Any take on MTM as a tuning company. I would be interested in peoples opinions as there doesn't seem to be much on this. Spent hours searching google and info is very limited . I am thinking of ringing all the German MTM dealers to get feedback however I'm sure their opinion will be a little biased.
MTM M-Cantronic for my new 2014 S3 Sport back
- Thread starter rocky13
- Start date
Both MTM and Abt are well respected Germany tuning companies that have all their products TuV approved. As far as I know at the moment they are the only two companies offering re-maps for the 8V and both do this by taking out the existing ECU and replacing it with their own.
Wrong its not a remap and its certainly not their own ecu, its a tuning box that plugs into the standard ecu. Its very expensive and not worth it when proper remaps are imminent from the main tuners.
I would definitely hold out for something from Revo, Gaic etc.
Im going to go ahead with MTM. After speaking to 20 specialist garages in Germany today i am more than convinced regarding MTM. Yes it maybe expensive but the system they develop is second to none. At the end of the day the Germans know what they are talking about so i am happy.
Agreed Silky. This thing is engineered in Germany and designed by the very people who were involved with Quattro development. Its not all about raising the boost pressure to silly levels but protecting the engine is of paramount importance. Looking forward to mine getting tuned at QST next week.
pat15312
Registered User
I'm sure the MTM box is the best product in its category but you must accept that the entire concept of a tuning box means it is inherently limited. Full access to all ECU parameters and the ability to alter them, as is possible with an OBDII flash, will yield better results and at a reduced cost.
This same race happens every time a new engine comes out and tuning boxes are always the first to market. This is there place; they won't be prominent in a years time.
By all means, be proud of your purchase but don't be blinded by it.
This same race happens every time a new engine comes out and tuning boxes are always the first to market. This is there place; they won't be prominent in a years time.
By all means, be proud of your purchase but don't be blinded by it.
Im sure you are right Pat. However, I'm not looking for a thorough tune whereby the ECU is completely remapped. The m cantronic solution although limited brings respectable enjoyment for the average person with the added piece of mind that their engine will not come to any harm hence limited performance.
A proper ecu remap is better than any tuning box, theres just more parameters to play with plus your not fooling the ecu which is pretty crude and to suggest that all remaps are just about raising boost to silly levels is ridiculous, a stage 1 remap is designed to work perfectly with a standard car and APR's maps were been TUV approved the other week...
Like pat said enjoy your purchase but I guarantee no one will be mentioning MTM in 12 months time, there were irrelevant on the last S3 and they will be irrelevant on this one.
Like pat said enjoy your purchase but I guarantee no one will be mentioning MTM in 12 months time, there were irrelevant on the last S3 and they will be irrelevant on this one.
Has anyone yet come up with a proper re-map for the latest Audi engine ECU. I understand it is no long possible to re-map the latest Bosch MED17/EDC17 units through the OBD port and the whole ECU has to be removed from the car and opened up for any changes to be made.
I have also read that in the near the EU will issue a directive where by each individual countries equivalent of our MOT will test to see if the original manufactures setting on the ECU/EDC have changed. If they have the car will fail. Quite how this will be done I have no idea but I understand than Audi now have a system which can tell if any changes have been made.
I have also read that in the near the EU will issue a directive where by each individual countries equivalent of our MOT will test to see if the original manufactures setting on the ECU/EDC have changed. If they have the car will fail. Quite how this will be done I have no idea but I understand than Audi now have a system which can tell if any changes have been made.
pat15312
Registered User
We're looking like a couple of months at the most for the first ones to hit the market.
Audi currently employ the TD1 flag system. How tuning companies will tackle this is unknown at this moment in time but they will most likely work out some way of avoiding a flag. Regarding changes to MOT testing, no chance this would ever get rolled out the right way and it will never stop tuning from happening... ever!
Silky-S3
Is loving his new 8V S3!
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2009
- Messages
- 1,401
- Reaction score
- 345
- Points
- 83
It will be 12 month plus for remaps. I'll be the first in line for one. But in the meantime my S3 is faster than your S3, and that makes me smile 
Life's too short to run standard power!
Life's too short to run standard power!
There definitely not 12 months away, and yeah yours is faster... for now
The ecu in the S3 wont need to be removed its mapped though the obd.
