OOOO-A3

It's Gone

2011-02-21T23:55:00.002-05:00

From and including: Saturday, October 22, 2005
To and including: Monday, February 21, 2011

1949 days

5 years, 4 months

168,393,600 seconds

2,806,560 minutes

46,776 hours

278 weeks

From excitement, anticipation and plans, to apathy, disappointment, and resignation.
From one career, through a void, to another.
From a life, a love and a home, to abject loss and starting over.

It had to go. Partially because of the ever-increasing deferred maintenance that I knew I had to pay for soon, partially because I was burnt out on it, but really, it was about her. Memories of her. I couldn't look at, drive in or think about the car without it ripping open every wound. I'm not exaggerating.... every article I've posted on this blog is full of memories of her. From the day I picked it up and drove it home to find that she had spent the day with him, until I drove out of our driveway for the last time on 6 August 2010, pulling a trailer of my stuff using the hitch I designed, it seems like the A3 was an evil talisman. I couldn't even post here any more because everything about it brought back a bad memory.

Thanks to Stephen King, people associate the name 'Christine' with bad automotive karma. For me, I'll never see an A3 without thinking Sandra. Both were money-sucking, soul-destroying Austrians who never lived up to their looks, or what people assume about them.

It's gone. I will miss some things about it. Maybe soon I'll find another car to get excited about, but for now I've replaced it with something less exciting but more satisfying. Less sexy but more reliable. Something I can trust. Something that hasn't yet broken my heart.

Here are the final stats for every single fueling:

When I was about to drive off in my new car, I couldn't. I got out and went over to the A3. Walked around it, caressed it. I got in. Flashed the bi-xenon lamps. Foot on the modified Ultimate Pedals clutch, I shifted through all the gears remembering the night I installed the Forge Short Shift Kit. As I glanced up at the sunvisor where I had removed the warning label, I saw the lady sales manager was watching me out the dealership window, smiling. I got out of the A3, into my new car, and drove away.

Even dysfunctional relationships are hard to leave behind.

Thank you for all the visits to this blog, and for all the emails over the years. I'll leave it up as a resource for the A3 community as long as people are still reading it.

Tschüss,

Len

Brake Rotors and Pads

2009-03-01T00:10:00.019-05:00

I decided to wait a couple of days after I did the brake lines, fluid and speedbleeders before replacing the mechanical parts of the braking system - pads and rotors - in order for any leaks to show up. I was glad to see that there were no fluid leaks or other issues as I revisited each wheel for the next round of parts.

Both the front and rear rotors had a distinct lip on the edge showing how much the rotor surface had worn down over the last 55,000 miles. I decided to replace the rotors with original-equipment parts, and upgrade the pads to Hawk HPS (high-performance street compound).

This article isn't going to be a complete step-by-step "HowTo" for brake replacement, because there are already several good sets of instructions. The best one is this posting by 'Meat' on the GolfMkV Forums. His photos and descriptions are top-notch, so instead of repeating it all I'll just offer some comments where my experience differed from the instructions:

I only used the grease packets included with the Hawk pads

Rear brakes, step 2 - scroll down this page to see the thin 15mm wrench I used to hold the caliper guide bolts.

Rear brakes, step 4 - I could not fit the ratchet handle with the 14mm triple-square bit to the side on the A3 as shown in his photos. I had to have the ratchet handle pointing straight down. If the car is on a lift, this would be much easier.

Front brakes, step 2 - I used a 7mm hex bit on a ratchet handle. I don't see how an allen wrench/hex key would have worked for me.

The the right inner front pad also has a wire for the wear sensor, which is not used on our cars (only the left side). You can cut that wire off when you install that pad. Once I got everything installed, I followed the bedding-in procedures on the Hawk packaging.

Front:

I ordered all the rotors from World Impex, which is the cheapest place to get genuine Audi/VW parts.

The pads came from TireRack, which is also where I got the Goodridge stainless-steel lines.

Front (outer) pad, the old worn one is on the left, the new Hawk HPS pad is on the right.

Same front pads, showing 55,000 miles of wear on the left, new on the right.

New rotor installed, new pads installed...

The caliper completely reassembled....

Ready to put the wheel back on! (Right Front)

Rear:

The rear rotors are solid, not vented like the fronts.

Unlike the front pads which are different inner/outer on each side, all four rear pads are identical (inner/outer, left/right).

The instructions I found before starting the job said that a thin 15mm wrench/spanner would be needed to remove the rear caliper guide bolts. I picked this one up from a bike shop, and it worked perfectly. It was a good thing that I did, since the other 15mm one that I already had was too thick to fit where it needed to go.

Rear pads, with the worn original one on the right and the new Hawk HPS pad on the left. The Hawk pads have a vent groove that was not present on the originals. Incidentally, the original pads were all made by Ferrodo.

New rear pad on the left, worn original on the right...

All installed and ready for the wheel to go back on! (Right Rear)

Conclusion:

Fresh rotors, the new brake lines, and the Hawk HPS pads are an excellent combination. It is a really, really significant improvement over both the worn stock setup and over how it felt when brand new. Less brake dust, no noise, and excellent stopping power. From 45 MPH on dry pavement, if I brake hard, ABS will kick in to prevent lockup. The pedal is firm and the whole system is now very confidence-inspiring. I highly recommend this combination to anyone looking for replacements (or an upgrade without going to a big-brake kit).

Thanks to Brandon D. for letting me borrow the 14mm triple-square bit!

Brake Lines and SpeedBleeders

2009-02-25T23:30:00.005-05:00

Several months ago I purchased all the necessary parts for brake maintenance and mild upgrade, but for several reasons (mostly cold weather, and lack of a necessary tool) I've been putting off getting them installed. I decided that 55,000 miles was a good time to get the project moving, so I broke it down into two parts. The first part is the replacement of the 4 original flex lines with braided stainless-steel lines, replacement of the bleeder nipples on the calipers with 'SpeedBleeders', and flushing the system with new fluid, as described here. The second part is replacing the pads and rotors, described in a separate article.

Brake systems work on hydraulic pressure. The lines that carry the fluid from the master cylinder up front to each of the wheels are rigid metal for most of their length. However, they have to have some flexible part at each wheel to account for up-and-down suspension movement and steering. These flexible segments are typically made of reinforced rubber. With most stock rubber lines, some 'ballooning' of the line occurs when you press the pedal, which reduces the force transmitted to the brakes. If you had flexible lines that would resist 'ballooning', more of the pedal force will be transmitted to the brakes. This is usually accomplished by installing brake lines that have a braided stainless-steel jacket that prevents ballooning. The best quality (and DOT/TuV-approved) lines have a plastic or kevlar coating over the stainless-steel braid to protect the braid against chafing.

I have installed braided stainless-steel lines on several cars. On some cars they had a very noticeable effect, on others (including the A3) the stock lines are pretty strong to begin with, so the improvement is smaller, but still worth it.

The brake line kit I chose was the Goodridge part number 30007. It comes with 2 front lines, 2 rear lines, and new banjo-bolts and washers for the front lines.

Any time you loosen a brake line you introduce air into the system which will need to be bled out. Bleeding is usually a 2-person job - one person to pump & hold the pedal while the other one opens and closes the bleeder on the caliper. Since there is only one of me, I needed a way to bleed the brakes solo. I decided to replace the bleeder nipples with SpeedBleeders, which have an internal checkvalve. You can open one a couple of turns, then go pump the pedal to force air and fluid out of that line/caliper without worrying about sucking any air back in. When tightened down they seal just like the standard ones.

The thread size needed for the A3 (and VW Mk5 GTI/GLI/Jetta/Rabbit) is M10 x 1.0. While you can order them online direct from the manufacturer, they are also available cheaper at PepBoys auto parts under the 'HELP!' brand name, item number 12706. You'll need 2 packs, for a total of 4 bleeder nipples (1 per caliper).

And of course you'll need appropriate brake fluid.

Installing the new Goodridge stainless-steel brake lines was not too difficult, only tedious. I did one wheel at a time. After removing the wheel, the first thing I did was to replace the bleeder nipple with a SpeedBleeder. Then I removed the (two on the front / one on the rear) spring clip(s) securing the flex line, and unbolted one end at a time making sure to catch all brake fluid in an appropriate container. When installing the new lines, you have to be careful not to twist them. They have a dashed marking caled a 'torque line' that helps you visually see that you haven't twisted the line as you position it.

The front line uses a banjo-bolt to attach to the caliper. New bolts and copper washers (1 inner and 1 outer washer per banjo bolt) are provided - do not reuse the originals.

Once the new line was installed, I bled the air out of that caliper and pumped quite a bit of fluid through to completely flush that circuit before moving on to the next wheel.

New front brake line:

SpeedBleeder and banjo-bolt on the front caliper:

Front midpoint clip (shorter rear lines do not have this):

Front attachment of flex line to hard line:

Shorter rear lines:

The ends of the flex lines are made to fit into the brackets on the rear to secure the line and prevent it from twisting. The lines were not a compatible shape with the brackets on the car - I've contacted Goodridge to see if this was just an oversight on the kit that I got. I solved it by using a Dremel with a high-speed cutting wheel to cut notches in the rear brackets to accommodate the new lines.

Coils & Plugs at 50,000 Miles

2008-11-25T07:00:00.005-05:00

As part of my 50,000-mile service last month, I replaced the plugs and coils again. The last replacement was at 25,000 miles (instructions).

The coils are one revision newer - the last ones I installed were the "C" part number, these are 07K 905 715 D.

One of these things is not like the other.... (the coils):
1 - 2 - 3 - 4

The coil I pulled from cylinder 4 had a lot of corrosion near the sparkplug end:

The NGK BKR7EIX plugs with 25,000 miles of usage:

Plug 1

Plug 2

Plug 3

Plug 4

Notice the corrosion around the back of Plug 4, corresponding to the corrosion on the coilpack:

When I posted pictures of these in the 2.0T forum, I was accused of negligently getting water in the plug recess due to pressure-washing the engine. The fact is that I have never pressure-washed the top of the valve cover, nor caused any water to get around the coils that would cause this.

Looking at each of of the plug recesses, you can see some degree of corrosion around the top of 1, 2 and 3, but significant corrosion down in 4. I'm going to keep an eye on the new coil in the No. 4 spot to see if it starts developing corrosion, too. This is probably just a cosmetic problem, since it didn't make it past the threads of the plug nor did it interfere with the functioning of the coil.

The plugs were purchased from an eBay vendor for $37.00, and the coils were obtained from World Impex.

As I experienced before, installing the new plugs and coils had an immediate improvement in idle smoothness. After nearly 2000 miles of driving on the new parts, the idle is still smoother than it was prior to the change.

Group 48 Battery

2008-11-25T07:00:00.003-05:00

Last week was pretty cold. When I left work on Friday evening, I tried to start the car and it turned over once.... paused...... lights dim.... then turned over again and caught. I hoped the battery wasn't really dying, but I tried it Saturday morning after it sat overnight and the same thing happened, then again while I was out running errands. OK, time to replace the battery. This one had lasted 3 years and 50,000 miles, which is OK for an original battery. The one in my old GTI died completely after only 6 months. I replaced it with an Optima Red Top, which lasted the next 6 years.

Car batteries are referred to by their "group" number, which denotes the dimensions (length, width, height), terminal type, and terminal orientation (left/right). Here is a table that shows the measurements for different battery groups.

The battery that comes in the A3 from the factory is a Group 47 size. It has recessed terminal posts, and reversed terminals (viewing the long side when the terminals are closest to you, positive is on the right and negative is on the left). It has a heat-insulating blanket around it that must be re-used.

If you want a little better performance, you can install a Group 48 battery. The only difference between the Group 47 and Group 48 is the length, and the larger one will just barely fit in the A3's battery box. The original battery is only 480CA/280CCA capacity.

I wanted to put in an Optima battery, but they don't specifically make a Group 47/48 style. (I later learned that an Optima 75/35 can be made to fit.) Batteries are sold under several brand names which are all made by Johnson Controls. "Interstate", "Duralast" and "BOSCH" are three of those brands.

I chose a BOSCH Group 48 battery that cost $90.00.

It has a 850CA/690CCA capacity, 36-month free replacement & 96-month pro-rated replacement warranty, and came with a roadside assistance card for free jumpstarts for the first 36 months.

Remove the top cover from the battery box. Completely remove the battery hold-down bolt/plate with a 13mm tool.

Remove the battery cables, loosening the connectors with a 10mm tool. ALWAYS LOOSEN & REMOVE THE NEGATIVE SIDE FIRST! Also, INSTALL and TIGHTEN the NEGATIVE side LAST! I have 3rd-degree burn scars from doing it wrong years ago.

When you pull out the old battery, the insulating blanket will come with it. Slide the blanket off the battery. If you're installing a Group 47 battery, you can just slide it onto the new one. If you're installing a Group 48 battery, you'll need to look for the tab where the blanket is attached to itself, and undo it. It will wrap around a Group 48 battery, but with no overlap, so it's a little harder to get it back into the battery box if you're doing this by yourself. It does fit, though.

Re-attach the cables (see note above) and the hold-down, making sure it's actually holding the battery down securely.

Jack Pads

2008-11-25T07:00:00.002-05:00

Here's a little enhancement that I've been meaning to do for a while. These inexpensive rubber pieces provide a good place to raise the car using a hydraulic floor jack, or a 4-point lift (like when having tires installed, for example).

Each pad is composed of two pieces. You position them together, then use a jack to press them into the correct points on the underside of the car. They lock together and lock into place on the car.

Back in 2005 "SwiftA4" posted instructions for doing this on the A3 Forum. The instructions and pictures are excellent, so I'm just going to link to them here. Part numbers are included. (If for some reason that thread on the forum becomes unavailable, I have a copy saved that I can post here.)

In addition to the 4 pad assemblies, I also got a special metal disk from ECS Tuning that fits into the pad when using a hydraulic floor jack. This gives a very stable lifting point. The disk has a bump on the top that fits into the bottom of the jack pad to keep it from sliding.

October 2008 Photos

2008-10-19T23:11:00.007-04:00

Time for some Fall photos...

Freshly detailed with Klasse (All-In-One & Sealer Glaze), Photos taken with a Canon G9, RAW, ISO 80.

Fumoto Oil Drain Valve

2008-10-11T10:07:00.014-04:00

The 2006 A3s like mine came with 45,000 miles of 'free' maintenance, including oil changes. That meant dealer-provided changes at 5k, 15k, 25k, 35k and 45k miles since Audi's maintenance schedule calls for a 10,000-mile oil-change interval (OCI). I wanted to maintain a 5000-mile OCI on my car, so I did the intermediate ones at 10k, 20k, 30k and 40k myself. As of 50,000 miles, I'll be doing them all myself from now on. Oil changes on this engine are a real pain, mostly because of the filter. The drain plug is annoying like all drain plugs are, and there's a very easy way to solve that.

From the very beginning I wanted to do a Fumoto valve but kept putting off ordering one. When I was going to do an oil change on my own I'd think about it, then decide to do it "next time". 10,000 miles later, I'd do the same thing....

Fumoto valves are great. They are well-made out of brass with a ball-valve mechanism, and they lock closed with a spring and a notch in the valve body. If you do your own oil changes I can only think of ONE reason not to use one, and that would be if your drain plug was vertical into the bottom of the oil pan, which would make the Fumoto valve stick down too low under the car. Fortunately, VW/Audi drain plugs are completely horizontal so there are no clearance issues at all.

The Fumoto valves come in two styles - one has a flat end where the oil drains, the other has a nipple where you could optionally stick a hose. I only use the latter style so I can make sure there is NO spillage of oil. Again, since the oil drain location is horizontal, there are no clearance issues with having the slightly longer valve.

If your oil pan has a protrusion (like on the 2.0T engine) or if the drain plug is completely recessed, you'll need to get one of their spacers to make the valve fit. A spacer is definitely needed on the 2.0T.

The valve with the correct threads (14mm - 1.5) and the nipple on the drain end is the F106N:

The adapter that is needed for it to fit is the ADP-106 (same threads as above, it just spaces it out from the oilpan):

The valve and the adapter as shipped, 2 separate pieces with soft crush washers:

A 19mm spanner fits the valve body for installation. Be careful to not overtighten! See the instructions on their website before installing. The spacer needs, I think, a 22mm tool. I forgot to note what size it was, but it's definitely larger than the 19mm that fits the valve:

Here are the valve and spacer assembled. The valve is closed. Note the valve lever is to the side, held into the locking notch by the spring:

To open the valve, you lift the lever out of the notch and rotate it forward:

Installation is trivial - Remove your drain plug to change your oil, let all of the oil drain, wipe the threads on the oil pan clean, and install the spacer & valve as if they were your drain plug. Finger-tighten, then 1/4-turn with the respective tools. You NEVER have to remove it, and it's completely painless to drop and replace the oil.

You can see the protruding part of the oil pan above the drain location that makes the spacer necessary.

Now if someone would just invent an oil-filter relocation kit so we can have the filter easily accessible from the top, instead of having to remove that plastic cover underneath every time....

CruiseCam Camera Mount

2008-10-10T23:59:00.005-04:00

Earlier this year I got a CruiseCam mount for in-car photos. It works in any car with 2 exposed posts on the headrests (which excludes Volvos, or highback seats like the RX-8).

I had started to make a similar one with some aluminium square tube, but at the point where I tried to find a good, cheap adjustable camera mount for my project I finally admitted that it was actually cheaper & better to just buy the actual CruiseCam. This thing is very well designed and built. It attaches securely, is super easy to install/position/remove, and the camera mounting platform stays adjusted where you want it without vibrating out of place. It includes a safety strap if you feel the need to use it - I didn't, and removed it.

There's a heavy rubber guard that you have to slide out of the way to tighten down your camera, then slide it back into place for vibration dampening. My only complaint is that since the mounting platform is slightly textured metal, it could scratch the underside of my camera if I weren't careful. I solved that problem by putting a strip of masking tape (3M Blue Painter's Tape) on the mount.

On the A3, the front headrests always have a little bit of the posts exposed. In fact, it's just enough that the CruiseCam never touches the upholstery of the headrest at all, nor the seat since the plastic headrest fittings on the seat act as spacers. Absolutely no risk of damage to the car at all.

The slots in the back of the mount allow for whatever spacing your headrest posts have, and allow the mount to positioned side-to-side easily. You can also turn it around so the mount is on the right side of the passenger headrest, slide the seat back (and/or tilt the backrest slightly), open the right rear window, and adjust the mount so the camera is sticking out the side window. I would definitely use the safety strap if I did that! Of course, the mount also fits on the rear seat headrests if you want to mount it there (for example, for rearward-facing photos).

For some examples of it in use, see my first autocross article. All of the in-car shots were from my Canon G9 mounted on the CruiseCam.

First Autocross

2008-07-26T19:12:00.008-04:00

Today I ran in an autocross put on by the Delaware chapter of the PCA and a local Scion club. It was the first time I'd autocrossed in years, and so of course my first time in the A3.

I did four runs total. Each run was three laps, exiting the (relatively small) course at the end of the third lap. For the first three runs I left the traction/stability control (ESP) 'on'. I turned it off for the 4th run, which is the only one not captured on video. It makes a HUGE difference in how the car handles; whether I consider it better or not for autocrossing is yet to be determined.... I need to run a course a lot more both with it enabled and disabled before deciding. Out of 3 laps with and 1 lap without, I was definitely faster with it enabled than on the one without, but that's not enough data to draw any conclusions. The back end breaks loose pretty easily with ESP disabled.

In the videos below, when you see the camera vibrate rapidly along with a chattering noise, that's the ESP kicking it. It's a little more dramatic than what the video conveys.

What I can conclude:

I need more practice. I'd do this every weekend if possible.

Swaybars are now high on the list of things to do.

Here are the videos of the first three runs. My originals are really good quality, but of course YouTube compresses everything down to fuzzyness, so click the 'watch in high quality' link under the video on each YouTube page.

First run (in-car camera): (59.799 including 2 sec. penalty)

Second Run (in-car camera): (55.439)

Third Run (spectator view): (55.646)

Here are some photos from today:

If you're on an iPhone and can't see the slideshow above, click here.

Cousins....

2008-07-07T21:52:00.003-04:00

This weekend I visited some friends. One of them has a new 4-door GTI 2.0T, also in white - pretty much my car's cousin. Being parked across the street from each other made for a neat photo...

ProClip and Interface Cable

2008-06-21T21:00:00.015-04:00

I've always kept my phone in the armrest console, so I ran a power cable into it. The iPod lives in the glovebox, connected to the DICE interface. I like having things neatly out-of-the-way, but planning for a 3rd-generation iPhone, I'm going to want things set up a bit differently.

There are two parts to the ProClip system - the base that attaches to the car, and the holder for your specific device. In the case of the A3 there are three different base mounts. One attaches beside the head unit, and mimics the European Audi phone mount. One attaches to an air vent, and blocks airflow. The third type is the only one that I actually like for the A3: it attaches to the bar on the right side of the console. I got mine from a former A3 owner who traded up to a Subaru. The device holder he had was useless to me, so I ordered a new one (more on that below).

