turbo kit dilemma...

[IndieRockSteve]

ok, here's what I think I want...
APR ECU chip
GIAC tip chip
K04 turbo (AWE?)
APR exhaust

so now, APR can do the ECU and exhaust, but will their ECU chip work with the K04 turbo?

Is there a place I can get the K04 turbo installed with the APR chip? I know AWE has a k04 kit, but they do GIAC, and I dunno if I want the GIAC over the APR chip(I like how the APR chip handles switching programs using the stalk).

help!
(yea, I know, for planning on spending a lot of money I'm doing a lot of whining....)
thanks!

[fastdreams]

Originally posted by IndieRockSteve
ok, here's what I think I want...
APR ECU chip
GIAC tip chip
K04 turbo (AWE?)
APR exhaust

so now, APR can do the ECU and exhaust, but will their ECU chip work with the K04 turbo?

Is there a place I can get the K04 turbo installed with the APR chip? I know AWE has a k04 kit, but they do GIAC, and I dunno if I want the GIAC over the APR chip(I like how the APR chip handles switching programs using the stalk).

help!
(yea, I know, for planning on spending a lot of money I'm doing a lot of whining....)
thanks!

APR doesn't sell k04 programming, and their k03 programming is not ideal for a k04 upgrade. AWE's k04 kit includes GIAC programming. Another k04 kit you can buy is Neuspeed, which comes with Neuspeed programming. You could also buy MTM which comes with MTM programming.

If you're going K04, just skip the APR program.

OR since you like APR, SKIP the k04 and go for APR's stage III upgrade.

[Devious27t]

dude you are 2000 get the J31 program. even if APR did make k04 software it would still suck. decent hardware ass for programming. almost as weak as neuspeed.

[pdxa4]

Originally posted by DVS18t
dude you are 2000 get the J31 program. even if APR did make k04 software it would still suck. decent hardware ass for programming. almost as weak as neuspeed.

J31 is to be used on a 2000 model only with a FMIC...the K05 file is what he would need for a stock intercooler setup and K05-015 turbo...


Call up Jeremy at Matrix Integrated, they do a K04 kit and GIAC programming...and for a better price than AWE...

As you already have a APR chipped ECU, your best option would be to sell the ECU with chip or to trade it with someone for a stock ECU...then get your new ECU GIAC chipped...

For a K04, it would be best to get GIAC software as it is well proven...

GIAC Tip chip would be a good purchase also, and for exhaust yu would be better getting a Borla exhaust instead, save yourself a few hundred dollars and anyway a 2.5" exhaust is better on a K04...

[dsswain]

"decent hardware ass for programming. almost as weak as neuspeed."

A guy on AW (czand) has the Neuspeed SK-04 (super K-04) kit on a 2000 with a FMIC, and put down a [email protected]... So it's an option....not sure about how the tip would handle it....It's not listed on the web site, so I'm not sure what the total deal is. Not sure if it's R&D or what...Because NS is known to put out "weak" programming, as in not aggressive. Search for the "CAPS" database over there if you want to see the time. for that and J31. That is all I know an nothing more, now I'm looking at it for my 2001.


Other than that Just rock the AWE K-04 Kit...proven and reliable.
Ohh yea, GIAC now has a product that allows you to change between program to program....But honestly you'd just stay in the fast one all the time.

Sounds like you should just get the AWE kit and be done with it.

Good luck.

[Skara]

okie dont take this the wrong way but
why a KO4 kit for around 2,000+ with shipping and tax when it's all said and done?
is the ko4 that nice of an upgrade?
im my opinion it seems like a waste of time. no offence to awe or anything but there site says 235 but lets be realistic here your not ging to get 235 at the wheels from a ko4... The k03 sport comes in the mk4 gti's and isnt that much smaller than the ko4 and puts out 180 at the wheels if your luckey. why not just save your pennies and get a real turbo?
all im trying to say is maybe rethink what your doing, i feel like k04's are A waste of time and money, if your doing it for the power do it right the first time...

[Devious27t]

Originally posted by dsswain
"decent hardware ass for programming. almost as weak as neuspeed."

