Hi All,

 

brand new to Skoda as well as this site. I bought a 2013 Superb 3.6 V6 4x4 hatch a few months ago now, as I was looking for something big enough to fit my overly large frame (I am well over six foot tall) into and that could accommodate a similarly structured individual in the back-seat behind me. I previously had a V70 T5 and was massively disappointed with the lack of room in the back seats. Anyhow, the Superb in question had one owner from new, still sub 50k miles on her, even has a one year warranty remaining, flappy paddled DSG and pretty much the whole list of extras...I love it. I've owned 5-series, Mazda 6 sports, A6 quattros and various Volvos, but this comes close to being my favourite car ever. 

 

However... the standard suspension, brakes etc. set-up is just not doing it for me, I live in a particularly windy-roady part of Scotland and my commute to and from work really tests (stresses?) the car. Furthermore, the DSG periodically doesn't switch fast enough to keep up (although the dash readout says it has selected the gear I've indicated I find that I put my foot down coming out of a junction, say, and it's still in too high a gear). 

 

I have been looking for an example project anyone else has done on the same model car - I can find some MkIII's, some German and some Czech examples, but I can't appear to find a guide on what's possible and what I should watch out for/avoid if I do end up modding the car in the UK.

 

I am likely to start just with the handling elements - but having a 3.6 naturally aspirated V6 does tempt one down chip tuning and upgrading bits and pieces under the bonnet. 

 

SO, does anyone here know of a UK based Mk II (3T) 3.6 V6 4x4 project that I could refer to? Or will I be starting from scratch? 

 

Help and guidance much appreciated.

8 hours ago, bfg_hightower said:

but having a 3.6 naturally aspirated V6 does tempt one down chip tuning

 

Why do people keep thinking that a non-turbo NA engine (as opposed to the more usual common rail diesels and such) can be easily chipped? The only way to go is a full-grade Stage 2 or Stage 3 ECU remap, everything else is a waste of time and money ... doing it properly, the car has potential with its VR6 engine to quite easily reach 400 BHP (and even more) ... if you have the budget to do so .... regarding the DSG, I'd say yours was not maintained well enough, or, it adapted to the previous owners style, which would probably be veeery different from the way you expect it to drive now (hence the shift lags) ... the stock suspension for me is great, nothing to add (Sachs did a great job of keeping it tight and comfy at the same time - unless you want to go to the track days with the car and put some serious Bilstein shocks on it, making it a wheel-barrow "comfort" car for everything else)

Welcome.

 

Just nosey but where is this winding Scottish roads where there is not enough from your 3.6 V6 if you use the DSG manually?

That will help you with suggestions where to go for your Remap, but http://ecotune-scotland.co.uk  will give you the extra oomph you want.

 

Surely you can get it to get a move on if you really try.

How can it be in too high a gear coming out of a junction if you select '1st in Manual' then 2nd etc, it will change up if you do not and give it some but it will not be in 3rd if it shows 2nd, but it is an Automated Manual and a DSG and is ready to change gears.

Edited 27 August, 20187 yr by Offski

Hi both, thanks for your comments. Thanks for the reference to Bilstein and ecotune scotland in particular.

 

To respond to some of your points.

 

Where: near the Cairngorm mountain range. Some awesome roads round here, lots of rising/dropping switch-backs, dog-legs and pins with generally decent road surfaces and spectacular (if a bit blurry ;-) ) panorama vistas. I recently had the pleasure of spending two days with an equal aged Octavia VRS taking turns driving each other's cars.  The Octavia was more planted, not as unsettled coming out of bends, recovered more quickly from uneven terrain etc. etc. I found that driving it sedately on the motorway it was only marginally  less comfortable. I understand that some people are a huge fan of the stock suspension/handling set-up, but for me it simply doesn't marry with that engine. It could give you so much more if it was just a bit more stable.

 

Engine: it's an awesome stock engine, but it could be even better, and the fact it's commonly claimed to be a de-tuned R36 suggests to me there may be more to get from it (I have read there is some controversy around this claim). Need a starting point to go with - would be great to have links to Stage I - III remaps including whether it was worth it and any common issues others have done on this car/engine hence this post. But this is not the main thing for me.

 

Handling: The stock set-up I have just doesn't seem to handle the bulk of this car when you really push it. Maybe there was a "soft" option that was specified new? Is that possible?  There have to be options for improving the ride handling characteristics. Does the Bilstein upgrade really ruin the day-to-day running of the car? Can anyone on Briskoda comment on upgrades they've done to the suspension? I don't need tons of technical info as I am likely to just take it to a garage and say "here, price this up". 

 

DSG: Now I am a little concerned. It is definitely showing one thing on the display but doing something else. For example, dropping from cruising in sixth into third for an overtake I found that when I put my foot down it was actually in fourth based on Rev-counts and sure enough the display caught up a second later confirming this.  Similarly as previously indicated, having spent a lively hour or so cruising around the roads I came to a junction, dropped it down - then when I went to accelerate away from the junction there was minimal power for a split-second as suddenly the car decided it should be in a higher gear.

