I have searched the archives and I am still confused. What is the difference between a 0.8 bar chip and a 1.0 bar chip. I read about the APR 3.0 chip and someone being very happy with it, but I can't seem to find it at their website. Also, someone who chipped their A4 with the Garrett chip said he wanted to next get a Triptronic chip?! Is the triptronic prone to failure on a chipped engine? Too much strain? I'm so confused. I really am leaning towards chipping my car, but there are so many terms I'm not familiar with and so many chips to choose from.

My priorities are to increase performance, especially off the line, but keep the power delivery smooth. I live in an area that is 15-45 degrees F in the winter and 80-100 in the summer. Which chip is least prone to pinging in this climate? (By the way....I always use supreme unleaded).

Thanks for helping a new guy out. I REALLY appreciate it. Sorry for rambling.

 

Seriously - Please make sure you understand all the differences in the questions you posed. You are taking a big risk with using a chip since your warranty may be affected or not depending on the dealer.

Print out all the responses. Read them over and over till you start to know what everyone is talking about and what kind of person is posting the response. What is great for someone may not be what you want. Do your reaseach. I spent 6 months looking at wheels before I made the jump. I would expect the same for a chip.

If you can find some one in you area who will let you go for a ride or better yet let you drive a car with a chip. Attend some of the gatherings that are posted.

Reggie

98.5 30vQMS

 

.8 vs 1 bar:

1 bar = 14.5 psi boost. Thus a .8 bar chip will not put as much air into the engine at full power (where an engine spends very little time) as a 1 bar boost engine will. The difference: 20 Hp or so.

APR releases updates to their chips like software makers. Thus the 3.0 chip is the latest in a series of chips. Their Stage I chips are all 1 bar, AFAIK. They may have had .8 bar chips, but I haven't talked to anyone who used one.

The 3.0 version is smoother and more drivable down low, and still makes the same power (~195 hp, 225 lb/ft torque) as version 2 or version 1 of the Stage I chips.

Any performance upgrade will have an efect on the lifespan of a part, the question is, just how much. The tiptronic trannys are rated to take the power of a 1 bar upgrade, but not a full-out modification, like the APR stage III, which makes 300 hp and 300 lb/ft torque (approx).

The manual box seems strong enough for a stage III or beyond.

In any event tiptronic chips are aimed at changing the WAY the tranny shifts. Currently there is a slight delay between clicking a new gear, and the actual shift. THe tip chips are aimed at speeding this along, so it is quicker, which feels more sporty. The effect on reliability/longevity is dubious and unsolable by debate on this board. One line of thought is that faster ****s mean less wear on the internal clutch packs and bands. The other is that harder shifts increase wear on bearings and axel/CV joints. I don't think you would see any difference in durabilty if you drive like a sensible person. If you dragrace every light with redline full throttle shifts, and hit every gear on the way down to a stoplight, you'll wear out the tranny chip or no chip.

In short, do what feels best to suit your driving style, and don't worry too much. 99 44/100s of the cars driven on the road today never see anything even CLOSE to racing conditions, so what works for racers may or may not be what you want.

Enjoy your car, and don't worry too much.

(p.s. I bought an APR Stage I chip, and love it I now have revision 3.0)

 

Great post! compare your old chip to the new 3.0 please.

 

Thanks for your very informative and curtious post. If it's not too much to ask, could you please elaborate on your expecience with your APR chip. Thanks again. =)

Ray
Silver/Onyx/1.8T/Trip/Sport/Cold weather/Convenience

in the works...tinted windows, a chip and new wheels

 

You are welcome! I appreciate your comments.

I bought the A4 in June of 99. it is a 99.5 1.8Tqms (turbo, quattro, manual sport package, to break out the acronyms) After about 1,000 miles to break in the motor, I had APR modify the ECU.

I sent them my ECU, which takes less than 1/2 hour to remove, including boxing it up and mailing it . A week later, I had it back. I used ground UPS shipping.

APR removed the stock flash ROM and installed a socket on the ECU board, and placed in it their then current version of Stage I, and shipped it back along with a K&N filtercharger, which remains still in its box, possibly never to be used.

If you prefer to keep a stock ECU for maintenance/dealer worries, you can buy an ECU outright from them that is modified, and just plug it in.

The APR chip allows the engine to boost up to 14.5 psi (1 bar or one atmosphere) rather than the 6 psi from the factory. The KKK03 turbo cannot flow enough air to maintain this level of boost all the way to the engine's redline, so after 4,500 revs it starts to drop off. But from 1700-4500 revs, the engine basically makes 225 lb-ft of torque, with linearly increasing HP. HP peaks around 195 in the 5,000 rpm range. These numbers are all approximations.

I had no problem with the drivability of the APR chip, I noticed that the engine lacks pulling power below 2,000 revs, and thus can't be lugged. I am used to big V-8s (or V-12s) and so I had to get used to shifting down. No problem.

Last month Stephen from APR mentioned free upgrades to v3.0 of the stage 1 chip. I sent my ECU in again, and it came back a week later with the new software. Immediately I noticed that launching the car from a stop in normal driving was easier, and that the engine will lug down to 1,000 revs, and pulls strongly from 1500 and up. I surmise that this is because of changes to the spark curves and fuel injection mapping for the latest revision make the engine more drivable.

It is funny, because it is so much easier to drive now that it actually feels slower, because I don't get the rush of boost when the engine clears 2,000 revs, because it is already working just fine by then!

I would not worry too much about the warranty debates, and I would order a chip. That is just me, but you asked my opinion. I think the guys at APR are a class act, and I have no complaints. They answer the phone, and are willing to talk.

I hope this gives you the info you are looking for. Have a good one!