, and 5w-40 is a good universal application. The valvoline synpower 5w30 is now an approved oil and should be availble at any parts store. Also do to its lighter weight, gas milage will improve slightly.
The End
Special thanks to cincyTT and Sean1.8T, since some of this info came from me learning things from them
And even MORE special thanks to cincyTT since he helped me revise it, you are the man
By: chaos92287, with special help from the above^ referenced members and onepoint8tee
Some of the above information is B5-biased. This is due to the fact that the B5 model has been around the longest, and there is more knowledge about reliablility, modifications, etc. pertaining to it. It tends to be the most commonly owned model in the community. This guide will continually be updated as new information is available and is in demand for all models.
I thought I would create a newbie's guide to try and prevent questions from being asked over and over again.
First off, when you have a question you should search. We have no problems answering all your questions, provided that you searched for them first. Some questions have been asked so many times it's not even funny. It gets very annoying to the regular guys around here and that’s why we flame them for it. If you have a question that hasn't been answered, or you need further clarification, then absolutely post a new thread and we will help you out to the best of our ability. However, you should not be starting new threads for questions already answered a million times. Why? Because it's just plain annoying, and because it clutters up the forum and makes it harder for people to search when their search results contain hundreds of threads composed of just stupid questions and people flaming them for asking. To help you newbie's out, I made this list of commonly asked questions.
Ok let's start off with the people who are looking to buy an A4.
Should I get an Audi?
It depends on your financial situation. If you are a poor teenager, then this most likely isn’t the car for you. You should have at least an extra grand after purchasing the car for repairs/maintenance. Audi’s are not cheap cars to own and maintain. The parts for the car really aren’t that expensive, although there are some exceptions. The real killer is the labor. The car cannot be serviced/repaired everywhere and the places that can do it charge you up the wazoo for labor. Working on an Audi really isn’t that much different from working on other cars though. So if you are mechanically inclined and can DIY for most things, then that will cut down on the cost of owning one significantly.
How reliable are Audi’s?
Audi’s, contrary to popular belief, are reliable cars. They just need a little more attention than other cars do. A car is only going to be as reliable as you are. If you change the oil every 5k miles with synthetic oil, put in 91 or higher octane gas, and do all the other required maintenance at its recommended intervals than the car will be very reliable. These engine’s are a marvel of German technology and are capable of exceeding 200k+ miles on them no problem. The 2.8 tends to be more reliable than the 1.8T because of the lack of forced induction. Depending on which generation A4 (B5, B6, B7, etc.) they each have their own notorious flaws just like a lot of other cars. Do keep in mind though, as far as reliabilty, Audi just can't compete with a Honda or Toyota. The style and uniqueness of Audi is legendary, and makes ownership and the satisfaction of driving in general top notch compared to any other car maker. This tends to make up for any of Audis shortcomings as far as less than top notch reliability goes.
Common Problems
Common problems on A4's are timing belt, control arms, tie rod ends, oil sludge, and sometimes wheel bearings, window regulators, abs module, and the sunroof. The timing belt tenioners in 97-99 models were a bad design. If you have a pre-2000, its better to do it sooner (60-70k miles) if it's never been done because of the crappy tensioner. Post-2000- You can wait an extra couple thousand miles but i would do it around 80k. If the timing belt snaps you are pretty much f*cked. It will most likely push the pistons up and bend the valves and other nasty stuff due to being an interference engine type, unless you are really lucky and didn't get internal damage. The former will require an engine rebuild. While having your timing belt changed, you also might as well change the water pump and a other belts. The best way is to buy a kit from renn-art, pure motorsports, or ecs tuning (our sponsors found in the Audi links.) Currently, purems has the cheapest kit. If you do it yourself it will run you roughly $300, or, you can get a local tuner to do it. A good price is around $600- $700, and if you take it to the stealership, it typcialy runs between $1,000 and $1,500!! Oil sludge is more of a problem for the 1.8T than the 2.8. Just make sure to use fully synthetic oil, and use the larger OEM updated oil filter (for the 1.8t.) Change it every 3-5k miles and you won't ever have to worry about this. For B5 models, the bushings and overall design are just no durable enough to go longer than 80k miles (sometimes less.) For the tie rods- it's just a bad design by Audi that tends to fail within 80k miles (for B5's) The sunroof can be troublesome in most A4's. It is usually one of two things. You either need to clean the contacts (DIY-http://www.audiworld.com/tech/elec.html) or you need a new relay switch.
Which A4 should I get?
