FS: 2003 Audi TT Quattro TDI – California Certified (CARB Legal)

FS: 2003 Audi TT Quattro TDI – California Certified (CARB Legal) or so I thought!!!

With a new project in the wings I’m forced to sell one of my favorite conversions, my TTq-TDI :-(

This is quite possibly the closest to factory, TT Mk1 TDI conversion that exists. 99% of the parts used are factory part numbers. The beauty of VAG is a lot of the parts can be mixed and matched across brands. My idea was basically put a Euro A3/S3 4-Motion TDI (PD130) into a US TT quattro Mk1 with some “enhancements” along the way AND make it California street legal (NOT CARB Referee Certified - see post below) .

I started in 2009 and it took 3 years to find the perfect donor, 2003 TTq. I chose that so the dash, k-line, CANBus and harness would all line up (for the most part) with a Euro A3. After I got the TT, I spent two years accumulating parts from Ryan Parkin (aka ryanp of Darkside Developments, UK, what an awesome guy!). I got from him a ASZ/PD130 from a 2003 Golf GTD as well as everything attached to it. Also a 02M DRW 6-speed. I built the motor to race spec using as much ARP hardware as I could find. After the motor and transmission were complete I spent 500 hours mapping and building the wiring harness (starting point from charliet and danielhf spreadsheet). The 2003 A3 ECU uses the Bosch EDC15P+ which has a huge public knowledge base (i.e. internet forums, e.g www.ecuconnections.com, etc.) and a lot of hardware/software tools. I enlisted the help of Marin Mihaljcic (aka Jetta, 97) to do the initial ECU and cluster work (he’s super awesome too by the way). After Marin set the baseline I took over and tweaked the firmware on the EDC until I got it to where I wanted it (with much help from extreme EDC hacker Colin from France). Along the way I found this amazing product called FIS-Control and worked with the inventor/builder/developer Stefan Bieger. I used his product to to monitor the EDC, 02WideBand senor and EGT. I can read measuring blocks, read codes, reset codes and even change the ECU mapping as well as monitor external sensors. All from the center display on the S3 cluster. Yes, a S3 cluster fits in a TT bezel with some minor work. It looks and acts totally factory. I’ve been driving the car for two years and it’s a hoot (in the dry and wet) without a single problem. I have absolutely no codes/MIL/CEL. Everything just works (including the quattro and A/C)! My average MPG is 38-40 and on a long trip I got 48! Not bad for a AWD Sports car The best part is you can take this car to any VAG TDI mechanic and they will have no problem working on this car. To them it will look like BEW Golf/Jetta except it has a angle drive for the rear wheels. I will be including all my documentation/spreadsheets/firmware/flashing tools/Custom EDC15P+ bench dongle/VCDS HEX-CAN dongle/MPPS dongle/VAG Commander dongle/Repair manual CD’s/Bentley manual.

Prior to all of this, I sent numerous letters and emails to Audi North America, pleading with them to bring the TT TDI to the US. Every time I was told that there is no market for that configuration in the US. Hence, I ended up building my own. If you ever wonder how much something like this costs… well I have $38k into this project and that’s not including my time (~1000hrs of labor/research/tuning). I’m asking $13,000 and I think that’s a steal for someone looking for such a configuration.

Car/Project Gallery:
https://goo.gl/photos/RvkhFoJmiLxRMbay7

Videos of S3 Cluster and FIS-Control:
https://youtu.be/WEjI2HDDwIc
https://youtu.be/WQc7ZYMFvIc

Harness Rewire Spreadsheet:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3S8SR-d9Q8YdXJwMFdPdFB2WDg

Car Details:
2003 Audi TT quattro
The car has 83,000 miles and the TDI has 8,000 miles
White Exterior
Light Blue/Grey Leather Interior
6-speed
42 Draft Designs - 3" CAT-Back Exhaust system
Neuspeed Short Shift kit
Audi Concert Sound
Xenon HID Headlights (factory)
Audi Factory 18” Sport Wheels w/ ContiProContact p225/40-18
S3 Euro Cluster w/ factory white faces
FIS-Control integrated with S3 Cluster presets as boost gauge, AFR gauge and EGT gauge
IMMO fully functional (Marin matched the EDC, Cluster and Keys) just like from the factory
Immaculate condition, it looks and runs like a new car!

