I'm new to the Mk3 Golf Tdi. What can I do to improve performance?(apart from selling it) Cheers Dean
i doubt it can be chipped but the others are worth doing too, but might be worth seeing if the actuator on the turbo can can be adjusted giving you 15psi as long as you have a cooler and can adjust feuling to
As long as its the 90 brake (or 110 for that matter) TDI intercooled model and not the TD model then there are a few options - a rechip will release some more poke, but to get a lot more for relatively little outlay, you need 4 new injectors, uprated ones from a T4 VW Van and a rechip. You will then be knocking on the door of 150 BHP and over 200 lbft of torque. The best person in the UK to speak to about this is Simon cooper of central VW Audi in Ellesmere Port, Merseyside. His TDI motor (albeit very modified) is the quickest MK2 FWD down the strip in the UK. Have a look on his website
you may also want to try these websites: tdi club and vwdiesel they are both american sites, with the tdi club being more about tdi's and vwdiesel more about the older IDI you'd be suprised at what the vw diesels both new and old can do, as has been said the tdi's do resond well to chipping although I don't know much about them, and the IDIs which I have found out more about, can also be tuned pretty effectively
you got these plans for yours by any chance? filters and exhausts do bugger all really, get the injectors and remap
Thanks chaps. your inputs are really appreciated. I think the injectors and remaping route will have to be looked into in more depth. I've realised since I posted, that the engine sounds as if its stressing and holding back. At 3k revs it really makes an odd, uncomfortable, vibrating, growl sound until I push past 80mph. It sounds too awful for me to get her up to a ton. [:^(] Any ideas on things to replace to get her up to at least standard spec.before I start the mods mentioned.? Cheers, Dean
It has to be N reg or newer to be able to re-chip but they do go well when chipped i have driven a 90bhp one re-chipped and it was like driving a Corrado VR6 low down. I struggled to get away from a mk3 TDI in germany near the ring he was doing 135mph and i did pull away but he was close , spied it the next day at the ring is a Red Mk3 TDI with a small ring sticker on it. Don`t sell it there is loads of fun to be had in them
Chris P wrote - get the engine management checked on the diagnostics to see if there are any fault codes there first. I forgot to mention that I'm slightly green as regards to knowledge of cars,performance and this particular make/model. I'm a quick learner though. Chris - what sort of place can I go to, to get the management looked at ? I have a friend who is going to take over the servicing n stuff. Would he need a special unit or something to run the checks?(where is the brain located?) Or is it a "bend over forwards" and go to a main VW dealer? duFF - the motor is an M plate 95. Can it not be chiped? (when its running normaly that is) Prof - I really am going easy on her,but she's my daily runner up to London and a bit of aggression is sometimes called for. I do find it quite a laugh to drive though. I've crossed over from a big classic Saab 900 Aero Turbo, so maybe I do expect a bit too much from my dear little Tdi. I love the difference in fuel costs.My Saab used take a tenner from me every time I thought about going into work. I'm sold on the Tdi, but feel it could go quicker. My trouble is, that I've never drove or been in another to compare the performance of mine. Dean
Duff - out of curiosity, why is it only M plate or newer to be rechipped? It's M plate or newer that is immobilised, ie the chip in the key coded to the ECU Prof, mine will be chipped by Simon Cooper, so hopefully he knows what hes doing. Its all based on advice by him anyway. There is a guy on here (I think his username is Matt) that had a TDI MK3, worked on by Simon Cooper, and had 164 brake, tho I dont know the torque - he did say that it was a different turbo mind
The diagnostics can be checked by most local garages or your local VW specialist - where are you based?
chris, just ask TT first, He explained a conrod bending incident in terms of incorrect injector phasing or something, i didn't really understand this but you know that he does
I'm just guessing here but it sounds like thats when they changed from the older, IDI or indirect injection which has a mechanical diesel pump, and no ecu so cannot be chipped, to TDI which was ecu controlled and therefore chippable
You are quite correct in what you say, but the TDI badged variant was the only one with ECU controlled injection, the mechanical injection models were badged and known as TD models Now that my memory has been jogged, I think the first TDI's were 94 M plates
Like I said mine is M. On the log book it states TDI. So that means it has an ECU right? If so, can you tell me where its found. I've only had my head in the engine bay 3 times and really dont know my way around yet.(I'm not a mechanic either so things aren't as obvious to me) Cheers chaps, Dean
matt's had over 300lbft of torque didn't it? sure it's / was written in his sig, and i think it used a mk2 gtd turbo............
you will know if its a TDI, apart from having a TDI script on the plastic cover, it has two intercooler pipes that run next to the engine on the right hand side that lead to in front and below the battery where the intercooler is in the front corner of the bumper Also, on the timing belt cover there will be a bar code sticker - on there is a series of numbers, of which it will say 1Z for the engine code, which will also be on the V5 logbook where it states the engine no, as in 1Z9955676 for example
All I know is that the turbo wasnt standard and the work was done by Simon Cooper at CentralVWAudi Wish I knew more - Matt????
