Car modifications and warranty related issues

"Will this modifications void my warranty?"

The gazillion million trillion dollar questions that basically get on my nerves and I believe will also get on motorhead's nerve in general.

So to new car owners, the general rule is this (which pretty much is common sense lah, but I feel its lacking alot), modifications DO NOT go hand in hand with warranty.

What does that mean?
That basically mean that the moment you modify something, you run the risk of your warranty being voided.
IF you have modified something and your warranty is voided, please do not go around bitching about it. The terms and condition of the warranty is there for you to see and read. So please read and understand it.

So please do not go around asking the question. You basically make yourself look stupid.

You itchy backside want to modify, you run the risk of your warranty being voided.

Common sense. Grow some please.

And yes, I am very sensitive to this question. Sensitive as in very sensitive and potentially I will go super saiyan ape-shit if being asked question.

Here's a customary potato after a rant post.

P/S - modifications is not the same as enabling/disabling BCM functions.

Some hardware upgrade

The modification bug bite a couple of months ago and there is a pressing need to scratch it.
So scratch it I will.

This modification involved killing the cat.
Yes. Cat.

I killed the cat here.
Of course I've pre-order my downpipe a few weeks before hand.
I highly recommend Jian Hang due to Ah Wa superb workmanship.

This is how the original factory catalytic converter looks like.

How the engine looks like with the factory catalytic converter removed.

I junked this restrictive factory catalytic converter into a custom after-market downpipe.

A comparison of the factory catalytic converter and the aftermarket downpipe.

Now what is the difference after swapping to an aftermarket less restrictive downpipe?

Frankly speaking, you won't feel any difference but this step is required if you are to enjoy the full potential of the software portion.

Hehe.

Stay tuned.

DQ200 (DSG7) - The max torque story v3

From the previous v2 DSG DQ200 post here, the team at Project'A continue to refine the Stage 3 map on the Passat B7.

With more refining done to it, as expected, there is a bump in power output too.

The final figures are now as below.
Numbers are on wheel.

Peak power is now 297 PS, up from the previous 284 PS.

The major gain will be the torque as there is consistently at least 350NM of torque available from 3.5k rpm onwards as compared to the previous 300NM.

Overall, with this new map, apart from a gain in power, the daily drivability is much more linear too as regardless what is shown in the graph, the actual drivability is better than before.

And yes, this is the exact same Passat as before with DSG7 (DQ200) gearbox and running on stock clutch pack. 

And yes again, this car is still being happily driven around town by the owner.

For more information, contact the guys at Project'A.

Golf MK7 TSI - 2 mode ESC

To owners of Golf MK7 1.4 TSI in Malaysia or Singapore, anyone interested in this?

Hehe..

Image credit to TJ_HOOKER from VWVortex.

Jetta MK6 ESC/Traction Control Off Button

The current generation VW Jetta (A6, Typ1B)(2011 onwards), also known as the MK6 version, do not come with the option to turn off Traction Control or ESC for all markets.

Indirectly this can make the car quite dull in a sense that you can hardly do a handbrake turn, J-turn or some induced oversteer without the electronic nanny coming into play.

Thankfully for the VAG group, almost all their components are literally interchangeable across all models ranging from Audi to Skoda. With this in mind, I went out to source for an ESC off kit for the car.

Installation of the kit is very straightforward as it is literally plug and play as the ESC module in the Jetta is infact shared across all the PQ35 platforms. The only thing missing in the Jetta MK6 ESC module is the bloody "ESC Off" kit.

Grrr...

So what I did was to obtain the kit for my Malaysia Spec 1.4 TSI Twincharge Jetta and have it installed to the car. Just possibly the only Jetta MK6 in Malaysia with the option to have "ESC Off".

I've gotten the kit online here and the good folks at EA Autoworks installed it for me.
With installation fees of course.

Below is how it looks like after installing the "ESC Off" button.

Now, after the installation of this kit, it allows me a certain control over how much of fun before the ESC kicks in.

Why did I say so?

Because after installing the kit, and by pressing the "ESC Off" button, it only turn off the Traction Control (ASR). This basically means that I am allow only a certain degree of "wheel spin" and a very small degree of "oversteer" before the ESC cuts the fun.

