Selene’s Chronicles – an SQ5 Build Thread

[Whinny SQ5]

Well, this is something I didn’t think I would ever do, but I guess I have done enough to the SQ5 over my 8 years of ownership to warrant making her own build thread.

Hi. I’m Noel and this is Selene, my 2015 SQ5.


I guess I should start where it all began…
I was born at a very young age. LOL! No, not that far back, but back to when I purchased the SQ5. This is the very first picture I ever took of her.


And this is the second.

Notice the S5? That’s my best friend’s former S5. The car that sparked my interest in Audi.

Upon inspecting the SQ5, I noticed that it didn’t come with a dipstick (I already suspected it since the S5 didn’t either) or a roof rack removal tool. So those were the first parts I ordered as I really wanted to remove the racks and have a physical way of checking the oil.

This is what she looked like stock


Let’s get all caught up with all of the mods I have done so far. I am probably forgetting some, but these are what come to mind:

First “mod” I did was a winter wheel setup. Got some knock off Rotor wheels wrapped in Blizzaks from TireRack.


With my spouse’s S5.


December 2017 - LED interior lights and ECS intake - Intake Setup #2 - #1 being stock.



Early 2018 - Magnaflow axle back and VFF102s. Only had the magnaflow for a few months before I found a decent deal on a used AWE exhaust with non-resonated downpipes.



July 2018 – OEM intake box, K&N filter, 034 Hose - Intake Setup #3


Summer 2018 - 034 Rear sway bar, end links, and drivetrain mount inserts aren’t pictured, but I installed those sometime after the AWE exhaust.

September 2018 - New front caliper plates.


November 2018 - The birth of the Sqattro plate


Early 2019 – 034 X Brace (not pictured)

May 2019 - Modified intake box with K&N filter and 034 inlet hose - Intake Setup #4




June 2019 - Finally lowered on H&R springs and Bilstein B8 shocks.


December 2019 – Carbon and injector cleaning, PCV and thermostat replacement, RSNav dongle, ECS Intake with 034 Inlet Hose - Intake Setup #5




March 2020 – IE Stage 1 tune


April 2020 - ECS Catch Can


June 2020 – Sparco Racing Seat, transmission filter and fluid change


November 2020 – JHM 179 Crank Pulley, IE Single Pulley tune, Ecodes



April 2021 – Rohana RFX13 summers


May 2021 – ECS Heat Exchanger and new intercooler bricks. Broke off the bung on one and then found out the one with the bung intact was leaking.



June 2021 – Steering Wheel Cover and 345x30 ECS wavy rotors with Porsche Macan calipers. Saved 17lbs per side (~10lbs on rotors and ~7lbs on calipers)





July 2021 – IE TCU tune. FINALLY!

Summer 2021 – Front, center and rear differential fluid change

December 2021 – Ran over tire tread and broke quite a good amount of undercarriage parts. Thanks, Colorado, for having the absolute most trash on roads out of any other state I have visited.

January 2022 – Griptec upper pulley


February 2022 – new front bumper, resprayed hood and fenders, xpel applied to front end



July 2022 – ECS 2 Piece rear rotors, bled brakes

August 2022 – 034 Strut Brace


December 2022 – Removed rear subframe plastic covers. Sanded some mild rust, and applied POR15




February 2023 – IE 188 crank pulley, IE intake (Intake Setup #6), BFI motor mounts, RedStar Test Pipes, JHM catted baffled Downpipes, IE dual pulley E40 tune



April 2023 – Yakima Roof Box



September 2023 – Carbon Fiber Mirror Caps


I had no idea Audizine has a 50 pictures per post limit. Oops. Continuing below...

[Whinny SQ5]

March 2024 – replaced OEM spoiler after it warped. Got a used one in Glacier white and wrapped in matte black. Ethanol sensor, carbon cleaning, injector cleaning, new spark plugs, new set of intercooler bricks (2nd set), upgraded secondary coolant pump (S/C coolant pump), LED headlight bulbs













May 2024 – Variant Sena Summers



June 2024- Wrapped tail lights in 35% Xpel PPF


July 2024 – Sanded and repainted windshield wiper arms


August 2024 – Bled Brakes, satin chrome mirror caps and sequential turn signals



October 2024 – Sqattro plate rebirth. Engine made a noise, so I pulled it and inspected it. Didn’t find anything obviously wrong with it, except pieces of timing chain guide stuck to the crankshaft timing gears. Decided to build it for more power since it was already out and apart. Might as well, ya know.











