Tuning Audi 100 C3 Do It Yourself

The Audi 100 was produced from 1968 to 1994. A total of four generations of this model were released. Currently, on Russian roads you can find restyled Audi 100 C3 from later years of production and 100 C4. Due to its characteristic body shape, the Audi 100 C3 is often called a “cigar” or “herring”, and the 100 C4 model is called a “barrel”. Earlier models are almost impossible to find due to their advanced age. The owners of the surviving “hundreds” try to keep their cars in good condition and many are engaged in tuning the Audi 100. The most common tuning is the body and interior of the car, but there are those who “pump up” the technical part of the Audi 100. Often, due to the lack of necessary spare parts, ordinary repairs turn into tuning In this article we will look at interesting options for tuning the Audi 100, and also find out whether any spare parts are offered in stores for this.

Common problems with this model

Most of the cars are in a “killed” condition and have numerous damage to the paintwork
(which is not surprising, given their advanced age).
Low ground clearance
: causes great inconvenience when driving off-road. The bottom of the car often hits potholes, thereby killing the chassis.
High fuel consumption
: many owners of this model complain about excessively high gasoline consumption.
Not the most comfortable chairs
: in the eighties and nineties, the concept of lateral support was not very common, and in other respects the seats of this model are much inferior to modern ones.
Uncomfortable Handles
: This is widely known to be one of the most problematic components on a given vehicle. The handles are very unreliable, especially often they break in severe frost.
Insufficient sound insulation of the cabin
: extraneous noise in the cabin often distracts the driver from the road and causes discomfort among passengers.

This is interesting: Fuses on a Chery Fora: where they are, replacement

Let's take the seats

Audi 100 tuning is not complete without reupholstering the interior. You can make the interior completely leather or upholstered in beautiful Alcantara. Emphasize the advantages of the car and do not forget about the lighting, it can be installed anywhere, depending on what you want to highlight. You can illuminate the dashboard or audio system, or create a romantic atmosphere for a pleasant time with your significant other.

For fans of sports tuning, you can convert the standard seats to sports (bucket) and ergonomic ones, install a sports gearbox and a manual steering wheel. Installing such a system makes the car maneuverable on the road, and thereby protects your movement and the movement of pedestrians. Everything in the cabin can be changed; if you wish, you can leave the dashboard, it already functions well. You can install additional devices on the dashboard, such as multimedia and a computer with navigation.

Photo of Audi 100 (interior tuning)

A little history of the Audi 100

The Audi 100 car model first appeared on the global automobile market in 1968. In total, over the years of production, four generations of “weaving” were created, and since 1985, the German steel company has been producing cars with a fully galvanized body. The Audi 100 with the C3 index was produced from 1982 to 1991; this model is still popular in Russia, but recently it is increasingly being considered as a retro option. The last, 4th generation of the Audi 100 C4 in the 45 body lasted on the assembly line until 1994, then it was replaced by cars of the A6 series. Quite a lot of Audi 100/44 cars were imported to Russia in the mid-nineties and early 2000s; due to the elongated body, the model was often called “herring” or “cigar”. But the “Sotka” in the forty-fifth body received the name “Barrel”, however, like the Audi 80 B3 and B4.

More about brands

TA-Technix is a German company that specializes in the production of springs. It has proven itself to be excellent due to the fact that it optimizes springs for the characteristics of specific car models, plus it is famous for its good quality.
JOM is a manufacturing company from Germany that produces various products for tuning the Audi 100. The main items in the range include optics, lowering kits, body kits, interior and exterior parts that help give the car a bit of uniqueness.
RDX is a manufacturer of bodywork and other accessories for styling and tuning. One of the key items in the RDX range is the aerodynamic body kit.
Mattig is a German tuning studio founded in 1949. It produces an extensive line of products - from sports trims and spoilers to exhaust pipes.

This page presents products for tuning and retrofitting the Audi 100

. You can order and buy the product you are interested in at a competitive price with delivery throughout Moscow and throughout Russia.

