Velocity Motoring

Check out this super-sleek Audi TT equipped with Matt Anthracite VMR VB3 Wheels.



Personally thinking: VMR Wheels are the only brand you should go for when you're looking for a set of wheels for your Germany-slapped badge car.

... "Well, of course you could go BBS and iForge too."

(Source: Velocity Motoring - VMR Homepage)

Forge Motorsport 'Twintake' Intake System

Application: Volkswagen Golf Mk. V

Wanna crave for more power? Why go single when you can go dual?



"Following on from the development of the twintake on the Scirocco and Leon, we're nearly there on the Golf MKV. This kit made 14bhp over stock by utilising two of our carbon canister filters. One is fed from the cutout in the slam panel, the other from behind the headlight."



Wanna check out this offering? Click here.

Commercial - Volkswagen Golf

Make sure that your kids are supervised at all times:

Happy Birthday, Ashaed4008

Happy birthday to our dearest road-devil, Zal GTI-R "Ashaed4008". (Kidding!)



Mudah-mudahan panjang umur dan sihat selalu di samping orang yang tersayang, :)

Hi rise, low ride..

Going that low yet? - KW3 Coilovers.

KW automotive :: Click Here


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Edit: Okay okay, I have a feeling someone will complain that "What the hell this post is all about?"

Let me clarify further:







"You ain't dubbin' if you ain't rubbin" -YUS

More mod ideas for VAG Cars coming up. 'Till next update. :)

MKIV DOOR LOCKS EXPLAINED !!!

Since so many people with '99.5-'01 MKIV cars seem to be having trouble with their door locks not working properly (also prevalent in B5 Passats), I thought I'd put together a quick explanation about how the locks work in our cars and why there's been so many problems. People with the newer and quieter door lock mechanisms should not have the problems described in this thread - the problem appears to be fixed in these modules.

If your door locks behave like their from another planet (e.g., a door doesn't lock when it's supposed to, the car doesn't recognize a door's been opened, a door automatically relocks itself even when it's open and sets the alarm off ... the list goes on and on ...), then you know exactly how frustrating this problem is. Personally, I'm sick of having to double-check that my driver's door has actually locked - that's why I did a little investigating about what's going on.

Unlike door locks in older cars which are relatively simple mechanical devices along with a separate plunger switch to determine if a door is open or closed (kind of like on your fridge), the door locks in recent-model VWs are complicated electro-mechanical devices with everything (latch, microswitches) in one relatively compact unit or 'module'.

Here are some pics which should help explain what I'm talking about.

The picture below shows the rear edge of one of the doors on my 99.5 Jetta. The only part of the door locks that is visible is the latch mechanism that hooks onto the u-latch on the b-pillar.

Unfortunately for us, this means that VW put the entire door lock mechanism INSIDE the door. To do any kind of work on it, you need to take the inner door panel off and then remove the window regulator carrier panel. The door lock module is attached to the inside of the carrier panel and is also secured to the edge of the door (by the two 8mm triple square bolts in the picture above). If you remove the carrier panel and door lock module from the door, you'll see the following. The door lock module is indicated by the red arrow.

The two images below show the front and rear sides of the module after it's been disconnected from the carrier panel. The red arrows point to the cable that connects to the interior latch used to open the door, the blue arrows point to the edge of the module that's attached to the rear edge of the door and the green arrow points to the cable that connects to the exterior door handle.

The picture below shows the lock module separated into its two major parts, the electronics portion (circuit board, microswitches, etc) indicated by the blue arrow and the mechanical portion (latch mechanism, cable mechanisms, etc) indicated by the red arrow.

By taking the electronics portion of the lock module apart, it becomes clear that the module uses no less than FOUR microswitches to keep track of the state and operation of the door. Two microswitches (red and blue arrows) are used to detect if the key is being turned in the driver's handle to lock/unlock the doors and open/close the windows and sunroof. A third microswitch (yellow arrow) is used to monitor the state of the locking mechanism, i.e., whether the door is locked or unlocked.

The fourth microswitch is actually in the mechanical portion of the lock module (red arrow in picture below) and is connected to the electronics portion by the red and blue wires. This microswitch detects whether the door is open or closed by monitoring the position of the latch mechanism.

WHY YOU'RE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH YOUR DOOR LOCKS !!!

... or in other words, why do the locks behave like some demon child conjured up by VW engineers one night after a few too many s at OktoberFest?

