thinking about a tig !!

[Sharkie]

If that's the one I'm thinking of, have you seen what they've done with it lately?

I believe its been traded in on a S3 recently.

[Transporter]

True, they could have been lucky. And just as likely that the single Tiguan gearbox failure can be classed as unlucky ....... it happens.

APR at any moment has at least 4 different cars from the VAG stable as test mules (currently 1 Porsche, 1 Audi, 1 Skoda and 2 VWs), all heavily modified and most frequently driven by customers with little mechanical sympathy. I do not know of any major mechanical failures in the last few years, so on average I'd say cars from VAG group can take a fair bit of punishement before suffering catastrophic failure.

You would be unlucky to break a major component such as a gearbox etc .... it happens (and has happened to members on this forum and on perfectly standard cars) but you can call yourself unlucky if it did.

You would be no more exposed to major component failure if you did modifications within reasonable limits than if your car was standard.

So, the gearbox failed on unmodified standard car and you think that the modified car will not increase the chance of the gearbox failure.
My logic is telling me that you increasing your chance of gearbox failure a lot.
Check the specification of the gearbox they are built to handle (transmit) certain amount of torque, if you go over that max. limit anything can happen and most likely will, if you would constantly using more torque.
Hey it is your car, so it’s not my business what you do with it.
Just when you sell it secondhand let the buyer know that it was chipped or remapped, will you?

[NZTiguan]

So, the gearbox failed on unmodified standard car and you think that the modified car will not increase the chance of the gearbox failure.
My logic is telling me that you increasing your chance of gearbox failure a lot.
Check the specification of the gearbox they are built to handle (transmit) certain amount of torque, if you go over that max. limit anything can happen and most likely will, if you would constantly using more torque.
Hey it is your car, so it’s not my business what you do with it.
Just when you sell it secondhand let the buyer know that it was chipped or remapped, will you?

Don't worry, he knows much more about this than the manufacturers !! Fortunately I think the Original Poster will be much more circumspect.

[Sharkie]

LOL .... it is this "fear" of modification that makes people who drive standard cars actively put down people who do. Have a look around and see what it is out there that can be done for minimal risk. I have owned more than 25 cars in the last 20 years and have actively modified more than half of them.

This have included 6 BMWs and I modified every single one of them. None of them ever broken down on me. Even my 2 M3s were modified and I have taken them to extremes inlcuding numerous track days.

So I'm an enthusiast that enjoy my cars and guess what; I don't care what other people think. I have experience with modified cars and still to this day defer to tuning specialists when it comes to what can and cannot be done. So when a tuning specialist informs me what they have found to be the limits to which you can push certain components, then I happily stay within those limits. Reasonable limits is the key here.

If VW/Audi is prepared to put basically the same engine and gearbox in the Tiguan, suitably "modified" in the Audi TTS that makes 200kw and provide a 3 year warranty then I'm sure what I'm doing to it is not going to break it.

Yes, there is always a chance that a modification increases risk, but I for one is prepared to live with it. Unless you have personal experience with modifications don't pass judgement on those that do.

Have a look through the Polo section for instance. There is a known gearbox issue on these. Have a look at how many standard cars have had issues and how many modified ones. You'd be surprised to notice that almost no modified cars had issues wherease many standard cars did.

Did modification make a difference here? Almost certainly not. I may just have been lucky (again for the 25th time in a row lol) and that with my car making more than 70% more power and torque than standard. The gearbox was as good when I sold it as it was when I bought it. Did I dramatically shorten the life of it? Probably, but I saw it as an oppertunity rather than a liability, a failed gearbox would have allowed me to do yet another upgrade ....

[clip]

at the risk of adding fuel to this gearbox issue, I'll throw in my 2c worth.

1. I can almost guarantee you that the failed gearbox was due to driver behaviour. I would bet 100 to 1 that the driver using a 6 speed manual and towing whatever it was, was very happy to get it into to top gear as soon as possible to let the "torque" of his diesel do it's supposed stuff. I have driven with people that go from 0 - 60k/h going from 1st to 5th gear in the space of 50m, and pull up hills in top gear at 1500rpm. Why?, "because it's a diesel and you don't need to keep the revs up", so they all too often just let it labour along. This puts a strain on the engine, but particularly, it puts a phenomenal strain on the gearbox and running gear. I have heard many cases of this happening, and know one from personal experience (brother-in-law stripped out 5th gear in his new patrol towing the horse float from this exact behaviour- too used to driving trucks).

2. the Oettinger people in Germany love the 6 speed Tiguan gearbox, and have not had any issues with them in the modified Tigs over there - at least as to 8 weeks ago.

[Transporter]

LOL .... it is this "fear" of modification that makes people who drive standard cars actively put down people who do. Have a look around and see what it is out there that can be done for minimal risk. I have owned more than 25 cars in the last 20 years and have actively modified more than half of them.

