APR ECU Upgrade MK6 Golf - Customer perspective

[240z]

I would love to get a chip on our new gti but I think $1695 is way too much to spend on a chip, I can't get over the fact that they get it for $599 in the states, getting close to three times the price, gimme a break

[Golfitup]

YES it would be fine to do it straight away. Really no need to leave it in stock either. - However a couple of things to consider;
1) It is arguably better to ascertain everything is fine and as expected with the engine and gearbox in your brand new car before you go adding the tune. In the unlikely event there is something amiss with the engine you will find it easier to troubleshoot if it is bog standard. For one you can rule out the tune as being the cause even though this is highly unlikely.
2) I see you are in VIC. Do you live close to the APR dealer? If you are close by get it done after you have had the car for a couple of weeks once you iron out any bugs that can only be attributed to VW. OTOH if you live in Orbost get the tune done when you collect the car in the big smoke to save the trip back later.

I agree, I would normally do just that. Give it a while and make sure all is OK before getting the tune. The problem I have is that to get the benefit of the EOFY sale, I will have literally a matter of days after I take delivery of my car. Thats why I thought getting it and leaving it in stock.

Volkspower is the closest to me so I will probably go and see them. Maybe they can hold the price for me if I pay a deposit and then get the tune done a couple weeks later? I will have to give them a buzz.

[logger]

..
I just want to confirm a couple things that I think have been answered correct me if I am wrong:

1. Its ok to get the APR S1 done right away, leave it in stock until you break in the engine.

YES it would be fine to do it straight away. Really no need to leave it in stock either. - However a couple of things to consider;
1) It is arguably better to ascertain everything is fine and as expected with the engine and gearbox in your brand new car before you go adding the tune. In the unlikely event there is something amiss with the engine you will find it easier to troubleshoot if it is bog standard. For one you can rule out the tune as being the cause even though this is highly unlikely.
2) I see you are in VIC. Do you live close to the APR dealer? If you are close by get it done after you have had the car for a couple of weeks once you iron out any bugs that can only be attributed to VW. OTOH if you live in Orbost get the tune done when you collect the car in the big smoke to save the trip back later.

2. No noticeable change in fuel consumption in everyday driving; and

Correct

3. Return it to stock before taking it in for a service.

YES

Now, I have one question, what are peoples thoughts on the "Security Lockout". The only time I can see myself ever using it is before I take it in for a service.

So, either I go the 10% discount or get all the extras for about $155.

Dunno, thoughts?

My thoughts only.Save the $155. The security lockout feature you will rarely use and it will add no value to the car.

...When I drove my car home from bunbury I did launch control twice flat tack.... now my car uses no oil between services, is fast for a 1.4 and has great fuel economy.

The mark 6 1.4 does no have launch control, so how did you manage to do it twice?

[POLARBEAR666]

Thrash your car hard for the first 2 tanks of fuel and that should break it in totally. .. Most 4 cyl turbo engine builders advise taking it easy when motor is first assembled for like 600k's-800k's .. but most VW's already have been pre run in at factory for a bit. I would thrash it hard... get the piston rings to bed into the bores as you only have one shot at it. Engine builders usually go from run in to full power tuning and full power dyno runs. When I drove my car home from bunbury I did launch control twice flat tack.... now my car uses no oil between services, is fast for a 1.4 and has great fuel economy.

[Golfitup]

I know this thread has not been active for a little while, so i apologise if this is covered elsewhere.

So basically, I am starting realy like the idea of the APR Stage 1 for my 118 TSI. The sale is on at the moment and i take delivery of my car in the next week or so.

I just want to confirm a couple things that I think have been answered correct me if I am wrong:

1. Its ok to get the APR S1 done right away, leave it in stock until you break in the engine.

2. No noticeable change in fuel consumption in everyday driving; and

3. Return it to stock before taking it in for a service.

Now, I have one question, what are peoples thoughts on the "Security Lockout". The only time I can see myself ever using it is before I take it in for a service.

So, either I go the 10% discount or get all the extras for about $155.

Dunno, thoughts?

[obiwan]

Damn, I paid full list price for my APR flash a few weeks ago. At least I have it and I'm very happy with it.

[DracZ]

To DracZ,

Firstly, you might see that I thanked Coreying for his link almost immediately.

Secondly, his later post referring to me was condescending. If it wasn't deliberate, it was careless.

Thirdly, he said things I disagreed with and I responded. So calm down DracZ, I expressed my view, that is what a forum does, it provides a place for people to give their opinions. I am sure Coreying will live. We are all big boys.

Gratitude can be expressed in ways other than a mere thanks. A civil reply on a saturday morning might suffice next time?

Color me slightly confused by your conclusion because I have never known coreying to take an opportunity to be condescending to anyone on this forum. On the hypothetical, if it were simple carelessness....perhaps it would be wise - in keeping with the spirit of this forum, to just let it slide? I can't say I agree with your choice of assuming that it was deliberate and responding the way you did. As I pointed out earlier, I think his choice in helping you rather then simply telling you to "google it" is reason enough, no?

