Apr stage 1 review

[B8ESFOUR]

I got my car flashed yesterday Apr Stg1. It took about 30 minutes to do the flash with no problems. They installed stock/93/race/vallet. Changing maps with a cruise control is lot easier than i thought.

In stock map car really feels stock may be a bit more stronger but i cant tell for sure.

93 octane map the car feels similar to stock in daily driving situations. The biggest difference is the when you give WOT the car pulls all the way to redline hard. It gained a lot on the top end. Before, i felt like i had to upshift after 6000 rpm because the car was not pulling anymore. Now i dont have that problem. 100 mph comes very quick and easy. Even in comfort mode the car feels lot faster and crisp than the comfort mode in stock map. Of course dyno will show the ultimate gains, but my guesstimate is i gained about 10 percent awhp from my stock configuration which will put me around 333 awhp.

I dont have unleaded gas now so i did not use that map.

My question is since i am not using the race map, when i use the race map does the ecu still need to adapt to that particular map? In other words, is it map specific adaptation?

Also my roc euro intake should arrive soon. Once i install does the ecu need to reset? Should i disconnect the battery so that ecu adapts to the new intake better?

[Toecutter]

I dont have unleaded gas now so i did not use that map.

????

[B8ESFOUR]

????

Sorry i meant i did not drive the car with race map because i dont have any unleaded race gas. There is no point driving the car on race gas tune with 93 ocatane.

[Alpha Ice]

Yes the ECU will still adjust for timings and such, I was told it would take a bit of time for it to adjust to the different maps and timings when you change things on the ECU. I went stage 2 the other day and although I can get access to 93 octane, they said since I live closest to 92 octane to stick with the 91 setup since it is better for it to adjust timings up than down for running 93 map on 92 octane. I too was looking to run 100 since I Have some additives that will give you 4 octane ratings per gallon of gas from 2 ounces. But they said it would take too much time to adjust given my setup unless I did it more on a regular basis or ran a meth setup. I have a road trip coming up and will probably run 93 octane for that since it will be readily available outside of MN/ my area

[Toecutter]

Sorry i meant i did not drive the car with race map because i dont have any unleaded race gas. There is no point driving the car on race gas tune with 93 ocatane.

Ahhhh, got it.

[schirm]

Yes when I was Stage 1 I put race gar in a couple times. I put on the 100 Octane map and babied it for the first 5-10 miles to get all the old gas out of the lines. After you can feel the power difference, but then after a little more driving I really felt it, and knew it completely adjusted to the different map. It does not take anywhere near as long as a freshly Flashed ECU.
The only place by me with 100 octane has been empty for weeks now. I just want to try the race file now being stage2+.

Glad you enjoy the tune man, once you get bored of that you will be itching for the pulley.

[B8ESFOUR]

Yes when I was Stage 1 I put race gar in a couple times. I put on the 100 Octane map and babied it for the first 5-10 miles to get all the old gas out of the lines. After you can feel the power difference, but then after a little more driving I really felt it, and knew it completely adjusted to the different map. It does not take anywhere near as long as a freshly Flashed ECU.
The only place by me with 100 octane has been empty for weeks now. I just want to try the race file now being stage2+.

Glad you enjoy the tune man, once you get bored of that you will be itching for the pulley.

Haha i hear you!! I decided to drive the car in stock tune most of the time that way when i switch to 93 octane tune i can appreciate what i got. Otherwise if i keep it at 93 octane all the time i am gonna get use to it and order stage II.

What race fuel were you using? I was thinking SUNOCO GT PLUS

[raudiace4]

Yes when I was Stage 1 I put race gar in a couple times. I put on the 100 Octane map and babied it for the first 5-10 miles to get all the old gas out of the lines. After you can feel the power difference, but then after a little more driving I really felt it, and knew it completely adjusted to the different map. It does not take anywhere near as long as a freshly Flashed ECU.
The only place by me with 100 octane has been empty for weeks now. I just want to try the race file now being stage2+.

Glad you enjoy the tune man, once you get bored of that you will be itching for the pulley.

I also have yet to try the 100 map on my stage 2. Can't find unleaded 100 anywhere by me :/

[schirm]

Haha i hear you!! I decided to drive the car in stock tune most of the time that way when i switch to 93 octane tune i can appreciate what i got. Otherwise if i keep it at 93 octane all the time i am gonna get use to it and order stage II.

What race fuel were you using? I was thinking SUNOCO GT PLUS

There us a Sunoco by me that carries 100 Octane at one of their pumps. They just have not had any for about a month now.