Depending on what year/generation you are interested in, there are several differences to take into consideration when it comes to performance, reliability and availability for future modifications. Quattro is a what Audi is most well known for when it comes to "options", and is most desireable over FWD . Try driving a FWD compared to a Quattro and you will know what I mean. They are completely different cars. It doesn’t matter if you live in a place where it doesn’t snow or other stuff like that. Quattro in my mind is a must when getting an Audi. Now which engine should you get? It depends on if you’re looking to mod the car, or if you want more reliability. The 1.8T has loads of mods and is more fun to drive in my opinion. The 2.8 is more reliable than the 1.8T but has practically no mods. It starts with 40 more hp than the 1.8T in stock form, but is also slightly heavier. The only way to get serious power out of the 2.8 is with a supercharger. But they cost 4-5 grand for a complete setup. Lots of info can be found out about supercharging the 2.8 at www.superchargedaudi.com Also more info can be found about this subject here: https://www.audiforums.com/m_355352/tm.htm
There is also a supercharger kit available for the 3.0 B6 model.
The newer generation A4's come with a 2.0T base engine and an optional 3.2 V6- both with optional multitronic, tiptronic, and 6 speed manual transmissions. And the brand new B8's that are about to come out in '08 have a 3.0TDI turbo diesel option. In case you didn't know TDI's are the cleanest diesel engines in the world, and the 3.0 is reported to get 25% better gas mileage and come with 240 horsepower and 406 lb-ft. of torque...STOCK!!
The A4 2.8/3.0
So you got an A4 without doing much research first and picked a 2.8/3.0 without knowing it had practically no mods for it, or maybe you just wanted the extra reliability but still want to mod it. So what parts are there for it? As for exhaust, there is Neuspeed, Decorsa, Thermal, Milltek, Supersprint, Greddy, Remus, and custom. For the 2.8 only Milltek and Greddy offer a full cat-back exhaust, Remus offers an axel back exhaust. The rest of those are for the 3.0. For chips, there is Neuspeed, GIAC, and Wetterauer. The Neuspeed chip claims 15whp for $300 but i kinda doubt it. GIAC's chip gives you 12hp for $500. NA engines dont get the kind of gains that forced induction engines do with chips. For intake there is Stratmosphere. For under drive pulley you have Unorthodox Racing. The last mod you can do to it is a supercharger. Pretty much the only major power mod for the 2.8. It’ll cost you around 4-5 grand, and you will be getting around 300 hp. Most people say you can't put a supercharger on a 12v, but PES said you can run their G2 with a 12v if your running standalone www.superchargedaudi.com has lots of info on superchargers and has group buys so you can get one for cheaper. No company makes a turbocharger for the 2.8 but some guys have made one-off setups so it’s possible. The downside is the relatively high compression ratio of the 2.8 (10.3:1)prevents you from running anything more than a few psi. So you'll spend more money and get the same results as the supercharger. Exhaust, intake, and a chip will get you about 20 hp. For a lot more detailed info on the 2.8 check out this link: https://www.audiforums.com/m_177186/tm.htm
(credit Grouse)
What year is my car/What are the differences between the generations?
If you want to know whether you have a 99 or a 99.5, or if you just want to know the differences of the exterior of the A4 over the years, then you should check out this link: http://ctny.audiworld.com/mark/a4/diff/ Engine wise the 97-99.5 are DBC and 2000+ are DBW. If you’re planning on extensively modding your car, DBC is easier to tune. If you’re just getting a chip and a few other mods, then it doesn't really matter. 99.5 is considered to be the best year because it is still DBC but it has all the upgrades the 2000+ had, like one-piece headlights, improved timing belt tensioner, and other stuff. In 2001, the stock hp rose from 150 hp to 170 hp. This was done through a k03s, which has a 5mm wheel shaft (k03 has 4mm), more aggressively angled fins on the compressor wheel and a reduction from 12 fins to 8, so it can hold more boost more efficiently, different compression (from 9.5:1 to 9.3:1) and different programming that increased the boost by .3 bar (from .5 to .8).
