8V S3 Tuning Thread

[Martinbanshee]

Tough choice, my nearest tuner is a Revo but I don’t know what they’re like and the popular choice (Ecotune) is APR.
I presume the blown turbo & cracking pistons thing isn’t an issue with Stage 1?
I had a check and I don’t have one of the chocolate turbos from the bad 2014 batch.

 

[24styles]

Tough choice, my nearest tuner is a Revo but I don’t know what they’re like and the popular choice (Ecotune) is APR.
I presume the blown turbo & cracking pistons thing isn’t an issue with Stage 1?
I had a check and I don’t have one of the chocolate turbos from the bad 2014 batch.

Give MRC tuning a look, imo they are the best for our platform of car.

 

[Martinbanshee]

Had a look, MRC don’t list a Stage 1 for the S3 8V, only Stage 2 onwards. Shame as the TCU is cheaper than Revo/APR when done with the ECU.
Fair old trip to Banbury from Aberdeen too
I’m not chasing numbers, just want something that won’t grenade the engine.

 

[24styles]

Had a look, MRC don’t list a Stage 1 for the S3 8V, only Stage 2 onwards. Shame as the TCU is cheaper than Revo/APR when done with the ECU.
Fair old trip to Banbury from Aberdeen too
I’m not chasing numbers, just want something that won’t grenade the engine.

Give them a ring im 95% sure they will do it! Its a fair trek but totally worth it. Think of smiles on the drive home

 

[oli356]

How do people decide on these things, like MRC stage 1 I was quoted just over a grand.

£540 for map and then £250 for stronic. Stronic was half price as been done with the map. Include VAT and a high flow filter and it comes in about a grand.

But then a local tune shop can do a map for say £300 with a dyno run. APR and REVO ones are more similar to the price of the MRC I imagine, and if you need the stronic map too, it comes quite expensive really.

If a local place is quoting £300 and 50/60 hp more for example, say if APR is similar performance numbers then what's the difference. Paying for the name? Performance in a different way? Reliability?

 

[lucaslfc]

unicorn motor developments is great place for custom remap.

£500 put my manual S3 up to 395bhp, granted a threw on few extras before the remap nothing major though, tell lie upgraded the clutch not long after though lol

 

[Marky-s3]

What’s the general consensus on the APR and Revo Stage 1 & TCU tunes now?
Planning getting it done this month as the cars out of warranty but don’t know which way to go.

Had 3 cars running apr software 2 x mqb stage 1 and dsg tune from ecotune and no regrets and not far from my doorstep
S3 does 11.77 1/4 and 3.5 to 60 got my rr next month to see what its putting out

 

[24styles]

How do people decide on these things, like MRC stage 1 I was quoted just over a grand.

£540 for map and then £250 for stronic. Stronic was half price as been done with the map. Include VAT and a high flow filter and it comes in about a grand.

But then a local tune shop can do a map for say £300 with a dyno run. APR and REVO ones are more similar to the price of the MRC I imagine, and if you need the stronic map too, it comes quite expensive really.

If a local place is quoting £300 and 50/60 hp more for example, say if APR is similar performance numbers then what's the difference. Paying for the name? Performance in a different way? Reliability?

I decided mrc as lots of s3/golf r owners have been done ther and doug knows his stuff. I also follow them on facebook and see ther dyno run printouts pop up on ther alot. They are only 1h30 from me also. Thers lots of places you can go for a cheap remap which might be fine i couldnt comment on that. But i go by what i have seen on here from other people and mrc have alot of expierence with s3's. Mine is stage 2 with the ecu and tcu maps and running 410ps and 566nm. Will just add that 2 weeks ago i beat a APR stage 2 golf r at santa pod. My time was 11.6 the golfs best run of the day was 11.8

 

[PanamaS3]

What’s the general consensus on the APR and Revo Stage 1 & TCU tunes now?
Planning getting it done this month as the cars out of warranty but don’t know which way to go.

