2016 a3 2.0 blown turbo?

[Bradley77]

I had stage 1 apr ECU with milltek cat back installed last week with 400 miles on my car. Today with about 600 miles I noticed a louder than normal whine sound before losing power and the car stalling out (epc light turned on). I have been keeping the rpm under 5K but I am guilty of doing some hard pulls every day making sure to manually shift the dsg at 5k. It wouldn't start again unless I gave it some gas while the starter was doing its thing. Once started and barley moving it sounded like metal grinding in the gear box. I'm having the tune removed tomorrow before I have it towed to the dealer. I saw on another forum this was a problem on the GTI, has anyone else experienced this problem? I will update this post when I hear from the dealer.

[Bradley77]

I just found out its a blown turbo and they detected the tune so my car is now flagged. I was assured by the shop who installed this tune that it was totally undetectable. They told me no need to wait for your warranty to expire, do the tune now and we can flash it back for each dealer service for an additional amout of money. Looks like that wasnt true, I'm on my way to the shop to see what happened. The Audi rep even said the guys must not have pulled your tune correctly because it's still detectable.

[demonmk2]

I had read somewhere it was good to put 1000 miles on the dsg cars before doing a tune...
Sucks about being flagged
Was it a dealership that tuned your car or an independent shop?

[Bradley77]

It is an independent shop, wish I would have known about putting 1K on the car. My 2012 s4 had the stasis tune installed from the dealer on day one and I never had a problem before trading it in at 40k miles. The shop has offered to install a s3 turbo in my car at cost (about 3K) I'm going to call audi of america tomorrow morning to see if they will work with me since these turbo's are known to fail and that I have been a loyal audi customer. Fingers are crossed! Everyone should be aware that audi can detect these tunes.

[demonmk2]

Don't hold me to it on the 1000 mile break in period. I'm not saying its fact, but I do know the mkvii gti guys do it ( same engine ).
Hope it does work out but I highly doubt they'll help. I would shop for a turbo upgrade if your gonna drop 3k on the spot.

What sucks is that turbo most likely would have failed with out the tune.

[Bradley77]

Do you have any suggestions for an upgraded turbo? I know the s3 turbo is bigger but I don't know if the quality is any better.

[demonmk2]

I would look at apr's S3 turbo upgrade kit ( if your gonna upgrade )
Comes with the correct tune and downpipe that's included


Just out of curiosity, what made you move from a S4 to an A3?

[Bradley77]

Thanks, will look into that turbo.
I purchased a new diesel truck and didn't want the two 60k dollar vehicle payments. I also heard good things about the a3 quattro with the apr tune, I guess I didn't do enough research. I liked the smaller look of the a3 too.

[Cedric16]

Thanks, will look into that turbo.
I purchased a new diesel truck and didn't want the two 60k dollar vehicle payments. I also heard good things about the a3 quattro with the apr tune, I guess I didn't do enough research. I liked the smaller look of the a3 too.

You're not wrong to have chosen it, it is rather feline!

[markn1689]

damn dude. this sucks. they must have uploaded the apr stock program. which really isnt full stock. apr is prone to turbo failures. i blew 2 sets of turbos with my b5 s4 back in the day. but back then I swapped physical ECUs rather than flashing.

been trying to warn people against apr but I just get called a troll

[deadbolt]

sorry to hear dude.

My buddy who is a Audi mechanic told me AOA recently updated their software which now has different ways of reading ECU changes. You should still pressure AOA and the dealer to find a root cause. Cause saying the ECU is there isn't good enough. That doesn't tell you how it blew. For all you know there could have been a underlying issue which caused it and the tune brought it to light quicker.

[LINDW4LL]

I'd push for Audi to cover it. The fact that the turbo failed in the first 600 miles signifies a clear manufacturing defect.

[fasts3]

I had stage 1 apr ECU with milltek cat back installed last week with 400 miles on my car. Today with about 600 miles I noticed a louder than normal whine sound before losing power and the car stalling out (epc light turned on). I have been keeping the rpm under 5K but I am guilty of doing some hard pulls every day making sure to manually shift the dsg at 5k. It wouldn't start again unless I gave it some gas while the starter was doing its thing. Once started and barley moving it sounded like metal grinding in the gear box. I'm having the tune removed tomorrow before I have it towed to the dealer. I saw on another forum this was a problem on the GTI, has anyone else experienced this problem? I will update this post when I hear from the dealer.

I'll sell you my audi S3 turbo for $1000.

[homelessNY_LI]

Sucks. That's why it's always best to break in the car before a tune. Either 5k or after warranty

[T_S3]

Yep Ive heard of the 1000km rule. Any turbo thats going to fail usually happens in that period.

Sorry mate.