A guy on AW (czand) has the Neuspeed SK-04 (super K-04) kit on a 2000 with a FMIC, and put down a [email protected]... So it's an option....not sure about how the tip would handle it....It's not listed on the web site, so I'm not sure what the total deal is. Not sure if it's R&D or what...Because NS is known to put out "weak" programming, as in not aggressive. Search for the "CAPS" database over there if you want to see the time. for that and J31. That is all I know an nothing more, now I'm looking at it for my 2001.


Other than that Just rock the AWE K-04 Kit...proven and reliable.
Ohh yea, GIAC now has a product that allows you to change between program to program....But honestly you'd just stay in the fast one all the time.

Sounds like you should just get the AWE kit and be done with it.

Good luck.

i know who he is i helped him install his FMIC, we are talking two totally different turbos and besides at this point in time there is nothing to compare the neuspeed programming to as he was the first one to receive it for a DBW. the bottom line is that apr and neuspeed programming just dont make that great of power.

[Devious27t]

Originally posted by pdxa4
J31 is to be used on a 2000 model only with a FMIC...the K05 file is what he would need for a stock intercooler setup and K05-015 turbo...


Call up Jeremy at Matrix Integrated, they do a K04 kit and GIAC programming...and for a better price than AWE...

As you already have a APR chipped ECU, your best option would be to sell the ECU with chip or to trade it with someone for a stock ECU...then get your new ECU GIAC chipped...

For a K04, it would be best to get GIAC software as it is well proven...

GIAC Tip chip would be a good purchase also, and for exhaust yu would be better getting a Borla exhaust instead, save yourself a few hundred dollars and anyway a 2.5" exhaust is better on a K04...

upgrading a turbo without proper cooling is cutting off your nose despite your face. why have more potential power if it is going to get heatsoaked away? basically what i am saying is if you wanna play get an FMIC (or upgraded side mount).

[jrodmk2]

okie dont take this the wrong way but
why a KO4 kit for around 2,000+ with shipping and tax when it's all said and done?
is the ko4 that nice of an upgrade?
im my opinion it seems like a waste of time. no offence to awe or anything but there site says 235 but lets be realistic here your not ging to get 235 at the wheels from a ko4... The k03 sport comes in the mk4 gti's and isnt that much smaller than the ko4 and puts out 180 at the wheels if your luckey. why not just save your pennies and get a real turbo?
all im trying to say is maybe rethink what your doing, i feel like k04's are A waste of time and money, if your doing it for the power do it right the first time...

couldn't have said it better!

[pdxa4]

Originally posted by DVS18t
upgrading a turbo without proper cooling is cutting off your nose despite your face. why have more potential power if it is going to get heatsoaked away? basically what i am saying is if you wanna play get an FMIC (or upgraded side mount).

I've played already



Thinking about his case, the J31 software might be too much for him with his tiptronic...because of the large amount of torque it generates...

[Devious27t]

Originally posted by pdxa4
I've played already



Thinking about his case, the J31 software might be too much for him with his tiptronic...because of the large amount of torque it generates...

cable was slipping on his tip when he was making alot more power but he said that he was surprised at how much power the tip could hold.



i am still playing.

[awe4rings]

Originally posted by Skara
okie dont take this the wrong way but
why a KO4 kit for around 2,000+ with shipping and tax when it's all said and done?
is the ko4 that nice of an upgrade?
im my opinion it seems like a waste of time. no offence to awe or anything but there site says 235 but lets be realistic here your not ging to get 235 at the wheels from a ko4... The k03 sport comes in the mk4 gti's and isnt that much smaller than the ko4 and puts out 180 at the wheels if your luckey. why not just save your pennies and get a real turbo?
all im trying to say is maybe rethink what your doing, i feel like k04's are A waste of time and money, if your doing it for the power do it right the first time...

AWE is measuring that power from the crank, not at the wheels. And it is in no way a waste of time. The K04 kit offers factory reliability and the best bang for your buck. Not every one has $42 to run a Stg 3. Hell while we are tuning lets just drop a 2.0l race spec in...do it right the first time.