what @MikeParkin said....
I've been on APR tunes for 3 years....never had any issues with my style of driving (50% spirited, don't launch or race...change oil every 5,000km, changed sparks to RS7 colder ones at Stage 2)
Recently got the upgraded "crackle map" on Stage 2....doesn't pop/bang/crackle all the time....only when you rev it standing still (at least thats only time I can hear it)
My dealer lets me have the high torque map as he knows I look after my car and drive it in the right gear for the speed/revs and don't stress the turbo out unnecessarily
Worth noting that I do also have all the supporting mods (same/similar to Mike I'm sure)....however for Stage 1 only I doubt you need more than just air intake....but I would also do dog bone mount insert or pendulum mount, enlarged turbo inlet pipe and most probably turbo muffler delete and diverter valve/blow off

 

[Martinbanshee]

I’ve taken the snow grate out but, isn’t the stock intake good enough for Stage 1?
I’ll get the CTS elbow or similar but I’m not interested in extra noise so won’t bother with much else. I’m aiming to keep the car as stock sounding as possible, inside & outside.
Also, is there much extra vibration with the inserts?

 

[MikeParkin]

I’ve taken the snow grate out but, isn’t the stock intake good enough for Stage 1?
I’ll get the CTS elbow or similar but I’m not interested in extra noise so won’t bother with much else. I’m aiming to keep the car as stock sounding as possible, inside & outside.
Also, is there much extra vibration with the inserts?

I second that @PanamaS3 and
to be honest I didn't really tell the difference with the dog bone insert but every little helps and all the mods have so I'm more than happy at the moment.

It doesn't state on Revo's website that an intake is needed so I guess you will be fine. There are some intake mods you can do to help the standard intake air flow, there on here somewhere.

 

[Marky-s3]

No mods required what so ever for stage 1 but intake ect help it breathe and up the figures

 

[Martinbanshee]

Cheers folks, I’ll probably change the panel filter & do the grill mod for better air flow, then the CTS elbow. That’s enough mods for me.
I’m going to give Ecotune a call tomorrow and see what they’re saying.

 

[MikeParkin]

Good luck pal, what ever way to sway you will not be disappointed.

 

[PanamaS3]

yeah good luck bud....what you're proposing sounds ideal....enjoy the extra shove!

 

[aussieR]

Cheers folks, I’ll probably change the panel filter & do the grill mod for better air flow, then the CTS elbow. That’s enough mods for me.
I’m going to give Ecotune a call tomorrow and see what they’re saying.

That's the best bang for buck combo on stage 1. I believe the best option is Getting the TT inlet as shows best gains. I saw on vwroc that it's on sale at VRS northhampton for $179 it's the one that Rick at Unicorn generally recommends and gets roughly 15hp gain over stock set up with that and modifed air box as you planned.

I'm APR and have had Stage 1 and 2 HO tunes since release in Dec 2014 without any issues associated to tune (had water pump go) but that's known issue in both S3 and Mk7R especially in the 2014/15 models.

In saying that if I was in UK I would got to Rick at Unicorn or MRC for custom tune. They seem to get the best results using less boost than APR and prices are better when combining ECU and DSG tune.

 

[lucaslfc]

what @MikeParkin said....
I've been on APR tunes for 3 years....never had any issues with my style of driving (50% spirited, don't launch or race...change oil every 5,000km, changed sparks to RS7 colder ones at Stage 2)
Recently got the upgraded "crackle map" on Stage 2....doesn't pop/bang/crackle all the time....only when you rev it standing still (at least thats only time I can hear it)
My dealer lets me have the high torque map as he knows I look after my car and drive it in the right gear for the speed/revs and don't stress the turbo out unnecessarily
Worth noting that I do also have all the supporting mods (same/similar to Mike I'm sure)....however for Stage 1 only I doubt you need more than just air intake....but I would also do dog bone mount insert or pendulum mount, enlarged turbo inlet pipe and most probably turbo muffler delete and diverter valve/blow off

What does that dog bone mount do matey? Reduce engine movement?
Think was thread on it somewhere.

 

[PanamaS3]

What does that dog bone mount do matey? Reduce engine movement?
Think was thread on it somewhere.

