'15 S7 DL501 Advice

[jrubio96]

Hey guys! I asked in the 4.0 FB group but didn't get much in the way of responses. I got my S7 in Dec '21 with 55k miles. Immediately did oil change, DSG service, and tuned with IEs ECU/TCU package. Car was trouble free for quite awhile. Early this year I started noticing some shift flares, kicking down way too easily, and occasionally the car would buck under WOT from 3rd to 4th.

Performed an adaptation and it was fine for a couple weeks. Now shift flare is setting in again from 3rd go 4th. If I'm doing a pull in M and hit the upshoft around 5k rpm in 3rd, instead of dropping RPMs and raising gear, the rpms stay the same, and car continues to accelerate and then eventually rpms continue to go up having never dropped despite being upshifted.

I'm going to do my 75k service soon as I'm at 73.2 right now, and do another DSG service. Probably going to get a sample of the fluid too and send it off to Blackstone.

With all that said, does that sound like failing clutches, or what should I do/investigate? I had some friends say it could be TCU tune related but I can't imagine it's from IEs tcu since I had no issues for most of ownership.

Thanks for any advice!

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[MattyMarkey]

Flash back to stock and figure out if it's potentially tune related. There is a chance that the tune has caused some damage, or exacerbated failing mechatronic/clutches, but it's the first step for process of elimination and easy enough.

You are going to get quite a few people with less than ideal reviews of IE tunes...

Either way, sounds mechatronic unit issues versus failing clutches

[jrubio96]

Flash back to stock and figure out if it's potentially tune related. There is a chance that the tune has caused some damage, or exacerbated failing mechatronic/clutches, but it's the first step for process of elimination and easy enough.

You are going to get quite a few people with less than ideal reviews of IE tunes...

Either way, sounds mechatronic unit issues versus failing clutches

I had flashed to stock prior to the dsg adaptation I did a couple weeks ago. Car behaved fine, just the car wouldn't hit full boost from the torque limitations on stock TCU.

Why would people have less than ideal feelings on IE? I know they blew some engines on Rs, but haven't heard anything negative with 4.0t or Dl501

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[MattyMarkey]

I had flashed to stock prior to the dsg adaptation I did a couple weeks ago. Car behaved fine, just the car wouldn't hit full boost from the torque limitations on stock TCU.

Why would people have less than ideal feelings on IE? I know they blew some engines on Rs, but haven't heard anything negative with 4.0t or Dl501

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Search out the forum for reviews if you want. So sounds like you nailed down the potential root cause then... if your cars transmission behaves like it should in stock form, but acts like $@*# with a TCU tune, feels like you have a very likely culprit

[jrubio96]

Search out the forum for reviews if you want. So sounds like you nailed down the potential root cause then... if your cars transmission behaves like it should in stock form, but acts like $@*# with a TCU tune, feels like you have a very likely culprit

I dont know if that necessarily proves anything. Car is allowing way less torque on stock TCU parameters. Dynoed 651wtq when tuned. It's not behaving like shit now, it was, but now I'm just getting shift flare specifically from 3rd to 4th on WOT. I suppose I can hit up Carter as I have a relationship with IE and see if we can log certain trans parameters and make adjustments. Logic to me at least says if it was fine for a year on software, it's hardware not software related. However I still appreciate your insight, I may be open to switching tcu tunes but I'd need a refund guarantee from whoever it is if the car does the same thing.

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[MattyMarkey]

I dont know if that necessarily proves anything. Car is allowing way less torque on stock TCU parameters. Dynoed 651wtq when tuned. It's not behaving like shit now, it was, but now I'm just getting shift flare specifically from 3rd to 4th on WOT. I suppose I can hit up Carter as I have a relationship with IE and see if we can log certain trans parameters and make adjustments. Logic to me at least says if it was fine for a year on software, it's hardware not software related. However I still appreciate your insight, I may be open to switching tcu tunes but I'd need a refund guarantee from whoever it is if the car does the same thing.

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This could be me, but I’m a little confused… bad shifts/symptoms when utilizing the TCU tune… flashed back to stock recently and does not have the same symptoms and works like it should on stock tune… what am I missing?

Stock means stock. That’s means flash both ECU/TCU to stock. Do you have tranny problems? If not, I would disagree with your logic and points to the tune. These symptoms would show at any power level, especially if your clutches and/or mechatronic unit are on the way out.