The ecu in the S3 wont need to be removed its mapped though the obd.
Last edited:
Silky-S3
Is loving his new 8V S3!
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2009
- Messages
- 1,401
- Reaction score
- 345
- Points
- 83
There definitely not 12 months away, and yeah yours is faster... for now
Don't believe the timeframes they are quoting, they are always longer.
I have to agree re: a tuning box is a tuning box. They are all the same, and pretty much only alter boost, which causes the ECU to adjust fuelling. That's it. No rocket science.
Yet, you see MTM and ABT charging an absurd price for theirs, while Shark is VERY reasonable. Have a look at the dyno results for each. They're almost identical.
Proper flash tunes are not far off at all. For sure not 12 months. More like 3 months, if at that. I can't justify spending thousands on a tuning box like MTM or ABT when proper flash tunes are around the corner, and I know I'll be going down that path when available. For now, my Shark is plenty.
Yet, you see MTM and ABT charging an absurd price for theirs, while Shark is VERY reasonable. Have a look at the dyno results for each. They're almost identical.
Proper flash tunes are not far off at all. For sure not 12 months. More like 3 months, if at that. I can't justify spending thousands on a tuning box like MTM or ABT when proper flash tunes are around the corner, and I know I'll be going down that path when available. For now, my Shark is plenty.
How do you know that? My expectation would be that as soon as the ECU is cracked, tunes will be available weeks after - why 3 months? Has the box been cracked or are you basing your timescales on previous mappings becoming available after the engine is available?
The ECU was cracked some months ago by a german tuner. Siemonit Racing. It's only time until they all piggy back on this as get their own.
There is no way I can see a tuner releasing a product 3 weeks after the ECU has been cracked. ALOT of R&D has to go into not only adjusting parameters to make sure gains are good, but ensuring integrity of the engine. I would say the last thing a tuner wants to do is release a product that causes a cracked cylinder head.
There is no way I can see a tuner releasing a product 3 weeks after the ECU has been cracked. ALOT of R&D has to go into not only adjusting parameters to make sure gains are good, but ensuring integrity of the engine. I would say the last thing a tuner wants to do is release a product that causes a cracked cylinder head.
Look APR have been pretty public about maps been very close, they have had their maps TUV tested so the finish article is near. Revo posted about mk7 gti software been not too far away although they've kept things a little less public.
I don't see this as an issue. If you want to tune your car, then you take on the risks associated with that. If you don't, then keep your car stock.
Simple choice.
I'll stick to my DTUK box
After having my Golf GTI TD1'd I would say it's not worth the risk.
Fair enough. Although I am still uncertain as to whether or not the Shark box would trip the TD1. I've heard it won't but has anyone actually verified this through VCDS?
Well I'm going into Audi today or tomorrow to have them run diags on the car, I have removed the box but haven't removed the wiring, it's simply blanked off using the "blanker" (for lack of a better name?) that's provided. They know about the box as I told them. Well, it's fairly obvious as soon as they open the bonnet anyway. I'll let you know what happens.
I was under the impression that the car doesn't actually "log" TD1 itself, but Audi's diagnostic tools compare the ECU's settings/values/whatever with what they were when the car left the factory, and if anything has changed then the TD1 flag is sent back to Audi UK/Germany, along with the diagnostics report. I've certainly never seen TD1 anywhere on VCDS. And, that is why I think it would be really difficult for tuners to avoid TD1, as it's Audi's own equipment comparing the values now/then and noticing discrepancies. Someone correct me if I'm wrong tho!
B&O crackling....it's awful....
Told them to scan it and send it off to Audi, and then come back with a recommendation, rather than leave the car with them indefinitely
Had my MTM M-Cantronic fitted today. All i can say is wow - mid range pull is unbelievable. Pictures and videos to follow.
Extremely pleased. The quality of the looms etc were just top notch. Not going to bother with rolling road nonsense...
Extremely pleased. The quality of the looms etc were just top notch. Not going to bother with rolling road nonsense...
now counting 25.000km on the S3.
3000km with the MTM Cantronic.
just can say, great!
the way it delivers the power now is like stock but far more brute!
the boost goes from 1.2 stock to 1.35 now.
Consumption doesn't seem to increase too much.
will give numbers next week.
regards
3000km with the MTM Cantronic.
just can say, great!
the way it delivers the power now is like stock but far more brute!
the boost goes from 1.2 stock to 1.35 now.