I also have yet to try the 100 map on my stage 2. Can't find unleaded 100 anywhere by me :/

First world problems lol. I can't wait to try it.

[F40LM]

I also have yet to try the 100 map on my stage 2. Can't find unleaded 100 anywhere by me :/

Some speedways carry it and gas city's used to have them. Too bad gas city went out of biz.

[B8ESFOUR]

when you guys say sunoco 100 are you refering to 260 GT or 260 GT plus?

[vwfansince4]

OP - congrats on the step up. After 4 yrs w/ our S, I finally got it tuned (stg1 APR). I totally agree w/ what you observed, about how it keeps pulling now.

Enjoy the Roc-Euro intake too. All I have done is the tune, that intake & AWE exhaust, and absolutely love the driving experience.

[schirm]

when you guys say sunoco 100 are you refering to 260 GT or 260 GT plus?

I don't know the difference.

[B8ESFOUR]

I don't know the difference.

260 GT is unleaded oxygenated (3.7% oxygen weight) octane (R+M)/2 100
260 GT PLUS is unleaded oxygenated (4.5% oxygen weight) (R+M)/2 104

I am not sure which one is more suitable for the stage 1 race tune.

[schirm]

260 GT is unleaded oxygenated (3.7% oxygen weight) octane (R+M)/2 100
260 GT PLUS is unleaded oxygenated (4.5% oxygen weight) (R+M)/2 104

I am not sure which one is more suitable for the stage 1 race tune.

I do not think that will make much of a difference. But I have no clue lol. I just go to their 100 octane pump fill the bitch for 100$ and enjoy the rest of my week of driving haha.

[B8ESFOUR]

Second day with the stage 1 tune. Drove one full tank with stock tune. My mileage got better. I used to make 310 miles with full tank, now with the stock apr tune i did 340 miles. That is crazy!! Around 6 pm i switched to 93 octane tune and put the car in dynamic mode to see what this adaptation myth is about. GUYS IT IS FOR REAL!!!! My car feels even faster today than yesterday. I cant believe it!!!

[Alpha Ice]

It will take a few hundred miles for it to really come into effect as the engine and ecu adapts. I went stage 2 a week or two ago and it is nuts!

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[Alpha Ice]

I should add I'm only an A4, no 3 .0T here :/

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[schirm]

It will take a few hundred miles for it to really come into effect as the engine and ecu adapts. I went stage 2 a week or two ago and it is nuts!

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We were talking about how long it takes to adapt if changing from 93 map to 100 octane map on the same stage tune. So this info you gave is false, for this topic.

[Alpha Ice]

I was informed it would still take some time for any changing of the map from 91 to 93 or 100. It would not take several hundred miles, but to the OPs post about it feeling great now.....give it a bit of time and it will get better yet

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[schirm]

I was informed it would still take some time for any changing of the map from 91 to 93 or 100. It would not take several hundred miles, but to the OPs post about it feeling great now.....give it a bit of time and it will get better yet

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It does take about 30 miles not a couple hundred like you mentioned before. I have done it multiple times. Otherwise you would fill with race gas and run out before it adapted lol

[Alpha Ice]

It does take about 30 miles not a couple hundred like you mentioned before. I have done it multiple times. Otherwise you would fill with race gas and run out before it adapted lol

Good to know, I'm only going off of what the rep at Imola Motorsports stated, although he was a bit vague lol. Yea it wouldn't be fun spending 100 bucks on gas and running out before hand

[NWS4Guy]

Second day with the stage 1 tune. Drove one full tank with stock tune. My mileage got better. I used to make 310 miles with full tank, now with the stock apr tune i did 340 miles. That is crazy!! Around 6 pm i switched to 93 octane tune and put the car in dynamic mode to see what this adaptation myth is about. GUYS IT IS FOR REAL!!!! My car feels even faster today than yesterday. I cant believe it!!!