Technical part

Engine

Tuning 5-cylinder engines on the Audi 100 is done quite rarely. I haven't been able to find any worthwhile information on this. There is real engine tuning with physical intervention. Yes, and there are practically no successful examples with firmware.

In the case of engines, Audi 100 owners most often engage in “tuning willy-nilly.” For example, the Audi 100 C3 used Jetronik mechanical injection systems. Since the age of most of the cars has exceeded 25 years, Jetronik has served its life, and spare parts for them cannot be found. Therefore, people have to install carburetors from domestic cars instead of Jetronik, change the intake manifold, etc.

But spare parts for tuning the exhaust system of the Audi 100 can still be found on sale. There are various sports mufflers, resonators, catalysts, etc. Mostly there are models from manufacturers such as Sebring, Supersprint.

Sports mufflers for Audi 100

Suspension, brakes

Tuning the Audi 100 suspension can be done using lowering springs. The set costs approximately 22-24 thousand rubles. There are different manufacturers. The lowering compared to the standard suspension is 20─30 mm.

When tuning the brake system of the Audi 100, the brake discs are replaced with ventilated ones. Their cost is around 12-15 thousand rubles. for a set of front brakes. You can find reinforced brake hoses on sale. The set will cost 10-12 thousand rubles. They are installed on Audi 100 modifications with powerful gasoline and diesel engines.

Spring kit for suspension tuning

Reinforced brake hoses for Audi 100

Additionally, you can read the material about tuning the Audi A6 C4 at the link provided.

All-wheel drive concepts

Plug-in all-wheel drive

Until recently, the concept of “all-wheel drive vehicle” was almost inextricably linked with the concept of “off-road vehicle”. The concept of all-wheel drive of the latter was quite simple: another drive was simply attached to the standard drive (engine in front, drive rear), namely, another transmission was driven to the front axle through a transfer case and an additional driveshaft.

Travel was usually carried out with standard drive and only if the position on the road required it, front-wheel drive was connected. This design with all-wheel drive is still common today for off-road vehicles (SUVs).

Permanent all-wheel drive

So, if you have already come up with the idea of creating a permanent all-wheel drive that constantly acts on all four wheels, then it is necessary to create a device that prevents wheel slipping. This problem is solved by the so-called center differential.

Differentials have been known in the automotive industry for a long time. They distribute torque between the right and left drive wheels.

There, too, it is necessary to balance the forces, because, as you know, the outer wheel travels a longer distance when turning than the inner one. The role of the balancer is taken over by the axle differential. It allows torque to be transmitted to both drive wheels depending on the angular velocity of each of them.

The design of the Torsen differential is based on the worm gear principle. The worm gear can be designed in such a way that it will have a higher or lower locking coefficient.

Worm,
Worm wheel.

In winter, for example, it happens like this: a wheel standing on ice turns, but the opposite wheel on a rough surface does not transmit any force and therefore stands still. One thing is clear: such a differential is not suitable for the role of a center differential, because the opposite effect should be achieved. The force must be transferred to where the wheels can move the car. Namely, where the road surface has good grip. And since the driver never knows this in advance, the distribution must happen automatically.

After various development steps, including a manually locking center differential, Audi quattro all-wheel drive models are now equipped with a so-called Torsen differential.

Tuning Audi 45: body

Tuning a car is its improvement in many directions:

giving the car an original appearance;
improvement of technical characteristics - increased engine power, increased ground clearance, reduced fuel consumption;
changing the interior.

All tuning is divided into three main categories - external, internal and technical; it is the first and second types of tuning for the Audi 100 that this article will mainly discuss.

To make the Sotka in the 45 body look original and attractive, car owners tune the car:

install tuning bumpers and a special body kit;
they paint the car in unusual colors - in metallic non-standard colors, using airbrushing, in a matte color;
Cover body parts with vinyl film.

External tuning also includes:

installation of expensive side mirrors, for example, from the Audi A6 S6 (folding, chrome);
installing a spoiler on the trunk lid;
modernization of the radiator grille;
improvement of optics;
the use of cast or forged wheels instead of standard steel ones.

