EPL OR APR STAGE 1??

[Jayskywalkers7]

Picking up an S7 on Thursday it’s a 2016. Wondering if I should go EPL or APR. I ONLY want to go Stage 1 nothing more the gains are enough for me. The gains on APR look better and I’m hearing better things. I have a APR Dealer 15 minutes from me. But I’d hate to have to keep going back and forth to them. ALSO It has the stock exhaust(not the stock sport exhaust) should I just do a resonator delete on the stock exhaust and would that be enough? I don’t want it to be TOO noisy but I do enjoy the pops . Also if I was to go stage 1 what do I for sure need so I know the car can Handle the extra pwr from the tune

[ericw.]

APR

I had EPL and switched.

EPL had issues with their TCU tune in the past and they don't remove speed limiters. +1 for at home tuning though.

APR is the fastest right now, removes speed limiters and can disable cylinder on demand. Cannot flash at home which makes dealer servicing a pain if you have a warranty.

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[doughboy17]

If you are still under warranty, you may want to consider EPL's flash from home capability. Keep in mind that EPL uses a Mustang dyno and only quotes WHP & WTQ. Mustang dynos are known for being considerably more conservative than other brands.

[flyfishing]

epl if you want to flash from home. also EPL if you buy it used for like 800 or less. not bad at that price.

full price and/or no warranty to care about: apr.

[ryanlada]

APR. I had EPL and switched as well on my 2016. My 2016 never ran right on their tune.

[Jayskywalkers7]

So if I get APR dealer will catch me easier ?

[wwhan]

So if I get APR dealer will catch me easier ?

Could also consider APR Plus: https://www.goaprplus.com/#s640t

[OlyS6]

If the dealer hooks you up to a scan tool they can tell if the ECU has EVER been tuned, putting you at potential risk for getting flagged. If you are just going in for a simple service, be up front with tour advisor and say that you are tuned, and that you’d appreciate it if they didnt scan the car. Many are cool about it. Of course, if you are looking for a warranty repair, they will have to scan your car. I’ve had good luck with this approach, although I’ve been super OCD on doing maintenance, so I’ve had no issues.


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[OlyS6]

Otherwise, you can simply take your car to an indy shop for all service and not worry about it at all.
I originally had epl because I live so far from apr dealers, bit switched to apr and love it

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[Jayskywalkers7]

Could also consider APR Plus: https://www.goaprplus.com/#s640t

I’ll look into that, I have a factory warranty till 2020 April, but I wanna know since I have the stock exhaust should I get anything else? Also when I just go stage 1 do I need anything extra besides the tune

[Jayskywalkers7]

APR. I had EPL and switched as well on my 2016. My 2016 never ran right on their tune.

But is there anything else I need once I go stage 1?

- - - Updated - - -

If the dealer hooks you up to a scan tool they can tell if the ECU has EVER been tuned, putting you at potential risk for getting flagged. If you are just going in for a simple service, be up front with tour advisor and say that you are tuned, and that you’d appreciate it if they didnt scan the car. Many are cool about it. Of course, if you are looking for a warranty repair, they will have to scan your car. I’ve had good luck with this approach, although I’ve been super OCD on doing maintenance, so I’ve had no issues.


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So even if I flash to stock?????

[Nick Fury]

So even if I flash to stock?????

It's not "flash to stock". It's flashing...to a stock file.

[Jayskywalkers7]

It's not "flash to stock". It's flashing...to a stock file.

Ok and flashing to the stock file is a no go. I’m guessing I mine as well not even tune if I’m definitely gonna get caught. Or better yet mine as well not even buy a warranty

[jgoldstein2000]

I like my EPL but have not tried the APR.

[Alister]

Ok and flashing to the stock file is a no go. I’m guessing I mine as well not even tune if I’m definitely gonna get caught.

Expect to get TD1 flagged regardless of the tune.

[Moosestache]

From reading everything I could from posts here.

Some people weren't happy with EPL and switched to APR and were happy. This happened a while back and the issues may have since been resolved.

EPL guys seem to be on here a lot and seem quite helpful, although they weren't able to help the guys with issues that sold their tunes and went to APR.