Also throughout the years the 1.8T engines have had different codes. 97-99.5 are AEB, 2000 are ATW, and 2001 are AWM. AEB engines are the best to work on and mod and have more aftermarket. They also have the largest port head and the biggest wrist pins (20mm) so they produce the most power. They use the 058 block w/ external water pump, no MAP sensor, and nbo2. ATW use the 058 block w/ external waterpump, MAP sensor, smaller port head, 20mm wrist pins, and nbo2. It has the AEB bottom end, with a smaller head. AWM is the same as the 02+ AMB engine with 06A block, internal waterpump, MAP sensor, 19mm wrist pins, and wbo2. For 2.8 B5, there were two different versions of the 2.8L V6 available. A 12v from 96-97, and the 30v was introduced in 98. The 12v motor is the least desireable, though it is very reliable at 170hp. The 30v is also very reliable and comes with a 190hp motor that (as stated numerous times) can be supercharged
B5 Model- 1996-2001.5
B6 Model- 2002-2005
B7 Model- 2005.5-2008
B8 Model- 09+
Auto vs. Manual
In a race a manual will beat an auto any day of the week. It can launch properly and shift faster (most of the time). The manual transmission will be able to handle any amount of power you’re going to be putting into the car. The tiptronic tranny will not be able to support anything above about ~300 ft. lbs of torque (quattro). Which means your limited to either a k04, elim series turbo, or T3T4. The quattro tiptronic tranny is much better than the FWD one. Some people have used up to a 71r elim on the quattro tranny, but a k04 would be pushing the limits of the FWD tranny. If your dead set on more power and have an auto tranny, then you can get a level 10 upgrade. http://www.levelten.com/ is where you can find info about that. The upgraded valve body is the most important part to handle more power. You can cut down on the shift time of the tiptronic with a tip chip. GIAC is the only choice for this. Also the automatic tranny will lose some power through the torque converter. A level 10 torque converter will probably free up some lost hp. An auto tranny can however shift a lot better than a human can in most cases, especially when you add a tip chip. Also you can't swap an engine that was from an auto car into one that is a manual or vice versa because the cranks shafts are different.
Ok so now for the people who actually have A4's
What mod should I do first?
Okay, so you just got your A4 and you want to start modding it. Which mods should you buy first? The absolute first thing you should do is a chip. By far it offers the most bang for the buck. Expect to pay around $500 for a good one + labor and tax. With this $500 you will be getting roughly 40-50 hp and 60-80 ft/lbs of tq. When you get a chip you will also have to upgrade the DV (diverter valve). The stock ones in the car are plastic and crappy and will not be able to handle the added boost the chip provides. You don't NEED to change it at the same time but there's no telling when the stock one will blow and its best to just do it at the same time. Next mods, you can get are intake (although the stock airbox is very efficient, and anything aftermarket is mainly for the cool sound), test pipe/hfc, exhaust, turbo inlet pipe, water/meth injection, and nitrous. You can do other mods that don’t add power like snub mount, short shifter, and suspension. What you do after that is entirely up to how far you want to take the car and how deep your pockets are. If you want to know what brands are available, keep reading.
How much power can the stock engine take?
Contrary to popular belief the 1.8T's engine does not have forged internals. The pistons are forged Mahle's, but thats it. The limit of a completely stock 1.8T is around 450hp/330ft lbs (with a good tune). After that your gona start snapping rods. Other than that, you dont need to touch anything else. You could swap in new pistons to lower the compression ratio, but the stock piston's have been proven to be able to handle over 700hp. If your gona be taking the engine to over 8k RPM (sometimes 7500RPM) than you'll also want to upgrade the valve springs so you dont float a valve. There are 900+ hp 1.8T's out there.
Other basic 1.8t engine facts
VW/Audi Engine Info
-058 Block: external water pump
-06A Block: internal water pump
-Displacement: 1.8L (1781cc)
-Firing Order: 1-3-4-2
-Cylinder #1 is next to the timing belt
-All catbacks are 2.17"
-Oil Capacity: 4.6qt (4.35L)
-Head bolt size: 11mm AEB, 10mm all others
Engine dimensions for OE engines: [ul][*]Bore size - 81mm (3.19in)
[*]Stroke - 86.4mm (3.40in)
[*]Rod Length - 144mm [/ul]
What chip should I get?
This is probably one of the most commonly asked and flamed questions on AF. GIAC, APR, and REVO are each going to give you very similar hp/tq gains, so to say one company is better than the other is pointless. Each company usually has dyno results posted on their website, but you have no way of knowing what conditions the dyno was taken under and each company usually overestimates its gains for marketing purposes. So what are the differences between them? The only difference between the companies is where that added power is applied in the RPM range. GIAC tends to give the power more in the low RPM’s whereas APR, and REVO tend to have more power in the higher RPM. As a general rule, if you have a B5 go with GIAC, if you have a B6 go with REVO, and if you have a B7 go with either APR or REVO. Why I say this is because this is the general consensus of the people on AF. People who have a B5 say that GIAC is the most fun to drive and it feels like the power is more available when you stomp down on the gas. People who have B6’s and B7’s usually say the same thing for REVO or APR. But power alone should not be the deciding factor in your decision. You also have to look at where each dealer is located and what their service is like. A good chip is useless without after sales support. You might want to upgrade the chip in the future to a more aggressive file so if a certain company offers discounts when upgrading you would want to pick that one. GIAC is one company in particular that will give you a discount on the proper software needed if you upgrade from your k03 turbo to a k04 turbo. Or if your going BT in the future Unitronics and REVO both have solid BT software.
