AWD Conversion

For those who didn’t know, the Seat Leon shares a similair foot print as the VW Golf and the
Audi A3. There are some subtle differences but in essence they share the same floor plan which
means that our Cupra R is in fact capable of being an AWD car. The Golf and Audi both use
much of the same running gear and many of the components found under the chassis required
for AWD. Two options for obtaining the parts are buying a donor car which may have all the kit
you need, or find the parts separately through breakers yards and salvage centres etc. Donor
cars are a lot more expensive and harder to come by though, the sportier series of hot hatches
being the S3/Quattro or Golf R/R32 have less numbers on the road and when they are accident
damaged, people generally repair them unless they are a complete write-off. Donor cars are
unlikely to provide all the parts you need in good working order, generally they will have suffered
from a front or rear end collision and severe damage to the transmission is more than likely.

Within a matter of days we then found a whole rear axle assembly for sale on Ebay from an 07
plate Audi S3 8P for £300!

So in the end we didn’t need to buy all the kit we had planned from Silverlake but got a mix and
match of goodies from both the R32 and the Audi S3, we also saved a small fortune in the
process! So the kit we ended up buying was as follows:

Silverlake

Front Transfer Box and Differential

Front Drivers Side Drive Shaft (is shorter than the shaft on a front wheel drive car due to the
transfer box)
Main Propshaft
Full Wiring Loom of the car including the Fusebox (the guys at Silverlake did very well to
remove the whole lot in one bundle)
Fuel Tank and Sender

Audi S3 Axle from Ebay

Axle assembly including the following kit:

Rear Transfer Box

Rear Left & Right Drive Shafts
Haldex ECU Controller
Rear Subframe Assembly
Brakes (Disks/Calipers/Pads)
Suspension
Anti-Roll Bar
Works in progress...
AWD Conversion Begins!

Fitting the Audi S3 rear axle onto the Cupra R is not simply a bolt on exercise, if it was then I'm
sure more people would have done it.

You basically have two options, they are:


Remove the whole boot floor plan and replace it with one from an S3 or R32


Cut away only what you need from the spare wheel well which obstructs the new axle

We personally decided it would be best to retain as much of the original car as possible, if you
replace the whole boot floor plan you could run into all sorts of problems with alignment and risk
bending/twisting of the chassis sub frame. We decided to go for option 2. We had one of our
structural engineers come into to look at the car and decide on how much of the floor would
need to be removed, we took some measurements, gripped our teeth and then started cutting.
Once we had removed half of the spare wheel well then we were able to hold up the new S3
axle to the underneath of the Cupra to make sure everything fitted ok.

The only advantage we could see with option 1 would be to retain the use of the spare wheel.
We may modify the boot after the conversion by putting in a box section with a lid so we can still
make use of the spare wheel, also a good opportunity to hide cabling for an ICE system.

Prior to carrying out the works, we decided to strip out the whole interior of the boot including
the side wall panels and rear seats. The strip down was mainly to avoid damage to the interior
whilst angle grinding, but also to limit the smell of burning metal in the car! The interior is like
brand new as the car has only done a few thousand miles, so we wanted to preserve its
condition as best as possible. I have since brought the seats and the carpet back home from
Hull during the next few months while we work the Cupra.

Boot before we stripped out the interior:

Removing the rear seats:
Draining the fuel from the old tank:
Removing the old fuel tank:
Old fuel tank removed:
Milltek Exhaust is removed, unfortunately it's not going to fit back on after the S3 axle and new
fuel tank is installed. A real shame as it's only a few months old! Might need to speak to Mr
Milltek very nicely and see if he can give us a new one
Removing the old Cupra rear axle:
The Cupra axle in its final resting position, unlikely to be used again...
We had to prop the front of the car up with a jack to stop the weight of the engine tilting the car
forwards, this was due to removing a lot of the weight from the rear end of the car, this was
more a precautionary measure though:
All the equipment and sub frame removed ready for cutty cutty
We put a big piece of cardboard in to block off the rest of the cabin to help protect the interior.
Bit of free advertising for you there Mr Milltek
More sheeting up:
Final layer of sheets and cardboard, Cupra's arse is mummified!
Boot Floor Cutting Time!

