ECU reprogramming and warranty?
Thread Starter
Audiworld Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 13
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From: Chicago
ECU reprogramming and warranty?
Does getting the ECU reprogrammed to get higher performance from the latest S4 (supercharged V6) void the manufacturer warranty? If yes, are there any products out there that allow you to easily go from mod to stock and back to mod, so you can safely take the car in for service without them knowing you modded the car? I wouldn't mind more performance from my 2010 S4, but I wouldn't risk the warranty for it. So, I am just trying to figure out if there is anything out there for me, or do I have to wait 4 years before I consider modding the car?
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Joined: Sep 2009
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From: Seattle, WA
Few mods will instantly void a warranty. Mods that are proven by Audi to have caused a failure will remove the warranty coverage for that portion of the car.
Most of the tuners for this market really do their work and make sure there are not issues before release, this is how they make their living, which would be a short career if they were blowing people's engines up. With Audi you can go the Stasis route, who sells things like this through Audi and they pick up the warranty, or you can go with other tuners like GIAC and APR who are well known and proven, and typically give a little more power than the conservative Stasis tunes at a much lower price, but with no warranty.
Most of the tuners for this market really do their work and make sure there are not issues before release, this is how they make their living, which would be a short career if they were blowing people's engines up. With Audi you can go the Stasis route, who sells things like this through Audi and they pick up the warranty, or you can go with other tuners like GIAC and APR who are well known and proven, and typically give a little more power than the conservative Stasis tunes at a much lower price, but with no warranty.
Thread Starter
Audiworld Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
From: Chicago
Few mods will instantly void a warranty. Mods that are proven by Audi to have caused a failure will remove the warranty coverage for that portion of the car.
Most of the tuners for this market really do their work and make sure there are not issues before release, this is how they make their living, which would be a short career if they were blowing people's engines up. With Audi you can go the Stasis route, who sells things like this through Audi and they pick up the warranty, or you can go with other tuners like GIAC and APR who are well known and proven, and typically give a little more power than the conservative Stasis tunes at a much lower price, but with no warranty.
Most of the tuners for this market really do their work and make sure there are not issues before release, this is how they make their living, which would be a short career if they were blowing people's engines up. With Audi you can go the Stasis route, who sells things like this through Audi and they pick up the warranty, or you can go with other tuners like GIAC and APR who are well known and proven, and typically give a little more power than the conservative Stasis tunes at a much lower price, but with no warranty.
AudiWorld Super User
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 4,361
Likes: 5
From: Seattle, WA
They don't directly, they have some dealerships which partner and sell Stasis modifications, done in house by the dealership. Stasis will take over and pay warranty claims that Audi refuses based on the Stasis mods.
AudiWorld Member
Joined: Mar 2006
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From: CT
I am considering the APR ECU when it comes out but there is definitely risk involved. How much is a new 3.0T engine from Audi?? I know it is remote but if your engine blows up and your ECU has been modified, I am pretty sure Audi will deny the warranty claim.
AudiWorld Super User
Joined: Sep 2009
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From: Seattle, WA
If it has been modded and they can tell, sure they will deny it. Of course, as has been said, this is one of the core areas of these businesses, and it's in their own self preservation and best interest to not blow people's engines. They will be safe since their rep depends on it.
Audiworld Junior Member
Joined: Oct 2000
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From: Colorado
I don't know that I'd be so concerned with blowing up an engine, as with more reaslistic incidental issues. I wonder what would happen if my car were chipped and suffered the dreaded water pump failure? Even though the two things would not be related, it would not surprise me if this voided warranty coverage for this particular issue.
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AudiWorld Super User
Joined: Sep 2009
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From: Seattle, WA
I don't know that I'd be so concerned with blowing up an engine, as with more reaslistic incidental issues. I wonder what would happen if my car were chipped and suffered the dreaded water pump failure? Even though the two things would not be related, it would not surprise me if this voided warranty coverage for this particular issue.
Stock
91 octane
93 octane
100 octane
Valet
So long as the car can get into accessory mode you can place the ECU in stock mode, and the dealer or Audi themselves cannot tell that the ECU has been altered in any way. APR or I could get very technical with the exact details on why there is not way to tell, but if it is in stock mode, which is exactly the same stock code end to end that Audi put on the car, they cannot tell that there is othe code present due to the inherent encryption that made this new SIMOS ECU from Siemens such a bear to crack in the first place.
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AudiWorld Senior Member
Joined: May 2009
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From: Raleigh, NC
Except when you go to a crappy APR 'dealer' and they screw up your install so badly, that it's blatantly obvious that your car was modified.
Then you're out of pocket for the repairs.
Then you're out of pocket for the repairs.
AudiWorld Member
Joined: Feb 2006
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ps stasis has ever picked up the difference? ive never heard of it...