Performance enhancement and warranty

[STV4SYT]

I guess it depends on how well you know your service dept.

At the end of the day, VW pay them to do all warranty repairs albeit at a lesser rate than joe public.

This is where some loyalty pays off.

[Corey_R]

@265coupe - I merged your thread with this one, since it's the same topic.

There is also a specific forum for Tuning and Performance which this probably fit better in, but the merge is enough atm

[265coupe]

And VW scrutinise all warranty work with a fine tooth comb. Any dealler willing to pass through a repair 'for a mate' on warranty would be dancing with the devil.

[265coupe]

Thanks coreying. Just didn't want to be accused of thread digging.

The question may have become extremely relevant given current thread re 118TSi engine failures and the conjecture of impending doom for all 118TSi engines.

As the owner of a 118TSi I'd like to hear from current users and suppliers of quality aftermarket tunes. Because I for one love the idea of a small spend and then the engine performance of a standard GTi. Just dunno about the risk.

[Corey_R]

@265coupe - you're assuming though that the aftermarket tuners have not done their homework on this. What's to say that they are not more reliable than VW's own tune? It's very possible that they actually use more fuel during 'spirited driving' to therefore reduce the likelyhood of this issue.

I know for one that APR via Harding Performance in QLD do testing within Australia on the products, often several months in advance of the official release. I would say that the other better known and more popular tuning products also do similar.

[Corey_R]

I don't personally own a 118TSI, but both my MKV GTI and Polo GTI had APR tunes practically from the start of their life (~8k on the odometres on both cars). They've both been flawless in operation and both have been serviced by my VW dealer service centre without any question or comments about the fact that they've been modified.

My Golf GTI had stage II - It had a security lockout on the ECU flash though, so that would've been indetectable to the dealer, but it also had a full exhaust (turbo back) and so was obviously modified (full Oettinger bodykit and wheels too).
My Polo GTI has just the stage I flash, and a BMC air filter. I don't have the security lockout on the flash, so it is detectable by the service centre. No other mods though.

In fact, a VW service at a dealership in QLD even filled up my oil for free in my Golf GTI. I'd driven from Syd to Bris (checking my oil before leaving) and just as I was driving into Brisbane the oil light came on! The car only had 10k on the clock and so was obviously still in its 'using lots of oil' stage. I told the dealer principle I'm happy to pay for the oil, but he said that the employees enjoyed checking out the car too much to charge for the privilege!

So yeah - I haven't had to have any warranty work done, and obviously peoples views on tuning will vary from dealership to dealership, but so far my experience with VW in this respect has been very positive

[265coupe]

I'm sure that the reputable brands have done the hard yards in R & D. And no one should consider a tune from anyone who can't back the tune with good service.

But at the end of the day when you're standing at the service counter with your modded 118TSi being unloaded from the tilt tray with oil pooling underneath, APR or anyone else ain't going to be standing with you. You'll be on your own. One person against VWA. Do you really think there're going to listen when you plead "But they said it wouldn't hurt the engine..." And again, this is re 118TSi. I'm happy to hear about the APR results on your GTi and Polo. I wouldn't be considering one otherwise.

[obiwan]

So can't you just get APR to do the servicing anyway? Or don't they do that. If they did the mods, I think I'd get them to do the servicing.

[Corey_R]

Fair enough - but I'd just point out that so far we haven't had a single person with a failure who does have the APR mod in a 118TSI. It's only people with the factory tunes. Sure, there are far more people with factory tunes, but there have also been a fair few people get the APR one already.

[G-rig]

Nothing stopping you going to an independent for servicing and you'll probably know who's working on your car and from experience you could get better service and prices anyway.