2008 MK5 Golf GTI Pirelli and detection of APR Stage 1 tune

[stephen_drewz]

Hi All,

Currently the owner of a 2008 MK5 Golf GTI Pirelli looking to get the APR Stage 1 tune. I bought the car only last year from a VW dealer here in W.A and opted for the premium warranty package(note: not NEW car warranty, closest thing I could get to it, AutoAssure it is called). As part of this warranty I am restricted to getting my car serviced at the supplier of the warranty which is the VW dealership. My concern here is how easy it will be for them to detect I have the tune considering they will be regularly servicing the car. I have found multiple threads questioning what happens/what to do if there is an issue and they do know who you have a tune, however I am curious about how easy it is for them to actually find that out themselves. This is assuming everytime they have the car I have returned it to the stock mode of course.

Thanks for any help. Sorry if this has been asked before, I did use the search function but possibly not the right keywords.

[h100vw]

Call Guy Harding here in Brisbane and ask him.

I wouldn't be buying any warranty that doesn't let me choose who services the car. VW can't force you to go there, so I can't imagine any reason a 3rd party can force you to. It's not Australian.

Gavin

[Guy_H]

Give us a call - 1300 730 949.

Also call your local dept of consumer affairs - but read the full warranty document from front to back firstly, they should be able to advise you if you are locked into a specific service arrangement. Obviously new car servicing is not locked into this, but without reading the documents, its hard to say.

[Transporter]

Hi All,

Currently the owner of a 2008 MK5 Golf GTI Pirelli looking to get the APR Stage 1 tune. I bought the car only last year from a VW dealer here in W.A and opted for the premium warranty package(note: not NEW car warranty, closest thing I could get to it, AutoAssure it is called). As part of this warranty I am restricted to getting my car serviced at the supplier of the warranty which is the VW dealership. My concern here is how easy it will be for them to detect I have the tune considering they will be regularly servicing the car. I have found multiple threads questioning what happens/what to do if there is an issue and they do know who you have a tune, however I am curious about how easy it is for them to actually find that out themselves. This is assuming everytime they have the car I have returned it to the stock mode of course.

Thanks for any help. Sorry if this has been asked before, I did use the search function but possibly not the right keywords.

To answer your question whether the VW can detect the performance tune? They can, nothing is undetectable.

[stephen_drewz]

Thanks for the replies. Just jumped off a plane so will call once settled, possibly tomorrow due to time difference.

I realise nothing is undetectable, I was more curious about what it will take them to detect it. Meaning will it have to be a drive line related issue for them to look in the right area to discover I have a tune it will just serivicing it raise a flag(I'm not sure whether they hook up to a computer for any reason when servixing) .

Thanks,
Stephen

[Lucas_R]

Do ittttt. Pirelli's have so much un-tapped power waiting. Its almost a shame to keep it stock.

But yes, the VW diagnostics program will know if the ECU has been tuned, regardless of whether you switch it back to stock or not.

[stephen_drewz]

Major lack of reception where I am is a PITA.

Managed to call your number today Guy but the gentlemen who answered informed me you were away today. He did offer to try answer any of my questions so I mentioned my concerns and to summarize he agreed I should not be bound to Volkswagen for my servicing and re-iterated what I already knew in that nothing is undetectable, but yes general servicing from them will also reveal it if they ever hook up to the computer for diagnostics. He suggested changing it to the stock mode but from what I have been reading in other threads on this forum that does not make a difference. He also suggested as a more serious measure if something ever does go wrong, to get the APR tune completely removed. But again, I have read in other threads that they can still find out you have had the car tuned even after completely removing it.

Regarding the warranty stuff, I need to wait till I am home to go over the paper work again. I did read a small book last week that they provided to me the day AFTER I bought the car(I got a phone call saying they forgot to give me it when I bought the car) and this is where it states that I "have" to use the Volkswagen dealership for my servicing. I then went to try call AutoAssure to question it and neither of their numbers provided on the website exist anymore. Have not questioned Volkswagen on this yet.

