# Disabling active rear spoiler.



## hugy (Dec 4, 2007)

Can someone throw some light on this subject for me.
If I disable the rear spoiler through Vag-Com can I still raise and lower it via the button? ( for car washing).


----------



## Toshiba (Jul 8, 2004)

You can manually pull it up and push it down.
Pulling up is the hard part...

You could always re-enable it for the purpose of cleaning...


----------



## wja96 (Mar 4, 2010)

You can't disable it through VCDS. The fixed replacement spoilers come with a gimmick that fools the car into thinking it's still there. The car still thinks it's raising and lowering the spoiler automagically.


----------



## hugy (Dec 4, 2007)

Toshiba said:


> You can manually pull it up and push it down.
> Pulling up is the hard part...
> 
> You could always re-enable it for the purpose of cleaning...


Thanks tosh,
So you're saying if its disabled the button has no function?


----------



## hugy (Dec 4, 2007)

wja96 said:


> You can't disable it through VCDS. The fixed replacement spoilers come with a gimmick that fools the car into thinking it's still there. The car still thinks it's raising and lowering the spoiler automagically.


I don't have the replacment rear spoiler.I did see a post on here which states the spoiler can be de-activated via VCDS but it did not clarify if after doing that the spoiler can still be raised or lowered visa the button.


----------



## robokn (Feb 21, 2006)

Can it not be simply disconnected?


----------



## hugy (Dec 4, 2007)

robokn said:


> Can it not be simply disconnected?


I had thought of that Rob.
Had a look at the fuses but I couldn't find the right one.


----------



## Mark. (Sep 16, 2011)

Isnt the spoiler there for safety reasons?


----------



## Toshiba (Jul 8, 2004)

hugy said:


> Toshiba said:
> 
> 
> > You can manually pull it up and push it down.
> ...


Yep, i did it on the S. 
You get a warning msg about config in VAGCOM from memory but the button does nothing afterwards.


----------



## hugy (Dec 4, 2007)

Toshiba said:


> hugy said:
> 
> 
> > Toshiba said:
> ...


Ok,thanks Tosh.


----------



## hugy (Dec 4, 2007)

Mark. said:


> Isnt the spoiler there for safety reasons?


I believe so.
I have a new spoiler which is fitted onto the oem one,thats why I really don't need the active function. :wink:


----------



## Dash (Oct 5, 2008)

Mark. said:


> Isnt the spoiler there for safety reasons?


Air flow isn't quick enough to really make a difference at legal road speeds in the UK. Most people are on a relatively straight motorway when doing these sort of speeds, and not going round corners.

More relevant, is the impact it may or may not have on fuel consumption - not that it'd be enough to ever notice.


----------



## wja96 (Mar 4, 2010)

I would imagine that disabling the spoiler without using an Audi approved fixed rear spoiler would invalidate the insurance.

I'm assuming you're telling your insurers that you have disabled the high speed stability feature?


----------



## Toshiba (Jul 8, 2004)

Why would he? 
The spoiler only deploys at speeds over the legal limit and we all drive within the law.....


----------



## wja96 (Mar 4, 2010)

Then why does he want to disable it?

If he never exceeds 120kph he'll never see it anyway.

No, he wants to drive over 120kph without the spoiler up and Audi generally seem to be of the opinion that's not a smart thing to do.


----------



## drrawle (Aug 14, 2011)

wja96 said:


> No, he wants to drive over 120kph without the spoiler up and Audi generally seem to be of the opinion that's not a smart thing to do.


Bit harsh considering he has said...



hugy said:


> I have a new spoiler which is fitted onto the oem one,thats why I really don't need the active function. :wink:


----------



## wja96 (Mar 4, 2010)

drrawle said:


> wja96 said:
> 
> 
> > No, he wants to drive over 120kph without the spoiler up and Audi generally seem to be of the opinion that's not a smart thing to do.
> ...


Not really harsh at all. If he doesn't exceed 120kph he doesn't need to disable it because it will never pop up. He has replaced the original spoiler with another one that does not disable the original spoiler. Why? Probably because the company that makes it has no idea about how it affects the aerodynamics of the car, just how it affects the cosmetics. Even if it has been tested, it has been tested with the OEM spoiler functionality intact. He has no idea if what he wants to do is safe or not really. Certainly, if he told his insurers I'm pretty sure they would withdraw his cover.