It has been speculated for a while now by myself and a few others that the problems with the door lock module was a sticky microswitch - this would explain the sometimes intermittent nature of the problems and also would explain why a good, hard whack to the edge of the door near the lock module would temporarily solve them. After reading the following DIY REPAIR by TaligentX, it's clear now that the microswitches in the lock module are perfectly fine. Rather, the problems are due to poor soldering of the contacts between the pins on the locks module's electrical harness connector and the printed circuit board in the lock module.

The region of interest is circled in red in the picture below.

The reason for the problems with the lock modules is clear in the close-up image of this region below. For some reason (bad solder choice, not enough solder, too much physical movement ... who knows???), the solder joints that connect the leads in the harness to the printed circuits for the microswitches tend to crack over time, resulting in either an intermittent or no connection between the two. I found two contacts cracked - pin#3 (blue arrow) and pin#7 (red arrow). Based on the few cases I've heard about where the module was taken apart and solder joints were cracked, it appears that the joints for pins#3, 5 and 7 are the problematic ones.

THE SOLUTION !!!

The solution to the problem is actually very simple. Using a low-wattage soldering iron and some solder, all you need to do is remelt the solder joint (to reestablish the connection) and add a small amount of solder (to beef up the connection).

I did this on my Jetta today and the module now works perfectly!!! If only I had know about this three years ago when the lock module started acting up. To make sure that the problem shouldn't happen again, I not only resoldered the joints for pins#3 and 7, but also for pin#5 ... just in case!

If you want to do this on your car, you can use the following DIY to remove the door lock module from your car door:

HOW TO REMOVE YOUR DOOR LOCK MODULE

(Source: VWVortex.com)

Beat the law

The truth about going catless

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The Problem
More exhaust backpressure generally means less horsepower, and a stock catalytic converter is often the greatest source of backpressure in an exhaust system. So it's no wonder the catalytic is often tossed in favor of an eBay "test pipe" when a performance-minded owner starts itching for a little more power. But there are a few downsides to de-catting a car - the big one being that it's illegal.

Hell bent on wrangling every last horsepower out of their steeds, power mongers often run sans-converter on the street; risking tickets, huge fines or even impoundment of their vehicles. But just how much power are they gaining, and is it really worth the risk? If the thought of surrendering your car to the local towing yard keeps you from yanking your converter, there still may be a way to make more power and not break the law.

Aftermarket catalytic converter manufacturers claim their products can reduce backpressure, helping to free up exhaust flow and make more power. They may have fancy CFM flow graphs and other fancy data to back those claims, but can these kitties really flow better than the OEM pieces? And, how do they compare to the good ol' test pipe, in terms of horsepower?

To answer these questions, we took a lightly-modded 1999 Honda Civic SI and did four back-to-back dyno pulls: one with the stock cat, one with a test-pipe, and two pulls with OBD II approved aftermarket high-flow cats. Read on, and see with your own eyes how powerful you can become by killing your cat.

The Test
Breathing through an aftermarket intake, header and cat-back exhaust system, our Civic mule put down a respectable 147hp and 105 lb-ft to the front wheels on K&N Engineering's dyno. Not too shabby, considering the car was still huffing through the stock OEM catalytic converter. Eager to see what we could gain by uncorking the exhaust, we bolted on the first aftermarket cats.

Aftermarket high-flow cats come with two different types of guts, metallic and ceramic. The ceramic type is less expensive to manufacture and will melt and fail at lower temperatures - not ideal for high performance applications. The metallic honeycombs can withstand the higher temperatures and richer air-fuel mixtures but are more expensive to make and subsequently cost more. But cost isn't the only factor to consider if you find yourself replacing the cat.

It's important to ensure that you have the correct type of converter for your application. If your car is OBD I compliant, you can use any EPA or CARB approved OBD I converter. If your car is OBD II compliant, your cat must be OBD II approved. As a general rule, any car 1996 or newer is OBD II and any car 1995 or older is OBD I. However, some cars were OBD II compliant as early as 1994, so double-check the underhood emissions sticker. The difference between OBD I and OBD II cats is bigger than you might think.

OBD II cats are required to remove about 90 percent of emissions, while the OBD I cats are only required to remove 70 percent. So, put an OBD I cat on an OBD II car and you might fail your emissions testing.

(The prettiest test subject of the day, this Magnaflow ceramic-core catalytic converter came dressed in this shiny stainless-steel jacket. And it has the bite to back up its visual bark, netting our Civic an additional 4hp over the stocker. While able to withstand less heat than the metallic cat, it's less expensive and may suffice for some naturally aspirated engines that run relatively lean AFRs.)



