# Audi TT Owners - Recommended "Must Have" DIY Items



## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

For those of you who have been thinking about tackling some of the various projects and mods once the weather starts to get nice again, I put together a brief list of "Must Have" items that will make doing any DIY repair or modification much easier.

So, here we go -

1. *Owners manual*: Simply put, get one and read it. Probably the single best source of basic information on your vehicle since it's specific to the year and model. Don't underestimate it's value! If you were lucky enough to get one, awesome! If not, spend the extra few bucks and get an OEM from a dealer for your car based on the VIN. This way you can be sure what you're buying is for YOUR car. Sure, you can get one cheap off eBay, but you risk not getting your specific model.









2. *Online Audi Workshop Manuals, SSPs and On-Line Parts Lists*: There are actually plenty of links to various workshop manuals, Self Study Programs (SSP) and parts lists on the internet. The links below will provide you with a wealth of information, instructions and illustrations about some basics like pulling panels and replacing headlights, to full on mechanical projects.









*FAQ - Audi TT (8J) Workshop Manuals & Self Study Programs*
https://www.ttforum.co.uk/forum/viewtop ... &t=1833829

Parts List -
*https://audi.7zap.com/en/rdw/audi+tt+tts+coupe+roadster/att/*
_Note - While the lists are a good point of reference, some parts have multiple numbers. It's always a good idea to order replacement part based on the actual P/N of the part found on your vehicle._

3. *Basic Tools*: For the hobby DIY mechanic, a few common automotive tools are all you need. One tool that everyone should have it a torque wrench, especially for wheels and brake jobs. For those special jobs like pulling the windshield wipers, the workshop manuals define which tool to use. You can usually get a non-VAG tool from eBay or Amazon for much cheaper than the VAG prices.

4. *Plastic Panel Pry-Bars*: It's a good idea to get a few nylon pry-bars to help remove panels. They're cheap and won't scratch the paint like a screw driver. The first time you slip with a screwdriver and scratch a dash panel or the paint, you'll wish you had.









5. *VCDS or OBDeleven*: Now you're stepping things up a notch as this is a cable and software package that allows you to interface directly with the on-board computers. The big end plugs into the VDCS port under drivers knee panel, the other end plugs into your laptop's USB port. Software is a direct download from Ross Tech and the software and updates are free once you buy and register the cable. Pretty much 99% of any electrical issue will require a scan and/or reset which can't be done without one. The recommended VCDS is from Ross Tech since they also provide their own forum and will answer your tech questions directly. While not cheap, it will pay for itself the first couple of times you use it rather than going to a dealership and paying for them to do it. Plenty of information in this forum and the Ross Tech to help.

















6. *Battery Charger*: There are a lot of them out there and not all of them are that great. The CTEK is one of the most popular with Forum members and does a great job of bringing up flat batteries. Some versions come with a battery terminal plug adapter so you don't have to fool around with the alligator clips.









7. *Floor Jack, Jack Puck and Jack Stands* : If you're going to pull the wheels to swap them out, paint the calipers or attempt a brake job, a good set of these items is a must. Never use the OEM Audi jack to support the car when doing repairs - it's called a "Widow Maker" for a good reason! A good, low profile floor jack will get the car up, then use the jack stands take the full weight. The Puck goes on the floor jack arm, and fits into the lift pockets on either side of the car.









8. *Multi-meter *: Should you want to do a little spark chasing at some point, a cheap multi-meter is a very handy tool for determining voltage and continuity of a circuit. These things are dirt cheap but worth their weight in gold.









9. *Forum Knowledge Base (KB) and Search* : There's not enough that can be said for just spending a few minutes to review the KB and running a key word search before you post a question. The Audi TT Mk2 has been around a long time now, and pretty much everything's been addressed at some point. Yes, we've lost a lot of pictures no thanks to Photobucket, but it's appreciated by other members to see you've done a little homework before posting your questions.

