B7 A4 2.0T chip options

[freakshow]

I'm pretty new to the Audi world, so just have a few questions regarding chips.

1) Are there any long-term negative impacts with getting a basic tune if everything else will stay stock?
2) Which tune is the most recommended for the B7 2.0T platform? I've heard great things about APR and JHM.
3) If I end up going crazy and actually upgrade the turbo (K04?), will my tunes be rendered completely useless? or do most companies allow you to switch a to another tune for the new setup?

[Traum]

I have been out of the VW scene for a long time, but from my (probably now ancient) experience with the VW MkIV 1.8T cars, I'd say an ECU tune involving a VW to have the following effect:

1) Generally, the core engine components (on a VW) are very stout, and big name ECU tuners know their stuff well enough that their tunes are almost always very safe (as far as long term reliability is concerned). However, accessory components may see accelerated wear / failure rates and require more frequent replacing / upgrading -- think valves and piping here.

On top of that, early tunes -- ie. those that are released soon after the car became available -- tend to need a bit of time to mature and get everything right. Given your car is a B7 2.0T, that engine has been around for a LONG time, so I don't anticipate any major issues for you. Still, I'd watch out for boost spikes.

2) IMO, you can't go wrong with APR. They are not the only reputable game in town, but in the VW scene, you really can't go wrong with APR. GIAC is potentially another option, and I used to like Neuspeed as well.

3) As far as turbo upgrades are concerned, I'm gonna ask you this -- what is your intended purpose of the car? Big turbos and their big numbers are certainly attractive on paper and important for bragging rights, but unless you plan on regularly tapping into that potential (eg. lapping days?), I might just actually prefer the stock K03 instead. The K03 has its charms with lower revs quick spooling. Yes, it runs out of breathe at the high end, but for stints around town and quick jabs on the freeway to overtake someone, I have to say I like the K03 more.

When I first looked into chip tuning in the early 2000's, I think the area was still in its infancy -- it was definitely nowhere nearly as popular and convenient as it is now. At the time, most tuners require you to pay again, albeit at a discounted rate, for re-tunes when you add new performance parts. Updates for the same level of tune has generally been free though. Nowadays, most, if not all, of the ECU tuners that I am familiar with offer lifetime remote updates and fine tuning. They specifically advertise themselves to cater to your gradual upgrades as well, so that you'd can get the most out of any new engine parts you install. Unfortunately, I am no longer familiar with APR, so I don't know what their current tuning update policy is. Best to fire them a quick email to check.

[slicrick]

I don't know anything about VW's or Audis, but I will just leave this here. If you don't have a warranty it may not be relevant.

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#2)

I own an Audi TTRS which I had put a mild tune on from a reputable company. One day while leaving work, the car started running really rough. It felt like a coil pack had gone off perhaps and the service adviser at my Audi dealership said to drive it in.

About 30 minutes later, as I arrived at the dealer, my TTRS coughed out its last breath.

Upon inspection, the dealer found that one of the rings broke in the number 5 cylinder and it gouged out the block. Basically destroying a $15k short block. As part of Audi’s policy, however, they sent the computer data over to Germany which quickly showed my car was tuned

Warranty Void....

Well, since there are so few TTRS’s in the USA, we have a pretty active forum. After sending my car to the closest independent shop, I went onto the forum and posted my story. Although I don’t believe it was caused by the tune, the fact that it was tuned made it my fault. I accepted that fault and left my story on the internet as a warning to others.

At some point in the following 2 days, someone at Audi noticed my forum post. They contacted me and said that they appreciated the fact that I didn’t put blame on the dealer, or Audi. In the end, they said they would replace my engine under warranty as long as I purchased a new ECU and promised to never tune an Audi again.

I can say that Audi saved my bacon, and likely my marriage....

[Traum]

It goes without saying that any time you modify the car, your factory warranty (at least for that part) goes into the dumps. As per the TTRS owner says, it seems highly unlikely that such a serious engine problem is in any way related to the ECU tune. Still, the rules of the game are laid out quite clearly -- if you fiddle with that ECU tune, you void your engine warranty.

In the OP's case, the factory engine warranty on the car is already long gone, so any potential warranty concern is irrelevant.