I just upgraded my a3 1.8t 150hp to 195hp and the result when i accelerate is like having a new car!
Now i want to upgrade the air filter & catalytic converter, any contacts in Europ, makes, prices?

It should feel like a new car for the price that oettinger charge! any reusable panel replacement filter will do, and will make a difference, there isn't much difference in them. Or if you can find one go for an custom cone airbox replacement, bearing in mind the sensors on the airbox otherwise you could have gone for a straight induction kit like everyone who doesn't have a complex german car like we do.
John Robins A3 1.8t '99 (currently in discussion with virtually every chipping company for my own chip, at the moment I'm pretty sure it will be either APR or Neuspeed, Oettinger too expensive in UK!).

Do you have any particular brand in mind for the air filter?
Maybe oettinger is more expensive but it is insurance of quality that you really pay for, as i have been told that many chiped cars have problems later on!
laurent

Hi John,

I assume from your post that you are in the UK. What companies are you in discussion with? Have you got any interesting information that you can share with us?

I've spoken (e-mailed) superchips a few times, but my last e-mail of questions never got a reply!
I also sent of for brochures for Oettinger, Wett, and MTM @ B.R. Motorsport. The Oettinger and MTM conversions are extortionate! Superchips and AmD seem to be the cheapest. Wett's in Germany, so would require a trip over or sending the ECU - something I'm not willing to do.

You mentioned APR and Neuspeed. Are you seriously thinking of sending your ECU to the states?

Cheers,

Alan
'99.5 A3 1.8T MS Silver

Alan,
chips,chips,chips-
standard configuration as far as I can see is
6-7lbs ft boost as standard and most companies take this up to 12lbs/ft (0.8bar) boost on the K03 series turbo.
Wetteraur say you have to send them the ECU.
Greedspeed I think they just supply Neuspeed chips.
Superchips say 180bhp is the maximum without changing the injectors.
Oettinger £1400 UK price, nice chip 195bhp 203lb/ft torque but a bit pricey.
BRMotorsport £1112 184bhp I believe they deal with MTM in Germany? still quite steep for a bit of software(Microsoft prices look cheap!).
GTI in Brackley £1495 195bhp 203lbs/ft torque looks like an Oettinger chip to me.
Votrag Motorsports are currently working on Golf IV software so as soon as that is complete they will start on the A3.
APR have sent them my ECU number and they are now going to get hold of ECU with the same software and rewrite, they are going to e-mail me as soon as they get any progress.
Neuspeed most helpful of all companies yet contacted, they say that the ECU will only allow a maximum opening of 16.32 milliseconds on the injectors when fully open so if you wanted more power you need a 5.0 bar fuel pressure regulator this will push more fuel through on the same opening, meaning you could then run more boost!
Neuspeed have offered several options, first mail complete ECU(about £60 freight fully insured for £1200, thats £120 there and back), second have the chip removed and mail just the chip to them, thirdly have someone with a chip reader download the program from the chip, e-mail Neuspeed the program then they send you the chip which you can have fitted by any electrical engineer with an SMT soldering iron.
Alot of people seem very scared of tuning these cars, but it is a highly detuned motor when you think that companies are offering in excess of 300bhp on the 1.8t, 200bhp doesn't really seem that much does it!

John Robins.

Latest from Neuspeed- they say the efficiency rating of the K03 turbo is at 0.8 bar it can be programmed to 1.0 bar but you have to upgrade the fuel pressure regulator from 4.0 bar to a 5.0 bar unit, one of their members of staff has this setup on their A4 and says there is a great improvement on lower end torque and a stronger pull throughout the range, Neuspeed basic price for the p-chip $199.95 (£130) and $99.95 for the regulator if you want to go further, but they suggest there is more of a risk using that much boost with a stock turbo. check out there web page, they are not a small company I believe there prices are low because America is a larger market and every thing is cheaper overthere.

Thanks John, very informative indeed.

I'm very surprised at the cost of the GTi Brackley chip.

I'm afraid, for me, £1500 for a chip is way too expensive. Is 45bhp really worth 1500 pounds? My answer is no.

But keep us posted on which option you take, any problems etc. etc.

Regards,

Alan
'99.5 A3 1.8T MS Silver

Hi,

I agree - £1500 is way off the mark - In our previous discussion I am sure that AmD were offering 190bhp for about £450??

That sound more like it...

David

If you send you EGU fedex to Germany you can have your car running with 195hp and 270 torque in less than 5 days, like i did from Greece!!
I paid half than i would pay in Greece, and from what you say 3 times less than in UK.
Courrier service is a wanderfull thing!

Who did you send it to? how much for the chip? how much for transit? what make of chip? do they have a website?

www.oettinger.com is based in Germany. You can email them and after you make sure they have the EGU for your car, you just send the original EGU of your car fedex to them. They send it back to you the same day, and installation has to be made by an Audi dealer as you would need a diagnostic tool 551 or something, to test for errors, and program the throttle.
that is all basically!

You say about programming the throttle, by any chance do you have the fly by wire throttle version?

apparently so does the a3 quattro and some a4 turbos, not sure about rest of the world market though

I think all the 180bhp upwards engines are drive by wire.As a driver of both they feel very different to drive, I think I prefer the cable version!.

I can't answer you for sure, but it only takes a few seconds for the diagnostic tool to regulate it. I also think that the ECU upgrade did not change the throttle settings, as the technician told me it didn't need any tuning.