Here is the base mount:

This particular type of clip comes with double-sided tape to help hold it in place. The pre-owned clip that I got had the gummy residue still in it, and I didn't want to use adhesive anyway, so I set about modding it, starting by cleaning the old sticky stuff off with Goo-Gone.

I wanted it to stay in place, not scuff/damage the console where it was attached, and be easy to put on/take off. I had a piece of suede-finish leather that I had gotten from a craft store for another project...

...so I trimmed a piece to fit exactly in the U-shaped portion of the clip with no gaps:

I then glued it into the clip using 1-minute epoxy. (That stuff is amazing, but I really recommend doing this with the 3-minute epoxy instead so it doesn't set up so insanely fast.) I don't have a picture of it after I glued the leather in; it looks like this, only adhered tightly into the corners and all the way around.

I ordered a new device holder from ProClip. The Adjustable Holder with Tilt Swivel - Item 875214 which will hold the iPhone with or without a 'skin' or case. It will also hold my old iPod with it's heavy-duty rubber skin.

That takes care of the mount, but my DICE connector is still in the glovebox...

A 6-foot Dock Extender Cable from CableJive will take care of that. It's the only male-female iPod Dock Connector cable extension that I have found, and it is a very high-quality product.

I wanted to run the extension from glovebox to the console, so I could either keep the iPod in the glovebox, or use the extension for the iPod (or whatever) in the ProClip. It turned out to be easier than I expected.

I pulled the cubby out of the glovebox:

Some mods need to be done here. I decided to re-think how I routed the dock cable, and relocate it to the left cubby so it would be near the new extension cable. On the back of the cubby there's this clip that needs to be opened up:

Here you can see the opening that I cut using a hacksaw blade.

I drilled the remaining portion of the tab so I could use zip-ties if necessary for strain relief, but that turned out to not be necessary for me.

I also had to drill another 5/8" hole for the DICE cable, and used another rubber grommet to protect that cable from chafing. The female (jack) end of the extension cable went through the rectangular opening.

I fed the cable male (plug) end first through the opening and down towards the console:

...where you can slip your fingers under the edge and feel for it, then pull it out:

Loosening this 8mm bolt on the underside of the glovebox makes that part easier:

Next, pull up on the trim ring around the shift boot. It is held down by a spring clip at each corner.

Tuck the cable up under the side of the console, poke the plug up by the shifter, and pull it through as shown here:

Now remove the two Torx T-30 screws holding down the front of the ashtray assembly. These also hold two of the spring clips, so don't drop anything. Carefully lift so you can unplug the light connector, then slide the ashtray assembly completely out.

With the ashtray out of the way, I repositioned the cable so it comes up through the opening shown here (this is what it looks like with the ashtray assembly removed):

(If you still have the little insert in the ashtray, go ahead and remove it now.)

A hole has to be cut in the bottom of the ashtray for the dock connector plug to fit through. I somehow neglected to get good pictures of the process... I cut the rectangle out using a Dremel on slow speed with a cut-off wheel, then dressed the edges of the opening with a file to remove any sharpness that could chafe the wire. The rectangle is cut as far right as possible in the bottom.

So much for getting the cable into the ashtray from the bottom, now we have to get it out the top. Looking at the edge of the ashtray you can see there's a gap under the lid when it's closed, but you can't just run the cable there since the lid needs that much space for the 'push-to-open' function. So, we'll have to do some cutting.

You can't run the cable to the front because it would interfere with the trim around the shift boot, so we'll have to go to the side.

Remove this piece of rubber:

I used a flat file to cut this notch and 'soften' the edges, then wet-sanded the cut edges with 600-grit sandpaper.

A corresponding notch was made in the lid, but only in the plastic. It would work better if aluminium trim were notched also, but leaving the aluminium undisturbed is a compromise in favour of aesthetics.

The rubber piece that was removed earlier was re-installed, completing the ashtray modification.

The cable can be fed up through the rectangle in the bottom of the ashtray, and the assembly can be reinstalled and bolted down. Don't forget to plug the light in:

There is plenty of space under the console for the cable to drop into when not in use. Due to the natural alignment of the structure underneath, the plug cannot fall through the rectangle you cut in the ashtray.

On the glovebox end, the cubby can now be snapped back into place. You can either plug the iPod into the DICE connector and keep it in the cubby in the glovebox, or you can plug the connector into the extension cable as shown here:

The next piece of the puzzle is a CableJive Charge Converter. The older iPods and 1st-generation iPhone use one set of pins in the dock connector to charge via 12volts, and another set of pins to charge via 5volts. For various reasons (heat, component size, etc.) Apple has eliminated the 12volt charging circuit from newer iPod and iPhone models. Since my DICE interface provides the high-current charging circuit, it will not power or charge newer devices. The simple solution to that is the Charge Converter from CableJive. I can plug it in-line between the DICE plug and the extension cable, so any iPod/iPhone plugged into the extension will be perfectly happy:

The Charge Converter also has a mini-USB output on the side, so it can charge or power another USB device as well. Just an added bonus feature.

Here's the finished product. I have a little piece of leather that I cut to fit the ashtray to keep coins from rattling - that's what you see under where the plug is laying. I can feed the cable down into the console, close the ashtray, and it's completely invisible:

...or I can position the cable through the notches and close the lid:

It all comes together - cable, clip and iPod:

And since sexy things always look better naked, here's the iPod without the Speck case. The 5th-gen 30Gig iPod doesn't fit very tightly since the adjustable holder was designed for an iPhone with a case/skin, but it works.

(In case anyone is wondering, the song playing on the iPod is the version of "Modern Love" by The Last Town Chorus.)

Expect an update to this article mid-2009.

OpenSky Heat-Reflective Sunshades

2008-06-12T21:00:00.000-04:00

The 'OpenSky' double sunroof is one of the things I really like about the A3. But since Audi decided to use perforated instead of solid/opaque sunshades, they do cause the interior to get really hot when parked in the summer sun. It's not just the light passing through the glass that heats up the car, but the dark glass itself becomes hot and radiates heat in even if you move the car into the shade.

Here's a quick and easy solution: Make a set of heat-reflective mylar sunshades.

First thing you will need is a roll of Reflectix insulation. You can find it at Lowes for about $20.00 for the 16"-wide roll, or you can order it on-line if you can't find it locally. The Reflectix is available in a few widths. Lowes had 16" and 48" rolls. I chose the 16" one since it was adequate for this project.

Reflectix is basically bubble-wrap with a layer of mylar film on each side. That makes it pretty fragile, and you'll see this as soon as you go to unroll it. The end is taped down, and since the tape messes up the mylar, you'll wind up wasting the first go-round of the roll. Cut that part off after the point where it was taped, and use it for patterns, experimenting, etc.

Making the shade for the front roof panel is easy. The 16" width of the roll is just about right for the narrow dimension, so you just have to measure and cut a piece 30" long. You may find that you'll need to trim it down to 29.5", so this gives you a little extra to work with.

Place your new reflective shade against the sunroof glass, and carefully close the roller shade under it. Make sure you don't get it caught in the roller shade tracks, and don't snag the back/corners of with the roller shade.

Now, make another one for the rear. This time you should cut it to 29.5" long to start with, and maybe trim it down slightly if necessary. You will also need to trim a strip off the long edge. Measure and mark 13" on both short edges, and use a straightedge & sharpie to mark your cutline. Cut it with scissors, and you should have a 29.5" x 13" shade.

Install it in the rear the same way as you did in the front.

I don't like to drive around with the shades in (I really, really hate not having the light and 'openness' of a sunroof), but I've used them when parking outside at work in 97degF direct sun, and they work great! More so than the rest of the headliner, actually. After the car has been parked in the sun I can feel heat radiating through the headliner, but none at all under where the reflective shades are. It makes the car effectively sunroof-less as far as light & heat are concerned.

Now I want to use the rest of the roll to make shades for the side and back glass, but I have to figure out how to hold them in place. (Velcro dots on the black windowframes would be almost invisible, but I'm not sure I want to do that).

New Axle Boot and Alignment

2008-04-06T20:23:00.004-04:00

A few weeks ago I noticed a burning grease/tar smell when I pulled in the garage but couldn't place where it was coming from. The next weekend after that I did a front<-->rear tyre rotation, and when I pulled off the left front wheel there were several blobs of grease inside the rim. I felt around and got a handful of grease since it was all over the back side of the brake caliper and line. I immediately suspected a torn axle/CV boot, but without ramps to get up under the car for closer inspection I couldn't find the exact spot. It had to be the outer one due to the location of the grease that it slung around.

Went to the dealer, described what I'd found, and they confirmed it after putting the car on the rack and inspecting it. BUT.... they didn't have the part in stock and would have to order it. For some reason, this no longer surprises me.

When the boot came in they got me scheduled and in/out reasonably (shuttle ride to/from work that day). They did not, however, do an alignment. I decided that it would be a good idea.

This weekend I took it to NTB for alignment and balancing. The balancing took care of the minor vibration at highway speeds - one front and one rear wheel were slightly out of balance. The alignment was a mixed bag:

The toe-in on the left was out-of-spec, which is what I expected from the remove/replace of the left outer axle boot. They took care of that with no problem. Caster and camber on the right are out-of-spec, and they did NOT adjust those. The tech at NTB said that their manual indicated that subframe bolts could be loosened to adjust the caster & camber, but they were expressly forbidden by NTB from doing that. He suggested that I take it 'elsewhere'. Didn't stop NTB from charging me full price for the alignment, though.

I don't notice any pulling or drift, nor excessive treadwear. For all I know, this is how it came from the factory.

(Sorry for the cameraphone photo - I didn't have my real camera with me.)

PCV Replacement and Eurojet Valve

2008-03-15T22:00:00.010-04:00

Edit: November 2008 - I've removed the EuroJet valve and replaced the PCV system with a vacuum-only plate from BSH.

This thread in the 2.0T FSI Engine Forum on VWVortex gives good background information and diagrams relating to the PCV/Crankcase Breather system on the 2.0T FSI engine. The part numbers and description of the various revisions of the valve (current as of early 2008) are illustrated in this thread.

I've been running the Eurojet Racing checkvalve that protects the PCV system for a few months, but decided that I wanted to make sure all PCV components were in top condition. I decided to replace the rear PCV tube with the one that has an integrated checkvalve, and replace the front PCV component with the one that still has 2 internal checkvalves (a non-standard combination of parts). The Eurojet valve would then contribute to protecting the new components, and would give a total of 4 checkvalves in the system.

The parts I installed are:

06F 129 101 F New breather ('PCV') valve
06F 103 215 A New pipe with checkvalve
06F 103 483 E Gasket
06F 145 757 F Gasket

This is the new rear pipe with the integrated checkvalve (06F 103 215 A):

Remove the engine cover/airbox.

To remove the two bolts that hold the pipe to the turbo inlet you will need a 5mm hex bit, universal joint, short extension and compact ratchet handle. The lower bolt is easy to get to, the upper one is a pain. There is a metal gasket between the pipe flange and the turbo, and a heatshield on top of the flange that you will need to carefully move from behind the oil line. (If you drop the bolts, they will mostly likely not fall all the way through to the ground - they will land on a chassis crossmember. That crossmember has little compartments on top, and reaching them to retrieve a dropped bold requires some contortion. I speak from experience, you have been warned.)

You will also need to remove the one-time-use clamp that joins the pipe to the rubber hose segment.

This is the heatshield that will be removed:

This is how the heatshield orients on the pipe. This is important for when you install the new one.

This is the metal gasket, note the locating tab on the upper part of the flange:

The 'gasket' has little tabs that catch on the bolt threads, so putting the bolts in a few turns helps hold the whole assembly together for reinstallation:

This shows where the pipe flange bolts to the turbo inlet. See the flexible silver heatshielding on the oil line running from the head down to the turbo? You will need to tuck the metal heatshield (pictured above) behind this line without pinching the silver fabric.

Rear pipe finally installed. I used a stainless-steel screw clamp instead of one of the original-style clamps. Don't tighten it too much, you don't want to damage the pipe and the checkvalve at that end.

The front PCV component is easily removed with 4 screws (T-25 torx head) and 2 snap-on pipes. The new one (06F 129 101 F) is a direct replacement, very straightforward. Before installation, however, I attached the Eurojet checkvalve to it since it requires quite a bit of twisting and effort to get it into the very tight silicon tubing. Lubricating the ends of the tubing helps it go on.

Old (revision C) on the left, new (06F 129 101 F) on the right:

Old:

New (06F 129 101 F):

Old:

New (06F 129 101 F):

The Eurojet PCV checkvalve assembly:

The hoses on the Eurojet valve are lined to protect against damage from oil residue. Be careful not to damage the ends of this lining when you install the hoses, since fragments of the lining can and will jam the valve.

This is an exploded view of the valve, and illustrates the orientation of the valve when installed. The upper part in this photo attaches to the PCV valve, and the lower part in the photo attaches to the intake manifold:

Another view showing the rubber valve seat:

The piston in the valve had some rough barbs when I first got it. Before installation I smoothed them out with some 1000-grit sandpaper. The piston seems to be fairly soft brass so it smoothed out easily.

This is how the whole thing looks when installed.

In order to make the valve fit under the stock engine cover, I unscrewed the mounting peg that the engine cover snaps onto nearest the valve. Unscrewing it about halfway seems to be just enough. I'll probably add a nut to lock the peg in place and prevent it from further loosening, but this little bit of elevation does the trick perfectly.

Edit: November 2008 - I've removed the EuroJet valve and replaced the PCV system with a vacuum-only plate from BSH.

The hose on my EuroJet valve cracked. EuroJet sent me a replacement assembly.

Intake Cover Retention

2008-03-15T21:45:00.006-04:00

Like my earlier article about adding a retaining tie to the rear tow hook cover, this is a simple bit of prevention to save potential headaches and damage later.

As described in this thread in the 2.0T FSI Engine Forum on VWVortex, a piece can pop off the air intake and damage the cooling fans. Drilling two quick holes and adding a zip-tie prevents this from ever happening.

How To Remove the Engine Cover / Stock Airbox

2008-01-07T23:51:00.002-05:00

Procedure:

Unplug the Mass Air Flow (MAF) sensor.

Undo the spring clips and pull out the turbo inlet connector.

Remove the two T-25 screws on the air snorkle as shown below.

Remove the engine cover by pulling up HARD where indicated by the green circles in the photo below.

DO NOT APPLY ANY FORCE where indicated by the red diamonds in the photo below.

If it's cold weather, make sure the engine is warm so that the rubber grommets warm up and are flexible enough to come off. Cold, brittle plastic and stiff grommets will lead to a broken airbox/cover even if you otherwise do everything correctly.

Pull up on the rear driver's corner (near the battery box) first, then the rear corner where the MAF sensor is, then the fronts.

First Dyno Results

2007-10-13T21:08:00.000-04:00

Back in July I got together with Mark at AutoSpeed to test their first attempt at software for the 2.0T FSI engine. We flashed the car, and did some preliminary logging using both VAG-COM and their own software, but they were in the process of moving their shop to a new location and we weren't able to actually dyno it and fine-tune the software. I didn't post anything about it online since everyone's first response would be to ask "where are the numbers?". Today, finally, I have some numbers.

Today was NGP Racing's Dyno Day/Open House. I was one of the early ones to dyno, which was good because the line got long pretty soon after my run.

I was going to get some more pictures + a video clip of the dyno run, but my batteries died.... At least I got a few:

No line when it was my turn, but it got busy later.

Cooling off before the run...

They were so happy I was there, one dude started breakdancing.

Getting the lead hooked up.

Strapped down.

Ready to roll!

The results:
Best Torque: 253.7 lbs-ft; Best Power: 201.5 HP (4th gear pulls, ~65 degF)

I also got to meet several of the Deldubs crew there. It was great hanging out with you guys, and finally putting faces to the screennames!

Forge Short Shift Kit

2007-10-09T20:45:00.000-04:00

This is an easy, fun mod, and one that I'll enjoy every drive from now on.... If you have a manual transmission A3 (or GTI or GLI) you have got to get a short shifter! I'm sure some other brands are good as well, but I can definitely vouch for the Forge SSK for excellent quality and feel.

Not a lot of pictures this time.... for one thing, I was chasing the last bit of daylight. Also, after I pulled off the original shift linkage I was way too greasy to touch the camera.

There are two items that you need for the full kit - the main front-to-back shift linkage, and the side-to-side linkage.

Since the kit is made to fit several different VW/Audi models, it comes with various fittings for the shift cable attachment. There are a smaller pin, a larger (thicker) pin, and a ball attachment. You will need the larger/thicker pin and corresponding nut for both linkages for the A3; you can discard/store the rest.

About the nuts.... this was the only less-than-perfect part of the kit. The nuts have washers fixed to one side. You must assemble things with the washers towards the bracket. However, the washers prevented the nuts from threading on correctly at first. I had to 'chase' the threads by running the nuts on backwards, then turn them around and assemble them properly. My suggestion to Forge was to replace those with nylock nuts, and I received this response clarifying why these were used:

They are referred to as "all-metal prevailing torque lock nuts", and they apply tenstion to the threads in an almost identical manner to Nylok style nuts but they use the metal of the nut itself instead of a separate substrate which has the potential to wear.
[...]
Additionally, by using the prevailing torque nuts, when tightened to the proper torque specs. (25 nm) as listed in the instructions, there is virtually no chance of them coming loose over any amount of time. We have had versions of this product using the same type of hardware installed on numerous vehicles for well over a year with absolutely zero issues before we released them into the market.

Both parts of the linkage have slots that the pins fit into. The most 'out' or 'up' position on the respective slot is the same position as the stock pieces. The most 'in' or 'down' position on the slot is the shortest shifter movement. Trust me - just set it at the shortest position.

The white plastic 'slider' that joins the two linkage parts is more robust than the stock one, and wraps above and below the channel that it slides in (the stock one does not). This shows how the two pieces fit together.

Installation was a lot quicker than I've seen other people claim for short-shifters. The longest time was spent assembling the pins into the two parts of the linkage. It took a while because of the nut/washer issue that I mentioned above, and because when tightening the nut/pin it would 'walk' in the slot a bit. I wound up sticking something in the slot to block it and make sure that the pin stayed all the way at the shortest position as it was tightened. I was sure wanted it in that position so I used Loctite Threadlocker (BLUE) to make sure neither pin comes loose. At first I was concerned about what would happen if the nut loosened and the pin slipped in the slot, then I realised that it is totally a non-issue. First, when properly tightened there should be no loosening of the nuts at all (see above). However, if a nut did loosen enough for the pin to slip in the slot, it would just wind up slipping back to the stock position. You'd wind up with a bit of slop and a longer throw, but would never be stranded and unable to shift. I also inquired about the design choice of the infinitely-adjustable slot, and Forge's response was:

As for the adjustment, numerous other shifters on the market use multiple selectable pivot points in their offerings, which is all well and good, but many people find certain predetermined settings to not be to their liking, i.e. too much reduction or not enough. We decided to offer an infinitely adjustable mechanism to allows users to find a setting that best suits their individual needs.

Actually removing/reinstalling is soooo easy. I didn't even remove the engine cover/intake. Yes, you actually can reach in and do it. if you have an aftermarket intake, it will block the space you need to reach into, but the stock intake doesn't really. The worst part of swapping the linkage is removing the ring clips on the three pins. They pop off easily, but that's part of the problem - they'll go flying off and get lost somewhere. Luckily, the one that flew off on me bounced around and fell through to the ground under the car, so be careful popping them off.

Start by taking off the two clips that hold on the shift cable ends, and slide the cable ends off the pins. The 13mm nut on the linkage comes off easily with a socket, then I used the ratchet handle to pry up on the linkage to get it off the splined shaft. There is a third clip holding on the side-to-side linkage, then it slides out. NOTE: there are 2 plastic bushings (inner and outer) on the pin that mounts the side-to-side linkage. They have to be put in place for the new linkage.

I used one of the red grease packets included to lube all pins and the slider heavily. Installation is the reverse of removal. Here's the quick list of what to do:

Assemble the pins onto the new linkage

Remove 2 clips holding on cable ends, and slide off cable ends

Remove 13mm nut, and remove main linkage from splined transmission shaft

Remove clip holding on side-to-side linkage, and remove the linkage

Locate 2 plastic bushings, one may be stuck on the original side-to-side linkage pin, the other may be in the corresponding hole on the transmission

Lube all pins with red grease

Install 1 plastic bushing on side-to-side linkage, and reinsert it into the hole on the transmission

Insert other plastic bushing into other end of hole around that pin, and reinstall the ring clip

Mate up the 2 linkage pieces at the slider, and fit the new main linkage onto the splined shaft. It only goes on one way

Install and tighten the 13mm nut holding the linkage to the transmission

Put the cable ends on their respective pins, and install the clip on each

Put up your tools, degrease your hands, and go drive!

That's really all there is to it. Everything between 'assemble the pins' and 'clean up' should take you 20 minutes.

Fom casual observation of the linkage, it looks stock. It won't attract attention from a service tech looking at it, but anyone who drives the car would have to be an idiot not to notice.

