thinking about a tig !!

[clip]

Actually APR has been running a modified A3 2.0TFSI Quattro Manual, which is essentially the same setup as in the Tiguan; 6speed manual & 4Motion, for about 4 years and it has been making in excess of 210kw/430NM ...

If that's the one I'm thinking of, have you seen what they've done with it lately?

[qsilverza]

Thanks for that...

Any idea what stud pattern they are ? Going on that, the petrol model has got loadsss of torque to pull...

I want to see one that has been lowered and how that handles that would probably help me decide

Tiguan 2.0TFSI (both 125 and 147) are the same as in the upcoming MK6 GTI and the current MY09 MK5 GTI in the USA.

Front brakes are 312mm and not 4 pots . Any GTI brake upgrade will work though.

chips alone: 103kw/320NM tdi = 125kw/390NM & 125kw/280NM tsi = about 191kw/410NM

147kw/280NM tsi also = about 191kw/410NM ....

any GTI engine mod will work though, so, 300kw+/500NM+ is quite possible if your wallet is deep enough

Don't look at the Tiguan as a SUV ...... look at it as an AWD GTI ....... (for less $$$ than a GTI as well)

[NZTiguan]

A single incident is also hardly a reason to start broadcasting rubbish to the world. Gearboxes around the world break for all kinds of reasons and until such time that many more have broken on a manual under similar circumstances I would not even start to worry about it, let alone broadcast to the world that manuals in Tiguans are prone to breakage.

Jeez I was just trying to be helpful and warn of a "possible" consequence of chipping a manual. Doesn't worry me a jot cos I've got an unchipped diesel auto. Nothing I said was rubbish, it was all fact. I never said the gearbox had "broken" either. The FACTS are that a manual 125kw diesel specifically used for towing was replaced by VW with an auto version of the same car as not fit for the purpose (as I understand it). The transmission was making strange noises particularly on take off and was considered a risk for failure. The suggestion I was making to you was that if you're going to put even MORE torque through that gearbox, particularly when towing, then don't expect VW to wear any problems you have with the transmission. Just trying to save you some grief (based on actual facts with an actual Tiguan manual towcar) that's all. I do understand that a number of manual gearboxes in europe were replaced with an aluminium cased one (that was the explanation given) that seemed to overcome some early issues but I don't know 1: if that new gearbox is now standard or 2: if it would still have problems in a high torque, high load towing situation.

Next time I'll just leave you to find out for yourself.

[Transporter]

Actually APR has been running a modified A3 2.0TFSI Quattro Manual, which is essentially the same setup as in the Tiguan; 6speed manual & 4Motion, for about 4 years and it has been making in excess of 210kw/430NM ......

Whats more is that this was a test mule and a loan car for customers so it suffered a really tough life ......

As far as I know it never had any problems with any bit of the drivetrain so I'd have no fear in delivering that much and more power through the Tiguan manual .....

How many of the modified cars are they thesting?
Is it one only or more like 10 or 20 cars at the same time?
They can get lucky with one car only.
But it is OK if you like taking a risk.

[Sharkie]

How many of the modified cars are they thesting?
Is it one only or more like 10 or 20 cars at the same time?
They can get lucky with one car only.
But it is OK if you like taking a risk.

True, they could have been lucky. And just as likely that the single Tiguan gearbox failure can be classed as unlucky ....... it happens.

APR at any moment has at least 4 different cars from the VAG stable as test mules (currently 1 Porsche, 1 Audi, 1 Skoda and 2 VWs), all heavily modified and most frequently driven by customers with little mechanical sympathy. I do not know of any major mechanical failures in the last few years, so on average I'd say cars from VAG group can take a fair bit of punishement before suffering catastrophic failure.

You would be unlucky to break a major component such as a gearbox etc .... it happens (and has happened to members on this forum and on perfectly standard cars) but you can call yourself unlucky if it did.

You would be no more exposed to major component failure if you did modifications within reasonable limits than if your car was standard.

[Sharkie]

If that's the one I'm thinking of, have you seen what they've done with it lately?

I believe its been traded in on a S3 recently.

[Transporter]

True, they could have been lucky. And just as likely that the single Tiguan gearbox failure can be classed as unlucky ....... it happens.

