TheHobbitHouse

Hey Audi Forum!

Since my father purchased a new to him 2013 A8 4.0T, he has been totally obsessed. With his birthday coming up I figured I would turn to you guys with a quick question or 2.

He has already received an APR tune(Holy cow is the thing fast!) and tinted the windows(Which was going to be my gift idea!). So, back to my question... As I have been following the forums for a while now and see a lot of talk about using a VAG-COM to lower the car using what I believe to be the already existing suspension adjuster. Is this terribly difficult? Is Ross-Tech software still viable for the 2013 models?

Among other things I believe he would love his car lowered, and just wanted to know if it was feasible for someone to do who is pretty savvy with computers, and looking to get a nice gift for his father.

Thanks,
Nick

Jack88

Yes you can. The procedure should be more or less the same as for the D3 A8's. You can find that instruction here.

If you'd like, follow the link in my signature to see what other modifications can be done via VCDS. You will need a cable, the best way to get one is to go to Rosstech's website and order one directly, it's no cheaper on other sites at $350. Ebay has more than a couple fakes up for sale and often have functionality problems. If you are in the area, some members will allow you to use their cable, but having one can save a lot of money on diagnosis later.

It's not difficult, just follow directions and it'll work fine.

Jack88

This is also a post on another forum covering lowering for the S6, if you need any more information on the procedure. Again, there is very little difference between the procedures, but that one has additional details.

frybear

if you want the car maybe a little quicker, check out the pedalbox. I had one on my BMW 750 and it removed any and all turbo lag. car just jumped off the line. runs about $275 I think.

TheHobbitHouse

Thank you! I saved the links to the VAG-COM and started taking a look at the pedal box.

frybear

I haven't gotten the pedalbox yet for my Audi, just too lazy. Easy install, just have to remove the accelerator and attach it to the backside. The controller is another matter. On the BMW it was fairly easy to remove the trim pieces to locate it to the ashtray where it was hidden. Once you set it, you really don't monkey with it ever again, unless you take it to the dealer and want to turn it off completely but I never did and dealer never noticed.

Jack88

I looked up what it does, and based off their description, it changes what the car sees when you push the pedal. Luxury cars have an engineered delay in throttle response to make them easier to drive smoothly, ergo more comfortably. The box cuts out that engineered delay, but does nothing to improve actual performance since it does not affect any running parameters. Sport mode does cut down the delay significantly, and in my 4.2 I can't see there being any room for appreciable improvement from an aftermarket device(I played with it a bit today, it is in fact very responsive.) It will not help any delays due to turbo lag.

frybear

maybe the Audi is better, with the BMW, even in sport mode, the car shot off like a rocket in comparison without it. And yes, it does nothing for performance, just helps with the butt dyno

Jack88

The amplification of the throttle input gives the impression of a more eager car, which some people enjoy. I find sport mode to provide immediate response but linear input, which helps when you are driving hard through corners to give it the right amount of throttle. Exaggerating the response beyond where it is would make the car a little more difficult to modulate mid corner.

frybear

too many big words Jack!