The important question is "how does it feel?" It feels great! It's awesome - it actually feels like the RX-8, which is good: short, solid, more mechanical than stock, shiftable with wrist motion. I used to have a BMW 328i with a Z3 shift linkage, and this is just as short-throw but much smoother. This is absolutely how they all should feel right from the factory. No separate alignment/adjustment of the shift lever was needed or called for in the instructions, and every gear engages smoothly and without any excessive force. It's weird the first time you drive it because you think it's not going into gear, then you realise that it already is in gear, you're just used to the sloppy, long throws of the stock shifter.

Like I said at the start, if you have a 6MT, you NEED one of these. Don't settle for another brand of shift linkage that doesn't include entirely new side-to-side linkage. There's only one other brand I'd consider (Dieselgeek), but it removes the original cable ends, requires additional adjustment, and definitely does not look stock. I'm not saying that there's anything at all wrong with the DG one as a product, but for my preferences the Forge one was the best solution.

Forge Diverter Valve

2007-09-26T00:33:00.001-04:00

One more issue resolved.

At first I was planning on one of the ATP adapters with recirculating valve plumbed into an ATP intake. Then Eurocode came out with a package of the ATP adapter with a fake GReddy valve (or a real one at extra charge). I was unimpressed with Eurocode's marketing of the bundle, and after people tried it and problems became known, I was unimpressed with the technical aspect of it as well.

In looking for a better solution I contacted Forge, and was told that they were working on a solution that would be a fresh design, would have some manner of maintaining computer control over the valve, and would be a robust piston valve with NO rubber diaphragm to fail. Based on their reputation for quality piston-type valves, I decided to wait and see what they came up with. A few people (including me) knew what they were working on, and the design changed a little bit as time went on.

Development of the valve took quite a while, but the end result is a really slick valve that will *not* fail (unlike the clunky stock valve with its gossamer hymen of a diaphragm), works off of pressure & vacuum, and has a clever external solenoid valve arrangement to maintain computer control over what is essentially a mechanical valve. As an added bonus, the vacuum line tap has fittings to accommodate a boost gauge and another device in addition to the valve. Forge's designation for this part is FMFSITV.

When I finally ordered it, it was on backorder for a few weeks. I was really anxious to get it since my stock valve had seen better days.

The contents of the package:

The 3-port vacuum tap. You can see that there are three nipples provided - the largest-diameter one is used for the diverter valve, the smallest-diameter one would be for a boost gauge, and the third one would be for some other device, if needed. If you're just installing the valve, the small threaded plugs shown are used in place of the other two nipples. When making up that assembly, you definitely need to use Locktite Threadlocker (BLUE) to make sure everything stays together (Locktite BLUE is removable, RED is permanent, don't use RED unless you mean it):

In the upper left of the picture is the solenoid valve that controls the vacuum/pressure acting on the actual diverter valve. The thicker black tubing to the left is the used to make up the vacuum tap assembly:

The vacuum tap with the correct nipple + 2 plugs installed:

The valve itself:

It's made up of several pieces - the main valve body, the screw-off cap (ring+top), the piston, and the internal spring, coated internally with a red high-temperature lube.

They provided more than enough silicone vacuum tubing for the install:

Up on ramps, ready to start...

The original diverter valve on the turbo, viewed from below:

Turbo with diverter valve removed, seen from below. There are three bolts on the valve, don't remove the similar one on the oil line bracket just below it:

Always looking for a better way to do things, I decided not to mount the solenoid valve directly to the diverter valve. Forge claims it can be mounted anywhere within reach of the wiring harness that would plug into it, so I relocated it up to where it would be farther away from water, debris, etc. The two lengths of tubing shown attached to the base and cap fittings of the valve are 18" and 22" respectively:

I zip-tied the solenoid to the wiring chase near the ABS controller. It's more protected, easier to keep an eye on, and farther away from the heat of the turbo than if it were bolted to the diverter valve. The two tubes shown above go down to the diverter valve, and then the longer run of tubing goes to the vacuum source.

Here's the vacuum tap installed. It's very subtle when done right, very stock looking, and will be convenient to add a boost gauge later:

The valve installed on the turbo (sorry for the blurry picture, it's not the easiest spot to get a camera into):

When I removed my valve, it completely fell apart as I pulled it away from the turbo. I mean, the piston, the diaphragm, the spring, the pin, the plastic ring.... WIth the new valve in place, it's like a whole different car. MUCH more power, less lurching off the line and during shifts (of course, the dogbone insert helps with that, too). This has been another good mod for me, and highly recommended for anyone with a 2.0T FSI engine.

Subsequent to installing the valve, I asked Forge what maintenance needed to be performed on the valve, and at what intervals. Forge's response:

Valve maintenance is not necessarily a requirement though it can be done at whatever interval you choose based on various factors.

We have a test valve installed on a 1.8T Audi TT 225 in the UK which has been installed and operating for over the last 5 years without having ever been serviced once. It holds vacuum and pressure perfectly fine just as if it were brand new.

With that in mind, however, as dust, dirt or other debris may periodically enter the system, and possibly contaminate the grease inside the valve, depending upon your geographic location and/or other driving conditions, we would recommend at least checking the valve every so often, at least once a year or so, and clean and regrease it if you feel it's needed on your particular car.

We build the valves with Mobil1 fully synthetic bearing grease, however, any other brand of fully synthetic grease should suffice. We do not recommend the use of lithium grease as it can be corrosive to the o-rings inside the valve, nor do we condone using any sort of motor oil, spray lubricants or anything else aside from a fully synthetic bearing grease. The comment on the [motor] oil [is] directly meant to discourage anyone who thinks that motor oil is a "cure-all" lubricant when it is not even remotely suitable for lubricating a component like our valve [instead of the Mobil1 fully synthetic bearing grease].

(Edited for clarity - Len)

(Thanks to local Deldubs member '92rado2.8' for the use of his ramps!)

ECS Dogbone Mount Insert Installed

2007-09-25T23:33:00.000-04:00

This particular part is available from several vendors. I preferred the one from ECS. because they include a new stretch bolt, where some of the other vendors don't. More on that below.

Unlike some of my other installations, I'm not going to do a step-by-step with pictures description of installing this part. The reason is that excellent documentation already exists from ECS (PDF). I'll just add some personal observations.

First, this thing is a lot larger than I had imagined it from pictures. I imagined it being about 3/4 as big as it actually is.

Second, it's a lot squishier than I anticipated. I thought it would be pretty much rigid, and was really surprised when I found how flexible it is. I thought, "you've *got* to be kidding - how can you push this in?" I'm not used to pushing things into a tight opening that aren't pretty rigid, no matter how much lube is involved.

With the car raised I removed the original bolt in the 'dogbone' mount. The original bolt takes a 21mm socket, and came loose much easier than I thought it should. I lubed up the insert, and lined it up on the rubber bushing. It started in pretty easily, then no amount of arm force would budge it. Time for Plan B.

Plan B was a hydraulic bottle jack. I set it against the edge of the insert and jacked it enough to push the insert in a few milimetres, then backed it off, repositioned and repeated. This worked great, and working in small increments got the whole insert firmly seated into the bushing.

The small washer goes INSIDE the hole in the insert, then the larger disk on top of it. The bolt supplied requires a 22mm socket.

If you're not familiar with stretch bolts, the idea is that the bolt is designed where the threads pull the bolt down and stretch the neck so that the head of the bolt applies extra tension against the fastening surface. It takes advantage of the tensile properties of the bolt, but at the same time it inherently weakens the bolt. Therefore, a stretch bolt must not be tightened more than spec, and must never be re-used.

The way a stretch bolt is tightened is with two separate steps: It's tightened to a specified torque value, and then 'angle torqued' for a specified amount. In the case of this bolt used in the insert, it is first tightened to 74 pounds-feet of torque, then it is rotated for an additional 90degrees (no more, no less) (expressed as 74 lbs-ft + 1/4 turn, or 74 lbs-ft + 90deg.) Tightening this bolt to 74 lbs-ft was easy enough with a torque wrench, but that last 90deg turn was a bitch. I wasn't taking any chances, so I coated the threads with LocTite Threadlocker (BLUE) before I assembled it.

Having installed the insert, I'm kicking myself for not having done it earlier. Seriously, it's the best $40 you can spend on the car. For anyone who claims that it increases any vibration, I have one question: "what are you, nuts?". This smoothed out everything quite noticeably. It idles smoother, and got rid of a lot of the lurching and generally crappy feel when starting off or shifting. When people say it improves the feel of shifts, it's not the actual 'shift' that feels any different, it's the clutch engagement *after* the shift that's improved. This is definitely $40-worth of value and improvement in feel. Now I'd like to do the full VF-Engineering engine mount kit, but I'm not sure that it has the same cost-benefit as just this insert alone.

I highly recommend this for anyone with a manual-transmission A3 (or GTI or GLI).

SETTLEMENT!

2007-09-25T22:59:00.002-04:00

I have a resolution to my failed A/C compressor saga. (previous articles: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7). Since my last post, it failed *again* on the 13th of August. Of course they couldn't get me in to deal with it for a week. Another failed compressor.

When I got the car back, I wasn't satisfied with how well it cooled. A few days later, it stopped cooling altogether. I don't mean inadequate cooling, I mean none at all. The low-pressure line from the compressor was ambient temperature, and not sweating. There were some green stains around the low-pressure fitting on the line so I took off the cap and saw BUBBLES OF DYE in the schraeder valve. I had an A/C gauge, so I checked the pressure and it was low.

I took the car in to the dealer, and my service writer wouldn't even talk to me. He immediately got the service manager. The service manager immediately went into CYA mode - first he tried to claim that there was nothing wrong with it, then said they'd 'check it out'. No loaner, they gave me a ride to work.

Later that day they picked me up and claimed that it was blowing 32degF at the vents (yeah, right). They had evacuated the system and recharged it from scratch. (In fact, it *has* been working nominally since that time.) He also denied there was any leak, but assured me they had 'verified' that the schraeder valve was tight. Just like before, ONLY the service manager would deal with me, and everyone else eyed me suspiciously while I was there. Hardly a welcoming customer service experience.

They also refused to cover the scratch and scuff on the rear bumper that *they* caused while it was in their care. Instead, the service manager helpfully suggested that I use their body shop when I pay for it out of pocket.

At about this time, my attorney contacted me and said that Audi had made a settlement offer. It was an absurdly low offer, and we countered with a much higher amount (the max my attorney said I could possibly get), and a request to extend the warranty to unlimited years/100k miles. Of course Audi didn't go for it, and countered with an offer midway between what they had started at and what we had countered with, plus warranty extension to 5 years/60,000 miles (up from the standard 4/50). The settlement also stipulates that I cannot sue Audi for *anything* else related to this car, and prevents me from suing the dealer either. I accepted the offer.

The cash amount is small. How small? Well, let's just say that after covering my payments for the time the car was out of service, paying to fix the bumper damage that the dealer caused, and paying insurance, there's about enough left for a bottle of water and a pack of mints. To me, the warranty extension is more important: if they keep screwing up the compressor repair, they'll keep paying to repair it for a longer period of time. Also, Audi had to pay my attorney's fees, so it's a decently symbolic pound of flesh.

Debadged Rear - Completely

2007-07-15T20:30:00.004-04:00

I did this mod a couple of weeks ago, but finally took pictures today.

The "2.0T" badge didn't make it home from the dealer. The "A3" badge got removed last December. I've been wanting to do the OOOO and finally decided to go for it. Every time I wash or wax the car it drove me nuts to have dirt/crud/wax in the crevices around the rings. It's not important to me to show off what I drive. Actually, being really low-key would make it less of a target for jealous people.

I let it heat up in the sun for a while, used a thin piece of plastic to get it started and just peeled it off. The glue residue left behind got cleaned off with Goo-Gone. I then claybar'd the panel and worked it over with Meguiars No. 7 Show Car Glaze and No. 26 Yellow Wax.

The result is exactly what I wanted. Next step on the way to extreme debadging: blank centre caps for the wheels.

Mid-July Photos

2007-07-15T20:30:00.003-04:00

The St. Georges Bridge over the Delaware (C&D) canal...

St. Augustine Beach, with the Delaware River estuary in the background....

The Park Under the St. Georges Bridge...

There's a story behind this picture, but I'll tell it later...

Tow-hook Cover Retention

2007-07-15T20:30:00.002-04:00

I did this a while ago, but neglected to post it.

The rear tow-hook covers on the A3 tend to pop off randomly. Replacing them is expensive and a hassle since they come unpainted and have to be painted to match. It seems to happen more with the S-Line rear valence, but has been reported to happen with the standard valence as well. If only there was some way to keep it from getting lost....

Here's the panel I'm referring to. You press in at the bottom to pop it out of the bumper valence.

Here's the part number in case you need to order one (standard valence, not S-Line) 8P4 807 441:

Here's the panel open, and hey, what's this? Those holes are awfully convenient...

The universal fix-it part, a zip-tie, strategically applied...

One less thing to worry about. Just leave enough slack in the zip-tie to allow the panel to open and close normally.

Interestingly, the cover for the front one has an integrated retainer:

Cool again - Second New Compressor Installed

2007-07-03T09:54:00.002-04:00

Friday I got the call that the new (again) compressor had arrived. We agreed that Monday would be the best time to come in, since they wouldn't do it 'til then anyway.

Dropped the car off Monday (one week after the most recent compressor failure) at about 10:15. No loaner, they gave me a ride. Got a call at 14:25 that it was done, they sent the shuttle to pick me up.

They claim to have flushed the system but it is NOT listed on the work order, neither is a part number for a flush kit.

They did NOT replace the receiver/dryer cartridge again as they should have.

The compressor has a note "Vendor Code is DENSO", part number is 1K0 820 859 E. At least this clarifies that it is in fact the latest model compressor. If it fails again, it can only be due to improper installation.

They did not replace the belt even though it had been stressed/smoked by the compressor breakage.

So far it is blowing colder than it did the last time I picked it up with the first 'new' compressor. I don't have any confidence in it, though.

They replaced the engine cover mounting peg that they broke the last time, but did NOT resolve the scratched bumper yet. Lastly, there was black grease handprints on the front bumper by the right foglamp. Yeah, I said 'do not wash', but that doesn't mean "don't clean up your grease stains from working".

Compressor Broken AGAIN

2007-06-26T09:00:00.002-04:00

Guess what broke again?

Let's restart the clock. Yesterday was DAY 1 of my A/C compressor failure .... AGAIN. Only 325 miles since I picked up the car from the last one. I was going down a street when the battery light came on, belt squealed & smoked.... and the engine died. Tried to restart but it behaved like it had a dead battery with extremely slow and laborious turnover, then the starter wouldn't turn it over at all. Waited a minute, tried it again while I was trying to figure out WTF was going on, then it cranked normally. It idled for a few seconds, I smelled the belt getting hot and the engine died suddenly (like when you stall it). Kept trying and it finally cranked normally, there was a rattling sound and a metallic *ping* then it idled like it should. No cool air coming out of the vents. Checked it with fan all the way up and temp set to 'LO', nothing but ambient-temperature air. The starting problem was symptomatic of the compressor seizing and putting enough drag on the engine to bog it down.

The car is drivable, but I don't trust it. I assume the A/C compressor is toast.

I believe that one of the following happened:

1. A Denso (new brand) compressor was installed, and failed of it's own accord (HIGHLY UNLIKELY, and I don't believe this for a second)
2. A Zexel (original brand) compressor was installed, and failed of it's own accord. The only way this would have happened is if Audi shipped the dealer an obsolete part -OR- if the dealer pulled a compressor off a car on the lot and just lied to me.

3. A Denso compressor was installed and failed due to metallic debris being in the system even after the dealer flushed it.

4. A Denso compressor was installed, and due to the dealer's improper procedure (which was described to me) there was insufficient oil in the system and it failed.

In the absence of other evidence, I believe that 3 and/or 4 is the cause. It doesn't matter. What matters is that I was once AGAIN broken down on the side of the road in my A3, and I have no cool air. If it had decided to stall while I was making a left turn onto a highway where I frequently do, it could have been fatal.

Day 42: Got the car back

2007-06-21T22:05:00.002-04:00

It's a rolling disaster.

Got a voicemail today that the car was ready, and had been double-checked to see that it was operating within specs. I went to the dealer, where everyone was overly nice. I reviewed the paperwork, signed, turned in the loaner key, did a walk-around inspection of my car, and left.

Unfortunately, I missed a couple of things in my walk-around.

The first I noticed when I got out of the car at my next stop. At first it appeared to be a bit of dirt on the bumper (I specifically left DO NOT WASH instructions, which the service person had written in large print on the work order. In particular, I said clearly that I did NOT want ANY type of tyre dressing applied, since they had done it before when I didn't expect it.) Upon closer inspection, there is a scuff and scratch all the way through the paint on the left rear bumper. No, that will not '...buff right out...' as the saying goes.

The second thing I noticed later in the evening when I had the lights on and got out to open the garage door...

One of these things is not like the other.....

Holy Not-Connected Bulb, Batman!

They had to remove the bumper cover at some point, and clearly neglected to plug in the passenger-side sidemarker bulb.

Furthermore, the engine compartment is filthy. From talking to the dealer on that day, oh so long ago, when I dropped it off, they had said that they would not clean up the melted rubber residue from the broken belt. OK, I expected that. On the other hand, the coolant stains and the fluorescent green dye stains from testing the A/C are just absolutely uncalled-for. Seriously - why would you go back to any shop that did sloppy, dirty work and couldn't be bothered to even wipe up afterwards?

The third thing I noticed was when I turned on the radio and was assaulted with overbearing, distorted bass. I thought 'Wow, this sounds like crap!', so I checked my audio setting (the 'TONE' button on the Concert II radio). My preferred settings are Bass +1, Mid +3, Treble +5. What I found was Bass +6, Mid 0, Treble +6. Seriously, when you're working on my car, LEAVE THE RADIO ALONE!!!

Remember how they weren't supposed to wash my car, or put any kind of shiny crap on the tyres? Well, what is this? On all 4 wheels?!?

Further investigation uncovered yet more nasty surprises:

If they can't pay attention to what's in their own TSBs, written on their own work orders, or at least clean up after their self-created mess, how can I trust that they did anything at all right?

To recap:

42 days

Only had a loaner for the last 9 of those days

Scratch on bumper

Sidemarker light bulb not plugged in

Radio settings screwed with

Unwanted crap on tyres that I have to spend my time to scrub off, plus the brake dust that it attracts

Engine compartment filthy

Broken engine-cover mounting peg

Pen left on the intake manifold (seriously - you've gotta be kidding...)

So, what kind of rating do you think I will be giving the service department?

The Saga Continues....

2007-06-21T21:31:00.002-04:00

These are some updates that I did not post here already, so I'm just catching up after-the-fact.

11 June:

I called (they never called me) and was told that the A/C compressor had been installed, but did not solve the problem, and they are working by phone and email with the 'engineers' on the 'tech line' to 'figure it out'.

I'm dumbfounded.

WHAT PROBLEM?!? You mean the defective compressor problem wasn't solved by putting on a non-defective compressor?

I am SO pissed off.

Oh, oh, and get this..... as of November 2005 Audi apparently discontinued the practice of providing transportation during warranty repairs. Doesn't matter that I bought my car in October 2005, they changed the policy for everyone.

12 June:

Day 33. Today brought interesting new developments.

I finally got someone at the dealer to tell me the truth about what is going on now, and what the current delay is. First off, they claimed my A/C compressor didn't just 'fail', it was almost completely split in two. That explains why the 'smoke' cloud when the failure happened was so great - in addition to the friction-melted belt smoking, it was the R-134 escaping the system through the big gaping hole in the compressor. So they put the new compressor on, recharged the system, and now it doesn't cool at all. The Audi tech line told them to flush the whole system because something got into the system and is blocking refrigerant flow. Only thing is, nobody knows how to (or has the equipment to) do a full A/C flush. They called in outside A/C techs, no luck. Now they're saying the next step is to replace the WHOLE A/C SYSTEM - condenser, dryer, all lines, evaporator, expansion valve, including all parts behind the dash.

Yesterday I had said "...you WILL have a loaner for me by tomorrow...", and a loaner I now have. It's a B7 A4. While I was there picking up my loaner I had them bring my car inside out of the rain so I could get my EZPass (toll tag) and some other items that I had left in it. The left side fuse panel was removed and laying in the passenger seat, and an owner's manual (not mine) was open to the fuse diagram.... don't they have shop manuals for that? Furthermore, the right side of my hood was out of alignment where they had shut the hood on two plastic caps from the A/C hose that were laying inside the fender channel. Even though the A/C was set to 'LO', it was blowing *hot* air.

18 June:

Day 39. They're ordering an "A/C flush kit".

Someone has provided me with a copy of Audi TSB 87-07-02 ("87 07 02 Jan. 30, 2007, 2012682/2. Supersedes Technical Service Bulletin Group 87 number 06-02 dated July 31, 2006 due to new replacement part and part number.") It states "Only 2006 and 2007 A3 models equipped with Zexel air conditioning compressors with the part number 1K0 820 803N are affected." I have no idea whether that represents all 2.0T cars built, only some of them, only A3s (not A4s, Passats, or GTI/GLI), or what. The TSB also states that the replacement compressors are Denso, not Zexel, which makes me feel better.

This totally shows how badly they dropped the ball: Page 2 step 4 states...

