APR ECU Upgrade MK6 Golf - Customer perspective

[logger]

Glad yours is working thezone32. I would like someone with and APR tune on a 118TSI post SC24S4 to check theirs. See if they still have a clearly discernible difference between 98 and Stock.

[logger]

My APR Stage 1 got its mojo back.
Set off on a 200km drive to MELB early this morning, heading to Volkspower to look at my ECU tune that was not working. ON the way I noticed it was miraculously working again. Climbing all the long hills nicely in 7th gear which it had ot done for months. As it was 0600 in the middle of nowhere I did a quick 0-100 run with VCDs and it did a 6.9 sec run straight up!! Equal to the best time I have ever got last year and the Axle tramp felt like it was going to chuck the engine out of the car. Way way more tramp than I'd seen when I tested a few days ago. So it is definitely working again. Hooray. So I didn't even end up going to Volkspower because all was good again.

It seems that sometimes, even though the correct program is activated by way of the cruise control and the correct sequence is flashed back at you it may not actually function properly. Even after several thousand kms. So good idea to get it working and not to switch programs I suppose.

A Long bow I know, but two days ago I filled up with a tank of BP optimax 98, when for the past few months I have been using Shell Ultimate 98. Unlikely all the shell fuel is crud though over a period of 3 months. But maybe something in what you said thezoneR32.

Anyway main thing is it is fixed again and I am happy again.

[Ryan_R]

Good to hear. I've occasionally noticed that changing fuel brands spruces up the performance a bit, perhaps each fuel has a slightly different effect. I continuously use Shell VPpower since I pretty much never come across any other brand of station in my travels.

Back on topic - hopefully it doesn't, erm, *miraculously* go back the way it was again.

[logger]

Yeah probably got my terminology wrong wrt the shell stuff I have been using as it was definitely their 98ron brew. VPower it must have been.
Fingers crossed it stays how it is now and does not go on strike again.

Sent from my Nexus One

[elisiX]

Glad to hear its all working again - i'd still be wanting to know what the hell went wrong though.

[BunsenBurna]

Anyway main thing is it is fixed again and I am happy again.

logger this is very pleasing to read. I have enthusiastically followed your APR tune story and was quite distressed to learn of your woes. Very interested to find out what the hell was preventing the tune working...

118tsi due 20 October!

[logger]

Saga continues... Not working again. Bggr it.... Have not touched anything in the switching either

[POLARBEAR666]

Logger do u have the APR lockout?

Eg. lock the program to the APR tune and then maybe the computer can't just flick itself back to stock tune without the code?

Is this an idea that would work, so that next time u feel tune is working make sure the lockout is on???

[logger]

No mate. Don't have the lockout. In any case I think, if I were able to check the switching it would probably still says that 98Ron was selected. Just that the car is not performing like it is selected. Unfortunately with the APR switching there is no way to see what program is selected, without actually selecting a program. So if I go to my car now I can switch to prog1 or prog2 and it will respond to indicate it is in the applicable prog by flashing 1 or 2 lights. But there is no way to see what prog it is in without first initiating a switch. Only way I know it is in prog2 or 98rom because there is zero change I have switched it.

Until today I was kidding myself that I had just put some bad batches of fuel through it. It had seemingly come good after co incidentally changing from Shell98 to BP98. But today it has its third tank of BP98 in a row and out of the blue it is not pulling hard any more.

Normally with stage 1 you can sit stationary on a dry sealed road. In S mode peg it to the floor and if traction cont is ON you get a load of light activity indicating torque reduction to prevent spin. With Traction control OFF you either get marked axle tramp or wheel spin depending on the surface. But today none of the above - just a leisurely launch resulting in a 8.4sec 0-100.

Car has done at least 500km in stage1 98Ron tune since last switched over a week ago. I wonder if some form of adaptation cycle is hobbling things for me?

Maybe I have just worn it out.

[POLARBEAR666]

I would definitely disconnect battery overnight and see if the car looses its fuel trims etc. the gearbox is definitely very smart at adapting and I imagine the engine ECU is also. The gearbox ECU can adapt to my 50% throttle boost somewhat so that it makes it drive similar to normal except only 50% throttle travel. It has adapted so that even though it is getting double the signal it drives smooth instead of revving hard as it did initially. So I just give it a floor and it pops out of that adapted mode and back into the hard revving mode. That gives you some indication of the adaptation abilities. It will just work super hard to get back to factory unless you bitch slap it with a massive signal difference that outstrips its adaptation ability.