Specialized stores sell various tuning elements for Audi 100 45 and 100 44 cars:

side wide door moldings (“foliage”)
universal narrow moldings;
trunk lid spoilers;
plastic door sills;
front and rear chrome optics with LEDs, headlights with lenses;
tuned bumpers.

Automotive stores have a variety of products in stock; you can also order the necessary spare parts from the catalog; there is a wide range of parts for suspension tuning. With the help of tuning elements, you can “dress up” the car to your liking, but here you need to consider money - some spare parts are quite expensive. For example, chrome-lined headlights with turn signals and black LEDs cost about 30 thousand rubles each.

Key upgrade options

Audi 100 45 tuning is the embodiment of all the desires of the car owner with the help of modern technology. Tuning an Audi 100 begins with changing the external characteristics of the car, creating a chic and powerful look that may appeal not only to the owner, but also to everyone around him. You don’t have to go far to be convinced of the high importance of tuning - take as an example the tuning of the Audi A6 C5, which has already been discussed in our blog.

Modernization begins with changing the car body. Tuning the Audi 100 body is about creating the external individuality of the car, without changing the internal characteristics. Traditional Audi 100 45 tuning includes the installation of wings (eyelashes) on the front and rear headlights of the car, an original radiator grille, a new bumper and many other innovations.

The craftsmen offer to install all kinds of body kits on the doors and trunk of the car, which create an original car design, increase the aerodynamic function and engine acceleration, and also reduce fuel consumption. The Audi 100 45 tuning with the installation of the latest optics will be interesting

By installing a set of tuning headlights on the Audi 100 (45 body), you will create a striking feature of the car and its exclusive appearance. The installation of additional fog lights (from 6 to 8 pieces) looks beautiful; now a bright luminous car will stand out noticeably on the road and will be the main assistant in heavy fog. Rear fog lights are brighter than regular lights and will make your vehicle visible to other drivers.

Tuning the radiator grille will make the Audi a solid car. In addition to its design functions, the grille actively interacts with the environment, receiving powerful air currents. Now the air conditioner in the car will not be overloaded, and the engine will have sufficient cooling. The final element of the Audi 100 45 body tuning is painting the car with airbrush elements. Now your car is a real landmark of the city.

Audi 100 tuning photo

However, there are speed enthusiasts for whom the word tuning implies changes in the internal characteristics of the car. The car is large in size, so there is enough space in the interior to realize the ideas of your imagination or the imagination of an Audi studio designer.

Refinement of Audi optics using LEDs

The automobile market is literally overflowing with all sorts of products designed to change the standard car headlights and make the road illumination brighter. Among all this diversity, it would be a crime not to mention the diode lighting of the car, which is distinguished by its originality, ease of installation and extremely low price. We propose to consider the subtleties of tuning using the example of models in 44 and 45 bodies.

LED light bulbs for illumination

Electrical equipment

What can be said about an electric car at 20 years old? Save up your money and get ready to replace the starter, alternator, sensors, and also restore the wiring if no one has done this before you. Problems may also arise with optics: Audi c4 headlights, connectors, reflectors and glass will require replacement

In addition, it is worth paying attention to electric door drives and their wiring, heated mirrors, windows, seats and microswitches

It won’t be difficult to purchase everything separately, but everything en masse will require a decent amount of money from you, and if you don’t do everything yourself, it’s much easier to take out a loan

It is very important to correlate your desires with your capabilities. Any “hundredth” will have more than a dozen problems that need to be solved

Fortunately, most of them are not significant. The electrical system of the Audi 100 is more complex than the Zhiguli one, however, it does not perform the main functions and is quite simple to repair.

Serious problems include injection control systems for gasoline engines, banal limitations of self-diagnosis systems of old cars, and the greed of owners. Often Chinese sensors, high-voltage wires and relays can also fail. There are very few specialists in this field, and therefore you will have to look for them.

Flow meters of various types, including electrical and mechanical, are in particular short supply. Due to the widespread nature of the problem, it is being addressed very seriously. For the well-known “fives” 2.3E, you can purchase an Invent-Jetronic cooperative injection control system, which can replace the standard one in problem areas.

