Lovely car, my previous Cupra was in Magnetic Grey but was sadly pinched! Funny you mention the DSG temps, I’ve also wondered if there was any way to meet monitor these? The Mercedes A45 shows the gearbox temps as standard which is nice feature. Would be awesome if they offered the p3 gauge for the Leon!
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JackB's Mk3 Leon Cupra "400"
- Thread starter JackB
- Start date
Thanks for the kind comment, it's always in the back of my mind that mine might go walkies at some point too... sorry that happened to you!
There is no way to monitor the DSG temps on the infotainment system, there is also no way to get an accurate coolant readout once it hits 90 as it just stays there.
Easiest and cheapest way to get live read outs from the cars various sensors is to buy an OBD Reader and the Torque Pro app for your phone, thats what I used at Blyton to monitor the true coolant readout. There was also a "transmission temp" gauge but it always read the same as the coolant, so I presume it wasn't working correctly.
Couldn't agree more about the quality of the exhausts and the customer service provided by BCS, top quality all round.BCS Powervalve Exhaust
I think its fair to say that the exhaust note on the newer GPF equipped cars is muted, and, whilst I'm not a fan of really loud exhausts, I did want something with a bit more character.
I researched the usual names (Milltek, Scorpion etc), and whilst the products seemed OK, I'd picked up mixed reviews of the quality of their products.
Whilst looking, I saw some posters mentioning BCS Powervalve Exhausts, although I hadnt heard of them, I couldn't find a bad word about them or their products. Their prices are very competitive for the quality on offer. After a few detailed conversations, these are the guys I went with to build and fit my system.
The options you can get (and my choices) are as follows:
Valved or Non Valved -
- A valved system is the party piece in BCS's offerings. Unlike similar competing products, which are controlled by an electrical switch, the BCS system opens and closes based on how much boost the turbo is generating.
- They also offer non-valved systems, which are like a normal sports exhaust, and a bit cheaper.
- I went for valved and am blown a way by how well it works, it is as quiet as OEM on the motorway but opens up the sporty sound when you put your foot down.
Presitge, Sport or WRC -
- This is the sound profile, prestige being the quiestest (two fairly large silencers), WRC being the loudest (straight through), and sport offering a happy medium of the two.
- This is purely going to be down to personal preference, I went for the prestige system because I prefer a more subtle note, and also need to ensure I stay within noise limits for track days.
- The system sounds nothing short of amazing. It's deeper than the stock exhaust, and has much more range in the sounds it will make, you can hear more of whats going on at the engine, without it being overly loud or droney.
Decat, 100 or 200 cell catalytic converter -
- What you go for here really depends on your car and how you use it, I didn't consider the decat option as my car is a road vehicle first and foremost.
- The choice between the 100 and 200 cell cats is based on how far you want to push the power envelope, both should pass MOT emissions tests, but the 200 cell will get through it a bit easier. The downside of the 200 is that it creates a little bit more restriction, vs the 100 cell which in theory flows just as well as a decat (BCS can explain the science of this to you if you are interested!).
- I went for the 100 cell.
Downpipe wrap -
- An optional extra is having the downpipe covered in a thermal wrap. The purpose of this is to keep the heat in the exhaust and out of the engine bay, allowing the engine to breathe cooler air and perform at its best for longer. It's a nice to have and not something that is needed.
- I opted to have the wrap as it's not too expensive, looks great in the engine bay and should give some performance benefit.
Tips -
As a final word on the exhaust, I'd highly recommend BCS to anyone, both the product and their customer service is top notch. The guys are clearly enthusiastic about cars, and will treat yours with the same care as they would their own.
- The final option is what tips you have on the exhaust, BCS will talk you through the options suitable for your car, there will be something to suit any taste (round/oval/single/double/quad/black/silver etc).
- I went for ovals, which are effectively a bigger version of the stock design for my car. There was obviously a lot of attention to detail in this (in the whole system to be honest!), the guys were talking about how they worked out the shape and the angle of the exit, to compliment the lines of the car. It really does show in the finished product - which lines up perfectly with the OEM rear bumper, and looks great from every angle.
Here are a couple of pictures to show off the system.