These are pretty much all the basics you'll need to get you going. Anything more is totally up to you depending on your level of skill and capability. The only item that's unique to the Audi TT is the VCDS, everything else you can use on any other vehicle you may own further down the line.

Hope this helps! 
.


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## Ropemonkey (Mar 20, 2016)

Great post ! [smiley=thumbsup.gif]


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## Steve in Ireland (Oct 13, 2017)

Useful post! I'm getting there, ticking items off the list. The jacking pad I bought is not rubber though -- a local firm machines them out of aluminium instead. (Available on eBay.)

Not being a Windows user, VCDS would be a hassle for me to use, so I was thinking of buying a stand-alone tool instead. Has anyone used one?

Something like this: http://www.gendan.co.uk/product_FXNT510VAG.html


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## Gaz78 (Mar 15, 2017)

Nice writeup Swiss 

Gaz


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## Gaz78 (Mar 15, 2017)

On the basic tools part, the type that I commonly use are a half decent socket set and a torque bar. I've not spent a fortune on them but they are used every time I do any diy work on my car (and all my friends and family :roll: ). Socket set it's a Halfords set with lifetime warranty on any of the bits breaking, and the torque bar was one of the Lidl ones for around £20. £100 would cover it for these parts. One last thing is a cheap g-clamp for doing brakes and pushing piston back in caliper......again only a few quid but so worth it.

Gaz


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

@ Steve in Ireland - You might contact Ross Tech directly and see what they recommend if you're an Apple user. Otherwise I would think you could pick up a no-name laptop/notebook like ACER for less than $150 or so.

@ Gaz78 - Torque wrench - yep, should be on the list too! Saves over or under torquing nuts and bolts to the specified torque value. There's a lot on the market, and I suspect anything in the 50-100 price range would suffice. I think 1/2" drive would suffice for most applications.


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## Graham'sTT (Dec 6, 2014)

*6. Floor Jack, Jack Puck and Jack Stands :* If you're going to pull the wheels to swap them out, paint the calipers or attempt a brake job, a good set of these items is a must. Never use the OEM Audi jack to support the car when doing repairs - it's called a "Widow Maker" for a good reason! A good, low profile floor jack will get the car up, *then use the jack stands take the full weight.* The Puck goes on the floor jack arm, and fits into the lift pockets on either side of the car.

I have a low-profile jack and a couple of pucks (shaped for the TT "pockets" and flat) but not yet jack-stands. Does any-one know of a supplier of flat topped stands of decent quality but reasonable price, that can be used to support the car at the recommended,garage hoist, lifting points? All the ones I have seen have shaped saddles which don't seem suitable for the TT.


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## efunc (Oct 12, 2008)

Steve in Ireland said:


> Useful post! I'm getting there, ticking items off the list. The jacking pad I bought is not rubber though -- a local firm machines them out of aluminium instead. (Available on eBay.)
> 
> Not being a Windows user, VCDS would be a hassle for me to use, so I was thinking of buying a stand-alone tool instead.


I have a couple of rubber pucks. I wouldn't like alloy ones since you need the friction and grip of the rubber to bite into the saddle of the jack or jack stand. (You also need two if you lift the front and want to place a jack stand simultaneously at the rear).

Regarding VCDS you don't mention if you have another non-windoze device, or no computer at all. If you use a Mac you can run Ross Tech s/w in a VM. I use Parallels and it works great on my MacBook Pro Retina.

***And another vote for torque wrench and breaker bar. Two indispensable essentials.


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## Ady. (Oct 25, 2009)

Smashing work Swiss 8)


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## nhs99v (Jul 18, 2017)

Great post - thanks!


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

@ Graham'sTT - Here you go! Prices aren't too bad at £104.95 for the pair.

https://www.eliseparts.com/products/sho ... le-stands/

Esco also has a flat top jack-stand, however I believe they're from a US company so they're not cheap at £176.04 each!!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_no ... ESCO+10498

I actually have a very slight saddle on my jack stands. I took an old beach towel, cut it down to size, then fold it four or five times, wrapped it with duct tape and it works fine. Basically it's a 6" square pad that fits between the chassis and the jack stand.