 

Thanks for your help so far. Input appreciated.

 

6 hours ago, Offski said:

Welcome.

 

Just nosey but where is this winding Scottish roads where there is not enough from your 3.6 V6 if you use the DSG manually?

That will help you with suggestions where to go for your Remap, but http://ecotune-scotland.co.uk  will give you the extra oomph you want.

 

Surely you can get it to get a move on if you really try.

How can it be in too high a gear coming out of a junction if you select '1st in Manual' then 2nd etc, it will change up if you do not and give it some but it will not be in 3rd if it shows 2nd, but it is an Automated Manual and a DSG and is ready to change gears.

Update: ecotune scotland don't appear to cater to the 3.6?

Did you speak to them?

I am near the Cairgorms as well,  the south side but then i drive weekly all the roads around and across them.

 

Who has been doing the servicing and maintenance on the car, & DSG & Haldaex oil changes?

Edited 27 August, 20187 yr by Offski

13 minutes ago, Offski said:

Did you speak to them?

I am near the Cairgorms as well,  the south side but then i drive weekly all the roads around and across them.

 

Who has been doing the servicing and maintenance on the car, & DSG & Haldaex oil changes?

No - didn't get a chance to call, but checked their website stock listings. Sent them an email.

 

I am East of the mountains.

 

According to paperwork and dealer I bought car off all servicing and maintenance was Skoda - either OEM or licensed. 

 

If over 40,000 miles then check that the Haldex was done and the DSG.

Full Main Dealer Service History means their is the record, not that Main Dealers do the Service Schedule / Guidelines are followed if the Customer does not get told they are needing doing or is paying to have them done.

 

Plenty choice of Tuners around you, and Motorsport Rally Prepration places.

http://croftautotech.com 

 

Or down to Fife.

http://starperformance.co.uk 

Edited 27 August, 20187 yr by Offski

8 hours ago, vborovic said:

 

Why do people keep thinking that a non-turbo NA engine (as opposed to the more usual common rail diesels and such) can be easily chipped? The only way to go is a full-grade Stage 2 or Stage 3 ECU remap, everything else is a waste of time and money ... doing it properly, the car has potential with its VR6 engine to quite easily reach 400 BHP (and even more) ... if you have the budget to do so .... regarding the DSG, I'd say yours was not maintained well enough, or, it adapted to the previous owners style, which would probably be veeery different from the way you expect it to drive now (hence the shift lags) ... the stock suspension for me is great, nothing to add (Sachs did a great job of keeping it tight and comfy at the same time - unless you want to go to the track days with the car and put some serious Bilstein shocks on it, making it a wheel-barrow "comfort" car for everything else)

 

Just to say... DSG doesn't adapt to driving style.

It adapts to 'Dynamic Driving'.  

Adapts to being a Demonstrator, Hire Car, loaned to a family member and might misbehave for a while until you drive it a few miles again.

So actually they do learn.  ie Adapts to the user to a degree.   

 

DSG's can be Reset. Different DSG's feel different before or after a reset, but then there are many various DSG types to suit many applications.

Edited 27 August, 20187 yr by Offski

1 hour ago, Nick_H said:

DSG doesn't adapt to driving style

 

Sorry, but it actually does ... and this can be reset ... not like a computer of course, but to its default value ... this is something usually done by the dealerships when they can't figure out the issue, and then they reset it ...

No it doesn't. But I will be happy to be proved wrong :-)

@bfg_hightower - You seem to have high expectations of the Superb in terms of performance, and you compare it to the Octavia vRS ... two different cars ... I'm sorry to say, but it feels you got the wrong car for the wrong purpose then ... you can't expect a 4,84 m car (which even with a 3.6 engine) is actually quite light, to have stability of a performance car ... that's why they never made a Superb vRS ... it is a car that is made to go 250 km/h, as stable as it gets (that's why it was a preferred choice for many countries' highway police cruisers) ... twists and turns, that's for shorter wheelbase cars (Leon Cupra, Megane RS, Golf GTI ... you get the picture)

Edited 27 August, 20187 yr by vborovic

2 minutes ago, Nick_H said:

No it doesn't. But I will be happy to be proved wrong :-)

 

Just let me finish my dinner, and I'll get back to you ...

Just now, vborovic said:

 

Just let me finish my dinner, and I'll get back to you ...

No probs lol ! What you having ? I'm bloody starving !

All I could find...

 

19 hours ago, bfg_hightower said:

...does anyone here know of a UK based Mk II (3T) 3.6 V6 4x4 project that I could refer to? Or will I be starting from scratch? 

 

Have you seen the dedicated project thread?

 

https://www.briskoda.net/forums/forum/209-superb-projects/

 

There have been a few projects on the 3.6 V6 over the years...

 

58 minutes ago, Nick_H said:

What you having ? I'm bloody starving !

