The great big MK6 Golf 118TSI tuning thread

[The_Hawk]

So what sort of performance benefits would be expected from a better exhaust + stage 2 tune??

I know the returns per $ get less and less as you tune further... but based on that link plus some guess work we are quickly heading towards $5k here ?? Which is probably why most people will sell the 1.4 and grab a GTI if they really want more power

.. which in my case would mean an engine swap if I wanted to keep the Cab...

But this doesn't sound bad at all

[Lucas_R]

I'm guessing because of the change in catalyst. I'm stage 1.5 I guess so 2 has been on my mind a lot.

A friend of mine in Singapore is stage 3 on this engine....which is basically a new turbo and map plus new spark plugs and possibly forged pistons....

You could likely get away without changing your tune if you use an oxygen sensor spacer. This works on the 2.0T Engines in the GTI's and R''s to prevent a CEL.

[Rawcpoppa]

You could likely get away without changing your tune if you use an oxygen sensor spacer. This works on the 2.0T Engines in the GTI's and R''s to prevent a CEL.

Been reading up on decats and O2 sensor spacers. It should work on the 118tsi as well but I have issues with potentially high smelling vapours in and around the car with no cat.

I've been seeing other cat converters designed for the 118tsi that look pretty much like the milltek one but significantly cheaper and both using hjs 200 cpsi catalyst. If I find one at a reasonable price I'll try it as a diy.

[Lucas_R]

You could always just knock out part of the stock cat (say 1/2 of it for example) which would increase flow by removing some restriction but still allow the section of cat that remains to do its job.

In regards to the cat missing altogether - some people say that it smells badly, and others say that they dont notice it. Another alternative would be to knowck out your stock cat, use an o2 spacer to prevent a CEL and then have a 100 or 200 CEL hi flow cat welded into the exhaust further along.

[Rawcpoppa]

I quite like the idea of the latter. Supersprint's 118 turboback does it this way with the cat going in a section of straight intermediate pipe. They say it's for heat reasons that the moves the cat further away but I still have to read up on why Vw puts the cat so close to the turbo in the first place and if moving it lower down has any detriments.

[Lucas_R]

I don't think cat location really matters - i think its more for "space management" reasons that these days car manufacturers are putting the cats right up close to the engine. Go back 10 years and lots of cars had the cat located under the cabin (Jap cars especially).

Moving the cat further away from the turbo will get that heat and restriction away from the turbo (and the rest of the engine).

On the Mk5 and Mk6 Golfs (im talking GTI and R's here) they have a cat right up where the turbo is (similar to your 118TSI but its not as big) and then another cat located under the cabin - so they use 2x smaller cats rather than 1x big cat. So for these cars, most of the aftermarket dump pipes just use 1x small hi flow cat thats located under the cabin.

[Transporter]

It's close to the engine so it warms up faster.

[The_Hawk]

Foudn these today... considering trying them out:
Set of R8 coils with adapter

[Ryan_R]

R8 as in high performance coils as found on the Audi R8? I'm starting to think my car could use some new coils (having just re-read what they do).

[Lucas_R]

R8 as in high performance coils as found on the Audi R8? I'm starting to think my car could use some new coils (having just re-read what they do).

These R8 coils have been a popular upgrade for the Mk5 and Mk6 GTi and R engines for the past few years. They seem to work well on these cars (i had a set in my old Mk6 R and currently have a set in my Mk6 GTI), so no doubt they would work well on the 118TSI engine. Just be mindful that some wiring pins need to be fiddled with to suit these coil packs, as the plug is different to those used on the 118TSI engine.