APR is pleased to present the ultimate engine control unit (ECU) upgrade for the Generation 3, 1.8 TSI and TFSI engine as found in the MQB platform vehicles. APR’s ECU upgrade is available in octane-specific variations and is conveniently flashed to the vehicle’s factory ECU through the OBD-II port without any physical modification to the factory ECU.
The ECU’s Continental SIMOS 12.x engine management system is responsible for proper operation of the engine during constantly changing environmental and load conditions. With built in compensational data for environmental variables and varying load conditions, the factory ECU is far more complex and intelligent than units found in other vehicle makes and marques.
APR's Calibration Engineers spent months calibrating the engine management system, including many hours of chassis dyno development. With a thorough understanding of the ECU’s torque structure, APR’s Calibration Engineers properly increased engine load to produce more power and torque across the entire power band. APR’s ECU Upgrade increases turbocharger boost pressure and optimizes cam timing, ignition timing, lambda and more to produce higher output. Using APR’s proprietary high-speed data logging suite, the calibration team closely monitored the effects of these changes to help ensure an enjoyable driving experience.
APR’s ECU Upgrades provides an excellent leap in horsepower and torque while retaining OEM knock control sensitivity and other built in safety features. This results in an exciting and powerful upgrade, optimized for various fuel grades found around the world!
APR Stage I ECU Upgrade:
The APR Stage I ECU Upgrade is the first step towards making more power! This simple upgrade requires no engine hardware modifications, and produces 234-245 HP with 273-301 FT-LBS of torque. Gains as high as 65-80 HP and 78-107 FT-LBS of torque are available throughout the power band.
To get more power, the vehicle can be outfitted with an upgraded intake, intercooler, catback exhaust and other small modifications without requiring any new modification to the ECU. APR recommends properly gapping the factory spark plugs to a tighter gap (Ex: 0.024" ±0.002" or 0.6mm ±0.05mm), properly installed and torqued (Ex: Per the manufacturer's specifications), and maintained with a shorter changer interval (Ex: 10,000-15,000 mi or 16,000-24,000 km).
Beyond Stage 1:
If you're already at Stage 1 and are looking to get more power from your 1.8T Gen 3 TSI, APR also offers software for the IS20 and IS38 factory turbochargers. Please contact us if you're interested in upgrading your turbocharger for more power.
APR ECU Upgrades
APR’s ECU upgrades are one of the best horsepower-per-dollar modifications for the new 1.8T engine. The APR Stage I ECU Upgrade is designed to work without requiring other changes to the vehicle’s hardware. With the ECU Upgrade alone, APR’s Calibration Experts measured higher peak figures of 298 ft-lbs of torque and 251 horsepower with 93 AKI octane fuel. Large gains were seen throughout the power band, including an additional 97 ft-lbs of torque and 81 horsepower.
APR Stage II ECU Upgrade is designed to work with APR’s upcoming Exhaust Downpipe and is a free upgrade for APR Stage I customers. When combined with APR’s Intake System, peak power and torque figures grew further to 256 horsepower and 304 ft-lbs of torque. While peak power did not increase by much, the additional hardware allowed the turbo to spool faster and power carried better towards redline, resulting in up to 16 horsepower more.
The increase in power directly translates to an exceptionally quicker vehicle. Using advanced GPS measuring devices, APR’s engineers conducted several acceleration tests. During the 0-125 mph sprint, the APR Stage I equipped vehicle finished 22.048 seconds sooner that stock and the APR Stage II equipped vehicle was an additional 3.112 seconds earlier!
Acceleration Enhancements:
Beyond power and torque enhancements, APR’s Calibration Engineers were able to increase the acceleration rate of the vehicle through other calibrations changes. Ignition delay is reduced resulting in a more responsive pedal without altering overall throttle sensitivity. Furthermore, drivability was greatly improved by reducing the throttle lag commonly noticed at slow speeds and while reapplying throttle after decelerating.
Speed Limiter:
APR’s ECU upgrade increases the vehicle's top speed limiter for blistering sprints around the track or across the Autobahn without the speed limiter shutting down the fun!
Increased Fuel Economy:
APR’s Calibration Engineers paid close attention to several parameters directly related to fuel economy, especially while cruising at highway speeds. Depending on driving style and fuel quality, better miles per gallon may be achieved!
Left Foot Braking / Brake Boosting:
APR's Left Foot Braking feature allows more control over the vehicle’s throttle. The factory equipped vehicle's throttle input is disabled while pressing the accelerator and brake at the same time. Left Foot Braking, a common motorsport driving technique, allows the driver complete control over the vehicle’s throttle and braking system, which may give the vehicle the edge it needs at the track. As is with all features APR adds to the ECU, this feature may be removed upon request.
Clutch Protection:
APR’s standard Stage I ECU Upgrade offers a large increase in low-end torque, which may overpower the factory clutch. While APR did not experience clutch slip at the advertised torque levels and even higher, others may due to clutch health and driving style. APR recommends upgrading slipping clutches, but has also created special software designed to deliver the same peak horsepower with a cap on low end torque to reduce or eliminate slipping. These specific files are available with various torque caps set lower than the standard Stage I ECU Upgrade.
Torque Management:
Torque management plays a big role in how the vehicle feels and preforms, especially during moments of low gear, rapid acceleration. Typically front wheel drive vehicles suffer from excessive wheel spin during these moments due to the massive amount of torque on tap from the ECU upgrade. APR’s ECU Upgrade uses advanced torque management routines to minimize wheel spin and maximize forward acceleration so the driver can focus on enjoying the additional torque and power on tap. We call it Performance Without Compromise!
APR Security Warranty and Money Back Guarantee
30 Day Money Back Guarantee:
All APR ECU Upgrades include a 30-day money back guarantee with no questions asked. If for any reason the owners is dissatisfied with the APR ECU Upgrade, they may return to the place of purchase for a full refund, provided they are within the 30 day period from the time of the initial purchase. Labor or shipping charges are not included in the guarantee and are at the discretion of the place of install.
Limited Lifetime Warrantee:
All APR ECU Upgrades include a limited lifetime warranty against defects in the software, and to provide free updates and reflashes as they become available. Labor or shipping charges are not included in the warranty and are at the discretion of the place of install.