Also found this YouTube which is a clever option if you have some extra lumber laying around. You'd need two pucks per side, but I don't see why this wouldn't work.


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## qooqiiu (Oct 12, 2007)

efunc said:


> Steve in Ireland said:
> 
> 
> > Useful post! I'm getting there, ticking items off the list. The jacking pad I bought is not rubber though -- a local firm machines them out of aluminium instead. I wouldn't like alloy ones since you need the friction and grip of the rubber to bite into the saddle of the jack or jack stand..


I prefer rubber too.


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## Graham'sTT (Dec 6, 2014)

SwissJetPilot said:


> @ Graham'sTT - Here you go! Prices aren't too bad at £104.95 for the pair.
> 
> https://www.eliseparts.com/products/sho ... le-stands/
> 
> ...


Yes thanks. I'd seen the Esco ones on Amazon a few weeks back, but they were unavailable at the time.
Also price for the occasional user is prohibitive. The others, whilst still pricey compared to the more common ones, are of a design I was thinking of. Your suggestion of packing out the saddle shape is a good compromise.
The wooden bridge idea is interesting and I have seen a steel version of this (cannot remember where), where the legs drop down at the sides and lock into place once the car is raised, and the jack can be removed.


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## Razza (Nov 23, 2010)

Can I just check what the exact contact points are on the car for the wooden block saddle and trolley jack combo solution? 2 points on the sill (including the official concave point) for the block and 1 point on the wishbone bush for the jack?


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

@ Raza - I would think the two pucks for the jack detents (fore and aft) would suffice. I would be very cautious about putting a jack-stand anywhere else other than where Audi recommends. Just too many things to break or bend since most of the under carriage bits are not designed to take the weight.

@ Grahams TT - I think these are the one's you're thinking of. Two down sides IMHO - (1) seriously expensive (2) not adjustable. http://www.jackpointjackstands.com/


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## Graham'sTT (Dec 6, 2014)

Not the same SJP, a similar principle but quite a different design. A flat metal platform that is raised by the jack to the car's jacking point, and when the car is raised to sufficient height metal legs which are hinged to the plate are lowered to the ground and locked in place. The hydraulic jack can now be lowered, and removed as necessary.
Not yet found the article I had seen, but if/when I do I'll post.


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

Sounds interesting. I doubt it's cheap!


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## MarkyMark66 (Dec 24, 2017)

Steve in Ireland said:


> Useful post! I'm getting there, ticking items off the list. The jacking pad I bought is not rubber though -- a local firm machines them out of aluminium instead. (Available on eBay.)
> 
> Not being a Windows user, VCDS would be a hassle for me to use, so I was thinking of buying a stand-alone tool instead. Has anyone used one?
> 
> Something like this: http://www.gendan.co.uk/product_FXNT510VAG.html


I run vcds on my MacBook without any issues, you just need to install windows on your Mac with Bootcamp....
https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT201468

That is of course you are an Apple user 

Useful post by the way SwissJetPilot


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## brittan (May 18, 2007)

Wheel ramps are old hat, but still useful. You can buy low-rise ramps but they are a bit on the expensive side: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Race-Ramps-RR- ... B003ZAGI9E

If you have some bits of wood and chequer plate loafing in the garage you can make some ramps tailored to the ride height of your TT. Driving up all four of them is a bit odd on the first occasion.

Something I need to do to this set is to make the slope part of the front ramps removable. That will improve access to the underside and expose the front jacking point.


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## nhs99v (Jul 18, 2017)

I'm just going to buy this!

http://www.cjautosheywood.co.uk/3in1.html


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## Gaz78 (Mar 15, 2017)

nhs99v said:


> I'm just going to buy this!
> 
> http://www.cjautosheywood.co.uk/3in1.html


I was looking at these last night on eBay. There's also second hand 4 post lifts for £500ish.......although if I fit one of them on the drive I can't see my wife being too impressed :lol:

Gaz


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## Graham'sTT (Dec 6, 2014)

Gaz78 said:


> nhs99v said:
> 
> 
> > I'm just going to buy this!
> ...


