Tuning the Skoda Yeti

"The Admiribale snowman - Skoda's Yeti"

The Yeti, represents a great amount of innovation on Skodas part, and become a new class of vehicle in the Skoda Lineup.

When you look at the tech specs things start to get interesting. The petrol versions of the Yeti use FSi turbocharged engines and produce power far in excess of what you would expect from an engine of similar displacement.

As a result all Yeti engines respond well to tuning, even the TDi engines can become petrol like in their power delivery with a simple reamp.

We So lets see what the best Yeti tuning modifications are. Skoda Yeti are popular cars and with a few sensible performance modifications you can greatly increase your driving enjoyment.

A popular car for tuning up is the Yeti and our members have some interesting projects on the go.

Handling modifications are usually your first port of call for the Yeti. We suggest that you fit uprated suspension and lower the car by 20-30mm although this depends on the size of alloy wheels that you choose. The Yeti was designed to ride high, a bit like an off roader car crossover should and it doesn't look right if it is lowered too far.

Our aim in Yeti engine tuning should be to increase peak power and Torque from around 1500rpm and extend the usable power band to around 5500 rpm (4500 rpm for the 1.2).

The smaller 1.2 Turbo engines do not provide as much of a return in terms of power from tuning although you can still expect to see around 30% more power. When you start with the 1.8 or the 2.0 TDi the power gains are much larger and cost around the same.

Skoda Yeti Tuning modifications.

You really need to keep as much low end power as you can and aim for a wide power band rather than a top end spike. A fast road cam will be one of the best power mods you can do mechanically to the FSI engine. When pushing up the power you will need to pay attention to the fuelling. More power needs more fuel.

The VAG sources FSi injection is a good fuel system and can deliver enough fuel for most modest tuning projects. For larger power gains you may well need to uprate this.

Skoda Yeti Intake and Exhaust Tuning.

The next area for modification our Yeti owners pay attention to is the intake and exhaust. For small Yeti engine sizes go with a washable panel air filter. IF you want an induction roar then fit a full induction kit (cone filter) but you must ensure it has a cold air feed or you could be losing out on some power.

Sports exhausts will certainly help air flow through the engine but do not go too large or you will reduce the flow rate. Stick to 1.5 to 2.5 inches for best results. A sports catalyst will also do much to improve the engines breathing and will free up some top end power. 

Head work including a polish and port and 3 angle valve job will really help to release the potential of the engine allowing more air to enter the cylinder. Your clutch can seriously let you down if it starts to slip and the standard clutches are only ever good for power gains of upto 40%. Fit an uprated clutch to avoid power losses through the transmission.

The VAG group turbo charged engines are just begging to be remapped. You will see big power gains on most turbo engined cars including diesels making a remap one of the most cost effective modifications.

Skoda Yeti Wheel modifications.

Alloy wheels will help the brakes cool down and are usually lighter than the steel ones. Large Yeti alloy wheels can decrease performance though. If you get big alloy wheels you will be changing your final drive ratio, and this will reduce your acceleration. So aim to keep the overall rolling diameter of the wheel the same as supplied from the factory. In all cases we do not recommend going above 18 inches with ultra low profile tyres.

For more information on Tuning your car please join us in our friendly forum where you can discuss Yeti options in more detail with our Yeti owners. It would also be worth reading our unbiased Skoda tuning articles to get a full grasp of the benefits and drawbacks of each modification.

This article was written by Waynne Smith on TorqueCars, and I appreciate your feedback and suggestions. This entry was filed under Skoda. You can leave a response below or join TorqueCars forum to discuss this article and car modification in detail with our members.

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