APR leans out the fuel to air ratio and advances timing. This assumes you will use good gas, but will still pull timing to avoid knock. The results is (if you can drive sedately and not go crazy with all the extra power) that you will have the same power with less gas used, or a lot more power with the same amount of fuel previously used. Most people see their MPG go down, as they favor getting MUCH more power and never look back

[S42014forme]

Why did you decide on APR Stage I? Did you consider GIAC or REVO as well? I am asking as I am about to make a decision and am leaning to GIAC stage I as it seems to provide more power.
Thanks

[levigarrett]

Why did you decide on APR Stage I? Did you consider GIAC or REVO as well? I am asking as I am about to make a decision and am leaning to GIAC stage I as it seems to provide more power.
Thanks

I think this is a Coke vs Pepsi kinda thing. Not sure you're going to get a definitive answer. I'm considering a tune and I've decided that if I do, it'll be APR. Not because I think poorly of the others, I just think I like what APR does and I'm confident in their product. I also don't think every buyer is trying to extract the absolute max out the the engine and drivetrain so I'm not sure that one tuner providing slightly more power is the discriminator that makes the selection process obvious. In fact, I'd probably tend to be drawn to one that provided the most reliable (perhaps less) power in terms of drivetrain strain. Particularly on a new car that's going to be owned for a long time.

[B8ESFOUR]

Why did you decide on APR Stage I? Did you consider GIAC or REVO as well? I am asking as I am about to make a decision and am leaning to GIAC stage I as it seems to provide more power.
Thanks

I heard lot of horror stories about revo, so i scratched that out. I want a fast and reliable car and several data logs proved that revo tune was too risky for me. It was between apr and giac. I dont think you can go wrong with any, and i have a feeling Giac has a slightly more aggressive tune but still very safe. The biggest deciding factor for me was i had 3 apr dealers 1 hr away from me. But closest giac dealer was 3 hours drive.

[SwankPeRFection]

I think this is a Coke vs Pepsi kinda thing.

What about those of us who like Fanta Strawberry? Which tuner is closest to that drink?

[levigarrett]

What about those of us who like Fanta Strawberry? Which tuner is closest to that drink?

J-FONZ for folks like you!

[SwankPeRFection]

J-FONZ for folks like you!

Daz dat purple drink yo! I don't gots no suggas to puts in it.

[S42014forme]

Thanks, I agree though I believe GIAC to be pretty safe as well considering feedback on Audizine. As for me being in St Louis, closest dealer is a GIAC one for APR would have to go to Chicago or Kansas City I believe. Called GIAC and their dealer here and was advised they can safe my original OEM tune and flash it back before car goes in for service. This seems key to me.

[Intrepid One]

Second day with the stage 1 tune. Drove one full tank with stock tune. My mileage got better. I used to make 310 miles with full tank, now with the stock apr tune i did 340 miles. That is crazy!! Around 6 pm i switched to 93 octane tune and put the car in dynamic mode to see what this adaptation myth is about. GUYS IT IS FOR REAL!!!! My car feels even faster today than yesterday. I cant believe it!!!

This is a very timely thread for me. I am about one week into ownership of a 2010 s4, and am looking to wake it up with an APR tune. I am concerned about day to day drivability. . I don't have a big choice of dealers near me, so it looks like APR is the way to go. I am used to buying 93 octane in large volume as my other car is an '01 M5, so I anticipate staying on the 93 tune..Can you offer any further impressions on drivability, etc now that you have put a few more miles on the car?..I would really appreciate your thoughts..Thanks..S

[paulo6]

This is a very timely thread for me. I am about one week into ownership of a 2010 s4, and am looking to wake it up with an APR tune. I am concerned about day to day drivability. . I don't have a big choice of dealers near me, so it looks like APR is the way to go. I am used to buying 93 octane in large volume as my other car is an '01 M5, so I anticipate staying on the 93 tune..Can you offer any further impressions on drivability, etc now that you have put a few more miles on the car?..I would really appreciate your thoughts..Thanks..S

Just curious as a 2014 owner myself the $64k question (or $58k in this case) why would u tune a new car with APR and lose warranty? My understanding that those can't be hidden from dealers unlike my previous COBB tuned BMW 535 where I simply uninstall tune myself through hand held accessport before I took it in for service?
I want to tune so bad but don't want to risk losing warranty so soon ...
Sorry if that question I know many many threads covered it but I'm 2 weeks into ownership of my new S4 and just curious on logic people have of tuning a new car and risk dealing with hefty repair costs down the line...


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[B8ESFOUR]

This is a very timely thread for me. I am about one week into ownership of a 2010 s4, and am looking to wake it up with an APR tune. I am concerned about day to day drivability. . I don't have a big choice of dealers near me, so it looks like APR is the way to go. I am used to buying 93 octane in large volume as my other car is an '01 M5, so I anticipate staying on the 93 tune..Can you offer any further impressions on drivability, etc now that you have put a few more miles on the car?..I would really appreciate your thoughts..Thanks..S

I assure my day to day drive-ability did not change what so ever. The stage one tune has zero negative impact on day to day drive-ability. Trust me i am in sales so i drive everyday. On work days i use stock tune and it even gives me better fuel economy than the factory tune it came with. And in the weekends i switch it to 93 octane tune. Now if you are going to stage 2, and if you are facing lot of snow in the winter, huge amount of torque gain may effect driving in the snow. But for stage 1 i do not see that happening since most of the gains are from 5000 rpm to redline.