APR at any moment has at least 4 different cars from the VAG stable as test mules (currently 1 Porsche, 1 Audi, 1 Skoda and 2 VWs), all heavily modified and most frequently driven by customers with little mechanical sympathy. I do not know of any major mechanical failures in the last few years, so on average I'd say cars from VAG group can take a fair bit of punishement before suffering catastrophic failure.

You would be unlucky to break a major component such as a gearbox etc .... it happens (and has happened to members on this forum and on perfectly standard cars) but you can call yourself unlucky if it did.

You would be no more exposed to major component failure if you did modifications within reasonable limits than if your car was standard.

So, the gearbox failed on unmodified standard car and you think that the modified car will not increase the chance of the gearbox failure.
My logic is telling me that you increasing your chance of gearbox failure a lot.
Check the specification of the gearbox they are built to handle (transmit) certain amount of torque, if you go over that max. limit anything can happen and most likely will, if you would constantly using more torque.
Hey it is your car, so it’s not my business what you do with it.
Just when you sell it secondhand let the buyer know that it was chipped or remapped, will you?

[NZTiguan]

So, the gearbox failed on unmodified standard car and you think that the modified car will not increase the chance of the gearbox failure.
My logic is telling me that you increasing your chance of gearbox failure a lot.
Check the specification of the gearbox they are built to handle (transmit) certain amount of torque, if you go over that max. limit anything can happen and most likely will, if you would constantly using more torque.
Hey it is your car, so it’s not my business what you do with it.
Just when you sell it secondhand let the buyer know that it was chipped or remapped, will you?

Don't worry, he knows much more about this than the manufacturers !! Fortunately I think the Original Poster will be much more circumspect.

[Sharkie]

LOL .... it is this "fear" of modification that makes people who drive standard cars actively put down people who do. Have a look around and see what it is out there that can be done for minimal risk. I have owned more than 25 cars in the last 20 years and have actively modified more than half of them.

This have included 6 BMWs and I modified every single one of them. None of them ever broken down on me. Even my 2 M3s were modified and I have taken them to extremes inlcuding numerous track days.

So I'm an enthusiast that enjoy my cars and guess what; I don't care what other people think. I have experience with modified cars and still to this day defer to tuning specialists when it comes to what can and cannot be done. So when a tuning specialist informs me what they have found to be the limits to which you can push certain components, then I happily stay within those limits. Reasonable limits is the key here.

If VW/Audi is prepared to put basically the same engine and gearbox in the Tiguan, suitably "modified" in the Audi TTS that makes 200kw and provide a 3 year warranty then I'm sure what I'm doing to it is not going to break it.

Yes, there is always a chance that a modification increases risk, but I for one is prepared to live with it. Unless you have personal experience with modifications don't pass judgement on those that do.

Have a look through the Polo section for instance. There is a known gearbox issue on these. Have a look at how many standard cars have had issues and how many modified ones. You'd be surprised to notice that almost no modified cars had issues wherease many standard cars did.

Did modification make a difference here? Almost certainly not. I may just have been lucky (again for the 25th time in a row lol) and that with my car making more than 70% more power and torque than standard. The gearbox was as good when I sold it as it was when I bought it. Did I dramatically shorten the life of it? Probably, but I saw it as an oppertunity rather than a liability, a failed gearbox would have allowed me to do yet another upgrade ....

[clip]

at the risk of adding fuel to this gearbox issue, I'll throw in my 2c worth.

1. I can almost guarantee you that the failed gearbox was due to driver behaviour. I would bet 100 to 1 that the driver using a 6 speed manual and towing whatever it was, was very happy to get it into to top gear as soon as possible to let the "torque" of his diesel do it's supposed stuff. I have driven with people that go from 0 - 60k/h going from 1st to 5th gear in the space of 50m, and pull up hills in top gear at 1500rpm. Why?, "because it's a diesel and you don't need to keep the revs up", so they all too often just let it labour along. This puts a strain on the engine, but particularly, it puts a phenomenal strain on the gearbox and running gear. I have heard many cases of this happening, and know one from personal experience (brother-in-law stripped out 5th gear in his new patrol towing the horse float from this exact behaviour- too used to driving trucks).

2. the Oettinger people in Germany love the 6 speed Tiguan gearbox, and have not had any issues with them in the modified Tigs over there - at least as to 8 weeks ago.