New Kodiaq - Any experience with Diesel Chip / Tuning?

[RedBen]

Picked up our new Kodiaq 2 days ago, pretty chuffed so far:

TDi, Candy White, Tech Pack, Lux Pack, Sunroof, Towbar

Haven't had the time to just sit and play with switches and buttons yet but what I have, I'm really happy. Looking forward to iOS12 with CarPlay/Waze later in the year too but the current Nav is a big improvement from anything OEM I've used in the past.

One thing I want to look into now is upping the grunt - feels a little bit sluggish. I'd be interested in hearing about anyone's experiences with chipping/tuning their diesels. RaceChip are quoting decent numbers (+24hp/70nm for $300 - +35hp/105nm for $1000). There seems to be a lot of other companies and options though!

[Guest001]

Perhaps before you do you should read this Volkswagen crack down on tuning

[RedBen]

Perhaps before you do you should read this Volkswagen crack down on tuning

Interesting Hillbilly, thanks for the heads-up.

[tigger73]

I think you'll find that the post-dieselgate cars all suffer from reduced performance at low RPM. This used to be the appeal of diesel powered VW/Audi/Skpoda cars that you got a whole lot of torque from very low in the rev range.

It's not so much the increase in power/torque that you're looking for (though this is good). What you want in a diesel car is a big fat torque curve that starts at low rpm and pulls right through the rev range.

If you take a look at the specs of (say) a 2014 130TDI which has peak (380Nm) torque from 1,750-2,500rpm. Compare this to the current 140TDI which has a higher peak torque (400Nm) but it's from 1,900-3,300rpm. So the sluggishness you're talking about is probably due to the low rpm performance and the shift patterns of your gearbox. If you drive around in D you'll probably find unless you really stick your foot in, the transmission will shift gears under 2,000rpm which may mean your car doesn't even hit peak torque. So it's more likely your car is not operating in the torque band of the engine. This is the problem with the "post-dieselgate" tunes. It's almost like the transmission shift pattersn and engine torque curves are no longer well matched.

I believe the solution is to retune both the ECU and DSG transmission so that they complement each other and keep the car in the torque band of the engine during normal driving. There's a number of tuners out there that can do it but as Hillbilly says you have to keep in mind your warranty is shot after.

[crash486]

People have reported that altering the accelerator mapping has helped. Device like the sprint booster and their ilk . It probably won't help economy but always trade offs.

[HPRS230]

Crash,
There should be a Pedal Box for these cars, plus there should be a piggy back system. If you remove both before Skoda service work, they wont know...

I've had the Pedal box, and Loved it, and I have a Piggy Back system for the TSI motor

DTUK
SKODA KODIAQ from 2017 onwards 2.0 TDI 4x4, 150PS/110kW, 1968 ccm - DTUK
How Petrol and Diesel Tuning Boxes Work

[Antiplastix]

Go with the DTUK, I have the piggy back box and pedal box fitted to my TDI Octavia. It is fantastic. Read my review in the Watercooled ECU section.
DTUK box. TDI piggy back.