[MKGIY]

I gotta agree with Sara on this one fellas. The KO4 is nice, but in the end you will want a bigger turbo. I had a T28 and I have a GT28RS now and I know soon I will need more. It just doesnt stop or maybe it is just me. Did someone say 2.0?

Mike

[98a4]

I agree...personally, I think the ko4 is a waste of money.

The only time i'd tell someone to get it is if their stock turbo is blown, like his is, and if they do no have any plans for a larger turbo down then road and they dont want to have to worry about tuning or any of the other problems that comes with a big turbo.

[MKGIY]

Very true 98a4.

Mike

[Skara]

Originally posted by 98a4
I agree...personally, I think the ko4 is a waste of money.

The only time i'd tell someone to get it is if their stock turbo is blown, like his is, and if they do no have any plans for a larger turbo down then road and they dont want to have to worry about tuning or any of the other problems that comes with a big turbo.

okie in that case i agree but as an upgrade in stead of a repair i say go big or go home

[Devious27t]

Originally posted by MKGIY
I gotta agree with Sara on this one fellas. The KO4 is nice, but in the end you will want a bigger turbo. I had a T28 and I have a GT28RS now and I know soon I will need more. It just doesnt stop or maybe it is just me. Did someone say 2.0?

Mike

like i said in a previous k04 post. the k04 is a gateway turbo. you start with messing around with it and everything is great little boosting here little boosting there. pretty soon you start boosting all the time and then you start to want more. and the k04 just doesnt have the same effect it used to. i ran as far from the triple K turbos as i could.

[Moops]

Same kind of dilemma here...2000 1.8T with APR exhaust, no chip.

AWE - K04 J31 with FMIC

or

APR Stage III

I'm not a track person, I enjoy the 0-60 pull more than hitting 100+ mph and not sure I want to worry about needing further clutch/brake upgrades. So I was thinking the K04 would suit me but I'm still undecided.

[MKGIY]

Originally posted by DVS18t
like i said in a previous k04 post. the k04 is a gateway turbo. you start with messing around with it and everything is great little boosting here little boosting there. pretty soon you start boosting all the time and then you start to want more. and the k04 just doesnt have the same effect it used to. i ran as far from the triple K turbos as i could.

What turbo setup did you go with sir?

Mike

[awe4rings]

Ohhh I did drop that 2.0l...I still stand by my statement that the KO4 kits are tremendous value upgrade. Even if you do call the KO4 a "gateway turbo", it is still a dramatic increase from stock 150hp (yeahh i dont VVT) to 235hp, for $1300. Thats $15 /hp. Lb/ft of torque is roughly the same. APR Stg 3 at $4200 and 285hp = $31/hp.

[IndieRockSteve]

, I'm all stock.
second, definitly doing a FMIC, figured it was a given...

now let me go further into my "plan"
S4 or RS6 in a few years(depending on how the promotions go at work...). So I figure why spend 2.5x the money on the APR stage III?
I mean, I like my A4, but I really like the S4 Cabrio and have always wanted an RS4/6 Avant. My current A4 is my gateway Audi...

so now,

Question, with the GIAC tip chip(if it makes a difference), will the auto tranny be able to handle the power of something bigger than the k04? I've heard it won't which was one reason I wasn't thinking of going bigger anyway. I'd love a GT28 turbo but I don't think I'll be able to handle it, and though I don't know the price of doing it, I can imagine its a lot more than the AWE k04 kit.

How hard is doing the install? I was thinking just going to AWE and having one of their shops do all the work, but I don't know how much they'll charge, and I am handy with the tools, but I don't know if I feel like personally taking apart the front bumper, etc. when I can just have someone thats done it before do it for me instead...

oh, I've heard from many people that the Borla exhaust systems sound like rice-burner exhausts, does their Audi exhaust follow this pattern?

thanks!