Marking out the area to be cut:

Our fabrication engineer makes a start:
Cutty Cutty!
Our chap climbs in for more action:
For a moment we were blessed by the Gods marking their sign of approval!
Cutting ritual almost done:
Last piece of metal to be removed, a small square section found to just one side of the wheel
well, we don't think it carried much structural value. We hadn't touched any part of the main
frame so we still have a solid chassis. The new box section on the boot floor will strengthen it
back up again. If necessary we will install some additional reinforcement.
The section of boot floor removed to make way for the S3 axle, when you see it on the ground it
doesn't look as bad as one first thought, it's only metal! ha
Ben is preparing the S3 axle ready to lift up against the Cupra:
Holding up the R32 fuel tank to check it fits:
We found one fixing point that didn't match up against the original tank, we will have to spot
weld a new bolt fixing point to hold one of the saddle straps in place which in turn mounts the
fuel tank securely into position:
View looking up through the S3 axle held in position underneath the car, you can see where the
axle would have obstructed the front half of the spare wheel well which was removed.
Jacking up the S3 axle into position to make sure all the subframe bolt holes match up in the
right places, this was a tense moment! And yes it fits... whoop whoop!
Once we had jacked up the axle the made sure everything fitted then our work was done for the
day. Our fabrications engineer had taken away the section of the boot floor that was cut out and
he is fabricating up a new box section which is being laser cut over the next few days. Once the
new box section is welded into position then we can treat the underneath with a protective
rubber coating to stop corrosion. Once the underneath is treated then we can permanently fix
the S3 axle into position.

So following on from the last update, the next job we looked at was to take the gearbox out, this
had to be matched up with the front transfer box that we got from the R32 donor car. This was
easier said than done and took a little while to sort but we got there in the end.

As Cupra Kung Fu had only done a very low mileage then naturally we were reluctant to change
the gearbox for one off an S3/R32. It’s also unlikely we would have ever found one in the same
condition without paying top dollar, so we thought we’d give it a go with the existing unit.

Ben started to strip down the box taken off the Leon. It’s amazing how many cogs; nuts and
bolts there are in these things! A big boys Meccano Set!
Photo below shows the engine bay once the gearbox was removed; exposing the Loba clutch
and single mass flywheel that we installed just a few months back:
Photo below shows the GT3071R Turbo after we had removed the gearbox:
We recently bought a Quaife limited slip differential of which we had fitted just before XMAS
when we went to REVO Stage 3. Most of the high performance cars on the road (or at least
FWD cars) will be fitted with some sort of a limited-slip diff (LSD) and they are installed for a
good reason.

Without an LSD, if one wheel loses traction and starts to spin, all the power is transferred to that
wheel. This not only limits your acceleration, but it also upsets the handling, especially in front-
wheel-drive cars, by causing severe on-throttle understeer. Not good. An LSD helps eliminates
this.

Depending on its design, either by forcing both wheels to turn at similar speeds regardless of
which has grip, or, in the case of the Quaife ATB diff, do the opposite of an open diff and
transfer the power to the wheel with the most grip. So while, in theory, an LSD offers an
advantage over an open diff, the question is, will it actually make that much of a difference to
your car? Will your car be noticeably faster with a diff fitted; faster than if the money was spent
on performance engine upgrades?

Well we were pleasantly surprised by Quaife’s engineering and had found a big difference in the
car’s performance and road handling. When you go anything beyond 300 horses then you really
start to struggle with the traction and will also find the cornering can be a real challenge. One
has to realise however that all LSDs are not a complete solution but more a compliment to your
handling.

