hairdo2001

Totally agree. The iPhone is more like a mini computer with a phone built in but it, like me, you never used the picture messaging, crappy mobile phone cameras, video messaging etc. then it's ideal. Also you've gotta admit that the user interface is the best of any phone out there.... Dave

Have you considered the iPhone? I got one of these about 3 months ago and i can't imagine trying to use anything else now. Apparently the Storm is basically a normally Blackberry with a touchscreen glued on so it doesn't integrate very well with the OS and i swore i'd never get another Nokia after the dreadful N80. The iPhone isn't perfect but it's very close. I can now leave my laptop at home for weeks at a time and not miss it. Dave

If you're mounting the buttons in a different place and you're not sure about the original wiring then why not run new cables. Looks like all you need is fused 12v feed from the batter and 2 wires going to the cruise control unit on terminals 1 and 2. The wires to the cruise control unit only need to be small as they're not going to carry much current. Assuming that 12v corresponds to digital logic 1 and grounds is 0 then the signals are as follows. Button Terminal 1 Terminal 2 Resume 1 0 Cancel 1 1 Set 0 1 Dave

Hi TopChilla, There were a few differences made to the car around the 1995 area (the only ones i've noticed are wiring, but there's bound to be more). I was under the impression that there was a main service manual for the 89-94 cars and then a sort of add on manual for the 95+ that only had the changes in it. Dave

If you've got a wiring diagram it should be easy. Just unplug the connector from the cruise control unit and then, using a multimeter, find which wires on the column go to the connections on the plug for the buttons.... Dave

Just as a side note. When amps say 4 ohm that's only strictly for a rated output. Technically you could drive a 1 ohm speaker from an amp rated at 8 ohms if you kept the volume knob down. Reason for this is ohms law: I = V/R (when I= current, V= voltage and R = Resistance) When you're playing music the voltage out of the amp is the thing that the amps controlling. Turn the volume up and the (RMS) voltage increases. The limit on the amplifier is the amount of current it can generate. So going back to the equation, if the volume is set in way so the amp's trying to produce 40V (RMS) and we have it connected to a 4 ohm speaker we can work out the current. I = 40/4 = 10 Amps. Now if we do exactly the same but plug a 2 ohm speaker into the same amp we get: I = 40/2 = 20 Amps. So for the same amplifier settings the amp is having to work twice as hard to generate the same voltage. The explanation is a bit simplified but it's a good guide. That's why people say that speakers with smaller impedence are harder to drive. It can be done but you need to keep an eye on your amps output. Dave

Sounds like edk83 has the sort of setup i'm after. At the moment i've got an Apexi intake cone and a Greddy profec B. Sounds like what I need is the stock tubs re-conditioned with 360 deg bearings and get divorced down pipes, a better exhaust and hi-flow cats (its a 96 and i can't be bothered putting cats back on every year for an MOT. Would a lightened flywheel or upgraded IC's make much of a difference? Dave

To be honest i'm in a bit of a pickle about this one myself. I've one through the FAQ's and searched threads and still can't find the answer to the question that i'm most bothered about when it comes to upgrading turbos. To be honest, all i'm bothered about is the spool time. When my stock turbo is on full boost i'm more than happy with the power so i'm not chasing crazy bhp's but what i don't like is how long it takes to get there. I know that there are ways to get better spool up on stock turbos (eg, induction kit, divorced downpipes, etc) but what i'd love to know, given an identical intake/exhaust system, is which turbo spins up the fastest. Or am i oversimplifying a complex problem. Dave

Fantastic. First time in a while i'm going to be doing something that doesn't take ten times as long as i think it will. Cheers Dave

I'm hoping to fit a fancy noise canceling microphone just behind the sun visor for hands free calling/computer control/wasting time and money. The best way for the cabling to go would be over the headlining and down into the boot but i can't see any obvious ways of dropping it down. Anyone done anything like this before? Cheers Dave

I'll give it a go, but this is only an educated guess so if someone knows for sure then feel xfree to blow my idea out of the water. I've seen lots of posts taking about the wastegate actuators working on a vacuum system. This is not strictly true as they work on the pressure generated by the compressor on the turbo. The compressor outlet is connected to one side of a spring loaded diaphragm inside the actuator. The spring tension is set so the diaphragm starts to move when the compressor outlet hits 7 psi which in turn opens the wastegate which stops the compressor outlet from going any higher. This is obviously the safety boost mode. In the stock system there's another pipe going from the pressure side of the actuator, through a solenoid with a restricted opening and back to the compressor intake. When the ECU decides all is well it opens the solenoid which means some of the pressure on the diaphragm is bleed back to the compressor inlet. This means that a higher pressure is needed at the compressor outlet to move the diaphragm as some of the pressures being bled away. This is extended boost. The boost controller is plumbed in so the stock solenoids removed from the system and the boost controller solenoid is inserted on the line between the compressor outlet and the wastegate diaphragm. This solenoid has a common, normally open and normally closed ports. The compressor outlet goes on the NO and the actuator ok the common. This means that until the solenoid is activated the turbos are in safety boost as there is pressure in the line going to the actuator. When the boost controller wants to increase boost it energises the solenoid and that means the COM and NC ports are connected. With no plug in the NC port the pressure on the actuator diaphragm drops and the wastegate closes, increasing the boost. With the NC port plugged the pressure can't bleed off and the wastegate stays open so then boost can't increase. Sound plausible? Dave

