RS7 Tunes

[odawg6692]

I need some help on tune for my 2014 RS7. What is everyone running? I am looking Unitronic or GIAC. Heard to many bad things about APR


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[limeypride]

I need some help on tune for my 2014 RS7. What is everyone running? I am looking Unitronic or GIAC. Heard to many bad things about APR


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Jeez--really? I can't find anything but positive reviews... and I've added my own elated reviews to the collection. Keep searching--the APR reviews are predominantly positive and for very good reason.

[HeelBuff]

I've been steadily running APR stages 1 and 2 beginning at 4,200 miles and I now have 37,xxx and have had nothing but pleasure except occasional cylinder misfires. The benefits of the trade off are miles ahead of the downside.

[odawg6692]

I've been steadily running APR stages 1 and 2 beginning at 4,200 miles and I now have 37,xxx and have had nothing but pleasure except occasional cylinder misfires. The benefits of the trade off are miles ahead of the downside.

Those are some of the negatives I hear on APR. just haven't heard any or find any on GIAC or Unitronic. Hoping to hear a. Much of opinions


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[HeelBuff]

Yeah. I figure that since I'm taking the risk I want to look at all the data possible to make a good decision. Lots of data from APR and from users and their reputation was good enough.

[limeypride]

Those are some of the negatives I hear on APR. just haven't heard any or find any on GIAC or Unitronic. Hoping to hear a. Much of opinions


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The only thing you took from that post was the "negatives"? Are you sure your mind isn't already made up?

I'm telling you, review my posts... and others. I've been down this path and APR is a great product--I'm not one to lay praise where accolades aren't due but here they are. If price is no object then APR is your best bet...

[IowaRS7]

OP, what are you looking for from a tune? Also, one of the most important things to consider is if there is a shop in your area that can support/trouble shoot issues or problems if they arise. I have a local independent shop that I go to for everything and he is an APR dealer. For me that is a big deal. If you want to have the best 1/4 mile times and the ease of flipping through octane mappings, APR is the one to go with. Nothing wrong with GIAC or Unitronic if they meet your needs and I know Unitronic has the tune from home option. Most people that tune are looking for the best HP/TQ output with 1/4 results and that goes to APR for the RS7.

[P_G]

The only thing you took from that post was the "negatives"? Are you sure your mind isn't already made up?

I'm telling you, review my posts... and others. I've been down this path and APR is a great product--I'm not one to lay praise where accolades aren't due but here they are. If price is no object then APR is your best bet...

I have to say as a long term APR user on my last RS and one of their biggest promoters to fellow RS enthusiasts, I'm put off by the cylinder misfire issue on the 4.0TTV8, especially on a £2k tune. It's just not acceptable which is why at this time or until APR develop a proven a fix I won't be using them. Their growth and success appears to show cracks, APR mobile on 2.5TFSi was another example. Was supposed to happen, many purchased Stage I / II with the promise that this was to follow and then never did. Also Stage II tunes that were producing no more than Stage I, no UK support which has since been outsourced to one of their franchise dealers.... having to 'crack' ME9 ECU's when other tuners could OBD II flash; the list goes on

They are no doubt the best known in the VAG ECU tuning but perhaps the high standards they used to operate are no longer achievable and on a 4.0TTV8 for some like me that may be too big a risk to take.

[limeypride]

I have to say as a long term APR user on my last RS and one of their biggest promoters to fellow RS enthusiasts, I'm put off by the cylinder misfire issue on the 4.0TTV8, especially on a £2k tune. It's just not acceptable which is why at this time or until APR develop a proven a fix I won't be using them. Their growth and success appears to show cracks, APR mobile on 2.5TFSi was another example. Was suppose to happen, many purchased Stage I / II with the promise that this was to follow and then never did. Also Stage II tunes that were producing no more than Stage I, no UK support which has since been outsourced to one of their franchise dealers.... having to 'crack' ME9 ECU's when other tuners could OBD II flash; the list goes on

They are no doubt the best known in the VAG ECU tuning but perhaps the high standards they used to operate and no longer achievable and on a 4.0TTV8 for some like me that may be too big a risk to take.

Interesting.

No misfires for me. Local dealer support has been excellent. APR mobile app does exactly what I want it to. My point: reviews need to be taken on aggregate. P_G's story isn't great but it's far from the norm based on my own research.

I shall stop contributing now until APR pay me.

[kevinw23]

This topic has been discussed to DEATH. So, do yourself a favor, schedule a few free hours in your day, use the search box, and read all the other posts discussing this. And, just to hit one point, I have seen cylinder 5 misfires mainly when you jump on the car before its properly warmed up. I've had the APR tune for months, and arguably have put the car on the dragstrip more than most here in that time frame, so I am speaking from experience. I have also had both the unitronic and APR tunes on my car.

[Barritia]

These tunes put out so close to the same power between each company that the biggest concern should be do you want to tune from home and have the ability to clear or update tune from home or do you have a local dealer for support.

[Chris Morales]

These tunes put out so close to the same power between each company

How do you know this?