There are other chips out there, but they usually are crap. Most people who buy Neuspeed chips say they are weak, even though Neuspeed claims really high gains for less money than it's competitors. Here’s a link http://www.carbuffsweb.com/shop.asp?...temSubTypeID=1 but personally I wouldn’t get one. Your ECU is not where you want to be skimping money on. Also, chips off of ebay are usually scams if it isn't an actual ecu that is being sold with an afermarket chip flashed or soldered into it. You can't get a REAL and quality chip for your Audi for less than $500 typically. Try to find a used chipped ecu in our classifieds section if the price is too steep for you. The only exception to this rule might be SpeedTuning and Inmotion. Both of these companies offer their chips at like half the price of the "good" chips. The guys who have bought them, like them, but there have been some problems, and people seem to have different results. Also there is no dyno results yet, and you have to send them your ECU so they can chip it, so your gona have some down time. But if your cheap, its a good option.
There is another option to a chip if you have a MAP equipped car (2000+). You could do a diode mod and be able to boost 16-18 psi safely. More info courtesy of cincyTT can be found here- https://www.audiforums.com/m_535568/tm.htm
What intake should I get?
The best intake you can probably get is Carbonio. However, this intake costs $389. That’s a a lot of money just for an intake. Personally, I would suggest an Evo intake over a Carbonio one. Costs quite a bit less but still does the job just as good. A lot of people suggest doing the air box mod. It’s cheap and does everything a new intake does but there is a little risk involved. Water may get in ingested and cause miss fires or even hydrolock. Most of the guys who have done it have never had any problem with it and highly recomend it. More info on it can be found here: https://www.audiforums.com/m_260779/tm.htm Also an intake DOES NOT add 15-20 hp as advertised by many companies. You might get a couple extra hp from a carbonio, evo intake, and even the stock air box mod, but don’t count on it. The only reason to get an intake is to make the turbo and DV more audiable. If you want a heatshield, there is a guy on audizine who sells a really good heatshield or you can make one yourself. http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...ght=heatshieldBut on the 1.8T, a heat sheild isnt really important. The engine bay is cool when you car moving and also the air being sucked in will come out the turbo roughly the same temp as it would as if you had a CAI. The combination on heat from the turbine and compresion of the air will heat it to practically the same temp. This differnce will then be completly negated by the IC where it will be brought down to w/e % of ambient the IC is capable of, resulting in the same IAT's. As long as you dont place the intake on the maf directly above the turbo and manifold, you should be fine.
The cheapest way is to make your own. All you need is a 2.75" silicon connector to connect to the MAF and then whatever piping you want to run. Some just stick a filter on the end of the MAF, but that places it really close to the turbo, I would suggest using either a 90* bend or a u-bend and stick a BPI Flowstack on the end of that and you have just as good of an intake as Evoms.
Which exhaust/test pipe should I get?
Which exhaust you should get depends on what kind of sound you want. Neuspeed and some custom setups are and can definitely be the loudest. You must be careful when going custom to not end up with a ricerish sound. You need to make sure a custom exhaust is done at a reputable shop so you dont get exhaust leaks and poor construction. But done right, you can have the sound of a name brand exhaust at a fraction the price. Milltek gives the “classiest” or most "sophisticated and refined" sounding exhaust.. It is the most expensive exhaust but has a very nice deep tone to it. Borla is my personal choice. It’s cheaper than Milltek but still provides that nice deep tone. 2.25”- 2.5” exhaust is what you want to get. Unless you go BT, then you will want a 3” exhaust. A higher flowing exhaust should add as much as 10-15hp. If you want your car even louder and you want even more power you should also get a test pipe. Makes the exhaust so much more mean sounding but doesn't add that much overall power with a stock turbo. Not everyone can install a test pipe though. It gets rid of the cat and therefore you will not be able to pass rolling emissions with it, if your state just scans the car you will be fine. If you live in a state without emissions you are fine, but if you have emissions you can’t. Your best bet would be to then get a high flow cat or have new ends welded onto the cat. I have an ecode test pipe in my car and it sounds great with the Borla exhaust. Getting a custom exhaust is usually the best way to go with 2.8/3.0's because of the limited aftermarket. It’ll probably run you cheaper than buying an exhaust from a company and still works great. Here are some sound clips of different exhaust’s on A4’s:
Magnaflow
If you have the Audi A4 2.8 V6 http://images.magnaflow.com/04sound/...d/driving2.swf In Car Sound
If you have the Audi A4 2.8 V6 Click http://images.magnaflow.com/04sound/...ing_test3a.swf Car Launch
If you have the Audi A4 2.8 V6 http://images.magnaflow.com/04sound/...ing_test2a.swf Drive By Sound
If you have the Audi A4 1.8 I4 Click http://images.magnaflow.com/04sound/...dia4_incar.mp3 In Car Sound
