SQ5 - APR flash

[BillVT]

Just had an APR stage 1 flash done to my `14 SQ5. Nice!
Definitely more power but not scary. The car was acceptable before. Now it's good.
Don't see any need to spend the extra $ for a pulley (stage 2).
Initial 75 miles seem to improve fuel economy (despite a few spirited passes on 2 lane twisty road). Will report more as time goes on.

This is my 3rd car with APR software. (`03 stage 2 allroad; `14 VW Jetta Sportwagen TDI) and I am very happy with their product and support.

[tmoe]

Just had an APR stage 1 flash done to my `14 SQ5. Nice!
Definitely more power but not scary. The car was acceptable before. Now it's good.
Don't see any need to spend the extra $ for a pulley (stage 2).
Initial 75 miles seem to improve fuel economy (despite a few spirited passes on 2 lane twisty road). Will report more as time goes on.

This is my 3rd car with APR software. (`03 stage 2 allroad; `14 VW Jetta Sportwagen TDI) and I am very happy with their product and support.

Stage 2 would provide a nice increase that can not be correlation to just peak increases in HP and torque, there's a very nice increase across the entire rpm range. My friend running APR stage 1 on his A7 3.0 thought just like you but he finally had a little mad money and upgraded. He was completely surprised the difference stage 2 offered. Doesn't really matter which tuner GIAC/APR//EPL... Stage 2 makes a difference ( except when its hot or poor octane as you'll pull timing, bleed boost or both without IC cooling or some E85)


Maybe find a stage 2 Audi Q5/sq5 around you to take a ride.

[BillVT]

Stage 2 would provide a nice increase that can not be correlation to just peak increases in HP and torque, there's a very nice increase across the entire rpm range. My friend running APR stage 1 on his A7 3.0 thought just like you but he finally had a little mad money and upgraded. He was completely surprised the difference stage 2 offered. Doesn't really matter which tuner GIAC/APR//EPL... Stage 2 makes a difference ( except when its hot or poor octane as you'll pull timing, bleed boost or both without IC cooling or some E85)


Maybe find a stage 2 Audi Q5/sq5 around you to take a ride.

Oh, I know. Having a stage 2 allroad I certainly know it can be so much better. Just need to hold off for awhile. Thanks!

[SQive]

Stage 2 turbo <> Stage 2 supercharger.

[Jackson1019]

Will the APR tune void the warranty or be detected by the dealer?

My SQ has 6k miles on it and I'm not about to void the warranty on a brand new car.

[seanentrust]

Will the APR tune void the warranty or be detected by the dealer?

My SQ has 6k miles on it and I'm not about to void the warranty on a brand new car.

It's a risk you take, you might bring it in 5 times and they will never know or care or you could bring it once and they can flag it. Bottomline is if they look hard enough and dig deep enough they can and will find it. The good news is though that the 3.0t seems pretty bullet proof. My friend runs an APR dealer and they actually won the award last year for doing the most stage 3.0t cars and he hasn't run across any issues with these engines.

[BillVT]

Will the APR tune void the warranty or be detected by the dealer?

My SQ has 6k miles on it and I'm not about to void the warranty on a brand new car.

It really gets down to how much you trust your Audi dealer NOT to plug in and read the computer. I wouldn't trust my local Audi dealer at all, but with 45K on the car I don't worry about any warranty service. My local VW dealer was really cool about making sure not to plug in and read the computer on my Jetta Sportwagen TDI (and I had it flashed with 100 miles on it!) Funny thing is both dealerships are owned by the same guy ... who flashed one of his Audis with 70 miles on it!

Warranty-wise, yes a flash will void the warranty on certain things that can be traced to the flash (engine, probably transmission and drivetrain), but a flash cannot void warranty on other non-related areas.

By the way: reading your signature about your SQ, you likely have already voided your warranty with your springs, exhaust and downpipes so you might as well go all the way.