If you thrash the car with big power on a FWD then of course both wheels will start to slip and
spin against the tarmac. Having a decent mechanical LSD does however help to prevent this
issue by transferring the power to the wheel that has the most traction. Straight line drag races
will give the same annoyance, but it is more the cornering at high speeds where it comes into
play. The best way to describe the difference between them is being pushed into a corner with
little confidence that you’ll come out the other side, but with an LSD it’s a bit like being pulled
around the corner with a big rope.

You can instantly feel the difference when an LSD is doing its job. The traction of the wheels
crosses over from one wheel to another and the whole process is done in milliseconds
backwards and forwards until you find the grip the car needs, or at least until you made it clear
out of the bend.

With AWD, the Haldex system transfers power to the rear wheels when the car needs it the
most. Having power to all wheels makes a massive difference to the car’s grip on the road,
keeping the LSD in the mix will complement the situation giving better control of the front
wheels.

It was real shame at the concept that we would lose the use of this fine piece of engineering
having only had it for a few months, so we contacted Quaife to see what they could do to help.
As it turned out they do in fact manufacture an LSD for the R32 and S3, so we did a little
research to see what options there were.

We contacted Dave King from Quaife, one of their technical engineers who advised on a
workaround for our project. Basically the gearbox used on the Cupra MK2 and the S3/R32 are
of a similar design, but there are subtle changes in the outer casing i.e. the mounting holes that
are used when bolting on the front transfer box (the gearing that transfers power to the rear
wheels)

In order for the LSD to reach the gearing on the front transfer box, we had to take apart the unit
and replace the housing for one with a longer body (model off the AWD system) Dave and his
team from Quaife were very helpful and were able to provide us with a new housing. They
stripped it off another unit they had on the shelf so were able to send it up to the team
at Autotechnica in a matter of days.

The photo below shows the FWD and AWD units:

Photo shows the inside of the LSD, the helical gears which transfer the torque bias from one
wheel drive link to another. A real piece of engineering!
So we put the two casings side by side and you can see the difference between the old and
new. The housing on the right is the old unit and the one of the left is the new one:
Photo below shows the new housing fitted to the gearing:
Once the new diff was installed then we looked at the re-assembly of the gearbox only to find
there were no fixing points on the casing for attaching the front transfer box… rats! So these
subtle differences we mentioned earlier are somewhat fundamental to the installation of the
AWD running gear!

Well all we had to do was to order a new middle section casing for the S3/R32 which obviously
does hold the correct fixing points in all the right places. Most car makers will always skimp on
the manufacturing costs where ever possible and therefore will make most of the parts fit as
many of their vehicles as possible. The main assembly of the gearbox between the various
models all share a lot of the inner workings and therefore replacing the casing alone was all that
was required to turn this Cupra gearbox into an AWD version.

Photo below shows the inner side of the two casings, no prizes to guess which one the new unit
is! On the inside of the casing we could not see any difference in its construction, essentially
they are both the same design:
Casing then turned over, spot the difference?
Photo below shows the two units, the newer casing has the mounting holes for the front transfer
box:
Once we put the gearbox back together again, we were able to install the front transfer box:
Closer look at the transfer box:
Photo below shows the rear view of the box assembly; the triangular spindle wheel drives the
propshaft that sits underneath the tunnel of the chassis to the rear diff.
New bolts and fixings were used, advisable when re-building the box assembly:
And now for fitting! The hefty lump was raised up on the hydraulic lifter ready to fix into position:
Now now boys!
We also had to find a replacement driveshaft for the front offside side wheel. Once we’d fitted
the transfer box into position, we realised that Cupra’s driveshaft was going to be too long. We
went on the internet searching for a couple of weeks until we found an OEM unit.

These type of components are actually quite hard to come by because there are far fewer
S3/R32s out there than the standard Audi/VW models. We looked at buying an aftermarket
version but in the end we decided it would be better to find an original part considering the
increased power being put through the wheels and we were unsure how strong the 3rd party
units would be:
It was a bit of a milestone getting the gearbox fitted successfully. Once the transfer box was
installed it was all a pretty tight fit. We had to reconfigure some of the hosing from the GT3071R
Turbo to make space for the drive shaft assembly to the front offside wheel. Andy got a local
company to fabricate a custom braided hose connector which now fits perfectly.

