Modding FAQ. All Information about modifying Mk7's.

[Stage2Sasquatch]

So you want to make your slow car fast? Tired of getting passed by V6 minivans? This thread is for you.

V1.0 11/23/15 (Original Version with lots of errors)

There’s always people asking how to and where to start modifying their car so I’m going to be compiling a thread of information and links to get people started. Firstly, what engine do you have? If you have a 2015/2016/2017 GTI then you have the Gen 3 2.0T TSI motor. This motor is the same for both PP and Non-PP cars. This guide will mainly focus on the 2.0T engine and not the 1.8T. In this thread I will talk about the different things you can do to your car and what effect it will have. I will also put a few examples (in no specific order) of parts under each subcategory. They are just simple examples and are in no way shape or form the best of each part type etc. If you have any questions ask below…

Once again THE EXAMPLE PARTS ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES ON THE MARKET, THEY ARE JUST EXAMPLES.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: READ BEFORE CONTINUING

When you upgrade your downpipe, you will either need a tune or you will need to buy the 42DD 02 Spacer. If you do not have one of those you will throw a CEL (Check Engine Light). It will not affect any engine performance, but it will be annoying.

Tunes make a TON of power on these cars. Chances are you will eventually need to replace the clutch when tuned; yes, any tune. (Manual Transmission only).

Engine:

Tunes: Also known as “chips” even though that definition is outdated and incorrect. This is the best bang for buck when it comes to easy power gain with little/no modification. There are few main options for tuning and all of them offer tunes for bone stock cars to bigger turbo/full bolt-on cars. For the average enthusiast there is also “stages” of tunes, in which the tune will be tailored to a specific set of modifications not you individual car.

-Burger Motorsport (BMS): BMS hit the big leagues with their JB4 piggy-back tune for BMW’s. (http://burgertuning.com/jb_vw_stage_1_tuner.html) They make a Plug and Play tune called JB1 that is easy to easy and easy to take-off for warranty work. The JB1 is the first version of the later to be released JB4 which will have more tuning options. The systems come with difference maps that can be switched depending on what fuel and supporting modifications you have.

• JB1: Plug and Play tune. No mods necessary to install. User adjust-ability done through an optional cable.
• Map 0: Stock with complete pass through i.e. the JB1 does nothing
• Map 1: Less aggressive boost profile map, this supports 91 octane at the base boost setting as well as bolt ons. If higher octane is used the boost can be increased as well as with bolt ons. We found that with intake, dp and 93 the boost can be pushed to +5.5psi. The method of doing this is in the second picture below. A E35 ethanol mix has been tested with this map and its fully compatible to run at boost levels up to +5.5psi when complimented with FBO (full bolt on mods). For anything higher than +5.5psi race fuel is required.
• Map 3: Map three allows the JB1 to be the methanol controller working as a fail safe cutting boost if lack of meth flow is detected. You will require a Coolingmist FSB to get this working. A explanation on the settings will be given once we have decided which base map is used and how much extra boost when meth is flowing can be given.
• Map 6: User adjustable boost profile (see below) Active on units that ship 30.09.2015 and after.
(Information gathered from: http://www.golfmk7.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10761)

-APR: Audi performance racing is a US based company that specializes in most VAG applications. (http://www.goapr.com/) APR tunes through the OBDII port. APR offers stages of upgrades:

• Stage 1: Modifications necessary: none. A tune for a bone stock car that removes the top speed limiter and increases boost and modifies timing.
• Stage 2: Modifications necessary: 2.75-3.0 inch downpipe. A tune for a car with just an exhaust; Note: only downpipe is required.
• Stage 2+: Modifications necessary: 2.75-3.0 inch downpipe and IS38 Turbocharger from a Golf R.

-Eurodyne: Eurodyne is a company that specializes in the VW/Audi tuning scene. They provide you with a powertap tool that allows you to flash your car in your own driveway. It is also the cheapest of the full tunes.

• Stage 1: Modifications necessary: None. A tune for a bone stock car on 91 octane that removes the top speed limiter and increases boost and modifies timing.
• Stage 1.5: Modifications necessary: None. A 93 octane tune for a bone stock car.
• Stage 2: Stage 2: Modifications necessary: 2.75-3.0 inch downpipe. A tune for a car with just an exhaust; Note: only downpipe is required.
• IS38 Tune: (Not Released yet).

-Revo Technik: Revo is a European tuning company that specializes in Volkswagen group and Ford group vehicles. They offer staged upgrades as well and they are basically similar to APR and Unitronic (http://www.revotechnik.com/). Tunes can be uploaded through the OBDII or you can purchase a SPS programmer which will allow you to change tunes on the go and tweak several parameters.