[Howard Hughes]

Originally posted by Skara
[B]okie dont take this the wrong way but
why a KO4 kit for around 2,000+ with shipping and tax when it's all said and done?
is the ko4 that nice of an upgrade?
im my opinion it seems like a waste of time. no offence to awe or anything but there site says 235 but lets be realistic here your not ging to get 235 at the wheels from a ko4... The k03 sport comes in the mk4 gti's and isnt that much smaller than the ko4 and puts out 180 at the wheels if your luckey. why not just save your pennies and get a real turbo?
all im trying to say is maybe rethink what your doing, i feel like k04's are A waste of time and money, if your doing it for the power do it right the first tim

You are over looking the torque a K04 upgrade provides, and the fact with a bigger turbo you need a new clutch and brakes soon to follow...$$$$$$$$

[pdxa4]

oh, I've heard from many people that the Borla exhaust systems sound like rice-burner exhausts, does their Audi exhaust follow this pattern?

thanks! [/B]

The gen2 Borla sounds wonderful and is certainly not a "rice-burner exhaust"...

The K04 upgrade still offers good value for money...a FMIC is not required on such a setup, but it would be desirable...
Jeremy @ Matrix offers the K04 kit for around 1500 I believe...

[fastdreams]

k04 is absolutely not a waste of money.

In that case the GT28rs is a waste of money from my perspective.

I don't want turbo lag, I want quick response now. I want low end torque for autocross. Why go Stage III for $4500 just to get my torque from 265 to 273 - and in a higher point in the rpm range?

Save the $4500, off your a4 mods and your a4, then buy an s4. Then go Stage III. Now you have something to talk about.
You'd have to spend a fortune on the 1.8t to get into 2.7tt stage 3 area, and then the 2.7t has even more potential beyond that.

By the same logic, buying an A4 is a waste of time in the first place :rolleyes:

Gt28rs would be good if I was into DE's I suppose. Nice high-end power. I have no interest in 100mph+ jaunts on public roads (not anymore anyway...I'm changing in my old age) which is where the gt28rs is really getting going.

Oh and the difference between $1400 and $4500 is a LOT for only 40 more hp and 8 more ft-lbs of torque.

[IndieRockSteve]

thanks fastdreams, someone who gets it.

pdxa4- does he do installs too or just selling?

anyone with the borla gen2 have an audio recording of it?

thanks!
now on to what suspension I wanna get....

[pdxa4]

Originally posted by IndieRockSteve
thanks fastdreams, someone who gets it.

pdxa4- does he do installs too or just selling?

anyone with the borla gen2 have an audio recording of it?

thanks!
now on to what suspension I wanna get....

Jeremy @Matrix have a full shop, but they are in Portland Oregon...they certainly do installs...but also sell to customers across the US and Canada...

[IndieRockSteve]

ah, damn, Portland. awesome city, 3Kmi too far.

I'll email him thnx!

[MKGIY]

Originally posted by fastdreams
k04 is absolutely not a waste of money.

In that case the GT28rs is a waste of money from my perspective.

I don't want turbo lag, I want quick response now. I want low end torque for autocross. Why go Stage III for $4500 just to get my torque from 265 to 273 - and in a higher point in the rpm range?

Save the $4500, off your a4 mods and your a4, then buy an s4. Then go Stage III. Now you have something to talk about.
You'd have to spend a fortune on the 1.8t to get into 2.7tt stage 3 area, and then the 2.7t has even more potential beyond that.

By the same logic, buying an A4 is a waste of time in the first place :rolleyes:

Gt28rs would be good if I was into DE's I suppose. Nice high-end power. I have no interest in 100mph+ jaunts on public roads (not anymore anyway...I'm changing in my old age) which is where the gt28rs is really getting going.

Oh and the difference between $1400 and $4500 is a LOT for only 40 more hp and 8 more ft-lbs of torque.

The KO4 does spool up quickly but so does my GT28RS you can ask Benfica 09 how quickly it spools up. I think that the A4 should have came with a KO4 from the factory. I dotn do to many 100mph+ runs either but my can takes off like a bat out of hell.

Mike

[skene]

obviously you do not understand or you over-estimate what 40+ additional HP feels like.... so you are forgiven.

Ever been in an A4 with over 300hp? I dont believe you have. After you watch a K04 get trounced on by a larger turbo car you will understand why a K04 isn't the choice of champions.