APR originally pushed the flashing back to stock so people wouldn't get caught, but then Audi changed how they checked and a few people were caught and were denied warranty, and those people were upset. My guess is if you have a tune at any point from any vendor, and you get scanned, you will be caught and might lose your warranty.

You can buy EPL tunes used, it seems kind of odd that people are selling them so often. I can't imagine many people flash their cars then get tired of them being flashed, so it begs the question, did they total their car, did they sell their car, or are they switching to another vendor.

You can't flash APR at home, but there is an app and "dongle" that you can buy that looks like you can switch tunes, but I don't know anything about it.

APR offers a stage 1 tune that includes an aftermarket warranty. That tune is same as the stage 1 regular tune except it costs a lot more, if you are worried about losing your warranty that is an option.

I think EPL may run a little cheaper, but it depends on your dealer

I think they are both pretty similar hp wise and speed wise.

I have an a6 and liked the apr shop better than the EPL shop and went with them. So far I am very happy with my APR tune.

[1flossedS4]

Id go APR personally.

[flyfishing]

You dont see epl bumping their thread here “cables in stock and ready to go” anymore. Wonder why. Prob cause they stop development?


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[mhagens]

Chipwerke not even comparable, right? I’ve considered them too mainly because of the cost.

Claims to add 35% more HP and 25% more Torque for $450. Seems too good to be true.

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[ichi d]

I'm epl only for price reasons. I don't race or track so just the added power was worth it. But I just wished they showed more love for this platform. And I would not buy this tune new but it's a great second hand tune. If I was to do it again, I would go the custom route.

[dragrace8]

JayskywalkerS7,
Go into the forum search. In the keyword field type in Tuned, Warranty, and TD1. If you search in just the C7 section you will find hundreds of posts regarding your question. If you search the entire forum, you will find literally thousands of posts regarding this subject. Pretty much all of us on this board at one time or another have asked ourselves or the group, A.) which tune is the best tune for my "fill in the blank" model car, and B.) will putting a tune on the car void my warranty? These two questions have been discussed pretty much non stop over the last several years. I spent hours and hours reading through all of the threads before making my decision. It might be worth it for you to do that as well.

[Shuga]

What about an IE tune?

[Dirt]

Search here for JB4. It’s a piggyback system that doesn’t flash your ECU and is much more difficult (some say impossible) for the dealer to detect.

[15 Phantom S6]

Chipwerke not even comparable, right? I’ve considered them too mainly because of the cost.

Claims to add 35% more HP and 25% more Torque for $450. Seems too good to be true.

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Not comparable to a real flashed tune but it definitely adds alot of HP. I wouldn't be surprised if the percentages you posted are accurate. I had one for my B8.5 S4 and it added a shit ton of power, probably between 60-80hp easy.

Also, I don't see anyone mentioning Unitronics. They have a comparable tune, you can flash at home and its a touch cheaper.. On top of that, they claim more power than the other tuners as well (for stage 3 at least)..

Unitronics is a great shop, they did a custom tune for me about 8-10 years ago for my BT Audi TT and I'm still using it to this day without issue..

I guess I'm in the minority of folks in this thread, I had EPL stage 1 for my 15 S6 and I had no issues.. I was also a happy camper to be able to sell it and get some $$ back when I went to stage 3..

[turbonator S6]

You dont see epl bumping their thread here “cables in stock and ready to go” anymore. Wonder why. Prob cause they stop development?


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Yeah that was a big turn off. Much too promotional for my tastes.

[Nick Fury]

What about an IE tune?

I have an IE tune on my A7 and am happy with it (sucks that they don't offer transfers, though), but nothing for any turbo cars showing on their website. Only 3.0T.

[Jayskywalkers7]

Ok so what do you guys think about going with an extended 3rd party warranty and then tuning??? I mean wouldn’t that be much smarter? And how would a 3rd party warranty know you tuned

[Nick Fury]

Ok so what do you guys think about going with an extended 3rd party warranty and then tuning??? I mean wouldn’t that be much smarter? And how would a 3rd party warranty know you tuned

They wouldn't know, if you don't take it to the dealer for warranty work. And even if you do, I'm still not sure how they'd know unless they specifically ask if the car is flagged.

