Tuning 2.0 TFSI GTI

[Andy2285]

Hey all,

My 06 GTI has 140xxx on the clock, and I am chasing a mild tune. What has everyone done to tune theirs?? I hear about custom remaps from APR and places like that, then hear people talk about Bluefin chips.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

[h100vw]

APR don't do custom. Bluefin tend to be a bit less extreme. If your GTI has been looked after any stage 1 tune should run perfectly well. Consider doing the DSG as well if you have the money.

[Andy2285]

Always serviced, recently replaced the cam follower and did the pcv valve last year. Should I do a diverter valve? Going to look into a FMIC and intake as well. That should get me started in the right direction.

[maltbbe]

I run a Bluefin Stage 1 on mine (manual, '07, 160xxx kms) - they're meant to be 'safer' than APR and Revo's tunes, but it still really wakes the car up. I've got a GFB diverter valve upgrade kit and a catch can installed, which I'd recommend since the stock parts (diverter and PCV valves) are pretty weak; mine also has an intake and cat-back, but they're not necessary at stage 1. Another thing I'd suggest is replacing the spark plugs and coils - I started getting misfires about 1000kms after putting the tune on, and replaced the coil packs with the 'R8' red-top variant, which fixed the misfires and is a really cheap upgrade with zero downsides.

Bluefins are consistently the cheapest option for mild tunes, but I think all these 'stage 1' tunes do pretty much the same thing - turn up the boost, lean out the mixtures - and they're meant to work fine on stock parts. At high kms, when stuff starts to wear out, it makes sense to replace things like the diverter valve anyway (the GFB kit is the go-to option for doing that, unless you want a BOV for whatever reason). From what I've read, a FMIC setup won't do much even at stage 2+ - consensus seems to be that it's better to replace the intercooler in its stock location with a bigger aftermarket unit.

One thing to consider is that Bluefin's stage 2+ tunes seem to get pretty poor reviews, so if you're looking at turning the car up more down the track, there might be some value in buying into the APR ecosystem now. Otherwise, check out demon-tweeks.com if you're looking for a good Bluefin deal - best prices I've found so far on all UK-shipped VW stuff.

[Lucas_R]

^ as mentioned above - Bluefin seems ok for stage 1 tunes but in my experience their stage 2 and beyond tunes were not great.

Bluefin are basically the cheapest tune you will find at around $700-750, but for an extra say $100-200 you can get a better tune. A guy i work with recently purchased a Mk5 GTI and got a tune from Integrated Engineering in USA. This includes a ODB dongle which you use to load the tune onto the car and cost him $845 AUD landed here in Australia.

I would also recommend changing the ignition coils if they are still the original ones, as its very common for a tune to highlight weakness's in older ignition coils and then you get misfires when under load.

Diverter valves are also a weak point, especially in earlier MK5's when they had the rubber/silicone diaphram inside as these rip and then you lose boost. Go with either the GFB DV+ (which retains some of the stock DV valve but replaces known failure parts) or a complete replacement unit like the Turbosmart kompact DV.