So what I did was to do an "ESC defeat" by changing the coding of the ESP module.

With the "ESC defeat" coding done, I am able to turn off ESP completely by holding down the "ESC Off" button for 3 seconds.

With the ESC completely turned-off, yep, it is indeed fun time as you can do a complete 180 degrees handbrake turn, J-turn and more.

So at the end of the day, what is it that is being done?

Press "ESC Off" once - Disable Traction Control (ASR)

Press and Hold "ESC Off" for 3 seconds - Completely disable ESC

Note:

Electronic Stability Control (ESC) is there for a reason. Go figure.

DQ200 (DSG7) - The max torque story v2

Continuing from here, where it shows that the DQ200 (DSG7) potential maximum factory rated torque of 360 NM instead of the more commonly known 250NM torque limit, I am fortunate to have a friend to test out this theory.

The car involved is a Passat B7. A Passat B7 that is locally assembled in Malaysia with a 1.8L turbo-charged engine with a rated 160PS and 250NM output stock from factory. And yes, it has a DQ200 (DSG7) gearbox mated to it.

So what we have done to the car is the usual full custom exhaust system, upgraded coil packs, upgraded spark plugs, upgraded the factory turbos, upgraded the stock intercooler, junked the factory intake and replaced it with an APR intake kit and not to mentioned we have a stage 3 Project'A map done to the car.

With all the mods and fine-tuning to the engine mapping done, we finally arrived at this figures below.

We managed to push the Passat to a final figures of 284PS and 321NM on wheels.

This is done with a fuel rating of RON97.

In case anyone has been wondering of the durability, this car has been running around town since 5th of May 2014 till now without issues. Total stock gearbox with stock clutch pack.

On top of being daily driven, this car has also seen the usual mountain road runs of Ulu Yam and Genting Highlands on an almost bi-weekly basis. Not to mention too the usual high-speed runs on the highways around the country.

A closing note:
This is by no means an absolute fact about DSG7. This is purely based on the personal experience that me and my friend have playing around with the "supposedly fragile" DSG7.
Mod at your own risk.

Updated:
I've gotten the green light to reveal the tuner.
This Passat is running on a stage 3 Project'A map.

More info on the stage 3 output here.

Another Track Day

2015 started off kinda good to me. Early in the new year, I have another opportunity to have a go in the famed Sepang International Circuit (SIC).

Yup, its another open track day for the track junkies. I grab this window of opportunity to test out the newly added items to the Altis right at the end of 2014.

I have the brakes uprated from the original calipers to the brake kit from a Golf R MK6 armed with Ferodo Racing brake pads.

I have also junked the original absorbers which is already at its end of service life for a pair of coilover kit from BC Racing. Its a V1 series with 8k rated spring rate for front pair and a 5k rated spring rate for the rear pair. Damping is 30 way adjustable.

On top of that, I have the previously used Kumho KU36 donuts swapped with a new fresh set of Hankook RS3 rubbers.

A perfect time indeed to get those items tested out and see if I can improve on my previous time which is just right below 3.00 mins per lap done in a completely stock car with Kumho KU36 tyres and uprated brake pads on stock calipers and disc.

Taking a break after one of the many laps.

Safety car is deployed due to some mishap.

At the end of my session, my best time as captured by the Race Chrono app is as below.

A good 6 seconds improvement even with traffic on track.

All this done without any power mods apart from an air intake kit.

This gives me a renewed confidence that I should be able to hit 2.50 per lap (without power mods) if I am to further improve on my braking, throttle time and also racing lines. Time will tell on this.

All in all, I had a good fun session learning more about the capability of the car.

A final shot of the Altis after the track session.

An Island city night drive...

Taking full opportunity of having my own here, I went out for a night cruise around this Island City to catch the sights and sound from a different perspective.

Somehow ended up at Gardens By The Bay.



A nice at night really.

P/S - 

Pic are taken by phone cameras. 

Sony Z1 Compact and Samsung Galaxy Alpha. 

No DSLR trickery here.

A Car...

A car...

DQ200 (DSG7) possible max torque?

A couple of weeks back, while exploring around the BCM of the "Altis", I stumbled upon a very interesting discovery.

