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APR Stage 1 Reassurance Please!

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CyrexNZ

Ready to race!
So I've searched high and wide, and all I can find for issues relating to APR's Stage 1 ECU flash are issues directly related to mishandling of the ECU.

Has anyone heard of any issues, or had any issues themselves, directly related to the increase in power from the ECU flash? Blown turbos or screwed up internals that never or rarely happen on a stock GTI?

Please tell me no (if it is the truth) and convince me to get this mod. My dealer, according to what I could gather from talking to them, and according to another user here, seems to be mod-friendly in a sense where they won't try to screw me if say, my water pump goes and I had my ECU flashed.

Please don't tell me to get it just because it is awesome. From everything I've read, I know it's awesome (though I want to experience it!). Tell me to get it because nobody, or close to nobody, has had any non-warranty issues with their vehicle afterwards. If there are issues, please tell me what they are so I can decide if it is worth the risk.

I've talked about this in other threads, but I really haven't had too many solid answers. All I've really had is "Just change your oil every 5,000 miles and you'll be fine". Great advice (seriously, thank you), but it still doesn't answer my question.
 
boosted135

boosted135

Ready to race!
CyrexNZ said:
So I've searched high and wide, and all I can find for issues relating to APR's Stage 1 ECU flash are issues directly related to mishandling of the ECU.

Has anyone heard of any issues, or had any issues themselves, directly related to the increase in power from the ECU flash? Blown turbos or screwed up internals that never or rarely happen on a stock GTI?

Please tell me no (if it is the truth) and convince me to get this mod. My dealer, according to what I could gather from talking to them, and according to another user here, seems to be mod-friendly in a sense where they won't try to screw me if say, my water pump goes and I had my ECU flashed.

Please don't tell me to get it just because it is awesome. From everything I've read, I know it's awesome (though I want to experience it!). Tell me to get it because nobody, or close to nobody, has had any non-warranty issues with their vehicle afterwards. If there are issues, please tell me what they are so I can decide if it is worth the risk.

I've talked about this in other threads, but I really haven't had too many solid answers. All I've really had is "Just change your oil every 5,000 miles and you'll be fine". Great advice (seriously, thank you), but it still doesn't answer my question.
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None of us can speak for your dealer. Go make friends with your service adviser and ask him point blank, will you warranty my (insert failed part here) if I am tuned. Explain how you are an enthusiast, love VW heritage and express general interest in the modification scene. Just be cool with him and honest and see what happens. A lot of people don't make friends with their SA, have a part fail on a modded car, and then come on here bitching about their woes and how VW won't cover their (insert failed part here), and cause a scene at the dealership which will get you nowhere. It's dealing with people 101. Proper planning prevents piss poor performance.


But no, stage I power won't grenade your motor. You're looking at a slipping clutch and possibly coil packs being blown with the possibility of a failed water pump down the road. Run of the mill issues for German cars with the clutch being the exception.
 
kineticMKVI

kineticMKVI

Ready to race!
The risk, not as much hoes and tricks. The reward, much hoes, many tricks, wow.

VW knows the water pump is a POS and can't point the finger at anything really. Just got one replaced at stage 2 not too long ago.
 
V

Vroomer

Banned
boosted135 said:
None of us can speak for your dealer. Go make friends with your service adviser and ask him point blank, will you warranty my (insert failed part here) if I am tuned. Explain how you are an enthusiast, love VW heritage and express general interest in the modification scene. Just be cool with him and honest and see what happens. A lot of people don't make friends with their SA, have a part fail on a modded car, and then come on here bitching about their woes and how VW won't cover their (insert failed part here), and cause a scene at the dealership which will get you nowhere. It's dealing with people 101. Proper planning prevents piss poor performance.


But no, stage I power won't grenade your motor. You're looking at a slipping clutch and possibly coil packs being blown with the possibility of a failed water pump down the road. Run of the mill issues for German cars with the clutch being the exception.
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The issue is that even if you SA is in love with you, your warranty work can still get denied by the VW is you are tuned, so its still something anyone who tunes should be prepared for. Anyway OP, its really just the ECU, since its forced open the stress of bending the board can mean failures down the road even if it was sealed properly, a year or two down the road for example, so thats all you need to worry about, and it will not be covered by VW most of the time. So smart thing would be to have 2K on the side for something like that, and have fun.
 
C

CyrexNZ

Ready to race!
boosted135 said:
But no, stage I power won't grenade your motor. You're looking at a slipping clutch and possibly coil packs being blown with the possibility of a failed water pump down the road. Run of the mill issues for German cars with the clutch being the exception.
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Exactly what I was looking for and I'd love to hear more feedback like this (unless you know of people having a bad experience of course).

In regards to the clutch, I've got the DSG and I've heard it can handle far more power than what the Stage 1 is putting out, so I'm assuming (not smart), that I should be fine with a properly maintained DSG transmission. Would this be corret?