However, it will cost about the same as a used car, and if you want to drive, you can shell out money for it. The control system can be installed on four-cylinder engines, but a more suitable update for them is the VAZ “January”, or replacing the flow meter and all sensors with “Winners sensors”. They are also a factory product and allow the use of standard VAZ and GAZ sensors instead of TPS, flow meter and others. Similar products exist for Digifant, KE-Jetronic and the more modern Motronic injection systems from Bosch. The cost goes through the roof everywhere, but sometimes this is the best option that only requires installation.

Tuning the engine, chassis, etc.

You can do everything that was described above yourself. Of course, if you have certain skills in handling a car. But tuning the engine or any other running component should be entrusted only to professionals, because the risk in this case is quite high. Only professionals will be able to do everything so that after work there is not a single defect left in the car’s operation.

Therefore, you should contact a car repair shop with such questions. Most centers have a “turnkey car” system, where specialists will customize the car in accordance with the owner’s request.

Of course, after studying a significant number of video tutorials, you can do everything yourself, but in this case you need to be careful and understand what you are doing and why, because any mistake can cost you a lot. Therefore, when tuning an Audi 100, it is much better to go to a car repair shop where your car will be cared for by professionals. When choosing a service, you should rely on its duration, customer reviews and the cost of the work.

By following the tips described above, you can create the car of your dreams, transforming it both internally and externally. You can also find photos of Audi 100 45 tuning on the Internet to see what this or that tuning element looks like in real life.

Next is a video test drive of an Audi 100 45, produced in 1991:

Audi chip tuning - work on improving the car

Modern Audi cars are often equipped with powerful power units. However, without proper chip tuning it is impossible to unlock the full potential of the device. It is worth noting that high-quality chip tuning is not limited to reprogramming the standard ECU. Additionally, work can be carried out on the following parts:

catalytic converter systems;
exhaust gas recirculation systems;
Audi C particulate filter .

The behavior of the car after completing the above mentioned measures will improve significantly. You can do the work yourself or seek help from specialized studios. Not every car enthusiast understands the basic intricacies of the operation of modern ECUs. Indeed, in some cases, it is necessary to completely disassemble the unit and even watch an auxiliary video for tuning the Audi C4 .

Chip tuning of the Audi 100 car engine: features, advantages

It is relatively difficult to do chip tuning on an Audi 100 yourself. The main feature of this car is that it requires a whole range of work. It is not enough to replace the firmware on the electronic control unit. The standard list of works usually includes:

making changes to the catalytic converter system;
installation of a particulate filter from an Audi A4;
connecting the exhaust gas recirculation system.

The final result depends directly on the type of engine and some other factors. A table comparing the factory characteristics and after flashing is presented below:

One of the most popular today is Eurocode chip tuning. The power graph is shown below:

After flashing, the acceleration time to the first 100 km/h is only 4.9 seconds. The results of measurements using the Eurocode device are presented in the picture below.

To flash the motor you will need special software. Configuring firmware number j5ls_I43 in the CTP 3.21 application includes the following main steps:

select the required equipment;

set statistics and dynamics of injectors;

we install a statistical type for all injectors without exception - the convenience of the procedure is ensured by the graphical mode;

we flash the unit - it is better to select a speed for the COM port of no more than 19200 (in the application and device manager of the Windows operating system);

After uploading the firmware, you need to drive the car several tens of kilometers. As a result, logs will be generated - with their help it will be possible to calibrate the motor in the future.

Using the application discussed above, you can familiarize yourself with a special schedule - the content looks something like this:

This graph was plotted with the gas pedal open – 100%. After uploading the new firmware, the engine began to pick up an order of magnitude better. Consumption has become more moderate. At idle speed the car consumes only 1.6 liters per hour. It is worth noting: independent firmware requires a certain skill and a special adapter - with which you can connect to the engine control unit.

Self-tuning is a relatively simple process, but requires some preparation. You need to stock up on all the necessary parts and tools.