4. In both cases, always flush the refrigerant circuit according to the procedure in ElsaWeb - see Repair Manual
Refrigerant R 134a-Servicing.

So, simply reading the instructions ahead of time would have clarified the need to flush it - no need to make me wait additional time while they figure out that they need a 'flush kit'. Also, step 3 states

Carefully inspect system for the presence of any metal debris.

Update: Day 26....

2007-06-05T16:48:00.002-04:00

The dealer called this morning and said that the compressor had arrived, but they were waiting on some O-rings. Still no firm date on when the repair will be finished. Today makes 26 days in the shop for this repair, + 5 days from the coil failure earlier this year, for a total of 31 days out-of-service and counting.....

Update: Still no compressor, no car, no loaner

2007-05-30T14:15:00.002-04:00

OK, it's been three weeks now. The dealer claims that the compressor is on backorder world-wide, and is coming directly from the manufacturer, bypassing Audi's inventory. Still no idea when it will show up, it could be "...a couple more weeks..."

They also won't give me a loaner. Three weeks ago they promised to call me as soon as someone brought one back, but nobody ever called. Now they give me a long story about how they have a hard time keeping track of the loaners, and they can't give me one anyway since I didn't buy my car from them.

I called AoA Customer Service and was told that after the repair was finally resolved, I could petition Audi for compensation for my car payment. Sounds like a delay tactic - they certainly didn't put any real effort into making sure I was a satisfied customer.

A/C Compressor Failure

2007-05-10T17:06:00.002-04:00

Strike Two!

Today I was driving along and realised that the vents were blowing outside-temperature air. Minutes later as I accelerated away from a traffic light there was a loud squeal, followed by a *pop* and a cloud of smoke and burning rubber smell, all in under 10 seconds or so. The battery light came on (indicating no alternator output). I pulled over into a parking lot and opened the hood... when the smoke cleared I could see the broken, smoking remains of the accessory drive belt and melted rubber residue sprayed all over everything near it. I called the dealer, who told me to call Audi Roadside Assistance.

About half an hour later a guy from a local towing company showed up with a flatbed. Since the car would run (electrical supply from the battery only) and I had pulled the remains of the belt out of the way, it could be driven up on the flatbed instead of being winched. In fact, I drove it up on the flatbed myself.

We went to the dealer and unloaded the car. At the service counter I got a series of unpleasant news:

Mine was the second A3 this week (third recently) with a compressor failure

No parts are available locally (the other A3s are still drivable while waiting for parts), it could be a week or more before the parts come in

No loaners are available. At least not for another week (but I'm going out of town then, I need it now). They'll give me a ride to go rent a car at my own expense, though.... (I declined, and got a ride home instead.)

So, this is the second time in about 5000 miles (the first was a coil failure at about 24,350; it's now at about 30,150) that the car has left me stranded. This is unacceptable.

Camera-phone photos...

Plugs and Coils Replacement

2007-01-15T10:29:00.004-05:00

I had been planning to replace the plugs after having the 25,000-mile service done. Since the consensus is that the NGK BKR7EIX Iridium plug is the best choice, I ordered a set of 4 from an eBay vendor. They were $40 for a set of 4 + $2 shipping via USPS.

Note: There are variations of that plug model number with e.g. '-11' or other suffixes. They are not interchangeable. For the A3, you need the BKR7EIX exactly (they are correctly pre-gapped to 0.030"). These are one heat range cooler than the stock plugs.

A coil failed right at my 25K service, so as soon as I got the car back from the dealer I replaced the plugs. Since the coils are removed to reach the plugs, these instructions also cover coil replacement.

Tools needed:

5/8" (16mm) spark plug tool

Wire-type plug gap tool

T-25 torx driver

Procedure:

Unplug the Mass Air Flow (MAF) sensor.

Undo the spring clips and pull out the turbo inlet connector.

Remove the two T-25 screws on the air snorkle as shown below.

Remove the engine cover by pulling up HARD where indicated by the green circles in the photo below.

Release the clips on the 4 electrical connectors to the four coils, and carefully move the harness out of the way.
The Coils are not held in by any clips, you just have to pull them straight up. It may help to make a small strap of cloth to slip under the edge of the cap of the coil to give you something to pull up on, rather than trying to pry them up to get a grip by hand.

If you're just replacing a coil, do so now and put everything back together. If you're replacing plugs, then use the plug tool to loosen and remove the four plugs. If you have access to compressed air to blow dust/debris out of the plug recesses before you remove the plugs, that would be a good idea.

Check the gap of the new plugs before installation using a wire-type plug gap tool. They should be pre-gapped at 0.030". Do not change the gap, as you can damage the centre electrode.

Reinstallation is the reverse of removal. When installing the new plugs, spin them in gently to avoid cross-threading. Once they are finger-tight, tighten them down according to the instructions on the packaging (~ 2/3 turn). Insert the coils and press down firmly until they seat - there isn't really a tactile 'click' when they're seated. Make sure the wiring harness is plugged in securely and each connector 'clicks' locked.

The rubber grommets on the underside of the engine cover may have popped out during removal, make sure they are completely seated into the cover before pressing the cover down onto the 4 posts where it mounts.

It may be a combination of things with the new coils and new plugs, but the engine now feels like it did when new - it had (subjectively) lost some of that feeling over 25K, so I'll probably make plug and coil changes a regular maintenance item every 25K miles now.

UPDATE: November 2008 - Click here to see what these plugs looked like after 25,000 miles of usage.

Coil Failure

2007-01-14T23:15:00.000-05:00

The week before Christmas we drove up to Vermont to spend a few days skiing. We returned, and then went up into Pennsylvania for the few days around Christmas, then back. A lot of driving over those 2 weeks, no indications of impending trouble at all.

For New Year's we went back to Pennsylvania, but a couple of days apart, so we took separate cars. On New Year's Eve as I was driving up there, I was about 5 miles or so from my destination when suddenly the car started misfiring and losing power. The 'Check Engine' light (CEL) came on flashing, but then changed to a steady indication. Then the misfire cleared up and the CEL went out, and the engine was back to normal running. This repeated a couple of times over the next 2 miles, then the misfire became continual and did not clear up, and the CEL was on in a steady indication (not flashing). As soon as the misfire occurred I knew that I was the victim of the infamous VW/Audi coil failure. I limped the remaining couple of miles to where I was going, running on 3 cylinders and regretting not having gotten a spare coil to carry around like I had thought about doing.

VW/Audi use a 'coil-over-plug' system for many of their engines. That is, instead of a traditional single ignition coil and distributor system with traditional 'plug wires', each sparkplug has an ignition coil directly clipped to it which is then connected to the vehicle wiring harness using standard wiring. 'Ignition wires' in the old sense are eliminated. While there are some technical benefits to this concept, it is simply bad from a reliability standpoint. That is, whatever the failure rate for one coil is, having four of them on your engine increases the probability that you will experience a failure of at least one of the coils.

The coils themselves are easily accessible on top of the engine, and can be replaced with no tools and without getting dirty in a few minutes. That is, if you have replacement parts...

I weighed my options in this situation: The next day was New Year's Day, and dealers would all be closed. If I called for roadside assistance they would tow the car to the nearest dealer, and that was over 2 hours from home - not what I wanted to do, but it looked like the only way. At least my girlfriend and I had driven up in separate cars so getting home wouldn't be a problem. The next day when we were ready to leave I decided to give it a try and see if it would run. It started up right away, idled smoothly, and had no CEL. I decided to go for it. If it died on the way, what's the difference in calling roadside assistance from the side of the road vs. where we were staying? I knew where two Audi dealers were on the way home, and planned to drop it off at the closest one to home who had already serviced the car before. Since she was following me in her car that would work out fine.

About an hour later the misfire and CEL returned. Luckily this was right near the exit where the first of the Audi dealers was, so I exited and went a few blocks to Don Rosen Audi. They were closed, of course, so I filled out a night-drop form and left the key. On the form I indicated that a coil was bad, and to go ahead and do the 25,000-mile service since it was due in a few hundred miles anyway.

The next day I got a call from Katie, a service advisor at Don Rosen Audi. She said that TWO coils were bad, but they had none in stock and the closest ones were in Canada. It would take TEN DAYS to get them, and I shouldn't expect to get my car back for TWO WEEKS. I asked about getting a loaner but she said the best they could do would be to arrange me a discount on a Hertz rental. I had no interest in spending money on a rental since I could borrow something for a few days. I didn't get mad at her since it wasn't her fault, but after I hung up I was so pissed off I couldn't stand it.

VW/Audi coils are crap. They've been failing for years and years on the 1.8T and now on the 2.0T engines, and they still can't seem to get it right. Knowing how many they replace, why are there none any closer than Canada?

Speaking of Canada.... TEN DAYS to get them shipped?!?! What part of Canada are they in? The Northwest Territories? Being hoarded by Inuits? Are they being shipped by dog sled?!? It's a small package that DHL could deliver anywhere on the planet in under 48 hours, so to claim 10 days from Canada --> Philadelphia is absurd.

I immediately called World Impex since they were the closest (=shortest shipping time) online parts vendor of the ones I had dealt with before. They had 2 of the coils in stock, so I ordered both of them and called Katie back to say that I would have the parts in 2 days. She was shocked, but very accomodating and agreed to hand me the warranty-ordered coils whenever they came in since I would supply these two coils up front. She verified the part numbers, and got the contact info for the vendor from me (pointless, since I had gotten the last two they had in stock). Two days later when the coils arrived I dropped them off at Don Rosen and got to meet her - she was kind of embarrassed that I could source the parts faster than she could!

But wait, the story doesn't end there....

I got the call that the car was ready, so I went up to get it on that Saturday morning. There was only one guy in the service area (Mark) and he was rushing to take care of several customers. I got my keys, and was told that they had decided that only ONE coil was bad. I went out to my car (Katie had left my other purchased coil in there for me), and decided to pop the hood and have a look before I drove off. What I found was the engine cover completely broken (and no, it wasn't that way when I took it in!) so I took a couple of photos with my phone:

...and went back to see the guy in service. He was busy with another customer, so I said for him to come take a look at something when he got a minute. A few minutes later he came out, took one look at the engine cover, and realised why I was really unhappy. Without hesitation he offered to swap my broken engine cover with one off of their A3 courtesy loaner (and put my air filter and MAF sensor in it) since they didn't have a new cover in stock (at this point I'm wondering if Don Rosen Audi has any parts in stock). He had one of the techs do the actual swap, took care of the warranty paperwork, and I was on my way shortly.

To wrap up the Don Rosen saga: eventually they received the coil that had been ordered under warranty, so Katie boxed it up and mailed it to me. I also got a call that the engine cover had come in, but since there was absolutely nothing wrong with the one I now have on my car (once I detailed it), we agreed that I would keep what I have and they would use the warranty part to fix their loaner. I'm satisfied on both counts.

The customer service experience at Don Rosen Audi was a mixed bag. Katie & Mark were both very helpful, professional, and generally 'did the right thing' without giving me any BS. It's not personally their faults that the parts weren't in stock or that the engine cover was broken. Katie giving me the warranty coil without question (in return for me supplying the coil for the immediate fix) and Mark swapping the engine cover with no hassle were the only things that were positive about the experience. The whole 10-days-shipping/2-weeks-downtime thing, on the other hand, was just really stupid. If I can find the parts within 15 minutes, they certainly should have been able to as well. Did nobody stop to think "I can't tell a customer something this rediculous with a straight face - what else can we do about it?" They could have used Google. They could have pulled a coil off an A3 on the lot, or expedited the shipping. They could have done a lot of things besides thinking I should pay half a month's car payment for my car to sit on their lot because they can't seem to adequately stock high-failure-rate parts.

On a larger level than the dealer, the coil failure situation makes me very unhappy. What if this had happened while we were on our trip to Vermont 2 weeks earlier? Rental $$$, logistics of the car being 6 hours away from home, lost vacation expenses.... To get around the risk of this happening again I'll be carrying spares from now on.

Audi replaced the coil on the No. 1 cylinder under warranty. Since I had ordered 2 coils on my own, I went ahead and replaced the coils on 2 and 3, and ordered yet one more coil from Impex to replace No. 4. I now have all four new coils in the engine, and the old ones are packaged and stored in the car back with the jack and tools. I don't ever have to worry about being stranded by a failed coilpack again. If some company eventually makes upgraded coils for this engine, I'll change to those and get rid of the OEM junk altogether.

The original coils were all part number 07K 905 715 with no suffix letter. The new replacement coils are part number 07K 905 715 C. I hope the fact that they are 3 revisions newer than the ones I started with indicate that they are more reliable. We'll see. Even though I had the earliest part number in the car originally they would not replace all the coils, only the failed one, and would not replace the plugs even though I asked. I did the plugs separately later. The procedure for replacing the coils and/or plugs is in my article on plug replacement.

Last part of this rant: When I first got the car it idled so smooth you couldn't feel any vibration inside at all. Over time I started noticing a slight bit of unevenness at idle. I asked the dealer about it at the 15,000-mile service, and got the standard "...cannot duplicate..." and "...they all do that..." answers. After replacing just the one failed coil, it was back to idling like brand new again. (EDIT, about a month later: the slight uneven idle is back, but not quite to the degree that it was before the coil replacement.)

Photo on I-95

2007-01-14T21:00:00.000-05:00

I don't post a lot of photos - yet - because I don't want to waste the pixels until I do a few more cosmetic mods, but I really like this one from last November:

Photo by Ryan M.

Crankcase Breather Supplemental Checkvalve

2006-11-25T21:00:00.002-05:00

There are three items on the 2.0T FSI engine that will most likely fail: The Coils, the Diverter Valve, and the Crankcase Breather (or 'PCV') Valve. The breather valve tends to fail and allow boost pressure from the manifold to leak into the crankcase. Two effects of this are (a) reduced performance from the lost boost, and (b) oil being blown out around the oil filler cap. Plus, it's generally not healthy for the engine. Yes, this is what the breather valve is designed to prevent, but it's not reliably doing its job. A new revision of the stock valve (revision "G") has been released by Audi. It requires four new parts - the new PCV valve is dependent on another new pipe with an integrated checkvalve that the older part does not have:

06F 129 101 G (one checkvalve) or F (two checkvalves) New breather ('PCV') valve
06F 103 215 A New pipe with checkvalve
06F 103 483 E Gasket
06F 145 757 F Gasket

The part numbers listed above are the recommended Original Equipment solution.

I installed these parts, and the Eurojet PCV protecting checkvalve. Click here for the article.

Before these new parts were available, another means was devised to supplement the stock brather valve, and either protect for a non-failed valve or compensate for a failed one. The solution was originally posted by 'digitalhippie' on the VWVortex 2.0T FSI forum. He located a check valve that was heat- and solvent-resistant, and which had opening and holding pressures that would work for this application. Putting this checkvalve in the breather line would prevent backpressure from reaching the original breather valve and leaking past it. Several people who tried this solution reported failure of the checkvalve. This could be due to damage from applying too much clamping force on the valve instead of using tightly fitting hoses like I did, but there is no definitive answer as to what caused the valve failures.

This article is provided for historical information only. The current solutions are to use the upgraded parts listed above + a EuroJet checkvalve, or (better) one of the BSH solutions.

Custom Trailer Hitch

2006-11-24T21:00:00.005-05:00

Please Read:
I constantly get requests for plans/CAD drawings/etc. for the vertical-receiver hitch design. For liability and copyright reasons, I will not provide any plans or drawings. Please do not email me to ask where you can buy a hitch for the A3.

I frequently get emails asking questions that are clearly answered in this article. Please read every word of the article thoroughly. Everything I know about this or any other A3 hitch is in the article. If it's not in the article, I don't know it. Emails asking for plans, where to buy, or anything else already covered in the article will not be answered.

Ever since I first considered had the A3 I wanted a receiver hitch for it. I've had them on various other cars for pulling JetSkis and stuff, but never got around to putting one on my GTI. One problem with owning a hatchback is that everybody expects you to be their truck. I really didn't want to use my new car for that, especially things that could damage the interior, so the ability to pull a small trailer was important. The lack of an available hitch was a strike against the A3 when I was shopping but I decided that, worst case, I'd design my own.

After I got the A3 I started looking into the European hitches that were available for it. The best hitches are made by Westfalia Automotive, and I believe they make the ones that Audi sells in Europe. European receiver hitches are designed quite differently from American ones:

Euro-style receivers are vertical, or close to it; not horizontal.

A J-shaped bar goes into the receiver, and has the ball on it.

The receivers have a much more sophisticated attachment system for the J-bar than the simple pin used in the US.

The ball is part of the J-bar, not removeable.

All balls are 50mm; by comparison, a US 2-inch ball is 50.8mm.

European hitches do not have loops to attach safety-chains, which are required in the US.

Most of the European hitches for the A3 take the place of the bumper reinforcement bar.

Here is a drawing of a European ball & J-bar for an A3:

My first thought was to obtain a European hitch and modify it. That proved very difficult - most vendors (including Westfalia) refused to sell to anyone in the US. Some eBay sellers would sell to me, but shipping costs were huge. Just to get a hitch (that I couldn't have used unmodified) would have been around $800, and then I'd have to modify it a lot. I was also really afraid of the wrong item being shipped to me, and being stuck with either an expensive unusuable hunk of steel or a huge return shipping expense.

UPDATE:
www.oempl.us now imports the Westfalia hitch to the US. It is an updated model that DOES include safety-chain loops. They also carry the required replacement valence. The only downsides are that it's expensive and you can't attach a bikerack, but if you want a genuine European-style hitch, it's now available.

So, I began designing one on my own. I had a good plan of what I wanted it to be like, but didn't have the help, or the money, to make it real (my CAD skills are pretty lame). I contacted a major US hitch manufacturer and tried to get them to make a hitch for the A3, but that didn't work out - they needed a car to prototype on, they were too far away to use my car, and I couldn't coordinate getting anyone closer to them to do it.

This summer I got an email from somebody who had just bought an A3, desperately needed a hitch, and had seen one of my hitch-related postings on the AudiWorld forums. Joe and I began collaborating on the design - he's an engineer and drafts metal parts in CAD all the time, so it was a perfect match. We both agreed on the approach, and quickly refined it via email and phone. Once we had the design worked out, I approached the hitch manufacturer again about producing it and provided them CAD drawings of the design. We were to receive the prototypes for testing, and they could then produce our finished design.

It hasn't turned out exactly that way. We received the prototypes, provided feedback, and were convinced that there was nothing in the way of having this great design available to the rest of the A3 community. However.... later we were told that '...the powers above...' in the company had overridden the design, and decided that the concealed vertical receiver would be replaced with a conventional, exposed, horizontal receiver. This completely destroys the design intent of the hitch, and Joe & I do not consider it to be 'our' design that they will produce.

For now, I'm considering this to be one of only 2 custom hitches made from my concept.

It has a vertical receiver tube that is completely concealed behind the bumper cover.

When the ballmount is removed, no part of the hitch is visible.

The safety-chain loops are also concealed above the lower edge of the bumper cover

The original bumper reinforcement bar is retained, satisfying SCCA requirements for certain autocross classes.

It can be installed by one person with hand tools and a drill in about 1.5 hours.

It is compatible with the standard and S-Line bumper valences, and appears to be compatible with the Votex valence.

With a 90-degree adapter (which I will have fabricated soon), it's a great way to carry a bike rack or ski carrier.

Before Installation:

Ballmount designed for vertical receiver.

The hitch, as viewed from the rear of the car. The flanges on the end rest on the bumper supports, and the receiver tube points downward.

Assembled ballmount and hitch, with hardware.

The Result:

The tab of plastic between the two underside mounting screws on the bumper cover was trimmed off behind the ridge, and a notch was cut into the bumper cover: 4.5cm wide x 3.5cm deep from the new trimmed edge of the cover. This allows just enough for the receiver, and a gap for reaching up to the pin and safety-chain loops, but is completely unnoticeable unless you stick your head under the bumper.

The ballmount is inserted into the receiver tube vertically....

...and secured with a pin. I use a Master Lock keyed locking recever pin (see below). You can see that there's just enough space to use the keys. The rear edge of the bumper valence will be smoothed and painted as soon as my touch-up paint kit arrives.

The ballmount in place. It will clear the standard, S-Line and Votex valences, as far as I can tell.

Interchangeable Ball System & Locking Pins:

I like this ball system better than any other I've seen. It's stainless steel, and the 1-7/8" and 2" balls can be swapped in under a minute.

The part shown in the centre of this photo bolts down like any other hitch ball does. The ball drops on top of it, and the captive pin holds it in place. When a trailer coupling is attached, it covers the ball so there's no chance of the pin working loose.

This Master Lock set has both a locking receiver pin, and a locking trailer-coupling pin.

It's a keyed-alike kit, so all 4 keys that came with it operate both locks. I keep one key with each of the fobs and the valet key, and one hidden in the car. The key cannot be removed unless it is in the 'locked' position.

The best part of these accessories is that there's a perfect place to keep them....

More Photos of the Installation Process:

Click For Photos of the Hitch Installation

Here are my co-designer's photos right after he got the first prototype installed, hooked up and test-driven (originally posted on AudiWorld.

For electrical hookup information, see my A3 Trailer Lighting Wiring Instructions.