Viscous fans aren't as bad as people are making out. While it's true that they're driven all the time this does not mean that they're costing fuel all the time. When you're driving along at a certain speed the natural airflow through the radiator will act to turn the fan so the amount of energy required to turn it drops to almost nothing. That's one reason why a viscous coupling is used instead of just direct drive. At low speeds it might be turning all the time but the energy transfer between the engine and the fan is almost 100% through the viscous coupling. By comparison, an electric fan is driven by a DC motor which is fed from the alternator. DC motors are really inefficient and alternators aren't much better at converting energy so when the fan is running it is you'd be lucky to get 30% efficiency with the energy transfer. Obviously it makes this back by being thermostatically controlled so overall the electric motor would use less energy but there is another factor. As our cars are very sensitive to overheating i prefer to stick with a viscous coupling for purely reliability reasons. The only 2 realistic failure points in the viscous system are the coupling and the fan. In the electrical system you've got the thermostat, the electrical connections, the cabling, the fuse and the DC motor (containing all manner of brushes, bearings, etc). Obviously the electric system does have advantages and you will get a slight increase in RWHP but, for me, it's not worth it. Dave

There was a write up in TwinTurbo that showed a profec B installed in that location. You've probably already seen it but to anyone who hasn't, the link is: http://www.twinturbo.net/net/viewmsg.aspx?forum=technical&msg_id=880463 After much thinking i've decided to install my Profec B and Tein EDFC in those locations. Not ideal as i've got an airbag steering wheel so it's a pain to see around but i honestly can't think of anywhere else to put them. Dave

Problem you're going to have with the speedo faces is that they're a different shape on the series 1/2 clusters compared to the later models. This means that all the mounting points are in different places and you can't get the old style faces to sit flush on the new style dials without cutting them. Fine on normal faces but you can't just start cutting into indiglo faces or you'll break 'em. Other problem you're going to have is that your 2k spec cluster will probably be from a jap car so the speedo will show kph and not mph. You won't be able to change this with a resistor mod as the later dials don't have the same circuitry. You'll have to live with kph or fit a converter that will play silly buggers with you're steering and HICAS. Lastly, when you get the 2k cluster make sure you get the electrical plugs for the back with it. They might look the same as the older type but 2 are different shapes and sizes and all the wiring is different. Dave

I did something like Z32dave did about 6 months ago when i wanted to fit a series 2 cluster into a series 4 car so i could do the resistor mod to the speedo (the series 4 speedo doesn't have resistors) and fit some indiglo dials. I cut the physical mounting for the speed and rev counter out of the series 2 cluster and inserted them into the series 4 cluster. All the wires are labeled on the ribbon print on the back of the cluster so then it's a simple matter of running about 8 wires from the ends of the ribbon print onto the backs of the new gauges. It is possible but it is an absolute pig of a job and i would definitely think twice about doing it again. Dave

Hi Dan, I tried your site first but I was wanting to get LED's bulbs all round to replace the normal type ones all round and i could only find the normal type there. I then stumbled across that autobulbsdirect site last night and ordered a full set of LED replacements for everything bar the headlights (of which the dipped are already HID's) and the front side/fog lights (of which i've already got a set of LED's from DTA). If anyone's interested i ordered: ULT382 382 - 360 degree Amber Bulb (pair) c/w resistors £15.99 x 2 £31.98 SKU2551 269 LED Extreme Power Festoon Bulbs - 30mm Options: Pack Size: Single £3.99 x 1 £3.99 ABD3805W0 380 - 360 degree LED Extreme Power 5W - NEW! Options: Pack Size: Pairs Colour: Red £25.00 x 2 £50.00 ABD3825W0 382 - 360 degree LED Extreme Power 5W - NEW! Options: Pack Size: Pairs Colour: White £25.00 x 2 £50.00 ABD501AP 501 LED Single (Assorted colours) Options: Colour: Amber Pack Size: Pairs £5.50 x 1 £5.50 501LED201 501 LED Quad Bulbs Options: Colours: White Pack Size: Pairs £8.50 x 1 £8.50 Subtotal: £149.97 Now i know that £150 is a lot for some bulbs for your car but i much prefer the instantaneous switch on/off look that you get from LED's compared to regular bulbs. Also i should hopefully never have to change another bulbs (although you could probably buy quite a few regular bulbs for £150). Dave