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[Jayskywalkers7]

They wouldn't know, if you don't take it to the dealer for warranty work. And even if you do, I'm still not sure how they'd know unless they specifically ask if the car is flagged.

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Well that’s what I mean it just wouldn’t make sense. So maybe I will go APR stage 1 and leave it at that those power gains are simply enough. Also nobody has told me if I should just get stage 1 and if I need anything else along with it or stage 1 doesn’t change much and I won’t need to add anything else

[OlyS6]

Stage 1 changes your car immediately, up-front and in your face. Sadly, you will immediately realize that there is a Stage 2 and a Stage 3 tune beckoning you. No additional hardware needed for Stage 1. Enjoy! Until you want more. There are at least 4 or 5 reasons to go with APR. First and foremost, are proven performance gains. The rest is gravy- speed limiter removed, COD removed if you wish.


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[Jayskywalkers7]

Stage 1 changes your car immediately, up-front and in your face. Sadly, you will immediately realize that there is a Stage 2 and a Stage 3 tune beckoning you. No additional hardware needed for Stage 1. Enjoy! Until you want more. There are at least 4 or 5 reasons to go with APR. First and foremost, are proven performance gains. The rest is gravy- speed limiter removed, COD removed if you wish.


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Thank you sir!

[Commonwealth109]

I only have experience with APR, tuned engine & transmission, to say I'm happy with it is an understatement.

[WatchMeSpend]

I have Stage 1 and it is pretty good. I may not be the fastest thing out there but there is more than enough horsepower to put your engine bay into the back seat of the car in front of you at a stopped traffic light if they don't move fast enough. After studying the APR charts and the differences, it would seem that the software of Stage 1 adds a lot of horsepower and higher rev capability. The problem is the transmission will shift before you get there. There is no TCU tune for a 2016 A7, but you can go in with VCDS and remove the auto upshift when manual shifting and the only thing stopping you is the rev limiter on the motor.

I was looking at Stage 2 Dual Pulley but I see too many comments on having to deal with increased temps and the engine pulling timing. Another issue is that in Ontario, Canada the gas sucks. The dual pulley brings in a lot of torque earlier, which can help a porky car get moving, but if I have to go to 93 octane, I have to use gas with ethanol. Only 91 octane gas has no ethanol from MOST brands (one does have it).

I am considering a Stage 2 single pulley upgrade with software to switch between 91 and 93 because if I run 93, I just get less gas mileage. I figure every once in a while, I would flip the switch to 93 for a weekend or a track day. Can't get any higher octane here.

While we are on the subject, is there anybody running a Stage 2 with single pulley only who can comment on the difference between Stage 1? I am not expecting it to be crazy different, just noticeable. Is there anybody with the auto upshift disabled on a ZF8 who can comment?

[db12]

Ok and flashing to the stock file is a no go. I’m guessing I mine as well not even tune if I’m definitely gonna get caught. Or better yet mine as well not even buy a warranty

Its very rare to get TD1 unless your car requires major warranty work related to the Tune. Like others have said if your that concerned about it just pay a bit more or the APR Plus and your covered.

[XLR8 Erik]

Feel free to stop by our shop if you are ever in the area, we are the APR dealer for your area and would be more than happy to show you the in's and out's of APR's tunes and hardware! Feel free to send me a PM if you have any questions that haven't been answered on here, there's a lot of great info in this thread

[DubJunkE]

Its very rare to get TD1 unless your car requires major warranty work related to the Tune. Like others have said if your that concerned about it just pay a bit more or the APR Plus and your covered.

Not the case anymore. Audi is aggressively looking for any tuned vehicles and hitting them with TD1. If they plug your car into a scan-tool you risk TD1

[Prlme]

Feel free to stop by our shop if you are ever in the area, we are the APR dealer for your area and would be more than happy to show you the in's and out's of APR's tunes and hardware! Feel free to send me a PM if you have any questions that haven't been answered on here, there's a lot of great info in this thread

I'm in NH, how much is your a7 s1 tune?

[Lilrckt]

Search here for JB4. It’s a piggyback system that doesn’t flash your ECU and is much more difficult (some say impossible) for the dealer to detect.

Just looked it up and a website shows only 30hp gains. Anyone know if this is correct seems very small for an s6 gain

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