Apparently the DQ200 gearbox (thats DSG7 dry clutch for layman) has a factory rated max torque of 359.9 NM (360 NM) instead of the more well known 250 NM limit.

This is an interesting piece of information indeed, even to myself.

Now lets see what shall I do next with this newly discovered information.

Update:

More experience on DQ200 (DSG7) torque story here. 

[Guide] Fixing VW Jetta MK6 Rattling Door

Volkswagen.


A brand that is perceived to be premium in this part of the world.
So as expected of a premium brand, one should be expecting a car that is solidly assembled with every single switch gear, panels and trims to be solidly in place.

So it seems.

Less then 1 year into ownership, to be more precise, 7 months later, my rear passenger door develop some annoying rattling sound.
Yes, rattling sound in a Volkswagen. In this case, its my Volkswagen Jetta Mk6.

"What a rattling sound in a less then a year old Volkswagen? Sure or not?". 

That is the exact question my friends asked when topic about my car arises.

It can be heard on the move over some slightly uneven surface, over bump or when you open the door and shake it.
It annoys the hell out of me and the thoughts of making an appointment with the Service Center to resolve this seems daunting. I need to leave the car in the Service Center for the whole day and this don't guarantee that they will be able to resolve my issue.

Time to find a solution to this rattling door.
I took matter into my own hands.
I brought my car to my usual place at EA Autoworks to work on it. They have the tools and here I have some folks to back me up in case I need assistance and I am very confident in their superb workmanship.

So the first step is to dismantle the door to find out the source of the rattling sound. Troubleshooting by ear seems to point the source towards the upper left hand side of the door.

This is how the door looks like behind the panel.

Removing the big rubbery plastic cover for better access.

The troubleshooting is focus towards the upper left hand side of the door. Namely this area.

But guess what, after we have dismantled the door panel, shaking the door did not produced any rattling sound. We were stumped. So we fitted back the door panel and shake the door again. The rattling sound came back. Puzzling indeed.

We removed the door panel again and did a more thorough study. 

Finally we found out the source of the rattling sound.

It is from the tweeter.

How did the tweeter cause the ratting sound?

The tweeter is supposed to be lock in position by its place holder. But it seems that this particular tweeter has come loose from its holder and because it is loose, its free play will knock/rattle against the panel thus causing the annoying rattling sound. 

Since the source of the rattling is found, the good folks at EA Autoworks helps me to secure the tweeter firmly in place with some very fine wood shreds and some industrial or audio equipment glue.

We then fit everything back in place and then we do the "swing" test again.

The rattling is totally gone.

I then went on a test drive on a nearby superbly uneven road and thankfully, the annoying rattling sound is no longer there.

Problem solved.

Never felt such satisfaction in working and resolving issues on your own cars with your own hands.

With some assistance from the good folks in EA Autoworks of course.

The "Altis"

I don't know why I named it Altis.
Maybe out of pure cheekiness as the troll in me is very strong.
Anyway the name stuck and it kinda grew on me.

Time really flies when you are having fun.
I still remember the "Altis" sitting in the delivery bay awaiting to be collected way back in November 2012.

43km on the clock with the MFD totally as it is direct from factory.
Yes the time is off because it is yet to be configured.

Duh.

I can't believe its already 9 months since I took delivery of the car.

9 months and 23k km of fun, even as a daily drive.

Life is good.

A fun daily drive car and a mad weekend car.

[Review] Ultra Racing 23mm Rear Anti-Roll Bar for VW Jetta

Having tracked the "Altis" several times in Sepang and also some competitive events, I figured out areas that needs improvement for the "Altis" to suit me.

One of it is to make the body roll more controllable.
So off I go to my usual place, EA Autoworks to get the necessary parts and services.

The area of upgrade for this time will be the rear anti-roll bars.
The "Altis" comes with 16mm rear anti-roll bar as standard fare from factory.

I am going to replace the stock 16mm rear anti-roll bar with Ultra Racing 23mm Rear Anti-Roll Bar.

 

The replacement process is straight forward and as simple as ABC. Literally.

Raise the car on the hoist. 

Remove the stock anti-roll bar.

Fit in the new anti-roll bar.

Voila. Work completed.

It's time for a test drive at the nearby "handling test course".