No, not engine movement....that would be reduced by upgraded engine mounts. The dogbone mount is designed to fill the large void in the factory dogbone mount, and limit drivetrain movement without sacrificing ride quality or introducing excessive additional noise, vibration, or harshness into the cabin. By filling the void in the factory mount, the insert eliminates the associated slop to ensure that you experience crisper shifts and a smoother driving experience.

 

[Martinbanshee]

Spoke to Ecotune today, going for the APR Stage 1 and TCU software and getting a small discount for doing them both together.
Should be fun

 

[lucaslfc]

No, not engine movement....that would be reduced by upgraded engine mounts. The dogbone mount is designed to fill the large void in the factory dogbone mount, and limit drivetrain movement without sacrificing ride quality or introducing excessive additional noise, vibration, or harshness into the cabin. By filling the void in the factory mount, the insert eliminates the associated slop to ensure that you experience crisper shifts and a smoother driving experience.

Nice1 Panama kida.

Just been looking at 034motorsport one.see what you mean now.
Which one you get?
Easy enough to do yourself like?

 

[PanamaS3]

Nice1 Panama kida.

Just been looking at 034motorsport one.see what you mean now.
Which one you get?
Easy enough to do yourself like?

yeah i have the 034 one (there are 2 different types so you need to look under your car and choose the one thats designed for it)....its a fairly cheap mod....like Mike said before though, I'm not sure how easy it is tell the difference it makes....but if you are doing the TCU tune I think its worth it to reduce some of the "slop" in the drivetrain, as gear changes are way more fierce once TCU is tuned.
i had my usual mechanic guy fit it, but i was there when he did it, and getting the bolt back in afterwards can be a real PITA...but easier when the car is on ramps....he struggled for a long while and i almost thought he was going to give up but managed it eventually....you could do it yourself if you're that way inclined

 

[MikeParkin]

It's very easy to fit, I just jacked up the car took the bolt out and fit the dog bone and then bolt back in. Job done, I've got all my mods apart from the clutch.

 

[aussieR]

+1 on the Dog bone insert. Had mine couple years and tightens things up nicely without any negative side affects. My mechanic installed mine on hoist, 2 min job in total. Most self install on ramps.

You will be very impressed with APR HO stage 1/TCU combo. It's very significant gains across board.

 

[MikeParkin]

It's very easy to fit, I just jacked up the car took the bolt out and fit the dog bone and then bolt back in. Job done, I've got all my mods apart from the clutch.

Was meant to say "done" all my mods my self ha.

That's Stella for yas.

 

[lucaslfc]

Was meant to say "done" all my mods my self ha.

That's Stella for yas.

Cant beat cold stella ! Lol
Might have go doin it meself then hopefully just floats straight back

 

[jungle650]

yeah i have the 034 one (there are 2 different types so you need to look under your car and choose the one thats designed for it)..
i had my usual mechanic guy fit it, but i was there when he did it, and getting the bolt back in afterwards can be a real PITA...but easier when the car is on ramps....he struggled for a long while and i almost thought he was going to give up but managed it eventually....you could do it yourself if you're that way inclined

Glad you mention the PITA bit!!

Inserting a new Dog Bone mount / Drive train mount whether 034 or other make can be a real pain. In most cases its a 3 min job with the car jacked up. However you need to look carefully before inserting the new mount as there is an inner sleeve which can move when the original bolt is taken out!!.

This is what causes the issue when trying to insert the new one as things do not line up. Its easy to fix if you know what to look out for, just simply use a flat screw driver or something similar to gently re-position the sleeve then you can easily put the new dogbone mount in place. If you do not re-position the sleeve you will never get the new mount or the old one back in place. I had a few choice words when fitting mine on my S3 until I noticed what the problem was!!

Pic below where you can see the sleeve blocking the hole.

Original mount....

