Some newbie questions

**tj4891** · 12-10-2008 04:08 PM

Hey everyone, im a new a4 owner and new driver... 16 years old.
Silver 1999 A4 1.8T Quattro Automatic Transmition no current mods
I have a few questions.
I am looking to get this muffler

http://vibrantperformance.com/catalo...463ecd53bf2d6f

Im not sure what the Audi inlet size is but the muffler is 3". If the car is not 3" can the muffler shop make it work when they install the muffler or do I have to choose a muffler with the same inlet size?

My front door speakers are blown. I do not have the bose sound system so they are 4" speakers. Is this the only size I can install? I have read off of here that I must custom install them because of the bolt pattern. Is this hard to do? I would rather save some money and do it myself, but if it is too hard I will just take it to Car Audio.

I was thinking about niteshading or tinting the tail lights. Is this recomended? What about for the head lights? Both?

When I am cruizing usually down a hill not accelerating it sounds like someone is dragging a small chain on the ground along side the car. Is this normal?

And last I have been told I need to replace my fan belt, a.c. belt, and water pump belt. Is this an easy/quick process?

**Seerlah** · 12-11-2008 08:19 AM

Originally Posted by tj4891

Hey everyone, im a new a4 owner and new driver... 16 years old.
Silver 1999 A4 1.8T Quattro Automatic Transmition no current mods
I have a few questions.
I am looking to get this muffler

http://vibrantperformance.com/catalo...463ecd53bf2d6f

Im not sure what the Audi inlet size is but the muffler is 3". If the car is not 3" can the muffler shop make it work when they install the muffler or do I have to choose a muffler with the same inlet size?

My front door speakers are blown. I do not have the bose sound system so they are 4" speakers. Is this the only size I can install? I have read off of here that I must custom install them because of the bolt pattern. Is this hard to do? I would rather save some money and do it myself, but if it is too hard I will just take it to Car Audio.

I was thinking about niteshading or tinting the tail lights. Is this recomended? What about for the head lights? Both?

When I am cruizing usually down a hill not accelerating it sounds like someone is dragging a small chain on the ground along side the car. Is this normal?

And last I have been told I need to replace my fan belt, a.c. belt, and water pump belt. Is this an easy/quick process?

First off, welcome to Audizine. Be sure to make yourself familiar with the FAQ sheet and know that the search button (found at the top of the page) is your freind. It can save you from being flamed in the future.

Vibrant has one of the sweetest sound notes when it comes to exhausts, but the one you posted in the link is overkill for a stock k03 turbo (3 " piping to dual 3.5" outlets). Some say that 3" alone is overkill for the stock turbo, as that is the same diameter used for big turbo applications including the GT3582r. But there are a few whom run that set up all day and love it. I myself have 2.75" exhaust system on the stock turbo flashed/chipped. I would recommend to stay between 2.5"-3" (but if you plan on going BAT/Big *** Turbo in the future, then get the 3" all the way through).

I can not recall about front speakers. But you can stick aftermarket speakers in there. You would just need an amplifier to power tham. And when bolting it up, I believe the way the mounting is designed, there will be one bolt that will not be able to be fastened. So it will be held on by either 2 (I think it is 2) bolts instead of 3. You can place some foam behind the speaker in case of rattle that may occur due to that missing bolt.

You can tint the tail lights. There are many whom do it. As for the headlights, if you want to tint those you should use Lamin-X (google it).

No, it is not normal to hear the noise of a chain being dragged across the ground as you cruise down a hill. As for the noise, I have no idea. Where is it coming from (on the chasis)?

As for replacing those parts that were recommended fixing, you will need to wait for another to chimme in. I have never attempted myself.

**tj4891** · 12-11-2008 02:34 PM

Thanks, that helped alot. As for the muffler what do you mean it is overkill to it? I only picked that one over this one (2.5" inlet, 3.5" tips)
http://vibrantperformance.com/catalo...463ecd53bf2d6f
because the other one was turbo so i figured it would be better for the car. I will most likely not be getting a big turbo because minimum wage dosen't allow me to.

And the tail lights/head lights I was asking how it would look best(just tails/just heads/both).