Now that LED replacements are available for almost all the exterior bulb sizes i was going to start swapping them out. Problem is that there is an endless amount of strange codes and diameters available on the internet for the bulbs available. I've tried the FAQ and searching but i can't find any information on what bulbs sizes are used in the front and rear light clusters. Anyone on here have any idea? Cheers Dave

There's probably a bit of play with the system electrically disabled. I was just wondering if it would be worth fitting a sort of on/off relay in case i fancy a spin around a track once or twice a year.... Dave

My understanding of the system is that it steers the rear wheels in the opposite direction to the front at low speeds to give a quicker turn in and in the same direction as the front wheels at high speeds for more stability during quick maneuvers. Dave

Ahh, but aren't the hydraulics controlled electrically so if you remove the electrics the hydraulics don't do anything? Also i've got a 96 so mine is the electric version. Dave

I know that quite a few people have disabled their HICAS systems cause it can make the car feel a bit floaty through long sweeping bends. I've also read that it can be disabled in a fairly primitive way by just removing the fuse that feeds all the HICAS electrical gubbins. Personally i quite like the idea behind the whole 4 wheel steering system and reckon it does aid slow speed maneuvering and helps keep the car stable during things like lane changing on the motorway. I might be over simplifying things, but could you just fit a relay after the HICAS fuse that's switched from the drivers seat that you could use to switch the HICAS on and off. That way you'd get the best of both worlds... Dave

Before my story; i've got a 96 silver TT which has already had a leather transplant in the original worn out black look. I've got the car booked in for what's known as a re-coat in the original colour and as i'm doing the outside i thought i should probably look at the inside as well. The problem i have is that i've no idea what colour to re-trim the seats in..... I've seen some photos of the latest Audi TT in silver with a light red interior and i think that looks pretty good. Based on that, what i'm thinking at the moment is that i'll get half the seats and the interior done in a light red. Anyone have any simliar thoughts; doubts; pictures; etc....... Cheers Dave

Good thing about the 96 model is that it has a different dash to the earlier models with a different odometer design. The earlier model odometer is almost comically easy to "correct" by hand whereas the 96 model has more protection from that sort of thing. All the connections on the back of the dash look the same but in fact are totally different so you can't just put an older dash on the 96 car with an adjusted mileage so I would say the mileage on the 96 car is more likely to be genuine. Problem with this is that you can forget about after-market dash kits like the indiglo kit from working as the speedo and rev counter faces are a different shape and have different mounting points. Other problem is that the speedo electronics are different so the resistor swap trick to change your speedo (and hence all the speed sensitive devices in your car to mph) cannot be done. Instead you have to speedo converter which means that your HICAS and speed sensitive power steering will be out by a factor of 5/8. This means that if you're doing 80 the car only thinks it's doing 50 and adjusts things accordingly. Also it means that your odometer will always read high as the first 10 or so years of it's like it was reading in kms. Oh yeah, and you don't get a boost gauge. I managed to get a older speedo, rev counter and odometer to fit with some pretty major modifications of the 96 dash which involved cutting holes in it and hacking up an older dash and glueing appropriate bits into the newer dash. Then you have to trace all the wiring and run wires from the correct points on the flexible print on the back of the dash to the correct terminals on the dials. It was a colossal headache and i would hesitate to do it again due to the danger or ruining a very rare and hard to replace 96 dash. That being said i now have a set of clocks in a 96 airbag dash which work correctly on mph and send the correct speed signal to the rest of the car. I have also adjusted my old type odometer to read the cars correct mileage. I still have the original one in case any questions are raised to prove the mileage when i swapped the gauges. I also have an indiglo dash set (which i think looks cool) and a boost gauge (which is actually semi accurate if you calibrate it yourself using the trimmers on the pcb of the boost gauge) Dave

I have a 96 Jap import and was thinking about going de-cated but after a search on these forums there was some talk of 96 plus models having to pass a basic emissions test that kinda required cats. Anyone have any experience about this? Dave

Maybe but it looks like at least 3 of the terminals have 2 wires in them which is equivalent to just breaking into them. Taking that into account there's only about 4/5 electrical connections in there which is about right for a turbo timer. To be honest i could be way off here. The manufacturers website says that the timers are normally used to enhance a car alarms functions so it could be part of a security setup. Only way to be sure is to start tracing wires and figure out where and what they're connected to. Dave