Update: May 2008

One downside of this design is that I couldn't attach a bikerack without an adapter. I had the design for an adapter all along, but was just slack about getting it made, mostly because I didn't know where to get the welding done. Recently I got a referral to someone who could help with the fabrication, so I went ahead with the project.

I started by ordering a 1-1/4" receiver fabrication part from eTrailer.

The person who did the fabrication for me had the steel shank, and did an excellent job.

Data Logs - Stock Baseline

2006-10-16T12:15:00.000-04:00

In technical discussions about the 2.0T FSI engine in various online forums, a few topics have been hotly discussed recently. These include the effects of software upgrades (from various vendors) on:

Ignition timing & correction factors

Air/Fuel ratio (AFR) - mixtures that may be much leaner than original

Exhaust gas temperature (EGT) and the effects of high EGT on the turbo due to lean AFRs

Requested boost vs. actual boost (may reflect boost leaks from a failed diverter valve or crankcase breather valve)

...and of course with any power-related mod, what's the measurable gain?

Since I have not yet done any powertrain mods and the engine is well-broken-in with 20,425 miles, I decided that now would be a good time to take some baseline measurements that I can use to evaluate future mods. I met up with Jim who had been taking the same measurements on his own A3 (which has a software upgrade), and we used his VAG-COM to do the same logging on mine as a comparison.

The conditions were: Fairly flat, straight, dry road. Full-throttle from about 2000 - 2200 RPM in 3rd gear until redline. A/C compressor off. Almost full tank of fuel, 93-E10, same type and grade as I've been using. 2 occupants. Temperature 7C (~45F), ambient pressure 1019.5 mbar. Two runs were conducted in opposite directions.

Click below for the gallery of graphs from both runs, plus a graph of the power measurement run we did earlier in the year:

2.0T FSI Baseline Engine Measurements

As I do powertrain mods, I can repeat the same runs and compare the results to this baseline.

Trailer Light Wiring

2006-10-11T21:00:00.001-04:00

In the rest of the world Audi provides plug-and-play wiring for trailer lighting. Since Audi doesn't offer a hitch for the A3 in North America, they don't offer wiring either. The European wiring kits are very expensive and don't correspond to US trailer wiring conventions, so importing one was not an option. (Click here for an article about my custom hitch.)

Since the A3 has a software-configurable variable-voltage lighting system for the taillights, and most models are equipped to detect failed bulbs, a solution had to be found that would work reliably, would not interfere with the car's diagnostics, and would avoid problems associated with how the A3 taillights work. I was able to do this using a trailer wiring converter that protects the car's circuitry and puts no load on the lighting circuits. When connected to the correct circuits (not the three tail/brake/rear fog bulbs on each side) it works perfectly, and if any taillight settings are changed (using VAG-COM, for example) it will not affect the trailer interface at all. The required converter is the Hopkins Manufacturing (Hoppy) 46365. To find one, search for Hopkins 46365 or Hoppy 46365 on Amazon, eBay or Google.

I have produced step-by-step instructions to guide you through installing the trailer lighting interface on the A3 in a problem-free manner. It's about a 1 to 1.5 hour job. These instructions are also useful for anyone wanting to open up the side panels in the cargo area and/or remove the subwoofer, since they contain details and photos on how to do so.

Click the image below to download the instructions as a PDF. The download file size is about 5MB. You will need Adobe Reader to view and print the instructions.

Audi-A3-US-Trailer-Wiring.pdf

Enjoy towing safely with your A3!

European Tail Lights with Amber Turn Signals

2006-08-02T11:57:00.000-04:00

Why does the US A3 have red rear turn signals? Seriously, why? I don't care that they look red when off, but turn signals that flash red are dangerously ambiguous compared to the very unambiguous amber flash that is mandatory in the rest of the world. Why go through the effort and expense of making less safe & functional ones just for the US market? I knew that the lenses were a direct swap for the Euro-spec ones before I got the car, so I knew that I could fix the problem easily. The only difficult part was the cost - on a tight budget, I wasn't going to spend the money to buy a set of lenses that Audi should have put on the car to begin with.

On the other hand, no matter where you are in the world it seems like the grass is always greener elsewhere. There must be somebody in Europe who really wants 'US Style' rear lights on their A3, all I had to do was find that person.... I posted on a few German A3 forums, but got no serious takers. Finally a fellow member of the VWVortex/Fourtitiude A3 forum said that he wanted US taillamps with red signals on his A3 in Turkey. We agreed to a swap. I borrowed a set of US lenses from someone who had already done the upgrade, and with only a little bit of waiting and the cost of shipping, the exchange was made! My original taillight lenses now live in Turkey, and my car now has proper amber turn signals.

You can order these from several vendors in the US such as World Impex, or it may be cheaper actually to have them shipped over from VAGParts.

The part numbers you will need are:

8P4 945 096 C Left side
8P4 945 095 C Right side

Note: Also see my article on Rear Fog Lights

The part to be replaced:

Only the outboard lens assembly needs to be replaced. The part on the hatch is the same worldwide.

Amber turn signals:

As you can see, they still look 'all red' when off, but illuminate amber.

Installation:

Use a flat screwdriver to pop out these covers on the inside of the cargo area behind the lights. (Left side shown here.)

On the right side (shown here), be careful of this red plastic line - it's the emergency release for the fuel-filler lid in case the electrical opening fails.

There is a long plastic nut holding in the taillight lens (one on each side, shown here removed). It has a slot in the top so you may be able to remove it with a screwdriver, but if it's very tight that may damage it, so have a socket on hand just in case.

When that nut is removed, you can pull the lens out slightly. Do not pull it out more than this, you will break the tabs on the other end.

The other end of the lens has two ball tabs that seat in rubber grommets. This is very awkward to remove, be careful not to break the tabs or damage your fender when working it out!

Unplug the electrical connection from the light assembly. (This is also how you replace the two outboard taillamp bulbs and the turn signal bulb if they burn out - they are 7506 (P21W) bulbs.)

Installation of the new lenses is the reverse of removal.

VAG-COM Coding Reference

2006-06-20T21:00:00.002-04:00

NOTE: PLEASE READ THIS UPDATE FIRST

November 2011: UPDATE. I received this from another A3 owner and am adding it as a caution when using newer versions of VAG-COM

"I've got some information to add. It's actually kind of important, as it pertains to VAG-COM.

I met up with a guy who has a VAG-COM cable to do a code clear and also customize some programming using one of your procedures. I followed the instructions for "Enable Auto Window/Roof From Remote". The latest VAG-COM software has changed a bit, and it's more user friendly. In the Central-Conv section, Byte 03 and 04 don't have any labels but 05 does, with a number of checkboxes to set the desired behavior. I went ahead and put in the hex updates to 03 and 04, then the 05 setting. It worked. However, I discovered later that the fuel door switch was somehow disabled! There was no way I could get the door to open. Thankfully I was able to get back to the guy and refresh my system back to the original code. Then, I updated Byte 05 only this time. It worked--the fuel door was active again and the windows responded to the fob controls--disaster averted.

Anyway, I was really lucky in that I hadn't refueled prior to the VAG-COM change. I could have easily ended up several days later going to get fuel and dumbfounded by the fuel door not opening... and possibly having to bust it open. It might be worthwhile to just add a warning message to the blog that the steps outlined for programming VAG-COM are on an earlier release, and that in some cases they may not work properly with the latest release."

In addition to my long coding worksheet for the Comfort Module and Central Electronics Module, there are several other things that can be easily modified using VAG-COM (or similar product, but the instructions here are specific to VAG-COM). Here is a guide to walk you through the settings step-by-step. Some of these are more commonly known than others, and as I come up with more items I'll update this list:

You will need a VAG-COM CANBUS-compatible cable, and a controlling computer capable of running Windows (either natively or virtually).

The 'Initial Steps' preceed any of the other items in the list.

-----------

Initial Steps:

Plug the VAG-COM device into the vehicle

Turn ignition key to 'ON' (do not start engine)

Start up the VAG-COM software

Click on 'Autoscan'. This will take you to another screen.

Click on 'Gateway installation list'. This will scan your vehicle to determine what 'gateways' are available and whether they have any Diagnostic Trouble Codes. Any items listed in red after the scan have trouble codes. Make note of what the codes are for each red item, and return to the Gateway Installation List screen. If there are no red items (items with DTCs), then don't worry, just proceed on with your coding.

Click on 'Clear all DTCs' and follow the prompts.

Proceed on with desired item below....

---

Modify/Disable Seat-Belt Chime:
Follow 'Initial Steps', above, then...

Click on '17-Instruments'

When you go into this module, it will scan for fault codes and go straight to a fault code screen. It should say 'No Fault Codes Found'. Click the 'Done, go back' button to get to the main screen for this module.

Click 'Recode - 07'

Make note of your original coding.

Hover over the code with the mouse pointer, and it will show a pop-up balloon with information about the various digits of the code.

One of the digits (2nd, counting right-to-left) is for the seat-belt chime configuration. It's originally set at '6' (USA). Changing it to '0' disables it entirely. For example, change 0002463 to 0002403

Change this value in 'Software Coding___'

Click 'Do It!'

Click 'Close Controller, Go Back'

---

Recode Instruments from US to UK Configuration:
Follow 'Initial Steps', above, then...

Click on '17-Instruments'

When you go into this module, it will scan for fault codes and go straight to a fault code screen. It should say 'No Fault Codes Found'. Click the 'Done, go back' button to get to the main screen for this module.

Click 'Recode - 07'

Make note of your original coding.

Hover over the code with the mouse pointer, and it will show a pop-up balloon with information about the various digits of the code.

One of the digits (3rd, counting right-to-left) is for the country configuration (for the instrument cluster only, it doesn't affect any other settings in Comfort/Central Electronics/any other module). It's originally set at '2' (USA). You will change it to '4' (UK/Britain). For example, change 0004203 to 0004403.

Change this value in 'Software Coding___'

Click 'Do It!'

Click 'Close Controller, Go Back'

Note: By doing this, you have now...

Still kept your odometer in miles (the other countries would be in km)

Enabled the Euro-spec single-side parking light feature (flip the turn signal switch to one side or the other when you leave your car parked on a dark street, to mark it's position for safety)

Changed your temperature readings to C (we'll change it back in a minute, see below)

Disabled the 'Door Open' chime

Changed the DRL behaviour (if you have bi-xenons) to only be active with the light switch Off, not with Parking lights

Changed the trip computer (if present) to imperial gallons, 24-hour time, and day/month/year calendar display (we'll change it back in a minute, see below)

You'll need to correct the imperial gallons display BACK TO US GALLONS by simply following the instructions on pages 52-54 of the owner's manual to set the trip computer units (if you have a trip computer). If you don't change this setting, your MPG calculation will be WAY OFF. If you don't have a trip computer, never mind. If you live in Canada, then you may continue using imperial gallons or set it for Litres/100km, whichever is appropriate for you. If you're in the rest of the world, you probably don't need to mess with this coding change at all.

If you export an A3 from the US to Europe or elsewhere, use the 'Germany' or 'Rest of World' settings to get your odometer/etc. set appropriately.

To get your temperature back to F instead of C, press and hold the 'recirc' button and, while holding it, hold the driver's temp control to '+' until the display changes from C to F

One unavoidable consequence of this setting for left-hand-drive cars (like in the US) is that if you have the trip computer or information display in the instrument cluster, the 'Door Open' symbol will be reversed (e.g. drivers door open will be depicted on the right, and vice-versa). There is no way around this, sorry.

---

Recode Instrument Lighting to be 'Always On':
Follow 'Initial Steps', above, then...

Click on '17-Instruments'

When you go into this module, it will scan for fault codes and go straight to a fault code screen. It should say 'No Fault Codes Found'. Click the 'Done, go back' button to get to the main screen for this module.

Click 'Recode - 07'

Make note of your original coding.

Hover over the code with the mouse pointer, and it will show a pop-up balloon with information about the various digits of the code. It may or may not explain the rightmost digit.

One of the digits (the one fartherest to the right) is for the instrument cluster backlighting configuration. It's originally set at '3' (for the US models). You will change it to '4' (Pointers and scales ON, with Dimming Feature). For example, change 0004203 to 0004204.

Change this value in 'Software Coding___'

Click 'Do It!'

Click 'Close Controller, Go Back'

Note: By doing this, you have now set both the pointers and number scales in the instrument cluster to be on at all times rather than being sensitive to ambient light with the photosensor. The reason for the factory setting is to provide a visual cue that you need to turn on your headlights. Having the instruments lit all the time defeats this. Do this mod at your own risk. FYI - the photosensor is the almost invisible circle on the speedometer face right at the high end of the scale.

---

Enable Digital Speedometer Function in Concert II Head Unit:
Follow 'Initial Steps', above, then...

Click on '56-Radio'

When you go into this module, it will scan for fault codes and go straight to a fault code screen. It should say 'No Fault Codes Found'. Click the 'Done, go back' button to get to the main screen for this module.

Click on 'Recode - 07'

Make note of your original coding.

Hover over the code with the mouse pointer, and it will show a pop-up balloon with information about the various digits of the code.

Most US models are coded 0001005. Add 400000 to the original coding. For example, this would change it to 0401005

Change this value in 'Software Coding _______'

Click 'Do It!'

Click 'Close Controller, Go Back'

To use this feature, turn off the radio, and hold 'Menu' while turning it back on. To get the normal display back, turn the radio off and back on. It's only in kilometres, not miles.

---

Modify Steering Boost Setting: Note: This does not work on 2007 models. These instructions will be updated once somebody figures it out.
Follow 'Initial Steps', above, then...

Click on '44-Steering assist'

When you go into this module, it will scan for fault codes and go straight to a fault code screen. It should say 'No Fault Codes Found'. Click the 'Done, go back' button to get to the main screen for this module.

Click on 'Adaptation - 10'

Click on the 'Channel Number' "Up" Icon until it shows Channel 1

Click the 'Up' or 'Dn' buttons to get to a new value, don't just type it in. People report liking '0' (least boost) through '3' as new settings, I personally prefer '2'.

Click 'Save'

It may ask "Are you sure", click "Yes"

You may want to check again to make sure your new setting is showing up in the 'Stored Value' field, just to be sure.

Click 'Done, go back'

Click 'Close controller, Go Back'

---

Enable Rear Fog Lights:
Follow 'Initial Steps', above, then...

Click on '09-Central Elect'

When you go into this module, it will scan for fault codes and go straight to a fault code screen. It should say 'No Fault Codes Found'. Click the 'Done, go back' button to get to the main screen for this module.

Click on 'Long Coding - 07'

You may get a pop-up warning, click 'yes' for long coding

WRITE DOWN your original long code before doing anything else at all.

Click on 'Long Coding Helper'

In the Long Coding Helper, set:

Byte 03 bit 01 to '0' for both rear fogs, or '1' for 1 rear fog

Byte 04 bit 04 to '1'

Byte 04 bit 06 to '0'

Click 'Transfer Coding'

Quit out of the Long Coding Helper

See that the new Long Code differs from the original one

Click 'Do it!'

Verify that the new Long Code is stored.

Click 'Done, go back'

Click 'Close controller, Go Back'

Note: You still need the appropriate headlamp switch to make this work.

---

Enable Front Turn Signals (in the lamp assembly) To Also Be Front Parking Lights:
Follow 'Initial Steps', above, then...

Click on '09-Central Elect'

When you go into this module, it will scan for fault codes and go straight to a fault code screen. It should say 'No Fault Codes Found'. Click the 'Done, go back' button to get to the main screen for this module.

Click on 'Long Coding - 07'

You may get a pop-up warning, click 'yes' for long coding

WRITE DOWN your original long code before doing anything else at all.

Click on 'Long Coding Helper'

In the Long Coding Helper, set:

Byte 07 to '5C'

Click 'Transfer Coding'

Quit out of the Long Coding Helper

See that the new Long Code differs from the original one

Click 'Do it!'

Verify that the new Long Code is stored.

Click 'Done, go back'

Click 'Close controller, Go Back'

This is useful if you have modified/removed the sidemarkers. If you have bi-xenon lamps, I recommend wiring up the city lights instead.

---

Enable Daytime Running Lights (DRL) (on cars not equipped with bi-xenon headlamps):
Follow 'Initial Steps', above, then...

Click on '09-Central Elect'

When you go into this module, it will scan for fault codes and go straight to a fault code screen. It should say 'No Fault Codes Found'. Click the 'Done, go back' button to get to the main screen for this module.

Click on 'Long Coding - 07'

You may get a pop-up warning, click 'yes' for long coding

WRITE DOWN your original long code before doing anything else at all.

Click on 'Long Coding Helper'

In the Long Coding Helper, set:

Byte 00 bit 04 to '1' for North American style DRLs

Byte 00 bit 03 to '1' for Scandanavian style DRLs

Click 'Transfer Coding'

Quit out of the Long Coding Helper

See that the new Long Code differs from the original one

Click 'Do it!'

Verify that the new Long Code is stored.

Click 'Done, go back'

Click 'Close controller, Go Back'

I really dislike DRLs. They're annoying and do not contribute to safety at all in my opinion, but if you want them on your car this is how to do it. I recommend you visit http://www.lightsout.org for more info.

---

Enable Auto Window/Roof From Remote:
Follow 'Initial Steps', above, then...

Click on '46- Central Conv.'

When you go into this module, it will scan for fault codes and go straight to a fault code screen. It should say 'No Fault Codes Found'. Click the 'Done, go back' button to get to the main screen for this module.

Click on 'Long Coding - 07'

WRITE DOWN your original long code before doing anything else at all.

Click on 'Long Coding Helper'

In the Long Coding Helper, set:

Byte 03 to '40'

Byte 04 to '3F'

Byte 05 to '3F'

Click 'Transfer Coding'

Quit out of the Long Coding Helper

See that the new Long Code differs from the original one

Click 'Do it!'

Verify that the new Long Code is stored.

Click 'Done, go back'

Click 'Close controller, Go Back'

Test to verify that it works correctly: Open all windows and the sunroof (if present). Lock the car with the remote, and continue holding down the 'Lock' button - once the windows and roof start to move, release the button and they'll continue closing (the 'Auto' feature). Pressing the remote again while they're closing stops them. To open, press the 'Unlock' button and hold it while the windows open. There is no 'Auto' function for opening, and there is no way to open the sunroof from the remote.

---

Enable or Disable 'Selective (Un)Locking' From Remote:
'Selective Locking' means that you press the 'unlock' button on your remote once to unlock the driver's door, and twice to unlock all doors. Most 2006 models were shipped with selective locking disabled, meaning that one press of the remote unlocks all doors. 2007 models are being shipped with it enabled. Either way, if you want to change how yours behaves you can do the following:
Follow 'Initial Steps', above, then...

Click on '46- Central Conv.'

When you go into this module, it will scan for fault codes and go straight to a fault code screen. It should say 'No Fault Codes Found'. Click the 'Done, go back' button to get to the main screen for this module.

Click on 'Long Coding - 07'

WRITE DOWN your original long code before doing anything else at all.

Click on 'Long Coding Helper'

In the Long Coding Helper, set:

Byte 00 bit 0 to '1' to ENABLE selective locking

Byte 00 bit 0 to '0' to DISABLE selective locking

Click 'Transfer Coding'

Quit out of the Long Coding Helper

See that the new Long Code differs from the original one

Click 'Do it!'

Verify that the new Long Code is stored.

Click 'Done, go back'

Click 'Close controller, Go Back'

Test to verify that it works correctly: Exit the car and lock it with the remote. Press the 'unlock' button on the remote ONCE. If only the driver's door unlocks and the rest remain locked, selective locking is ENABLED on your car. Pressing the 'unlock' button on the remote twice in a row should unlock all doors. If pressing the 'unlock' button on the remote just once unlocks all doors at the same time, selective locking is DISABLED on your car.

--------------

Please use the link at the top right of this page to email me with any corrections, additions or suggestions.

Updated 01 September 2006 with instrument lighting info, and the tip about the door open pictogram being reversed with the UK instrument coding.
Updated 26 September 2006 with note about 2007 steering boost, and added the front parking lights instructions
Updated 15 November 2006 with DRL activation instructions.
Updated 08 February 2007 with Selective Locking instructions.

Footwell Lighting

2006-06-18T21:00:00.000-04:00

I installed the OEM front footwell lighting today, following the instructions that 'A4MouseJunior' posted on the A3 forum. His instructions were great, so I'm not going to recreate them here. Please do read my posting in that thread regarding the correct light fixture to use for the rear seats to prevent a fire hazard.

In my case, I chose to only do the front ones for now.

A similar project will be installing door edge lights and puddle lights, but I'm not going to do that until I'm ready to upgrade the speakers - I only want to take the door panels off once, so those are two mods that will be combined.

ECS Clear Sidemarkers

2006-05-17T21:30:00.000-04:00

ECS finally released the 'clear' sidemarkers for the A3 (non-S-Line bumper). There are some cars that really benefit in appearance by eliminating the amber reflectors/lenses, and the A3 is definitely one of them. On my white car, there was no question that the 'clear' lamps would look awesome.

There are other things to consider besides looks, though. First, let's clear up some terminology that people mis-use:

The lights that are located in the bumper, facing sideways, near the extreme front of the vehicle, are sidemarkers. They aren't 'bumper sidemarkers', nor in most cases 'parking lights'; they are sidemarkers.

