I know what to look for on these, all the usual issues etc. The car seems pretty straight and has recent cambelt and water pump replacement too, so going for it... But... I never modded any of my previous Passats! And I really want to this one... Some help required...
I want to keep it as stock looking as possible, maybe aside from some 17's off a larger engined Passat, but otherwise it will remain stock looking. I'm mainly concerned with getting a bit more poke out of the engine for now. What seems to be the consensus here...? I'm not looking for huge gains, won't be replacing the turbo (unless it is shagged!) or injectors (likewise) so I guess will be limited to 180ish bhp max or so I'm told... Which is fine, but what's the best course to get there?
Do I need to delete the EGR, or is just unplugging the vacuum hose and blocking it up enough? Who to use for a remap? Or indeed, how to remap? I have a windows laptop and was planning on buying VCDS anyway, what else do I need? Or what about these pre-mapped ECU's that crop up on ebay? Or are they just not worth the risk?
What's the consensus on decat pipes? Is there one that will get the car through an MOT, or is it just not worth bothering any more for the few bhp it will give? What about the exhaust? I've read a common mod is a backbox delete, and given that it's a turbo diesel, the resultant lack of back pressure helps rather than hinders the power figure.
What about an FMIC? I guess if you're planning on big gains they make sense, but is it necessary for "only" 180ish bhp? This is to be a daily driver, it won't get thrashed, I just want a bit more performance out of it for overtaking and getting up to speed on the motorway etc. I'm not looking for a drag strip queen!
And what about the clutch? I guess if the current clutch is in good condition I'd just wait til it wears out, but is there a heavier duty replacement to deal with the extra torque a remapped motor will put out?
Oh and if anybody has any of the parts I might be after in good condition 2nd hand, pipe up quickly before I've bought them elsewhere!!!