 

Macaroni al-dente with a substance very similar to a bolognese sauce (mixture of spices and chopped parsley), and on top of all that, grated cheese (not cheddar, but something like it) ... well, back to the mechanics ... ... I'm browsing through the docs I have, will put the DSG explanation once I find it

Just now, vborovic said:

 

Macaroni al-dente with a substance very similar to a bolognese sauce (mixture of spices and chopped parsley), and on top of all that, grated cheese (not cheddar, but something like it) ... well, back to the mechanics ... ... I'm browsing through the docs I have, will put the DSG explanation once I find it

 

Grrrr ... Did you have to be so graphic ! 

Just think of it like a car repair manual and you'll be fine ...

5 hours ago, vborovic said:

@bfg_hightower - You seem to have high expectations of the Superb in terms of performance, and you compare it to the Octavia vRS ... two different cars ... I'm sorry to say, but it feels you got the wrong car for the wrong purpose then ... you can't expect a 4,84 m car (which even with a 3.6 engine) is actually quite light, to have stability of a performance car ... that's why they never made a Superb vRS ... it is a car that is made to go 250 km/h, as stable as it gets (that's why it was a preferred choice for many countries' highway police cruisers) ... twists and turns, that's for shorter wheelbase cars (Leon Cupra, Megane RS, Golf GTI ... you get the picture)

I don’t understand what’s going on here. I am asking for advice on how to improve the stock offering of this car. I am willing to spend time and money on it as I love this car for the various reasons outlined before - not least because of internal space, AWD, sleeper quality and the lovely engine.

 

I have had the pleasure of testing Merc E classes (run of the mill and AMGs), Bentleys, Audi’s, Passat R36’s, Volvo V70Rs and XC90 T8s and various other long wheel base cars which somehow manage to deal with corners and lively driving. But it’s this car I’ve bought and this car I love. Now I want to make it better.

 

If this somehow offends your sensibilities vborovic, please ignore me and move on - unless you can tell me it is categorically impossible to improve this car’s handling and agility...?

Edited 27 August, 20187 yr by bfg_hightower

5 hours ago, silver1011 said:

 

Have you seen the dedicated project thread?

 

https://www.briskoda.net/forums/forum/209-superb-projects/

 

There have been a few projects on the 3.6 V6 over the years...

 

Thanks. Leon’s project seems a good one to go with!

@bfg_hightower - First of all, no offense intended from my side or taken to my side ... you're free to do whatever you want with your car, as well as any one out there who knows what they want ... BUT ... you've mentioned the Passat R36, and (do correct me if I'm wrong) you claim that it "somehow manages to deal with corners and lively driving" (better than you car) ... it is basically the same car we're talking about (Superb "borrowing" some ideas from a Golf Mk6) ... so, maybe, just maybe, before trying anything on your actual car, if possible, I'd try driving another Superb 3.6 from whoever, and try the same know roads to you and see if it matches your car or not (from my past Citroen experience, I've driven more than 10 Hydractive suspension C5 Tourers, same specs, each and every one of them handled the road just a tad bit different - all of them being properly maintained) ... your car being a "lower" mileage car than the most here (50 k only), I didn't think of the possibility that something had already been changed with a non-adequate part, maybe it had been involved in an accident or crash, I don't know, everything can happen (and anything can be fixed or "fixed") ... you mentioned the brakes being slightly under-performing ... on my last big service interval, I've put a full TRW/Brembo combination front & back (shoot me, can't remember which of those are the pads and which are the discs, but I can easily check) ... cost quite a bit, but boy do they brake when you push the brake pedal ... and the final line for me is your claim that the XC90 handles better in corners than a Superb ... their center of gravity is so different (and in favor of the Superb, it being lower and shorter - not as tall, right), that this would be impossible (or actually, worrisome) if it was opposite like you say ... whether or not you take any of my writing into consideration is totally up to you ... you can also find some of my other topics here, and you'll easily see that I'm not jut an "all-talk" person, so I know my way around the actual car, and I know what I'm writing and why I'm writing it ... and, of course, the car's handling can be improved (better tyres, better suspension - like the before mentioned Bilstein, better brakes, etc ... I don't know your current car's situation on any of those topics) ... but I'm afraid you'll lose the comfort and get a much different car in the end which won't be comparable to the "5-series, Mazda 6 sports, A6 quattros and various Volvos" you mention ... for comparison, I'm currently running 18" Good Year Asymmetric 3 's ... the previous owner had ContiSports 5 ... now it is a much different car (better) ... dry, wet, calm or aggressive riding, they can take down everything with ease and confidence ...

1 hour ago, vborovic said:

I know what I'm writing and why I'm writing it ...

 

Unless it's about DSG

The Roads around the Cairngorms and the A939 are just wonderful.  Fantastic driving roads, but a Superb is a barge and sadly most i meet driving them think the whole road is theirs forcing me and others to give way to them or head right to the edge of the road. 

Funnily passing vans and lorries is easier, not because they are slower, just considerate to those enjoying the road...

The Royal Family and the Royal Protection have the right idea, they drive fast Audi's but even they are not the best cars for the job if you want a fun and spirited drive.

 

Edited 28 August, 20187 yr by Offski