Hang a tarpaulin over it and tell her it's a carport for her car.


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

Same concept of being able to jack up the car with part of the jack stand, and then being able to remove the floor jack. At $139 each, still not cheap. But at least the height is adjustable.


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## Graham'sTT (Dec 6, 2014)

Very similar (if not the same) as the one I had seen some time ago.
The elegant answer though is to have a mechanical lock-out on the hydraulic floor jack that both holds the car safely and relieves the hydraulic pressure.
Any-one?


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## nhs99v (Jul 18, 2017)

Gaz78 said:


> nhs99v said:
> 
> 
> > I'm just going to buy this!
> ...


i can't see what's not to like tbh. jacking and axlwe stands is just such a PITA and i can count on one hand the amount of times I've used the wheel ramps...

I've looked at the lifts and i don't have the height in the garage for them. This solution would seem to fit perfectly and all I have to do now is justify the £500 - the mrs can eff off in terms of whats in the garage - its a bit like Vegas; what goes on in the garage stays in the garage :lol:


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## Steve in Ireland (Oct 13, 2017)

> I run vcds on my MacBook without any issues, you just need to install windows on your Mac with Bootcamp....


Yes, but if you have an instance of Windows which you only use once a month, you have to wait 3 hours while it downloads essential security updates every time you boot it up. :twisted:

(Everything in my house is either Linux or Android.)


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

@ Graham's TT - Think this might be what you're looking for. A floor jack you can lock in place. Problem is you can't select the height where you can lock it. In this case, it's just a safety feature. But better than nothing.






To be honest for as infrequently as I use them I think I spent less than 80-Euro for a floor jack and jack stands similar to this set. If you use thick pads between the jack stand saddles and the chassis, it's perfect. Everything fits neatly into a single case so there's nothing scattered about the garage. One other note, is the use of chocks to use on the opposite side wheels to keep the car from shifting. I bought a pair of folding ones that fit into my floor jack case.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wolf-Garage-Tr ... ack+stands


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## GaryG (Aug 21, 2016)

What a brilliant post Well done Swiss!

This must become a sticky.


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## MarkyMark66 (Dec 24, 2017)

Steve in Ireland said:


> > I run vcds on my MacBook without any issues, you just need to install windows on your Mac with Bootcamp....
> 
> 
> Yes, but if you have an instance of Windows which you only use once a month, you have to wait 3 hours while it downloads essential security updates every time you boot it up. :twisted:
> ...


Not much use to you anyway then


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## efunc (Oct 12, 2008)

Steve in Ireland said:


> > I run vcds on my MacBook without any issues, you just need to install windows on your Mac with Bootcamp....
> 
> 
> Yes, but if you have an instance of Windows which you only use once a month, you have to wait 3 hours while it downloads essential security updates every time you boot it up. :twisted:
> ...


I have Win 7 running on my Mac that I installed about 3 years ago and have never run any updates, but only use it for VCDS (Why on earth would I want to use it for anything else?!!! :lol: )

In Linux I'm sure you could install Windows in a VW layer, maybe with Parallels.


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## Stem (Jul 14, 2015)

Great post - very interesting Swiss. 
I'm thinking of post lifts - local garage is thinking of upgrading and I mentioned I'm interested.


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

Not exactly an official ANSI or TÜV safety test, but this video does provide some information and visual clues as to how different lifting jacks and a jack stand can fail if used beyond their design specification -


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

If I had a larger garage and $1,500 I didn't know what else to do with, I'd seriously think about a "Quick Jack". 
Sure makes life easier than fooling with a floor jack and jack stands. 

https://www.quickjack.com/car-lift-systems.html


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