Was chipped at BARTuning at lunch using APR's Direct Port OBDII Technology

[zerinA4]

With the help of Mike Staley over at BAR Tuning here in Houston today, we flashed my car with APR's (http://www.goapr.com) beta software for the A4 B7 2.0T. This was done over the OBDII port with APR's Direct Port Technology.

My car is the first car outside of APR to receive this tuning and let me tell you, it is incredible. Though this is NOT the final version of the software, it is a HUGE performance increase over stock. My biggest concern going into this was that the 2.0T would lose the smoothness it had once chipped. Not the case at all... it is still EXTREMELY smooth, and has monsterous torque. Acceleration from 60mph - 100mph is nothing short of amazing, and is infact faster than the 3.2 V6 A4, and feels faster than my B5 S4 when stock. Off the line, the car gets up and going with no effort. This is a huge power gain! I know what the numbers are for this chip, but I don't want to say until the final version is released by APR.

Chips have been around and have been rumored to be coming out, but APR is the first on the block to be able to do the tuning via the OBDII port on the 2.0T. This, combined with their EMCS Program Switching makes this one of the best mods you can do for the car. As I said before, this is a beta program and I along with a few others over the coming weeks will be testing the software in a real world basis. Its only going to get better for the actual release of the code.

If anyone is in the Houston area and would like a test drive of my car, please email me and we'll set something up.... time to go drive :)

Special thanks to Juan, Jorge and Mike over at BAR Tuning (Houston APR Dealer) in Houston for letting my car take up space while this was getting done!

http://www.dubspeedracing.com/photopost/data/763/IMG_1758.jpg

http://www.dubspeedracing.com/photopost/data/763/IMG_1755.jpg

http://www.dubspeedracing.com/photopost/data/763/IMG_1759.jpg

[DoThisMyWay]

That's freaking awsom! Thanks for the news! I've been searching for more tuners that are developing software for the 2.0T. Software is definitly one of the first mods I'm going to do when I take delivery of my B7.

[joeya103]

i KNEW this car is going to be beast when they come out with a chip for it. 2.0t...mmmmm

[DRA4]

Damn, these 2.0Ts are going to be fast, just imagine APR stage 3+ for them, 400hp+ easy.

[foofighter]

great news to hear! are you going to see how much gains you're getting?

[Eeef]

sorry chap, but Forgemotorsport have had their version out for about 2 months, in production form. They also do the upgrage via the OBDII port but as yet don't offer a switchable program.

Click here to find out more
http://www.forgemotorsport.com/content.asp?inc=product&cat=00212&product=FMIPROAUD

[Eeef]

whoops, sorry guys. Thought you were talking about the 2.0 tdi. My bad.

[4BUCK]

Tell us the numbers! Ahhh!

[foofighter]

from what i read on the 2.0t forum on Vortex, isn't the uploading of the software via OBD port merely altering the adaptation channels and not the programming itself? And in order to get the proper programming you actualy have to use that do-hicky machine that requires the removal of the ecu to reprogram?

http://www.evc.de/images/bdm/whole.jpg

Rest of the post here (http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=1977948)

[Ben@APR]

Originally posted by foofighter
from what i read on the 2.0t forum on Vortex, isn't the uploading of the software via OBD port merely altering the adaptation channels and not the programming itself? And in order to get the proper programming you actualy have to use that do-hicky machine that requires the removal of the ecu to reprogram?



Rest of the post here (http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=1977948)

Not true, we don't change the adaptation channels...we flash a complete file...the comment that was made in that tread was about a tuner who did this on the new TDI engines in Europe.

[emulex]

apr d00ds are elite hax0rs ;) werd.

[bhvrdr]

Already been through long term testing.

http://www.hoppenmotorsport.com/a4B7FSItuning.htm

cheers! Mike

[zerinA4]

Long term tested huh? Well you go ahead and enjoy taking your ECU out of your car, ripping the ECU open, and giving away to your dealer that you have been chipped. Enjoy the risk of physically damaging your ECU in the process, and not to mention giving up the ability to use APR's program switching (EMCS).

Its easy to be the first out with a product and call it long term tested. Its not easy to have a product that makes use of the latest technology available, the best engineering available, and the support of a company that is a phone call away that actually designed the software.

If you want to live in the chip technology of the past, go ahead...use the chip that has already been "long term tested", but in this day and age, why? You bought a cutting edge car...why use a chip thats anything less than cutting edge?

[bhvrdr]

Originally posted by zerinA4
Long term tested huh? Well you go ahead and enjoy taking your ECU out of your car, ripping the ECU open, and giving away to your dealer that you have been chipped. Enjoy the risk of physically damaging your ECU in the process, and not to mention giving up the ability to use APR's program switching (EMCS).

Its easy to be the first out with a product and call it long term tested. Its not easy to have a product that makes use of the latest technology available, the best engineering available, and the support of a company that is a phone call away that actually designed the software.