When the bolt and original mount are removed, sleeve can just move slighty. Hence hole closes up and no chance of getting old or new bolt/mount back in. Use the tip a small flat blade screwdriver or similar to tease the sleave back into place. You only need to insert the very tip of the blade as you only need to move the insert sleeve. If you push the screwdriver too far in you will never be able to reposition the sleeve as you are then trying to move the entire block rather than just the sleeve !!!

Once u get the sleeve back into place its easy to get the bolt back in!!

What should be a 3 min job can turn into a nightmare unless you know what to look out for !! Hope this helps someone !

Job done. Jungle

 

[lucaslfc]

Glad you mention the PITA bit!!

Inserting a new Dog Bone mount / Drive train mount whether 034 or other make can be a real pain. In most cases its a 3 min job with the car jacked up. However you need to look carefully before inserting the new mount as there is an inner sleeve which can move when the original bolt is taken out!!.

This is what causes the issue when trying to insert the new one as things do not line up. Its easy to fix if you know what to look out for, just simply use a flat screw driver or something similar to gently re-position the sleeve then you can easily put the new dogbone mount in place. If you do not re-position the sleeve you will never get the new mount or the old one back in place. I had a few choice words when fitting mine on my S3 until I noticed what the problem was!!

Pic below where you can see the sleeve blocking the hole.

Original mount....
View attachment 155510

When the bolt and original mount are removed, sleeve can just move slighty. Hence hole closes up and no chance of getting old or new bolt/mount back in. Use the tip a small flat blade screwdriver or similar to tease the sleave back into place. You only need to insert the very tip of the blade as you only need to move the insert sleeve. If you push the screwdriver too far in you will never be able to reposition the sleeve as you are then trying to move the entire block rather than just the sleeve !!!

View attachment 155511

View attachment 155512

Once u get the sleeve back into place its easy to get the bolt back in!!

View attachment 155513

What should be a 3 min job can turn into a nightmare unless you know what to look out for !! Hope this helps someone !

Job done. Jungle

View attachment 155514

so with that picture with sleeve kinda quarter way across, can you not budge it across slightly with screw driver so hole becomes flush?
soon as you took bolt out did that sleeve move across then

 

[jungle650]

so with that picture with sleeve kinda quarter way across, can you not budge it across slightly with screw driver so hole becomes flush?
soon as you took bolt out did that sleeve move across then

Yes - Sleeve moved across as the bolt was removed. If this occours its a simple process to push the sleeve back in place as described above ( once you know to look out for it ). When it first happened I did not have the light at the correct angle so could not see the sleeve had moved. Once I repositioned myself and the light it became clear what the issue was. However trying to move the sleeve was not easy at first as you only need to move the sleeve not anything else, but now I know how to do it, its a straight forward job.. So above note / helpful hint and pics are to assist if anyone else finds issue when removing/replacing bolt.

 

[lucaslfc]

Yes - Sleeve moved across as the bolt was removed. If this occours its a simple process to push the sleeve back in place as described above ( once you know to look out for it ). When it first happened I did not have the light at the correct angle so could not see the sleeve had moved. Once I repositioned myself and the light it became clear what the issue was. However trying to move the sleeve was not easy at first as you only need to move the sleeve not anything else, but now I know how to do it, its a straight forward job.. So above note / helpful hint and pics are to assist if anyone else finds issue when removing/replacing bolt.

thanks mate should defo help what to look out for

 

[PanamaS3]

Glad you mention the PITA bit!!

Inserting a new Dog Bone mount / Drive train mount whether 034 or other make can be a real pain. In most cases its a 3 min job with the car jacked up. However you need to look carefully before inserting the new mount as there is an inner sleeve which can move when the original bolt is taken out!!.

This is what causes the issue when trying to insert the new one as things do not line up. Its easy to fix if you know what to look out for, just simply use a flat screw driver or something similar to gently re-position the sleeve then you can easily put the new dogbone mount in place. If you do not re-position the sleeve you will never get the new mount or the old one back in place. I had a few choice words when fitting mine on my S3 until I noticed what the problem was!!

Pic below where you can see the sleeve blocking the hole.

