S4 B9 Stage 1

[Gurd.]

Hi All,

Looking to tune to stage 1 on my S4 B9, is it only ABT that do a tune that will not affect your warranty or does anyone know of an alternative company?

Cheers

 

[Kondax]

If you want a tuning box (which is ABT), get a JB4.

Any tune will affect warranty, it's only tuning boxes that you can get away with without throwing a TD1.

 

[Gurd.]

Thank you for the reply BUT apparently (and i have done my research) the ABT Tune does not affect your warranty as it is a separate module...quote from ABT:

We offer ABT 'AEC' (ABT Engine Controller) this is an additional engine control module, which works in conjunction with the original VW/Audi unit.
The huge advantage of this is there is no modification to the vehicle, all of the tuning data is contained within the ABT AEC.

But i will look at the JB4...cheers

 

[Kondax]

Yes, that is a tuning box, not a tune.

 

[Gurd.]

Sorry but kick me if i am being thick as i am new to the "tuning" arena but are you saying that the JB4Race Chip is a better option than the ABT tune?

 

[Kondax]

Yes, the JB4 for the B9 S4 is 100% better. I'm currently using it with a larger turbo.

 

[Gurd.]

Kondax, i just want a bit more HP and not mess about with anything else, do you think the JB4 will be sufficient for what i am looking to do? Also, is it easy to install?

 

[Dippy]

Gurd, I don't know enough about the JB4 and the ABT solutions to compare them, but I can provide general advice - sorry if you already know this.
The principle of increasing performance on a turbo engine is the same - allow more of the boost from the turbo to reach the engine and add more fuelling. The perfect way to do this is the same way that Audi has done it - using the maps inside the ECU. Companies like APR can remap the B9 S4 ECU in order to provide a "complete" solution to increased performance. But obviously a remapped ECU is easily noticeable and so can prevent certain warranty claims being accepted.

One alternative is to use a 2nd ECU as a "piggy-back" over the main ECU. If the ABT solution you are looking at is expensive, then it is probably this.

However there are other "piggy back" solutions which are simpler and cheaper, and I think the JB4 is such a device. The principle is to re-route signals from sensors (mainly pressure) through the box. The box will then send a "fake" signal to the ECU, being a lower pressure than reality. This means that the ECU will unknowingly allow the boost from the turbo to exceed the design level. More air needs more fuel and the best solution is for the box to also interfere with the way the ECU controls fuel. However some of the simplest boxes just rely on the ECU to detect from the exhaust that the engine is running lean and so it will add more fuel to compensate.

I visit Audizine regularly and there are plenty of folks there who rate the JB4, so much that some of them are unimpressed with the benefits of going to the more "complete" solution that APR is now offering.

 

[Gurd.]

WOW!!! Dippy you are a legend, thanks mate that is really helpful & yes i have also looked at APR and that, tbh was what a lot of friends were saying but its just the warranty thing!! I may wait until next March and go with JB4, ABT quoted £2K which i don't mind paying but as long as it gives me what i am looking for which simply is more HP. I keep hearing that MRC is another option....any views on MRC, i noticed that you have the Stage 2 mate?

 

[Kondax]

WOW!!! Dippy you are a legend, thanks mate that is really helpful & yes i have also looked at APR and that, tbh was what a lot of friends were saying but its just the warranty thing!! I may wait until next March and go with JB4, ABT quoted £2K which i don't mind paying but as long as it gives me what i am looking for which simply is more HP. I keep hearing that MRC is another option....any views on MRC, i noticed that you have the Stage 2 mate?

ABT is just honestly a massive scam for that money, I'll never recommend it over a JB4.

APR do offer Stage 1 with warranty but it costs a fortune and it's their lowest power option, so a bit pointless.

I can't personality recommend MRC purely because I messaged them and they never replied for a month. Last I checked they don't have any tunes available for the B9 S4.

I'm currently Stage 3, my signature is outdated.

Also re: installation, yeah, takes about 20 minutes.

 

[Gurd.]

Kondax, LOL!!! I did have the same feeling...2K for a piggy back??? But i suppose you are just paying for the name! I am concerned regarding the warranty, don't want to give Audi any reason to point the finger at me if anything goes wrong!!! So probably wait until March next year and you never know, something new will pop up.