One huge point for me is a body of available performance results. There are tons of videos, dyno sheets, and time slips documenting the efficacy of the APR tune. The RS7 1/4 mile record holder (as best we can tell) and every other person who is anywhere close to the record is using the APR tune. What evidence is there that the other tunes perform as well or even close to as well? Are we just going by reputation of the tuners on other platforms?

Currently, you have to go 27 entries down the list in the 1/4 database in this forum before you see any tuner other than APR. Maybe others are as good, but if you're dropping $2K on a tune, why would you not go with the company that has the most documented success?

As for the misfire concern, how widespread is that really? Anyone seizing on that as an overriding concern would seem to already have his mind made up against APR.

[gta7]

How do you know this?

One huge point for me is a body of available performance results. There are tons of videos, dyno sheets, and time slips documenting the efficacy of the APR tune. The RS7 1/4 mile record holder (as best we can tell) and every other person who is anywhere close to the record is using the APR tune. What evidence is there that the other tunes perform as well or even close to as well? Are we just going by reputation of the tuners on other platforms?

Currently, you have to go 27 entries down the list in the 1/4 database in this forum before you see any tuner other than APR. Maybe others are as good, but if you're dropping $2K on a tune, why would you not go with the company that has the most documented success?

As for the misfire concern, how widespread is that really? Anyone seizing on that as an overriding concern would seem to already have his mind made up against APR.

I agree with everything you said until the misfire comment. That to me on a $100k+ car is a big deal. One I wouldn't want to mess with.

[P_G]

I agree with everything you said until the misfire comment. That to me on a $100k+ car is a big deal. One I wouldn't want to mess with.

Exactly this, it should not be happening at all at any stage, warm up phase or not. And as said I haven't made my mind up not to use APR but equally I would only pay that amount of money for a tune that works faultlessly 100% of the time like it did on my old car. If a cold limiter needs to be included to mitigate any occurrence however remote of cyl 5 misfire then it should be incorporated if that is what people are saying needs to be done for it to work properly. I would also suggest being a US company APR support in the US is better and more efficient in the US than in the UK.

The most popular and most documented does not always necessarily mean the best. REVO in the UK was seen as a great tuner until people realised they ran far higher boost pressure to get their gains than other tuners which led to a few engines going pop, something that was addressed. APR have had their issues with ECU cracking albeit that is caveated by the franchises and their treatment of the ECU's in most instances cause the issues, including friends of mine have to buy new ECU's and having their warranties invalidated. There probably is not one tuner that has a 100% record, for me on this car with its level of complexity and cost to repair I personally would want a 100% reliable tune.

[kevinw23]

Exactly this, it should not be happening at all at any stage, warm up phase or not. And as said I haven't made my mind up not to use APR but equally I would only pay that amount of money for a tune that works faultlessly 100% of the time like it did on my old car. If a cold limiter needs to be included to mitigate any occurrence however remote of cyl 5 misfire then it should be incorporated if that is what people are saying needs to be done for it to work properly. I would also suggest being a US company APR support in the US is better and more efficient in the US than in the UK.

The most popular and most documented does not always necessarily mean the best. REVO in the UK was seen as a great tuner until people realised they ran far higher boost pressure to get their gains than other tuners which led to a few engines going pop, something that was addressed. APR have had their issues with ECU cracking albeit that is caveated by the franchises and their treatment of the ECU's in most instances cause the issues, including friends of mine have to buy new ECU's and having their warranties invalidated. There probably is not one tuner that has a 100% record, for me on this car with its level of complexity and cost to repair I personally would want a 100% reliable tune.

A tune that works faultlessly is a loaded term in my opinion. Is running 10.8 i the 1/4 mile vs running 10.3 in the 1/4 mile a fault???? As well, show me the GIAC tuned cars and their times. Show me more than 2-3 Uni cars with their times.....NO, there are none. The sample size of APR guys is significantly larger than that of the other two, so there will be more information available , both good and bad. On top of all this, if you get a cylinder 5 misfire, you connect to your handy dongle, and you clear it. The ONLY time I had it happen was when the car was cold and I did a launch with it. I was too eager to get out and rip, so it was my fault. The car should always be warmed up before ripping on it....as should any car. Get the tune you feel is right for you, but as of now, if you want the best performance, there is only one choice. If you want to sit on the sidelines and tell people how much horsepower your car has, get any of the three.

[HeelBuff]

So what do the smart people say about the likely damage done to a car's engine by virtue of a misfire? Is it like pouring sand into the cylinder?

[VeryBadman]

I have been running Unitronic for a year and half now on that very 2014 RS7, no issue whatsoever including misfire. I'm fully aware that it may not produce the best result but reliability and flexibility are my main concerns so Unitronic works best for me. I don't race my car so I don't need to be the fastest, I just want some extra power.

[Djpeaksd]

Not to throw shade at APR but haven't seen it brought up yet. What about the AMAX issue? That issue seems to be very frustrating to some with no fix in sight.

[3rdBNCC]

I have been running Unitronic for a year and half now on that very 2014 RS7, no issue whatsoever including misfire. I'm fully aware that it may not produce the best result but reliability and flexibility are my main concerns so Unitronic works best for me. I don't race my car so I don't need to be the fastest, I just want some extra power.

