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...I decided to purchase the Carbonio a few weeks ago. Fearing downtime, I installed the kit tonight, well before the weekend (when the .:R gets playtime primarily). As you can tell by the time stamp on the post, it took me awhile to complete the installation.
This is my first mod, aside from a li'l black shorty antenna and a V1 to keep the good times rolling. I won't mention how many stock centercaps I've replaced. Although I haven't been able to drive the car yet, I do have some observations from the install that may be helpful to others who are installing this kit themselves, without the benefit of a mechanic.
1) I am an underqualified, yet somewhat mechanically inclined individual when it comes to the technical requirements of this install. I say this so that other "amateurs" can either align with what I'm saying or run like hell.
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2) Make sure you have the proper tools prior to starting any mod on the .:R. I read the instructions Carbonio provided, and the list of tools required (very cool to include this in any kit) and went to Sears to make sure I had everything I needed. Nothing worse than starting a project and not being able to finish because one didn't have the proper tools. Even worse is using the wrong tool and screwing things up.
3) The instructions provided by Carbonio were adequate for the installation, but difficult to decipher the poor resolution and darkness of the photos. Additionally, some of the steps had to be put in a reverse order to make the installation work. I'm not sure how the methodology at Carbonio was played out, but if one were to follow the instructions provided, then one would find themselves struggling to complete the intsall.
4) Since I had reviewed EVERY FREAKIN' Thread on CAI (hours and hours of info....all good to help form a personal opinion on which product to choose) I had run across the install vid from EIP on their unit. I've gotta tell you, no matter what CAI a person chooses, WATCH THIS VIDEO! It can be downloaded from the EIP website. Although I did not choose an EIP product for this mod, the information they provided was PRICELESS. If anyone at EIP is listening, I'd like to extend my thanks to you for providing this extremely useful video instruction. I don't think I'd have ever gotten the damn battery out if it wasn't for your team.
5) The installation itself was a bit painful for me. I had a WWF-class wrestling match with the battery housing, but bypassed the situation eventually, realizing that b/w Carbonio's instructions and EIP's vid, that there was a work-around of simply removing the 4 bolts that hold the battery tray down rather than trying to "unsnap" the "impossible to unsnap" housing mounts on my .:R. I know everyone's cars age differently, and these plastic bits expand and contract like nobody's business, so everyone else who has messed with the battery may have had a better or worse experience.
6) Aside from the issues I had getting the batttery out (which cannot be blamed on any mfr except VW) I found it VERY DIFFICULT to mate the filter/aluminum horn section of the snorkel to the carbon fibre section of the tube. The junction happens (of course) right at the area in the chassis where there is a very tight opening below the battery just behind the driver's side headlight. This is one of those areas where "everything" seems to be happening all at once. You've got the junction for the CAI happening in a hella-tight spot where you also have to relocate and navigate a lot of stock wiring. Bad choice of locations IMHO. Additionally, the instructions call for the upper tube to be secured to the MAF at this point, before installing the lower aluminum horn and filter assembly. I found this to be impossible. I chose to leave all of the parts "loose" until that junction had been secured. Even now, I don't know how good my connection b/w the CF tube and the aluminum horn is because of the difficulty experienced in this particular area. I think it could have been one tube, one material, instead of two with a junction at a very precarious location.
7) I haven't driven the car yet, only idled it for 5 min like the instructions suggest. I hope to take THE FANG (named in reference to the killer rabbit in that stupid monty python movie) out tomorrow to see what the butt-dyno says. I don't have the car chipped, so I'm not anticipating anything noticeable.
8) I haven't opened up the driver's side grille to allow more airflow to the filter yet, but plan to take a hot exacto to it tomorrow.
I hope that this post is at least helpful to someone. I certainly didn't intend to bash Carbonio on their instructions provided for the install, just simply stating that for my level of experience, they were not everything that I needed to get the job done. The install time claimed on the instructions (for estimation purposes only) was 1.25 hours. I spent 4 hours on this installation, mainly because of my lack of experience and the wrestling match with the freakin' battery.
I kept thinking to myself "I wish I had bought the Braille racing battery and the stinkin' grounding kit prior to starting the Carbonio install, cuz I've already got the .:R torn down this far." That's one to think about.