Engine:
ASZ (PD130) 180hp/340ft/lbs @1950rpm (that’s about all the GT1749VB will muster reliably @1.6Bar/23psi)
Machine work by Sean at Star Machine in Emeryville, CA
Cleaned, mag’d, honed & decked (.002)
Colt Cam Stage 2
Nitrited Black lifters
ARP, Head Studs Custom (per CharlieT mod)
ARP, Main Studs
ARP, Rod bolts
BEW Injectors w/ Bosio Power Plus 1043 DLC built by DBW
New injector harness (inside engine)
Sputter Bearings
New Oil pump w/chain
Factory ASZ pistons
New timing belt, idler, pulley and sprockets
VNT-17 Turbo (GT1749VB)
New Factory turbo drain hose
Factory TT dual inter-coolers
Factory 4-motion down pipe
Ecotrons Wideband Lambda ALM-Board w/LSU4.9D Bosch sensor (preset #2 on FIS-Control)
2M EGT K Type Thermocouple Exhaust Probe (preset #3 on FIS-Control)
PD150 Passat Intake (intake opening on the gearbox side for ease of intake plumbing)
PD150 Air cleaner to turbo intake plumbing
Basically anything that needed to be replaced was replaced with factory VAG parts.

Transmission:
Built by Matt at Whitbread Performance
Transplanted DRW gears into the TT quattro transmission
pinned and welded shift forks
New Syncros & Bearings
ARP, Ring Gear bolts
Sachs SRE Performance Clutch and Flywheel
Factory Euro TDI steel Angle drive support bracket (replaced the 1.8T aluminum bracket)
Heavy duty axles both left and right fronts from Marty at RAxles
2000rpm@72mph in 6th gear

Fuel System:
Factory A3 TDI 4-Motion fuel pumps/senders (split tank on quattro)
Viton lines and o-rings everywhere

Spares:
2 – backup EDC15P+ ECU’s
Stock TT Cluster w/ SKC key that matches S3 cluster and ECU’s
Garrett GT1749 CHRA (cartridge housing rotating assembly) needs balancing
Tandem pump
A/C compressor
Alternator
Test pipe to replace the CAT (used for development)
Blanking plates for EGR (used for development)

The price is a no go for me, but really cool build. That being said maybe this question can help someone looking at this: how much red tape is/was there registering/smogging a car that was never produced stateside with a Diesel engine?

Thanks! It was a fun project but the Red Tape was not. Basically it takes a while. I broke it down into three phases.

First, talk to the CARB Referee and find out what was needed. I actually had two phone conversations with the referee. I did that before I even started the project. The rules are very precise, in short in CA the converted car needs a engine of the same year or newer with all the emissions equipment that came on the car from the donor vehicle. I went the PD route because all the piece fit together better. VE was also an option but not the same performance potential as the PD IMHO.

Second, after having everything on the car exactly they way they wanted it, I scheduled an appointment with the Referee. The appointment took about 90 minutes. He does a visual check for all the necessary emissions equipment then plugs the car into various computers, verifies the readiness codes and that the MIL on the cluster is functioning. After you pass he does an actual "emissions test" which is basically blipping the throttle and looking for smoke. Then he put on the sticker and handed me the emissions test. The visit cost me $8.25. So, at least I got a good deal there!

Third, go to DMV and officially change the fuel type from gas to diesel. CA DMV has a 4 week lead time to get an appointment. They actually visually check the car again. I think that more of a rubber stamp since the car has the CARB sticker.

The major stress was the referee. I was expecting the worst and it in reality it wasn't that bad.

I hope that helps.

Very cool!!

Cool car for sure! What's necessary for a smog check?

Check for all the necessary equipment (CAT, PCV, EGR, etc)
Check there are no MIL/CEL
Throttle blip check for smoke out the back.

Wow, you got lucky with that setup.

I had to go through a referee for my '97 Jetta with an AHU swap, an engine which was CARB legal when new. The referee called me out on the non-stock cat, EGR delete and since the ECU didn't set a code for the EGR and the readiness monitor set immediately to ready after the codes cleared (some old Alligator tune trick years ago) he wanted VW to write us a letter stating that that engine computer part number was in fact for a "California emissions approved vehicle for model year 1997." Had to have phrases to a near identical effect.

I eventually got it all passed, put a brand new OEM cat on it, reinstalled the EGR and cooler (called me out on that, too, I was going to cheat and put a '96 Passat straight pipe from the exhaust manifold to EGR and no cooler, but he wasn't having any of it). But what an ordeal.

I'd love to talk to the referee you got, because PDs were never California emissions approved, and the rules do state any engine swaps must use an engine the same model year or newer than the vehicle it's going in and also MUST be a California emissions approved engine, which the American EDC16Ps were not, let alone a Euro EDC15P setup...