If you have the Audi A4 1.8 I4 Click http://images.magnaflow.com/04sound/...ia4_launch.mp3 Car Launch
If you have the Audi A4 1.8 I4 http://images.magnaflow.com/04sound/...a4_driveby.mp3 Drive By Sound
If you have a B6 A4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRHjy...ed&search=
Milltek
Inside Cabin
http://www.stratmosphere.com/a4tqm_g...g_56_24000.wav
B6 1.8T Rev
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2jR7wIdU-s
B6 3.0 Rev
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8p6I8-XChsk
B7 2.0T Comparison to stock
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BQ6aXMOoeU
Borla
B5 1.8T standstill rev
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mxbcpl5j-MQ
B5 1.8T standstill revs 2
http://www.awe-tuning.com/media/multimedia/revs2.mov
B5 1.8T driving away
http://www.awe-tuning.com/media/mult.../driveaway.mov
B6 1.8T standstill rev
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xF0XSV93jTU
Techtonics
(i know the vids say Borla, trust me its Techtonics, which uses Borla mufflers. This exact exhaust and testpipe are in my car)
B5 1.8T making a few passes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkRIKJmwxjE
B5 1.8T standstill rev
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiEPwIwCHgA
Neuspeed
B5 1.8T Neuspeed Exhaust + ecode test pipe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8RbNRUTrB8
B6 1.8T
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-DwpbjZnL4
B7 3.2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUQCYX170Hc
B7 2.0TComparison to stock
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmZ-iWZDRRI
AWE
B7 Comparison to stock
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwvFIDm4GOU
B6 standstill rev
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2JgT-Rh-6E
B7 tp/exhaust combination comparison
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttD8JZQwz3c
APR
B7 Comparison to stock
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io53j0Smeg0
B7 2.0T standstill rev
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymPCwo-D00A
B6 1.8T standstill rev
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STs_TAZ-pGE
Custom Exhausts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2Lv3Yiz6jU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8Qd9z8sFHU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qYubA07190
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISWbDY7PTvM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6l93NhlCDZM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gF-DB32RUm4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBedJjEIqPg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VryiqC0ng7A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eh-UEfVe1BU
What kind of BOV should I get?
Due to the closed loop turbo system in our A4's you can not release the air into the atmosphere, you have to recirculate it back into the system. The MAF calculates air before the DV so if any air is lost after that calculation by releasing it into the atmosphere you will run rich for a little while. How damaging this is, is disputable, but on 2000+ models the car adapts to running a BOV because of the MAP sensor so you will only run rich for a day or 2. The BOV will need to stay closed at idle. A BOV that remains open at idle is not good for a car with a MAF and you will stutter and stall. Forge 004 and SSQV are both closed at idle and good choices. If you run standalone software (034 Motorsports carries it) you can run any BOV you want.
There are also hybrid BOV's that only vent a portion of the air. The most popular are the Forge Splitter, and GFB. The splitter is the easiest to install and run and the GFB is just a little tougher, but you can adjust the amount released to atmosphere for 10-50%. The GFB is ~$250 and the Forge is $175 and can only release 10% vta or full dv (should only be left as both since it releases more air).
And if you have a B6, they are equipped with a Wideband o2, stock. the ECU is programmed from the factory with the target AFR, and it will adjust fuel trims accordingly to maintain that, tuned or untuned. So you can remove your MAF and run any BOV you want. Won't work with b5's.
If you have a pre-00 A4 can you run a BOV? Technically no, but I run one on my 98.5 with no problems whatsoever. You only run slightly rich right after you "blow-off" and I can't see it doing any damage. Maybe a catalytic converter in the long run, but I doubt it.
**note: I take no responsibility if you put a BOV on your car and it fvcks it up.
What DV should I get?
It is entirely up to you. First option is the 710N. This DV comes stock on Audi TT (225hp version) to compensate for the added boost from the k04. It is the cheapest one you can buy (typicaly found for $35-$40) and will work fine on any k03/k04 application. It is not serviceable however. The next option is a Forge series DV. Forge 006 and Forge 007 (virtually the same thing but the 007 has a smaller external design for optimal fitment on an S4 application). They are fully serviceable and adjustable. If you are upping the boost all you need to do is switch out the spring. This (007) is probably the most widely available and recommended DV to get. It is ideal if you’re going to be upgrading the turbo. There are other DV’s out there like Bailey’s, EVO, Hyperboost, Stratmosphere, etc. They are essentially the same as the Forge series, so whichever you can get for cheapest is the one you should get. A new DV will not add any power but it will make the “psshh” sound more audible, especially with an intake or air box mod.
