captainy

Guys, I've been away for a while as far as posting is concerned, but I keep reading as I can. Like many of you, I remain frustrated about the DBW throttle programming. Sometimes it doesn't seem too bad, and at others it's awful. Mostly it's how the revs hang when changing gear while driving "normally" i.e. at a pace that does not attract attention in neighboorgoods etc. It never does it when driven fast. But I've now experienced two potentially dangerous situations when the throttle really seemed to stick and tried to hold at at least 3,000 rpm when I was changing down and braking for a junction (I was throttle blipping to rev match like I usually do). Since I did not want to risk the engine I left the car in third gear and just braked a lot harder than normal to slow down, then disengaged the clutch when the revs were down to around 1,200 rpm, and they then dropped to idle. I guess the throttle hung for about 3 seconds or so.

Since it's only happened twice, I think it will be impossible for me to reproduce it for the dealer to see, and I don't want to waste my time with a "no problem found" visit.

I have read on the forum at least twice now about a throttle prgram update. I think that ScottyUK mentioned it last. Is this something that's going on in the United Kingdom only? Can we find out more about it?

I have heard that, among others, APRs ECU programming will eliminate the DBW issues. However, I don't want to risk my warranty to fix this. My car has already had the gearbox problem fixed twice, and had the engine whistle and pulley tensioner problems fixed. I anticipate further warranty work, and I don't want any problems.

Thanks guys. Happy motoring.

Captain Sheetmetal

Yes, it is quite alarming. I think this is a separate issue from the normal DBW complaints (rev-hanging, slow response at times, etc.). I have driven one chipped S4 (Revo) and IMO it did not really address the normal DBW deficiencies and I of course have no idea if the "stuck throttle" issue is resolved with that flash. I do not believe the owner of that car has had the "stuck throttle" issue in the first place. I agree that it's not worth risking your warranty for.

I have not heard of any DBW updates here in the States; only oversees and I don't think anybody really knows what it actually addresses.

Scotty (UK)

I've been running all weekend without the AMD chip so that Audi can do the s/w update. I haven't noticed any difference to the throttle compared to when it was chipped. Of course the power feels a bit less but the throttle feels the same.

I guess this demonstrates that AMD aren't making the throttle reaction more rapid as I know that some tuners have previously done on other models. It's a cheats way of changing how the car feels after a remap. I'm quite glad I'm going through this process. It's turning out to be quite reassuring.

captainy

Thanks. Feel free to e-mail info me if you prefer.