APR ECU Upgrade MK6 Golf - Customer perspective

[AdamD]

LMAO. Not having a dig at Corey at all, (hes a lovely fellow!) but this site is UNQUESTIONABLY pro APR.

I'd definitely agree that the site is generally pro-APR, but this doesn't mean it's anti any other tune. Don't get me wrong - I'm all for unbiased, impartial reviews and contributions on all tunes and mods, but realistically, that ain't gonna happen. Either way, I do believe that there are plenty of very happy APR customers on this forum.

Probably because the mods would have removed any negative posts with regard to any APR faults.

Do you have any evidence to suggest that goes on? Because otherwise that's just slander against the mods. Some may be happy APR customers, but I'd seriously doubt they're about to conceal poor reviews or valid complaints.

[REXman]

I think ADAMD is taking this in a different direction to what I am saying. I dont actually think that MODS would ever conceal/delete posts.. they do delete them though If they deem them unecessary or offensive. Whether that involves Anti-APR behaviour, I cant say.

[AdamD]

I think ADAMD is taking this in a different direction to what I am saying. I dont actually think that MODS would ever conceal/delete posts.. they do delete them though If they deem them unecessary or offensive. Whether that involves Anti-APR behaviour, I cant say.

Sorry mate, wasn't insinuating that you were suggesting the mods conceal legit posts. But the post that I directly quoted did, hence my comment. There's a big difference between someone being pro-APR (a good experience will do that) and being anti-anti-APR, if you get my drift.

[REXman]

Sorry mate, wasn't insinuating that you were suggesting the mods conceal legit posts. But the post that I directly quoted did, hence my comment. There's a big difference between someone being pro-APR (a good experience will do that) and being anti-anti-APR, if you get my drift.

Its all good. I get the drift.

[cameronp]

One observation I have, not sure if it's the same for others - but it would seem that every 4th time I start the car, it feels like it's running stock again. This is confirmed when I pull over to enable Program 2 again and pull away (the difference IS night and day for me). Maybe it's just the car adapting to being driven slower in traffic, which if that is the case, I'm glad I have a simple way to force it to go back to the fast and furious mode that is Stage 1.

I've been noticing something similar, although not as consistent or as frequently as "every 4th time". When I first noticed it, I thought it might have been that the car was forgetting what programme had been selected somehow, but that wasn't the case: sometimes the car would start up with the tune functioning again next time I drove it. We'd been having a spell of very hot weather when I got the APR tune done so my next thought was that it was just the intercooler not coping with 40C heat - but now I think that was a separate problem because I've noticed the car feeling non-APR'ed in the evening and on <30C days too.

Ryan_R and logger, are you guys running the 98RON programme for your stage 1? Do you have any of the other programmes installed? When I got mine done they put in all of them for free. I'm going to try the 95RON stage 1 programme for a while and see if I can notice any difference there.

FWIW: Despite all of the comments on the forum here, I haven't ever noticed my car "adapting to being driven slower in traffic", and I'm pretty sure that logger mentioned some VW documentation on the DSG a while ago that stated that it didn't do anything like that. (Some fancy automatics do, but the DSG does not.)

[Ryan_R]

Besides stock (Program 1), I only have the 98 RON program (Program 2) and Security Lockout - enabled via another button - but I always have it unlocked).


"Every 4th time" was just an early guess at the pattern - as mentioned yesterday I enabled it on the way to the shops and then on the way back home (2nd trip) it felt stock again (besides a bit of extra APR supercharger noise).


I wish there was some way to disable the whole acceleration adaption process. My old 1992 Corolla didn't have it and I had no problems driving it in a relaxed or quick manner. When I push down on the accelerator a little or a lot, I want to know exactly how the car will respond before it responds (something that any car owner should subconciously know after owning a car for a while).

I'll also add (at least for my car), that the DSG isn't quite as smooth in low gears when I first start the car and things hasn't warmed up.

[Guy_H]

If anyone has any particular issues, please contact us directly, we have extensive trouble shooting procedures.

All the data to see exactly what your car is doing can be found here:

Give our support team a call & we can tell you what to log

APR - High Performance Development for Audi, VW and Porsche Vehicles.

The switched program can not change, it is set, and apart from a battery off condition that will set it back to stock mode, it is fixed.

What does change on these engines is the ~ 38 odd variables & sensors that feed into the system & the ECU adjusts accordingly. Temperature (air & coolant), humidity, barometric, knock (fuel), o2 all feed back into the system & it adjusts accordingly.

By switching programs, you are just changing a set of base tables, it's the adaptive tables & channels that are not touched & hold the important data.

One thing we worked with with Logger was to put in a single, non switched program & monitored it for a period of time.

Our number is 1300 730 949.

[elisiX]

The only time I notice any difference to my tune is when its bloody hot and humid.

Other than that it seems to run perfectly.

[REXman]

Hey guys, I was just wondering, the power fluctuation issues so many are experiencing with the tuning, could it be related to the fact that the cars have a torque limiter for the DSG equipped cars?

I wonder if any manual transmissions have the same problem?

Some one posted this before:

HPA Motorsports Inc. - DSG Performance Programming

Pretty cool looking stuff if it works. I thought "that sounds good", and I remember hearing GUY_H say that there is "no torque converters" or was it that the APR tune rids of the need for an item that releases the torque limitations of the DSG?

But looking at the symptoms, and what people have been complaining about (of the ones that log onto the net at least), could be onto something..

Because although there are variables like ambient temp, fuel quality etc.. I dont think these would play a role in the equation, that would result in the symptoms documented.

Just a thought.

[Ryan_R]

I think Guy's post is more on the money. I just don't have the tools, time, or airport runway access to provide meaningful feedback

[Corey_R]

It sure seems the 118TSIs are a bit more sensitive to "something" than the GTI's and R's though!

But agreed - Guy_H's advice is the way to go.

[dave_r]

Hey guys, I was just wondering, the power fluctuation issues so many are experiencing with the tuning, could it be related to the fact that the cars have a torque limiter for the DSG equipped cars?

Shame you can't use the VCDS to monitor multiple modules at once say engine, dsg and awd.

[Guy_H]

Shame you can't use the VCDS to monitor multiple modules at once say engine, dsg and awd.

Just need a separate laptop for each

[dave_r]

Just need a separate laptop for each

You got me intrested now! I'm guessing you have a special VCDS type cable or method? I mean VCDS is a single USB output. How does 3 laptops help?

[Guy_H]

3 laptops, 3 x hex USB + Can cables, connect directly to the can wires. There is no limitation on the can bus talking to different modules, the limitation is 1 laptop / 1 USB connection / 1 VCDS cable per laptop.