While my past few posts have been centered around practicality and maintenance, with this latest update, I'm going to get into the good stuff and focus on the performance side of the project.
The particular performance topic I'm covering today is a Stage 1 ECU and TCU tune. These are my go-to first performance upgrades no matter what vehicle I own because they transform how the car drives. Not only do these upgrades give you more power and faster, smoother shifting, they also improve daily drivability in several ways as well.
If you're interested in learning more about what changes are made with an ECU or TCU tune, please feel free to check out our ECU and TCU Tuning Guide. In that guide I cover the most commonly asked questions regarding tuning and the changes it makes to your engine and transmission.
So Many Tuning Options Available
If you check out this post, you might notice that at NGP, we offer a lot of tuning options. Personally, I've had tunes from almost every tuner we have access to. In fact, my Project CC-R alone had tuning installed from three different tuners throughout its various stages of performance. I've also installed tuning to several hundred vehicles in the 16 years that I've worked at NGP.
Due to this extensive experience working with all of these great tuners, I knew this was going to be a tough choice. One particular reason is that almost every tuner we work with has great tuning options available for the Audi CYMC 2.0T Gen 3 TSI engine found in the B9 generation Audis.
Also, I'm going to mention now that I'm not really interested in figuring out which tune gives the best numbers on paper or a timeslip. If I were to focus specifically on just drag times and dyno figures, I can guarantee you that all of the tunes I tested are going to fall within 5% of each other. Instead, I my focus was on finding which of the tunes has the best overall drive-ability, feel and throttle control. I fully realize that others have different preferences to my own, and that is okay! You should do the same thing when figuring out which tuning software is best for you.
Testing To Find The Best Of The Best
At NGP, we always perform a quality control test after each tune we install to ensure that the vehicle is operating properly with the new software. So, whenever we had a B9 generation Audi 2.0T vehicle in the shop to have new tuning installed, I made sure I was available to perform the installation and the quality control test. This gave me a better understanding of each of the tunes, both with or without TCU tuning as well. I also have several friends that have tuned B9 A4 and A5 vehicles and was able to drive their vehicles on a variety of roads.
While test driving customer's and my friend's vehicles gives me a big insight into the tuning, it's another thing when I'm able to test out my own personal car on my own routes the way I want to drive. Once I had determined which tunes I preferred, I then installed them to my own car so that I could test them on my own personal routes over the course of several months.
034Motorsport Audi B9 A4/A5/Allroad 2.0T Tuning
After several months of putting the available tunes through their paces, I had come to the conclusion that each of them was very similar in most respects, with some slight differences. It was difficult to make a bad choice here because each tune available for this platform is good.
A few months after I concluded my testing, 034Motorsport released their own tuning for the B9 2.0T platform. This meant that I was going to have to test it out for myself before finalizing my choice. We had several customers come in to have the new 034Motorsport tuning, so I took the opportunity to install the tuning and do some quality control testing. I liked what I was feeling when I driving the cars, so I decided to install it on my own car to fully test it out.
I've now had a solid two months to fully test out the 034Motorsport software in several different scenarios. From the cold weather of March to the warmer days of the end of May, I've completely put this tuning through the paces. I've tested it in performance situations, (fun twisty back-roads) and longer road trips to make the ultimate decision of which tune to go with. For those wondering why I didn't test it at a track day, remember, this car is my daily driver. I have no intention of turning this car into another one of my track toys (yet...).
How I Tested
I have several particular routes I like to use when testing my own vehicles. These routes include my roughly 40 minute (each way) highway commute to and from work, as well as several of my favorite twisty back roads. I like to have a bit of variety in my test routes to ensure that I thoroughly tested every aspect of the 034Motorsport tuning.
On any of the routes I took, I drove in both drive mode and sport mode several times. I do this because of the very different nature of each mode. Drive mode is much more subdued and is better suited to a normal, easy going commute where fuel economy can be a concern. Sport mode is much more performance oriented and is better suited to having fun or driving spiritedly, and consumes much more fuel. I also regularly switched between the different drive select modes throughout my testing.
I installed the Stage 1 93 octane tune since it's the most readily available premium fuel where I live. The power figures for this tune are 334 HP and 370 FT-LBS. Peak gains are 78 HP at 4,500 RPM and 99 FT-LBS at 3,900 RPM. The tune is also available in Stage 1 91 octane and 1+ E85 (with HPFP upgrade) versions as well.
A Better Drive (Mode)
I often find that tuners gloss over drive mode and I can see why this happens. Most people that want more power are typically going to put their car into sport mode and forget all about drive mode. However, some of us that have longer commutes like to keep our cars in drive mode for the increased fuel economy.