[B8ESFOUR]

Just curious as a 2014 owner myself the $64k question (or $58k in this case) why would u tune a new car with APR and lose warranty? My understanding that those can't be hidden from dealers unlike my previous COBB tuned BMW 535 where I simply uninstall tune myself through hand held accessport before I took it in for service?
I want to tune so bad but don't want to risk losing warranty so soon ...
Sorry if that question I know many many threads covered it but I'm 2 weeks into ownership of my new S4 and just curious on logic people have of tuning a new car and risk dealing with hefty repair costs down the line...


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Since i got my car used, i don not have too much knowledge on this question. But this is what i know from reading many threads. Some like you they buy a new s4 then they take it to a mod friendly dealer and be up front and honest about the whole thing. At least thats what i would do if i were in your shoes. Not all dealers are the same. Some welcome small mods like this some do not.

[paulo6]

Since i got my car used, i don not have too much knowledge on this question. But this is what i know from reading many threads. Some like you they buy a new s4 then they take it to a mod friendly dealer and be up front and honest about the whole thing. At least thats what i would do if i were in your shoes. Not all dealers are the same. Some welcome small mods like this some do not.

I see. Since stasis (covers the warranty) is in disarray I will discuss with my local dealer service my options ...


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[NWS4Guy]

Daily drivability is unaffected, in fact, with the lower F:A mappings, if you drive it gently, you will see higher MPG - granted this is hard to do with the extra power though At Stage 2+ it's even better, and I don't worry about MPG at all really day to day, but when going on long highway trips I usually see 28-29MPG as calculated by consumption not what the computer tells me.

I see. Since stasis (covers the warranty) is in disarray I will discuss with my local dealer service my options ...


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Perhaps I am a fool? I went stage 1 and 2 as soon as it was out, well before my car was out of warranty. Never had any issues at all with the engine, transmission or tune and car is now 4.25 years old and has almost 50K miles on it still without issues. Granted there can certainly be things with the drivetrain from the factory, and if you have a tune that would negate them covering it, even if it was not caused by the tune.

You actually CAN make it where it's not detected, though it's fraud if you tried to claim warranty work that was caused by a tune. You have to take the car back to the APR/GIAC dealer before going into Audi, flash over the tune back to the stock ECU software and then you are clear. Once you have maintenance done, you can head back to have it re-flashed again.

[paulo6]

You actually CAN make it where it's not detected, though it's fraud if you tried to claim warranty work that was caused by a tune. You have to take the car back to the APR/GIAC dealer before going into Audi, flash over the tune back to the stock ECU software and then you are clear. Once you have maintenance done, you can head back to have it re-flashed again.

I wish someone would make a product like Cobb for audi where one can do all at home and not worry about taking it in everytime they need a re flash! Cobb was amazing on my E60 bmw. I download latest maps from their website and then I have full control what I install and unistall on my car ...


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[NWS4Guy]

I wish someone would make a product like Cobb for audi where one can do all at home and not worry about taking it in everytime they need a re flash! Cobb was amazing on my E60 bmw. I download latest maps from their website and then I have full control what I install and unistall on my car ...


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Likely not going to happen. The Simos ECU is very hardened and encrypted, and it took a long time to develop the tunes they have now - most are locking it into the dealer network to drive value rather than putting it in the hands of people. Not to mention, you can piggyback a E60, but trying to use one on these cars is futile.

[B8ESFOUR]

Got a cel this morning. I switched to 93 octane map from stock as usual for sat and sunday. I switched to 93 and driving easy because my oil temp was not even up. Boom. Cel popped up. Stopped the car and cleared the code. Now my question is if i check it with vag com can i still see the reason for cel or is it also cleared. I am not too worried unless it comes back again. But we will see

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[LYKUNO]

B8ESFOUR, Have you had your car back to the dyne after your tune? I had hoped to get to Smokey's the morning you were there (4-12), but had some other priorities that day. In Alliance so not too far from Boardman - occasionally hike around the lakes at Mill Creek. Would love to catch a ride in your car sometime to experience what what a tune feels like.