• Stage 1: Modifications necessary: none. A tune for a bone stock car that removes the rev limiter and increases boost and modifies timing.
• Stage 2: Modifications necessary: 2.75-3.0 inch downpipe and intake. A tune for a car with just an exhaust; Note: only downpipe and intake is required.

-Unitronic: Unitronic is a large tuning company specializing in the VAG platform. (https://www.unitronic-chipped.com/ecu-tuning/Volkswagen-GTI-20L-TSI-EA888-2015-2015-stage1) They offer staged tunes for our cars ranging from just a reflash to big turbo tunes. Tunes are done through the OBDII port.

• Stage 1: Modifications necessary: none. A tune for a bone stock car that removes the rev limiter and increases boost and modifies timing.
• Stage 1+: Modifications necessary: none. A tune for a bone stock car that removes the rev limiter and increases boost and modifies timing. Same tune but for 93 Octane.
• Stage 2: Modifications necessary: 2.75-3.0 inch downpipe and intake. A tune for a car with just an exhaust; Note: only downpipe and intake is required.
• Stage 2+: Modifications necessary: 2.75-3.0 inch downpipe, intake, and IS38 Turbocharger from Golf R.

-GIAC: Another tuner with over 20 years of experience with many different platforms. They offer stages a bit unlike the other major tuners. (http://www.giacusa.com/products/software/) Tunes are flashed through the OBDII port or a Flashloader can be purchased to changes tunes at your convenience.

• Stage Xplus: Modifications necessary: None. A tune for stock cars. (Note: Downpipe and intake is recommeded)
• Stage X2Plus: Modifications necessary: Intake, Downpipe, HPFP, inter-cooler. A tune for a nearly full bolt-on car.

There are many more tuning companies available to check out like: United Motorsports, Driver Motorsports, Nuespeed Power Module that I will update later.

Intakes: More air means more power and there is a wide variety of intakes available that will accomplish this. Our stock intakes actually flow quite well compared to other cars hence why an intake is not necessary for most of the “off the shelf tunes”, but more air is never a bad thing. Intakes are cheap and there are many to choose from but here’s just a couple to get you started.

-CTS (http://www.ctsturbo.com/cart/products/CTS_MK7_Intake_GTI_GolfR_Golf-4745-0.html)
-Neuspeed (http://www.neuspeed.com/331/0/0/3118/651046-neuspeed-p-flo-air-intake-kit.html
- APR (http://www.goapr.com/products/intake_ea888_gen3_mqb.html)

Exhausts: For turbo cars there are two main sections that will be talked about with our applications (Cat-backs and downpipes). As the name suggests a downpipe is the section of exhaust that connects from the turbo to past the cats. Also as the name suggests a cat-back is the portion of exhaust that runs from behind the cats (hence cat-back) to the tips. On our cars 90% of the power gain will be had through changing of the downpipe. The stock cat-back flows quite well all things considered. The golden rule for exhausts on our cars is downpipe for power, cat-back for sound. (Note: Turbobacks are both combined AKA a full system)

-Downpipes: Here are just a few popular downpipe options ranging from 2.5-3.0 inches.
• CTS (http://www.ctsturbo.com/cart/products/CTS_Turbo_MK7_GTI_Golf_Downpipe-4711-0.html)
• USP: (http://www.uspmotorsports.com/USP-3-Stainless-Steel-MQB-Downpipe-MK7-GTI-Golf-Audi-A3.html)
• Ebay (Will post link later)

-Cat-backs: Here are a few cat-back options.

• CTS (http://www.ctsturbo.com/cart/products/CTS_Turbo_MK7_GTI_3_Cat_Back_Exhaust-4780-0.html)
• Unitronic: (https://www.unitronic-chipped.com/ecu-tuning/Volkswagen-GTI-20L-TSI-EA888-2015-2015-hwmk7gticatback)
• Ebay (Will post link later)

HPFP upgrade: Stands for high pressure fuel pump. I won’t get into the operation of a direct injection engine too much but basically there are two fuel pumps, a high pressure and a low pressure. For our engines the high pressure fuel pump has a really hard time flowing high rates of fuel at low RPM high load scenarios as well as high hp applications. A few different options exist, some being DIY internals and others being complete pumps. Not needed for most Bolt-on/IS38 setups.