December 2024 – Dropped off the engine at AMTuned for their stroker build with ported heads, sent supercharger to Jokerz Performance for their porting service. Who needs a pickup truck when you have an S5?


At AMTuned in FL


February 2025 – Received the supercharger back from Jokerz. Installed RSQ5 grill from CAP. The grill says it fits a B8.5 SQ5, but honestly, it required a LOT of trimming and adjusting to make it work. Looks good though. I also dremeled the the lattice on the OEM bracket that holds the garage door opener as well as the spots for the parking sensors and license plate holder on the new grill for a cleaner aesthetic.





That’s about all I remember doing as far as mods and some maintenance. I am probably forgetting a few things. Next posts are probably gonna be random pics and eventually getting the engine back in and making moar powah!

[Slow4]

Ugghhhhhh...the dreaded timing guide failure!!! I saw the pics in the "What did you do today" thread and felt your pain....super lucky timing got retarded and didn't skip too bad since you caught it so early.

The port work <3 !!!!!

[03TLSinCO]

All in one post! Impressive! If you happen to have a left over exhaust you pulled off ...

And we should see about getting back to the drag strip again. Need to see what my S5 does with the 034 Stage 2 tune. Also interested in seeing what your SQ does. Will it be faster than your TTRS?

[Whinny SQ5]

Ugghhhhhh...the dreaded timing guide failure!!! I saw the pics in the "What did you do today" thread and felt your pain....super lucky timing got retarded and didn't skip too bad since you caught it so early.

The port work <3 !!!!!

Thanks, man. Much appreciated! And you're right... The situation could have been a lot worse. I got lucky it happened near the house and not on a long trip. That would have suuuuucked.

Yup! The port looks soooo good! I almost don't want to put it back on the engine.

All in one post! Impressive! If you happen to have a left over exhaust you pulled off ...

And we should see about getting back to the drag strip again. Need to see what my S5 does with the 034 Stage 2 tune. Also interested in seeing what your SQ does. Will it be faster than your TTRS?

Are you looking to spice up your exhaust, Rob? Hell yeah! The only part I won't need is the test pipes, but I already sold those. I'll be running the same long tubes we have on the S5. Very curious to hear the engine once it goes back in.

And absolutely! We definitely have to hit up the dragstrip this season. I'm hoping to have the SQ5 back up and running in April. I forget which tune you had before, but I know it was mild. Did you go dual pulley?

I have no doubt the SQ5 will be faster than the TTRS in its current 91oct stock tune... At sea level. LOL! SQ5 should still be faster up here, but I'm not expecting it to be much faster. The stroker build increases displacement to 3.2, but lowers compression a little bit. Lower compression is great for throwing more boost at it, hence why I ported the blower and got a larger throttle body. But I won't reap the full benefits of the stroker build until I upgrade the blower and do MPI. And that won't happen for a long time. I need to financially recover from this first.

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[Whinny SQ5]

Random Pics!

May 2018 - At Cowan Gap Lake, PA on my way to pickup the AWE setup from a fellow Audiziner in NOVA


March 2019 - On our move to Central Coast, CA


April 2019 - At Montaña de Oro State Park, CA



July 2019 - In Tucson, AZ


August 2019 -
At Tucson Dragway for her first dragstrip run!


In Bisbee, AZ


November 2019 - Sierra Vista, AZ


May 2020 - On a fun drive with buddies in Sierra Vista, AZ


October 2020 - Pikes Peak, CO


September 2021 - Pueblo Motorsports Park Dragstrip in Pueblo, CO with my spouse's S5


May 2023 -
Rocky Mountain National Park


Salt Flats Rest Area, Utah


April 2024 - Mekanik


May 2024 - at PPIR, CO with Tatiana - our 8S TTRS - for 1/8th mile shenanigans


August 2024 -
Lake George, CO


At Pueblo Motorsports Park, CO w/ spouse's S5. Yes, it's still the same car just a completely different paint color. LOL

[03TLSinCO]

Are you looking to spice up your exhaust, Rob? Hell yeah! The only part I won't need is the test pipes, but I already sold those. I'll be running the same long tubes we have on the S5. Very curious to hear the engine once it goes back in.