More info on DV's can be found here- https://www.audiforums.com/m_531160/tm.htm
Vids Comparing the Forge 006 (DV) with Forge 004 (BOV)- https://www.audiforums.com/m_732318/tm.htm
The Forge 006 is the same thing as the Forge 007 only slightly bigger so the sound between the 2 should be the same. Mods on the car were k04 running ~16psi, intake, and exhaust, which should be comparable to a chipped k03 w/ intake(or airbox mod) in terms of sound
What is Water/Meth Injection?
A mixture of water and methanol is injected into the intake manifold to cool the intake charge. This allows for more timing, and more boost without knocking or detonation, and you are also able to run a race gas program on pump gas. You can use -20 deg windshield washing fluid since its 25% meth, if you can't find meth or don't wana spend the money.
It cleans cylinders, increases octane rating along with all the above. The best setup is a dual nozzle system since the closer to the TB, the better the knock protection and the further away, the better the cooling effect. The two best place to install nozzles with a dual set up would be just after the ic (never before since it would pool in the ic) and just after the TB (with a smaller jet). With a single nozzle, your best bet is to place it ~1ft from the TB to get a as much as both cooling and knock as possible. USRT usrallyteam.com has a program you download to find the size nozzles for your application. As for brands, the snowperformance and devils own are the most popular. You really should spend the extra $100 for the stg 2 kit to maximize the potential of the system. Also they come in map and maf kits. The maf is proactive since it will be spraying as the boost is hitting the mark you want to inject at while the map kit wont spray until you reach a certain psi. So you have to take those pros with the cons of the maf's **** to getting dirty and failing.
(courtesy of cincyTT)
Which Turbo should I get? Another guide I made that goes more in depth into this- https://www.audiforums.com/m_816714/tm.htm
K04- easiest and most reliable replacement turbo. It is a direct bolt on replacement. You don't need to replace anything but it is strongly recommended that you get new programming. The most popular is GIAC and with it you will also need a 5 bar FPR. GIAC also offers 3 aggressive files PC-16 for Pre '00, J31 for '00, and Hammer for '01. They are each different but all require an adjustable FPR, bigger injectors, fmic, and you will most likely need a new clutch soon after. If you have a B6 or B7 A4 the k04 is a pointless upgrade. You will only gain a 5-10 hp because of the k03s. It has a 1mm bigger wheel shaft, and more aggressively angled fins on the compressor wheel so it can hold more boost more efficiently. A big injector file for the k03 will put out almost the same numbers as a k04 setup. k04 will max out around 250hp
Elims- The cheapest and easiest BT setups. They eliminate the need for a new exhaust manifold and testpipe like full turbo setups require. The gt2x is only oil-cooled and has a not so good reputation, but it is the cheapest. The gtrs is a good choice. Lots more power than a k03/k04 yet has very little lag. Another choice is the 71r Elim. It has the same housing as the gtrs but a larger comressor wheel. Because of this it has slightly more lag but produces more power. With each of the elims you will need bigger injectors, software, fmic or water/meth, intake, MAF, FPR, and a clutch would be a good idea too. It's also recommended you get a braided oil return line cause the stock one is a pain to get it. GTRS will max out around 300hp. 2871r elim will max out around 350hp.
GT28RS- You will need to get a new exhaust manifold due to the different flange, the stock one would most likely crack and rob it horsepower anyways. You also need a new testpipe/cat or you could just get a new flange welded on. You will also need a 3" VR6 MAF, custom intake, 3" turbo inlet pipe, 2.75"-3" exhaust, FMIC, bigger injectors (660 or 440 usually depending on the software), walboro 225lph fuel pump, stage 3 or higher clutch, adjustable fpr, and oil and coolant lines. And new mounts (all of them engine, tranny, differential, snub),a bigger oil cooler, new suspension, and bigger brakes are good ideas as well but not required. Cost will vary depending on what you have done to your car already. For a stock A4 expect a shop to charge you 7 grand, if you can do it yourself it'll cost around 4 grand for everything. It will max out around 350hp.
T3S60- This turbo is very simular to the gt28rs but unlike the rs, it is a journal bearing turbo. It spools a little slower than the 28rs while making simular numbers. The cost of this turbo is also about 1/2 of the 28rs
GT2871R- Pretty much the same as the GT28RS only with a bigger 71mm compressor wheel. .63/.64 A/R is the faster spooling one. It should be fully spooled ~3600RPM. The .82/.86 A/R has a bit more lag, full boost right around 4KRPM, but it produces more top end power. With the .86 A/R you will need the same mods as the gt28rs, but with the .64 A/R you will need that plus new forged connecting rods if your planning on running it past 20psi. Most AEB guys go with Scat rods, and all others use Integrated Engineering rods w/ 19mm wrist pins (unless you swap in 20mm pistons). Some people dispute whether or not you need new rods with the .86 A/R but there are some guys using stock rods and haven't run into a problem...yet. And you'll also want a stage 4 clutch. 2871r will max out around 500hp
GT3071R- Bigger turbine than the 2871r. The .63 A/R spools ~4KRPM and produces more power than the 2871r .86 A/R. There is also a .82 A/R on the 3071r which hit full boost around 4500RPM. You'll want a stage 4 or 5 clutch and new rods for both these turbos. It will max out around 600hp.
