Robbie C's Ibiza Cupra

Jan 8, 2007
2,958
1
Wiltshire
Yeah they were spot on today to be fair so hopefully it'll be sorted soon.

New wheels are good, I'll be using them as track wheels so they're not fitted just yet.

Here's a pic from Tom before I got hold of them:

DSC00529-1.jpg


I'll probably finish the tyres off that are currently fitted then look at getting them powdercoated anthracite like my OE wheels :)
 

ian_cupra

Guest
yup mine are the flat spoke version, although i'm due to get another set in 15's :)
 
Jan 8, 2007
2,958
1
Wiltshire
Nice one, how's things going mate?

I'm looking into track days at Cadwell at the mo for later in the year so I'll give you a shout if you're up for it?
 

daves ibiza

Guest
Fairplay mate those wheels are the dogs dangleys compo's yeah awesome wheels fair play see u at gti inters ill have my hybrid to lol changed my mines again lol fairplay brother keep up good work be nice to see this in action not just toping 140+ on standstill at gotboost lol , keep me informed on trackdays times dates ect look forward meeting up again mate .

Dave out !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Jan 8, 2007
2,958
1
Wiltshire
Yesterday I gave HiSpec a call to see what was happening with my brakes and managed to speak to the technician who was responsible for designing my kit. He acknowledged that there had been a clear miscalculation on his part when designing this kit, which was a prototype, hence I'm the first person they've sold this to.

He explained that as a racing kit this differs somewhat from their off-the-shelf road kits as they try and ensure they provide the very lightest possible setup, with the largest disc and pad swept area, though obviously this is a balancing act. In this case it seems he had miscalcluated the PCD of the bell against the pad sweep area in trying to ensure minimal unsprung weight versus maximum pad bite.

This particular caliper allows the use of two fitments of pad and my kit was supplied with the wider of the two to give the greatest sweep area, but this had not accounted for the wide shoulders of the actual pad backing plate, as was clear from the pictures.

I was initially told that they would supply a new set of bells with their slimmer pad so as to allow more clearance, though it was then decided to machine the bell down, get it re-anodised and supply the same pads so as to retain the greatest pad sweep area. I didn't really buy this at first as it seemed like a bit of a cop-out, though if you think about it it does make sense.

He then asked me how the car was driven as he seemed to think from the pad breakdown on my DS2500s he could see they'd been pushed very hard, causing them to run too hot for the friction compound and begin break down/crumble causing blemishing. This ties in with my experience on track where I've commented before I can notice them becoming very hot from the pedal feel, though they continue to stop me and don't actually ever fade out but it's not very confidence inspiring. It seems that I may be able to cure this by running some DS3000 track pads so I've opted for a set of these once my 2500s run low. With a harsher pad it'll mean I end up eating the discs away quicker but if it gives me a firmer pedal feel and copes with the heat better then that's all I can ask for.

These are being sent back to me today so hopefully I can have the car back on the road next week :)
 

ibizacupra

Jack-RIP my little Friend
Jul 25, 2001
31,333
19
glos.uk
brake cooling ducts also... worth considering
DS3000's for track use when pushing on.. I use DS3000's because they have been disk friendly compared to the competitor pads I have used previously
 
Jan 8, 2007
2,958
1
Wiltshire
Yeah could be a good shout Bill. Do you think it's a good move for me to try the 3000s then?

EDIT: Had a quick look at some brake ducting this afternoon and have seen a few variations; would I be benefit more from ducting cold air from the front of the car onto the brakes (i.e. replacing the fog lights with ducting) or directing the hot air away from the brakes directly behind the discs?

There's also discussions around placing the ducting in high vs low velocity and pressure areas (http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1479376) :confused:

Just wondering what the best practical setup would be on the Ibiza.
 
Last edited:
Jan 8, 2007
2,958
1
Wiltshire
Yesterday my brakes arrived back from HiSpec, ready to fit back on the car along with my new DS3000s.

I'm not overly impressed with the anodised finish on the bells which is marked in several places and really rough on the underside, though in fairness you don't see any of this when they're fitted.

The bells have been skimmed right back to the recess for the allen head bolts that attach to the rotor which looks like it's cutting it very fine, though there's a good 3-4mm of metal between the edge and the bolt holes.

