Am I running too hot?
 

I have noticed after a long run of hard driving (trying to keep up with a gaggle of S4s on a back country drive, for instance) that the entire exhaust housing of my turbo, including the pipe leading into the cat as well as the entire cast iron manifold (right up to the head) is glowing bright orange. Is this normal? I know the K03 will generate a lot of heat pushing 1 BAR of boost, and that some bright orange glowing is to be expected, but the entire manifold also? My primary O2 sensor has heat discoloration more than halfway up the body! I have not made any modifications other than those listed in my sig below.

I posted recently about this in the A4 forum including a strong burning vinyl/plastic/rubber smell after I had been driving this way for a while on one such drive this Sunday. Didn't see any visible signs of heat damage to anything though, and the car was/is still running great! Still idles nice and smooth, turbo working fine, etc. In fact I got on it more than a few times today and never smelled anything burning.

I decided to repost here under a different subject and to reach a more appropriate audience.

I will be calling my tuner, but wanted to see if anyone else has any feedback. Can't swing an EGT gauge at the moment (not sure I want to bore into the turbo housing to install the sensor either), so I'll just have to take it easy for now.

Thanks!
Paul

normal. and youre smelling wax melting

I can read a book in a dark near my glowing K04.

Next time your with a gaggle of S4's, try keeping the RPMs on the low side...
 

and see if this lowers your temps.

At 1 bar the ignition timing is up to 10 degrees AFTER top dead center, so the combustion charge has less and less time to burn as the RPM's increase. Kind of like those Top Fuel drag racers with flames shooting out exhaust.

Unfortunately the way the Tip is geared..
 

I get the best times shifting at about 6500 RPM 1-2, 6250 rest of the gears. I figured this may be the culprit. But if I shift any lower I lose too much ground (car doesn't pull after shifting). I guess the gears are taller with the Tip than the 5 spd? By the way, in the winter with APR v3.1 (cold weather program) my car pulls hard right up to 6500 RPM so it's worth it not to shift early. Pretty amazing for a K03. Wish I could say the same in the summertime, though..

Paul

Doesn't really smell like wax (I've smelled that before when the car was new)..
 

This was a distinct burning vinyl smell, with a hint of plastic and rubber.

Paul

could be brake dust then

Actually I was afraid it might be my brake lines
 

I was using my brakes almost as much as my turbo. May as well have been on the track...

I'll have to give them a look at lunch.

Paul

My car smells like that after really hard driving..

It was so strong I thought something was on fire. So did the car behind me... Yours that strong?