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From YourSITE.com Technical Features Thus far in its evolution, Project A3 DSG has focused on exterior modifications like its Schmidt Wheels and Nothelle body treatment, or on performance with components such as the APR exhaust, KW Coilovers and ECS Tuning big brake kit. With the show season officially over, it was time to turn to the car’s interior, focusing on the details and creature comforts.
TT Vent Bezels Last summer, a single interior picture from European show coverage caused a clamor of conversation on A3 forums around the Internet. The simple shot showed an A3 dashboard with NAV+, though it would take a carefully trained eye to catch the subtle addition of Audi TT vent bezels. TT vent bezels have several subtle differences over those found in the A3. Like those bezels in ‘Sport Package’ cars, the TT bezels are satin aluminum in finish and measure about the same diameter, however they are smooth and textured only by small dimples around the bezel’s circumference. The real difference though is not in the appearance, but in the weightier feel of the TT trim. Further investigation of such a swap was in order, and after pouring over the parts catalog at North Scottsdale Audi, it was determined that the only way to get the TT bezels was to purchase the entire vent assembly. Priced at around $90 per vent assembly, multiplied by four to outfit the whole dashboard, it was decided to try to seek out a used set first. Scouring the Web at the time, we were unable to find any information on the installation of the TT pieces in the A3 dash. Working on the assumption that there would at least be some minor trimming and perhaps a full reworking of the parts, the idea of purchasing one new vent assembly for dissection did cross the mind. In the end, we just couldn’t justify the price. With that in mind, a ‘Want to Buy’ notice was posted in the Classifieds forums, while a simultaneous search of junkyards and auction websites for wrecked TTs ensued. Within a couple weeks we had been contacted by a seller with the TT vents at a much more reasonable price than the parts department demanded. At $110 for the entire set, it was definitely worth taking the time to find a set. When the vents arrived, we quickly went to work on installation. Removing the factory vents in the A3 isn’t that difficult, though it does require some patience; long fingernails are also a plus. The whole assembly slides out as a unit, requiring just enough leverage to start pulling slowly until the vent slides out. Once out, the replacement TT vent slides right in place. The fit of the TT vent is a little more snug than the factory A3 piece, but the diameter of both the dash and the vent are the same and the look is entirely factory. Important to note is the fact that the TT vent assembly is not as long as the A3 vent. Because of the shorter length, the duct that routes air up to the vent does not line up entirely, leaving about a half-inch to an inch of dead space for air to escape back into the dash. Airflow doesn’t seem as good, a side effect not readily apparent until the car experienced its first day of 100-plus-degree heat and full capacity of the air conditioner was called upon. We’ll be keeping the stock A3 vents to slide back in during the hot Arizona months.
Jetta GLI Pedal Set A few other OEM parts were borrowed from the VAG bins. Word got out that the new Jetta GLI brake and gas pedals were a direct fit for the A3. This wasn’t much of a surprise, since the Jetta and the A3 share many corporate A-platform components. The satin silver pedal set is a welcome accent to the A3’s aluminum-trimmed interior. Perusing the Classifieds forum, we discovered an owner with a manual car who had found himself in the possession of a set of pedals for a DSG car. He was looking to sell, and we were looking to buy, and a week later the new pedals arrived. Installation is quick and painless, and the result is pleasing to the eye.
European Convex Rearview Mirrors Okay, it’s a reach. These aren’t exactly interior accessories, but they benefit the driver’s perspective, so we’ve added them to our list. Convex mirrors are standard equipment in Europe, though they are not DOT-approved for factories to equip on new cars here in the USA. Why not? We don’t know, but their function is clear. These mirror lenses are a great safety upgrade to the car. They curve out very slightly towards the outermost area to reduce the blind spot on the side of the car, enabling a driver to either see what is on his sides more clearly. If you’ve ever spent some time behind the wheel of a car in Europe, chances are you missed their absence when you returned home. Fortunately for us, they’re available through several vendors here in the USA, including Hillside Imports where we got ours.
European Headlight Switch Hillside Imports also carries another important piece of European equipment for the A3, the European headlight switch that also includes a provision for operating a rear foglight. To remove the existing switch, simply push the center dial into the dash from the off position. Once pushed in, turn the dial to the left, then pull it out towards you. This releases a clip and enables the switch to be removed easily from the dashboard. Installation of the new switch is simply the same act in reverse. Interestingly, the rear fog light is already installed in the A3. All that is needed to activate it is to change a few numbers in one line of code in the software. This can be performed with a VAG-COM tool or by any Audi technician and takes only a few minutes. Dan from Hillside suggested that we obtain the 46-digit code and email it to him. From there he would know which numbers to change in order to activate the fog light. Going back in with the VAG-COM and changing the necessary digits to the ones he provided resulted in a fully operational rear fog light. We opted for the European-spec left-side activation, though Dan tells us you can also opt for activation of both sides should you wish. Although not the most significant modification, least of all in the dryness of Arizona, it is actually a nice safety feature to have and may someday come in handy. If it not, it makes a great tailgating deterrent. While the VAG-COM was attached to the car, we took the liberty to activate the open and close function for windows and sunroof by way of the keyfob.