[bitterchild]

4 wheel chirps are cute, breaking all four loose on the highway never gets old. Can't get there from here w/ one k04

[czand1]

The KO4 is a nice bolt on upgrade that can be done with the stock clutch. Some people dont want to spend 5500 for Big Turbo and clutch. Look at the gains K04 plus 40HP over chipped $1500.00. Big turbo $5500.00 + 80HP. Paying a lot for 40 more hp. The K04 will put the a4 in line with todays current crop of performance sedans at a reasonable price. That being said on to the the APR software. I ran my car for a week with the APR software and was very impressed with the way the car ran. On stock injectors and an adjutable fpr. I had some overboosting but I believe this had to do with the n75 bleeder that comes with the super K04 kit. I would like to see someone really test it out. Maybe a n75J or N valve with the APR chip might just surprise you. The nice thing about the K04 is try it. It will run stronger then a K03 with APR sowtware. When ready switch to injectors intercooler and J31 software. A little at a time. Anybody in New England running a J31 set up? I would love to compare and maybe even try my SK04 with that software. I sometimes wonder if the Nuespeed software might be a little to conservetive. Since all I run is 93 and not 91 like cal. Could a little more timing help me out. Car never pings so who knows. DVS18t thanks for the help with the intercooler. You left out the part about trimming the back of the bumper till the last minute. I was very unhappy about doing this with a painted bumper. But now I am happy withe the results and if you told me I would have gone withe the EVO. Happy with the Greedy and did not see but .5lb lost in pressure . So thanks again. Just need to upgrade the lower grills to a larger Diamond mesh. Thanks again. By the way new MAF on the way so hopefully back to it running real strong. 4K miles on it so far and no problems.

[MKGIY]

Not everyone has the money to spend on a Big turbo, I agree with that, but the 1500 for the KO4 can be put towards a big turbo. Dont get me wrong anything is better then the KO3. I say if you are going to do it once do it right the first time. Why spend 1500 plus 5000 in the long run when the 1500 can be put towards other mods. Just my .02, I really dont think a KO4 is worth it, then again its not my car. I say go BIG or go home.

Mike

[AFOUR_PLAY]

It depends what you goal is.
I'm after a car that is fast and reliable. Goal is 1/4mile times in the mid to high 14's so K04 is what i'm in the process of doing.

[MKGIY]

That is very true your goal and budget will determine what you want to do.

Mike

[IndieRockSteve]

my goal is to own a RS6 Avant.
the current a4 is just to get me to work and have a little fun.

different goals folks....

[littlewhite]

Originally posted by DVS18t
cable was slipping on his tip when he was making alot more power but he said that he was surprised at how much power the tip could hold.



i am still playing.

Yea, his slipped alot. But yea, massive power and even though alot of it didnt hold down, it was a monster

btw, is that teh GReddy FMIC? Finally got a pic for me =)

[littlewhite]

-Just ask yourself what you are aiming for in your car. If is big power the #1 goal, save up. If is something else, work the combo out.
-FYI, Matrix K04 kit = $1495 includes 5 bar FPR, gaskets, K04-15, GIAC software. $200 discount if u get the GIAC chip before from them and upgrade with K04 softwre
-Borla dont sound rice. I got the V1 rear muffler on my custom system. Sounds deep and nice.

[pdxa4]

Originally posted by IndieRockSteve
my goal is to own a RS6 Avant.
the current a4 is just to get me to work and have a little fun.

different goals folks....

Well this is your post...so maybe you'd like to tell us what you really want to do to your current A4...

spend money on it or save cash towards a RS6...

[IndieRockSteve]

yea, well I did start of saying I wanted the K04, but the bigger badder more power people started voicing their opinions.

anyway, all the discussion has been very helpful.

I'll make sure to post pics and stuff when I'm done =)

thanks!

[AFOUR_PLAY]

so you sticking with a K04?

230 hp isn't nothing, especially from stock 150hp.

KO4s run a low 14 down the quarter and 0-60 in mid 6's (I think, someone correct me if i'm wrong) which will beat most cars on the road.