[gasparm]

It really gets down to how much you trust your Audi dealer NOT to plug in and read the computer. I wouldn't trust my local Audi dealer at all, but with 45K on the car I don't worry about any warranty service. My local VW dealer was really cool about making sure not to plug in and read the computer on my Jetta Sportwagen TDI (and I had it flashed with 100 miles on it!) Funny thing is both dealerships are owned by the same guy ... who flashed one of his Audis with 70 miles on it!

Warranty-wise, yes a flash will void the warranty on certain things that can be traced to the flash (engine, probably transmission and drivetrain), but a flash cannot void warranty on other non-related areas.

By the way: reading your signature about your SQ, you likely have already voided your warranty with your springs, exhaust and downpipes so you might as well go all the way.

+1 to BillVT comments. I have a '16 SQ5 w/ 12000 miles on it and I did mine 3 weeks back (stage 2 with pulley upgrade). Never going to turn back.

[ThunderDent]

I want to do a Stage I flash so bad to my SQ5 I can't stand it, but I just can't bring myself to do it.

I went Stage III K04 on my 2.0T Q5 (2011), engine blew and no warranty.
Right after 65K service I started having major oil consumption issues. It was probably the carbon buildup issue, but the APR flash made all of it null & void. I took big loss and traded it in.

I got the extended 100K mile warranty on the SQ.
I told myself no engine/drivetrain/exhaust mods this time.

I'm doing suspension, because I can't stand the gap/handling.
But drivetrain is still under warranty.

I wasn't as interested until the roughly 50hp increase of the v1.0 software bumped up to nearly double that with the v2.0 software.

354 hp/346 tq (stock)
449 hp/388 tq (stage I)
455 hp/400 tq (stage II/pulley)
463 hp/406 tq (stage II/pulley & intake)


The stage I is almost a no brainer if you want that much gain (nearly 100 hp more) with no freaking hardware upgrades. That's crazy town. I have to reign in my desire on that one.

It went from 299 to 387 at the wheel!

[Jackson1019]

It really gets down to how much you trust your Audi dealer NOT to plug in and read the computer. I wouldn't trust my local Audi dealer at all, but with 45K on the car I don't worry about any warranty service. My local VW dealer was really cool about making sure not to plug in and read the computer on my Jetta Sportwagen TDI (and I had it flashed with 100 miles on it!) Funny thing is both dealerships are owned by the same guy ... who flashed one of his Audis with 70 miles on it!

Warranty-wise, yes a flash will void the warranty on certain things that can be traced to the flash (engine, probably transmission and drivetrain), but a flash cannot void warranty on other non-related areas.

By the way: reading your signature about your SQ, you likely have already voided your warranty with your springs, exhaust and downpipes so you might as well go all the way.

No way springs, exhaust and downpipes will void a warranty.

[BillVT]

No way springs, exhaust and downpipes will void a warranty.

Respectfully disagree. Audi can (and will) claim ANY modification to the car voids the warranty. Exhaust and downpipes especially for the motor. Springs for suspension and even for the panoramic roof. I don't worry about it, but better to be aware than caught by surprise.

[riceboy22]

+1 to what @BillVT said. If your service department doesn't like you (or if Audi corporate gets involved) they can absolutely connect the dots from any of those mods to (loosely) related components elsewhere on the car. If you mod the car, be prepared to accept that risk.

[Jackson1019]

Respectfully disagree. Audi can (and will) claim ANY modification to the car voids the warranty. Exhaust and downpipes especially for the motor. Springs for suspension and even for the panoramic roof. I don't worry about it, but better to be aware than caught by surprise.

Only thing I could maybe see would be the down pipes. I guess Audi isn't as cool as BMW because BMW gives me zero problems when my M5 goes in for service. I guess I need to find a cool Audi SA.

Thanks for opening my eyes on this issue fellas. Preciate it.

Cheers,
Anthony

[riceboy22]

I guess I need to find a cool Audi SA.