But if I could find a referee more willing to work with me on it, I would LOVE to do a couple different PD swaps, highest on my list being an Audi Allroad with a BHW out of a B5 Passat.

You know what they say, it's better to be lucky than good. Trust me, I do consider myself lucky!

Given the level of detail that went into this project, I was keenly aware of the potential stumbling blocks as I was driving to the inspection. You and I both know the details of each specific TDI engine and lets face it, TDI's are pretty rare in the grander scheme of the automotive world in CA. To ease my anxiety, my wife kept reminding me that not everyone lives in the weeds of TDI's. It turns out she was right. Additionally, with my prior phone conversations with the referee, I built a rapport with him and got an exact list of what he'd be looking for. Hence, during the inspection, I had all the factory parts, CAT, EGR, PCV, etc. and literally had the list in my hand when he was looking at the car. Also, I suppose it didn't hurt that the car looked like it came off the factory floor. In the end, I have the sticker on the car with the engine that the referee certified

What mpg are you seeing? I'm assuming the TT is quite a bit lighter than a Jetta.

38-40 avg. When really agressive on the throttle i've been as low as 33. On a long (300 mile@65mph) freeway run I've been as high as 48.

Bump for a fellow NorCal TDi. Nice!

Really cool build, maybe I'll see it around sf someday

Damn, what a great build. Wish I didn't need a bigger car for work or I would replace my dieselgate TDI with this.

Sold :-(

Congrats, hope the new owner shows up on the club sometim. All the TTTdi's we know of are being driven in the shadows =/

UNSOLD UNSOLD UNSOLD!!!

I'm still in shock but I just found out that the CA BAR has blocked the sale of the TT to what was going to be the new owner. The CA BAR has decided that they made a "mistake" in 2015 when they certified the car and also made a mistake last week when they issued me a Smog certificate. They have decided two years later that since my ECU didn't pass their OBDII Readiness codes (two years ago) the car is really not CA compliant. I would consider suing the BAR based on "detrimental reliance" but it would cost more in legal fees than the car is worth! So it looks like I'm going to be selling the car out of the state of California. Since it not CARB legal I feel there is less value than there once was so I'm also lowering the price to $13,000.

I'm completely depressed!!! Oh well, at least I drove the TT in CA for two years. Super frustrating!

Wow.... unbelievable

I'm sorry to hear, that as I experienced something quite similar here in Massachusetts with my ALH GTI swap.

Before I did the swap and registered the car, I contacted my local "motorist assistance center" (similar to a referee) and told them of my plans to do the swap. "Sounds like you have every base covered, go get an inspection and call back if there's a problem" is what I was told. I registered and paid tax for the car, and headed to the inspection station. After a few minutes of waiting, a fresh passing inspection sticker was placed on the car. All set! Or so I thought.

One year later at the inspection center, the machine printed out a sticker labeled with an "R" as I had been flagged and locked out by the state. As with any locked out vehicle, I was sent to same assistance center where the car was fully looked over, and a packet including all of the info on the swap was submitted to the state. The higher-ups rejected my swap based on the fact that the GTI was not CA/MA emissions approved with a diesel engine. After fighting back and forth with the state, and contacting the EPA, I ended up having to register the car in Florida.

roadracer1966 said:

UNSOLD UNSOLD UNSOLD!!!

I'm still in shock but I just found out that the CA BAR has blocked the sale of the TT to what was going to be the new owner. The CA BAR has decided that they made a "mistake" in 2015 when they certified the car and also made a mistake last week when they issued me a Smog certificate. They have decided two years later that since my ECU didn't pass their OBDII Readiness codes (two years ago) the car is really not CA compliant. I would consider suing the BAR based on "detrimental reliance" but it would cost more in legal fees than the car is worth! So it looks like I'm going to be selling the car out of the state of California. Since it not CARB legal I feel there is less value than there once was so I'm also lowering the price to $13,000.

I'm completely depressed!!! Oh well, at least I drove the TT in CA for two years. Super frustrating!

Click to expand...

A little frustrating, to say the least!

No one at the BAR can explain how when my car was plugged in via the ODBII port to both of their systems (the "old system" and the "new system") during certification testing in 2015, it said it passed! I'm a computer programmer by trade, clearly something has changed on their system! If they change the rules of the game midstream and reach back, how can I compete?

I will never again attempt to convert a vehicle and run it through the BAR!

I have now unwound the transaction with a fellow CA TDI Club'er and I'm free to sell the car out of state. If anyone is interested

Awesome conversion. I think I could get over the "white", though.