I'm hoping to chip the car next with GIAC, then go for the stage I vf supercharger......once the car is paid off.
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Thanks for listening.
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This is my first mod, aside from a li'l black shorty antenna and a V1 to keep the good times rolling. I won't mention how many stock centercaps I've replaced. Although I haven't been able to drive the car yet, I do have some observations from the install that may be helpful to others who are installing this kit themselves, without the benefit of a mechanic.
1) I am an underqualified, yet somewhat mechanically inclined individual when it comes to the technical requirements of this install. I say this so that other "amateurs" can either align with what I'm saying or run like hell.
2) Make sure you have the proper tools prior to starting any mod on the .:R. I read the instructions Carbonio provided, and the list of tools required (very cool to include this in any kit) and went to Sears to make sure I had everything I needed. Nothing worse than starting a project and not being able to finish because one didn't have the proper tools. Even worse is using the wrong tool and screwing things up.
3) The instructions provided by Carbonio were adequate for the installation, but difficult to decipher the poor resolution and darkness of the photos. Additionally, some of the steps had to be put in a reverse order to make the installation work. I'm not sure how the methodology at Carbonio was played out, but if one were to follow the instructions provided, then one would find themselves struggling to complete the intsall.
4) Since I had reviewed EVERY FREAKIN' Thread on CAI (hours and hours of info....all good to help form a personal opinion on which product to choose) I had run across the install vid from EIP on their unit. I've gotta tell you, no matter what CAI a person chooses, WATCH THIS VIDEO! It can be downloaded from the EIP website. Although I did not choose an EIP product for this mod, the information they provided was PRICELESS. If anyone at EIP is listening, I'd like to extend my thanks to you for providing this extremely useful video instruction. I don't think I'd have ever gotten the damn battery out if it wasn't for your team.
5) The installation itself was a bit painful for me. I had a WWF-class wrestling match with the battery housing, but bypassed the situation eventually, realizing that b/w Carbonio's instructions and EIP's vid, that there was a work-around of simply removing the 4 bolts that hold the battery tray down rather than trying to "unsnap" the "impossible to unsnap" housing mounts on my .:R. I know everyone's cars age differently, and these plastic bits expand and contract like nobody's business, so everyone else who has messed with the battery may have had a better or worse experience.
6) Aside from the issues I had getting the batttery out (which cannot be blamed on any mfr except VW) I found it VERY DIFFICULT to mate the filter/aluminum horn section of the snorkel to the carbon fibre section of the tube. The junction happens (of course) right at the area in the chassis where there is a very tight opening below the battery just behind the driver's side headlight. This is one of those areas where "everything" seems to be happening all at once. You've got the junction for the CAI happening in a hella-tight spot where you also have to relocate and navigate a lot of stock wiring. Bad choice of locations IMHO. Additionally, the instructions call for the upper tube to be secured to the MAF at this point, before installing the lower aluminum horn and filter assembly. I found this to be impossible. I chose to leave all of the parts "loose" until that junction had been secured. Even now, I don't know how good my connection b/w the CF tube and the aluminum horn is because of the difficulty experienced in this particular area. I think it could have been one tube, one material, instead of two with a junction at a very precarious location.
7) I haven't driven the car yet, only idled it for 5 min like the instructions suggest. I hope to take THE FANG (named in reference to the killer rabbit in that stupid monty python movie) out tomorrow to see what the butt-dyno says. I don't have the car chipped, so I'm not anticipating anything noticeable.
8) I haven't opened up the driver's side grille to allow more airflow to the filter yet, but plan to take a hot exacto to it tomorrow.
I hope that this post is at least helpful to someone. I certainly didn't intend to bash Carbonio on their instructions provided for the install, just simply stating that for my level of experience, they were not everything that I needed to get the job done. The install time claimed on the instructions (for estimation purposes only) was 1.25 hours. I spent 4 hours on this installation, mainly because of my lack of experience and the wrestling match with the freakin' battery.
I kept thinking to myself "I wish I had bought the Braille racing battery and the stinkin' grounding kit prior to starting the Carbonio install, cuz I've already got the .:R torn down this far." That's one to think about.
I'm hoping to chip the car next with GIAC, then go for the stage I vf supercharger......once the car is paid off.
Thanks for listening.
