Time 2 Get ECU'd!!!

[DubSteve]

Which means that they still need to be soldered.

[Golf Houso]

Which means that they still need to be soldered.

No, not OBDI vehicles...

[h100vw]

As for MK3's OBDI cars are just a plug in chip, as for OBDII cars the original chip must be removed from the board, a chip housing soldered and the new chip put into the housing. I believe this too is an option for MK4's.

Most tuners fit a socket and a chip to do MK4s but Custom-Code have the hardware to flash the ECU with a bench lead.

Gavin

[Guy_H]

We can "bench flash" MKIV's & any PSOP memory type ME5 ecu's, but seeming the ECU has to come out of the car (and all MKIV's ran out of factory warranty some time ago) - what we do is install an APR EMCS module with 6 times the memory of the standard chip & has an onboard processor.

They are hard soldered, not socketed, as sockets can come loose.

[Guy_H]

Anyway - back to T- go's original post - Its a flash (ECU in the car), you get two programs included in the base price (Stock & performance), and you can choose options such as:

Valet Mode (Locks speed & rev limits car)
stock
95 Ron
98 Ron
104 Ron (Race gas)
Anti theft (immobilises the car)
Security (does not allow program switching without a PIN Number first)

You can add any of these as options at any time, and you switch between them all with your cruise control lever - no extra devices required, no flash counter change etc etc.

[RhysQ]

Anyway - back to T- go's original post - Its a flash (ECU in the car), you get two programs included in the base price (Stock & performance), and you can choose options such as:

Valet Mode (Locks speed & rev limits car)
stock
95 Ron
98 Ron
104 Ron (Race gas)
Anti theft (immobilises the car)
Security (does not allow program switching without a PIN Number first)

You can add any of these as options at any time, and you switch between them all with your cruise control lever - no extra devices required, no flash counter change etc etc.

i read somewhere (maybe in my APR manual) that valet mode cuts out the turbo so it runs like a N/A 1.8L i suppose this it what it means by rev limiter, can not rev high enough to sufficiently boost.

[DaveMack]

i read somewhere (maybe in my APR manual) that valet mode cuts out the turbo so it runs like a N/A 1.8L i suppose this it what it means by rev limiter, can not rev high enough to sufficiently boost.

Valet mode does a lot more than that. Having used it ... I can tell you the engine will NOT rev over about 2,500 rpm and is so lacking power, I could not even drive it up the gradient of my driveway without stalling.

Dave

[RhysQ]

Valet mode does a lot more than that. Having used it ... I can tell you the engine will NOT rev over about 2,500 rpm and is so lacking power, I could not even drive it up the gradient of my driveway without stalling.

Dave

so......if a 'valet' driver has to bring your car back up out of a basement....he's gonna have a hell of a time trying to get it up the ramp.

[DaveMack]

so......if a 'valet' driver has to bring your car back up out of a basement....he's gonna have a hell of a time trying to get it up the ramp.

That's the truth.

Dave

[VW GTI]

so......if a 'valet' driver has to bring your car back up out of a basement....he's gonna have a hell of a time trying to get it up the ramp.

Ride that clutch!

[Sharkie]

Just for interest sake, I had a guy from VW Motorsport benchflash my MK3 VR6....... It was awesome afterwards ....

The question still need to be asked, why if VW can produce a higher state of tune reliably do they still insit on detuning some cars ....

[T Go]

Just for interest sake, I had a guy from VW Motorsport benchflash my MK3 VR6....... It was awesome afterwards ....

The question still need to be asked, why if VW can produce a higher state of tune reliably do they still insit on detuning some cars ....

I guess it comes down 2 the pecking order right?
You cant have a Polo GTI being faster than a Golf GTI, a Golf GTI faster than an R32, or more importantly... a Golf GTI faster than an S3 or TT...

So as long as theres the hierarchy in VAG (and "vehicle classes"), it will keep happening...
Not sure if thats the case, but thats the way I look at it.

[DaveMack]

I guess it comes down 2 the pecking order right?
You cant have a Polo GTI being faster than a Golf GTI, a Golf GTI faster than an R32, or more importantly... a Golf GTI faster than an S3 or TT...

So as long as theres the hierarchy in VAG (and "vehicle classes"), it will keep happening...
Not sure if thats the case, but thats the way I look at it.

I think it's some of that ... and also 'dumbing down' performance cars (generally) because manufacturers do NOT want to be involved in law suits with the dummies who should NEVER get behind the wheel anyway. This way ... you can gain the performance that is (barely) hidden beneath the surface and it gives the manufacturers an 'out' by not supplying the 'stove-hot' vehicles that our Darwin contenders kill themselves in.

Dave

[VW GTI]

The question still need to be asked, why if VW can produce a higher state of tune reliably do they still insit on detuning some cars ....

It allows them to make a number of cars from the same engine in different classes without having to develop new engines.

Same reason they use the Golf platform in Jettas, Octavias etc and the Polos in Fabias etc.

It's all about making money, much quicker to tune an engine differently than it is to make an entirely new one.

[Timbo]

^^^ as above...it's called 'market segmentation'. VAG do it possibly the 'best' among the Euro mfrs