And absolutely! We definitely have to hit up the dragstrip this season. I'm hoping to have the SQ5 back up and running in April. I forget which tune you had before, but I know it was mild. Did you go dual pulley?

My Q still has the stock exhaust, but I'm on a 034 Stage 1 tune now. Deciding what I want to do. I may need to change the diffuser if I go to a dual tip exhaust, so that may factor into what I want to do. The S5 is on a 034 Stage 2 single pulley tune. It was on a EPL Stage 2 SP before. Feels faster now than before but I haven't had a chance to get a good run with my Dragy. Would love to find a nice open road while we still have cool mornings. Definitely want to hit the drag strip again, but I'll likely head up to High Plains Raceway before then. You get much more track time at a road course then you do at the drag strip.

[Whinny SQ5]

My Q still has the stock exhaust, but I'm on a 034 Stage 1 tune now. Deciding what I want to do. I may need to change the diffuser if I go to a dual tip exhaust, so that may factor into what I want to do. The S5 is on a 034 Stage 2 single pulley tune. It was on a EPL Stage 2 SP before. Feels faster now than before but I haven't had a chance to get a good run with my Dragy. Would love to find a nice open road while we still have cool mornings. Definitely want to hit the drag strip again, but I'll likely head up to High Plains Raceway before then. You get much more track time at a road course then you do at the drag strip.

Oooh okay. I think AWE has a version of their touring exhaust for the 3.0T Q5 with dual tips instead of quad tips. So you wouldn't need to change out the diffuser if you go that route.
Go to the eastern side of town. There are quite a few straight roads with very little to no traffic.
I still gotta go to a track event. But I think I would take the Miata before anything else since it's cheap, light, and has low power. Should keep me out of trouble.

[03TLSinCO]

Go to the eastern side of town. There are quite a few straight roads with very little to no traffic.

I know of a few places out that way. Just need to get out there one morning.

I still gotta go to a track event. But I think I would take the Miata before anything else since it's cheap, light, and has low power. Should keep me out of trouble.

You can get in trouble with any car, but with the Miata being cheap, you won't be as concerned if you do get in any trouble. The S5 is a bit heavy, but with the Sport Diff and the handling mods I've done, it tracks pretty well. Brakes haven't been a problem (outside of pad deposits causing a vibration - a quick cut of them will fix that. I have better pads for the track now, so that won't be an issue going forward), but I'm sure steel brake lines would improve the feel. Always more mods to do.

BTW, I noticed you only mentioned a rear sway bar on the Selene. Does she have the Sport Diff option? Unsure if I'll do only a rear sway or F/R on my Q. No Sport Diff on mine. Only did the rear on my S, but it has the Sport Diff.

[Whinny SQ5]

I know of a few places out that way. Just need to get out there one morning.



You can get in trouble with any car, but with the Miata being cheap, you won't be as concerned if you do get in any trouble. The S5 is a bit heavy, but with the Sport Diff and the handling mods I've done, it tracks pretty well. Brakes haven't been a problem (outside of pad deposits causing a vibration - a quick cut of them will fix that. I have better pads for the track now, so that won't be an issue going forward), but I'm sure steel brake lines would improve the feel. Always more mods to do.

BTW, I noticed you only mentioned a rear sway bar on the Selene. Does she have the Sport Diff option? Unsure if I'll do only a rear sway or F/R on my Q. No Sport Diff on mine. Only did the rear on my S, but it has the Sport Diff.

Whatcha waiting for? LOL!

Yeah, the Miata being cheap is its main advantage. Parts availability is also very nice. I can still buy a lot of new oem parts for it, which is kinda crazy on a 24 year old car. The S5 likes to eat up tires at the track, doesn't it? We only drive our S5 on the street and it still goes through tires pretty quickly.

Yup, only rear sway bar and end links on Selene. Still running oem bar in the front with oem Macan end links. They're metal instead of plastic. Handling definitely improved by just upgrading the rear sway bar and end links and leaving the front stock. The B8.5 SQ5 didn't get the sport diff option, unfortunately. That became available on the B9s.




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[Whinny SQ5]

As part of prepping for the engine's arrival in the upcoming weeks, I have spent a good amount of time cleaning up the engine bay, transmission, and several of the parts I took off. Super happy I got a steam cleaner last year! What has my life come to that I get excited about a freaking steam cleaner? LOL!