• Autotech (https://www.ecstuning.com/Volkswagen-Golf_VII--2.0T_Gen3/Engine/Fuel/ES2973041/)

Water/meth: A lot of tuners offer a 100 octane “race gas” file. Problem is nobody is going to be normally running race gas in our cars as A. It’s expensive and B. It’s not a racecar. The list of benefits that a water/meth setup are vast but mainly you will see lower intake charge temps and will have the ability to advance timing. I.E. you can run the 100 octane file successfully with water/meth and 93 octane gas. There are few good options for this but it may require a good amount of install work and adjusting to get right but are extremely rewarding.

- There are a few main kits but before you buy W/M id recommend checking out this thread http://www.golfmkv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50805 which has all you need to know about water/meth with our applications.

 

[Stage2Sasquatch]

Intercooler: Upgrading to a larger intercooler can decrease charge air temperatures and help resist heat soak better than the stock intercooler. This is turn means that you can make more power and maintain it for longer on hot days. There are very popular options around, some of the most popular are straight off of the Golf R. The Golf R can be had for $275 in some places, making it a great bang for buck upgrade but it will be cool as effectively as a true big intercooler.

• Golf R: (https://deutscheautoparts.com/mk7-g...5803p.html?_ga=1.7203703.412810425.1448293937)
• Revo: (https://deutscheautoparts.com/catal...de-revo/?_ga=1.251012803.412810425.1448293937)
• Unitronic: (https://deutscheautoparts.com/mk7-g...nic.html?_ga=1.251012803.412810425.1448293937)

Turbochargers:
This will be a huge topic because long story short his is how our little 2 liter four cylinder can make over 400-500whp with the right setup. A turbocharger uses exhaust gases to spin a turbine which is connected to a compressor. This compressor then sucks in air at a much higher rate than what it possible with a “naturally aspirated” application. The amount of pressure the turbocharger is producing can be measured in PSI or BAR with a boost gauge. Note: A boost gauge should literally be the first modification to do when adding power. Our cars come equipped with a IHI turbo which is good for a punchy 300 horsepower application but it is simply too small to move a large amount of air at high rpms. Choosing a turbocharger that is correct for your application and plans is extremely important. Finding out what your end goal is power wise is integral, for instance, if you just cruise around town and only attend local autoX and track days you may want a smaller frame IS38 turbocharger. If you’re building a tire shredding drag beast or highway hero you may want to select a large frame turbocharger like the GT30+ series.

In short…

Big turbos: More power but at higher rpm, longer spool up time.
Small turbos: Less power but accessible at a lower rpm, faster spool up time.
Here are a few popular options: (Kits are available from major tuners above) Smallest to largest

• Currently the IS38 is the only one on the market. (http://www.ctsturbo.com/cart/products/MK7_Golf_R_Audi_S3_Turbocharger_IS38-4872-0.html)

Driveline:

Making extra power is easy; getting it to the ground with an open diff FWD platform is another story. Here are a few common modifications that will help you put that power down and minimize negative FWD issues like wheel hop.

Dogbone insert/mount: Probably one of the cheapest modifications out there, these will help reduce wheel hop and give you better shifter feel (more direct). There are inserts or you can buy the full mount for even more feel. Keep in mind all engine and transmission mounts could transfer more NVH into the cabin. Should work for Gen 3 TSI.

• BSH (http://www.redline-motorworks.com/BSH_2_0T_TSI_Torque_Arm_Insert_p/10550103.htm)

Short-Shifter: A common myth of short shifter is that the main/only benefit is a shorter throw. Our cars being front wheel drive means that the transmission is in the front drivers side of the engine bay instead of directly under the shift lever like on some RWD cars. Basically the "Shifter" is the interface between the linkage and the actual gears. I.E It's very important. There is a few options that completely change the shifter feel while providing a shorter throw as well. I think the DieselGeek Sigma 6 deserves a special mention however and I'll tell you why... There is not one single modification except for that shifter that has so much universal praise between 3 full generations of VW's/Audi's on multiple different models. It is a VERY good product. I promise you that is the only subjective biased thing I will say in this whole write-up.

