Burning questions...need some guidance

[scavokRS3]

So for about 15+ years, I have been a loyal Unitronic customer. From Stage 1 all the way to big turbo files. Super happy with their support and product. However, I have been seeing a lot of IE and 034 for tunes on the B9 SQ5's.
So I have some questions. Before I list the questions. My plan is to go stage 1 at first, with intercooler, inlet, and intake. In a year or two, I plan on changing the turbo. I will not be going the corn route as the closest station to me is almost 60 miles away.

What tune do you have?
Why did you go with said tune?
What do you like about the tune?
What do you dislike about it?

Thanks for the help!

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[Mark888]

So for about 15+ years, I have been a loyal Unitronic customer. From Stage 1 all the way to big turbo files. Super happy with their support and product. However, I have been seeing a lot of IE and 034 for tunes on the B9 SQ5's.
So I have some questions. Before I list the questions. My plan is to go stage 1 at first, with intercooler, inlet, and intake. In a year or two, I plan on changing the turbo. I will not be going the corn route as the closest station to me is almost 60 miles away.

What tune do you have?
Why did you go with said tune?
What do you like about the tune?
What do you dislike about it?

Thanks for the help!

Sent from my SM-S908U1 using Audizine Forum mobile app

034 Stage ECU + Stage 2 TCU

I went with 034 mainly due to feedback from folks on these forums. Ease of programming at home was a must for me. I have not tried any other tunes on my B9 so I can't give any useful comparisons unfortunately.

The Stage 2 TCU is kind of a must for the 034 tune. Without that, AMAX is not enabled and shifts are a mess. Rough, juddery.

With the Stage 2 TCU tune things are decent and shifts are quick. Plenty of power is delivered.

My complaints? I don't think they went far enough with the shift points in the stage 2 TCU programming. In Drive mode, it should hold the gears longer for 1-2 and 2-3 and 3-4. After that it's fine. Since it shifts too early, shifts are rougher than they need to be. In manual mode you can hold the gears longer and get smoother shifts.

My other complaint is downshifts. The programming waits too long and is way too slow to downshift. I think there is a lot of room for improvement there. Again, in manual mode it's much better. A clutch and a stick shift would be even better ;)

Their support has been decent. They are fairly responsive and have released a few updates since the tune originally came out.

I'd be interested in hearing further comparisons from folks who have run a few different stage 1 tunes on B9!

Mark

[scavokRS3]

034 Stage ECU + Stage 2 TCU

I went with 034 mainly due to feedback from folks on these forums. Ease of programming at home was a must for me. I have not tried any other tunes on my B9 so I can't give any useful comparisons unfortunately.

The Stage 2 TCU is kind of a must for the 034 tune. Without that, AMAX is not enabled and shifts are a mess. Rough, juddery.

With the Stage 2 TCU tune things are decent and shifts are quick. Plenty of power is delivered.

My complaints? I don't think they went far enough with the shift points in the stage 2 TCU programming. In Drive mode, it should hold the gears longer for 1-2 and 2-3 and 3-4. After that it's fine. Since it shifts too early, shifts are rougher than they need to be. In manual mode you can hold the gears longer and get smoother shifts.

My other complaint is downshifts. The programming waits too long and is way too slow to downshift. I think there is a lot of room for improvement there. Again, in manual mode it's much better. A clutch and a stick shift would be even better ;)

Their support has been decent. They are fairly responsive and have released a few updates since the tune originally came out.

I'd be interested in hearing further comparisons from folks who have run a few different stage 1 tunes on B9!

Mark

Thank you for your feedback. This will help when it comes time to make a decision.

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[Hostile]

What tune do you have? - JB4 running Map3
Why did you go with said tune? - I bought my car new and wanted to preserve the powertrain warranty.
What do you like about the tune? - I can remove it from the car and the dealer never knows it was there.
What do you dislike about it? - It doesn't do any throttle mapping and I can't get a transmission tune. I'm probably going to buy that APR pedal booster to solve the throttle issues.