This have included 6 BMWs and I modified every single one of them. None of them ever broken down on me. Even my 2 M3s were modified and I have taken them to extremes inlcuding numerous track days.

So I'm an enthusiast that enjoy my cars and guess what; I don't care what other people think. I have experience with modified cars and still to this day defer to tuning specialists when it comes to what can and cannot be done. So when a tuning specialist informs me what they have found to be the limits to which you can push certain components, then I happily stay within those limits. Reasonable limits is the key here.

If VW/Audi is prepared to put basically the same engine and gearbox in the Tiguan, suitably "modified" in the Audi TTS that makes 200kw and provide a 3 year warranty then I'm sure what I'm doing to it is not going to break it.

Yes, there is always a chance that a modification increases risk, but I for one is prepared to live with it. Unless you have personal experience with modifications don't pass judgement on those that do.

Have a look through the Polo section for instance. There is a known gearbox issue on these. Have a look at how many standard cars have had issues and how many modified ones. You'd be surprised to notice that almost no modified cars had issues wherease many standard cars did.

Did modification make a difference here? Almost certainly not. I may just have been lucky (again for the 25th time in a row lol) and that with my car making more than 70% more power and torque than standard. The gearbox was as good when I sold it as it was when I bought it. Did I dramatically shorten the life of it? Probably, but I saw it as an oppertunity rather than a liability, a failed gearbox would have allowed me to do yet another upgrade ....

So, is that your secret to modified car not breaking down?
When the component breaks down than you call it upgrade.
With some expensive cars you've owned there, you probably don't care if the car breaks down on you or not but not everybody on this forum is as rich and doesn't want to spend money on unnecessary repairs.

[Pullstarter]

I think everyone knows there is an element of risk when you modify any car. No matter what anyone's opinion on this forum is people will either mod their cars and accept the risk or not mod them and play it safe. I don't see the point in trying to portray someone elses opinion about modding as wrong unless there is technical evidence to the contrary. Even then, if mods are done carefully and comprehensively drawing upon the experience of highly qualified people such as APR you would have little to worry about. A company such as APR does not build a reputation such as they have by doing dodgy mods and mods that will risk reliability past an acceptable level. People have freedom of choice and should go into these things with their eyes wide open. Just as modders repect people who wish to keep their car standard, non-modders should respect that modders will do what they do in the full knowledge of the risks involved. The information base that Sharkie is drawing from is a very highly skilled and informative one and he should not be rubbished for willing to spend money on his cars, if that's his hobby so be it.

[clip]

I think everyone knows there is an element of risk when you modify any car. No matter what anyone's opinion on this forum is people will either mod their cars and accept the risk or not mod them and play it safe. I don't see the point in trying to portray someone elses opinion about modding as wrong unless there is technical evidence to the contrary. Even then, if mods are done carefully and comprehensively drawing upon the experience of highly qualified people such as APR you would have little to worry about. A company such as APR does not build a reputation such as they have by doing dodgy mods and mods that will risk reliability past an acceptable level. People have freedom of choice and should go into these things with their eyes wide open. Just as modders repect people who wish to keep their car standard, non-modders should respect that modders will do what they do in the full knowledge of the risks involved. The information base that Sharkie is drawing from is a very highly skilled and informative one and he should not be rubbished for willing to spend money on his cars, if that's his hobby so be it.

+1
well said! and also very true IMO

[NZTiguan]

No one rubbished anybody about doing mods to their car. I'm more than happy to see people mod till they pop, all I was trying to do was give a little advice on a "possible" problem that I felt was worth their investigating. Obviously nobody did read the article I referred them to as they continue to talk about a broken gearbox (it wasn't broken) and are now talking absolute drivel about the drivers abilities. If you don't want friendly advice don't post on forums like this, and particularly don't shoot the efin messenger.

[High-Fidelity]

Geez... if I wanted all this agro, I would have just told the missus I'd spent more money on the Tiguan... which hasn't even arrived yet!

Let's not get too excited

Ben.

[clip]

and are now talking absolute drivel about the drivers abilities.

haha - I knew that would fire up someone!

However, I do beg to differ on that NZ. Ask Toyota and Nissan for their thoughts.

And yes, I read that thread about 3 months ago, and I know the gearbox hadn't failed. I found that particular story confusing and inconsistent in some aspects. I question VW's supposed quick roll-over, very suspect as well. Not a response that I would expect from any manufacturer given the circumstances "as posted". Something not quite right with that story IMHO.

But then I take information published on forums with a certain amount of cynicism. All too often there is another story behind it, as anyone in the automotive industry would surely be aware of. So to say that you are reporting fact, well, you might be leaving yourself a little open there -fact as far as reported on an internet forum, yes, but as I've said before, it wouldn't matter what car you care to talk about, chances are you'll find major, serious issues with all of them if you want to take the time to search them.