For the coil packs, this is the one item I knew of but they are inexpensive enough where I don't care and may just replace them from the get-go with a superior product (I need to do research on this though).

In regards to the water pump, seeing as they had serious issues with them on stock vehicles, is this actually due to the ECU flash? I don't see how increased power would have a detrimental effect on the water pump. Can someone explain this please?
 
Gunkata

Gunkata

Drag Race Newbie
it's not related at all. Not sure what he is saying there.
 
corydd

corydd

Go Kart Champion
Like I said in another thread, these engines are more than capable of handling the extra power from Stage 1 all the way up to K04. The problems you see with these motors like water pumps, intake manifolds, and timing chain tensioners can happen whether you're tuned or stock, so don't let those worries hold you back. Going Stage 1 will not harm the engine or decrease its longevity.
 
POPSMK61

POPSMK61

Ready to race!
CyrexNZ said:
Exactly what I was looking for and I'd love to hear more feedback like this (unless you know of people having a bad experience of course).

In regards to the clutch, I've got the DSG and I've heard it can handle far more power than what the Stage 1 is putting out, so I'm assuming (not smart), that I should be fine with a properly maintained DSG transmission. Would this be corret?

For the coil packs, this is the one item I knew of but they are inexpensive enough where I don't care and may just replace them from the get-go with a superior product (I need to do research on this though).

In regards to the water pump, seeing as they had serious issues with them on stock vehicles, is this actually due to the ECU flash? I don't see how increased power would have a detrimental effect on the water pump. Can someone explain this please?
Click to expand...

I'm in the same boat as you. I've been driving my '12 manual for almost two years now stock and love every minute of it. Because of this awesome forum, I have learned a lot on our cars. For one, should have gotten the DSG instead of the manual due to the expense on a clutch. I would have tuned the car long time ago. But I do not have any regrets at all. I know some day, I will enjoy what everyone here is enjoying on their tuned cars. But in your case, I would get tuned and enjoy. Like OP said, it helps a lot when you have some relationship with a mod friendly dealer like I did. My dealership even encourages me to get tuned and enjoy the car more.

DSG - You'll be fine with stage 1.
Water Pump - Common failure, mine went out at 9000 miles (Stock) and was replaced under warranty.
 
C

CyrexNZ

Ready to race!
Thank you all very much, this is seriously all I was looking for!

Looks like I'll be getting Stage 1, but I'll probably wait a week before even booking the appointment, that way I can really tell the difference.

I've heard great things about the tuner in my area, so I'm not too concerned on that end, and I'll see if they warranty their work. In regards to the relationship with my dealer, I've already discussed tuning with them, and I'll let them know my intentions when I pick up the car. To further the relationship, depending on their labor cost, I'll have them do anything else that I don't want to do, like the springs. I can do the springs, but I'm already hard pressed for time when I'm not at work, so I'd rather have them do it in 1/4 the time that it would take me to do it.

Thank you all again, and expect to see a post from me showcasing whatever I end up doing with my GTI!
 
Tk_mkv1

Tk_mkv1

Go Kart Champion
Water pump failure isnt caused by the tune, unless the dealer did the ecu install incorrectly the worst is to replace the clutch, which is kinda good but bad financially, as the stock clutch is light for this kind of car. Coilpacks are more of stage 2, but its possible for stage 1 as well.
 
Z

zipsled

Ready to race!
Here's what I have found out-from both dealerships and the peanut gallery here. It's up to VW of America to determine whether a failure is related to the tune. The dealership has input, but ultimately it's VWA who makes the call. I have a Unitronic Stage 1+ installed by a VW dealership, so they are mod-friendly. So, if the dealership you take it in to for a warranty repair is mod-friendly, they'll be your proponent. One of the other VW dealerships in my immediate area told me don't even bother bringing my car in for any failure related to the drive train and expect it to be warrantied. Another took a policy stand of "don't ask, don't tell"...although from what I know if they hook you up they'll know almost instantaneously if you have a tune or not.
I made the decision to go ahead with my tune during the warranty period. Ask me in about 33,000 miles if it was a good decision or not.
APR won't warranty your car or any problems the tune may cause...when you take it in, you'll be given a disclaimer to that effect.
 
C

CyrexNZ

Ready to race!
zipsled said:
Here's what I have found out-from both dealerships and the peanut gallery here. It's up to VW of America to determine whether a failure is related to the tune. The dealership has input, but ultimately it's VWA who makes the call. I have a Unitronic Stage 1+ installed by a VW dealership, so they are mod-friendly. So, if the dealership you take it in to for a warranty repair is mod-friendly, they'll be your proponent. One of the other VW dealerships in my immediate area told me don't even bother bringing my car in for any failure related to the drive train and expect it to be warrantied. Another took a policy stand of "don't ask, don't tell"...although from what I know if they hook you up they'll know almost instantaneously if you have a tune or not.
I made the decision to go ahead with my tune during the warranty period. Ask me in about 33,000 miles if it was a good decision or not.
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Please post if you do end up having any issues!
 
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