• DieselGeek Sigma 6 Shifter (http://www.dieselgeek.com/6_Speed_VW_Short_Shifter_p/ss-sigma6.htm)
• APR (http://www.goapr.com/products/short_shifter_trans_6mt.html)

Clutch: When adding more power our cars with a manual transmission you have to be aware that the stock clutch can only hold so much torque before slipping. You’ll see stories about people’s clutch slipping with just a tune, others will have no problems with the stock clutch on IS38 applications. Tons of factors go into this but basically you are adding more power to a clutch that was rated for maybe 300TQ at best so it’s a good idea to replace it. There’s many options to choose from but be aware, you will have to replace your DMF for almost every clutch with a SMF. Sometimes a really light SMF can produce a “chatter” of sorts and can be annoying for some. Along with this, a lighter clutch and flywheel combo will make your car rev faster and more freely. (Note: DSG users won’t need to worry about this) Here’s a few to choose from:

• RSR (http://www.hstuning.com/product_info.php?products_id=3888)

LSD: The differential allows the car to go around the corner with the outside wheel travelling further than the inside wheel without sliding. This is good for normal driving, but when you drive very heavy footed or when things are slippery, this normal differential allows the one wheel to spin and the other to just sit there and the car goes nowhere. A limited slip differential allows some slip so you can go around corners (like the normal differential) but limits the amount of slipping so when you are driving with a heavy foot or are stuck, the one wheel only spins somewhat before the other starts to pull. Basically in corners a LSD makes your “1 wheel drive” car into a true two wheel drive car. Note: labor is expensive for these but many swear by them. Here’s a few popular options, there is little/no debate on which is best. All of them have very positive reviews for forum users. Should work for Gen 3 TSI but obviously not needed on performance pack GTI's.

• Peloquin (http://www.hstuning.com/product_info.php?products_id=372)
• WaveTrac (http://www.autotech.com/product/wavetrac-differentials/10-309-175WK.html?fromcat=)
• Quaife (http://quaife.co.uk/shop/products/qdf19r-1)

Engine/transmission mount: These help reduce movement between the transmission, engine, and body. They can improve shifter feel, reduce wheel hop at the expense of increased NVH. Here are a few popular options. (Note: some of these include the dogbone mount)

• (Will update later)

Summary: This is just a start to the full guide; handling upgrades will be up next. I tried to be unbiased and use as many noteworthy companies as possible in my examples. If you have any questions, comments feel free to post or PM me.

DISCLAIMER: These are NOT the only products available. They are just examples of popular products used and trusted in the community. Please don't replywith individual parts that I didn't list.

Common phrases:
NVH- Noise, Vibration, and Harshness
VAG- Volkswagen Auto Group
Canned/Off-the-shelf tunes- tunes that aren’t specifically made for your car rather for similar modifications
HPFP- High Pressure fuel pump
DMF- Dual Mass Flywheel
SMF- Single Mass Flywheel
FWD- Front wheel drive
LSD- Limited Slip Differential

 

[Stage2Sasquatch]

TIRES:

DISCLAIMER: Most of the information was found here: (http://www.golfmkv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=162254) Credit goes to Gavin @TireRack

Ask anyone who races or builds cars and ask them what the single most important thing you can do to your car is. Chances are they will say one thing: Tires. One of the first modifications to any car should be tires. Our tires are notoriously bad from the factory; not good for dry performance, not good for wet performance, not good for road noise, in fact the only somewhat respectable thing is the wear rating. Tires should be sized and selected based on your needs and budget. I would HIGHLY recommend getting a set of winter tires if you live in somewhere prone to snow and cold conditions and NEVER EVER drive any summer rated tires in snow and extremely cold temperatures. Below are a few a good examples of tires that fit many different budgets and needs...

What I would recommend in selecting tires is find out what you want in a tire… Do you want a track-able tire? All-Season? High-Performance? Noise level? Wear-rating? Find out what you’re looking for and then search online afterwards. There are tons of online resources and reviews on tires.

Extreme Performance Summer Tires: Tires for those looking for the best possible street legal performance. These tires have the best grip out of all other street legal categories, but sacrifice things like noise, wear-ratings, and wet performance. NOT TO BE DRIVEN IN COLD/SNOWY CONDITIONS
-Dunlop Direzza DZII
-Hankook Ventus R-S3 V2
-Bridgestone Potenza RE-11
-BF Goodrich g-force Rivals
-Yokohama Advan neova AD-08
-Bridgestone Potenza RE-71

Ultra-high performance summer tire: Great performing tires that give a little bit of grip up for better wear, noise and wet performance over the Extreme performance tires. NOT TO BE DRIVEN IN COLD/SNOWY CONDITIONS
-Hankook Ventus V12 Evo (Great tire, what I run)
-Michelin Pilot Super Sport
-BF Goodrich g-force Sport Comp 2
-Sumitomo HTR ZIII
-Continental Extreme Contact DW