1.jpg


2.jpg


3.jpg


Used DS2500s (covering 4,000 miles) against the new DS3000:

5.jpg


Looking over the surface of the DS2500s it's pretty clear how they've been running way too hot and disintegrating rather than wearing evenly. Definitely time for a harder compound.

Once we fitted the new pads back into the calipers you can see just how fine it's still cutting it, with only ~1mm of clearance between the backing plate and the bell:

6.jpg


7.jpg


8.jpg


Once fitted I took it out for a few miles to bed the pads in and the difference is really noticeable - even after a few harsh stops the pedal stays rigid and gives plenty of bite which I felt was lacking a little before. They seem a lot dustier than the DS2500s but these were definitely a good move :)
 

IbizaAlex

AKS tuning
May 11, 2008
532
0
Bedford
DS3000's are awesome. They tend to hurt the discs until hot, but then they are fine. The dust is a pain and sticks to the wheels more than the ds2500's. You should try Pagid RS14's. Epic!!!

Ducting is only really effective if it goes right to the disc. I usually run the ducting along the wishbone to the disc.
 
Jan 8, 2007
2,958
1
Wiltshire
Cheers. Yeah you're not wrong about the dust Alex, worth it though! They've transformed my brakes, so much more positive bite now :)

Out for a drive the other night my EPC light lit up the dash so I did a scan this morning and found these little bad boys:

Code:
VAG-COM Version: Release 409.1-US


Chassis Type: 6K - Seat Ibiza
Scan: 01,02,03,08,15,17,25,35,56
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Address 01: Engine
   Controller: 6K0 906 032 AA
   Component: 1.8L 20VT EU3    03 0002
   Coding: 10500
   Shop #: WSC 12849
2 Faults Found:
16518 - Oxygen (Lambda) Sensor B1 S1: No Activity
        P0134 - 35-10 - - - Intermittent
17947 - Clutch Pedal Switch (F36): Implausible Signal
        P1539 - 35-00 - -

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Address 03: ABS Brakes
   Controller: 1J0 907 379 AF
   Component: ASR     20 IE CAN  0001
   Coding: 13404
   Shop #: WSC 00000
No fault code found.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Address 08: Auto HVAC
   Controller: 6K0 959 291 
   Component: AUTOCLIMA-220    X06.00
2 Faults Found:
00625 - Vehicle Speed Signal
        27-00 - Implausible Signal
65535 - Internal Control Module Memory Error
        04-10 - Mechanical Malfunction - Intermittent

I've recently replaced the pre-cat lambda sensor so I'm not sure what to do about that one - my AFR gauge occasionally reads lean as well but I'm not convinced it's an accurate reading as the refresh rate more than halves when this happens and the car still runs and idles fine :think:

Any ideas?

As for the others, there's nothing much on the Ross Tech Wiki that helps; looks like the HVAC is my Air Con so this shouldn't be anything serious to worry about?

I've already welded my clutch pedal so the switch should still be in place, though I'll check later. Are there certain conditions that make the EPC light come on as opposed to the EML light?

These codes aside the car appears to be running fine with no apparent mechanical or electrical faults - though my oil pressure concerned me when reading just 8PSI on idle the other night; but it sat happily at 35-45 on steady state cruising and 80-100 on WOT :confused: It normally reads 20-30 on idle once warm.
 
Jan 8, 2007
2,958
1
Wiltshire
Went for a short drive earlier and noticed similar behaviour with the oil pressure readings which is beginning to concern me...

From cold the gauge reads 45-55 PSI, then down to 30-45 once warm on steady state cruising. After a 20 minute drive with the oil fully up to temperature idle pressure is just 8-12 PSI :confused:

On full chat the pressure rises to 80-100 PSI and remains high on overrun for a good few seconds before settling back down to the 40s. There's no unusual noise from the engine at all and it's running as well as ever, though it is drinking 100ml of oil every 100 miles it would seem. No smoke at all, and not much in the catch tank to account for it either...

I'm thinking maybe try a compression test, get a bore scope in the cylinders to check the top of the pistons and maybe check the oil strainer isn't blocked? Is there a relief valve that can be inspected too?

With no visual or audible evidence of anything amiss it's hard to diagnose anything but something just doesn't seem quite right
 
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