View attachment 16493
View attachment 16494
My next post will be about the software changes made to my car, to compliment the hardware changes already mentioned
You're using the same setup that I used on my 280dsg. I also used VBT discs as the OEM discs ran out of life. I had no issues at all with the DS2500 pads, which goes against what you see sometimes on the forum and on the facebook groups, the only thing I noticed was an increase in dusting and they squeaked when cold...minimal things to live with in comparison with the increased performance offered.Thanks both
Regarding brakes, I agree, the big brake kits look lovely. I am particularly taken by the Reyland kits (AP Racing 6 Pots + 362mm floating rotors specifically), however I am conscious that I am not on an unlimited budget with this car - and am also very much aware that doing one upgrade can make another necessary (e.g. because I have added power, and am going to be using the car on track, I may need to improve my oil and/or water cooling), raising the cost even further.
With that said, I do think the stock brakes could be improved, and I needed to replace the stock pads anyway after taking them way outside of their comfort zone and destroying them at Oulton Park (above). Rather than go straight to a BBK, I have decided to see how the stock braking system can perform with some modest upgrades - all of the below has been done both front and rear
Ferodo DS2500 Pads
These pads (part numbers FCP4425H for front and FCP4697H for rear) should offer an increase in performance over the OEM parts, although choosing the right set was really difficult - and I won't know if I have got it right until I have fully utilised these ones.
The OEM brake pads are designed to work well from stone cold - and survive only standard road use. This allows them to be made quite cheaply and still perform adequatly for the majority of customers.
On the other hand, high performance brake pads are designed to survive the hot conditions created on track (with some being fine to 1000c+). The problem with these are is that they are much more expensive, and most are not suited for road use - as they do not work optimally until they have been warmed up.
I needed to find a happy balance with my car doing double duty on both road and track, and so enters the DS2500 pad from Ferodo. This compound offers a better than OEM friction coefficient all the way from 20c to 500c (unfortunately, I dont have specs for OEM to compare - but this should be confirmed by their overall stopping power and resitance to heat).
Additionally, these come with a larger surface area to the OEM pads from the front, which should increase the amount the pads can clamp on the disc, and also help the pad to last longer.
It is worth noting that these do not come with a wear sensor. To avoid a warning light on the dash, I cut the plug off the old pads and joined the wires by hand, then reconnected to the plug on the car - easy job. I also had to use Carista to fully release the rear electronic parking brake - which is important to avoid damaging the mechanism when replacing the pads.
To confirm, I am still using the original discs that came on the car, as they still have life in them. I have inspected them for wear/cracks, and cleaned them up - before bedding in the new pads.
View attachment 16903
HEL Braided Brake Lines
Braided brake lines (part number SEA-4-209 used here) are a nice mod to do for any car driven hard. Whilst the brake fluid runs in hard lines all the way out to each wheel, the final leap from the chassis to the caliper must be done by a flexible line for obvious reasons (the caliper can move up/down/left/right relative to the chassis).
The OEM lines are rubber, cheap for the manufacturer and perfectly adequate for most drivers. The problem with this is that they can expand under hard braking, creating a softer pedal and reducing the pressure that actually gets transferred to the brakes.
Braided lines are still flexible, but a metal sheath stops them from expanding under pressure, creating a more direct braking feel, and allowing all pressure to get to the brakes. Their hard outer coating also improves durability over time vs rubber lines.
View attachment 16904
Motul RBF660 Fluid
The car is almost two years old, so it was sensible to replace the fluid anyway, but it was a necessity after replacing the lines and letting air in to the system. After doing a bit of research, I decided it worthwhile to replace the brake fluid to a more performance oriented specification OEM.
I'm not sure of the exact OEM specs, but to meet the DOT 4 specification, the dry boiling point (when the fluid is brand new) has to be at least 230c, and the wet boiling point (when the fluid has aged and absorbed water) 155c. Whilst I didnt boil earlier this year at Oulton, the ambient temps were cool and I may have been pushing them close to the limit. Boiling brakes are dangerous brakes (gas compresses, so when you press the pedal - all it does is compress the gas rather than press the pads against the caliper), stopping you from... stopping.
All of my research pointed to Castrol React SRF as the best, but it is very expensive. May be worth it in a BBK but with my stock brakes, I felt it overkill.
The next best seemed to be Motul's RBF range, available in a few different 'grades': 600, 660 and 700.
The key specs compare as follows:
Name Dry Boiling Point (C) Wet Boiling Point (C) Castrol React SRF 310 260 Motul RBF 600 312 205 Motul RBF 660 325 204 Motul RBF 700 336 205
I opted for Motul RBF660 as it was practically the same price as RBF600, whilst 700 was a jump up in price (for a minor spec bump I probably wouldnt use) and Castrol SRF as mentioned above is way more expensive.