GT3076R- Uses the gt30 turbine wheel and a 76mm compressor wheel and spools the same as a 3071 maybe 100rpms later. Also where the 3071r tops out at just over 400whp, this turbo is efficent enough to reach 500whp with a proper tune and upgrades. On pump and low boost (22-24psi), expect to see just ~400whp and mid 300tq depending on mods. Popular with guys who bore their engine out to 2.0L to put down sick numbers.
GT3082R/GT3040r- A combination of the gt30 turbine wheel and the same 82mm compressor wheel found on the gt35r and gt40r. It is a decent turbo that is capable of high 500whp and will spool between the 3076 and gt35r.
GT3582R- The big daddy turbo. Good for 700hp+ and 10 sec 1/4 miles. Spool is expected about 47-4800 on a .63. This turbo is known to surge on stock displacement so a anti surge housing is a good idea along with a AEB head and/or stroker engine.
T3/T4- Turbo's that use a t3 turbine and a t4 compressor. These come in so many sizes and variations its ridiculous. They can produce anywhere from 300 to 700+ hp depending on the turbo and your setup. The only one that really should be used is the 50trim. It is the most effient of the 50,57 and 60 trim turbos. Unlike the gt turbos, these use old technology with journal bearings. This gives the turbo slower spool but is more gradual. This also makes it easier on the rods to where higher hp numbers can be achieved on a stock engine. The only other drawback is that the turbo doesnt respool as fast as a dbb turbo. But on the brighter side, these turbos can be had for a mear $575-625 depending on where you shop. Also the lag can be decreased by using a .48 housing or a .63 housing for more top end. A 50trim will spool just past 4k and is capable of making 350whp easy.
There are others as well, but these are the popular choices.
Boost comparison of all the turbo's
Ebay
eBay, this wonderful online auction where you can normally get stuff for dirt cheap, is NOT the place you want to be buying stuff for your Audi. There are some exceptions though. The eBay short shifter is one of these. They are a lot cheaper than the ones you find from tuning companies and yet still work just as good. The eBay intercooler- most people used to think they were all crap and did no good whatsoever. This however is not true. Most of the ones found on eBay now are actually pretty good. Just make sure its a bar and plate design and not the old tube and fin design (not really sold anymore). eBay testpipes recently got good reviews as well, so they are worth looking into. Definitely stay away from all headlights, chips, and stuff that looks cheaply made. The headlights are poorly made, fog up all the time, and quite often have leaks that allow water to get inside the housing. Don't ever buy a turbo setup off ebay. Most of them are glued together or have other crappy parts, especially the exhaust manifold. There are ATP clone cast manifolds on eBay that DO work very well tho.
FMIC
If your gona go with a name brand FMIC expect to pay anywhere between 500-1000 for the fmic and piping. Evolution Racewerks or a Garrett core would be my choice if i had a lot of money. Or you could get an Ebay Intercooler. Most people like the Godspeed one and expect to pay ~$50 for the core and ~$100 on some universal piping. Or they sell kits with both FMIC and piping that range from $200-$400. But there is not much space to stick an intercooler behind the A4’s stock front bumper, so more cutting may be required. If the FMIC is taller than 6" you will have to cut some of the bumper support. Also try and stick with one that is under 3" thick or you'll need to do more trimming. As for piping size, if you have a k03/k04 2.25" piping is ideal, with BT setups use 2.5" piping. Reason why you dont want to put 2.5" piping while running a k03 is cause you will actually lose boost. The Ebay cores are very low density and require a larger core to cool as effectively as a smaller denser core resulting in pressure drop. Also newer tube and fin design cores from Forge and PWR are great for lower hp cars (400bhp and less) since they cool efficently and are less restrictive than bar and plate, resulting in less lag and pressure drop, but are very costly
Here's a DIY courtesy of thebishop- https://www.audiforums.com/m_382435/tm.htm
Keep in mind your power goals when choosing an intercooler. The small ebay cores will only hold ~300hp, the bigger ones around 400hp. Evolution Racewerks Comp FMIC or the Racetec Dominator will hold up to pretty much anything, and Garrett cores are sold by how much hp they can handle, so I'm sure you can figure that one out on your own
Big Brakes
A very good idea if your going BT, or just want more stopping power. There are a lot of options with this one. The most popular due to its low price is the A8 upgrade. It uses the A8 rotors and TT carriers. Or you could spend a little bit extra and get A8 Rotors, purems carriers, and Porsche calipers. Or you could just go all out and do a Porsche big brake kit. There are many options with this one and it all depends on how deep your pockets are. ECStuning and PureMS are both good places to look for complete big brake kits.