The original TT was retrofitted with a ducktail because it was basically unstable without it. Do you know if the new one is as well? It probably is. Do I really want an unstable car being driven around? Not really.


----------



## sTTranger (Oct 21, 2008)

wja96 said:


> Not really harsh at all. If he doesn't exceed 120kph he doesn't need to disable it because it will never pop up. He has replaced the original spoiler with another one that does not disable the original spoiler. Why? Probably because the company that makes it has no idea about how it affects the aerodynamics of the car, just how it affects the cosmetics. Even if it has been tested, it has been tested with the OEM spoiler functionality intact. He has no idea if what he wants to do is safe or not really. Certainly, if he told his insurers I'm pretty sure they would withdraw his cover.
> 
> The original TT was retrofitted with a ducktail because it was basically unstable without it. Do you know if the new one is as well? It probably is. Do I really want an unstable car being driven around? Not really.


The ttrs has a fixed spoiler, so are you saying that it is unstable?

the op asked about disabling the pop up spoiler, I dont understand why you are questioning his motives?

Too many people have too much to say :?


----------



## moncler1 (Sep 28, 2008)

Well said.

For what it's worth I've been a passenger in a Mk2 TT without a rear spoiler of any kind, doing a (timing beam verified) 186 mph. On a bumpy runway. Felt solid enough to me.

Different suspension and brakes mind.


----------



## drrawle (Aug 14, 2011)

wja96 said:


> The original TT was retrofitted with a ducktail because it was basically unstable without it. Do you know if the new one is as well? It probably is. Do I really want an unstable car being driven around? Not really.


The original TT was fitted with the Spoiler AND a modified rear suspension setup AND a modified ESP program if we are being pedantic...

However I totally agree that you should update your insurance company of ANY modification that modifies the car in a way that could effect the safety of it prior to making the modification. In this instance we don't know how he has acquired this spoiler. It could be a TTRS spoiler from ebay for all we know. This would create a scenario where the car is completely safe to drive but he doesn't have the parts to disable the spoiler...


----------



## r_youngson (Apr 29, 2009)

[quote="drrawle"It could be a TTRS spoiler from ebay for all we know. This would create a scenario where the car is completely safe to drive but he doesn't have the parts to disable the spoiler...[/quote]

viewtopic.php?f=19&t=247436


----------



## hugy (Dec 4, 2007)

r_youngson said:


> [quote="drrawle"It could be a TTRS spoiler from ebay for all we know. This would create a scenario where the car is completely safe to drive but he doesn't have the parts to disable the spoiler...


viewtopic.php?f=19&t=247436[/quote]
Thank you.


----------



## drjam (Apr 7, 2006)

drrawle said:


> wja96 said:
> 
> 
> > The original TT was retrofitted with a ducktail because it was basically unstable without it. Do you know if the new one is as well? It probably is. Do I really want an unstable car being driven around? Not really.
> ...


If we're being properly pedantic, owners were given the *option *of having ESP fitted and the suspension setup modified, and even if you said "yes" to those, whether you chose to have the spoiler done or not was another tick-box on that form. [So for example our car has the first two, but no spoiler]. It certainly *wasn't *a case of Audi saying "your car is basically unstable unless you fit this" (as clearly it isn't). 
As I recall, the main modification they recommended was the ESP, and that was a no-brainer as they were about to introduce it across the rest of the range anyhow.


----------



## hugy (Dec 4, 2007)

wja96 said:


> drrawle said:
> 
> 
> > wja96 said:
> ...


I don't know or care what your problem is.
I only asked a simple question so there is no need to get so angry.
If you had taken the time to read my post carefully you would have seen that i have installed a new spoiler.


----------



## wja96 (Mar 4, 2010)

I'm not angry and I am fully aware that you have added the Caractere spoiler which is not designed to replace the original spoiler, it is a cosmetic addition to the original spoiler. It is TUV approved only when the original spoiler mechanism is retained.

I stand by my original contentions;

1. If you disable this feature of the car you are potentially altering the aerodynamics in a way that could affect high speed stability of the car and you should inform your insurers.

2. Unless you plan to drive the car above 120kph, which is higher than the speed limit in both the UK and the Irish Republic, you do not need to disable the standard spoiler mechanism because the spoiler will never deploy.