Take a page out of your own book, I too am just simply expressing my opinion. Another thing to add...coreying is a moderator on his own free will and he volunteers a portion of his time to help people like yourself and keep things in check, yes he's very much a "big boy", but please do everyone a favor and not make his job any more difficult or unpleasant then it has to be. Without volunteer moderators to run these forums, you wouldn't have a place to express your valuable opinions now would you?

[G-rig]

$1550 is a fair bit cheaper than $2000 IMO.

[BBP]

To DracZ,

Firstly, you might see that I thanked Coreying for his link almost immediately.

Secondly, his later post referring to me was condescending. If it wasn't deliberate, it was careless.

Thirdly, he said things I disagreed with and I responded. So calm down DracZ, I expressed my view, that is what a forum does, it provides a place for people to give their opinions. I am sure Coreying will live. We are all big boys.

[Corey_R]

A couple of things.

1. You might like to read my post again. I said "under $2000" not because it was easier to be approximate but because it was accurate to express the cost in those terms as there is no telling what people are going to choose by way of add-ons, so the price varies from $1550 upwards.

2. Here's a tip - $1550 is 77.5% of $2000. That's rather close. What's more, it is 100% of "under $2000" as I expressed it !

3. There is a reasonable chance that you are the only person alive who thinks $1720 is "still far from $2000".

Yeah - but by your logic the Golf R is a "under $100k car" - because it can be optioned to $77,500 and that's close enough to $100,000....

Now, your post wasn't even necessary, because I wasn't replying to you. I was replying to elisiX and his comment about it previously being $2k. There have been a lot of people (including myself in the past) who has said "under $2k" and other uninformed peoople have complained about the cost thinking it was $1995 or something. This has also caused the distributor to have to point out that it's nowhere near $2k....

In any case, the APR tune costs $1550. So lets leave it at that shall well



Edit: Oh, and DracZ wrote a post whilst I was replying... agreed, cheers

[DracZ]

A couple of things.

1. You might like to read my post again. I said "under $2000" not because it was easier to be approximate but because it was accurate to express the cost in those terms as there is no telling what people are going to choose by way of add-ons, so the price varies from $1550 upwards.

2. Here's a tip - $1550 is 77.5% of $2000. That's rather close. What's more, it is 100% of "under $2000" as I expressed it !

3. There is a reasonable chance that you are the only person alive who thinks $1720 is "still far from $2000".

1. Pedantic much? In no way was the tone of coreying's post condescending or derogatory. I'm sure everyone read your message just fine for what it was, what's the point of all the defensiveness? In addition the price point is moot. In the upcoming sale which should be in approximately 4 weeks time - you get everything fully loaded for $1550.

2. Here's another tip, $1550 is not $2000, in the same way you wouldn't call a $45k car, a $50k car. Its not apples to apples, but in light of such a silly nitpicky argument who really cares? For all your effort you could have just typed in $1550++, just two additional characters and none of the confusion.

3. Its amazing how we're calculating discounts in the region of low two-digits on purchase of our vehicles, and even going as far as the next decimal point, but suddenly when we're 14% away from the figure of $2000, it doesn't quite seem to matter as much. Its all relative isn't it?

Fact is, when you requested information earlier in this thread, coreying was the first person kind enough to link you straight to it, lovely bit of help - considering you could've just typed "APR Australia" into google and come up with the same result in the very first link. Next he replied your little bit of rhetoric, which didn't even warrant a reply and you snap back with this...well done sir.

[BBP]

I don't think it's ever been "$2000" for the VW cars - only for some of the Audi models. I think people just have been in the habbit of saying "$2k" since it's a quick approximate. I mean, in this specific case for BBP of the 118TSI it's only $1550, which is nowhere near $2k... although if you decide to add the security lockout, which many will, that will bring the cost up to $1720 - but still far from $2k.

A couple of things.

1. You might like to read my post again. I said "under $2000" not because it was easier to be approximate but because it was accurate to express the cost in those terms as there is no telling what people are going to choose by way of add-ons, so the price varies from $1550 upwards.

2. Here's a tip - $1550 is 77.5% of $2000. That's rather close. What's more, it is 100% of "under $2000" as I expressed it !

3. There is a reasonable chance that you are the only person alive who thinks $1720 is "still far from $2000".

[Corey_R]

Actually - the valet mode could be useful if you've got a Golf GTI Stage II (or 3) or even a new Golf R Stage II (or 3)....

[iBoost]

Yep true Coreying I agree. The only additional one I'd really like is the security lock out.

I would never use valet mode or any others like that, or maybe I could for the wife...

[Corey_R]

Flashing your ECU should have little impact on the run-in process of your new engine, if you really want to be cautious you can always get the fully loaded program in June, then just keep it at the stock tune till you hit >1000kms or whatever your chosen plateau is.

Agreed. You can get it done on the way home from the dealership if you want. You can always leave it in 'stock' mode until you're happy that the car has been "run in".

Btw, as an owner of two VW's with APR ECU's, I'm not overly excited by the prospect of future "all additional programs free" promotions.
On the MKV GTI, 98 octane fuel was the minimum. So getting "Stock", plus a 95 map and a 98 map, plus the security lockout for the regular base price was awesome. These days, the stock map already is 95 octane. So really the only thing useful I'd be looking for in the sale is the security lockout. So that's a saving of $170 - which is good - but it's not something I'd be bothered waiting for months for....