This is the question that the OP has to answer for himself. Do I want to go with a proven, documented, real world results tune or just want to go faster tune (which is some cases is very debatable). This subject is brought up sooooo much on this forum and we all will continue to have our own opinions. There is NO ONE on this forum that wants these other tuners to succeed more than me. Because I know once APR has some real competition, we all will benefit from it. Until then APR is the only choice for my purpose and that is to race my car.

Not to throw shade at APR but haven't seen it brought up yet. What about the Amex issue? That issue seems to be very frustrating to some with no fix in sight.

AMAX failure has only been documented (to my knowledge) in a hand full of cars. I know APR is still working on this issue along with a ZF tune which we all are wanting.

[Chris Morales]

I agree with everything you said until the misfire comment. That to me on a $100k+ car is a big deal. One I wouldn't want to mess with.

You wouldn't want to risk an occasional misfire? If I were you, I would definitely stay stock. I asked how widespread this is because I don't think anyone knows. Maybe a poll would help. It's ironic to me that we're talking about protecting a $100K+ car when the problem we're afraid of occurs because people are hammering 30 PSI of boost into engines that haven't warmed up. I think we might have a solution. No car is idiot proof.

for me on this car with its level of complexity and cost to repair I personally would want a 100% reliable tune.

If I were you, I would definitely stay stock. There will never be a 100% reliable tune. If you're in, you're playing the game. The stock tune is not 100% reliable, but you'll keep your warranty if it has not elapsed.

Obviously people have different risk tolerances, but I wouldn't consider choosing a tune with little to no track record over one with a prodigious record an act of risk aversion. You only know about the APR misfires, along with an avalanche of positive results, because there is such widely available information about APR. What does anyone know about the others? A line about the devil you know comes to mind...

[Chris Morales]

Not to throw shade at APR but haven't seen it brought up yet. What about the Amex issue? That issue seems to be very frustrating to some with no fix in sight.

I wouldn't lay the AMAX issue (which again is rare) in APR's lap. The TCU, which APR doesn't tune (yet), doesn't like too much power running through the transmission. So don't run the 104 file and make 800 lb-ft of torque if you want to keep your TCU from getting upset. I think that's a first-world problem that the other tuners would be dealing with too if (1) they made APR levels of power and (2) sold enough tunes. Conservative, risk averse people won't run the 104 file and most likely don't need to worry about this one.

[Djpeaksd]

I wouldn't lay the AMAX issue (which again is rare) in APR's lap. The TCU, which APR doesn't tune (yet), doesn't like too much power running through the transmission. So don't run the 104 file and make 800 lb-ft of torque if you want to keep your TCU from getting upset. I think that's a first-world problem that the other tuners would be dealing with too if (1) they made APR levels of power and (2) sold enough tunes. Conservative, risk averse people won't run the 104 file and most likely don't need to worry about this one.

Good point! I didn't realize the AMAX issue was isolated to just guys running 104 Octane.

[3rdBNCC]

@Chris Morales - You hit the nail on the head with this quote... "It's ironic to me that we're talking about protecting a $100K+ car when the problem we're afraid of occurs because people are hammering 30 PSI of boost into engines that haven't warmed up. I think we might have a solution. No car is idiot proof."

[RSLRS71]

ONLY negative i have with the APR is the App and Dongle not reading the correct files that are loaded in the ECU.

[bluenos]

Not much on Unitronic on this forum. Any recent findings for those using it? I like the ability to self load vs going to dealer.

APR still seems to be most dominant for RS7.


2017 RS7 - P

[Sport Line]

Does APR store and flash back to exactly the same OEM Tune file? Like EPL dose for other platforms?

[Wkraus]

I’m now stage 1 custom code 91 octane. Logged and on my second revision. Waiting for downpipes and we will turn it up!

[bluenos]

Does APR store and flash back to exactly the same OEM Tune file? Like EPL dose for other platforms?

No. Stock parameters but not OE file. I was TD1 after blown engine at 2k miles on 91 tune.


17 RS7P

[db12]

No. Stock parameters but not OE file. I was TD1 after blown engine at 2k miles on 91 tune.


17 RS7P

Yikes! Blown engine related to tune or other diagnosed issue?

[bluenos]

No one knows. AoA claims tune may have been corrupt or caused a factory issue to prematurely happen. It appears to have been lean to melt the plug and cook a valve.

Tune was in for a week and set at 91 per shop and APR claims it wasn’t the tune.

An expensive lesson but pay for play. It seems I’m the exception so my reply isn’t meant to discourage anyone.

Would love to rebuild the “old” motor into an AllRoad or similar but no time.


17 RS7P

[Wkraus]

On my first revision of stage 2 for custom code. Loving this car now! And knowing my car is dialed in and parameters are all safe mean a lot to me. Now considering the turbo upgrades before they fail with plugged screens lol!!

[scott99c2]

On my first revision of stage 2 for custom code. Loving this car now! And knowing my car is dialed in and parameters are all safe mean a lot to me. Now considering the turbo upgrades before they fail with plugged screens lol!!

Whose custom code?