Currently the tune is booked in for 2.5 weeks time. I may cancel it for now until I research everything further. I did not ask Volkswagen about the tune but I asked about an exhaust system from APR and the lady from service who I was directed to straight out said any modification completely voids my warranty. She stated the obvious and said an exhaust system will change power slightly and things such as airflow will change which effects various different sensors and therefore the car is not running how it is designed, so my warranty is void. They are not willing to cooperate very easily.

Sorry if my punctuation and English is terrible. 13.5 hour days is rough.

[guile]

Sorry if my punctuation and English is terrible. 13.5 hour days is rough.

Toughen up princess (joke). Yes it's all a bit of a mine field, first question i'd be asking is why doesn't the warranty provider telephone number connect. Does the provider even exist and if so is it worth anything. I have heard and learnt first hand that most warranties only cover for very unlikely events so the chances of it being used are slim. I hope that isn't the case with yours.

Like Guy said its best to check the fine print and go from there really.

Good luck mate

[stephen_drewz]

Some interesting updates today. No idea why I have been given a booklet for "AutoAssure" but after calling Volkswagen it turns out my warrant is through Allianz. The fact that no phone number on the AutoAssure website is connected anymore makes me wonder if they no longer exist so Volkswagen had to move those on an AutoAssure contract to Allianz....maybe.

Anyways. Spoke to Allianz about whether I can service my car anywhere and or do repairs any approved mechanic and the lady said Volkswagen choose whether to allow it or not. And after she looked at my policy it seems Volkswagen have chosen not to allow it.

I can possibly talk them into allowing servicing at any approved mechanic which would delay them finding out about the tune but I guess if I ever do need to get something repaired under warranty and I am forced to use the Volkswagen dealership I am still going to have issues.

[Guy_H]

Depending on how much you paid for the warranty - I would just bin it. We have had a lot of customers (even unmodified) who have tried to claim on such warranties. Most are knocked back if you have more than 60,000 km's on them because "wear and tear" becomes a factor they can use as an out.

Unfortunately for the consumer - it's stacked in favor of the provider (and it's very profitable).

Also your particular vehicle is not identifiable under the electronic detection methods (TD1), so the only way they will find out if officially if you have a modified ECU, is to ship it to Germany.

[Finance_Analyst]

Also your particular vehicle is not identifiable under the electronic detection methods (TD1), so the only way they will find out if officially if you have a modified ECU, is to ship it to Germany.

Does the TD1 flag also cover the Mk6 GTI? I recall some here have said that the new VW cable can pick up a tune unlike the old one?

[stephen_drewz]

Thanks heaps for the replies. Much appreciated.

Car is currently at 55,000. "Warranty" was quite pricey. There was a cheap option but it included stuff all. The list for the "platinum" package I included was huge. But yeah, you are probably right.

Oh well, looking forward to my tune!

[Transporter]

Does the TD1 flag also cover the Mk6 GTI? I recall some here have said that the new VW cable can pick up a tune unlike the old one?

...and you never know what technology for detecting they will have tomorrow. The bottom line is, that the car you bought is yours, and the warranty can't never be voided completely.

[Guy_H]

Does the TD1 flag also cover the Mk6 GTI? I recall some here have said that the new VW cable can pick up a tune unlike the old one?

MK VI does fall under the "Automated Detection"

Thanks heaps for the replies. Much appreciated.

Car is currently at 55,000. "Warranty" was quite pricey. There was a cheap option but it included stuff all. The list for the "platinum" package I included was huge. But yeah, you are probably right.

Oh well, looking forward to my tune!

That's the way - don't be hugely concerned about it - who's to say your car wasn't already modified when you purchased it?

...and you never know what technology for detecting they will have tomorrow. The bottom line is, that the car you bought is yours, and the warranty can't never be voided completely.

Yes, they won't go back to cars that are already out of warranty & two generations old, so in this case - its a non issue.

[Transporter]

Yes, they won't go back to cars that are already out of warranty & two generations old, so in this case - its a non issue.

I didn't reply to the OP's question. My reply was more towards MK6 and also more general in terms, so people are aware that when they tune a new car today, knowing that the tune is not detectable with todays VAG equipment, that it doesn't mean that it can't be detected in a few months time. So, they can make a more informed decision.

Personally, I don't see this as an issue which should stop someone with the MK7 Golf for example, to get his car remapped. The tunes are safe enough and shouldn't cause the mechanical failure.