(This is your brain on drugs. OK, it's not. This is what happens when you give a cat too much to eat. Really. In normal operation, a cat burns anything that doesn't get burned by the engine. If a car is running excessively rich, all that unburned fuel leaving the engine ignites inside the cat and literally melts the cat down. This cat has been fed a heavy diet of raw fuel and, as you can see, has melted into a worthless pile of crap.)


(This Magnaflow unit is the least restrictive cat you can legally have on your catalyist-equipted vehicle. With a less restrictive core than the ceramic unit and the ability to withstand richer AFRs, a metallic core cat is the ideal candidate for a high-performance street car.)

After removing the OEM cat, we welded and bolted up an OBD II Magnaflow ceramic-core catalytic converter in place of the stock one. With the Magnaflow cat installed, the Honda turned the rollers to the tune of 150hp and 107 lb-ft to the wheels. The ceramic-core cat netted us an additional 3hp and 2 lb-ft to the front wheels. Obviously, this cat really can flow more than stock.

Next up was the metallic core Magnaflow OBD II cat. Because metallic cats can take more abuse and richer AFRs (and generally flow more), these are often the choice of the performance-minded tuner. After much cursing and a bit of charred flesh, we put the fancy metallic-core cat onto the Civic. Apparently, the metallic core unit does indeed flow slightly better than the ceramic unit. But when we say slight, we mean slight. The metallic core cat netted us a 1hp gain (to 151hp) and no increase in torque over the ceramic core. So, unless you are running a rich AFR (like in a boosted application) the extra cost of the metallic core might not be worth it. However, if you are running a rich mixture, the metallic cat is still your best bet.

With the testing of all three cats out of the way, it was time to unplug the exhaust and let her rip without that pesky brick in the exhaust. No matter how you cut it, a cat is a restriction and costs power, right? With the moment of truth at hand, we bolted in our test pipe - eliminating the cat entirely. On our final pull we stood eagerly by the dyno's monitor, waiting to see the results. Wait ... here it comes ... 152hp and 108 lb-ft - a gain of one measly horsepower and one lb-ft of torque at the cost of breaking the law.

The Lowdown
Now that we've armed you with the facts, you should be ready to make the correct decision should you need to replace your cat. Whether or not you choose to run a cat is between you and Johnny Law. But when you consider the potential gains versus the costs, it hardly seems worth risking getting caught. With a difference of only 1hp between a straight pipe and a 49-state LEGAL cat, it seems foolish to flaunt the law and pollute the air that we all breathe. Hell, if you are only looking for those kinds of gains, just loose 10 pounds -that alone will make your car faster than adding 1 measly HP.

The 5hp gained from losing the factory cat for the metallic one is substantial. If the engine were to later receive more extensive mods, the benefits would probably be even greater. What it all boils down to is that a good aftermarket high-flow cat can indeed flow better than a stock unit, and almost as well as a straight pipe. When you can have all the benefits of removing the cat without the risk of getting busted, it's kind of like having your cake and eating it too.

A Caveat
Before you go off all willy-nilly and replace your cat, there are a few things you should understand first. Contrary to popular belief, not all cats are created equally. The stock factory cats usually do the best job of cleaning up the exhaust, but often at the cost of high backpressure. Aftermarket cat flow and ability to pass emissions testing can be iffy because quality varies greatly. In an effort to save money, some manufacturers cut corners and don't include enough of the agents that actually catalyze and create the heat to burn up the pollutants. Install one of these cats and you might not pass smog. This is why it's important to pick one that is CARB or EPA compliant. These cats have been independently tested and should pass an emissions test.

(Source: Importtuner.com)

Happy Birthday "LS"

VAG Club Family Members would like to wish you a Happy Birthday!



Hope you have a great day.

Drive safe and take care on the road!

VW New Scirocco Offerings

Check out these latest performance mods for the new VW Scirocco from Awesome-gti.co.uk,

Neuspeed P-Flo Kit TSI 2.0 Scirocco/Golf 6 etc





Awesome Product Code: AF-IND-NEU-PF-TSI

"Would you ever run a marathon breathing out of a small paper bag? So why ask your engine to rev all the way to redline breathing through the restrictive factory airbox? The plastic factory airbox is good at muffling intake noise and enhancing low rpm/low speed engine performance, but becomes very restrictive when the engine is operating in the higher rpm range – where most performance drivers need it.

The NEUSPEED P-Flo allows you to uncork the intake side of your engine, drawing in a nearly unlimited supply of fresh air. Plus every P-Flo kit includes a high-performance, multi-layer cotton gauze air filter that is washable and reusable, and traps dirt better than your original paper filter. You also get a more agressive, deep throaty engine roar when you step on the gas pedal.