The effect of a bigger anti-roll bar is immediate. The car stay flatter around corners now as it is having a much higher resistant to roll now.

Make no mistake, at its limit, the car still have the roll angle of the stock anti-roll bar but with the bigger Ultra Racing 23mm Rear Anti-Roll Bar, the car take a longer time and more force to get there. So this indirectly translate to a "flatter" cornering experience, in layman terms.

As the "handling test course" did not allow for a much higher speed of cornering, it is left to the usual "test track" of many regular driving kakis.

A date is setup with the regular people for a dash uphill.

What ever experience felt during the "handling test course" is replicated at the corners of the "test track".

As the "test track" allows for a much higher speed run, the improvement is more apparent.

The "Altis" has a much sharper turn-in now compared to before and this allows the car to literally dive into a corner later without much worry about the rear swinging wildly about from such last minute maneuver as the up-rated anti-roll bar keep the weight transfer in check.

Taking sweeping corners are now better as the weight transfer is more gradual, thus the car sit flatter through most of the corners and this allow me to have more time on the throttle and less time correcting the car mid-corner. Indirectly this translate to a "faster" drive as you spend more time on the throttle.

All in all, I would say this would be a good up-grade for those who don't want to sacrifice the comfort of stock suspension while at the same time looking for some improvement over their stock suspension.

Just remember that this is an improvement but do not expect the level of handling improvement that coil-overs or sports springs provides. 

Note to kids:

Changing to a bigger anti-roll bar is not magic. You still need proper coil-overs or sports springs to improve your vehicle handling.

VW Jetta MK6 in Sepang International Circuit

I never felt so much at home then in the tracks of Sepang International Circuit.

After finding out how the car would feel during a recent event here, I've finally gotten the chance to test out the "Altis" on the famous tarmac of Sepang International Circuit. Not once but twice actually.

The first time the "Altis" entered Sepang, I did not do any adjustment whatsoever to the car like tyre pressure and such and the car is entered as it is, in its very condition it arrived.

After spending a good 70% of the session learning the car, I then go into "time attack" mode for the final quarter of the session.
Managed 3:05 with the car in moderate to slightly heavy traffic condition.

Not much comment on the time as I need a reference time to base on for future track reference.

It was a good session as I get valuable personal data on how the car behaves and what improvements need to be done.

A couple of months later, I have another opportunity to run the Jetta in the track again and this time, the only "tuning" I did was to check the before and after reading of the tyres and the pressure is adjusted accordingly before each run.

Same thing follows, the first 70% of the session is spent getting the readings and correcting it accordingly. The final 30% is spend on "time attack" mode.

Frankly I can feel the improvement just on playing with the tyre pressure alone. I got more traction and the car ESP kicks in much later allowing me more throttle time.

This time I managed to bring the car below 3 mins to 2:59.47.

This particular session also did confirmed what exactly needed to be done.

A group pic after the second session.

Although the timing is not based on Sepang transponder, but I have the chance to do a cross-checked as the Lancer above is running on a transponder and I have the opportunity to cross check the app reading with the transponder reading.

The difference is only 2 hundredth of a second.

Now bring on the 2:50 barrier for this car.

"Altis" on dyno

Right before the car hit the magical 5 figures, I figure that I better get a power reading first as usually the magical 5 figures is where the green light for modding starts. Well at least for me.

Haha.
Hopefully the missus won't kill me.

So where else if not at GT Auto, a place I always frequent for dyno or car tuning purposes.

On a bright saturday morning, after sending the missus to work, I drop by GT Auto to have the car placed on the dyno machine.

It was after hooking up all the cables that Thomas from GT Auto realized that the ESP cannot be turned off in this car.

So as a solution, the dyno reading will be run in Link mode where both the axles will be placed on rollers like how a 4WD vehicle will be dynoed.

With both the axles safely placed on the rollers, the fun begins.

Due to my excitement in looking at the output of the car, I forgot to take more pictures of the dyno process in progress.

ARGHHHHHHHHHHHH !!!

Anyway, after all is done and dusted, my final results is as below.

Considering the stated factory output of the car as 160PS / 240NM, I am quite happy with the power that my stock car is putting out.

Wonders of running it hard since day one.

With this base reading in hand, the next stage can now earnestly start.