tonedef

I'll go the other way and say Magnex, had mine fitted for quite a few years now and it's excellent. Subtle too. That said I had a Supersprint on the valver about ten years ago, no complaints other than the dustbin sticking out from the back bumper, not one bit subtle!

Check all the plastic mouldings around the thermostat housing, temp sensors etc. I had a whole load of fun with those last year and ended up replacing the lot. I'd done the rad the year before too! Just get your engine hot, ticking over with the thermostat open and look around everywhere with a torch, chances are you'll see it squirting out somewhere. What's the system pressure like, can you squeeze the hoses OK? If not, and you haven't already, swap to a blue expansion tank cap as you could be running too much pressure.

I was looking at a new S3 last week, I can see myself owning one of those some time. CoxyLaad It takes very little for the display to read low single figures, unlike the one in the Corrado the mpg is instantaneous and can as you suggest be horrific! It's fun though. One advantage with the Revo map is that you can switch it to standard settings if required, gives the clutch an easier life if you're in the habit of launching the car too often, I've got a paddle clutch fitted to help but it can be a bit grabby. Whichever setting I use though the fuel economy seems similar. I didn't buy a TT as I have to keep the kids somewhere other than the boot, without them it would have been a 911 a long time ago 8)

The 225 varies slightly from the 210 by having VVT, not that it benefits as IIRC it's only to improve emissions at low rpm. Chipped they're the same. Not sure about this better economy after chipping lark, no point having it chipped to drive it more economically is there? I'm pretty sure the VR6 returns generally better figures although I don't take that much notice. In fact I have to admit to not really caring that much, if you want economy, buy a TDi.

Don't give her the option, borrow the Ford, shunt it, job done!

Walesy You're spot on there offering to hold onto Trig's VR for him, I planned to sell mine until I realised it had lost about £10K since I bought it. Plus my wife prefers it over the S3 so she's having it, although she has become quite attached to climate control hence the enjoyment I've had the last month squeezing climatronic in!

Check on the Ross Tech website for compatability with your cars and which interface you'll need, not sure but the 2005 Leon may need CAN-bus and I don't know if everything is backwards compatible? I bought my cable from ebay, a German seller rather than an American one even though the price was a few pounds more at £22 (ish) but as it's EU you know there'll be no extra duty to pay. I downloaded release 409-1 from Ross Tech and registered it for $99 once I knew it worked OK. The cable I have is serial rather than USB as I tend to trust serial more, depends what ports you have on your laptop I guess!

That would make a stunning Christmas present for someone very small!

Don't be fooled too much by all the hype, Audis have their snags the same as anything else, you only have to read the audi sport forum to know that. I love my S3, it's a brilliant motor and I bought it because to me it was as close as VAG were to building a Corrado succesor. There are probably as many rattles and creaks in the S3 as the Corrado, I've had all the interior behind the front seats out and so far failed to stop one of them. I've had to buy level sensors and levelling motors for the headlights as they were setting themselves at a "super dipped" position lighting up the road three feet in front of the car. Vagcom and the ability to use it becomes a necessity rather than the luxury it was with a Corrado. The handling needs some attention, much more so than when I bought my Corrado in fact. And then there's servicing, I bought a car with full Audi history so I'll keep that up, it's on variable servicing so approx 20,000 miles between visits (I do the oil/filter myself in between even though Audi say there's no need). It went in the dealers in May for service which included a cam belt and water pump, haldex service, tracking, the total including a replacement key (over £200) was almost £1,800, even the Corrado costs less than that to keep on the road 2 years. :lol:

My Speedlines have just been done by Pristine in Milton Keynes. You don't have to take them to MK though, phone them up and they'll tell you the nearest agent who'll strip/refit tyres and organise shipping etc. Cost me £214 for the set and one of mine had to be repaired too. And they look like new wheels, I was well impressed. http://www.pristinealloywheels.co.uk/

There's still coolant in the engine, plus you have to say that if you can run for one hour and the temp gets to around 110 C then it's getting some cooling from somewhere, most likely what the aux pump is pushing through the heater matrix though. If the top hose is hot and the bottom hose cold even at 110, then coolant is not circulating the radiator, that simple. The most likely causes for that are: Thermostat, which has been changed so should be OK Radiator, if it's blocked, no circulation. You say the head has been swapped, what was the condition of the old one, was it furry inside, has the car always used coolant additive? If not, the rad could have become blocked. Water pump, the pump could contribute to a problem but water still circulates. And again, it's been changed recently. There's nothing else in there. So by process of elimination you'll have to check the rad next!

