Interesting, this is my first dive into MQB (German in general honestly) so still learning the ropes on tidbits. My S2000 pretty much required upgraded cooling once boosted but has been decently solid since then - the upgrades were very noticeable and beneficial.
Is there a particular reason on the MQB platform upgrading the system doesn't help? I'm at Stage 2 power levels and looking to get it on the track for the HPDE/AutoX - also one of the reasons I did the full Macan brake upgrade with the RPVs and such.
Two major reasons, unfortunately.
The cooling stack doesn’t leave much room for the radiator. CSF claims a MASSIVE IMPROVEMENT which listed in MM sounds good on paper, but in reality 42mm (IIRC) only translates to 1.6” in bald eagles measurements which is still laughably thin.
Not only are our turbos (all MQB cars) liquid cooled, but the manifold is also integral to the cylinder head. While that’s good for spool it is very taxing in a track day environment. Figure in a 20 minute session you’re WOT for about 15 minutes straight, and that glowing red turbo is transferring all that heat into coolant shared with the rest of the engine.
I devised a proper solution, almost doubling the capacity of the already much larger CSF radiator, however the shop I choose for manufacturing the part hasn’t made any headway on making my idea reality. It’s just beyond my capabilities since there’s mounting points and hose connections that need to be machined.
To compound the two main issues, the OEM oil cooler is liquid cooled using that same coolant as well…so excessive oil temperature can become an issue.
The least fun, but most effective solution is to detune back to stock power (or close to it) for track days and just enjoy the extra power on the street. But, I’m in it for fun so I’ve just added even more power haha. Not that my car frequently sees track time, but when it does again I’ll need more cool down laps to accommodate the additional power I’ve added (unless the shop in question comes through for me).