If you want to live in the chip technology of the past, go ahead...use the chip that has already been "long term tested", but in this day and age, why? You bought a cutting edge car...why use a chip thats anything less than cutting edge?

Not sure what got you so upset, but yes I was pointing out it has indeed been long term tested on multiple vehicles before the B7 was even for sale. Tested at a facility where Audi does testing on many of their developing platforms.

I like APR too. Just pointing out there are other options. With regards to uploadable problems there are plenty of problems there as well. Ever heard of the check sum error that damaged ECUs? I actually like having my stock chip on a socketed board so I retain my OEM code. Its a quick swap. With uploadable programs you do not retain the true OEM code as that is not possible to be loaded with the program. It would also be illegal to copy and re-upload. You do get a code that is similar in outputs however.

Anyways, I didnt intend to take anything away from you parade. Just showing that there are many options for you all now. This option is also both TUV and the prestigious VDAT approved. You will simply not find better testing out there. One of the reasons there has not been a revision to a single B6 chip.

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=27194

http://www.vdat.de/homee.htm

cheers! Mike

[zerinA4]

Well in the B7, the chip is not socketed. You can not remove it. Don't know if you knew that or not, but now you do :) Cheers.


Originally posted by bhvrdr
I actually like having my stock chip on a socketed board so I retain my OEM code. Its a quick swap. With uploadable programs you do not retain the true OEM code as that is not possible to be loaded with the program. It would also be illegal to copy and re-upload. You do get a code that is similar in outputs however.


cheers! Mike

[bhvrdr]

Originally posted by zerinA4
Well in the B7, the chip is not socketed. You can not remove it. Don't know if you knew that or not, but now you do :) Cheers.

It isnt on the B6 or the B5 either. MTM does it for you. Are you getting reimbursed for being a test vehicle or do you just get free software? That would be cool. Do they have a data logger in your car so you can keep an eye on how this revision is doing? Let us know when you get some numbers. I had a B7 for the day and the engine was suite. The tranny was incredibly smooth as well. I may go for a B8. cheers! Mike

[zerinA4]

Yes, but again... it CANNOT be done on the B7. Here's why:

Motorola MPC555 - 565 Chipset.
"This generation of Motorola processors contain 448KB - 1MB Flash memory. That memory cannot be read and programmed with an eprom programmer."


Originally posted by bhvrdr
It isnt on the B6 or the B5 either. MTM does it for you. Are you getting reimbursed for being a test vehicle or do you just get free software? That would be cool. Do they have a data logger in your car so you can keep an eye on how this revision is doing? Let us know when you get some numbers. I had a B7 for the day and the engine was suite. The tranny was incredibly smooth as well. I may go for a B8. cheers! Mike

[bhvrdr]

Originally posted by zerinA4
Yes, but again... it CANNOT be done on the B7. Here's why:

Motorola MPC555 - 565 Chipset.
"This generation of Motorola processors contain 448KB - 1MB Flash memory. That memory cannot be read and programmed with an eprom programmer."

I'll give Mike a call tomorrow to see what the final deal is. I know they had to get all new programming equipment and that is what held them up in the US. I'm excited for these offerings from APR, MTM, and others. Looks like the power I am getting out of a K04 with just a chip. Good stuff. If you can, maybe post some logs of what these cars look like with regards to a/f, timing, maf, and boost. It would be the first of such things. You going to do dyno testing? Congrats on the new mods. Enjoy. cheers! Mike

[zerinA4]

Mike,

Don't take this in the wrong way, but if MTM has such close ties to Audi, why does MTM still need to open the ECU and break the gled seal to flash the car? Can you ask them that? :)

I'll go dyno the car soon. I just don't have the time right now unfortunatly :(

[bhvrdr]

Originally posted by zerinA4
Mike,

Don't take this in the wrong way, but if MTM has such close ties to Audi, why does MTM still need to open the ECU and break the gled seal to flash the car? Can you ask them that? :)

I'll go dyno the car soon. I just don't have the time right now unfortunatly :(

I'll ask them the complete process. It was a long time ago I talked to them about the process and my memory is likely bad about it. I remember them mentioning a new complex chip or something that has to be replaced and a simpler way that some people are going with. Maybe you know more about this right now. I know that their new programmers are something we have not seen yet in the industry. Perhaps Audi gave them the heads up on how to do things as they are down the block from each other and share the same testing at times. Honestly, I cant be sure of specifics but I will definitely ask. cheers! Mike

[zerinA4]

I'll betcha MTM is doing it with BDM :) Audi can flash the car without opening the ECU....just like APR :)

Bottom line, there are only TWO ways to program the car. Flash the ECU via BDM (requires opening the ECU), or through the OBDII port (APR).

http://www.evc.de/images/bdm/whole.jpg

BTW, that white stuff on the right of the ECU? Thats the security glue.

[foofighter]

and so it begins [:D] at least it's not just specific to the B6 forum it's going to be like this over here too!

Just wait till the dyno numbers are posted.