Performance All-Season: Versatile tires that provide a compromise between performance and comforts/wear. Can be used in colder temperatures, but I would still recommend winter tires.
-Continental Extreme Contact DWS (Had these before, great tire.)
-Bridgestone Potenza RE970AS Pole Position
-Michelin Pilot Sport AS+

Regular All-Season: Year-round tires that are more oriented to giving you better noise, wear and all-weather usability than performance.
-Michelin Primacy MXM4
-Kumho Ecsta LX Platinum
-General Altimax HP
-Bridgestone Turanza Serenity Plus


Goingnowherefast's Warranty Write-up

Have you ever seen a grown man go into a angry rage? The quickest way to do that is by asking the question that has been asked and answered 1 billion times in every single car forum. "Will this mod void my warranty?" There is an excellent thread here that will outline and answer that question brilliantly (http://www.golfmk7.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7492). Here is my quick crash-course based on my experiences and research...

1. There is no such thing as a "voided warranty". That physically does not exist.
2. A warranty claim CAN be declined if a modification is found to have caused that SPECIFIC claim.
3. For instance, If your fuel pump dies and you have coilovers, Racing wheels/Tires and a big-brake kit, the dealer CANNOT deny that warranty claim because of modifications.
4. If in that same scenario you have a tune that lets say runs the injectors at 95% duty cycle and maxes out fuel rail pressure then they CAN deny that warranty claim.
5. This hobby is pay to play. Want to personalize your car and make it much faster? It can potentially cost extra money. If you aren't ready to make that commitment then don't even think about modding.

 

[CarlosCanizares]

Awesome!!!

Sticky this please, mods!

 

[GarabinS1]

Great info, Thanks for taking the time to write this out

 

[Deviation01]

Great job!

 

[RedReplicant]

So does the PP LSD bolt onto a non PP car? I've read it is an external unit.

 

[Stage2Sasquatch]

So does the PP LSD bolt onto a non PP car? I've read it is an external unit.

It is electronically controlled. So without extensive modifications and software changes I would guess no. If someone else knows more feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. [emoji108]

 

[drrck]

If I recall the following was mentioned by RJRacing:

PP LSD mounts to a different transmission casing, the same one used in the R. The VAQ attaches to the same mounting point as the haldex in the R.

PP LSD retrofit isn't impossible, but would require transmission replacement and extensive coding.

 

[Stage2Sasquatch]

If I recall the following was mentioned by RJRacing:

PP LSD mounts to a different transmission casing, the same one used in the R. The VAQ attaches to the same mounting point as the haldex in the R.

PP LSD retrofit isn't impossible, but would require transmission replacement and extensive coding.

Yep, at which point it's more expensive than a true mechanical LSD setup.

 

[LeGti]

Good God, Man!! What a post!!

Thank you for the time & effort you put into this. Will help many people I'm sure!!!

 

[CarlosCanizares]

Yep, at which point it's more expensive than a true mechanical LSD setup.

How different is the stock PP LSD to say a Wavetrac, Quaife...etc?

 

[Brainclaw]

How different is the stock PP LSD to say a Wavetrac, Quaife...etc?

^ This, Also going from non-pp and getting an aftermarket LSD. Is there any fitment fabrication required? Like going from NonPPLSD to PPLSD.

Thank you!

 

[Tk_mkv1]

you also forgot to mention DSG Tunes.

 

[Stage2Sasquatch]

^ This, Also going from non-pp and getting an aftermarket LSD. Is there any fitment fabrication required? Like going from NonPPLSD to PPLSD.
Thank you!

How different is the stock PP LSD to say a Wavetrac, Quaife...etc?

It is NOT an easy job but no, generally there is no fabrication to install an aftermarket LSD in these 02M/02Q transmissions but it should be done by a professional. This is coming from a guy that DIY's everything. I can't say about a PP LSD upgrade but my spidey senses tell me it's going to be complicated and expensive.

My understanding is that the VW VAQ diff is a mechanical diff that is controlled by the ECU. This means that the diff is able to have variable degrees of locking where as a sole mechanical unit has a fixed degree at which is will lock. This means that you get the benefits of a LSD while having basically none of the negatives which are comfort related like steering response and steering precision complaints. I'm not the biggest differential guy so maybe some tech guru can shed more light, but that is what I've gathered from it.

you also forgot to mention DSG Tunes.

No I didn't forget it. I didn't include it because I hate the DSG and believe everyone should drive a manual.



Joking (Well, Kind of haha). I just don't have any first hand experience with DSG tunes so I didn't put anything in about them. I'll write-up a section one of these days when I feel like helping out you lazy automatic drivers hehehe