Once my car is out of warranty I'll get going with a ECU/TCU tune, most likely from 034.

[scavokRS3]

What tune do you have? - JB4 running Map3
Why did you go with said tune? - I bought my car new and wanted to preserve the powertrain warranty.
What do you like about the tune? - I can remove it from the car and the dealer never knows it was there.
What do you dislike about it? - It doesn't do any throttle mapping and I can't get a transmission tune. I'm probably going to buy that APR pedal booster to solve the throttle issues.

Once my car is out of warranty I'll get going with a ECU/TCU tune, most likely from 034.

I don't know if you're asking me, but I am not tuned. I did have JB4 on my Golf R, with Uni stage 1+. That was an awesome setup!

I was contemplating JB4, again. But I think I will skip that and go straight to a tune.

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[Hostile]

I don't know if you're asking me, but I am not tuned. I did have JB4 on my Golf R, with Uni stage 1+. That was an awesome setup!

I was contemplating JB4, again. But I think I will skip that and go straight to a tune.

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I wasn’t asking you anything. I was answering your questions…

[scavokRS3]

I wasn’t asking you anything. I was answering your questions…

Oh my goodness..
My bad.

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[yagiska]

What tune do you have?

APR Plus

Why did you go with said tune?

Wanted a tune with a factory-like warranty. APR/Dinan have been around forever. I’ve used APR tunes on past vehicles.

What do you like about the tune?

Solid performance for 91, which is all we can conveniently run on a daily driver in the PNW. Tune provides OEM-like experience with more power.

What do you dislike about it?

No at home tuning. I don’t need switching, but it would be nice to reflash/update at home without paying labor. Lack of support for the platform by APR in general - no intake, TCU tune, or upgrade path.


Overall mostly happy with the decision. If I end up keeping the SQ5 long enough to near the end of the warranty, I’ll likely switch to 034 and go stage 3.

[ccoop6]

What tune do you have?
Why did you go with said tune?
What do you like about the tune?
What do you dislike about it?
[/URL]

1. 034Motorsports Stage 1 ECU/TCU

2. Great reviews and seemed like a win! They had the record for SQ5 1/4 mile stock turbo.

3. The car has sooo much more power and the launches are awesome! I dropped a full second in the 60’. The shifts are quicker than stock.

4. When part throttle the shifts can be a little rough like it shifts sooner than it wants to. I have trans mount insert coming which should help.

Hope this helps!


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[JonnyBravo!]

I had Unitronic’s stage 1, and recently switched to 034’s stage 1 E85. I don’t think you can go wrong with either. It just depends on what you want to do. I haven’t checked in some time, but I don’t think Uni has any tune available past stage 1. I wanted more power, so that’s why I switched tunes. But Uni was great, no issues.

[Mark888]

I had Unitronic’s stage 1, and recently switched to 034’s stage 1 E85. I don’t think you can go wrong with either. It just depends on what you want to do. I haven’t checked in some time, but I don’t think Uni has any tune available past stage 1. I wanted more power, so that’s why I switched tunes. But Uni was great, no issues.

Any comparison between the uni stage 1 and 034 stage 1? Any differences with shift points for everyday driving? Shifting smoothness? I'm guessing performance is pretty comparable, excluding 85 tune, etc. But I'm curious about differences in refinement. I find the 034 programming to be a bit rough around the edges.

[Mark888]

034 Stage ECU + Stage 2 TCU

I went with 034 mainly due to feedback from folks on these forums. Ease of programming at home was a must for me. I have not tried any other tunes on my B9 so I can't give any useful comparisons unfortunately.

The Stage 2 TCU is kind of a must for the 034 tune. Without that, AMAX is not enabled and shifts are a mess. Rough, juddery.

With the Stage 2 TCU tune things are decent and shifts are quick. Plenty of power is delivered.

My complaints? I don't think they went far enough with the shift points in the stage 2 TCU programming. In Drive mode, it should hold the gears longer for 1-2 and 2-3 and 3-4. After that it's fine. Since it shifts too early, shifts are rougher than they need to be. In manual mode you can hold the gears longer and get smoother shifts.