I'm thinking about this... wouldn't be a problem here in Michigan.

-Mike B.

Most likely the same way I was "caught". The first inspection that passed was flagged by the system due to a lack of secondary air injection and evap system protocols that were found in the GTI which had previously been inspected. The second time it locked me out and that was it..

roadracer1966 said:

A little frustrating, to say the least!

No one at the BAR can explain how when my car was plugged in via the ODBII port to both of their systems (the "old system" and the "new system") during certification testing in 2015, it said it passed! I'm a computer programmer by trade, clearly something has changed on their system! If they change the rules of the game midstream and reach back, how can I compete?

I will never again attempt to convert a vehicle and run it through the BAR!

I have now unwound the transaction with a fellow CA TDI Club'er and I'm free to sell the car out of state. If anyone is interested

Click to expand...

Air injection and EVAP on a diesel... LOL!!!

Yeah, it would seem the state needs to at least acknowledge it's running on different fuel! That's like saying you need EVAP for a CNG car ;-)

When I registered the car, I chose diesel as the fuel but the state did not care what was on the new title because of it's previous registration history and they ignored it.

roadracer1966 said:

Air injection and EVAP on a diesel... LOL!!!

Yeah, it would seem the state needs to at least acknowledge it's running on different fuel! That's like saying you need EVAP for a CNG car ;-)

Click to expand...

Saving the eventual owner so time

I have three interested parties and they have all expressed the desire to have the catalytic converter replaced with the "test" pipe and the EGR tube pulled and the blanking plates installed (Oh the joy of living outside of CA!). Since today was a holiday from work, I took the time and made that happen. I will be including the CAT and EGR pipe with the box of spares, in case they would ever choose to install them (fat chance of that happening).

It was a little sad because it's most likely the last time I'll be wrenching on this car :-(

pic w/ CAT installed:
https://goo.gl/photos/DMpZEh2ArbkJY7Wq8

pic w/ test pipe
https://goo.gl/photos/YapdH9wC4Gm1qgoq6

Gabriel said:

When I registered the car, I chose diesel as the fuel but the state did not care what was on the new title because of it's previous registration history and they ignored it.

Click to expand...

Talk about idiocy.... these "State" bureaucrats have no concept of any individual being creative in any way mechanical.

Once a GTI always a GTI. [???]

Heck, their blindness can't even conceptualize the fact that you are reducing {unless you're Al Bore} the (bogus) dreaded "carbon footprint" they ballyhoo every chance they get b/c with the better mpg pf the tdi, you go through less barrels of oil thereby preventing us all from burning up from global warming, err...climate change....no now it's climate disruption.

Useless idiot alert number 1,250,058.

I also get the impression that the CA BAR is trolling this board...

Matt-98AHU makes a comment about the potential legality of my swap and a few weeks later CA BAR decides to de-certify my car.

I mention yesterday that the BAR General Counsel never got back to us. I find out from my attorney last night that the BAR attorney called and left a message late yesterday afternoon.


Coincidence... hmmmm

Well, it turns out I was right. My attorney had a nice conversation with the CA BAR attorney. He fully admitted that he trolled this forum. This is the beauty of a public forum. I have nothing to hide and I'm totally open to sharing my experiences. I used the CA BAR process to get my car certified back in 2015. Part of CA BAR Referee's job is to determine the legality of a conversion. At the time, back in 2015, the conversion was legal according to their system. Basically the CA BAR attorney suggested that theoretically the requirements may have changed and my TT/TDI is no longer legal in the state of CA. The CA BAR is well within their rights to do that (so I'm told) and evidently the CA BAR has no concept of grandfathering. In my opinion the VAG CR TDI scandal forced the CA BAR to tighten up their diesel ECU interrogation/testing and I fell victim to that. I may not like it but such is life.

Lessons learned:


Never build a street car that needs to go through the CA BAR process. Stick to building race cars (it's way cheaper)!


If you do convert a car in CA, your CA BAR certificate is really only good for two years. It's a crap shoot after that.


A car can be sporty, fuel efficient and have a tiny carbon footprint (running B99). Just not in CA.


Rules of the game are always changing and occasionally they might affect you.

roadracer1966 said:

Well, it turns out I was right. My attorney had a nice conversation with the CA BAR attorney. He fully admitted that he trolled this forum. This is the beauty of a public forum.

Click to expand...

Can one of the mods make this a Sticky in the TDI (Diesel) Emissions section?
...Very Big Brother.