B5 S4, operation money pit. Forever evolving, never ending.

[Exodus_2pt0]

The car has been parked since last Friday night.

Starter, head reseal kit, CV rebuild kit should all be here today. New TBB arrived yesterday. Also won a auction for a hallman mbc used on EBay yesterday.

Going to tear into it tomorrow night. It feels good to be finally getting all the little issues sorted out as well. No more oil smell, or fears of the timing belt snapping (m20 flashbacks), and the mbc should help my cold weather over boost. I'm just going to remove the n75 all together. I'm shooting for 24psi to redline, and I don't want any variation. I could run it in parralell but I just don't care to.

[Exodus_2pt0]

Good and bad news.

Good news, got the GoPro from Fight4Life28.

Bad news, starter took a shit on me this morning after filling up.

Good news, I got it on video with the GoPro just playing around. Still waiting on the TBB so no good video's. Looks like I'm doing the timing belt and valve cover gaskets this weekend as well as the starter.



No, I won't be changing the pattern for my phone either. I ended up pushing it just fast enough to start it in 2nd. It was a fun morning. :-/

[Exodus_2pt0]

After pulling a 3.19 FATS (60-90) I decided to start over with my tune. I've fixed so many small issues, I'm now having trouble getting fueling right. Started back with a base tune. Going to get the fuel perfect, and work back up from there.

Still, my car got hungry, and ate the TBB.


New 034 unit on its way.

Also, GoPro from another member should be here today. Videos coming soon. I've been having fun with it, the 3.19 FATS should put it near the 450awhp range

[Exodus_2pt0]

Soooo....

26psi out to redline, with 25* advance in the top end and only 3* knock retard on the cylinders closest to the sensors. Feels very nice. Actually, it feels ridiculous.

[Exodus_2pt0]

In typical weird VAG fashion, my car started recognizing the misfire under load this morning. So I logged it, and it was all isolated to cylinder 3. Guess it's not the gap then.

I pulled over, removed the coil pack and inspected the boot. A little dirty but not cracked. Cleaned it out with my finger, reassembled, and boom. No more misfires, maybe a slight hicup near 7k, but otherwise smooth.

Fucking VW. You can change the emblem but its still the same temperamental shit lol.

On with the show. Springs and larger nozzles going on tomorrow.

[HennaE30]

Almost a year now and it hasn't let me down yet.

*blows a turbo next week*

lol jk. Interested in seeing some 1/4 times. Dyno day coming up? Interested to see what it puts to the ground.

Oh and because of you I've been surfing audizine reading up on these things so I know what to look for when I start shopping around.

There was a beautiful Noggy/Black 6MT for sale recently, too bad the money wasn't in the right place or it'd be mine right now.

[Exodus_2pt0]

Just a few updates. I decided against tightening the wastegates, because they will just weaken again.

Unplugged the n75 yesterday to check for boost creep. Hit 7 psi, and held to redline. So I don't need to back the gates off, I was afraid the tightening had negatively effected the wastegates opening range.

Did some reading, and decided that before I yank the engine out to replace the weak wastegates, I would come up with a wastegate helper spring setup.

This should do, used hardened washers for the eyelets, springs are rated for a 6.5lb work load.


Test fit on my old k03's first. They both had a cracking pressure of 5psi. Added the springs and they both cracked at 12psi. Perfect!


Also ordered some do7 methanol nozzles which will be here Friday. Going to throw new plugs in, ($2 a pop, might as well since I'm having issues), swap my d04 nozzles out for the do7's, add the springs and retune for 25psi all the way to redline.

Can't wait. This is as far as I can go on the current setup. Next focus will be suspension and brakes. Also, a friend is thinking about renting a track out in November, so I should have some 1/4 mile time slips to show off.


Just for fun, B5S4 doing that DD thang. Almost a year now and it hasn't let me down yet.

[Exodus_2pt0]

New plugs last night, meticulously gapped to .025, now getting random misfires at peak load. /rant.

Still, the car is running great. Finally happy and feel I got all the issues sorted out.

Also, played with one of the photos from earlier.

[Exodus_2pt0]

So I finally feel like I have this car just about sorted out. Performed a boost leak test and found a torn f-hose (part of pcv system), fixed that and no more boost leaks.

Still seeing 99% WGDC and Max of 22 psi tapering to 21 at redline. Checked the wastegate cracking pressure last night, both opened at 5psi. Spent some time tightening them, got them to 7psi cracking and this morning I'm not seeing 23psi and 22 at redline.

Sweet. I'll tighten the wastegates more this weekend, hoping for a 12psi cracking pressure and I should be able to hold 25psi to redline. I have a feeling that the actuators are weak though, I may have to go with a helper spring. I don't want to bottom out the wastegates and run into boost creep.

[Exodus_2pt0]

Damn, it's sad how much money the uninformed lose on trade ins sometimes.

$1400 is a steal, the engine and trans alone would more than pay that back if parted out.


As for mine, it is living up to the B5S4 stereotype again. Found a boost leak at the throttle body boot the other day. Fixed it and my wastegate duty cycle dropped, while boost went back up to 23psi.

Now today, WGDC is back to 99%, and boost is down to 21psi. FFS. Re-checked the TBB and it is OK. Going to do a boost leak test today, hopefully fix these issues once and for all.

[ThatOneEuroE30]

we had a b5 s4 traded into work the other day. friggin salesmen bought it before i could even get a price... he bought it for 1400 i was mad haha. anyways car lookin good dude

[Exodus_2pt0]

Found a nice back road this afternoon.

[Exodus_2pt0]

Do it! This car has been the most rewarding one I have put time into yet.

The power range is so ridiculous, there is no "peak" to it at all. Roll on the throttle at 3k, and it pins you into your seat consistently all the way to redline. Haven't driven anything quite like it.

Got it a coming home gift. I'm using a 4.2V8 Bosch sensor that didn't work well with the stock air box. While the stock airbox flows very well, I just couldn't find a good way to make the larger maf fit without possible unfiltered air making its way into the engine.

Introducing, AEM Dryflow 3.5" air filter. It won't improve performance, but it works.


I really need to clean my engine bay.

[HennaE30]

B5S4 Progression. Stage 3, and FMITA

Back in action!




So, up until today I didn't really have anything to base this car's power off of.

On the way home, I ran into a new 5.0 Mustang. At a light he punched it, and headed towards the highway. On the ramp, he kept it in a low gear with me right behind him in 2nd just waiting. Sure enough, when the opportunity came he punched it. I managed to pull right around him, then put 2-3 car lengths on him by 4th gear.

Guy was a sore loser too, I tried to give him a thumbs up for having a nice car, but he wouldn't even look over at me.

I'm pretty happy with this car to say the least.

That's mustang drivers for you.

I really dig this car dude.. Every time I decide on another car and start shopping, you post about this thing, and I get stuck again lol.

[Exodus_2pt0]

Back in action!




So, up until today I didn't really have anything to base this car's power off of.

On the way home, I ran into a new 5.0 Mustang. At a light he punched it, and headed towards the highway. On the ramp, he kept it in a low gear with me right behind him in 2nd just waiting. Sure enough, when the opportunity came he punched it. I managed to pull right around him, then put 2-3 car lengths on him by 4th gear.

Guy was a sore loser too, I tried to give him a thumbs up for having a nice car, but he wouldn't even look over at me.

I'm pretty happy with this car to say the least.