APR ECU Upgrades for th2019+ Audi A6 Quattro, A6 allroad, and A7 Sportback 3.0T (C8)

**Arin@APR** · 08-20-2022 06:44 AM

Just once again keep in mind the year doesn’t mean we can’t flash it or not. The latest ones (usually mid 2021+) are “locked” when it comes to pulling the factory code off of the ECU. We can still get some of those factory codes, so we can still flash some of them, just not all of them. If there was a factory update, for example, we can usually always flash those. Extracting the locked files should change in the future. Someone will figure out how to make the extraction work on all the ECUs.

**skids929** · 08-20-2022 09:56 AM

Originally Posted by Arin@APR

Just once again keep in mind the year doesn’t mean we can’t flash it or not. The latest ones (usually mid 2021+) are “locked” when it comes to pulling the factory code off of the ECU. We can still get some of those factory codes, so we can still flash some of them, just not all of them. If there was a factory update, for example, we can usually always flash those. Extracting the locked files should change in the future. Someone will figure out how to make the extraction work on all the ECUs.

Thanks for the info, certainly helps. You think it's worth me looking into what can be done to mine with you guys? Mine is definitely a 2021+ but happy to shoot you my VIN if thats all you need.

**bobamoo** · 08-20-2022 10:21 AM

Having it installed on my 2019 A6 3.0T this Wednesday!

**Arin@APR** · 08-20-2022 10:23 AM

Send me this info, if you can, and it may give me a good idea:
https://www.goapr.com/support/boxcode/

**skids929** · 08-20-2022 11:04 AM

Originally Posted by Arin@APR

Send me this info, if you can, and it may give me a good idea:
https://www.goapr.com/support/boxcode/

ok I need to bring that into GMP, I don't have a scan tool. No other way to get this?

**FN-2187 S5** · 08-21-2022 08:33 PM

Anyone have any real world times with this tune? I have an S5 SB with a 034 tune that I love, understand I’d be taking performance down but in need of something more practical soon so I’m curious of any 0-60 times for this A6 allroad tune.

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**Alex M** · 08-21-2022 09:31 PM

Originally Posted by Arin@APR

Just once again keep in mind the year doesn’t mean we can’t flash it or not. The latest ones (usually mid 2021+) are “locked” when it comes to pulling the factory code off of the ECU. We can still get some of those factory codes, so we can still flash some of them, just not all of them. If there was a factory update, for example, we can usually always flash those. Extracting the locked files should change in the future. Someone will figure out how to make the extraction work on all the ECUs.

I don't have a valid boxcode for the tune, but if I sent over my VIN, would checking into it make a difference? I'll shoot it over anyway, maybe get lucky.

**Arin@APR** · 08-22-2022 05:44 AM

I can't tell by the VIN unfortunately. I need info from a scan tool: https://www.goapr.com/support/boxcode/

**Alex M** · 08-22-2022 07:53 AM

Got the PM! Thanks for double-checking. Looks like Mabs and I will be patiently waiting.

**mabs** · 08-22-2022 08:24 AM

Hah I wouldn't call it patiently. Hoping Audi needs to update my software. Cause like Ricky Bobby I too would like to go fast.(or at least faster)

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**Alex M** · 08-22-2022 11:13 AM

Originally Posted by mabs

Hah I wouldn't call it patiently. Hoping Audi needs to update my software. Cause like Ricky Bobby I too would like to go fast.(or at least faster)

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I know, I was being generous. I just want my boat to pull hard on the bottom end. :(

**maxvq35** · 08-24-2022 05:24 PM

I dropped off my car today to RSW Euro , an APR dealer over my ways and my ECU tune was successful ! Looking forward to picking her up tomorrow and getting to know her all over again on the new stance . Just had my 40k service done so she's mechanically healthy

Very happy APR has finally gotten the chains moving supporting the A series C8 , patiently waiting on any other goodies in the pipeline

**maxvq35** · 08-25-2022 06:17 PM

Just want to say thanks to the APR team getting this tune out, i was wondering if it would ever get support. I've never had the seatbelt on this car squeeze the life out of me like it did after i gave the pedal some business earlier today.

To those wondering some of the simple, not stupid questions.... Perhaps you are like me and never had a car tuned in this fashion before and are cautiously curious.

The car notably idles slightly higher, but feels completely normal, comfortable and balanced under normal driving inputs as your luxury car was before. If your significant other drives your car on occasion...chances are they would not know the difference. With the power the car naturally has one gets around briskly and car barely goes over 2500-3000 RPM with light pedal action under normal use before the Tune, as the same is true after the tune.

At first i thought how could this be? maybe nothing was done. I looped 2 traffic lights from the installer and back, after realizing i had left something in my other car the wife was coming to retrieve. Now the car is warmed up, when i exited onto the highway i gave it the first business as the lanes were empty for a good quarter to half mile.

