New Member / S6 questions

A6 All/ S6 All
#21

OK, before I forget, I saw this thread and thought it might help you with your adaptive headlight issue…

http://www.audiworld.com/forums/a6-s6-c6-platform-discussion-58/adaptive-lights-question-2005-audi-a6-2822961/

Regarding the intake…

As part of my S6 project car we are investigating the intake tract. In the past, others have simply replaced the filters with performance options, which wouldnt hurt on your car in the meantime. We are looking at something more for my car. These types of things move slowly, so it will be awhile until there is an update. But if you can wait until the summer, then there will probably be something to base a DIY off of, or maybe even purchase.

I keep promising a project build thread to everyone, and I can see that there is a growing interest in the performance mods for these cars. You are asking the right questions, and a lot of this has been discussed in the S6 Info Dump. Have you read through it?

#22

Awesome, that does help with the headlight issue. I did read through the info dump, twice actually, but I’m going to go back and read it again anyways!

The intake can wait, would love to hear what you come up with. I’m going to see if there’s anything I can do as well, and if I come up with anything I’ll be sure to do a writeup.

Would love to see a project thread from you, it’s awesome to hear that at least a few other people are looking into the same stuff as me.

#23

To be honest on the last few NA audis I have looked at, the stock intake outperforms all after market junk.

Lots of people try to apply forced induction modding rules to the naturally aspirated V8 and V10 cars. It doesn’t work.

The discussion about the intense heat in the engine Bay is clue number 1. Do you really want to abandon the closed, pressurized stock intake that draws air from the front of the car, in favour of an open element intake that will suck 180 degree engine Bay air into the engine? Not to mention the fact that on the s4 and rs4, the area of the intake is right above an auxiliary radiator spewing piping hot air up right at the intake (not sure on the s6)

Intake air temperatures go off the charts with these aftermarket intakes and your ecu protects the car by pulling power via ignition timing and Afr adjustments.

Stock is usually best. If you can fabricate another external cold air source to feed stock, that would be cool (pardon the pun) but otherwise stick with stock.

#24

Agreed. I remember cutting a hole in the bottom of my A6 4.2 airbox. Didnt help any.

The typical CAI applied to any of the recent Audi 4.2 or 5.2 engines has never been proven to offer any gains, and probably decreased performance in most cases compared to the stock pressurized intake, as you pointed out.

That being said, the person working on my car is aware of that situation, and still believes that a well designed intake for the v10 S6 can offer an improvement. What he has up his sleeve, even I dont know :wink:

#25

My opinion based on the Intake from experience is leave the flaps on just make sure they are functioning properly. I took mine off and they made more noise but I also noticed my IATs never cooling off as they should. (the flaps are right next to the exhaust manifolds) When you take them off you lose the suction of the cold air from the grille and I think there is some sort of actual air pump that pumps fresh air into the intake. I replaced the filters with K&Ns and have run both flaps on flaps off and logged runs. My experience is that 0-60 20-80 speeds are improved with them installed. Trust me I am alllll about the free mods coming from corvettes etc. Audi puts a ton of thought into their design and if they could have done it better they would have lol.

Just a note: I also have an APR tune but Im pretty sure results would be the same with the flaps. JMO

#26

Good info Ssicks. That is the same that was found on the old S6 and S8 4.2 cars. I remember reading about a guy who used to take his car to the track, and found it was best to keep the flap taped shut because after awhile it was just sucking in hot air and hurting performance.

Anyway, good to have it verified with actual experience for the S6. Ill add the info to the Dump.

#27

Interesting, thanks for the info on that. I’m really hoping to come up with a better intake solution that utilizes the stock front grill intakes for cold air, but has a more efficient flow of air.

#28

Just an FYI, in the past when tests were done on the v8 NA cars, we always found that the stock pressurized airbox worked best, as Saki was saying. I am not saying that is the case for the v10 S6, but you would want to definitely do before and after tests if you plan to change anything.

http://audirevolution.net/forum/index.php?topic=489.0

#29

It was reiterated to me again today, one of my favorite reasons for picking this v10 engine for a car. For like the 10th time this month, someone heard my car and said “that sounds amazing, is that a 4 or 6 cylinder?” “Neither!” “You mean that thing has a V8???” “keep guessing!” I love the fact that it just looks like a plain old family sedan, but has a dirty little secret!

#30

You should have told them, it is a four plus six cylinder LOL

#31

I’m in communication with JHM currently, hopefully going to drop my car off with them in the next couple weeks.

Car is currently in pretty good shape overall, but has these issues:

-Codes for lean fuel mixture on banks 1 & 2, and a cylinder 4 misfire.
-Front suspension totally shot, control arm bushings basically completely absent at this point.
-Transmission very sloppy. Slips in every gear. Hopefully just a fluid/seal issue, but possibly a torque converter issue as well.

I’m hoping JHM can fix these issues for me, in addition to flashing their beta software. Car still hauls ass, but I feel like a lot is being left on the table with these issues. Plus, I’ve owned the car for 25k miles, and it’s never had a carbon clean during my ownership, and who knows if it even did before that, so it’s almost for sure long overdue.

I’ll keep everyone posted with what happens with JHM, I have a lot of faith in them. I can’t speak highly enough about their communication, they have BY FAR the best customer service of any company I’ve ever dealt with, and they’re not even paying me to say that ;D

#32

That is good news , confident they will get you sorted out, and your car might be more fun after resolving the nagging issues plus beta tune

As far as the trans yeah a new at filter and proper amount of fluid should help assuming it’s not slipping so badly already

#33

Let us know what you or JHM finds out is the issue. It will help us make sure to put that on the list of issues and fixes.

As for JHM a lot of guys here are big supporters of JHM and your pointing out one of the reasons why. JHM is one of the only companys that really gets involved and seems to care. They usually own the cars there making parts for and that shows comitment to the platform. The guys that see how the S6 or s8 had no support before JHM gained interest really are able to see the change in the options and the enjoyment of ownership.

Keep us posted

#34

Scheduled to drop the car off on the 11th of July, the shop is slammed until then. Getting excited! I wish I could run a 1/4-mile before I take it there, for some concrete before-and-after data, but I fear it’s really not a good idea to run a 1/4-mile while I’ve got ECU codes. So we’ll just have to settle for an “after”.

If I had to guess, I would think my car should be able to run a 14.0, even in its current condition. She pulls pretty hard. My old WRX ran a 13.8, and my S6 feels like a worthy competitor to that, but sadly we’ll just have to ponder what it can actually run, until after the repairs/tune are done.

I’m really excited to post a writeup about my car’s vacation at JHM’s shop! I’ll definitely keep everyone updated as things progress.

#35

Just a recap on performance upgrades to date: Milltek non-resonated exhaust, K&N filters, and I think brake rotors (they don’t look stock to me, but not 100% sure on that). JHM will, hopefully, be adding: manifold spacers, carbon clean, ECU tune, TCU tune, transmission fix (whatever that entails, hopefully not a lot), front suspension fix, their crank pulley installed, and drive belt replaced. They’ll also check all relevant filters, fluids, etc. and fix as required. It should be significantly better than stock when it’s done.

#36

Oh ya, and on a fun side note, a giant hunk of steel smashed into my windshield on the highway yesterday >:(

#37

That sucks, keep us tuned in on your journey! Should be fun!

#38

From all the data and actual car guys who ran these cars are a 14 second car pre JHM mods. In the crazy CA heat during this time of year you would be lucky to see a low 14. In the end I think the excitment is how fast can Jhm make them.

Excited to see your going to be able to get all the little issues fixed on the car and have it back with a nice jump in hp as well.

Sucks about the windshield.