My other complaint is downshifts. The programming waits too long and is way too slow to downshift. I think there is a lot of room for improvement there. Again, in manual mode it's much better. A clutch and a stick shift would be even better ;)

Their support has been decent. They are fairly responsive and have released a few updates since the tune originally came out.

I'd be interested in hearing further comparisons from folks who have run a few different stage 1 tunes on B9!

Mark

I have to amend my comments. Yesterday, I switched profiles in my 034 Stage 1 tune. I switched from the 91 octane profile to 93 octane profile. Wow, what a difference. It is clear to me now that the team at 034 focused their test time on the 93 profile (and probably the e85 profile) and the 91 profile was more of an afterthought.

Everything is better in the 93 profile. The shift points in drive mode are significantly improved. It holds the gear longer before shifting. Since it has more power and torque, the need to downshift is reduced in many scenarios. The shifts are so much smoother because of the improved shift points. Downshifts are smoother as well.

I feel like I can finally put my stamp of approval on the 034 Stage 1 tune.

[asrautox]

I have to amend my comments. Yesterday, I switched profiles in my 034 Stage 1 tune. I switched from the 91 octane profile to 93 octane profile. Wow, what a difference. It is clear to me now that the team at 034 focused their test time on the 93 profile (and probably the e85 profile) and the 91 profile was more of an afterthought.

Everything is better in the 93 profile. The shift points in drive mode are significantly improved. It holds the gear longer before shifting. Since it has more power and torque, the need to downshift is reduced in many scenarios. The shifts are so much smoother because of the improved shift points. Downshifts are smoother as well.

I feel like I can finally put my stamp of approval on the 034 Stage 1 tune.

034 is in CA. Our 91 gas is certifiably horrible for performance and I’m sure their tune reflects the best they can offer despite the fuel limitations. Luckily, we have easy access to E85




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[Hostile]

I have to amend my comments. Yesterday, I switched profiles in my 034 Stage 1 tune. I switched from the 91 octane profile to 93 octane profile. Wow, what a difference. It is clear to me now that the team at 034 focused their test time on the 93 profile (and probably the e85 profile) and the 91 profile was more of an afterthought.

Everything is better in the 93 profile. The shift points in drive mode are significantly improved. It holds the gear longer before shifting. Since it has more power and torque, the need to downshift is reduced in many scenarios. The shifts are so much smoother because of the improved shift points. Downshifts are smoother as well.

I feel like I can finally put my stamp of approval on the 034 Stage 1 tune.

You live in PA, why were you using a 91 octane file in the first place? 93 is everywhere here in the mid-Atlantic.

[Mark888]

You live in PA, why were you using a 91 octane file in the first place? 93 is everywhere here in the mid-Atlantic.

General dumb-ness I suppose.

[S4'ed]

I generally don't think there is a big difference, if any, between the ECU tuners.

[GoCougs1234]

2021 Audi SQ5 Prestige - got the tune at ~36k miles, currently have ~41k miles

What: APR stage 1 91 octane and APR intercooler (I run 92 octane)
Why: Smog legal, warranty, biggest player
Like: Huge performance increase at warm-ish temps (50s F+) - ~0.5 sec shaved off both 0-60 and 1/4 mile, ever more impressive part throttle response and performance
Don't like: Once temps dipped into the 30s performance decreased, and my last session at about 30F I'm slower from stock from a roll - after much much much logging and testing and APR says NPF - maybe winter gas, maybe traction, maybe a rare mix of environmental conditions. Turns out there are complaints about cold weather problems with tunes - APR and otherwise (see this thread). In that thread, the solution was a revised tune, albeit not in the 3.0 TFSI. I also have a slight surging during moderate to max acceleration, but that's been there from the beginning.
Lesson learned: Last time I hot rodded a car, 25+ years ago, and much to my surprise, it's the same then as now - there are compromises in doing so.

[spindlewood]

What tune do you have? APR 91 Stage 1

Why did you go with said tune? It was the first and only tune at the time (5/2/2020). EPL was in beta, but APR was established, reputable, and had a website.