Recaro Sport Seats So now that we that have added a few flashy aluminum bits to the inside of the car, what could possibly be next? Well, let it be known that the next interior enhancement was not originally part of the plan, but because of stumbling upon yet another great deal, we would have been foolish to pass it up. My position as an Audi brand specialist at Audi North Scottsdale puts me in constant communication with all sorts of Audi owners every day. Some owners just love them as basic transportation, some modify them, and then there are those that rip brand new cars apart, turning them into dedicated track cars or race cars. Fortunately, I happened to come across one of the latter with a 2004 S4 that, shortly after purchase, was ripped apart, torn down and stripped in preparation for the track. Doing so left the lucky owner a stockpile of interior pieces that were now of no use to him, taking up space in his warehouse for the past two years. When I caught word of this treasure pile I contacted him immediately and set up a visit.
There they were, two all-black leather OEM Recaro S4 seats. It was a long-shot, but we hoped that the S4 Recaros might fit the A3. After doing some measuring, asking a LOT of questions, and then measuring some more, the S4 front and rear seats were purchased for a very fair price of $500 and hauled home to the awaiting A3. Making the assumption that the seats would fit was the easy part - the real challenge was figuring out how to make a car that didn’t have power seats at all into a car that would now have two power seats with lumbar support on each side. The technicians back at North Scottsdale Audi were a big help in sorting out this dilemma. After looking through some A3 and S4 wiring diagrams, it seemed that they would be pretty easy to get the new black beauties to work. Unfortunately, it’s never simply ‘that easy’, and the main hang-up turned out to be a difference in connectors. Our 2006 model year A3 has new airbag technology and the POD sensor in the passenger seat, something the 2004 model year S4 donor didn’t have. Wiring to make the ’04 S4 seats work in our ’06 A3 wasn’t all that easy to accomplish. After two of his days off generously spent working on the new seats, Jeremy of North Scottsdale Audi was able to activate the seat adjustments, but not the airbags. Jeremy was concerned because he kept experiencing a power shortage when he plugged the seats into the car. The original wires he was using were for the seat heaters in the factory A3 seats. Only designed to run a module and not a big motor for the seat, these wires were not high enough capacity and power was being cut to the seats. The solution for this was to run two power wires from the fuse box for the rear 12-volt power outlet. Once the new wires were snaked through the dash, and hidden under the carpet, the seats worked like a charm.
Project A3 now has two fully-adjustable black Nappa Leather OEM S4 Recaro front seats, making for a nice visual upgrade and an even nicer performance upgrade. The beefier bolstering and the lateral support adjustment are also huge advantages of the S4 seats over the factory A3 sport seats. Unfortunately, airbags are not as simple. Because the POD sensor that detects when a person is in the passenger seat or not is wired into the A3, Jeremy reasons we’ll have to figure out a way to send that system false signals to still fully allow the passenger side dash airbag and side airbag to function properly. Though the seats at such a generous price were a fantastic find, sourcing a set equipped with POD may have made for a much easier installation in retrospect. Even then, this modification would not be for the faint of heart, and it’s certainly not a cheap modification. We’d recommend you work with a trained technician any time you work with airbags, which are literally explosive devices. It is possible to trigger the bag with electrical surges while improperly mounting and/or disconnecting bags, thus inflicting expensive damage to your car or seat, and possibly causing injury. For now, we hope to have the airbags functional on Project A3 at a later date. Summary Our Project A3 has benefited greatly from the sharing of parts from both Audi’s and even VW’s parts bins. The cabin of our green five-door has been subtly upgraded to a level to which we think most A3 owners would be quite pleased with. We certainly are. In the near future, we’ll turn back to exterior, then performance upgrades. We’ll have a full report on body kit installation. As those who watched SEMA coverage closely have already seen, we went with Nothelle’s impressive flared body kit that has given the A3 a subtly aggressive flavor. After that, APR Stage II software to go with our exhaust will help give it performance to match its looks. We’ll document our findings with the car on the dyno. We’re also working out final details on some other new-to-market products for the car that are currently in the making. Related Links Project A3 DSG Main Page www.HillsideImports.com www.Recaro-NAO.com Fourtitude Classifieds
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