They must be visible to the sides of the vehicle, located as near the front as practical, and within a specified height range.

They must illuminate amber. There is no requirement that they have an amber lens, but...

There must also be an amber passive reflector located on the side near the extreme front of the vehicle, with similar height requirements as the sidemarkers. The common way this is accomplished is to make the sidemarker lens a passive amber reflector, so both requirements are covered with one part.

Audi did a sneaky (and stupid) thing for the North American market A3. Since the sidemarkers on the A3 are located in the curve of the bumper so they are visible from the front as well as from the side, Audi decided to use them as the front parking lights also (claiming that the one lamp meets both regulations and serves both purposes). I mean, come on.... all A3s in Europe have City Lights, why not just do the same for the North American ones?

Some people incorrectly refer to the turn signals on the fender as 'sidemarkers'. They ARE NOT sidemarkers! They are properly called 'repeater turn signals', since they mimic or 'repeat' the turn signals on the front and rear. They are required in Europe and most of the rest of the world, where the regulation is roughly that a turn signal must be visible when you are at the rear of the vehicle and 1 metre to the side. In that position, you can't see either the front or rear of the car, so a turn signal has to be placed somewhere so that you can actually see it. This is usually on the front fender, above or behind the wheel well, but may be on a mirror or anywhere else that it accomplishes what it needs to do. These types of turn signals are permitted but not required in the US. They are not to be illuminated with the parking lights, only as turn signals. Personally, I insist that they must be present on any car I own.

The ECS sidemarkers are in fact passive reflectors, but white ones. They do illuminate amber since they have an amber bulb. So, the 'amberness' of the passive reflector is the only part of them that does not comply with FMVSS 108. Since the passive white reflector is actually brighter than the original amber one, I don't believe any safety or function is compromised by this cosmetic improvement, and I don't think that they'll attract any enforcement/inspection attention (FMVSS 108 only applies to new cars made for sale in or imported for sale into the US. States may base their own regulations, inspection and enforcement on it, but strictly speaking, the Federal regulations have no effect on the owner of a vehicle. I Am Not A Lawyer, and This Is Not Legal Advice, just my understanding of it.) In any case, they're so easy to change that I could swap back to the amber lenses in a matter of minutes.

For the left one, open the hood and reach DOWN below the headlamp until you can feel the sidemarker from the back side. release the clip and push it out from the frontmost end. Unplug the bulb from the original one, change the bulb to the included amber 194 bulb, and reassemble with the clear lens in reverse order.

For the right one, squeeze the right foglamp grill (no tools needed, just squeeze in the right place) and remove the grill. Reach up through the opening beside the right foglamp (helps to have skinny arms) and pop the sidemarker out from behind. Replace the bulb and reinstall with the new lens.

Illuminated at night (photo taken with full camera flash):

Illuminated at night (photo taken with slow camera flash):

Ultimate Pedals

2006-05-17T21:00:00.000-04:00

The same thing bugs me about the A3 that bugged me about my 99.5 GTI - the clutch is just too deep. When you have the seat/wheel/accelerator/brake all in the right positions relative to each other, there is no way to get the clutch all the way to the floor even if you hyperextend your left ankle. Pulling the seat forward 1 or 2 notches gives you good clutch control, but then your right leg is in a bad position. You have to pick which ankel/knee you want to punish, left or right, at any given time.

The lurch/hesitation off the line was really due to poor clutch control. It made me look like I don't know how to drive, and I was afraid of slipping off the clutch while parking and hitting something or someone. I could drive the RX-8 with it's wonderful clutch positioning and feel, and then get back in the A3 and thoroughly hate how it felt. I had to do something about it.

While other people were excitedly ordering the VW GLI pedals for their A3s, I decided to go for the 'form follows function' approach, which is most appropriate for this car anyway. I ordered a set of custom-fitted Ultimate Pedals for the clutch and brake, in the frosted non-slip finish with domed rubber inserts.

When they arrived, the pedals themselves were great but I was appalled at the included screws. They stuck up rather than fitting flush into the conical holes in the pedals. That was OK, though, because I had a plan that required different screws anyway....

From Home Depot I got some No. 10 fine-thread machine screws, flat head (for recess mounting) in various lengths, and corresponding nylon locking nuts for them. I also got metal sleeve spacers with a compatible inside diameter for the screws, in 1/2 and 3/4 inch lengths, and a pack of No. 10 washers. These screws fit the Ultimate Pedal covers perfectly, both in the diamter of the screw shaft and in the way that the head fits perfectly flush into the cover. This is what they should have come with.... I wish I could have found black powder-coated screws that would have been almost invisible next to the black rubber inserts, but that's probably asking a bit too much.

I removed the original rubber covers from the clutch and brake. The clutch pedal is plastic, the brake pedal is metal (by this I mean the actual parts attached to the car, not the covers). After deciding where the screws would go, I put the rubber inserts into the rest of the holes in the pedal covers that would not be taken up by the screws. I marked and drilled the clutch and brake pedals, and attached the brake pedal cover using the screws, washers and nylock nuts. I went ahead and bolted it down tightly since I wasn't changing anything about the brake pedal height.

The clutch cover was the key to making it feel like I want. I used a 1/2" spacer on the bottom and centre screws, and 3/4" spacers on the top screws. That didn't fit right... the curvature of the pedal didn't cooperate with the spacer lengths, so I used some of the No. 10 washers to shim it out correctly - 5 washers under each 3/4" spacer, and 4 washers under each 1/2" spacer. The result is that the Ultimate Pedal cover is raised off of the actual clutch pedal a little over 1/2" at the bottom, and over 3/4" at the top. This plus the thickness of the Ultimate Pedal covers themselves gives me just under an inch of additional 'lift' on the top of the pedal. Angling it like this is crucial, because when the pedal is pushed down the angle with respect to your foot changes. The thickness at the top of the pedal is more apparent and useful when it is depressed, and less noticable when it is up, due to the angle. I almost went for even more lift on the pedal, but this has really done it for me nicely.

Now, it feels right. You can't see that the clutch has been elevated unless you stick your head down there, but boy can you feel the improvement! When in a comfortable, legs-not-squished position, you can stomp the clutch all the way to the floor without hyperextending your ankle or twisting in the seat. Taking off from a dead stop is much faster and smoother since you have more control over the clutch, and maneuvering to park no longer makes me feel like a little kid driving who can't reach the pedals.

Someday I'll get a VW GLI accelerator (part number 1K1 721 503 N for Manual Transmission cars, or part number 1K1 723 503 N for DSG/S-Tronic cars) to match the aluminum look of the clutch and brake. For now, though, this may be the best mod I've done so far.

iPod Integration with DICE

2006-05-11T21:04:00.001-04:00

Note: I originally did the iPod integration with a Dension ice>Link:Plus, but it developed problems and I returned it to the vendor (Enfig) for warranty replacement. Instead of just getting another ice>Link:Plus, I switched to the Digital In-Car Entertainment (DICE) interface instead. This article is mostly based on the original ice>Link:Plus writeup, which I've left up in case anyone's interested or has it bookmarked/linked.

I never have been into portable music. All the cool kids had Walkmans, Discmans, whatever, but the whole concept did nothing for me. It's just something else to lug around, worry about damaging/losing, and really - I've never had the need to listen to (whatever) right now while walking down a street. Little earphones, especially the in-ear 'buds', are nothing but annoying for me - what with getting ripped out of your ears everytime you turn your head or snag them on something, and I don't like the way they sound, either.

So, when the iPod first came along in 2001, my reaction was "meh...." As it improved through later revisions I was mildly interested, but never saw myself getting one. The 5th generation video iPod, though, was the first one that kind of grabbed me. Hmmm - rip some DVDs to have movies for airline flights.... but the real hook for me was the introduction of car integration. Now that's a good use for an iPod!

Most people think of the iPod as just an MP3 player. I generally hate the sound of compressed music, even 192kbps MP3, or AAC. The iPod, though, will also happily play AIFF (audio interchange file format), the non-proprietary standard for raw audio. iTunes will rip CDs to AIFF if you choose, so you can have raw, uncompressed, unmolested, pure CD-quality audio, which is of course a LOT larger in filesize than MP3s would be. It's a matter of quantity vs. quality, but an iPod could be a decently large repository of full CD-quality audio for the car.

Friday, 17 February, was my last day at my job. My friend (who worked for me and who took over my job) took up a collection for an 'unofficial' going-away gift, and when I came in for my exit interview he intercepted me and presented me with... a 30gig black Video iPod! Way cool.

Of course, the first thing that I did later that day was get a Toughskin shock-absorbing/protective case. The second thing I did was order an interface for the A3 from Enfig.

I wrote an article about that interface, but it developed problems and I replaced it under warranty with a DICE (Digital In-Car Entertainment) interface. Dension is actually marketing the DICE now instead of their older products.

Here is a summary of the important points for this model:

It connects to the CD changer connector in the glovebox. You can have either the glovebox CD changer, or this, but not both.

If you have the in-dash CD changer, you can still use this. It connects specifically to the glovebox connector.

If you have both a factory glovebox changer and a satellite receiver hooked up to the head unit, you're out of luck.

Note: 2007 model A3s apparently no longer come with the glovebox CD changer cable. You will need to remove the radio (requires radio removal keys) and connect directly to the back of the radio.

In addition to the iPod dock connector, there is a mini-stereo 'AUX IN' that could be used for any other portable or installed device you choose.

You should have playlists set up on the iPod, but there is no mention in the documentation of a limit on either the number of playlists or the number of tracks in each playlist.

You select the DICE using the CD button on the head unit. If you have a disc in the head unit, press CD twice. The Display will indicate 'CDC' (CD Changer). If there is no disc in the head unit, pressing CD goes straight to CDC.

Selecting 'Disc 1', 'Disc 2', 'Disc 3', 'Disc 4', or 'Disc 5' on the head unit changes functions, not playlists (this is different from the ice>Link behaviour).

Disc 1 == 'Track' (Next/Previous or the left steering-wheel roller changes the song)

Disc 2 == 'Playlist' (Next/Previous or the left steering-wheel roller changes the playlist)

Disc 3 == 'Album' (Next/Previous or the left steering-wheel roller changes the album)

Disc 4 == 'Chapter' (Next/Previous or the left steering-wheel roller changes the chapter for audiobooks)

Disc 5 == 'Source' (Next/Previous or the left steering-wheel roller changes the source - iPod or AUX IN)

With Disc 1 selected, you can fast-scan through the current track by pressing on the left steering wheel roller.

It will pick up where it left off if you switch to FM and back, or if you leave the car and return.

Current track name is displayed on the iPod display with the usual iPod interface.

The iPod clickwheel interface is fully functional.

The head unit will show tracks 1-99. You can actually advance past track 99 if you have more tracks in the playlist than that, but the head unit won't display the track number properly.

The head unit does not show artist/track name.

Random Play Mode:

'Random' mode can be accomplished two ways. Of course you could set the iPod to shuffle and let it handle everything. This means that you do not turn on 'random' on the head unit. When you advance to 'next' on the head unit/steering wheel, the iPod will then take that 'next' request and return some random song. This works the best, since the head unit seems to have a fixed algorithm for 'random' and you'll hear the same songs in the same 'random' sequence pretty frequently.

Or, if you don't want to use the iPod controls at all, you can just use the head unit: On the head unit, with the CDC (iPod) selected, press the 'Menu' button on the head unit and there will be a choice of Off, Random (Disc) or Random (Changer). Since the head unit thinks it's a changer attached, AND since the DICE uses the virtual 'Discs' for different features, this can give some freaky results if you don't understand what's going on.

First, don't use Random (Changer), since the virtual discs are just feature sets. You would have to use Random (Disc) on the head unit but again, this is not advised - use 'shuffle songs' on the iPod instead.

Second, how it randomises is based on which 'disc' you have selected.... if you're on Disc 1 (feature == songs), then it will randomly play among the songs in the currently-selected playlists. Advancing to the next song will make it randomly grab something else from that playlist. If you're on Disc 2 (feature == playlists), then a random 'next' will make it randomly switch to some other playlist (and start playing the first song in that playlist). Hearing only the first songs in your playlists gets old really quick. If you're on Disc 3 (feature == album), then a random 'next' will make it randomly switch to some other album in the currently-selected playlist. Again, hearing the first song of each of your albums in one playlist isn't what you want.

If You Want To Use Random On The Head Unit Anyway, This Is The General Use Concept:

Random mode Off

Select 'Disc 2' (playlists)

Next/Previous or the left steering-wheel roller to get to the playlist you want

Select 'Disc 1' (tracks)

Random mode On

Enjoy

Installation:

The DICE unit came as 3 pieces:

The interface box (model I-AUDI-T2 - the model number printed on the box in the photos is incorrect!)

The interface-to-iPod-Dock-Connector cable

The interface-to-specific-car cable

Remove the glovebox cubby. You have to get your hands in it as shown, and pull out firmly against the little lip on the bottom edge. One hand is shown in the photo (the other one was busy with the camera), but it took both hands for me to pop it out.

Disconnect the CD changer cable from the dummy plug on the back of the cubby. You have to release a catch on each side of the cable end of the plug.

I wanted to use the smaller, non-removable cubby on the right of the glovebox for the iPod. I got a small pack of rubber grommets from Home Depot. These grommets have a 1/2-inch inside diameter, and fit into a 5/8-inch hole. I used a 5/8-inch wood bit to drill the hole, then dressed it with the little ~ 5/8-inch drum-sander attachment on a Dremel. The results are exactly what I wanted, but the process wasn't pretty, so I'm just posting a picture of the resulting hole!

I took the iPod-to-DICE cable and fed it through a rubber grommet...

...then I fed the cable through the hole and got the grommet seated in the hole. Doing so required a little patience and a flat-head screwdriver to tuck the grommet in properly. The end result is a nice looking opening for the cable and no abrasion or chafing of the cable at all.

Here is the hookup. The CD changer plug from the car goes to one end of the DICE cable (large rectangular plug), the other end of that cable goes to the DICE interface box (small rectangular plug), then the iPod dock connector cable goes into the DICE box (round plug).

One more feature: The DICE box actually has two inputs - the iPod dock connector and a basic stereo miniplug AUX IN connector. I got a mini-stereo extension cable (1/8" mini-stereo plug to 1/8" mini-stereo jack) and passed it through the grommet alongside the iPod dock cable. This now gives me easy access to plug in any device I want and have the sound routed through the head unit via the DICE box.

I didn't want to just lay the pieces loose in the dash. The iPod cable I zip-tied to some other wiring harness stuff in the opening (to provide strain relief). The interface box and the other cables/plug were zip-tied to each other and to other wiring harness & supports. No stress, no rattles, no interference.

Because I keep getting asked.... No, the iPod is NOT mounted there. I just placed it there for the photo. It lives in the glovebox.

Done!

Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)

2006-04-18T22:00:00.001-04:00

There are basically two kinds of Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) on the market today. One kind (sensor-based) has sensors in each wheel that transmit an alert to the car if pressure is outside the safe range. The other kind (wheelspeed-based) uses the ABS sensors to monitor the trends of wheel speeds with respect to each other. If one loses pressure, it will have a smaller diameter and a correspondingly higher rotation speed, so a warning can be triggered. There are pros and cons to each system. A complete discussion can be found here (PDF download from NHTSA/DOT).

Audi uses the wheelspeed-based system for the A3.

About a month ago, inspired by this thread on vwvortex, Ryan, Jim and I began discussing retrofitting TPMS to our A3s. I volunteered to be the test case, and we ordered the required parts soon after seeing this post by 'Theresias', who gave the part numbers and the programming changes that would be required. I'll reproduce the information here, but credit for initially describing it goes to Theresias. Thanks also to Jim (bassbiker) for his help, and especially for the use of his VAG-COM system. Parts were sourced from vagparts.com (pricing to be worked out soon).

Before you start:
You must check to see if your ABS controller is compatible with this mod.
Versions claimed to work are:

1K0 907 379 K

1K0 907 379 Q

1K0 614 517 R

1K0 907 379 AC

Parts List:
Here are the parts that are needed. Note that the switch is slightly different for the single-DIN dash (e.g. with the Concert head unit) and the double-DIN dash (e.g. with the Symphony head unit, or Navigation).

Switch for single-DIN dash: 8P0-927-121-5PR
-OR-
Switch for double-DIN dash: 8P0-927-121-A-5PR

Needed for either switch -

1x Plug (maybe available in US): 4D0-971-636-A
2x Wires for TPMS switch plug (available in US): 000-979-009
1x Wire for ABS plug (available in US): 000-979-131

Programming -

VAG-COM (CAN-capable version) from Ross-Tech
-OR-
HPA VAD (with VAG module)(formerly known as ProDiag HD from Shade Tree Software).

Generic items -

18-gauge hookup wire, suggest blue, green, brown, black
Butt-splice crimp-on connectors for 18-22 gauge wire (not larger) (min. 5 needed)
Round lug connectors for 18-22 gauge wire (not larger) (min. 1 needed)
Tap splice connectors for 18-22 gauge wire (not larger) (min. 1 needed)
Wire stripping/crimping tool (just get one, don't mess around with pliers)
Add-a-circuit MINI (the smaller fuse size) for obtaining power
Heavy wire clotheshanger and 20-gauge steel 'safety wire', for fishing through the firewall
LOTS of normal and mini-size zip-ties.
Electrical tape (necessary), friction tape (optional)
Various hand tools, (8mm nutdriver, small flat screwdriver, pliers, etc.)

Overview:
A pushbutton switch (Audi part) will be installed in the dash.
It will have 4 wire connections going to: +12V (black), Ground (brown), Central Electronics module (blue), ABS module (green).
The ABS module is in the engine compartment, on the right side of the firewall.
Once the physical parts are installed/hooked up, the feature needs to be activated in the software coding for the ABS module

Procedure:
Remove the fuse cover on the left side of the dash carefully, then remove the 1 silver bolt in there (attaching the lower dash panel) using an 8mm nutdriver. Remove 2 identical bolts from the lower part of that panel in the driver's footwell. Pull the panel straight towards the rear of the car, away from the dash. Don't try to 'peel' it off by pulling from the bottom, it has to go straight back pulling from near the top.

You will need some 'repair wire' parts from Audi, which can be obtained from your parts department. They are a length of wire with a connector (the same one) on each end. There are various connectors, for this project you will need part number 000-979-131, a female blade connector (one of those shown below), and two of part number 000-979-009, a tiny female pin connector. You cut the wires in half to give you two connectors/leads each which you will use at various points, and you can trim the wire down later as needed.

Repair wire:

Comparison of the two sizes of the repair wires used for this project, with part numbers.

Power (switched +12V) was conveniently obtained by using a piggy-back fuse arrangement in the fuse-panel. This is the 'MINI Add-A-Circuit' (FHM200BP) for the smaller fuse size, made by Littlefuse (standard fuse size packaging pictured below, but use the MINI one for this installation). I found them at a local auto parts store. You'll need a MINI one for this install. They hold two fuses each - the lower fuse is for the original circuit, and should be the amperage that was originally present in that slot. Just reuse the original fuse. The upper fuse is for the new circuit you're adding, and should be the appropriate amperage for that. It is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT that you install these devices in the fusebox in the correct direction - if you don't, the fuse winds up being downstream of the circuit, which is useless and potentially dangerous. You test this by plugging it into the fusebox and checking the voltage with and without a fuse in the upper position. If you still get power with the fuse not there, it's backwards.... For the A3 fusebox, having the pigtails pointing down is the correct orientation (but check it yourself to make sure).

Some of the factory wires for these circuits would be striped, but since I couldn't find striped wire I picked wire colours that correspond to the identifiable colours of the original colour code (e.g. for grey/green I used green). All wiring that I added is 18 gauge stranded hookup wire.

You will need some common tools, and a wire strip/crimp tool (don't try to substitute pliers). In addition to a roll of electrical tape, you should also have a roll of friction tape (a fabric-like, sticky-on-both-sides, electrical tape). For the connections you will need some 18-22 gauge crimp-on butt splices, and 18-22 gauge tap splices:

You have to get one wire through the firewall. Take a stiff wire clotheshanger and make yourself a tool about 60cm (2 feet) long with a large loop at one end for a handle. Poke the point of this wire through the grommet in the driver's footwell that is to the left of the clutch pedal, where there is already a wiring harness going through.

Keep pushing it through, and it should appear somewhere around the battery box. Bend a very small loop in the end of it, and attach something to it to pull back in. You can either pull the actual wire back in, or you can take another step like I did (there is a logic to it, work with me here...). Attach some 20gauge steel wire (e.g. aviation 'safety wire') and pull it back through the firewall into the driver's footwell.

Then attach the hookup wire to it and pull it through to the engine compartment:

...and route it between the two soft pieces behind the battery box to protect it, and zip-tie it in place:

Now you can simply tuck it behind the insulation on the firewall and run it across to the right side of the engine. When you get to where the gasket curves, you will need to pull up the gasket to work with it for the moment:

I again routed it between the soft insulation , and left a little excess behind the insulation. All of this is wrapped with friction tape and is hidden behind the insulation, shown exposed here for example only:

This photo didn't turn out as well as I thought, sorry. There is a plastic cable chase on the side of the engine compartment just below where this wire is, and it covers part of the wiring harness going to the ABS plug. There are four clips holding the cover on, I loosened three of them and ran the cable through the chase, then snapped it back together. Shown here held open so you can see the (green) wire running through.