[Sharkie]

So, is that your secret to modified car not breaking down?
When the component breaks down than you call it upgrade.
With some expensive cars you've owned there, you probably don't care if the car breaks down on you or not but not everybody on this forum is as rich and doesn't want to spend money on unnecessary repairs.

Transporter if you have never modified 1 of your cars please stick to something you actually know something about.

In your world, of dealer information, sales brochures and VWs official "technical" limits which you (and some others) believe every word of, I'm sure you believe that any mod will cause the car to break down, crash, explode and kill you or something ......

Many companies spend thousands of $$$ researching upgrades and in some cases are highly respected by VW themselves. Oettinger and APR enjoy really close relationships with VAG to the extent that not only have they produced limited edition cars for VW but are often also asked to produce show cars .......

If your "they are built to handle (transmit) certain amount of torque, if you go over that max. limit anything can happen and most likely will," was true on any of their products then please explain the 1000+ chipped Golf MK5 GTI's with DSG gearboxes "Rated at 350NM" running around with more than 400NM with no problems whatsoever. APR currently has more than a 1000 Golf GTI chip customers in Australia alone and not a single one have suffered a gearbox failure. And I've seen some of them drive and it definately is not because they take it easy on their cars ......

As said by a few others here now, I respect your decision not to mod your car, just as I expect you to respect that I do mod mine. What this forum also needs is less people who want to force an opinion down somebody's throat especially if they have no real idea what they are talking about.

[Sharkie]

If you don't want friendly advice don't post on forums like this, and particularly don't shoot the efin messenger.

By all means post advice, but limit it to what you actually have done (your foglight stuff was great) or experienced yourself.

If you found something else of interest by all means point to it, but to go ahead and post "a possible problem to be aware of" without actual knowledge about the situation is just asking for trouble.

But to go and post "Good luck holding the transmission together !!" on something that you clearly have no actual knowledge of also shows that (1) you actually really have no knowledge of how these things work, (2) you value your opinion (which is clearly wrong) more than other's years of accumulated experience in these things and (3) you have a fear of the unkown and disrespect those that explore the boundaries of what can and can't be done. You can hardly call a statement like that "friendly advice". Please keep those to yourself in the future.

[Transporter]

Since it is public forum I'm sure that many people will follow yours and others nonsense upgrades of the car which was once approved for driving on the public roads, they need to be worn about potential/real risks about doing modification on the car.

This are you words from the previous post in this thread:
"any GTI engine mod will work though, so, 300kw+/500NM+ is quite possible if your wallet is deep enough "

Unless you upgrade: brakes, suspension and other safety components on the car as well, it is purely dangerous and stupid. It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve done it. And because you never had an accident it doesn’t meant that the car you drive is safe. Somebody else will be a judge of it.

Golf with this power and torque while used to its potential (why otherwise would you put 300kW+/500Nm in the car like that?) It doesn't take too much brain to figure out will have very limited life and will not be a nice (easy) car to drive.
Of course I know it will not blow out next day.
It is not a problem for some; they sell it within 3 years.

You drive your car on the public roads, don't you, so if you (or anyone in the highly modified car) try to tell me that you stick to the speed limit and always drive in safe manner than again anybody with just a 1/2 of the brain wouldn't believe you.

Just don’t get your car scrapped one day on the road.

[Sharkie]

Since it is public forum I'm sure that many people will follow yours and others nonsense upgrades of the car which was once approved for driving on the public roads, they need to be worn about potential/real risks about doing modification on the car.

This are you words from the previous post in this thread:
"any GTI engine mod will work though, so, 300kw+/500NM+ is quite possible if your wallet is deep enough "

Unless you upgrade: brakes, suspension and other safety components on the car as well, it is purely dangerous and stupid. It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve done it. And because you never had an accident it doesn’t meant that the car you drive is safe. Somebody else will be a judge of it.

Golf with this power and torque while used to its potential (why otherwise would you put 300kW+/500Nm in the car like that?) It doesn't take too much brain to figure out will have very limited life and will not be a nice (easy) car to drive.
Of course I know it will not blow out next day.
It is not a problem for some; they sell it within 3 years.

You drive your car on the public roads, don't you, so if you (or anyone in the highly modified car) try to tell me that you stick to the speed limit and always drive in safe manner than again anybody with just a 1/2 of the brain wouldn't believe you.

Just don’t get your car scrapped one day on the road.

LOL .... "nonsense" ..... That "It doesn't take too much brain" is really shining strongly through here mate .... ROFL

It is obvious you don't not know anything about modifications so please stick to things you do know something about. An intelligent modification includes many many many more things that just power .... your attempts at scaremongering are just ridicilous and laughable ....