It has an edge to the throttle response now, less lag and when you mash it rewards you with wallops of torque that feels much more savage than in stock form. The butt meter tells me the car has to feel a second faster to 60, not objective or accurate by any means but it made a quantifiable improvement in acceleration...and it felt like it wanted to keep ripping harder, it was just getting started . Those with this engine know what i mean as far as were the torque curve drops, it certainly is pushing harder north past that curve.

I'll need to get it up and out in the interstate to really pay attention to the broader range of improvements to the powerband across the higher rpm spectrum, but this definitely made this daily driver everything i could wish for. Its faster, makes more power, its seamlessly integrated and it makes for much more fun driving while not impacting the sophistication and mannerisms of the platform. Glad i got it, worth every penny. :)

Also the description of the tune mentions crackle, not 100% sure if it was something elective for the tuner to chose or not, but i've heard nothing of the sorts today. If i come across any nuances worth sharing in the coming days, i'll update my findings.

**Alex M** · 08-25-2022 10:30 PM

Originally Posted by maxvq35

Just want to say thanks to the APR team getting this tune out, i was wondering if it would ever get support. I've never had the seatbelt on this car squeeze the life out of me like it did after i gave the pedal some business earlier today.

To those wondering some of the simple, not stupid questions.... Perhaps you are like me and never had a car tuned in this fashion before and are cautiously curious.

The car notably idles slightly higher, but feels completely normal, comfortable and balanced under normal driving inputs as your luxury car was before. If your significant other drives your car on occasion...chances are they would not know the difference. With the power the car naturally has one gets around briskly and car barely goes over 2500-3000 RPM with light pedal action under normal use before the Tune, as the same is true after the tune.

At first i thought how could this be? maybe nothing was done. I looped 2 traffic lights from the installer and back, after realizing i had left something in my other car the wife was coming to retrieve. Now the car is warmed up, when i exited onto the highway i gave it the first business as the lanes were empty for a good quarter to half mile.

It has an edge to the throttle response now, less lag and when you mash it rewards you with wallops of torque that feels much more savage than in stock form. The butt meter tells me the car has to feel a second faster to 60, not objective or accurate by any means but it made a quantifiable improvement in acceleration...and it felt like it wanted to keep ripping harder, it was just getting started . Those with this engine know what i mean as far as were the torque curve drops, it certainly is pushing harder north past that curve.

I'll need to get it up and out in the interstate to really pay attention to the broader range of improvements to the powerband across the higher rpm spectrum, but this definitely made this daily driver everything i could wish for. Its faster, makes more power, its seamlessly integrated and it makes for much more fun driving while not impacting the sophistication and mannerisms of the platform. Glad i got it, worth every penny. :)

Also the description of the tune mentions crackle, not 100% sure if it was something elective for the tuner to chose or not, but i've heard nothing of the sorts today. If i come across any nuances worth sharing in the coming days, i'll update my findings.

I read these positives reviews and it makes me feel worse that my box code isn't supported lmao. Glad to hear it transforms this car so much! Have fun and be safe.

**skids929** · 08-29-2022 05:29 PM

Originally Posted by Alex M

I read these positives reviews and it makes me feel worse that my box code isn't supported lmao. Glad to hear it transforms this car so much! Have fun and be safe.

yep! Same here, chomping at the bit!!

**jjk73** · 08-31-2022 10:54 AM

Just got back from having the 93 octane tune applied to a 2019 A7 Prestige.

Only drove it home so far, but had a similar initial impression as Maxvq35 - I initially wondered if anything was done to the car at all. If the auto-stop engine wasn't defaulted to off, I would have drove back and sworn the tune didn't take.

The car does feel a little faster when already moving, but I almost have to talk myself into it - I was hoping for a situation where I was grinning ear to ear. Car doesn't feel any different accelerating off a stop sign - I was hoping for it to launch off the line faster. Also don't notice any crackles or burbles at all - either with driving or light revs of the engine to 4-5k.

Maybe next time I drive it and it warms up more it will be more obvious. Another caveat, I typically fill up at Costco in Cincinnati/Northern KY, and not sure if their premium is 91 or 93. Maybe i'll get some octane boost or let this tank go almost empty and pay attention to the next place I fill up at to ensure I'm running good 93 octane.

**jjk73** · 08-31-2022 11:18 AM

Hmm, I just found something else out on another thread that makes me wonder if my flash went through properly. I saw that the gauges are supposed to be changed to show the gear you are in when in Drive or Sport. Ie, it shows D5 or S5, not just D or S. Mine is still just showing D or S. I think I will contact APR and see what they say.

**DRKNESS65** · 08-31-2022 11:23 AM

Any update APR on that I full intake for our vehicles yet ?

**Arin@APR** · 08-31-2022 11:46 AM

It's in production. It will be a few months.

