roger_1

Do you mean the owner of APR?

Fox Fader

Yes

SamLV

I had a conversation with three different people at my dealer. They all said they check every car every service visit and they all said they detect ECU changes instantly. Now maybe they can't and don't know but a warranty risk isn't worth it.

Fox Fader

Yeah, especially with the factory extended warranty on the injectors and pump.

SR7D1

Guess I will chime in here to let everyone know my experience with APR Stage II and dealer warranty work.

I had the APR ECU stage II installed about 30 days after I purchased my 2012 CPO A4 with about 30K miles. A few months later I got a CEL that was diagnosed at the APR dealer as a diverter valve. I had them flash me back to stock so that I could have the warranty work done.

Parts and labor were covered under warranty at the dealer (as a bonus, they found my keyless fob battery was low and replaced that for free!).

Went back to the APR dealer and they re-flashed the ECU. At no charge.

To answer your original question about S1 or S2, you get to have 3 or 4 modes mapped. I leave mine in S2 mode. Seems like this is the way it should have come from the factory. My other MODs include a full turbo back exhaust, Carbonio and the APR dongle for adjusting the tune with my iPhone.

I hope that helps.

roger_1

How long ago (month, year) was the warranty work done?

I'm asking because apparently Audi of America's ability to detect tuning software isn't static - it's improving over time.

SR7D1

This was done in September of this year.

Opinion mode on/
From experience in owning "modified" pressurized cars over the past decade or so, chipping is not for the timid. If you are going to "worry" about warranty work, you are probably not a perfect candidate for ECU upgrades. There is a trade off, and I am sure it involves some risk, and if you are not willing to take that risk, I would say wait until the warranty has expired before you chip your car.

That being said, I have never needed a warranty claim performed due to any of the APR or RocketChip tunes that have been on my German cars. And, my local APR dealer was willing to remove and re-add the tune for me at no charge. Even if there was a 1 hour labor charge, that would be worth my piece of mind regarding my car being "flagged" in the Audi database.

allroad214

The newer "port flash" APR tune is undetectable if you go to the APR dealer and flash back to stock ( this is different from switching to the stock tune via the stalk). APR has an exact bit-for-bit copy of the original factory tune for your ECU "box-code" and this is what is flashed to your ECU ( including the flash-count).

I'm a software person as well, and this is a pretty convincing argument for undetectability.

roger_1

The "exact bit-for-bit copy of the original factory tune" to which you refer - is that a bit-for-bit copy of the ECU software in MY OWN CAR, or a copy of the ECU software for simply the year and model of my car?

For instance, if the dealer were to update or change the ECU software in my specific car, would APR copy and save that before installing their software?

If not, and APR later flashes my ECU 'back to stock', then the dealer's going to see a difference between what's in my ECU and what the updated software they (the dealer) last installed.

I'm not arguing with you - rather I'm trying to understand exactly what you mean by "exact bit-for-bit copy of the original factory tune".

SamLV

I run a software company. If they do that correctly, you're right. Nice trick. But I'd get a copy of it, just in case they're idiots and lose my exact software.

To avoid detection, you'd have to flash to stock at APR, go for service, go to APR, copy whatever is in the car at that time, flash to the tune, rinse and repeat

What you must avoid is the dealer flashing their update in the car without you knowing it. If that happens, then APRs copy is the wrong version stamp, and that they may notice.

I suppose then I cannot get a pulley upgrade too, right? That's physical so they'd see it. So no stage II for me. Yet. Even stage 1 would be tricky if the car ends up being towed for any reason, or must go oto a dealer far, far away from my APR shop. Hmmmmmm...