2014 Jetta MK6 1.8T Have you "Tuned"?

[wn1998]

I have a 2014 Jetta with the 1.8 turbo gen 3. The car has 21k on the clock and want to get it tuned.

http://www.goapr.com/products/ecu_upgrade_18tsi_gen3_trans.html

according to APR going with their premium fuel (93 octane) tune, I'll get an additional 80 ft pounds of torque and an additional 47 HP.

with their "regular" fuel tune (87 octane) I can use the cheap gas and get an additional 64 ft pounds and 32 peak HP.

My question is what would you do? I love how cheap gas is and am currently leaning to the premium fuel tune but if gas gets expensive again, will I regret it? Is the extra power worth an extra 30-40 cents per gallon? That's about $3-$4 per fill-up?

Help me decide!!!!!!

 

[Olas]

I'm a 'no half-measures' guy, so I'd get the full tune along with intake and downpipe. Extra economy when driven carefully should cancel out the higher fill cost, and the extra performance when you get on it will always make you smile.

 

[stranger706]

Don't you get both with the purchase? What if you can't find premium one day? (I've ran into that problem before with my ST) At least you should be able to switch back to stock without too much hassle.

The tunes I've seen come with the option to switch between tunes in case you are forced to use regular fuel due to whatever might be going on.

 

[Olas]

If fuel availability is an issue then that must be considered.
It's not a problem over here so I'd go for the 'premium tune'

 

[KGMtech]

In 2009 I did the APR tune on my 2004 1.8T Passat, 91 Octane version. I really came to doubt the claims that APR made for the HP and Torque gains. Yes, I felt something, but not nearly what they implied. And yes, the engine was fully, perfectly functional before the draining of $ 500 from my wallet.

The Gen 3 1.8T is quite a bit different than the AWM engine in my car, your version has much more of a bias towards fuel efficiency with use of 87 octane fuel.

I'd be seeking out others that have done the change for their honest opinions before I would say go ahead.

 

[RooflessVW]

Have you checked Unitronic? I prefer their software and hardware.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: KGMtech
In 2009 I did the APR tune on my 2004 1.8T Passat, 91 Octane version. I really came to doubt the claims that APR made for the HP and Torque gains. Yes, I felt something, but not nearly what they implied. And yes, the engine was fully, perfectly functional before the draining of $ 500 from my wallet.

I had a GIAC tune on my AWM engine. The performance improvements were noticeable. It reduced my 0-60 times by about 1 second or so, from what I recall. As a side effect, it also made my turbo lag even more noticeable, just because of the larger delta between no boost and full boost.

Also, my tune came with a little remote that allowed me to switch back and forth between the stock programming and the performance programming.

 

[HerrStig]

What ELSE would VW do to the engine if THEY extracted another 47HP from it?

 

[jeepman3071]

$4 more per fill up is nothing, but will it void the warranty?

 

[stranger706]

Originally Posted By: HerrStig
What ELSE would VW do to the engine if THEY extracted another 47HP from it?


Its just a more aggressive tune. More boost, more fuel, advanced timing, that sort of thing. It just eats into the safety margin a bit. Which is pretty big on a lot of these small DI turbo motors.

 

[stranger706]

Originally Posted By: jeepman3071
$4 more per fill up is nothing, but will it void the warranty?


Not the entire car warranty, no. But if you have engine problems that were caused by an aftermarket tune, then they could deny that particular claim.

 

[zuluplus30]

So the real question is not the $3-4 per fill-up. It's can you or are you willing to foot the bill provided an engine related issue pops up and they deny a warranty claim?

Having said that, yes I'd do it in a heartbeat. A coworker has had 2 APR tuned turbos (1.8T GTI and now a 2.0T Jetta GLI). He never had any issues at all and it completely changed both cars.

 

[zuluplus30]

Originally Posted By: HerrStig
What ELSE would VW do to the engine if THEY extracted another 47HP from it?


Tuning and additional cooling is my guess. Everything else is strong enough to withstand the additional HP/TQ for the warranty period.

 

[BTLew81]

If you have the auto, I'd do the 87 octane tune. The premium tune is really pushing the states limits of the trans.

There is also the neuspeed power module. 10 minute plug in and no trace if removed prior to dealer service. A good option for cars under warranty. Apr can be detected at the dealer.

The 1.8 is a pretty well built engine. I'd be more concerned about the auto trans. I'm in the same boat as you, just in a new Passat.

 

[tomcat27]

I'd go with the full tune. of course, I would also run 93 octane in any turbo or any high compression engine. (my 1970 Cougar with a stroked 351 (now 408) LOVES premium fuel. lots of it!)

I imagine that their advertized numbers might be optimistic unless they are confirmed with independent dyno testing. Yes, you will void your warranty. of course, if this were a VW diesel.....

 

[sciphi]

Apples to oranges, but I've been happy with the durability of the tune on my Cruze. It's been on there 121k miles so far with no issues.

Tuned engines, especially tuned turbo engines, need the owner to be right on top of the maintenance. Change the oil exactly as the factory says to with oil that meets or exceeds the manufacturer specification. Better yet, spend the $35 on an oil analysis or two that includes a TBN to see just how long to run the oil.

Lastly, they can't deny warranty on the radio touchscreen because the engine got tuned...

 

[Gasbuggy]

I would go for the 93 tune, it will make the car so much more fun.

 

[wn1998]

Thanks guys! I love your insight and plan on doing the tune this spring. Which one?? That is still a question.