Really appreciate your views chaps, it has really helped.

 

[Kondax]

Of course, no worries

 

[Dippy]

I am fairly sure that APR plus is only available to US customers.
ABT is definitely a niche market. IIRC it has TUV approval and possibly allows German customers to keep their warranty intact.

@Gurd, without doubt your key concern should be warranty. I waiting for the warranty on my B5 S4 to expire before I tuned it, but IIRC it was many more years after than before anything went wrong on the car which could have been a warranty claim if I had extended it. But thinking back I don't think I would have got my money's worth from an extended warranty. So my confidence was better for my B8.5 and I would have had it tuned after only a year (although it was nearly 2 years in fact because my car had a new ECU which had not yet been cracked). As it turned out, I did need to make a warranty claim before it expired, and that claim was honoured by the dealer in full knowledge of the tune, because the item in question had nothing to do with the engine or transmission.

I am fairly risk adverse and not one to agree that a tune is safe until several years have passed. The B9 S4 ECU was only recently hacked and tuners such as APR have only just started rolling out their solutions. So IMHO there is still a risk. The B9 engine was a new design and it does incorporate the miller cycle and has a relatively high compression ratio so it can't be said that there are no risks with tuning it. So if I were in your place I would also be hesitant about tuning. I think I'd go with the JB4 myself, knowing that if anything happened I could remove it and pretend that the car had not been modified.

 

[JackThompsonNI]

What sort of power can you achieve with a jb4 on a stock car or maybe just a cat back exhaust and intake?

 

[Gurd.]

Hi Jack,

I went down the route of just a Stage 1 & gear box re-map from DMS Automotive, the car now gives me 460bhp & 600Nm torque, more than plenty!! LOL
And for piece of mind, you get 3 year warranty & they will come to you not matter where you are if there are any issues of if you need the re-mapped removed for warranty related work or service. I had a friend in County Tyrone recommended them and they came out to NI when he had to take the car in for warranty related work. They then put the remap back on FOC.

I haven't changed my exhaust etc. as they also opened the valve and which for me, makes enough "beautiful" sound. Hope this helps.

 

[JackThompsonNI]

Thats some power from a stock car! what sort of money is it to get that done if you dont mind me asking? Could be tempted if it definitely doesnt throw up a td1 flag on the ecu

 

[Gurd.]

Oh it is mate!!! LOL Tony really looked after me & I mean "really" looked after me Jack. If you contact them, mention my name Gurd with the Black S4 B9 Avant and Chris the Irish guy with the M5 and he will 100% look after you. If not, let me know and I will contact him for you, were are all in the automotive game so they look after us and any referrals.

Give them a call & ask for Tony and he will discuss any issues or concerns that you may have, normally Julie answers the phone and she is also very helpful but Tony is the main man.

Let me know how you get on Jack....keep me posted (excuse the pun!) LOL

They really know their stuff, they are based in Southampton so a good opportunity to drive your beast and the best bit is driving back after you have it done!!

 

[Dingah from Downundah]

Just a quickie to provide a bit more of a complete(dish) picture.
Have tried most tuning solution of through an SQ5, RSQ3 and now a B9S4.
Before the Audis there were also a range of bespoke and APR tuned Ford and VAG cars..
Have generally gone with DTUK/MTM for the on/off solution and they have been fine - none of them perfect but they did what their manufacturers stated.
APR have been around for decades and have become the class leaders in offering tirelessly researched, safe, warrantied (US-only) full ECU re-writes and darned effective ones that address the complete system rather than tweaking only a very limited number of variables as per the 'piggyback' solutions.yes that means they are detectable but can be removed and replaced for servicing. Were you ever able a visit to their company HQ would impress - this is no back yard operation.
The APR are available and recognised World Wide and in my case are my professional tuners of choice.
Since installing my tune at around 8 months old I cannot fathom how anyone could logically require more - acceleration, throttle and engine response, gear changes under all conditions are, as the Rolls Royce salesman would say - more than adequate sir!
As a research scientist and former pilot I do my research, understand the variables at play and realise it is a latter of personal choice; this is mine and in 25 years of a range of APR solutions have never questioned their product.
Enjoy whatever path you take as the S4B9 when tweaked has to be the ultimate executive express/sleeper.

Dingah