Now you have to remove the ABS plug. There is a clip on top that pulls out (slides) UPWARDS ("1" in the photo). When you get it pulled out all the way, the plug pretty much falls off of the controller with no effort at all ("2" in the photo). Photo is of a MkV GTI, but is representative of the A3 for this purpose (image courtesy of team-dezent.at):

With the ABS plug detached from the controller, it doesn't move very far. The cap on the back of the plug has to come off. This image is deceiving, because it's clipped on pretty securely. You'll have to loosen the two clips at the back of the plug first (near the sliding clip), then the ones at the other end. Use a short-handled flat screwdriver. Sorry, no photo of this process:

Locate the correct pin location on the face of the ABS plug, the part that plugs into the ABS controller:

For most manual transmission A3s and early DSG A3s without the 'Hill Hold' function, this should be Pin 27.

Most new DSG-equipped A3s have the 'Hill Hold' function, and will have a Red/White wire already in pin number 27. For those cars, the correct location is Pin 41. Do not disturb any already-existing wire in Pin 27 on those cars.

The middle row goes (from sliding clip end to the other end):
17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31.

The bottom row goes (from sliding clip end to the other end):
32 (wide pin on the outside) 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 (wide pin on the outside)

View of the plug and the socket, for reference:

Look at the back side of the plug, where all the wires are, and find the pin number marking at the end of the middle (or bottom, as appropriate) row and count backwards from there. There should be no wire in the plug at that position originally. This is where we'll install one of the repair wire clips.

Indicating the location of Pin 27 on the face of the plug:

Indicating the location of Pin 41 on the face of the plug:

Virtually all of the Audi plugs have to be 'unlocked' before you can insert a new pin, like we're going to do. On this plug, look for the purple plastic. You will see a '+" shaped purple piece at one end, and a slot in the purple at the other end. This photo shows a screwdriver in the slot. Use the screwdriver to slide the purple plastic very slightly (about 0.5mm) towards the sliding-clip end of the plug until you hear/feel a 'click':

Use a nail in a pair of locking pliers to extract the rubber plug from position 27 (or 41, as appropriate) on the back of the plug, then use the same nail to pierce the rubber plug lengthwise to accomodate the wire.

Take the repair wire 000-979-131 and cut in in half to get a connector with a lead on it. Insert the lead through the rubber plug in the orientation shown here (larger connector shown for example only):

Insert the repair wire connector into the position 27 (or 41, as appropriate) of the ABS plug from the back side, until it clicks in firmly. It only fits in one way - you can figure it out. If you can't get it all the way in until it clicks, make sure you unlocked the purple part as described above. When finished, tt should look from the front just like the others in the plug, and you should seat the rubber plug into the hole behind it so that it looks like the other wires (make sure you slide the purple part the other way to 'lock' it again).

Use a butt-splice to join the wire you ran previously to the end of the repair wire you just installed in the plug. You'll need to do some trimming, and the splice should look like this:

Seal the butt-splice with electrical tape, and use small zip-ties to secure it to the heavy brown ground wires in the plug. In this photo, you can see how the green wire which was run down to the ABS plug was zip-tied securely to the harness on the way down:

Wrap the wiring harness going to the ABS plug with friction tape which will cover the new wire and zip-ties and will mimic the stock 'wrapped' appearance of the harness in that area.

Installation is the reverse of removal: Make sure the purple plastic on the plug is in the locked position. Reinstall the cap on the back. Pull out the sliding clip, position the plug on the controller, and push the clip in to lock the plug in place securely. Finished product shown here:

We're done outside. Now we move on to the interior portion.

Take two repair wires (part number 000-979-009) and cut them in half to obtain 4 pins with leads. Insert the leads into the 4 corners (pins 1, 3, 4, 6) of the plug (part number 4D0-971-636-A), and lable them:

Pin 1: (BLUE) Central Electronics
Pin 3: (BROWN) Ground
Pin 4: (BLACK) +12v
Pin 6: (GREEN) ABS

Make up the rest of your harness by bundling (with zip-ties...) the green wire coming through the firewall from the ABS controller with the brown, black and blue wires. You'll have to exercise judgement about routing under the dash and leaving enough extra to work with. Obviously, read and understand all of these instructions before starting, and map out where everything is going to go before you get started. In any case, you will get these four wires up and through the switch position in the centre of the dash. Trim the excess, and attach the corresponding wires to the leads from the plug with the butt-splices (you did label them like I said, right?):

Plug in the switch, and snap it into the dash:

Connecting to the Central Electronics control module isn't difficult, just annoying because it's in a tight spot. It's up under the dash, above and to the left of the clutch pedal.

First, let's get oriented to what is where on the module.
The controller should have a lable on it of 'Bordnetzsteuergerat'.
The side facing downwards has space for 8 plugs on it. A, B, C, D are on the first row, and E, F, G, H are on the second row. In the photo below, identify plug B (black, top row, one in from the left).

In the photo, notice the red plastic bar running side-to-side between the rows of plugs. You must slide it to unlock the plugs, otherwise the plugs do not come out. After you unlock it, you can release the tab on the plug to take it out.

You're going to connect to Pin 12 on Plug B. There are two possibilities - either there is a wire already in the plug in that postition, or there isn't. If there is (as was the case in my car), simply use a tap splice to connect to it. The factory wire for that position would be blue&grey, our wire is blue. The finished connection is shown in the photo.

(If there is no wire already in that plug position, you will need to use the other half of the 000-979-131repair wire left over from the ABS plug connection and install it Plug B position 12. There is a purple locking piece on the plug that will have to be unlocked before/relocked after installing the connector. This note is likely not needed, but is included for completeness.)

Once the blue wire is connected to position 12, make sure the plug is firmly clicked into the Central Electronics module and the red bar is back in the 'locked' position:

The last bit of the physical installation is power. Our black wire goes to the Add-A-Circuit MINI, which I placed in fuse position 8 with a 5A fuse (the other two Add-A-Circuit pieces in the photo are for my bluetooth handsfree kit).

Our brown ground wire should have a round lug connector crimped on to it, and should be attached to this bolt. Sandwich it between the dash cover and the metal support and replace the bolt, for best electrical contact.

The dash can now be closed up. The physical installation is finished, all that remains is the coding.

Coding the module to make this work:

A VAG-COM system was used to enable the TPMS functions. In VAG-COM, go into the ABS module and edit the coding. You should subtract 16384 from the original coding. For example, if your original coding was 0021122 like mine was, subtracting 16384 from it gives a code of 0004738. Save this new coding and exit. The TPMS installation is now complete.

Check that your tire pressures are all correct.

With the car running, press and hold the 'Set' button. The TPMS symbol (see below) will illuminate, and then go out. When it goes out, release the button and you will hear a beep (like the low-fuel beep). The system is now reset and ready to learn your wheelspeed values.

The following is from Theresias' original post:

After connecting the button, check if it's working or not, you should use VAG-COM and ABS Measuring Block 018 Field 1.

How it Works:

First off, the new button only resets the TPMS learned values, after that it needs some driving distance to relearn these values. The learned values are adapted in several steps (speed ranges), each step (range) is devided into 2 thresholds in 2 stages (powered and rolling). You can check this using VAG-COM and read measuring block 031 in your ABS control module.

031,0,Tire Pressure Monitoring (TPMS) IV
; 0 = Nothing Learned
; 1 = Only 1st Threshold powered
; 2 = Only 2nd Threshold powered
; 3 = Only 1st Threshold rolling
; 4 = Only 2nd Threshold rolling
; 5 = 1st Threshold powered and rolling
; 6 = 1st Threshold powered and 2nd Threshold rolling
; 7 = 2nd Threshold powered and 1st Threshold rolling
; 8 = 2nd Threshold powered and rolling (Optimal)
031,1,Speed Ranges I
; 5?xxx = Speed Range 1 ( 15 - 70 km/h)
; 5x?xx = Speed Range 2 ( 70 - 100 km/h)
; 5xx?x = Speed Range 3 (100 - 130 km/h)
; 5xxx? = Speed Range 4 (130 - 160 km/h)
031,2,Speed Ranges II
; 5?xxx = Speed Range 5 (160 - 190 km/h)
; 5x?xx = Speed Range 6 (190 - 220 km/h)
; 5xx?x = Speed Range 7 (220 - 250 km/h)
031,3,Curve/Wheel,Recognition
; 5?x00 = Curve Recognition (0 = No Curve / 1 = Left or Right Curve learned / 2 = Complete Curve learned)
; 5x?00 = Wheel Recognition (0 = inactive / 1 = activ)

Optimal would be:

031 Field 1 = 58888
031 Field 2 = 58880
031 Field 3 = 52100

Also, because I know somebody is going to come across this....

Question: What is this item for? Byte 01 Bit 7 Tire Pressure Monitoring (Address 65) in the CAN Gateway. Is this related to this system, or a different one?

Answer: It is unrelated, leave it alone.

This was the first complete A3 TPMS installation in the US.

Having done this mod, I now have some ideas about how to pre-make the wiring harness differently, already cut to length with more soldered connections before installing in the car. If I get the chance to do this to someone else's car, I'll update this posting with any improvements to the process.

Click here for an article in Italian showing another installation like this.

October 2006: Updated with information about using Pin 41 on cars where Pin 27 is already occupied by another function.
July 2009: Updated with additional ECU part number, and link to Italian article.

'City Lights' for the US A3 with Bi-Xenon Headlamps

2006-04-13T22:03:00.000-04:00

The lighting configuration of cars in Europe (and most of the rest of the world) generally includes 'city lights' - small (5w) bulbs located in the left & right headlamp reflectors which make them glow, but not really project any light. They serve the purpose of front parking lights.

Until US automotive lighting regulations began to be reformed in the late 1980s and 1990s, headlights had to be physically separated from other lights, like parking lights and turn signals. Therefore, 'city lights' were not permitted in US-spec headlamps. Under current regulations, though, lights may be combined into common lens/reflector assemblies, as long they meet their individual requirements. That means that city lights are permitted, and they may even serve as front parking lights if they otherwise meet the right criteria. Some VWs (like the Mk4 Golf/GTI) are good examples of this.

The halogen and xenon/halogen headlamps that Audi installs in the US A3s do not have city light bulbs at all. The A3 sidemarkers are curved to be visible from the front as well, so Audi got the car approved with only the US-required amber sidemarker/relfector lights as front parking lights. On the cars with bi-xenon headlamps, city lights are present in the inner (DRL) reflector. They are wired internally within the headlamp assembly, but the wiring harness that plugs into the headlamp assembly does not have a wire going to the pin that powers the city light bulbs.

Some simple circuit tracing determined that Pin 10 on the headlamp plug goes to the city lights. All that is needed is to run a new circuit from the +12v of the left & right sidemarkers to Pin 10 of the respective headlamp plugs.

Teminology note: The lights on the front bumper are sidemarkers. They come on with the parking lights and headlights, are required to illuminate amber, and also serve as the required amber passive reflectors. The lights farther back on the fender are not 'sidemarkers', they are repeater turn signals. They are required in many countries; in the US they are permissable, but not required.

Materials:
You will need a minimum of 1 'repair wire' from Audi, which can be obtained from your parts department. They are a length of wire with a connector (the same one) on each end. There are various connectors, for this project you will need part number 000-979-133-A, a female blade connector. You cut the wire in half to give you one connector/lead for each headlamp plug that you'll be upgrading (left & right), then you can trim the wire down later.

Repair wire:

Comparison of two sizes of the repair wires, with part numbers. The larger one (-133-A) is what's used for this project.

You will need some common tools, and a wire strip/crimp tool (don't try to substitute pliers). In addition to a roll of electrical tape, you should also have a can of StarBrite Liquid Electrical Tape (I got it at Home Depot). For the actual connections you will need a roll of 18 gauge wire (black is good for these runs), some 18-22 gauge crimp-on butt splices, and some 18-22 gauge tap splices:

Procedure:
First you have to remove the sidemarker lights from the bumper. The left side is easy - just open the hood, reach down below the headlamp to the back side of the sidemarker, and release the clip to pop it out from the bumper. The right side is not so easy. You have to carefully pop out the black plastic grill around the right foglamp, and reach up to the back side of the right sidemarker from below. To remove the foglamp grill (not shown here), there are two clips (top and bottom) on the end fartherest from the foglamp that you can release with a flat screwdriver.

We'll start with the right side. When you have the light popped out of the bumper, you will find two wires going to it. The brown one is the ground - leave it alone. The other one is the + lead. Pull it out of the split plastic conduit, and use one of the tap splices to connect your new wire to it. Always leave a little extra coil of your new wire tied up in case you have to redo something later:

Then, coat and seal the splice with the liquid electrical 'tape', and wrap it tightly with regular electrical tape. If done right, it will form a completely waterproof connection. Zip-tie this tightly to the original conduit:

Run the wire in along the existing harness, zip-tying it as you go. Reaching in through the light opening for that fartherest one requres skinny hands and long-nose pliers:

On the right side, there is a rigid plastic cable chase that part of the wiring harness runs through, underneath the neck of the washer-fluid tank. There are two snap clips holding it closed. I managed to get them open and run the wire through the cable chase, then snap it closed again. This keeps it out of the way, completely hidden and protected, and looks 'original'. Getting the snaps open and the wire in there required a heavy wire with a hook bent in the end (made from a clotheshanger):

Now we have the wire up to the headlamp plug, and are ready to attach it. Let's do the left-hand side first, though:

The left light is a lot easier to do. Pop the light out as described above. If you pull the socket out of the lens, you can just pull the harness up where you can reach it from the top by the headlamp. As with the right one, leave the brown (ground) wire alone, attach your new wire with the tap splice, and seal with with the liquid/regular tape as described (photo shows the splice before being sealed & zip-tied).

The left side only takes a short run of wire, zip-tied to the existing wiring harness, to reach the headlamp plug. Now we're going to install the new female connector into the headlamp plug.

Remove the plug from the headlamp assembly. There's a little cap around the back side of the plug, release two clips and take it off (not shown here). Locate position 10 - it should have a rubber plug in it with no wire present. Use a small nail in a pair of locking pliers to pluck the rubber plug out:

Using the same nail, pierce the rubber plug lengthwise. It's already partially started, so you'll be able to see what to do:

Pass the new repair wire through the hole in the rubber plug, making sure it's in the orientation shown here:

Now you have to get the new female connector into the headlamp plug. You first have to 'unlock' the plug. If you look closely at the purple part of the plug, you'll see an arrow molded into it showing the 'lock' direction. Stick a flat screwdriver between the purple part and the surrounding black part on the CURVED side of the plug, and slide the purple part (it moves less than 0.5mm) until it clicks.

Then you can insert the new female connector into position 10 from the back side of the plug, until it clicks in firmly. It only fits in one way - you can figure it out. If you can't get it all the way in until it clicks, make sure you unlocked the purple part as described above. When finished, tt should look from the front just like the others in the plug, and you should seat the rubber plug into the hole behind it so that it looks like the other wires (make sure you slide the purple part the other way to 'lock' it again):

Use a butt-splice to join the wire you ran from the light to the end of the repair wire you just installed in the plug. You'll need to do some trimming, and the splice should look like this:

Again, seal the splice. Don't use too much tape, so you can squeeze it into the split plastic conduit, then zip-tie it securely together. Snap the cap back around the back of the plug (shown here completely together and ready to plug in):

Replace the plug in the headlamp. (If it won't fit in, did you 'lock' the purple part as described above after installing the connector?) Reassemble and replace the sidemarker light into the bumper.

Repeat the process for wiring the plug on the right headlamp.

Test, and you should have....

...working city lights!

If you do this mod, please email me and let me know how it goes. Photos of your wiring steps are appreciated - I'm curious how other people replicate this process.

Enjoy!

Cargo Cover Noise Fix

2006-03-29T21:00:00.000-05:00

Whoever designed (or approved the design of) the 'shelf' cargo cover on the A3 really should have looked at the cover on the Mk. 4 Golf/GTI. The one on my old GTI made contact with the hatch when it was closed, so that the cover was held firmly in place and didn't move. On the A3, there's a gap between the cover and the hatch which allows the cover to move up slightly - not enough to have any actual purpose, just enough so that the cover will 'jump' and bang when you go over a speed bump, for example. Also, on the GTI the strings that let the hatch pull up the cover had nice little spring retractors that sucked the excess string in when the hatch was closed or the strings unhooked from the hatch; the A3 has two weights that pull the strings down where they dangle in the cargo area. AND they bang around. This is really annoying lack of attention to detail in every way.

To solve the major problem, which is the cover 'jumping' and making noise when you drive over anything rough, I simply used velcro. Velcro has two parts, the 'hook' part and the 'loop' part. I got some peel-and-stick adhesive velcro and took care of it in two steps:

Cut a 2" (5cm) square of the 'loop' velcro about and apply it in the correct position on the hatch.

Cut another same-size square of the 'loop' velcro and of the 'hook' velcro, and stick the adhesive sides together back-to-back forming a pad with the 'hook' on one side and the 'loop' on the other. Stick this new pad onto the velcro square on the hatch, to make it thick enough to press against the cargo cover and hold it tightly in place.

Self-adhesive Velcro 'loop' piece attached to the inside of the hatch. You can figure out exactly where to place it centered on where the cargo cover would strike it.

Make the velcro pad with one 'hook' side....

...and one 'loop' side.

Mate up the 'hook' side of the pad with the 'loop' material you stuck on the hatch previously.
Now there will be a soft contact point to press against the cargo cover and keep it from banging.

Enjoy the silence.....

Power Cables Into Armrest

2006-03-15T21:00:00.000-05:00

I got tired of putting my phone in the cupholder, and having to mess with the power cable running under the armrest to one of the two power sockets there. There are two 12V power outlets under the armrest console, and I wanted my phone in the armrest console, so....

Flip up the armrest.
Locate the points on the left & right of the underside of the armrest as shown, and go exactly three-quarter inch UP and three-quarter inch IN. it helps to make a template rather than using a ruler for this, so you can get exactly the right spots.

Take a 5/8" wood bit, and set the centre point on the spot that you marked. Note that this will give you just enough clearance between the hole that the bit will make and the support of the console. Not only that, but there is stuff on the INSIDE of the armrest compartment that you need to miss, so get the measurements right!.

Drill the two holes. There is an inner and outer layer to the console, you have to go through both.

I got rubber grommets that fit into a 5/8" hole and installed on the inside of the console (inner layer of plastic). This keeps the power cables from slipping, prevents chafing of the wire, and is just a nice finishing touch. You can get them at Home Depot (wiring section) or other hardware stores.
Pass the power cable (or iPod cable, or whatever you want) through the hole/grommet, and you're done.

If you don't want the cable there sometimes, a piece of leather (available for under $10.00 at craft stores) makes a nice liner that covers the holes from the inside. Also, you can fold the piece of leather and it'll keep the phone from sliding down under the hinge of the armrest cover. I added the double-row white stitching with a sewing machine and some heavy white upholstery thread to mimic the look of the sport seats.

Piece of leather as a liner for the console:

Phone plugged in:

The same piece of leather keeping the phone from sliding:

When the armrest is down (mine is never up), you don't see the holes.

A3 CAN System Long Coding Worksheet & Instructions (for use with VAG-COM)

2006-02-24T22:00:00.001-05:00

Read the background information on this page. For a lot of common items, you may not need the spreadsheet linked below. Instead, see my VAG-COM Coding Reference. The files linked below are useful for a 'big picture' of what's going on with the Central Electronics and Comfort System coding, or for a few settings which aren't covered in my other instructions.

NOTE: PLEASE READ THIS UPDATE FIRST

November 2011: UPDATE. I received this from another A3 owner and am adding it as a caution when using newer versions of VAG-COM

"I've got some information to add. It's actually kind of important, as it pertains to VAG-COM.

I met up with a guy who has a VAG-COM cable to do a code clear and also customize some programming using one of your procedures. I followed the instructions for "Enable Auto Window/Roof From Remote". The latest VAG-COM software has changed a bit, and it's more user friendly. In the Central-Conv section, Byte 03 and 04 don't have any labels but 05 does, with a number of checkboxes to set the desired behavior. I went ahead and put in the hex updates to 03 and 04, then the 05 setting. It worked. However, I discovered later that the fuel door switch was somehow disabled! There was no way I could get the door to open. Thankfully I was able to get back to the guy and refresh my system back to the original code. Then, I updated Byte 05 only this time. It worked--the fuel door was active again and the windows responded to the fob controls--disaster averted.

Anyway, I was really lucky in that I hadn't refueled prior to the VAG-COM change. I could have easily ended up several days later going to get fuel and dumbfounded by the fuel door not opening... and possibly having to bust it open. It might be worthwhile to just add a warning message to the blog that the steps outlined for programming VAG-COM are on an earlier release, and that in some cases they may not work properly with the latest release."

The A3 is part of a new generation in automotive electronics, which brings a new ability to customise it easily.