The A8 rotor with TT carriers is the cheapest and most popular brake upgrade. Plenty of stopping power at a really nice price. PureMS has the cheapest. And don't bother with Drilled/Slotted unless you like the look or track the car a lot. Blanks are stronger, and will stop better under normal driving conditions. Not to mention they're much cheaper. I would suggest you get ceramic pads and SS lines with some DOT 4 fluid as well. You'll be amazed at the difference.
Recommended Service Intervals
http://www.bentleypublishers.com/tech/audi/
Last time i checked it had everything you needed for 97-04. Very detailed. Only thing is you gotta have is a .pdf reader to see them. If you don't have adobe reader, then download Foxit Reader, its free, small in size, and better than adobe IMO.
Stereo Info
All of this information is for the Bose system. I can't say for certain it is the same for the non Bose system, but i think the speaker sizes are the same. The front doors and rear dears both have 5 1/4" speakers, and the rear deck has 6 1/2" speakers. A lot of people don't believe these are the speaker sizes because they can't get the same size speakers to fit. This is because the Bose speakers have custom mounts. If you are going to be installing an aftermarket speaker, you will have to get an adapter. The factory bose amp is on the driver's side trunk under the parcel shelf.
The stock headunit does not have RCA connections. If you want to add a sub and amp your going to have to use a line level converter, wihch you can pickup at like Best Buy. Here's how to hook it up
Or you can just get an aftermarket headunit with RCA jacks.
You should also use a crossover to get the most out of your setup. Here's how to install one along with a line level converter http://www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/IS...s_install.html
What oil should I use?
You should always use synthetic oil and change it every 5k miles. IMO, Amsoil is the best. Your engine will run at a cooler temp, and gas mileage slightly improves, but it is more expensive than most other oil, and most Audi places won't put it in the car since it's not on the certified list of approved oils for some reason. Mobil 1 is the most commonly used, however there was recently a lawsuit filed against them. Apparently after some lawsuit with castrol, they reformulated it into a Group III oil, not a group IV. Any group IV oil is what you want to use. If you live in cold weather you should get 0w-40, if you live in hot weather you should be putting in 10w-40. Some people use up to a 15w-50, and 5w-40 is a good universal application. The valvoline synpower 5w30 is now an approved oil and should be availble at any parts store. Also do to its lighter weight, gas milage will improve slightly.
The End
Special thanks to cincyTT and Sean1.8T, since some of this info came from me learning things from them
And even MORE special thanks to cincyTT since he helped me revise it, you are the man
By: chaos92287, with special help from the above^ referenced members and onepoint8tee
Some of the above information is B5-biased. This is due to the fact that the B5 model has been around the longest, and there is more knowledge about reliablility, modifications, etc. pertaining to it. It tends to be the most commonly owned model in the community. This guide will continually be updated as new information is available and is in demand for all models.
#3
11-08-2007, 09:31 AM
RE: Newbie Guide Version 2
i mentioned fmic's in the ebay section , but yeah thats from last time and i need to expand on that a bit more. i'll do it after i take a nap lol
#4
11-08-2007, 10:43 AM
RE: Newbie Guide Version 2
Wow thanks for writing that up it actually helped me decide that I want the 2.8 instead of the 1.8t now thanks.
#5
11-08-2007, 02:46 PM
RE: Newbie Guide Version 2
added sections for FMIC and brakes. anyone else have suggestions, post them up
#6
11-09-2007, 05:26 PM
RE: Newbie Guide Version 2
bump, can anyone do a quick t3t4 writeup to add to the turbo's section?
#7
11-09-2007, 06:30 PM
RE: Newbie Guide Version 2
ORIGINAL: chaos92287
bump, can anyone do a quick t3t4 writeup to add to the turbo's section?
bump, can anyone do a quick t3t4 writeup to add to the turbo's section?
nice write up man, you know they make this thing that you take with water....... it is called a sleeping pill
#9
11-09-2007, 09:20 PM
RE: Newbie Guide Version 2
Cool. Get it perfected and Ill sticky it. PM me when you are ready.
#10
11-09-2007, 09:47 PM
RE: Newbie Guide Version 2
Good stuff - might want to add in on the "eBay" section about the testpipes on there. We had a thread this week regarding that and several guys chimed in positively about them - it could be worth a mention. Nice writeup!