After months of development, NEUSPEED has determined that the only siginificant restriction in the OE intake is the airbox. As a result, MAF location and original intake tract remain the same.

Notes:This kit fits the newer 2.0 engines that do NOT utilize the engine cover as the air box."

Follow link: Here

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Carbonio Intake Stage 1 2.0TSI





Awesome Product Code:
AF-IND-CARB-TSI

Carbonio's latest carbon fiber intake for the 2.0 TSI engine is a truly race engineered ram air design that is available for the first time as an affordable street car intake system. Building from years of experience on and off the race track, Carbonio's and APR's engineering teams have spent countless hours developing a true cold air and ram air carbon fiber design that can be recreated affordably for the street performance enthusiast.

Aftermarket performance companies have attempted to capitalize on these designs however the cost restraints have typically resulted in compromise and deviation from the true engineering principles associated with motorsport accomplishment. Don't be fooled by catch phrases and tag lines alluding to a new intake technology or special design characteristic. You won't see any of these gimmicks installed on race cars at the Nurburgring.

Carbonio and APR have gone even further to maintain all oem specifications necessary to integrate cohesively with an otherwise stock engine to avoid raising eyebrows at the dealership. Flexibility was another characteristic of Carbonio's and APR's design whereas the new TSI intake is also suitable for Stage 1 and Stage 2 modified engines all the way up to and beyond APR's Stage 3 Turbocharger System.

APR first unveiled Carbonio's TSI Intake System at SEMA 2008 in Volkswagen Group of America's Concept CC and Tiguan.

Benefits of the Carbonio CAI System include:

* Increased Horsepower and Torque
* Improved Throttle Response
* Decreased Turbo 'Lag'
* Flattened Torque Curve (engine is less 'peaky')
* Improved Fuel Economy
* Enhanced Engine Volumetric Efficiency
* Enhanced Sound of Turbo Diverter Valve
* Installs in an Hour (does not require bumper or headlight removal)
* Maintains Clean Appearance by Retaining Factory Engine Cover
* Maintains All Factory Emissions Components
* Fits Both Manual and Automatic Transmissions
* Unique Thermal Barrier Composite Construction Ensures Low Inlet Temperatures
* Fully Compatible and Complimentary with APR Software and Exhaust systems

Each Carbonio Kit Includes:

* Aerospace Grade Carbon Fiber Main Section
* Carbon Fiber Main Section Show Quality Finish
* Complete Photographic Instructions
* All Necessary Hardware Included for Easy Install without Cutting Or Modifying

2.0T CBFA engines require the Secondary Air Breather Filter listed as an optional extra

Follow link: Here

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Milltek cat-back exhaust for Scirocco 2.0 TSI



Awesome Product Code:
MSVW259/263/325

Milltek engineers have had to call upon all of their many years of experience on this particular product to create a catalyst-back system that not only offers many of the features that you expect from a Milltek exhaust, namely increased performance and enhanced driveability, but also a product that can meet the rigorous performance and quality demands of the TÜV & E-Mark testing regulations that are required in many European countries.

The standard Scirocco exhaust system features twin 70mm / 2.75" tailpipes but the Milltek system features slightly enlarged twin 80mm/3.15" tailpipes. These tailpipes have been selected specifically to look like they are part of the original design of the car and not to look like an aftermarket add-on. The Milltek system uses larger, full bore pipework and acoustically efficient silencers for better gas flow.

Follow link: Here

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H&R Sport Springs - Scirocco 08->



Awesome Product Code:
SU-SP-HR-29013-1

Enhance the look of your vehicle with H&R Lowering Springs. H&R Sport Springs provide a lower center of gravity and reduce body roll for better handling. The progressive spring rate design provides superb ride quality and comfort. A lower wind resistance signature will make the vehicle more streamlined and improve gas mileage. If you are only looking to improve one part of your vehicle’s suspension, you cannot go wrong with installing sport springs. Fun to drive, H&R Sport Springs are the number one upgrade for your vehicle.

* Sporty look and performance
* Progressive spring characteristics
* Less weight by using high tension steel
* TÜV approved

Lowers approx 35mm

Follow link: Here

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Want more products that are offered for the Scirocco?

Visit: http://www.awesome-gti.co.uk/section.php?xSec=878&xPage=1

VAGDUBS: Retrobugs

Wondered if an Audi 8L S3/Audi Mk.1 TT 1.8T Quattro/Seat 1M Leon Cupra-R Engine could be fitted in a Golf Mk.1? No problem!



Cause, afterall.. they're still in one great "(V)olkswagen (A)udi (G)roup".