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Originally Posted by Mr.RHOSH
Thanks for reading and for the input. The coolant was changed only due to mileage. I purchased the vehicle pre-owned so the fluids(rear dif and coolant) were changed because I didn't know what the previous owner did. The transmission fluid service was done mainly due to the shudder issue in the 8 speed. I didn't experience the shudder but as stated before, I don't know what the previous owner did.
I thought about going to the dyno after each performance mod but that would have been more expensive as each dyno session cost me $100. So, I gave you guys info I still thought would be useful to the 2.0T family.
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Sorry if it sounded somewhat off in regards to the maintenance stuff. I figure all of that should be done anyway, and I agree with you 100%, change every fluid ASAP if it is a used vehicle.
About the ONLY time I would not would be if it is under warranty. Since I have personally, on a previous different car, had a piss-poor dealer try to say I didn't use the proper rear gear fluid and that is why my diff was leaking. At only 21k miles and within 2 years of the car being built, I don't think so.
But, yeah, I get ya on the cost of dynoing. It isn't cheap. I just wish the exhaust stuff could have been illustrated for what they were powerwise.
All of the vendors (no matter how good the company) are liars when it comes to how much power you get with certain mods. I HATE THAT!!!
I mean, be honest. But then they wouldn't sell so much snake oil.
Honestly, if you question your coils, going with an aftermarket set is perfectly fine as a replacement. Same thing with the cold air kit, as in if your filter needs to be changed and if you want more turbo sound, why not go with a cold air setup. But saying that stuff, or a throttlebody or intercooler pipes gain you power is a crime.
Drop a K&N filter in the stock airbox and you will see a margin of error difference between that and a cold air setup. (And margin of error is within 5-7hp, ie, it doesn't add up and you won't notice it). Same with the rest of those other changes.
The biggest change you can do is with a tune. Be sure to tell your tuner what you have done and they should give you a tune that will REALLY wake things up and make it feel like a new car.
Personally I just got done putting a ZZP Big Wheel Turbo on my 2014 CTS4 and all I can say is it is a real difference with tune over the stock setup. I went with a Trifecta tune originally and it made a big difference in the way the car drove and felt, but this bigger turbo and a Elite tune upgrade change is way more noticeable power-wise. I also put in a K&N filter in the stock airbox.
I kept the stock exhaust and downpipe catalytic converter on my setup because the car has active sound management (which means it knows what the car sounds like an produces a negative sound-wave inside the car to make it quieter while driving).
They also made a few changes I wanted to the way the throttle feels (with their stock-setup Advantage tune it makes the car feel like a throttle controller/larger throttlebody is installed as any touching the pedal at low-throttle makes the car jump, which, honestly, I really do not like, so I had them scale it a bit more for me), and I am really happy with the setup.
Too bad there aren't any AWD dynos around here to get a few pulls with.
Oh, the warranty on mine just expired in January (it was an executive CPO warranty for 7 years/70k miles and I only have 42k on it) and I am set to redo the tranny fluid, transaxle and rear diff fluids. The front diff was swapped out under warranty when I got the car a few years ago. I have the 6-speed transmission, but will be switching to the same Mobil1 HP fluid that fixes the shudder in the 8-speeds for good measure.
I also picked up a turbo blanket, and now that I am certain everything runs the way it should that is one other thing I need to put on as well.
I just can't decide if I want the bling-bling ZZP turbo cover on top of the blanket, put the stock heatshield over the blanket, or leave the heatshield off completely. Decisions, descisions.