Nothing is ever straight forward with these type of projects and we have on many occasions had
to tweak a few things here and there to make it all fit together, the joys of mechanical
engineering!

Glad we got that job out of the way!

A little while later we pressed on with the next phase of the works. Dave from Auto
Solutions was busy laser cutting up a new box section for the boot floor plan so we had a couple
of weeks to get the car ready for his return. There were two areas that needed to be prepared
for the welding works, the first being the boot floor plan and the second was the tunnel
underneath the chassis where the propshaft sits. The prop has an elbow joint approximately half
way along where it is held up against the chassis by a heavy duty bracket. Mounting plates are
usually built in with the S3/R32 but were not present on the Cupra so we ordered these in ready
to be installed.
Welding underneath the car causes a lot of heat and we therefore had to strip out the interior to
avoid the carpet from going up in flames! Dismantling the car’s interior was an awkward job but
one that had to be done, a little pain for a big gain! I actually volunteered to do it myself as this
would give the guys some breathing space to get on with other things. I went along one
Saturday morning and it took me a good few hours to sort.

Gurr you wouldn’t believe how awkward SEAT interiors are to take out, mind you I’m sure most
cars are the designed the same. To remove the carpet and underlay we had to strip out nearly
every piece of plastic trim and panel there was! It was quite daunting to see the Cupra in so
many pieces, not a sight we really want to see again!

Photo below shows me in action…removing the centre console which luckily came out in one
piece. I still managed to trash one of the other panels though! easily replaced.

Small tip, front seats are a nightmare to remove when taking out through the front or rear doors.
We ended up taking everything out through the boot which was a lot easier. The Darth Vader
like rear seat covers on the Cupra R are made of a glossy shiny black plastic and can easily
scratch if not removed carefully. Luckily all went well and we soon got everything out.
Write up in progress...

Project Update

So following on from the interior strip out, Dave from Auto Solutions soon returned back
to Autotechnica to start the welding works.

Subsequently we had 2qty Dave’s in the workshop that day, just to confuse matters!

First fitting, we checked the new fabricated box section for size:
Perfect fit!
Attention to detail was key here to get the best fitment:
Some further cutting and tweaking to perfection! Dave you’re a real smarty pants!
Welding begins!
Welding of the boot floor is complete:
A little bit more grinding to finish off:
Next we fixed up the bracket for the elbow joint on the propshaft:
Photo below shows the two brackets fitted into position, the square opening through the tunnel
is where the gear stick is located:
All welding works are complete. Big thanks to Dave for doing a fantastic job.

We then applied the first layer of automotive sealant around the welding seams ready to paint
the underneath of the chassis:
We gave it a couple of days for the sealant to harden and then sprayed the first layer of primer:
We also started to apply a similar process to the top side of the boot floor:
Things were starting to take shape now
We’ve also bought some OEM 'Candy White' paint for the spray gun of which we will be re-
covering the boot floor. We want to make the conversion look as OEM as possible so will touch
up the area once we got all the heavy duty works done.

Photo below shows the propshaft brackets covered in a protective paint finish with more sealant
applied to help protect the welding joints. The sealant got sanded down and cleaned up once it
had set:
Now the painting was complete, it was time to re-install the running gear into position.

During the last two months we had the S3 axle on and off the car like a yoyo! Fixing it up for the
last time was a good day for everyone!

The next job was to install the R32 fuel tank. We found that the access hole was blocked up on
the far side, this is only required on the AWD cars where a saddle tank is fitted and access is
required to the secondary fuel pump:
More cutty cutty! then primed and sealed around the edges…
New fuel pump gasket fitted into position (one on the left hand side in the photo)
A new hole had to be drilled and threaded for fixing one end of the bracket strap that holds the
R32 tank up against the chassis, the old one off the Cupra had a slightly different configuration
and required a new fixing point.
Next we fitted a new down pipe from the GT3071R Turbo. The old one wasn’t compatible with
the AWD system seeing as the pipe was positioned more centrally underneath the chassis
tunnel and would have got in the way of the propshaft.

