Season 4 Premiere, Disabling the Soundaktor

It has been over a year since we've posted new videos. We at Machine Zealots are happy to say that we are back; with more episodes and more mods!

If you have been a long time follower of Machine Zealots, you would have possibly read, or heard, that we are making our show a bit differently now. Due to changes in our personal lives, we can no longer do what we used to do; that is: film an episode, edit, and then upload. What we have found most efficient is to plan out all the mods and episodes on our breaks. Then we film all the episodes in the summer, while it is warmer with tons of daylight, and upload those episodes in sequence during the winter times, which is also our hiatus; and the cycle continues that way.

We don't know how long this method will last, but it's much better than our previous methods for sure. The only down side is, you guys have to wait for larger chunks of time before any new content is posted online. With that said, we thank you for patiently waiting for us, and I hope the new season won't be a huge let down!

With that long introduction out of the way, let's talk about the episode.

This season will be slightly different from the past seasons. As you can see, the first episode we aired is focused on the 2012 Golf GTI. Ever since Season 1, we had wanted to integrate more of Puyang's car into the episodes. Largely due to budget concerns, he was unable to join. This season, as you will come to see, is very balanced in terms of the cars. You will see pretty much equal amount of screen time between the 2006 WRX STI, and the 2012 Golf GTI. You may also see some special guest cars here and there, but you'll have to stick around to find out.

This episode specifically covers one of the first things that the GTI owners modify. Removing the Soundaktor, if you listen to the description in the video, is a key part in enhancing the driving experience. If you didn't understand the description, it's totally fine. In short, the Soundaktor is an artificial noise maker, that syncs to your engine RPM. It ends up being a tacky way of making the car sound sportier. While new technology is often cool, Puyang was very irritated at the Soundaktor. Either way, it has been disabled, so the GTI sounds so much better.

It's good to be back. Merry Christmas everyone!

GTI Engine Oil Change

Oil changes are essential to keeping your car in peak performance. It should at least be done once a year to ensure that your car gets the most power and fuel efficiency it can have. It has been a year since Puyang has bought his 2012 VW Golf GTI, as revealed near the end of Season 2, and it was finally time for Puyang to do his first oil change on this car.
It was a straightforward process and we didn't run into any complications. We took this time to change the stock drain plug for a magnetic drain plug. If you have been a long follower of Machine Zealots, you would have noticed that we are very fond of magnetic drain plugs. It catches metal shavings, and every time you do your oil change, you can be sure you'll have lots of shavings to wipe off. I think all cars should come with a magnetic drain plug for your engine from the factory. If you don't yet have one for your car, make sure you get one.
Remember to lift the car up properly, and place axle stands in safe areas. Take the time to do things safely and properly. Hope this tutorial helps some of you, have fun!

First episode on the Golf GTI

We have been looking forward to filming the new project car on Machine Zealots for a long time now, almost a year to be precise, and we are proud to present the first official episode featuring the 2012 Volkswagen Golf GTI.
Since it's pretty much a brand new car, Puyang is taking it slow on the modifying front. This is just a small, but fun modification to the car.
The Audi S-Line shift knob is a great addition to the GTI. The style, and colors match perfectly with the interior of the GTI. In the video we mentioned that the shift knob style is all based on personal preference. Being in an STI myself, I am biased towards any shift knob that is more ball shaped than anything else. So, I love his new shift knob!
For those of you who own a GTI and are looking into this shift knob swap, this modification isn't cheap in price. I won't say how expensive this mod was, but I will conclude that most people won't find the price worthy of the upgrade.
In summary though, Audi does make high quality stuff, but that carries on the large price tag. This modification took a bit of time figuring out, but it wasn't hard. If you aren't familiar with taking apart your car, we hope this video will help.
To the people who don't own a GTI, we hope you enjoyed this episode as well. We will make more episodes on the GTI as time goes on. In the meantime, stay tuned for upcoming videos on car shows, mods, and maintenance on both the STI and the GTI.