Consumption doesn't seem to increase too much.
will give numbers next week.
regards
lucas-suisse
Registered User
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2014
- Messages
- 214
- Reaction score
- 100
- Points
- 43
I just installed & tested my M-Cantronic module on my Audi S3 8V and the BOOST is really quite IMPRESSIVE !!!
The only point so far is the "Doors Auto-Lock function" (that locks the doors automatically when running above 30km/h) that is not working anymore even if this function is ON in the Audi configuration panel.
I would like to get the feedback from other M-Cantronic users on this point.
Thanks in advance.
The only point so far is the "Doors Auto-Lock function" (that locks the doors automatically when running above 30km/h) that is not working anymore even if this function is ON in the Audi configuration panel.
I would like to get the feedback from other M-Cantronic users on this point.
Thanks in advance.
lucas-suisse
Registered User
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2014
- Messages
- 214
- Reaction score
- 100
- Points
- 43
I just installed & tested my M-Cantronic module on my Audi S3 8V and the BOOST is really quite IMPRESSIVE !!!
The only point so far is the "Doors Auto-Lock function" (that locks the doors automatically when running above 30km/h) that is not working anymore even if this function is ON in the Audi configuration panel.
I would like to get the feedback from other M-Cantronic users on this point.
Thanks in advance.
lucas-suisse
Registered User
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2014
- Messages
- 214
- Reaction score
- 100
- Points
- 43
I just installed & tested my M-Cantronic module on my Audi S3 8V and the BOOST is really quite IMPRESSIVE !!!
The only point so far is the "Doors Auto-Lock function" (that locks the doors automatically when running above 30km/h) that is not working anymore even if this function is ON in the Audi configuration panel.
I would like to get the feedback from other M-Cantronic users on this point.
Thanks in advance.
Coming from a M135I where no remaps are available yet only tuning boxes, 99% of people went for JB4, in my experience it all depends on the tuner of the remap or the tuning box.
A cheap box will probably only turn boost up, a non reputable tuner although 'live' mapping might be doing the same depending on what software he's using to tune. Place like APR will have dozens of tables to monitor and adjust whereas a backstreet place might have cheap software and only be able to alter a couple.
A decent tuning box like my old JB4 monitors nearly all essential engine parameters and will have built in knock sensors and fuelling sensors so that if the engine was struggling with either it takes a backseat to ensure the safety of the engine. What's crucial in choosing a tuning 'box' is to find out how many parameters it monitors, the more the better.
I've found from past experience that a remap will offer better gains over a box but it shouldn't be any more reliable than a decent box.
One thing I've always liked about boxes is that they will alter themselves for the outside temps automatically because they are affectively a 24/7 live map, whereas a remap setup in mid summer might not perform as well come mid winter or vice versa
A cheap box will probably only turn boost up, a non reputable tuner although 'live' mapping might be doing the same depending on what software he's using to tune. Place like APR will have dozens of tables to monitor and adjust whereas a backstreet place might have cheap software and only be able to alter a couple.
A decent tuning box like my old JB4 monitors nearly all essential engine parameters and will have built in knock sensors and fuelling sensors so that if the engine was struggling with either it takes a backseat to ensure the safety of the engine. What's crucial in choosing a tuning 'box' is to find out how many parameters it monitors, the more the better.
I've found from past experience that a remap will offer better gains over a box but it shouldn't be any more reliable than a decent box.
One thing I've always liked about boxes is that they will alter themselves for the outside temps automatically because they are affectively a 24/7 live map, whereas a remap setup in mid summer might not perform as well come mid winter or vice versa
lucas-suisse
Registered User
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2014
- Messages
- 214
- Reaction score
- 100
- Points
- 43
Sorry lucas, didn't quite catch that. Could you repeat it please?
Nevermind, it seems the problem is over as the doors auto-lock function is back to normal today.
ok, as i have not seen any video uploaded with the mtm here is mine.
it is a 0-180
I don't like this type of vids so will delete it in 1 or 2 weeks.
hope you like it.
now 37.000km
regards
it is a 0-180
I don't like this type of vids so will delete it in 1 or 2 weeks.
hope you like it.
now 37.000km
regards