We contacted George from ATP Turbo in America to see if they could help. As it turns out they
do in fact manufacture an AWD version for the S3 and Golf R, we explained to him the project in
hand and they very kindly offer to sponsor us a new downpipe.

Big thanks to George and the his team for their support.
Propshaft fitted into position:
Photo below shows the S3 Axle fitted into its final position with the boot floor plan tidied and the
final coat of paint applied:

New toy arrives at Autotechnica! A set of S3 H&R anti-roll bars that were required for both the
front and rear axles due to the difference in the running gear installed. These H&R bars are
awesome! Excellent build quality with a solid powder coat finish, should last for many years to
come.
New H&R anti roll bar installed on the rear axle:
New R32/S3 running gear complete!
Cupra Kung Fu finally back on his own feet again! Brilliant job guys:
And now for the fun part! A little early in the process but we couldn’t resist…
A long deserved medal for our project Cupra, badge for the rear coming soon…
Play time over, back to work boys!

Next we started to install the additional wiring required for the Haldex rear diff and the
secondary fuel pump. Now was the best time to get the wiring in seeing as we had the interior
stripped out. Once the all the cabling is installed then we can start to re-fit the carpet, seats and
trim. The new wiring has to be routed through to the electronics that sit behind the dashboard.

Luckily we got the full wiring loom from the R32 donor car so we have a form of template to see
what terminations will be required, this is obviously backed up by documentation and
schematics from Audi.

Photo below shows the wiring being installed to the rear Haldex unit:
There are currently five pins in use. We installed 8 wires so we have a few spare to play with
should we need them. At a later stage in the project we will be installing a Haldex Sport
Controller which sits in place of the factory unit but has been hard coded to change the handling
characteristics of the traction (for the better)

We’ll cover this controller in more detail at a later time but for now we have to make sure we
have the necessary cabling is installed. The sport controller has the option of switching between
different modes i.e. road/track/race. One of the options is to fit a small switch that can mounted
somewhere at the front of the car, hence the reason for the extra cores.

Next we installed the wiring loom to the secondary fuel pump. The wiring will sit nicely behind
the interior carpet out the way. The secondary pump requires a 3 pin connection but again we
ran extra cores just to be sure, we don’t want this carpet up again!
Fuel pump wiring joins the Haldex cables and routes along the drivers side along to the front of
the car:
Wiring loom cores into position ready to be pulled up through behind the dashboard. Think we’ll
have to get the continuity tester out as I forgot to mark them up! Sorry lads! Ha
One of the last stages of the mechanical works is to install the exhaust system.

You may have noticed that we have acquired sponsorship from Milltek Sport. We’re all very
excited in teaming up with them for the coming season and are most grateful to Steve and his
development team for their support.

Next week we take Kung Fu down to Nottingham on the back of a trailer to their development
centre where we will be designing and installing a new custom stainless steel exhaust system.
More on these works in the next update!
The team soon got to work and within a matter of days they had fabricated up a new mid to rear
section to include the two silencers. Two props held up the piping whilst they checked for
correct alignment:
The new three inch piping fits snuggly around the rear axle and Haldex diff:
New shiny tailpipes are fitted into position. The latest innovation from Milltek is to supply
detachable units, if they become discolored or need to be changed then this can now be done
without having to replace the whole of the rear section, a great feature!
The new system is assembled into position:
The two silencers were fabricated from scratch, you’ll notice how the engineers have put a
indent into the top of the box sections to make it fit snuggly underneath the propshaft. This is an
awesome piece of engineering which has helped to keep the system tucked in well underneath
the chassis so nothing sticks out underneath, a useful feature giving good clearance under the
car:

The photo below shows the new mid-section mated perfectly up to the ATP down pipe, a
custom flange was welded onto the new Milltek pipe to give an OEM style fitment. The wire
coming off the LHS is the EUGO sensor which measures the air/fuel ratio. The sensor shown in
the photo below is the existing unit that is wired back to the engine’s management system.