**Seerlah** · 12-11-2008 03:04 PM

It is just with the power you have, you would want back pressure. It does not matter if you don't have a big turbo. I have 2.75" piping to dual 2.75" outlets. I am going by assumption you have the 1.8T. There are also others whom are still on thier stock turbo and have 3" exhaust systems. It is just that some may think it is overkill because you want back pressure. If money is an issue, there is nothing wrong with buying a used system. Check the classifieds on here, fourtitude and ebay (yes, you can find amasing deals on ebay believed or not) till you come across one. I have a Milltek Cat Back Exhaust System that cost $1200+shipping brand new that I got for $500 shipped. I was determined to have that system and waited for maybe 7 months till a deal came around. Pateince does have it's benefits. And if you were to just get that exhaust and not the kit (piping and resonator) I have no idea how the flow would be. The ride quality might not be the greatest. Better to save up and get a complete system. Or get an exhaust of your choosing and customise your own piping (I like resonators too).

And for the tinted tails and headlights, there are a few pics of them. This might be a good time for you to familiarise yourself with the 'search' function. They look good and people have different ways of going about it. But for your headlights, only use Lamin-X. If I were to tint my tails, I would leave the reverse light as it is (clear/white) and tint the rest of the tail light. And I myself would not tint my headlights (others do and it looks good), but I adore my Valeo Ecode housing on my brilliant black sedan. It has a clean look.

**Spykce** · 12-11-2008 03:21 PM

Also changing just the muffler won't have any huge benefits. The sound will be different but that is about it. However if this is all your looking for then go for it.

Tinted tails are fairly common, here is a picture of mine. I did the whole thing using spray tint you can find at a craft store, followed by some clear coat.

Headlights, the CC mod (Clear Corner) is also very common and one of the best/cheapest ways to improve the appearance. I hope to get some black housing lights someday but we'll see. This is a bad picture for the CC mod but maybe someone else will chime in.

As for your noise, look under the engine bay and see if you have a belly pan. It should cover the underside of the engine. If not see if the "bracket" it bolts to (right around the back of the front wheels) is hanging down. If it is you'll notice right away. I recently had this happen and heard a similar noise. Pulled over right away to find out what it was. Luckily I had some tools with me. I took it off for now until I find a belly pan.

The repair would be easy if it's just the belts. However they may be more meaning the timing belt job. There are many write-ups for this. It can run anywhere from $600-$1200 to get done at a shop. When I was looking parts were going to run around $350. Do a search on this to find out more.

Welcome and check through the FAQs.

**biketsai** · 12-11-2008 05:07 PM

If you are not changing the piping, it really wont matter the diameter. The muffler shop will just get some reducers and weld them up. I would buy some precut Lamin-X for the headlights and tails or have a shop paint it, nightshade looks like shit IMO. I believe I had to get some 5 1/4" speakers for my fronts.
SEARCH BUTTON IS YOUR FRIEND
and welcome...

**articONE** · 12-11-2008 05:57 PM

the noise u hear might be the rear brake hardware being loose i had the same problem when i had a b5, the hardware was like 20$ but i think u can try to just tighten it. it was along time ago and took it to a vw dealer and they did a noise check thats what they came up with then took it to local mechanic but u could probly do it yourself.

**B5A4Kevin** · 12-11-2008 06:29 PM

noise could also be attributed to a wheel bearing, if the noise is vehicle speed dependant, and you notice it when turning. Clear Corner mod FTW. tint the tails (minus reverse lights). if you like chrome accents, only do the CC, and spray paint the turn signal bulbs silver (1-2 coats only!).

You most likely need a timing belt job. simple repair to some, but its a terrific way to ruin a cylinder head if you mess it up, so only do it if you feel comfortable. theres some DIY's floating around for it.

On turbo cars, the turbine housing/wheel is the restriction and it would be optimal for that to be the only source of backpressure. NA cars do need a certain amount of backpressure however, in order to keep the proper exhaust pulses, scavenge, etc. i can guarantee you, though, that doing a muffler that big will sound like shit, especially with stock cat, dp, and piping. go with a full exhaust (miltek). leave mufflers/tips to ricers. refer to the FAQ page. Welcome to AZ, Enjoy your Audi, and Happy Holidays. peace.