Hey, i have recently purchased an 03 a4 quattro. i have converted from v8 muscle and i have a few questions.
1: what is a turbo timer and what does it do?
2: can i uprade the waste gat and where do i get the part
3:how many psi is the stock turbo boosting
4: do i need to get all new exhaust tubing when i get the mufflers orr the mufflers enough
5:what does a blow off valve do
6: what kind of chip or ecu upgrade is good for m car and where
7:where is the best deal for lowering springs
oh and i dont want to throw a check engine light/code
thanks for all the advice [align=right][/align]

 

OK, I'll Start

1. A tirbo timer is a device that keeps the car idling for a period of time after you "turn it off" in order to let the turbo cool off gradually and not "bake" the oil in the turbo housing. AFAIK, the A4 has an afterrun coolant pump that continues to pump coolant through the turbo until it cools to a certain temp, therefore a turbo timer would not be needed.
2. On an A4, the wastegate is built into the turbo housing, and therefore cannot be upgraded, the wastegate controller can be replaced, but this usually needs to happen in conjuction with a chip that can control the additional boost.
3. I believe it runs about 10-12psi stock, maybe a little less.
4. Why are you replacing the mufflers, sound or performance. If for sound, no, if for performance, a good Catback system will really help.
5. A blow off valve releases built up intake pressure to the atmosphere when you close the throttle, thi prevents the turbo from spinning backwads and helps prolong the life of your turbo. YOUR CAR SHOULD NEVER HAVE ONE THOUGH!!!!! Your car is equiped with a DV (diverter valve) that recirculates the pressure back into the intake, you can upgrade your DV to a stronger/more predictable one, but you will never get the "Whoooosh" sound that the ricers make. I wouldn't ask about a Blow off valve on this forum again, NOT A GOOD IDEA!!!
6. APR, GIAC, etc. Make sure when ordering a chip that your honest with the person about what upgrades you have or the chip could be tuned wrong. Check with the supporting vendors on this site, there is a reason that they are allowed to advertise here.
7 Can't help you with the lowering springs, that question is like a can of worms. You can get cheap ones and not be hapy with the ride, or expesive ones that ride really nice, but they don't "drop" your car as far as you'd like. and then it's a personal preference thing. I use Eibachs because I've had gret experience with them, but they aren't really an inexpensive option (espcially when paired with GOOD shocks).

As far as not throwing a code, most basic tuning routes are safe, but remember, when you start throwing codes it might be because a sensor can't handle what you're doing to the car and you may need to upgrade/replace the sensor.

 

Agreed - I'll add one idea to #4 - if you're doing it at all, you might as well get the full catback system and get some better breathing to go along with the sound. A turbo-back system (including an aftermarket downpipe) would be even better for more power, although if you keep the OEM cat, that is going to become the choke-point for the exhaust system (compared to the rest of it being free-breathing). Of course, if you install a testpipe to replace the cat, you're gonna have the CEL.

On these cars, if you do lowering springs, make sure to pair them with upgraded struts as well - a combination of drop springs with uprated dampers can be had from ECS Tuning (or other site sponsors) in the $750-900 range I believe. Don't waste time putting lowering springs on OEM dampers - you'll likely just wear the dampers out and have to get new upgraded ones anyhow, and then you're paying twice for essentially the same job. Save the extra money up and do it all at once.

 

thanks for all the advice i learned alot and u guys probly saved me from screwing up my car, so thanks again. heres my basic want for the car i want more out of the turbo exhaust and ecu i want to lower it and thats about all i wold like some advice about how to accomplish this. i dont want to make it screaming fast but fast enough and sound good without delving into the ricer **** i often see alot of guys do what do u recomend?

 

<<<"Yep - I believe that engine was rated at 200hp.">>>


Sorry - wrong thread - I was replying to a couple at once. My bad See below for what you want to know.

 

Damn, sorry - right reply, wrong thread lol. For what you want, get an ECU reflash from APR or GIAC, good for around 45hp and 65 torque if I recall correctly. Get your exhaust system and a downpipe, and you can also do a front-mount intercooler (see the DIY section of the forum for the $150 front-mount procedure). As for lowering, there are a lot of options - check out what's available on www.ecstuning.com. Whatever you do, don't just put in lowering springs on stock struts - the OEM struts aren't made for it and you'll wear them out. Get the springs with uprated dampers and save yourself hassle and money.