[MkUrMark]

That was most likely a defective turbo... Its not a massive issue you just happen to be a unlucky

[salvadorik]

OP, sorry that it happened to you at such an early stage of your ownership. As many others rightfully noticed the turbo on your a3 must have been defective right off the factory, in other words the underlying mechanic defect preexisted before you had apr ECU installed. You drove just 200 miles with aftermarket tune. The tune does put more stress on your car's powertrain but it does not break that fast. It just accelerates the wear than what would happen with stock ECU. It is very convenient for Audi to deny the coverage for several reasons but this is outside the scope of this discussion i guess. I think you have a good chance to get at least the part of the bill covered by warranty. My question to you - are you sure you had your car's ECU flashed back to stock? So many members here said that whenever they had the shop flash it back to stock none of their vehicles were flagged. You probably the first one I see saying otherwise.

Also I think you can install latest version of S3's turbo. Just make sure it is in fact the latest version, which ends 722H. This one
https://www.ecstuning.com/Audi-8V_S3...ger/ES2818190/

Please keep us posted how everything progresses. I am really curious to find out especially how Audi detected flash even after you had it refreshed back to stock.

[2015S3]

I have been saying for a log time, they can detect the removal and stock OEM uploaded as a matter of fact the piggybacks leave traces too, just not as embedded as the ECU and can be cleared prior to going to the dealer. I know this because I am getting various sensor out of specification range with the Vag-com. Next time I clear I will post them all.

[Blaine]

Yep Ive heard of the 1000km rule. Any turbo thats going to fail usually happens in that period.

Sorry mate.

^ Always... Always... X 5. Wait a few thousand miles before modding on a new car. No matter what brand or car you buy there can be FLAWED factory parts. Piston.. Transmission... Turbo... Who knows. Beat it up for about 1 to 2k miles to see if a part is bad. Once the tune is added... the cost of modding is on you. BUT I always look at a broken part as a chance to upgrade.

[soulflyer]

I have been saying for a log time, they can detect the removal and stock OEM uploaded as a matter of fact the piggybacks leave traces too, just not as embedded as the ECU and can be cleared prior to going to the dealer. I know this because I am getting various sensor out of specification range with the Vag-com. Next time I clear I will post them all.

Please do so, I am interested!!

[coolwater]

For those of you that can get Geico insurance, I'd recommend you add the mechanical breakdown insurance to your policy.
They cover anything the dealer doesn't cover up to 7yrs/100k. i think another A3 owner was tuned and got a rebuilt engine covered after paying $250 deductible.

-cW

[Bradley77]

OP, sorry that it happened to you at such an early stage of your ownership. As many others rightfully noticed the turbo on your a3 must have been defective right off the factory, in other words the underlying mechanic defect preexisted before you had apr ECU installed. You drove just 200 miles with aftermarket tune. The tune does put more stress on your car's powertrain but it does not break that fast. It just accelerates the wear than what would happen with stock ECU. It is very convenient for Audi to deny the coverage for several reasons but this is outside the scope of this discussion i guess. I think you have a good chance to get at least the part of the bill covered by warranty. My question to you - are you sure you had your car's ECU flashed back to stock? So many members here said that whenever they had the shop flash it back to stock none of their vehicles were flagged. You probably the first one I see saying otherwise.

Also I think you can install latest version of S3's turbo. Just make sure it is in fact the latest version, which ends 722H. This one
https://www.ecstuning.com/Audi-8V_S3...ger/ES2818190/

Please keep us posted how everything progresses. I am really curious to find out especially how Audi detected flash even after you had it refreshed back to stock.

The APR dealer shop owner verified it was flashed back to stock before I had it towed to the dealer. The dealer service manager said they don't actually detect a specific tune however they did detect a flash or reprogramming date that did not come from the factory, this is automatic TD1. He also said that when the car is plugged into the computer it communicates with AOA so its out of his hands once it is detected. The service manager is talking with the regional service manager about lifting the TD1, the local service manager is proposing I replace the ECU and turbo on my dime (about 4500.00) to see if they can reinstate my full drive train warranty. Seems shitty but I will definitely go that route if the regional service manager gives the green light. I will also ask for a refund on the APR tune and 200.00 re-flash from the tuning shop since I am still under the 30 day warranty. I'm not releasing names at this point but will do so after all is done. I should know more by tomorrow.

[RyanS3]

$200 reflash? Absurd.

Sorry you're dealing with all of this.

[949]

so exactly what was damaged? only the turbo?

[markn1689]

200$ for a REFLASH?! keep us updated- we need names

[salvadorik]

200$ for a REFLASH?! keep us updated- we need names

He means the first installation of APR's ECU and then reflasg it back to stock. Shops generally wont charge you for the first install however if you decide to return they charge for two flash procedures.

[markn1689]

He means the first installation of APR's ECU and then reflasg it back to stock. Shops generally wont charge you for the first install however if you decide to return they charge for two flash procedures.

yes i know what a RE-flash is. that is total crap. why would they charge you for two flash procedures... you know it takes all of 15 seconds to plug the computer in and flash it....
apr will burn for this

[LINDW4LL]

The APR dealer shop owner verified it was flashed back to stock before I had it towed to the dealer. The dealer service manager said they don't actually detect a specific tune however they did detect a flash or reprogramming date that did not come from the factory, this is automatic TD1...

I should know more by tomorrow.