What do you like about the tune? OEM smooth with nice power bump. Less throttle lag in D. Over 1 mpg better gas mileage (I've kept meticulous records). It's not obnoxiously loud. It doesn't hold onto shifts too long, and in fact, I never notice shifts. FYI, I drive in D 99.9% of the time.

What do you dislike about it? No flash at home. Local dealer charges $100 for each flash. But, car is now out of warranty, 91 is all there is in the PNW, so I'd never use flash at home except for updates or possibly when i sell it in the far distant future. With v 2.1 being everything I could want, this is mainly psychological and moot. The sore point was that Arin promised flash at home was coming, then retracted over a year later.

[scavokRS3]

Thanks for all the replies. Much appreciated. I'm definitely looking for a tune that will improve the factory shift points. Sometimes, it's pretty brutal how this thing shifts. At this point I know Uni doesn't have any transmission tunes, unfortunately.
I'll be making a decision here in the coming month or so.

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[Mark888]

Thanks for all the replies. Much appreciated. I'm definitely looking for a tune that will improve the factory shift points. Sometimes, it's pretty brutal how this thing shifts. At this point I know Uni doesn't have any transmission tunes, unfortunately.
I'll be making a decision here in the coming month or so.

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Glad I'm not the only one annoyed by the shift behavior. Seems like Audi needs to drive their competition a bit to see where the bar is set. The stock Audi tuning is really quite bad.

Wish there were a tune for steering feel as well ;)

[SQ510]

034 is in CA. Our 91 gas is certifiably horrible for performance and I’m sure their tune reflects the best they can offer despite the fuel limitations. Luckily, we have easy access to E85




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Are you running 100% e85 or blending? I’m in CA and it’s hard to find anything higher than 91. I see e85 here and there and have been thinking about trying it out.


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[asrautox]

Are you running 100% e85 or blending? I’m in CA and it’s hard to find anything higher than 91. I see e85 here and there and have been thinking about trying it out.


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100%. No need to blend.


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[jfive]

Since we are on the topic, I also had some questions about tuning the B9 SQ5. Based on feedback, I am likely going to go with the 034 93 Octane.

Are there any other mods I should consider to support/complement the Stage 1 tune? Any impacts to maintenance (oil changes, types of oil, etc.) I should be aware of? Any other advice folks have is appreciated.

My car is off warranty in a few weeks so no concerns there.

[Hostile]

Since we are on the topic, I also had some questions about tuning the B9 SQ5. Based on feedback, I am likely going to go with the 034 93 Octane.

Are there any other mods I should consider to support/complement the Stage 1 tune? Any impacts to maintenance (oil changes, types of oil, etc.) I should be aware of? Any other advice folks have is appreciated.

My car is off warranty in a few weeks so no concerns there.

034’s website lists the recommended and required mods for each of their tunes. You just have to scroll down the page more.

Their Stage 1 tunes are designed to be run with no additional hardware upgrades. If you add an intercooler and cold air intake they say you will get more power, about 70-80% of the way to their Stage 2 tune numbers.

As for maintenance, I have their Stage 1 93 octane runs on my wife’s Golf R and when I asked them about any changes to maintenance they told me that they do not recommend and additional maintenance outside of the Audi intervals because they strive for an OEM-like experience.

[jfive]

Thanks I see the page you are referring to now, very helpful.. One additional question. Is there no way to get the flash kit to work on a Mac? I have a PC for work but my company is strict about downloading new software/apps. Assume I would need to download a software or application to do the job?

[Hostile]

Thanks I see the page you are referring to now, very helpful.. One additional question. Is there no way to get the flash kit to work on a Mac? I have a PC for work but my company is strict about downloading new software/apps. Assume I would need to download a software or application to do the job?

They only support Windows 10 and 11 for their flashing app.

AFAIK know they do not support flashing through any sort of VM or through Boot Camp.

[Mark888]

The good news is that you can buy a Windows laptop with the same specs as your Mac for about one third the price.