I have also ordered lots of parts: injectors, lots of gaskets, trans service kit, valve covers, PCV, thermostat... the list really does go on and on. I am afraid of adding up the total cost of all of this TBH. I would probably throw up. LOL! This past weekend, we prepped the front crash bar for paint, finally got the driveshaft off (had to use the blow torch to get it off the diff), and began transferring E40 from the SQ5 to the S5. Found out that you can't actually siphon gas from the SQ5. Had to remove the rear passenger seat and access the fuel tank from there. We only got about 10 - 12 gallons into the S5. I had just filled up the same day I heard the noise that triggered this whole thing, so the tank was pretty full. I plan on running 91 during the break-in period, so the E40 has got to go.

[Whinny SQ5]

Engine update: Alex at AMTuned sent me these pics of the heads. They should be going on the engine very soon!

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[Whinny SQ5]

The sleeved block!

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[Whinny SQ5]

Engine arrived yesterday!!! LET'S GOOOOOO!!!


Got to work right away. Got most of the valley parts installed as well as the oil filter housing, HPFP housing, EGR valves, vacuum pump, valve covers, and several sensors



Earlier this week, on Sunday, I cleaned out the fuel tank and installed a new fuel pump assembly. I noticed the sock type filter was looking a bit worn out, so I decided to replace the whole thing. I also replaced the SC oil (it was brand new from Jokerz, but I am kinda OCD and wanted OEM oil) and installed the intercoolers, bypass valve, IE throttle body, etc. I had to dremel a bit of the trim to accommodate the larger throttle body.





Check out the porting on the valves!


Compared to OEM


It's probably gonna take me about a week to get the engine back in, but that gives me time to get the tuning situation ironed out. Definitely looking forward to first start!

[03TLSinCO]

Damn! You take on so much more mechanically than I would attempt. And those engine pics of the sleeved block look so good!

[Whinny SQ5]

Damn! You take on so much more mechanically than I would attempt. And those engine pics of the sleeved block look so good!

I don't think I could afford to pay someone else to do the work tbh. So I take my time and look through the tech data to make sure I torque things to spec (mostly) and whatnot. I still get overwhelmed sometimes.
All of the machining that was done to the engine and supercharger looks really good. Almost a crime to cover it up, and hopefully, never to be seen again. LOL!

Today's progress: Not a whole lot. Got a few more things on and got the engine separated from the pallet to have a usable garage parking spot whenever I am not working on the engine. Found out the oil cooler bolts are one time use, so I will have to order new ones.

[Dr.B6Banter]

Making light work of putting everything back together! Glamour shots of the porting on the blower and sleeved block were a treat!

Very curious on the sound and power differences with those long tube headers. Don't see a lot of folks running them, likely due to the difficulty of installing with the engine in the car.

[Whinny SQ5]

Making light work of putting everything back together! Glamour shots of the porting on the blower and sleeved block were a treat!

Very curious on the sound and power differences with those long tube headers. Don't see a lot of folks running them, likely due to the difficulty of installing with the engine in the car.

Thank you! Trying to get as much done as possible, but I still have work and whatnot, so it's a process. We have the same setup on our S5 (same long tubes, JHM catted and baffled DPs, and AWE Touring). S5 sounds amazing! Take a listen.


Video is from a few years ago and right after installing the JHM pipes and headers. Sound has improved slightly. I am hoping for a similar result on the SQ. And I agree with your assessment... long tubes is an engine out install for sure.

[Whinny SQ5]

Yesterday's progress - Got new T30 bolts for the oil cooler from my local ACE hardware. I was shocked they had the same exact bolt as OEM, but not TTY. I was going to order new bolts from the dealership, but they said they were not TTY. Weird since tech data says they are and I broke one tightening it to 9Nm. Also installed the EGR covers, hard coolant line for the oil cooler, AC compressor, and driver side engine mount backet.



Today's progress - Steam cleaned and installed the wiring harness, alternator, starter, passenger engine mount bracket, and a few other things. Need to pull the S/C off again, so I didn't connect anything to it.

[Slow4]

HD Valves!
Ported Head!!!
Sleeved Cylinders!!!!
HEADERSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!

ERMAGAWD!!!!

She is gonna sound truly amazing!!!