**ZacCT** · 09-01-2022 05:03 AM

Originally Posted by jjk73

Just got back from having the 93 octane tune applied to a 2019 A7 Prestige.

Only drove it home so far, but had a similar initial impression as Maxvq35 - I initially wondered if anything was done to the car at all. If the auto-stop engine wasn't defaulted to off, I would have drove back and sworn the tune didn't take.

The car does feel a little faster when already moving, but I almost have to talk myself into it - I was hoping for a situation where I was grinning ear to ear. Car doesn't feel any different accelerating off a stop sign - I was hoping for it to launch off the line faster. Also don't notice any crackles or burbles at all - either with driving or light revs of the engine to 4-5k.

Maybe next time I drive it and it warms up more it will be more obvious. Another caveat, I typically fill up at Costco in Cincinnati/Northern KY, and not sure if their premium is 91 or 93. Maybe i'll get some octane boost or let this tank go almost empty and pay attention to the next place I fill up at to ensure I'm running good 93 octane.

I would definitely inquire to APR as you stated in the next post. You should definitely feel a seat of the pants improvement with 100+ more lbs of tq.
Do you have a Dragy to run some numbers to compare to stock?
Keep us posted please.

**jjk73** · 09-01-2022 08:26 AM

Originally Posted by ZacCT

I would definitely inquire to APR as you stated in the next post. You should definitely feel a seat of the pants improvement with 100+ more lbs of tq.
Do you have a Dragy to run some numbers to compare to stock?
Keep us posted please.

No Dragy. Also for now I'm taking it easy until I either burn through this tank of gas and am 100% sure I fill with the 93 octane, or until I visit that gas station to see what grade they had. I always choose the top grade available, but I"m not 100% sure that station's top grade was 93.

I called APR, and was told the following. For reference I have https://www.goapr.com/products/softw...U-30T-EA839-C8

With respect to "Exhaust crackle added while retaining temperature safeties". I was told that the Prestige model might have additional inline resonators or mufflers, so crackles might not work on a Prestige. I had the car in my garage, windows down, revved engine in Neutral after having driven it for about 10 minutes, and heard nothing so far. Minor issue, just would have been a cool addition if it worked.

With respect to the "Properly rescaled performance gauges", I was told this only exists for the S and RS models. I thought that odd since this tune is for only A models, but again it's low priority so I didn't push. I was expecting to see my current transmission gear like SpeedRacer22 demonstrated in another post. https://www.audizine.com/forum/showt...ally-available! I asked about if I should be seeing the gear, like in that other post, but support stated I wouldn't see that number unless a TCU flash was done, and the A7 does not get a TCU flash. SpeedRacer22 has an A6, so maybe A6's get a TCU flash?

With respect to the question on if the flash was successful, he took my VIN and could see that the software reported being installed. According to him, if it showed up on his end it must have installed fully and correctly.

**subaruski** · 09-01-2022 08:27 AM

Arin, curious to why C8 3.0 tune power numbers and torque curve are a little different then B9 3.0 tune?

**Arin@APR** · 09-01-2022 08:56 AM

It's fairly difficult to directly compare all of the vehicles 1:1 because of differences in drivetrain loss, transmission and gearing differences, etc. Same with weather, seasons, etc. But overall I'd say the S4 tune is a little more aggressive on low end torque than other platforms.

**subaruski** · 09-01-2022 01:48 PM

Originally Posted by Arin@APR

It's fairly difficult to directly compare all of the vehicles 1:1 because of differences in drivetrain loss, transmission and gearing differences, etc. Same with weather, seasons, etc. But overall I'd say the S4 tune is a little more aggressive on low end torque than other platforms.

Appreciate the insight.

Can anyone speak to the difference in feel with the 3.0 paired with the 8 speed zf vs 7 speed dsg? Coming out of a b9 with the ZF it really has been an impressive transmission but I loved the DSG in my GolfR.

**Alex M** · 09-01-2022 09:24 PM

Originally Posted by subaruski

Appreciate the insight.

Can anyone speak to the difference in feel with the 3.0 paired with the 8 speed zf vs 7 speed dsg? Coming out of a b9 with the ZF it really has been an impressive transmission but I loved the DSG in my GolfR.

As much as I'd hate to say it, I think the ZF is just better. After spirited driving a B9 S5 and a SQ8, the ZF just does what you want without compromise. The DSG feels more robust like a traditional manual car, which is fun in its own right to be fair.

Probably one of the biggest pros of a ZF vs a DSG is that you don't have to worry about driving style and clutch packs. The ZF just allows you to bang through the gears so quickly.

**00_Bora** · 09-07-2022 08:46 AM

Getting my tune tomorrow at Hanover VW. Super excited to eventually pair it with the APR intake too!