In the past, any electrical accessory had to be wired from the battery, usually through a switch, to the device. It worked however it worked, and couldn't be easily reconfigured. This meant greater complexity and expense, and difficulty adapting cars for different markets. For example: with power windows, every window motor had to be wired through it's own switch and through the set of switches for the driver (if so equipped), making for a complex wiring harness. Headlights/taillights wired up for the European market couldn't be easily converted for the US market, and vice-versa.

With modern technology, everything is different. The A3 handles everything through a central computer system. Every switch and device is a node on the Controller Area Network (CAN) which runs throughout the car. This means that many features can be modified by altering the programming of the CAN system computer.

I won't go into a lot of detail about the wiring, but here's a comparison of old vs. new:

The old way: Turn parking light switch 'on', 12v current flows through switch to the parking light bulb(s), making it light up. Step on the brake pedal, switch closes allowing 12v current to flow to another filament or bulb, making the brake light come on. The brake light is brighter than the tail light because of the difference in bulb wattages.

The new way: Turn parking light switch 'on'. Computer gets the signal from the light switch, and applies reduced voltage to one or more bulbs on each side, making them glow at 24% of their maximum brightness, to act as tail lights. Which bulbs are activated, and the percentage of brightness, are dependent on the settings in the car's computer. When you step on the brake pedal, the computer gets a signal from the brake switch and increases the tail light voltage to make the bulbs glow at 100% of their maximum brightness to act as brake lights. Again, which bulbs are affected is dependent on the computer settings. Change the settings == change the behaviour, no re-wiring needed.

There are a lot of settings which are for compliance with regulations in different countries (e.g. lighting), and others which are simply marketing choices. What is great for us is that Audi has chosen to not lock this down, so that anyone who has the proper (hardware & software) tools can modify a lot of cool stuff.

About those tools..... There are three choices:

The 5051 or 5052 devices which VW/Audi dealers have. These are not for consumers, and are not easy to operate.

VAG-COM, from Ross-Tech, with the HEX-USB+CAN Interface. This is the most common for enthusiasts, and is very full-featured. However, I think a little competition would be good for them, so I'll also mention...

VAD Pro (formerly known as ProDiag HD from Shade Tree Software).

I'm not going into details of how to operate any of the tools here, or debate which is better. Instead, I'm going to make it easier to change some of the settings in the A3 computer by providing a spreadsheet and some notes.

All of the settings information I originally obtained from en.openobd.org and de.openobd.org, and refined through experimentation. I thank the guys who run that site for their work, and encourage you to check it out as an additional resource. For the specific A3 long coding settings, I think my presentation is more usable and some of my descriptions are more easily understood than the German translations that you'll find elsewhere.

Some of the settings that are possible on the A3 are made through 'adaptation', which is basically using something like VAG-COM to pick various choices out of a menu. Other settings, though, are done through 'long coding' which involves setting of individual bits & bytes in the programming. I have made what I think is the best, safest, most understandable and efficient method of editing the long codings for the Central Electronics module and the Comfort System module. This is how you can enable one or both rear fog lights (if you have the correct light switch, not a standard USA-market one), enable auto-closing of windows and sunroof (and auto-opening of the windows) from the remote, change tail light & front fog light configurations, etc.

My solution is developed in a spreadsheet. It contains multiple worksheets with an explanation of 'long coding', instructions on how to use the spreadsheet, and worksheets for the Central Electronics and Comfort modules on the 2006 A3. The spreadsheet was developed in OpenOffice, which is a Free (in every sense) office software suite for Windows/Linux/Mac OS X. Links to download it are provided below. I'm also providing instructions on how to set some preferences in OpenOffice to make it work best for you. The spreadsheet file is named with the version number. With it open in OpenOffice, you can also do File --> Document Properties... to get version information.

You CAN redistribute this, as long as the copyright notices are intact. If you redistribute a modified version, you must include my original along with it (consider it the 'source code'). I do not support converting it to Excel, Lotus123, or any other proprietary format. If you do so on your own, make sure you (a) take responsibility for supporting that yourself if you redistribute it, and (b) attribute and include my original along with it.

Downloads:

The A3_LongCode_Worksheet (.ods file)

Instructions for configuring OpenOffice (PDF)

OpenOffice for Windows, or Linux, or Mac OS X

If you are only interested in looking at some information, then here are some PDFs generated from the spreadsheet. Note that the long codes have been zeroed out, so DO NOT attempt to 'use' the PDFs to figure out your long coding solutions! Use the spreadsheet instead! These are just for reading material...

Central Electronics Module Sample

Comfort Module Sample

About Long Coding (what the bits and bytes mean)

Please email me with any feedback or questions, using the "Email me" link in the upper left of this page. This article will be revised/updated as necessary, and revisions may not be noted. Please consider referring other people to this article to download the items rather than passing them on yourself, since I may have updated something since you downloaded your copy.

Enjoy!

iPod Integration with the Dension ice>Link:Plus

2006-02-24T21:00:00.000-05:00

EDIT: My ice>Link:Plus developed some problems and was returned under warranty. It would display 'Track 99' and become unresponsive to control input, but the music played on.....

The vendor (Enfig) shipped me a DICE interface as a replacement. It installs the same way as the ice>Link, but has some operational improvements. A new article on the DICE has been posted. I'll leave this article here for reference on the ice>Link:Plus.

I'd been following the iPod connectivity debate for a while, and decided on the
Dension ice>Link:Plus Audi T2. It comes with either a cradle or just a cable, I opted for just the cable.

Here is a summary of the important points for this model:

It connects to the CD changer connector in the glovebox. You can have either the glovebox CD changer, or this, but not both.

If you have the in-dash CD changer, you can still use this. It connects specifically to the glovebox connector.

If you have a glovebox changer and a satellite receiver hooked up to the head unit, you're out of luck.

It makes the iPod appear to the head unit as if it were a CD changer.

The first five playlists on the iPod (alphabetically) are treated as 'discs' 1 through 5 of the virtual CD changer.

You select the iPod using the CD button on the head unit. If you have a disc in the head unit, press CD twice. The Display will indicate 'CDC' (CD Changer).

You switch from one 'disc' (playlist) to another using the buttons on the head unit.

You can switch from one track to the next using the left steering wheel roller, or the head unit.

You can fast-scan through the current track by pressing on the left steering wheel roller.

It will pick up where it left off if you switch to FM and back, or if you leave the car and return.

Current track name is displayed on the iPod display, but not in the same format as the standard iPod interface.

The head unit will show tracks 1-99. You can actually advance past track 99 if you have more tracks in the playlist than that, but the head unit won't display the track number properly.

The head unit does not show artist/track name.

Selecting 'disc' 6 makes a different menu appear on the iPod display, where you can select random play or select to use the iPod user interface. If you do that, you are prompted to disconnect/reconnect the iPod. Once you reconnect, you must use the iPod controls instead of the car controls, but you have full control over the iPod.

After using this for a couple of days, I've determined that 'Random' is absolutely the best thing for me. On the head unit, with the CDC (iPod) selected, press the 'Menu' button on the head unit and select your choice of Random (Disc) or Random (Changer). I have it randomly playing stuff from across all my playlists, and I never have to mess with the ice>Link or iPod random/shuffle features.

Installation:

The ice>Link:Plus came as 3 pieces:
The interface circuit
The interface-to-iPod-Dock-Connector cable
The interface-to-specific-car cable

Disconnect the CD changer cable from the dummy plug on the back of the cubby. You have to release a catch on each side of the cable end of the plug.

I took the iPod-to-ice>Link:Plus cable and fed it through a rubber grommet...

Here is the hookup. The CD changer plug from the car goes to one end of the ice>Link:Plus cable (large rectangular plugs), the other end of that cable goes to the ice>Link:Plus interface (small rectangular plug), then the iPod dock connector cable goes into the interface (round plug).

I didn't want to just lay the pieces in the dash, so I actually unplugged and repositioned them. The iPod cable I tied in a knot around some other wiring harness stuff in the opening (to provide strain relief), then zip-tied around that. The interface board and the other cables/plug were tucked in and zip-tied. No stress, no rattles, no interference.

Done!

Power Measurement - First Try

2006-02-10T23:55:00.000-05:00

Last night Ryan, Jim and I did some measurements using VAG-COM to read the various sensors and derive horsepower & torque. I didn't have a perfect run, so I'll do this better another time, but here is the result of the first test. Next time I'll turn off the HVAC compressor, not have a passenger on board, and start from 1500 RPM like I should have.

Until then, these results are pretty good:

Fuel Line Rattle Fix

2006-01-21T21:00:00.000-05:00

Originally posted: January 2006
A few days when it was really cold outside a loud rattle appeared when the car was idling. Actually, it was more of a continuous TapTapTapTapTap..... and I had a hard time trying to figure out where it was coming from. It seemed to be somwhere either in the centre console, or around the passenger seat area. When I took the car in for the first oilservice at 5000 miles I reported it to the service writer. Of course, I just got the standard "...could not duplicate problem..." and "...we've never heard of this before..." answers.

The next time I heard the noise I was determined to chase it down. Listening around the passenger seat and footwell, I finally put my ear to the floorboards and decided that it was most likely coming from outside the car, not inside. The underside of the car is covered with plastic panels on either side, which are held on with plastic 10mm captive nuts and a few torx screws. I loosened pretty much all of the fasteners (all 7 of the nuts, plus 2 torx screws) to be able to see and reach the passenger footwell without completely removing the panel. There were several plastic lines, which I (correctly) assumed to be fuel lines, and pressing on them caused the same tapping sound when they hit the underside of the floorpan. The black line is the one that pulsates when the car is running, and causes most of the tapping sound.

I had a piece of split tubular foam insulation that you put around water pipes to keep them from freezing. This stuff is very substantial, will not absorb water and rot, and would be resistant to cold and warm weather. I cut a piece and wrapped it around the lines to keep them from hitting or chafing on the floorboard. I clamped it on tightly with some zip-ties, and reassembled the panel. Problem permanently solved, or so I thought....

Update: January 2008
The rattle came back. I was really annoyed because I was sure it was permanently solved and was worried that my fix had failed. I lowered the panel again as described above and found the foam I'd zip-tied in place to be exactly as I had originally done it. However, right in front of where I put the foam is where the lines disappear into a channel in the floorpan. There was one oval hole in the channel that I could stick a finger in, and sure enough, the plastic lines were laying against the metal and making the tapping sound at idle.

I took some more of the same foam insulation and cut two pieces that I could fit into the oval opening. I was able to hold the lines to one side and stuff a piece of foam in the opening, then do it the other way so that the plastic lines were surrounded by foam at that point, not pressed against the inside of the metal channel. This seems to have really solved the problem this time - no more tapping sounds at all. If you have done the fuel line rattle fix (my way, or the official part below) and you still have a tapping noise from the floorboard, have another look at it.

As a side note, those plastic panels under the floorpan were *full* of salt crystals and sand from the roads. I cleaned it all out with a brush before reinstallation, but I don't like the idea that they're trapping corrosive material that way. After the winter I'll lower the panels on both sides and pressure-wash it well.

Apparently the rattle was a real problem with both the A3 and the (Mk. 5) VW GTI. Some time after I did this originally in 2006, service bulletins (TSBs) were issued for the GTI, and later the A3, which provide a fix using 2 rigid foam blocks (part number 06A 141 730 A) that is virtually identical to what I did. The one for the A3 is:

TSB Number: 200606
Issued: Wed, Sep 13, 2006
Title: Fuel System - Knocking Noise From Passenger Floor Area

Roof Bars + SporTube Adaptor

2005-12-23T22:53:00.000-05:00

I had the VW roof bars for my old GTI. I liked the way they mounted to the car, and I liked the way that attachments mounted on them (sliding into a slot on the top, not clamping around them like most others). You can see them in the pictures of my GTI that I posted previously. They had key locks on the sides that kept the endcaps secured.

The only thing I carry on the bars are SporTube Ski & Snowboard Cases. They have a handle that fits over the front bar perfectly but there's a rib that runs down the length of the case (it's how the two telescoping pieces are kept together, actually) which needed something to help it fit comfortably on the rear bar. For the VW, I had made some adaptors out of aluminium square tube which worked well.

When I got the A3 I immediately ordered the Audi bars from AutoWebAccessories. They were backordered and finally came in right before I needed them for a ski trip over the holidays. When they arrived, I opened the box and was horrified to see all of the plastic endcaps (2 pieces on each end of each bar) were completely shattered. I guess they got cold in shipping, and were dropped on both ends of the box.... After my initial freaking out, I realised a few things.

The plastic pieces are just cosmetic, they aren't necessary to at least use the rack at all
The two covers (upper and lower) on each bar are identical, front/rear/left/right.
The plastic fairings under the bar are different left/right, but the same front/rear.
The design of the plastic covers on the ends of the bar are complete crap in general, and especially compared to the version that I had on the old VW.

I was very, very lucky to have met certain people in the local Audi club, and to know of a situation: Somebody had gotten the same type of bars, but they were mis-packaged (2 front bars/no rear bar), so he took them back. I knew the parts guy he had dealt with, and knew that the mis-packaged bars were still sitting around taking up space. After a few quick emails I had made arrangements to get the pieces I needed. I was really grateful to be able to do this, since ordinarily spare parts aren't available for the bars, and even after I got mine they were still backordered so that I couldn't have just returned them for another set.

With that taken care of, I wanted to improve on my original SporTube adaptors. My 'version 1' had been individual pieces that didn't reach the full width of the roof bar. I decided to make a new piece. Here's how:

Start with a piece of 3/4 inch square aluminium tube, 4 feet long. This is too long for the roof bar, so it has to be cut down. For the rear bar on the A3, I decided to make it 38.5 inches long. One end of the aluminum tube had a sticker on it, so that was the end that got cut off. All the hacksaw cuts were made with the aluminium tube clamped in a mitre box. When you get the Aluminium, also get the black plastic caps to snap in each end when finished.

Aluminium in the mitre box for cutting.

Next, three equidistant marks were made on the bar centred on where the notches would be. Additional marks were made for the cuts of the notches, which would be about 1/2 inch wide (or a little more, whatever). The depth of the notches would simply be measured by the height of the hacksaw blade - when the blade was flush into the cut, stop cutting!

Marks for cutting a notch.

Initial notch cuts.

With the hacksaw cuts made for each notch, you have to finish cutting the piece out somehow. A Dremel with a cut-off wheel is the perfect tool.
Notch cuts finished with a Dremel.

All cuts finished.

Once the notches are cut, the top of the bar can be drilled for the mounting bolts. 1 inch in from the end seems to be about right. Drill a tiny pilot hole in the top, then follow by drilling it with a 1/4 inch bit through the top and on through the bottom in one step.

Marked for drilling.

Drilled.

Now it's a matter of cleaning up the edges. Start with a good sharp 'flat bastard' file. Aluminium is very soft and easy to work with. If you've never done it before, practice on the scrap piece that you cut off earlier. For 'softening' and rounding the corners, and the initial cleanup of any burrs on the cuts, stroke one direction only (away from you). You can be more aggressive to clean up the inside of the notches, squaring the cuts and cleaning up any imperfections in the lower corners caused by the Dremel. Clean up the inner edges of the cuts with a little 'rat tail' file. Take it slow, and in a few minutes you can have both ends and all the notch edges smoothed. You shouldn't have any sharp points or sharp edges anywhere - if you can't run your bare hands over every surface aggressively without getting a cut/scratch, then it's not smoothed enough. You can use sandpaper to finish it, and/or use a fine sanding drum on the Dremel. An advantage of the sanding drum on the Dremel is that you can smooth the drill holes and give them a nice, subtle bevel. Again, practice on the scrap piece and always wear eye protection with working with a Dremel.

File.

End dressed, corners smoothed.

Notch dressed, corners smoothed.

When it's finished, you can clean it by flooding it inside and out with window cleaner (the usual blue ammonia stuff in a spray bottle). Dry it off, and give it a coat of good automotive wax to reduce the inevitable dulling and oxidation. Now you can snap the black plastic caps into each end of the aluminium.

The two 1/4 inch by 1.5 inch long carriage bolts and washer go in from the underside, with wingnuts on top. Drill the bolts about 1/4 inch from the top for cotter pins. Now, the washers slot into the roof bars and the wingnuts can be tightened down. Cotter pins are an additional safety to keep the wingnuts from loosening.
Finished product.

Installed on the rear bar.

The full view.

Closeup of the end of the rear bar and the new adaptor.

SporTube secured on the rear bar, in the notch.

SporTube handle fits over the front bar, secured with bungies.

That's it! I'll update this post with better photos of the SporTubes on the rack later.

Euro Rubber Floor Mats

2005-12-09T20:00:00.001-05:00

Got my mats.

Some sort of all-weather mats are an absolute necessity. Carpet mats are magnets for grit, salt stains, etc., and can't be hosed off and put back in right away. I looked at all the options:

Hexomat, like my cargo liner
WeatherTech (had them in a previous car, liked them a lot)
Audi 'Monster' mats, which are similar to the WeatherTech design but have 'A3' printed on them
Audi Euro Rubber mats

WeatherTech mats were not available for the A3 at the time. The 'Monster' mats were too gaudy for me with the 'A3' logo. I like the Hexomats a lot. All of these choices had the same problem - they didn't reach far enough up under the driver's pedals, and didn't cover the wheel well on the passenger side. The Euro Rubber mats were the perfect solution in that regard, since they fully cover the passenger wheel well hump. They don't reach as far up under the pedals on the driver's side as I would like, but nothing else does either. Also, the Euro style mats had the fastening system to snap into place that the Hexomats did not.

I ordered them from AutoWebAccessories, which sells genuine accessories at a discount. They were backordered nationwide, but I got mine as soon as they were available in the country. They work great, and I highly recommend them.

One problem was that the snaps were so tight that they could have ripped the fastener out of the carpet. Scraping the inside of the snap on the mat with a knife made them snap on well, but not insanely tight. They give the interior a neat, sporty look. In the photos below they look like they contrast a lot with the carpet, but that's mostly due to the camera flash. In reality, the black mats are very subtle against the black carpet.

UPDATE - March 2008: After a little over 2 years with these mats, the driver's side mat has a worn spot from my right heel - it's actually worn almost all the way through. Although I still like the mats, I'm revising my recommendation slightly. First choice would be the LL-Tek mats (waterproof soft carpet-like material, dished to contain dirt), but they are expensive. Next choice, and most likely what I will get next, are the Hexomats that I originally considered and which I did get for my cargo liner.

Wiper Features

2005-11-27T19:00:00.000-05:00

The wipers on the A3 have a 'cleaning position' feature - when you turn off the ignition switch, tap the wiper stalk to 'wipe once' and the wipers will jump up midway on the windshield and stop there. That way you can fold them up for cleaning. However, I discovered yet another feature as part of this: When the wipers are in the cleaning position, you can 'wipe' them back-and-forth freely on the windshield! I expected they would be immovable like every other car, but you can actually move them to wherever you want. If you push them all the way down to the normal 'rest' position, though, they lock there and they don't move when you restart the car, so no streaks on your just-cleaned windshield!

Another feature is that when you turn the car off, the wipers move slightly. Not a lot, just enough to 'flip' the blade edge to the other direction; so one time the wipers will move slightly down, and the next time slightly up, to keep the rubber blades 'exercised' to prolong life. It may look like only the right one is moving, but it's just that the right one is more visible than the left so you notice it more. You'll hear the sound of the wipers moving, but it's normal. Get used to it.

When you pull the washer on the rear wiper, it squirts water along the blade for a couple of seconds before it first wipes, eliminating (or at least reducing) the dreaded first-wipe drag of grit across the dry glass. Better for the blade, fewer scratches on the glass. However.... after using the rear wiper/washer with actual road scuzz on the rear window, I saw how it could be made a little better.

The rear washer has two jets that rotate as part of the wiper hub, and aim at the leading edge of the blade. The lower jet is aimed about 1/3 of the way up from the tail of the blade, and the higher jet was aimed about 1/2 of the way up the blade. In real-world use, this meant that a streak formed on the glass under the upper 1/2 of the blade beacause not enough washer fluid reached it to clean the glass effectively. A stiff, thick pin (slightly larger than a straight pin used for sewing) can be used to adjust the ball jet, c-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y. I hate adjusting those things - it's a real pain to get it right. But now, with a lot of patience, and a lot of trial-and-error, I now have the upper jet blasting the leading edge of the blade about 2/3 of the way up, and it gives a nice streak-free wipe. It also works even better at blasting grit off the blade before the first wipe.

If you have the front wipers 'on', and you put the car in reverse, the rear wiper will activate even if its switch is 'off'. I've also activated 'teardrop wiping' in the Comfort System coding. This means that when you use the rear wiper/washer, and you switch it 'off', after a few seconds it'll activate itself for one last wipe to get the 'teardrops' that run down the glass.

Photo in New Castle, DE

2005-11-25T20:02:00.001-05:00

Jack (Narrator):    There's a fight club in Delaware City.

Tyler Durden:    I heard. Local 15, Monday nights.

Jack (Narrator):   Local 8 just started in Penns Grove. And Bob said he was at fight club in New Castle last week.

Tyler Durden:   New Castle? Did you start that one?

Jack (Narrator):   I thought you did.
--Fight Club