I used a pressure bleeder kit to bleed the fluid and found it both easy and efficient to use, well worth buying and will hopefully serve me well for many changes to come
As an overall comment for all of these upgrades together, I can tell you that the brakes now feel sharper in initial bite, and the pedal is firmer when stepping on them hard. I look forward to giving them a proper go at the track.
As a closing note, my car is currently making a strange noise - which I have posted details about here. Hopefully It's nothing too serious and I can get it sorted soon
Just want to say your car looks fantastic and the mods you have added are top quality. Health to drive
Cadwell Park - What a track!!!
It has certainly made me reconsider booking an airfield day again (as I did with Blyton) - the elevation changes and scenic elements offered by a more traditional circuit like Cadwell really add to the experience even if they do increase risk of a costly accident.
Speaking of risk, Cadwell was the first track day I have taken out insurance for. You are free to drive without insurance on a track day in the UK (as I did at Oulton and Blyton) and accept you will have to take it on the chin if you or someone else causes damage to your car whilst on circuit (everyone is responsible for damage to their own car regardless of how it was caused).
As such, insurance is available from providers such as moris.co.uk (who I went with) which will pay out against damage caused to your car in the event of an on track crash. I have paid for four days as a multi day policy (much cheaper per day than individual day policies).
Even though I didnt need it at Cadwell, I was very grateful to have cover after witnessing these off track excursions from other drivers early in the day:
None ended with damage but they all came close!
In terms of the car - the only thing I have "modified" since Blyton is removing the Cupra vanity covers from the front calipers to enable better cooling. Doesn't look as good but will perform better. You can see how they look in the below photo:
I'll pop them back on for road use when I take the wheels off to inspect/clean them this weekend.
I've also changed the numberplates from being fixed with adhesive/screws to heavy duty velcro, which allows me to quickly remove/reinstall them as needed (I like to run with them covered on track, which I previously achieved by taping over the plate, this left annoying residue hence the change to velcro which is quicker and neater).
I ended up driving the car 162 miles around the circuit! It was a lovely dry and sunny day, which did mean my PS4S road tyres were pushed somewhat out of their element (got an eye out for a second set of wheels with semi slicks for next year) and my oil temparature was pushed to an uncomfortable 133c peak (need to do something about that!). That said, the car didnt skip a beat and performed faultlessly all day long.
Here is a video of my best two laps, and below are some photos:
Whats Next?
Not much, I'm going to get the car booked in for its second annual service during early October. If I can resist temptation I'll be unlikely to do further track time between now and the end of the year, but will be making plans for next year.
Any questions, comments or ideas welcomed.
It has certainly made me reconsider booking an airfield day again (as I did with Blyton) - the elevation changes and scenic elements offered by a more traditional circuit like Cadwell really add to the experience even if they do increase risk of a costly accident.
Speaking of risk, Cadwell was the first track day I have taken out insurance for. You are free to drive without insurance on a track day in the UK (as I did at Oulton and Blyton) and accept you will have to take it on the chin if you or someone else causes damage to your car whilst on circuit (everyone is responsible for damage to their own car regardless of how it was caused).
As such, insurance is available from providers such as moris.co.uk (who I went with) which will pay out against damage caused to your car in the event of an on track crash. I have paid for four days as a multi day policy (much cheaper per day than individual day policies).
Even though I didnt need it at Cadwell, I was very grateful to have cover after witnessing these off track excursions from other drivers early in the day:
None ended with damage but they all came close!
In terms of the car - the only thing I have "modified" since Blyton is removing the Cupra vanity covers from the front calipers to enable better cooling. Doesn't look as good but will perform better. You can see how they look in the below photo:
I'll pop them back on for road use when I take the wheels off to inspect/clean them this weekend.
I've also changed the numberplates from being fixed with adhesive/screws to heavy duty velcro, which allows me to quickly remove/reinstall them as needed (I like to run with them covered on track, which I previously achieved by taping over the plate, this left annoying residue hence the change to velcro which is quicker and neater).
I ended up driving the car 162 miles around the circuit! It was a lovely dry and sunny day, which did mean my PS4S road tyres were pushed somewhat out of their element (got an eye out for a second set of wheels with semi slicks for next year) and my oil temparature was pushed to an uncomfortable 133c peak (need to do something about that!). That said, the car didnt skip a beat and performed faultlessly all day long.
Here is a video of my best two laps, and below are some photos:
Whats Next?
Not much, I'm going to get the car booked in for its second annual service during early October. If I can resist temptation I'll be unlikely to do further track time between now and the end of the year, but will be making plans for next year
.Any questions, comments or ideas welcomed
.
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