Yup this. I think it's more a service department thing than an Audi vs BMW thing. The only thing an Audi SA has really limited ability to influence is voiding your powertrain warranty when a tune is detected.

[seanentrust]

I want to do a Stage I flash so bad to my SQ5 I can't stand it, but I just can't bring myself to do it.

I went Stage III K04 on my 2.0T Q5 (2011), engine blew and no warranty.
Right after 65K service I started having major oil consumption issues. It was probably the carbon buildup issue, but the APR flash made all of it null & void. I took big loss and traded it in.

I got the extended 100K mile warranty on the SQ.
I told myself no engine/drivetrain/exhaust mods this time.

I'm doing suspension, because I can't stand the gap/handling.
But drivetrain is still under warranty.

I wasn't as interested until the roughly 50hp increase of the v1.0 software bumped up to nearly double that with the v2.0 software.

354 hp/346 tq (stock)
449 hp/388 tq (stage I)
455 hp/400 tq (stage II/pulley)
463 hp/406 tq (stage II/pulley & intake)


The stage I is almost a no brainer if you want that much gain (nearly 100 hp more) with no freaking hardware upgrades. That's crazy town. I have to reign in my desire on that one.

It went from 299 to 387 at the wheel!

get a chipwerke box :)

[Mobileguy]

No, don’t get a chipwerke… been there, done that. Get an APR tune if you can, but more about this below… ☹

As for Audi “voiding” any warranty, this has been discussed at nauseam in this forum. A modification will not generally “void” a warranty (a vehicle warranty is governed by federal statutes) but it will give Audi a slam-dunk case to deny a mod related claim under their limited warranty. For example, if you modify you suspension and the engine blows, there isn’t a reasonable argument to deny warranty coverage. But if you modify ECU software and your engine blows, you are in a loosing battle to convince Audi (or a court) that the tune wasn't a contributing factor. If you add downpipes or an aftermarket intake to increase the engine’s performance and it blows, same deal – Audi will claim the increase in power contributed to the failure and your only option is to spend a ton of money to sue and have expensive expert witnesses argue against that. Frankly, I don’t blame Audi to push back on mods that actually have the ability to damage their cars, but unfortunately this is often used to deny claims that are related to very common design issues (B8 transmissions, anyone)? Bottom line is, if you can’t afford to pay for substantial damage to you car that may be pinned to your mod – don’t do it.

Also, if you add an ECU tune to your car, *REMOVE IT* before you return your car to the dealership. There is a lot of conflicting information out here about whether an ECU flash can be detected even after removed, but there is one thing for certain and that is that it *WILL BE* detected if you don’t remove it. And as others have pointed out before, establish a relationship with your SA before your ever bring in your car. If they don’t seem mod friendly, take it somewhere else.

As for APR, I agree Stage I is a no brainer on the Q5 3.0 if you can actually get it… Hey APR Arin, how long does it take for you guys to add an ECU box code? Mine (8R0907551F 0006) is not in your system even though some poor guy just went without his car for a couple of week because his ECU was sent out to you guys for reverse engineering…

Sorry for the long rant, I had nothing better to do tonight ☺

[BillVT]

No, don’t get a chipwerke… been there, done that. Get an APR tune if you can, but more about this below… ☹

As for Audi “voiding” any warranty, this has been discussed at nauseam in this forum. A modification will not generally “void” a warranty (a vehicle warranty is governed by federal statutes) but it will give Audi a slam-dunk case to deny a mod related claim under their limited warranty. For example, if you modify you suspension and the engine blows, there isn’t a reasonable argument to deny warranty coverage. But if you modify ECU software and your engine blows, you are in a loosing battle to convince Audi (or a court) that the tune wasn't a contributing factor. If you add downpipes or an aftermarket intake to increase the engine’s performance and it blows, same deal – Audi will claim the increase in power contributed to the failure and your only option is to spend a ton of money to sue and have expensive expert witnesses argue against that. Frankly, I don’t blame Audi to push back on mods that actually have the ability to damage their cars, but unfortunately this is often used to deny claims that are related to very common design issues (B8 transmissions, anyone)? Bottom line is, if you can’t afford to pay for substantial damage to you car that may be pinned to your mod – don’t do it.