Original mount....
View attachment 155510

When the bolt and original mount are removed, sleeve can just move slighty. Hence hole closes up and no chance of getting old or new bolt/mount back in. Use the tip a small flat blade screwdriver or similar to tease the sleave back into place. You only need to insert the very tip of the blade as you only need to move the insert sleeve. If you push the screwdriver too far in you will never be able to reposition the sleeve as you are then trying to move the entire block rather than just the sleeve !!!

View attachment 155511

View attachment 155512

Once u get the sleeve back into place its easy to get the bolt back in!!

View attachment 155513

What should be a 3 min job can turn into a nightmare unless you know what to look out for !! Hope this helps someone !

Job done. Jungle

View attachment 155514

very helpful info mate....wish had known at the time

 

[Martinbanshee]

So, got APR Stage 1 last week. It was 23 deg. in Glasgow and 26 deg. in the dyno room so a bit hot and the car pushed 302.5HP & 300.3 ft-lbs with zero mods (well, snow grate is out), not too bad.
They recommended the low torque map to avoid clutch slip as I’ve not 100% decided to do the TCU software yet but said I could flash the high torque map later for free if I wanted, so I played safe.

Heat soak was becoming a problem but an hour later and it’s now just under 370HP (368.9HP) & 385.1 ft-lbs on the low torque 98 RON map and it’s so much better to drive. The power above 2500rpm is crazy but it’s actually smoother when taking it easy, very impressed.

And...when I went to pay I discovered there’s a 20% discount until the end of the month, Bonus!

Here’s the but, now I’m thinking of the TCU software again..and a bit more torque

Is it worth it for the TCU? Thoughts?

 

[PanamaS3]

@Martinbanshee absolutely!
Do not hesitate to get the TCU map....and if you drive the car with care (ie. know how to play with the boost) then go high torque map.
But I can tell you now.....I was mightily impressed with Stage 1.....but after a while I felt the lack of top end torque was what I was missing.....and Stage 2 sorts that out amazingly.....as amazed as I was with the extra 70hp when I did it I also wanted more top end torque and going Stage 2 for me was equally amazing and is the absolute sweet spot for these cars on stock internals. I did however also do the APR intercooler as I live in a hot climate and that I found also was amazing.
Enjoy Stage 1....get the TCU map done for sure.....and then see how you feel

 

[PanamaS3]

I just realized I typed amazing way too many times...apologies lol

 

[Martinbanshee]

To be fair the difference from stock is amazing

 

[PanamaS3]

I totally agree mate....it is....problem I found is that after that initial huge increase it runs out of steam....but still amazing enjoy!

 

[Marky-s3]

Deffo worth it and there's a sale on im running hi stage 1 but on facelift with no dsg tune as theres not 1 out yet
Iv got a rr at eco tune on 15th June to see what its putting out
Still good figures for low so your doing well

 

[ASRman]

I'm strongly considering going stage 1, most likely unicorn as they seem to produce some very nice results. Before I do so want to know if anyone has quantified performance times for stage 1 cars. Specifically 100-200 as I believe that's the best measure of power gain over stock .

Currently running mtm on mine and best I could do was 11.65 verified by dragy

 

[A.ShawnS3]

I'm strongly considering going stage 1, most likely unicorn as they seem to produce some very nice results. Before I do so want to know if anyone has quantified performance times for stage 1 cars. Specifically 100-200 as I believe that's the best measure of power gain over stock .

Currently running mtm on mine and best I could do was 11.65 verified by dragy

Don’t have stage 1 times, by my JB4 tuned s3 does 100-200 in consistent 9.8secs vbox corrected times. And 60-120mph in 9secs flat.

 

[ASRman]

Don’t have stage 1 times, by my JB4 tuned s3 does 100-200 in consistent 9.8secs vbox corrected times. And 60-120mph in 9secs flat.

Thanks AShawn, seems like JB4 is definitely produces the quickest times out of the boxes. Best I could get today was 11.1 100-200 so quite some way off your time although it was quite warm/muggy outside. Might go half a second at most quicker in cooler temps.

 

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