B7 RS4 SPORT MODE - What does it do?

B6/7 S4/RS4
#1

The RS4 has a SPORT button on the dash that activates a couple of things. Notably

  1. increased throttle response in certain throttle request situations (makes it more sensitive but when you’re WOT 100% I think it’s the same in stock or S)

  2. exhaust valves/flaps open up for a little meatier sound. The valves in regular mode are closed all the time. In S mode, they are open in gears 1-2-3 and Neutral from 0-1000 rpm, then they close from 1000-4000, then they open from 4000-8000. In gears 4-5-6 in S mode they are open all the time. In the video below, you can hear the flaps on my car (this is when I first got it) creak when they open. In neutral, as I rev the engine, you can hear them close/open at appropriate times. Pretty neat. I have since hit them with some 3M spray (WD40 on steriods)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoV0lB3g3kE

  1. Europe only - side bolsters on the seats hug you a bit (Similar to what the E60 M5 has)

I wondered if the button would influence performance at all…so I logged my car today to see. 2 runs in either direction in sport mode on a flat road, and 2 runs in either direction in regular mode on the same exact stretch. These results are indicative only of my car on this day on this road, so shouldn’t be used to compare car to car (otherwise, we’d be a bunch of FATS time worshippers lol).

So…here are the results of the two 3rd gear rips heading east. I measure performance by comparing RPMS gained per second, and that is the highlighted column in red. I take the RPM/TIME from one cell, then compare it to the cell 3 data points earlier for a slightly smoothed out look.

Almost identical! I guess logically this makes sense, but it just feels like the S button needs to be pressed before racing a buddy lol. Guess it doesn’t as long as I’m WOT.

p.s. note the lame-as-hell RS4 throttle valve angle restriction up until 5500 rpm. Annoying leaving torque on the table like that.

http://i43.tinypic.com/1z5q3iv.jpg

http://oi44.tinypic.com/14cv4sm.jpg

#2

Just wanted to point out your numbers were just a tad off (not by enough to really make any kind of difference but I thought I’d upload more accurate numbers).

You weren’t taking into account a full proper second (you were doing B5-B2 which was 229.06-228.33 = 0.73 seconds instead of B6-B2 (229.31-228.33 = 0.98 seconds and so on down the column). Obviously, the B numbers are from my spreadsheet, not yours)

http://www.gauntlet.net/audi/saki_rs4.jpg

#3

The numbers are not off.

The formula is =(b10-b7)/(a10-a7)

So if only 0.73 seconds have passed its irrelevant because its dividing by 0.73, not 1

You would be right if the formula was =b10-b7

But its not. So you’re not ;D

#4

Good call on the lubrication of the valves. I too used 3M then the following year I tried T9 (Boeshield). Both worked well. Now it doesn’t matter because I have the Tubi’s installed and the lines plugged. But that creaking sound bothered me so I did something about it.

#5

Was just reading something about the RS4 a few weeks ago and thought I’d post here what I read there.

The RS4 flaps, in sport mode, are open from 0-1000 RPM and from about 3500 to 8250 RPM in gears 1, 2 and 3. They are open all the time in gears 4, 5 and 6.

So even in sport mode, they close from 1000-3500 RPM. We wondered why above. The answer is simple…Audi wanted to eliminate drone at low RPMs in those gears, since you’re so commonly going through those gears every day.

So there it is.

#6

Kudos sir.

That is not an inconvienient truth.