Now, if that's something that all the street racers on here don't want voiced or discussed then they can petition the mods to have my posts deleted.


----------



## crossj (Jun 23, 2006)

*Petition for the removal of wja96 posts*

Count my vote (_I'm not a street racer_)  Hugy just asked a simple question... too many Forum users wasting wall space with argumentative posts which no one wants to engage with.


----------



## hugy (Dec 4, 2007)

wja96 said:


> I'm not angry and I am fully aware that you have added the Caractere spoiler which is not designed to replace the original spoiler, it is a cosmetic addition to the original spoiler. It is TUV approved only when the original spoiler mechanism is retained.
> 
> I stand by my original contentions;
> 
> ...


And I stand by mine.


----------



## talk-torque (Apr 30, 2008)

hugy, you're a true gent.


----------



## hugy (Dec 4, 2007)

talk-torque said:


> hugy, you're a true gent.


Thanks Roger,lets hope this is the end of it.


----------



## sTTranger (Oct 21, 2008)

wja96 said:


> I stand by my original contentions;
> 
> 1. If you disable this feature of the car you are potentially altering the aerodynamics in a way that could affect high speed stability of the car and you should inform your insurers.
> 
> 2. Unless you plan to drive the car above 120kph, which is higher than the speed limit in both the UK and the Irish Republic, you do not need to disable the standard spoiler mechanism because the spoiler will never deploy.


1. totally agree, would never recommend a modification without notifying your insurers.

2. lets just say that he decides to go to a track, autobahn, private runway etc. then what? What your saying is pathetic, you don't know his motives so please stop interfering with his post.

Huggy I hope you get the answer that your looking for, if I could help I would 

Best of luck


----------



## wja96 (Mar 4, 2010)

sTTranger said:


> wja96 said:
> 
> 
> > I stand by my original contentions;
> ...


I don't see why it's pathetic. Hugy has glued a small piece of plastic to his rear spoiler. It's not designed or sold to be used on it's own. It's supposed to be used with the rear spoiler functioning. Do you know what will happen if he goes to a private road and drives fast? No. I'm simply pointing out that what he's doing is not how it was designed and that he's potentially doing something very stupid indeed.

The whole thing about not driving fast came out of a response to a comment about it doesn't matter that he's disabling a safety feature, none of us ever drive over 70mph anyway. Well, we do. I'm in Germany at the moment and I'm driving over 120km/h every opportunity I get, but I'm using the standard spoiler and the car is stable.

All I'm trying to point out is that the functionality is there for a reason and that people who make proper replacement spoilers like ABT have tested them at high speed and have supplied the correct Audi spoiler delete kit. Caractere make cosmetic kits. I'm 99.9% certain that wing has never been in a wind-tunnel and it has, it's been in a wind-tunnel with the OEM spoiler attached to it and working. Hugy fitted it because he likes the look. I have no issue with that at all and I want him to enjoy it, not have it fly off into the windscreen of the car behind him or leave him unable to get round a bend on private road somewhere. That may well not happen, but as Caractere didn't design it the way Hugy wants to use it, we don't know what will happen.

Now, I may well come across a way too politically correct and a goody-two-shoes, but I REALLY don't want him to hurt himself or anyone else for that matter. I may well have expressed myself badly, but I meant well, and I still do. I have no desire to cause discord and I certainly not angry, frustrated or anti-modding. If I have come across as anything other than this, I can only apologise for my lack of ability to type what I'm trying to get across. I've never intentionally wrecked a thread before and I didn't intend to do so in this case. That has clearly happened and I apologise for that, but I do (and did) mean what I said to be taken as a caution against using equipment out of designed mode of operation, not to put anyone down or attack them for wanting to modify their car or drive how they want.


----------



## rscott4563 (Sep 2, 2010)

crossj said:


> *Petition for the removal of wja96 posts*
> 
> Count my vote (_I'm not a street racer_)  Hugy just asked a simple question... too many Forum users wasting wall space with argumentative posts which no one wants to engage with.


You can have my vote as well. Some people really do have too much time on their hands and post totally off topic unwanted unhelpful posts without actually having the facts to back up their opinions (referring to the fact that the original TT was never REQUIRED to have the spoiler added for safety). Unless wja96 has intimate knowledge of Audi's design decisions and aerodynamic principals regarding the active spoiler then all he is doing is spouting his opinions as fact).


----------