Also, if you add an ECU tune to your car, *REMOVE IT* before you return your car to the dealership. There is a lot of conflicting information out here about whether an ECU flash can be detected even after removed, but there is one thing for certain and that is that it *WILL BE* detected if you don’t remove it. And as others have pointed out before, establish a relationship with your SA before your ever bring in your car. If they don’t seem mod friendly, take it somewhere else.

As for APR, I agree Stage I is a no brainer on the Q5 3.0 if you can actually get it… Hey APR Arin, how long does it take for you guys to add an ECU box code? Mine (8R0907551F 0006) is not in your system even though some poor guy just went without his car for a couple of week because his ECU was sent out to you guys for reverse engineering…

Sorry for the long rant, I had nothing better to do tonight ☺

Good "rant" and well explained!

[seanentrust]

No, don’t get a chipwerke… been there, done that. Get an APR tune if you can, but more about this below… ☹

As for Audi “voiding” any warranty, this has been discussed at nauseam in this forum. A modification will not generally “void” a warranty (a vehicle warranty is governed by federal statutes) but it will give Audi a slam-dunk case to deny a mod related claim under their limited warranty. For example, if you modify you suspension and the engine blows, there isn’t a reasonable argument to deny warranty coverage. But if you modify ECU software and your engine blows, you are in a loosing battle to convince Audi (or a court) that the tune wasn't a contributing factor. If you add downpipes or an aftermarket intake to increase the engine’s performance and it blows, same deal – Audi will claim the increase in power contributed to the failure and your only option is to spend a ton of money to sue and have expensive expert witnesses argue against that. Frankly, I don’t blame Audi to push back on mods that actually have the ability to damage their cars, but unfortunately this is often used to deny claims that are related to very common design issues (B8 transmissions, anyone)? Bottom line is, if you can’t afford to pay for substantial damage to you car that may be pinned to your mod – don’t do it.

Also, if you add an ECU tune to your car, *REMOVE IT* before you return your car to the dealership. There is a lot of conflicting information out here about whether an ECU flash can be detected even after removed, but there is one thing for certain and that is that it *WILL BE* detected if you don’t remove it. And as others have pointed out before, establish a relationship with your SA before your ever bring in your car. If they don’t seem mod friendly, take it somewhere else.

As for APR, I agree Stage I is a no brainer on the Q5 3.0 if you can actually get it… Hey APR Arin, how long does it take for you guys to add an ECU box code? Mine (8R0907551F 0006) is not in your system even though some poor guy just went without his car for a couple of week because his ECU was sent out to you guys for reverse engineering…

Sorry for the long rant, I had nothing better to do tonight ☺

The issue is even when flashed back to stock they still no it's been tuned, the flash counter can not be reset to 0 after a tune, even going back to stock will show a 1 on the flash counter.

[riceboy22]

The issue is even when flashed back to stock they still no it's been tuned, the flash counter can not be reset to 0 after a tune, even going back to stock will show a 1 on the flash counter.

That's true, but at this point, the flash count isn't part of what gets systematically checked in the logs sent back to the VAG servers. That could of course change at any point.

Your service department can see the flash count, but that's why having a good relationship with your SA matters. I personally think you're better off finding an SA you can be completely up front with. If you find one that's mod friendly, they're not going to add any of the manual mod flags, and they'll also help to make sure you get warranty repairs covered assuming they're not truly related to your tune. You should still remove all modifications like @Mobileguy said though before going in for service. Don't put your SA in a position where he/she can't help you.

[Mobileguy]

Just got my stage 1 flash loaded... Well worth it