Electrical vs. Hydraulic Power Steering
Alex's Autohaus Blog
by alaex
1M ago
Power steering is a technology all drivers take for granted. Before the advent of this technology, the only thing helping you turn the steering wheel was your own strength. Power steering is now offered in a few different ways; hydraulic, electrical, and more recently, drive-by-wire. Continue reading to learn more about power steering, its history, reliability and repairs, and how each type impacts the driving dynamics of a car.  What is Power Steering? On nearly all vehicles, there is a steering column connecting the steering wheel to the wheels themselves using a system called a rack an ..read more
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Harmful Manual Transmission Driving Habits to Avoid
Alex's Autohaus Blog
by alaex
2M ago
While the manual (stick-shift, standard, or just stick) transmission is on its way to becoming a piece of automotive history, there are still new vehicles being produced, not to mention countless older cars still on the road, that employ the old-fashioned three-pedal transmission. At one point, manual gearboxes offered superior fuel economy and performance to automatics, but in 2024 that’s no longer the case. Nowadays, new cars with standard transmissions are limited to sports cars and performance vehicles (they offer a more “raw” and engaging driving experience), and a small number of economy ..read more
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Lowering Springs vs. Coilovers: Which is Right For Me?
Alex's Autohaus Blog
by alaex
3M ago
Lowering your car is one of those modifications that can improve not only the look of your car but the performance as well. When lowering your vehicle, you’re also lowering the center of gravity, which helps it stay planted through sharp corners and maneuvers.  However, there are a few ways to drop the height of your vehicle, each with its pros and cons for different vehicles and different owners. Knowing which is right for you is crucial before having anything installed, or you may run into unexpected issues down the line. Lowering Springs  The easiest and generally least expensive ..read more
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Semi-Metallic vs. Ceramic Brake Pads: Which is Right for You?
Alex's Autohaus Blog
by alaex
5M ago
There’s no question that brake pads are one of the most important components in your car. What’s the good in being able to drive fast if you can’t also slow yourself down in a safe distance? So when it’s time to replace your brake pads, you may find yourself looking at a range of options with various price tags. Not all brake pads are created equal, and different materials offer different advantages. Over the history of braking systems, there have been a variety of materials used to produce friction. From leather to asbestos, engineers have always been creative when it comes to getting the mos ..read more
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What is Forced Induction?
Alex's Autohaus Blog
by alaex
6M ago
Forced induction has built a reputation for being the ultimate addition to a vehicle when chasing significant power increases. Nowadays, forced induction can be found more and more in commuter vehicles since it can improve efficiency while retaining horsepower and torque. But what exactly is forced induction? In this article, we’ll go over the benefits and drawbacks of forced induction systems, as well as why they took such a massive hold on the automotive industry.  What is Forced Induction? When you get down to it, engines are air pumps. Combustion is achieved by igniting a mixture of a ..read more
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BMW N63 Common Problems
Alex's Autohaus Blog
by alaex
7M ago
The BMW N63 was one of the most advanced V8 engines when it hit the market in 2008. BMW’s new motor for performance sedans and SUVs had various things that made it unique, from its all-aluminum construction, direct injection, and “hot-V” layout which was the first of its kind in a production engine.  The N63 was a more-than-formidable engine and would go on to power many of BMW’s best performance and luxury vehicles throughout the 2010s. The N63 platform would be found in models such as the 550i, 650i, 750i, X5, X6, and multiple more.  This high-tech approach both made the N63 a cert ..read more
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Five of the Best Recent Euro Vehicles for Tuning
Alex's Autohaus Blog
by alaex
8M ago
European vehicles have proved themselves as some of the easiest platforms to gain power from. Often times a simple box tune can improve power and torque numbers significantly. Today we look at five of the best vehicles for tuning that you can buy new or slightly used as of 2023! MK8 Volkswagen Golf R (2023-Present) The 2023 VW Golf R is Volkswagen’s flagship sports car. Built on the recent MK8 generation, the Golf R brings AWD acceleration and EA888 Evo4 tunability for just under $45k MSRP.  As talked about in our previous article, the Evo4 iteration of the EA888 brings 315 horsepower to ..read more
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What’s New With the EA888 EVO4 Motor
Alex's Autohaus Blog
by alaex
9M ago
The EA888 engine family has a long history as a workhorse engine used across the VW/Audi lineup. This ubiquitous turbo four-cylinder has been used in everything from the Golf GTI to the Audi Q7, with various power outputs and displacements available depending on the application.  With the release of the MK8 GTI and Golf R, as well as the 8Y S3 came a new, updated version of the EA888, known internally as the EVO 4. This variant is focused on performance but still manages to return exceptional fuel economy in addition to power.  Keeping track of Volkswagen engine generations can be tr ..read more
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MK8 GTI Modification Guide
Alex's Autohaus Blog
by alaex
11M ago
The Mk7 Golf/GTI/R platform had a long run from 2015-2021 (in North America) and set a new standard for build quality and out-of-the-box performance in the hot hatch/hatchback segment. The aftermarket support for the EA888 Gen 3 engine is robust, and it’s proven to be potent and fairly reliable as a performance platform.  For the 2022 model year, Volkswagen axed the regular Golf from its North American lineup. Add to that the end of the Golf Alltrack in 2019, and it seems like the era of the North American VW hatchback and wagon is coming to an end.  All is not lost, however. Volkswa ..read more
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EA888 Gen 3 Common Problems
Alex's Autohaus Blog
by alaex
1y ago
The TSI engine (designated EA888) has been utilized in vehicles across the Volkswagen group since its inception in the late 2000s. As of 2023, the TSI engine is in its fourth generation, but in this post, we are going to look back on the third generation, used from 2015 until 2020.  Now that the EA888 Gen 3 has been around for eight years, problems with this engine have had a chance to present themselves. Vehicles powered by the EA888 are becoming much more affordable. Read on to learn about some of the common issues associated with this engine, and what you should look out for if you are ..read more
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