I was facing this question last year and settled on the S3, it's quick, handles well and looks pretty good too. I kept the VR6 though as I couldn't face selling it for £2-3K when it cost me £13K. I also considered the R32, and I have to admit it a few BMWs, it doesn't matter what people's opinions are about Beemers, the M cars are a class act! I don't care what anyone says about Clios, they are French and have the build quality that goes along with that, end of story.

On your photo, the part you have circled "Noise" on the "back" of the block is the Aux water pump, the part cirled "No Noise" appears to be the ISV, don't expect that to make noise. The main water pump is mechanically driven by the serpentine belt, it's on the "front" of the block hidden by the alternator and only turns when the engine is running. As Andy T suggests, try a hosepipe in the top of the rad and see if water flows out of the bottom, it would explain why there's no cooling if the rad's blocked.

Classic green VR6, grey leather, grey head lining. Think my valver might have been white but not 100% sure.

I just started mine up to check it and the bottom hose starts to heat up at about 86°C. Sounds like you thermostat is not opening to me?

As tonytiger said it's simply a case of brute force and ignorance. There's a stiffener runs along the bottom of the moulding that hooks behind the metal of the dash, once that's cleared everything gets easier. Don't forget to unclip the lamp fitting and tuck it back up through it's hole before pulling the box out too far or you'll be pushing it back in again :)

I bought the Halfrauds trickle charger for £20ish (can't quite remember). Comes with two sets of cables to plug into it, one with crocs, one with ring crimps for a more permanent set up. Not normally impressed by Halfrauds but this time I have to admit they were spot on!

Now that is the dog's dangly bits :notworthy:

Unfortunately the chip was done when I bought it so I know neither the price nor the actual dyno figures. Best place for loads of info is audi-sport.net I've read opinions for and against everything though so at the end of the day you'll have to make your own choice! Expect around 260, 265bhp from a chip. The wheels are RS4 reps with genuine centre caps, you've gotta know what you're looking for to tell them apart though 18" Michelins cost a fortune mind so I sometimes miss the 17s, I just need some spacers now to fill the arches a bit better. Next job is Powerflex all round and R32 arb's, I've got one bush clunks on the front so I might as well do the lot in one hit. Brilliant fun though aren't they, you just keep pushing harder and harder in the corners and the car keeps getting better!

triggermyson Welcome to the ebony black S3/green Corrado club, I've got the same combination too although the C's classic green! S3's looking well, mine's the same colour right now and I only washed it yesterday, all part of the black car experience isn't it. Mine's a post face lift 51 plate with the black leather interior but still the 210bhp, as you say though it makes no difference when it's mapped, we've got the Revo chip which is good cos it's switchable so you can give the clutch a rest every now and then. :) Here's a pic from earlier in the year when the sun was shining

Once you,ve got the heater ducting all cleaned out, fit a Jetex pollen filter to it and save having to clean it all again. Keeps the screen cleaner when you drive too. Mine has lots of loose shelf fixing screws too, sort those to get rid of some of the squeeks!

Before I bought my S3 I was considering a Leon Cupra R, really liked the look and all that. Until I realised they only came in 4 door that is. I'm sorry but that is just wrong for a sports coupe, I've never had a 4 door car, from first passing my test all the way through babies in car seats, kids, teenagers, we've made do with 2 doors. I ain't gonna change now they're almost old enough to drive themselves. Just my opinion :shock:

Well I changed my heater matrix for a climate control one so I did I shed load of wiring and piping and cutting and chopping to get the new condensor in and modding the dash for the new controls. Sorry, guess that doesn't count, got a bit carried away!

pm sent

I noticed a news story this morning, David Coulthard slagging him off already. I say good luck to the guy and well done McLaren for giving him the chance. Why do we have such a negative attitude in this country? It's no wonder we have so much trouble in sports at world level, nobody is ever simply encouraged to get out there, compete and do their best, it's always the big build up followed by the even bigger knock down. People give Jenson Button a hard time yet he's won and he's a regular on the podium. Put in perspective, he's in the top hand full of the top 20 or so drivers on the planet and journalists still manage to encourage us as a country to say he's no good???