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[jrubio96]

This could be me, but I’m a little confused… bad shifts/symptoms when utilizing the TCU tune… flashed back to stock recently and does not have the same symptoms and works like it should on stock tune… what am I missing?

Stock means stock. That’s means flash both ECU/TCU to stock. Do you have tranny problems? If not, I would disagree with your logic and points to the tune. These symptoms would show at any power level, especially if your clutches and/or mechatronic unit are on the way out.


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I was still tuned ecu side of things when I flashed the trans stock, and it was for only a day. Maybe a longer term of testing is needed. Because with the adaptation, it took a couple weeks for flaring to set back in again.

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[MattyMarkey]

I was still tuned ecu side of things when I flashed the trans stock, and it was for only a day. Maybe a longer term of testing is needed. Because with the adaptation, it took a couple weeks for flaring to set back in again.

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Gotcha. I would personally want to test it back on stock tunes for a bit, if possible, to narrow it down some more. Going right to clutchpack and/or Mechatronic is a larger, more costly endeavor

[Audibellybutton]

When you do your dsg service check the magnets and see if theres any metal being collected.

im not one to dogpile on a company either but i think it is important to know that there has been several complaints about the DL501 TCU tune so just keep that in mind. If the car is functioning fine with the stock tcu tune then you know where the issue lies

[jrubio96]

Update to this. DSG Service and adaptations performed, car is better now, in S it seems to be fine under partial and full throttle, but in M there's a touch of slipping from 3rd to 4th if shifted under 5500rpm, and the car won't upshift to 5th until over 6000rpm even if I hit upshift around 5k. Car also kicks down in M too easily. Decided I'm probably going to get a kyletunedit tcu, and hope that solves the issue with the goal to eventually go DS1 and big turbo. If I need new clutches, at least I know he has a tune for upgraded clutches too.

[MattyMarkey]

Update to this. DSG Service and adaptations performed, car is better now, in S it seems to be fine under partial and full throttle, but in M there's a touch of slipping from 3rd to 4th if shifted under 5500rpm, and the car won't upshift to 5th until over 6000rpm even if I hit upshift around 5k. Car also kicks down in M too easily. Decided I'm probably going to get a kyletunedit tcu, and hope that solves the issue with the goal to eventually go DS1 and big turbo. If I need new clutches, at least I know he has a tune for upgraded clutches too.

This is on a TCU tune or stock? You mentioned there were no issues when on the stock TCU, or have the issues shown up when on a stock trans tune?


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[jrubio96]

I'm back in IE tcu. They sent a revision but didn't change much.

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[MattyMarkey]

I'm back in IE tcu. They sent a revision but didn't change much.

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Sounds about right. Hope the new TCU tune works out for you


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[jrubio96]

Sounds about right. Hope the new TCU tune works out for you


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Appreciate it. Let me know if you know any other solid DL501 tuners. I hear Kyle has a great tune, but can be hard to get ahold of.

And to the person who mentioned check the fluid for metal, thankfully it was all good in that department.

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[MattyMarkey]

Appreciate it. Let me know if you know any other solid DL501 tuners. I hear Kyle has a great tune, but can be hard to get ahold of.

And to the person who mentioned check the fluid for metal, thankfully it was all good in that department.

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I have SRM. John McDonald created it, Kyle supported/worked on it. Not sure how different his specific TCU tune is, but I’d wager they are rather similar.


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[jrubio96]

I have SRM. John McDonald created it, Kyle supported/worked on it. Not sure how different his specific TCU tune is, but I’d wager they are rather similar.


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I dabble in the 4.0 groups on FB from time to time, and see Johns claiming to have been plagiarized by SRM, and then a couple days ago someone said Johns tune cause their trans to fail? Tons of drama on those groups sometimes.

[MattyMarkey]

I dabble in the 4.0 groups on FB from time to time, and see Johns claiming to have been plagiarized by SRM, and then a couple days ago someone said Johns tune cause their trans to fail? Tons of drama on those groups sometimes.

John is back working for/with SRM. Kyle no longer works for them. There is drama there for sure!

Never heard Johns TCU tune caused the tranny to fail... that would mean the SRM TCU tune would've caused a tranny(s) to fail. Thinking Kyle likely made revisions to the tune during his time, but who knows what John is doing now that he is back too. Certainly have heard John's ECU tunes have pushed some limits, now that I have heard.