Question and maybe I overlooked it, but are you considering getting a bigger blower to swap in? porting the stock s/c? or just upgrading the crank pulleys to get more out of the stock s/c? combination of B and C?

[Whinny SQ5]

HD Valves!
Ported Head!!!
Sleeved Cylinders!!!!
HEADERSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!

ERMAGAWD!!!!

She is gonna sound truly amazing!!!

Question and maybe I overlooked it, but are you considering getting a bigger blower to swap in? porting the stock s/c? or just upgrading the crank pulleys to get more out of the stock s/c? combination of B and C?

Thank you! Really looking forward to letting her rip and hearing the exhaust! Will definitely share a video once I do.

For the time being, I will be running the stock S/C but ported by Jokerz with 57mm upper and 188 lower pulleys. Eventually, I am planning on upgrading to a TVS1900 with MPI, but that's another 10K. So that's gonna have to wait. ~cries in broke~ LOL!

[Whinny SQ5]

Engine is back in!

These last few days have been quite busy! Got the engine started, did a trans fluid and filter change, and installed a meth injection kit and new AWE tips. All that's left to put on is the front bumper and skid plate, but that's gonna have to wait... more on that down below.

Sunday - got the engine and trans together

Monday - Got engine and trans back in

Tuesday - Installed meth kit. This took me incredibly long! I worked on the car for 11 hours and most of those were spent installing the kit. LOL! Routed the wires and boost tap line though the ECU housing (HUUUGEEE pain to get the wires past the butyl packed gromet) and along the OEM wiring harness that runs over the passenger wheel well. I should have looked at the wiring diagram before running all of the meth kit wires out to the engine as some of those needed to be in the cabin. Oh well. I'll get that sorted in the upcoming days. Had to drill and tap a hole in the IE throttle body adapter. That wasn't scary at all. LOL! I refuse to drill unnecessary holes in the car, so I used 2 existing holes on the frame to install the meth pump bolts. It feels secured enough, but just to be safe, I used zip ties to give it more stability. We'll see how they hold up.







Wednesday - Got the front end in service position

Thursday - Buttoned up the front end, vacuum filled the coolant, and fired up the engine. Heard an unusual noise coming from the back of the engine on the passenger side, so I emailed Alex at AMTuned. He replied in 35 minutes (and it was past 10pm his time) with troubleshooting steps to pinpoint the noise.


Friday - Troubleshot the noise. Removed the passenger valve cover, inspected top end. Everything looked fine. Retorqued the spark plugs, looked for exhaust leaks. Everything checked out. Got a stethoscope to confirm the noise was indeed coming from the back of the engine. It sure was. It was becoming more and more obvious that it had to be a failed timing chain tensioner. So I removed the timing cover and found this...


https://youtube.com/shorts/BT45QLW6k...MuoQQFLPcoKgyG

So much for a steam cleaned engine bay. LOL! I have been in talks with Alex discussing a way forward. He has been extremely helpful and apologetic. And I want to emphasize that this is certainly not his fault. He installed a brand new tensioner. Just an unfortunate situation.

Saturday - Cleaned up the mess I made filming that video of the tensioner, cut up a hole in the cowl cover to access the meth tank, and flushed the meth system. Found the perfect spot for my soju sticker! LOL!



On one of those days, my spouse and I installed the flywheel to torque converter bolts, axles, driveshaft, exhaust, underbody braces, heat shields. But I can't remember the exacts days. They all kinda merged together in my brain.

[Slow4]

Found the perfect spot for my soju sticker! LOL!

lol....

love this!

[The_Beater]

Any chance you have a link to the meth tank specifically you have? Half-interested in moving mine from just being mounted in the cargo area to the cowl. Not really to hide it, but mostly so i don't have to worry about things hitting it in the cargo area.

[Whinny SQ5]

Any chance you have a link to the meth tank specifically you have? Half-interested in moving mine from just being mounted in the cargo area to the cowl. Not really to hide it, but mostly so i don't have to worry about things hitting it in the cargo area.

Hey! I got the V3 kit from ECS, but this one looks exactly like my tank.
https://www.aemelectronics.com/produ...9eBA55PzpxR9DH

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[The_Beater]

Hey! I got the V3 kit from ECS, but this one looks exactly like my tank.
https://www.aemelectronics.com/produ...9eBA55PzpxR9DH

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Cool, thank you!