2009 GTI
APR Stage I tune
APR Carbonio Stage I intake
AWE downpipe
I used APR's installation guide for the FSI. It's pretty accurate for a TSI, with some very minor differences that can easily be sorted out. So, no need for yet another detailed installation guide. Instead, I figured I'd highlight the differences between stock and the S3 unit.
I did the installation by myself. There are definitely steps where it would be helpful to have a second set of hands. I used my transmission jack, which proved very valuable.
Mandatory disassembled photo:
Stock IC thickness verified to be about 1.260":
S3 IC thickness verified to be about 1.580":
Rather than just use the "cut off the connector" method to alter the stock hoses, I figured I would remove the connector to preserve as much rubber as possible. Then I could fit them and trim them as needed. To remove the connectors: 1) make a clean cut using a hacksaw without cutting into the rubber, 2) crush connector in vice, and 3) pull remaining connector apart with plyers. This will leave you with a lovely rubber hose.
The driver's side hose is 100% absolutely perfect when done this way. No trimming of the rubber is required! The pic below shows the driver's side hose, fitting perfectly without any hose clamps holding it in place.
The passenger's side hose needed about 1/2"-3/4" cut off of it, but also at a slight angle. It ends up fitting nearly perfectly, 95%. Sorry, no pic.
Logs! For all of the people using this IC, I was surprised that there were no good data points out there. So, I figured I'd log before and after IAT's and MAF readings as the IC can do two things for you... cool the charge and improve flow. And what do you know? The S3 accomplishes both!
Both sets of logs were done in a nearly exact same conditions. I drove the same route from the house, went WOT at the same locations, and ambient was close to the same (17*C for the stocker, 15*C for the S3). Both times I did three back-to-back-to-back runs from 3000 RPM to 6500 RPM, with a lightly braked coast down in between. This was done to try to stress the IC.
As expected, each run to redline gets progressively warmer. The S3 however stays cooler throughout, and remains more consistent.
Something I can't really plot is the difference in IAT temps on the ride back home after making these runs. Sitting at idle at the same stoplights, stock IC was hitting 39*C where the S3 was reaching 34*C. Even under low/no flow conditions, the S3 is shedding more heat.
And how does it flow? Better! There was little/no time for adaptation, so I think that's where there's little, funky varations in the S3 plot, but overall it looks to improve flow quite a bit. I didn't show below 4000 RPM because there's too much variation to be meaningful.
So is the S3 IC worth it??? For $280 bucks, hell yeah, it performs better than stock. The conditions I logged the two under aren't extreme at all. It's conceivable that as ambient temps get hotter, the S3 will do even better. My biggest question would be, how much better does an APR or other big IC upgrade perform??? And considering the effort required to do the installation, it might be worth doing it once and going big.
APR Stage I tune
APR Carbonio Stage I intake
AWE downpipe
I used APR's installation guide for the FSI. It's pretty accurate for a TSI, with some very minor differences that can easily be sorted out. So, no need for yet another detailed installation guide. Instead, I figured I'd highlight the differences between stock and the S3 unit.
I did the installation by myself. There are definitely steps where it would be helpful to have a second set of hands. I used my transmission jack, which proved very valuable.
Mandatory disassembled photo:
Stock IC thickness verified to be about 1.260":
S3 IC thickness verified to be about 1.580":
Rather than just use the "cut off the connector" method to alter the stock hoses, I figured I would remove the connector to preserve as much rubber as possible. Then I could fit them and trim them as needed. To remove the connectors: 1) make a clean cut using a hacksaw without cutting into the rubber, 2) crush connector in vice, and 3) pull remaining connector apart with plyers. This will leave you with a lovely rubber hose.
The driver's side hose is 100% absolutely perfect when done this way. No trimming of the rubber is required! The pic below shows the driver's side hose, fitting perfectly without any hose clamps holding it in place.
The passenger's side hose needed about 1/2"-3/4" cut off of it, but also at a slight angle. It ends up fitting nearly perfectly, 95%. Sorry, no pic.
Logs! For all of the people using this IC, I was surprised that there were no good data points out there. So, I figured I'd log before and after IAT's and MAF readings as the IC can do two things for you... cool the charge and improve flow. And what do you know? The S3 accomplishes both!
Both sets of logs were done in a nearly exact same conditions. I drove the same route from the house, went WOT at the same locations, and ambient was close to the same (17*C for the stocker, 15*C for the S3). Both times I did three back-to-back-to-back runs from 3000 RPM to 6500 RPM, with a lightly braked coast down in between. This was done to try to stress the IC.
As expected, each run to redline gets progressively warmer. The S3 however stays cooler throughout, and remains more consistent.
Something I can't really plot is the difference in IAT temps on the ride back home after making these runs. Sitting at idle at the same stoplights, stock IC was hitting 39*C where the S3 was reaching 34*C. Even under low/no flow conditions, the S3 is shedding more heat.
And how does it flow? Better! There was little/no time for adaptation, so I think that's where there's little, funky varations in the S3 plot, but overall it looks to improve flow quite a bit. I didn't show below 4000 RPM because there's too much variation to be meaningful.
So is the S3 IC worth it??? For $280 bucks, hell yeah, it performs better than stock. The conditions I logged the two under aren't extreme at all. It's conceivable that as ambient temps get hotter, the S3 will do even better. My biggest question would be, how much better does an APR or other big IC upgrade perform??? And considering the effort required to do the installation, it might be worth doing it once and going big.