Sounds like they have no evidence or anything else to suggest that you were running higher than stock boost parameters, or even that any of the ECU maps were more aggressive than stock, for that matter.

Again, I'd really push for it to be covered given the mileage it failed at, even if they know all the details. TD1 does not = warranty void.

[949]

he may have already admit to the tune in the ecu. but again what broke exactly? just the turbo? was there anything else that broke?

if its just the turbo, get a garrett turbo to replace it with. way better unit. ask for a stock fitment but with a higher output turbo. then tune it.

https://garrett.honeywell.com/produc...I+170&limit=-1

[jokingjimmy]

Pretty soon they are going to start denying warranty for using Khumo tires or VAG-COMing all windows down. Kinda sucks.

[Bradley77]

Pretty soon they are going to start denying warranty for using Khumo tires or VAG-COMing all windows down. Kinda sucks.

This is pretty accurate, I have been talking to AOA about getting the drive train warranty back if I replace the ECU and they asked what else I have done to the car. When I said I tinted the windows he said I may have voided the rear window defroster warranty, I actually laughed at him and he said he was totally serious.
I understand that I should be on the hook for tuning my car but when someone sells you something and they swear it is undetectable they should stand behind their word. I was also told by the shop that this is only the second time this has happened, I have read so many stories since my incident where all these people get TD1'd even after getting flashed back to stock. They need to stop the lies and stop selling the lifetime re-flash if its detectable. Seems like another way for them to pinch a couple more dollars out of you. The APR dealer seems to be pretty cool so far but the APR rep sent me the most bogus email reply when I asked him questions about the tune and previous turbo revisions. I will post his reply if I continue to get the cold shoulder from these guys. I should get word today from the service manager on what they are prepared to do.

[Bradley77]

so exactly what was damaged? only the turbo?

They said it was only the turbo but they have not touched the car to actually find out. Once the TD1 shows up they know they wont get paid for any work.

[LINDW4LL]

It's still possible to have it warrantied with TD1. All that means is that your claims are reviewed more closely by Audi.


Sent from my iPhone 6 using Tapatalk

[JohnnyUtah787]

Tinted windows and rear defroster? What a joke.

[949]

They said it was only the turbo but they have not touched the car to actually find out. Once the TD1 shows up they know they wont get paid for any work.

then how do they know its the turbo if they haven't touched the car?

so if I plan on lowering my car or putting in the turbo muffler delete, what warranty is going to be voided?

[Bradley77]

then how do they know its the turbo if they haven't touched the car?
I so if I plan on lowering my car or putting in the turbo muffler delete, what warranty is going to be voided?

Honestly I don't know how they know it's the turbo, the dealer and tune shop both told me it was the turbo. The dealer says they will replace the ecu and turbo for 5k and it will put the new turbo under warranty but any other power train issue will be case by case. The tune shop will put a s3 turbo in the car for 2k. I need to make my decision tomorrow because I leave town Friday morning. I'm going to the tune shop to see what's included with the new turbo before making my decision.

I'm sure they can void anything they think is tied to your mods, I'm no expert so you should call audi anonymously and ask the question. I am just going by what I'm told and it seems they figure the tune affects the entire power train. I don't have time to get a lawyer so these are my two choices at the moment.

[Bradley77]

I had the car towed from the dealer to the tune shop this morning and decided to go with the is38 turbo upgrade, downpipe and larger intercooler. I was told by the tune shop that I have a choice between a low and high output tune. Im going with the low output because it's supposed to be more power than my stage 1 tune on the is20 turbo which was great for the 200 miles i got to run on it. My fingers are crossed and I'm hoping I get more than 600 miles out of this upgrade. I leave for Hawaii tomorrow and I hope to get the car back when I return on the 29th. I will write an update once I get the car and put a couple miles on it.

[aj6]

...decided to go with the is38 turbo upgrade, downpipe and larger intercooler...

Thank goodness for cheap fixes

[949]

wow, I am still interested on how both sides know its the turbo. if it was that all this time, you should have just replaced the turbo without the dealership being involved. the turbo isn't that much and if its just that, then its as easy to replace as it is with the intercooler. you don't even need to replace the ecu. save some money there. why not go with a larger non stock turbo? since your already doing all this.

[Bradley77]

[QUOTE=LINDW4LL;11410340]It's still possible to have it warrantied with TD1. All that means is that your claims are reviewed more closely by Audi.

I've pushed and it doesn't seem possible to have anything covered in the power train warranty unless you know something I don't, how will Audi review my claim "more closely" when they wont touch the car because its TD1? Could you share with us how it is possible to get coverage after the flag? I have called multiple divisions at AoA and involved the regional service manager for the dealership in Los Angeles. I even reached out to a lemon law attorney who said it wasn't worth perusing because modifications to the ECU are easy to prove you are operating way outside the parameters of a stock set up. Once again this is what I have been told while being in the actual situation, I'm sure other people hear other stories but the only stories that really matter are the ones told by people like me who have dealt with this matter, not people who heard from a sisters cousin that some guy got his car warrantied after being TD1.