Due to the focus on maximum performance, drive mode doesn't get the attention it needs. This often leads to a somewhat flat experience in this mode. Yes, you do get more power, but the throttle response and acceleration characteristics are largely the same as they are from the factory. You can really tell that 034Motorsport paid attention to this when looking at other tunes and refined the throttle control to get rid of this flat, stock feeling. With the 034Motorsport tuning, it feels as though you have a professionally modified pedal controller installed. In drive mode, the throttle gives a very nice ramping effect when gradually rolling into the throttle as you take off from a stop. With other tunes, acceleration feels a little too linear and overall just flat.
With any tuned 2.0T engine, I've never been a huge fan of the all too sharp and immediate torque increase that you get when engaging more than half throttle. This feeling isn't present with the 034Motorsport tuning. When pushing deeper into the throttle, you can immediately tell that 034Motorsport has improved and refined the acceleration curve. While power builds quickly, it does so smoothly rather than simply blasting you with a wall of torque. Immediate changes in throttle, such as when you give it a good stab to quickly accelerate, are also greatly improved as well. At no point in my testing did I find any spots in the powerband that felt flat or lacked improvement.
TCU Tuning To Match
The 034Motorsport TCU tuning further compliments the improvements made by the ECU tuning in drive mode. Shifts are smooth, precise and direct, but never harsh, even under harder acceleration. 034Motorsport has also done a fantastic job with proper gear selection under many differing situations.
I do a lot of highway commuting, and there is one thing in particular I notice with other TCU tunes in drive mode: the transmission is placed into 7th gear as quickly as possible. While this is appropriate on a completely flat section of road, the tuning should also accommodate for steeper grades by keeping the transmission in 6th gear.
On a section of highway I drive every day, there are several sections that increase the grade in varying amounts. At 55 MPH, a properly tuned B9 should not go into 7th gear, and really shouldn't on an increased grade. The reasoning is simple, the engine is at too low of an RPM and actually requires more fuel to push the car up the hill. It would also require a downshift in order to accelerate to pass a vehicle. 034Motorsport's tuning was the only tune that passed this test and appropriately held the gear in 6th. It did this both the uphill section and flat sections of highway at 55 MPH.
A Sport Mode that Lives Up To Its Name
One of the things that I like about 034Motorsport is that motorsport is in their name for a reason. If you check out their YouTube channel, you'll note that they regularly visit some great tracks such as Laguna Seca, Sonoma, Willow Springs and more. They've also competed in several professional motorsport events. To someone like myself that has attended countless track days and also worked on our own motorsports team, I greatly value the input of company that actually understands motorsport performance. Testing their tuning at the track with employees that are capable of properly driving on track makes for better performance tuning.
This results of this track testing is on full display when you drive in Sport Mode. Whenever I switch from drive mode to sport mode, it immediately feels like I'm driving a completely different car. Throttle response increases and acceleration becomes significantly sharper as well. I'm happy with this immediately noticeable difference; it's how the car should feel when making this switch.
The throttle refinements I mentioned when talking about drive mode are present in sport mode as well. If you're giving it a small amount of throttle input (less than 1/4), you get acceleration that is quick and lively. If you decide to engage anywhere from 1/2 throttle up to the kick-down, you get a surge of power that builds quickly, yet smoothly. And if you decide to drive like you've just hit the Mulsanne Straight with the kickdown fully engaged, you very quickly feel all 370 FT-LBS of torque thrust you forward as the Quattro AWD puts the power to the road. This changing of the throttle response based on pedal input is absolutely fantastic and I have to give 034Motorsport kudos for taking the time to refine it to the level that they did.
Truly Sporty TCU Tuning
Whether you are launching the car from a standstill, pushing the car through a twisty backroad, or simply taking a top speed drive in Mexico, the 034Motorsport TCU tune is truly inspiring. At no point did I feel that an incorrect gear was selected when in sport mode.
When it comes to gear selection, 034Motorsport's track experience comes through. People often forget that modern, sophisticated DSG transmissions run on logic that is programmed by people. When the people responsible for the tuning know the difference between a hairpin and a wide sweeping turn, what gear the transmission should be in and also what gear to be ready to shift into, you can tell. I fully put the gear selection aspect of the TCU tune to the test on my favorite twisty backroads. With the factory TCU software and even some of the aftermarket tunes, the transmission would occasionally have to hunt for the correct gear and make an extra unneeded change. With the 034Motorsport TCU tune, this doesn't happen. You always feel that you're in the correct gear no matter what type of turn you're taking. Each time I hit an apex and nailed the throttle to accelerate out of it, the transmission had the correct gear ready to engage the moment I needed it.