**ZacCT** · 09-07-2022 09:53 AM

Originally Posted by 00_Bora

Getting my tune tomorrow at Hanover VW. Super excited to eventually pair it with the APR intake too!

Keep us posted with your reactions!

**00_Bora** · 09-08-2022 12:15 PM

Not going to lie, the initial few pulls after the tune had me nervous that nothing was even done (similar to a post a few threads up here) but it seemed after temps normalized, this thing is a rocket around 3k rpms!! Had to constantly reduce speed on the highway home since I'd get above 80 so quickly without realizing. The paddle shifts and keeping the rpm's within boost range were so fun on the backroad portions too.

Also, never heard the turbo spoil or DV valve on this car prior....and now I definitely hear it during spirited driving with the window down. Cant wait to add the APR intake.

Also, apparently I'm supposed to get an email from APR with a general 'owners manual' but the dealership screwed up my email in their systems. @Arin - perhaps you can help me get this?

**maxvq35** · 09-08-2022 05:30 PM

Originally Posted by 00_Bora

Not going to lie, the initial few pulls after the tune had me nervous that nothing was even done (similar to a post a few threads up here) but it seemed after temps normalized, this thing is a rocket around 3k rpms!! Had to constantly reduce speed on the highway home since I'd get above 80 so quickly without realizing. The paddle shifts and keeping the rpm's within boost range were so fun on the backroad portions too.

Also, never heard the turbo spoil or DV valve on this car prior....and now I definitely hear it during spirited driving with the window down. Cant wait to add the APR intake.

Also, apparently I'm supposed to get an email from APR with a general 'owners manual' but the dealership screwed up my email in their systems. @Arin - perhaps you can help me get this?

Great observation, I've noticed it recently since it's finally colling down here in the eastcoast and been able to enjoy not running the a/c. Yes the turbo sounds are much more pronounced. Even the oem exhaust idles a tad deeper, I'm really looking forward to the intake.

I wonder if APR is willing to do a first run pre-order sale the forum on this A6/A7 intake?!

**Arin@APR** · 09-09-2022 05:58 AM

00 Bora just give us a call and we'll get it corrected.

**Arin@APR** · 09-09-2022 05:58 AM

I don't have any pre-order discounts. sorry!

**Skipr11** · 09-09-2022 07:52 AM

Originally Posted by Arin@APR

I don't have any pre-order discounts. sorry!

Nice effort MAX

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**bobamoo** · 09-10-2022 08:20 AM

I've had the tune on my 2019 A6 Prestige for a couple weeks now. It's awesome! In typical around town driving, the car just feels stronger. It reminds me of driving a big block V8 back in the day. Easy acceleration, effortless. Still feel a bit of initial lag but it's better than before. But getting out of stop and go traffic and on to the highway, WOW! Accelerator halfway and the car pushes you back into the seat. 80mph arrives in very short order. High speed driving, passing other cars is easy peasy, it just keeps going. I've also noticed no drop in gas mileage, which makes me happy too! This is my second A6, first had the 2.0. Had an APR tune put on it as well. Most def worth the money! Just put a set of Conti DWS 06 Plus tires on this week, if this rain ever stops will take the car up to the mountains for a great test!

**Arin@APR** · 09-12-2022 05:55 AM

Awesome. Thank you for the review!

**Winnrider** · 09-14-2022 08:02 AM

APR did not have my box code yet. I don't live anywhere near an APR-affiliated shop but APR sent me to USP Motorsports for a remote tune. USP has been great about getting me the cable/dongle and trying to get the tune installed. Unfortunately, shipping APR is my only option and as my A6 is my daily driver, I can't be without my car for the week (best case) it will take to ship/return/install. Hoping that someone has a similar box code so I can get it done later.

**mabs** · 09-14-2022 11:29 AM

Ooc what's your code?

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**Winnrider** · 09-15-2022 08:56 AM

I didn't write it down but my A6's build date was 11/20 so it is doable just need someone with that code.

**mabs** · 09-15-2022 01:14 PM

Not sure my build date, but purchased Jan 21, sent my ecu in and no luck.

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**chrisdazzo** · 09-19-2022 08:47 PM

Been following this ever since I decided that my next Audi will be a 2020/21 A6 next September. So excited to run the APR+ tune and new intake! Thanks as always Arin!

Edit: drove a 2019 A6 3.0 and those cars pull a lot harder than I expected. I only have concerns about the tune getting me in actual trouble now, ha.

**QsTouch** · 09-25-2022 08:07 PM

@Arin plan on getting the stage 1 on my 2019 A6 within next week or two! I have a question about the upcoming Intake should I wait for the release of that before tune? Any further updates or details on production/ potential release date of CAI?

Thread: APR ECU Upgrades for th2019+ Audi A6 Quattro, A6 allroad, and A7 Sportback 3.0T (C8)

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