We recently bought a Wideband Aif/Fuel Ratio Gauge which will be used in in addition to the
existing unit. The Wideband kit comes with a steel bung that is used to mount the sensor, we
handed this adaptor piece to the Milltek team and they very kindly welded it onto the new down
pipe. This gives a more permanent fixture compared to using an aftermarket bracket which
involves drilling a hole into the pipe.

Photo below shows the full exhaust assembly, a top design feature worth noting are the straight
lines and minimal curvature in the piping, this greatly helps to reduce the back flow pressure.
When comparing against the S3 or the R32, the rear silencer is typically installed underneath
the boot floor plan where sharper 90 degree bends are required to connect to the rear tail pipes.
Custom brackets are welded to hold up the rear section to the underneath of the chassis:
New tailpipes fitted into their final position:
The exhaust is finally installed

The engineers then have to carry out a sound test to make sure the new system meets within
the required decibel levels. We explained to Milltek our plans to take the Cupra out onto the
race track. A lot of track day chiefs will carry out sound level checks before you're allowed to
race, this is mainly due to noise pollution for local residents. Two silencers were installed on our
system to give the right level output. Milltek advised that fitting the silencers do not hinder the
performance or increase the back flow pressures in any way shape or form.
The Cupra was ready to pick up after a couple of days and so we popped it back on the trailer
and made our way back to Autotechnica’s HQ in Hull to complete the next round of works.

In the end we opted for a resonated system which generally gives more of a discreet sound
output. The non-resonated versions are a lot louder and can sound a bit more sportier, but one
has to put up with the increase in cabin noise when driving (can also pose a bit of a sound clash
against your top dollar ICE!)

The Cupra Rs aren’t exactly the best for sound proofing, but in this case the Milltek system is
just right, not too loud unless you’re driving through the city tunnels! We didn’t want the Cupra’s
exhaust to bounce against building down the street but give more of a defined and crisp output.

Sound wise I would say Milltek have hit a perfect balance. You get a deep throaty sound which
roars with rage once you slam down the throttle and a nice sounding warble when idle.

It was reassuring to find that Milltek had designed the system well and fitted in snugly to the
underneath of the car, nothing sticks out of place and the twin pipes out the rear fill in the gaps
of the rear valance very nicely. There is still a sufficient amount of space to squeeze a brush in
between the tail pipes and the bumper which makes it nice and easy to keep the system looking
clean and sparkling! The twin tail pipes are not so big that they ruin the look of the car, IMO they
are a good size, you know you have something quite special under that chassis, a quality
construction that should last for many years to come.

The workmanship and the materials appears to be the best we have seen on an aftermarket
system at this level, especially the welding work which is something else! Milltek had definitely
exceeded all of the expectations we had for appearance, sound quality/level and performance
increases. The new system has been a surely welcomed improvement to the car and certainly
makes it look a lot more substantial and ready for business!

So no doubt you’ll be wandering what it sounds like? Fantastic!

Turn the key, fire up the engine and you soon know there is something pretty awesome going
on underneath the hood! We haven’t yet taken the Cupra out onto the road as we still have the
wiring to do for the AWD system, but fail not we’re sure Kung Fu will scream with delight once
we really open up the valves!

I think all in all, REVO made a good choice partnering with Milltek and we highly recommend
their kit to others.

So we are now coming close to getting the car out on the road for the very first time since
January, exciting times!

Unfortunately I didn’t get time to take any further pics before we put all the interior back in, it
was all a bit of a mad panic rush last Saturday to get the car back together again. The first show
of the season is coming up in two weeks’ time so it’s all hands on deck at the moment!

Whilst the interior was out, we also installed the cabling for a future ICE system, this includes
new speaker and power cabling to the front of the car, also the RCA and remote leads for the
amplifier pre-outs. Our budget probably won’t stretch to the ICE this season as we are planning
for more treats on the engine, coming soon! More on this later

Thanks again to everyone for your continued support, back shortly!