The launch control improvements over stock are also very noticeable. When using launch control with the factory TCU software, it feels almost like there's a delay in putting the power to the road. With the 034Motorsport TCU tune, this delay is gone and power is put down to the ground immediately. Along with the increased power from the ECU tuning, you get an absolute gut-punch of torque that immediately throws you back in your seat. In addition, launch control with the 034Motorsport tune feels as though the Quattro AWD is able to do its job rather than being held back.
Even Better Fuel Economy
I did not actually expect to be noting an improvement in fuel economy over other tunes, but I was pleasantly wrong. By their nature, ECU and TCU tuning will give you an improvement in overall fuel economy (as long as you drive normally). This is simply because the tuning allows the engine to run more efficiently and use less fuel while cruising. I typically tell most customers they can expect about a 10% increase in fuel economy when cruising on the highway.
All of the other tunes I tested came back with similar improvements to fuel economy, averaging around 35-38 MPG on the highway, depending on the temperature. This is important to note as direct injection engines go down in fuel economy as the air temperatures get colder. Colder air is denser, which requires more fuel to compensate. This is great for performance, but not so much for fuel economy.
Over the past two months, I've seen the temperatures swing from the low 30s all the way up to the mid 80's. With the 034Motorsport tuning, I noticed slightly better fuel economy of 36-39 MPG when temperatures were warmer. I fully expect that number to go up slightly when we get into the warmer days of summer. It's also worth noting that I did have one longer trip where I hit a record 43.5 MPG cruising the highway!
During my testing, I had one particular highway commute into work where I encountered some traffic. To compensate for the delay, I did what most of us do and "drove very spiritedly" once it was safe to do so. As I was doing this, I looked down at my fuel economy gauge in the Audi Virtual Cockpit. I was a bit perplexed as I expected to see the typical drop in MPG both on the average and current values. Instead, I was seeing an average value of 31 MPG and a current value above 40 MPG! Considering that the temperatures were in the low 60s F and the speed I was going, I was genuinely impressed.
Easy Installation
034Motorsport has done a fantastic job making the installation process easy for just about anyone. You simply need an Android phone/tablet, Apple iPhone/iPad or Windows laptop, a battery charger/tender, and the 034Motorsport Dynamic+ End User Flashing Kit R4. The flashing kit even includes two separate cables for either type of USB port. Its also worth noting that 034Motorsport includes some very nice, high quality braided cables in their kit. I have yet to see another tuner include cables as nice as these.
I installed my tuning using the 034SPI software on my laptop. The 034SPI software is very easy to use and guides you through the entire process from start to finish. Even if you have no experience installing a tune, their software makes it extremely simple and straightforward.
034Motorsport also has a fantastic mobile phone app available as well. In addition to installing or switching tunes, the mobile app also gives you the ability to perform data logging and read/clear any codes on your vehicle. I spent a little time testing out this functionality and can happily report that it works great. I plan on using the logging function to test the effectiveness of later hardware upgrades. I also plan on using the app on my phone or tablet to switch to other tunes when using other fuel types when I'm at the track.
If you're not the DIY type, or simply don't have the equipment to do it yourself, and are local to one of our shops, we're more than happy to install this software onto your own B9 A4, A5, Allroad or Q5. Simply click or tap here to request an installation appointment and one of our experienced service writers will be in touch.
Conclusion: Truly Refined Power
You may have noticed that I mentioned the throttle improvements on more than one occasion. While all tunes will make substantially more power than factory tuning, how that power is translated from your right foot to the road makes a big difference. When compared to all the tunes I tested before, 034Motorsport's throttle control feels the best to me. The initial input threshold has been greatly improved and their adjustments to the resulting acceleration curve are fantastic and noticeable no matter what type of driving you are doing.
If I had to sum up my thoughts on the 034Motorsport B9 2.0T tuning into one phrase, it would be that it simply drives the best. As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, all of the tunes available from the other big name tuners are good and will give you increased performance. But that doesn't mean that there isn't room for improvement. 034Motorsport has done the research and added these needed improvements into their tuning. The result is that their B9 2.0T tuning simply feels more refined on any of the routes I drive on.
Overall, I'm very happy with the 034Motorsport Stage 1 ECU and TCU tuning software and look forward to installing their Stage 2+ tuning very soon. I've got all of the hardware required to make that jump and will be posting my review of that in the coming months.
Upgrading To Maximize ECU Tuning Performance
In the next update to Project Practical Performance, I cover installing an intake upgrade to help the ECU tuning reach its maximum potential. I also have an update coming out that will cover upgrading the Ignition system to better cope with the stresses put on it by the new ECU tuning.