jt1643

Hey guys i have a 2013 A4 with 44k miles. My warranty expires in a couple of months and i want to get an apr stage 1 tune for my car. I would most likely be filling up with 91 octane half the time and e85 half the time. I've read mixed reviews on the reliability of a tuned b8.5 A4. Some claim that it will still be just as reliable with a tune while others say it will be less reliable with a tune but never mention the specific problems i may encounter. I'll probably drive the car for another 2-3 years 20-40 thousand miles. Anything i should watch out for or know regarding the tune? Thanks.

AudiRoc

I was actually wondering the same thing. I have a 6-speed 2015 and am very interested in the APR ECU upgrade. I'll be keeping mine for much longer than 2 years, however, as I bought it new back in 2014 and would rather gouge out my eyes than get an automatic (my son is 5 and will certainly be learning how to row through the gears). I've also been looking at the K&N air filters, so I'm curious as to whether anyone has utilized these in their A4, and whether or not it actually improves the performance.

Sidenote: has anyone Plastidipped their chrome exterior trim? When I purchased my A4 I couldn't find the Black Optics package and a 6-speed black/black, so I was kind of stuck, but it drives me crazy looking at the chrome!

Cheers guys!

dimstamat

Very interested in tuning my B8 A4 with APR... Mine has 73k miles though, so it might not be a good idea...

AudiRoc, do you want to change the chrome trim to black?

AudiRoc

Hey dimstamat, yea I'm looking to go from chrome to black. Asked the service guy at my dealership here in Rochester and he helped me get in touch with their head mechanic guy. No luck ordering Black Optics trim to do a "swap-out". The only real options are to have it vinyl wrapped or plastipidded really. Getting my electric coolant pump recall taken care of Friday, so I'm going to ask about the APR Stage 1. I've heard there can be "reliability" issues, so I'm curious as to what kind of issues it could cause.

Just waiting for my Enkei TX5 18X8's (Black) to get here with some Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ on em, should be here Friday. Gotta get my Dunlop Winter Maxx tires and stock 17's off haha also waiting on my K&N air filter (their cold air intake system isn't allowed here in NY!)

What year is your A4? 73k though, you're just breaking it in!! *Thumbs up*

dimstamat

Sounds like a nice tune-up!

Mine is 2009 and I bought it recently, with 72k miles on it

If there is any chance to cause issues given the high miles, I'm not gonna do it. I was having trouble with tons of problems with my stock 2004 B6 A4 and I don't want to make my current Audi prune to problems!

AudiRoc

I know the older models had reliability issues. My father bought a preowned 2006 1.8T A4 Cabriolet years ago, and ended up trading it in because of reliability issues. Audi has certainly stepped up its game in recent years, however, and I haven't experienced ANY problems in the 2.5 years I've owned the vehicle. Of course, with any preowned vehicle, you run the risk of the previous owner being a douche!

For the Stage 1 kit, you can't beat the price. $600 to essentially get the same torque and hp as the S4, that's like a $9500 savings right there, for comparable performance. Really wish the cold air intake by K&N was legal here though, as I've heard great things. I'm interested in seeing how the air filter improves performance, as I've hear plenty of positive performance reviews regarding many different makes and models.

Super excited for my wheels and tires to get here, should be arriving by Friday. It's almost 60 degrees here today, so my winter's are mush! Haha air filter should be here Monday I believe.

AudiRoc

Sorry, had a brain fart. My father's A4 was a 2005, that he bought used in 2006.

dimstamat

my old one was a 2004 with many miles on it... I hope I'll not experience similar issues with my 2009.
By the way, how come APR stage 1 gives same hp as the S4?? S4 is around 350 and stock A4 2.0T is 211.
Has anyone heard about any issues when getting the APR stage 1 tuning in a 70k+ miles B8? I am willing to do all required maintenance on time, of course.

AudiRoc

My bad, was looking at the Stage II which is 291hp. The 2015 S4 only has 333hp, and the torque is essentially the same with the ECU upgrade. In my book, it's close enough! Haha can't say I'm doing any racing, so the difference in hp is negligible. My A4 has 220hp stock, I believe the 2014's had 211. Can't recall! Have you asked your local Audi dealer yet?

Firefighter

Why not try the Racechip or Chipwerke piggy back chip.
I have the Chipwerke module and am very please with the added power. My A4 is a 2009 and had 200 hp standard; with the piggyback chip it is up to 250hp (I believe) and no issues.