AWD is alive!

Hi Everyone,

In this update we have some exciting news! Our Cupra is alive and now driving all four wheels!

The last few weeks have been manic to say the least! We left ourselves with little time to get
Kung Fu ready for the first show of the season. Rest assured, Andy and his team
from Autotechnica worked around the clock to get the final stages of the works completed and
we were then able to carry out the first road trials.

During the last update, we painstakingly put the Cupra’s interior put back in again and had got
all necessary cabling for the Haldex and secondary fuel level sensor to the front of the car.
We started to wire in the Haldex system which communicates onto the system CAN Bus, a
vehicle bus standard designed to allow microcontrollers and devices to communicate with each
other within a vehicle without a host computer. The modern CAN Bus system greatly reduces
the amount of cabling required in a modern motor, in essence it simplifies the communications
topology between main components that require data from the engine’s ECU and main electrical
components.

So Ben got to work on the wiring, well once he’d finished his cup of tea!
The next job was to wire in the cables from the secondary fuel level sensor which involved
removing the speedometer and clock assembly. To remove the speedometer, we had to take
out the centre air vent console, this then allowed access to some of the fixings that hid behind
the dashboard.

You’ll also notice we’ve started to wire up the AEM Fuel/Air Ratio sensor and Turbosmart E
Boost Controller. These will come in handy when we start to push the boost levels beyond the
reading capacity of the engine’s ECU.

There aren't that many options for gauge pods with the MK2, unfortunately we couldn't find any
vertical pillar mounts available on the market. For the AEM gauge, we decided to use an air vent
adaptor which requires the removal of the existing air vent assembly. This is done by removing
the side panel to the fuse board (of which you can see in the photo above) You then have to
unclip the vent mechanism from the inside of the dashboard.

The Turbosmart boost gauge is mounted using a pod pillar holder that sits within the front
triangular window adjacent the dashboard, the first job was to black out the window so no one
can see the wiring to the gauge from the outside. This little window is a real bugger to work on! I
bought a roll of black plastic vinyl wrapping from Homebase. We originally looked at using
window tint film, but to be honest the area to be covered was so small, it really wasn’t worth the
bother and still looks good with the plastic covering anyway.
So we finally completed the terminations of the cabling required for the Haldex. We had just
three days before the first show of the season so the pressure was on!

We plugged the laptop into the ECU port, opened up the VAG Com software and got to work on
the configuration. Some hours later and a bit of head scratching, we pulled out the lead and got
the car up on the ramp.

So we gripped our teeth, started up the engine and then drove successfully through the
all the gears. All four wheels started whizzing round…. and guess what!

We didn’t see any fault lights or ESP/ABS warnings appear! Hoorah!

So we now started getting rather excited at the possibility that we had a working car!

For some videos on the action, find us at the remappers.com UTUBE channel

So the first stage was a success, but more testing was required. Andy and Dave took the Cupra
out on the road and put it through its paces. They were very pleased to find that everything
worked first time!
This was a massive relief given some of the troubles that others had previously encountered.
Further road tests were carried out and we didn’t see any fault lights come on once! Just pure
AWD heaven!

We now had just one day left before the car show, I went to Hull on the Saturday. Dave and I
fitted a new front splitter from Triple R Composites (photos shown later on in the thread). We got
the Autotechnica van packed up with the trade tent, slung a few plastic chairs and tables in the
back and then I got to take Kung Fu back home for the very first time since January!

Aghhh I was so excited, my first drive in the Cupra as an AWD!

First pull out onto the main road and I could instantly feel the difference! The rear Haldex started
kicking in almost instantly!

So I set off on my journey home with a big cheeky grin on my face! Every now and then
slamming the throttle in the low gears to see what Kung Fu could really do. About an hour later I
arrived back in my home town and rushed straight for the hills! lol

Before the AWD conversion was done, first and second gear was a complete waste of time, with
450bhp through the front wheels alone, I was starting to lose my faith in the Cupra.