APR Stage 2 requirements

[BrilliantHolmes]

Hey all. I have some questions on upgrading a stock '11 A4 Avant.

1. What are the requirements for APR stage 2? All I have heard so far is that a HFC is necessary but is that the only part required to go stg 2? or are there other parts needed/recommended?

2. What brand makes a good quality part? I have been looking at Eurocode and 034 motorsports.

My apologies if this has been covered but I couldn't seem to find straight answers on any of this.

[A4x]

For stage 2, all you need is a HFC. 034 has great reviews, as does Eurocode and a few others.

If you live in a hot climate, it is recommended to get an intercooler as well. For what an intercooler really is, I would never pay $800+ for a lot of those kits out there. The Treadstone TR8 can be had for $200-300 and you can DIY it pretty easily.

Other optional mods to supplement stage 2 include:
aFe Pro-Dry air filter (slightly higher flowing than the stock filter)
OEM red top (R8) coil packs --> make sure you get the genuine Audi/VW parts

[Spawne32]

There are no "requirements". Pairing the HFC with a stage 2 tune is a marketing gimmick to sell mods to people. I've run the stage 2 tune bone stock for almost a year and i have buddies running stage 2 with a bone stock cat and exhaust as well, no issues. You won't see the kind of power they rate it for with the stock cat, but you arent going to damage anything by running it. "stages" are marketing terms for mod packages.

[BrilliantHolmes]

Awesome. Great info thank you! I'll hold off on the intercooler as i'm in CO but man do those coil packs look sexy

[Nano909]

APR recommends you add a HFC or test pipe for stage 2 so you can be near the power advertised. You get more power removing the stock cat, so it's a no brainer. Every setting APR changed for stage 2 is to accommodate the extra air flow.

I went with a test pipe from Eurocode. The difference between stage 1 and stage 2 is awesome way greater than stock to stage 1. You're going to love it.

[BrilliantHolmes]

APR recommends you add a HFC or test pipe for stage 2 so you can be near the power advertised. You get more power removing the stock cat, so it's a no brainer. Every setting APR changed for stage 2 is to accommodate the extra air flow.

I went with a test pipe from Eurocode. The difference between stage 1 and stage 2 is awesome way greater than stock to stage 1. You're going to love it.

How are you liking the Eurocode HFC? I literally just ordered the 034 motorsports one and am a little nervous haha.


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[vdubjetta02]

Just throw a HFC cat on and take your car over to SCR Performance in loveland and get the stage 2 tune thrown on it.....

I am warning you, as I just spent hundreds upon hundreds of dollars. You WILL fail CO emissions with the HFC and APR stage 2.... I went back to stage 1 to pass and now my car is going back to SCR on Thursday for downpipe Re-install and stage 2 flash along with some suspension tuning as I have coilovers on my avant now.

*Also, it isn't a bad idea to replace your spark plugs and gap them per APR's recommendation. After only 50 miles on the stage 2 tune I had to replace coil packs and spark plugs on my car.

[A4x]

Shouldn't you be able to pass an OBD enissi9ns with stage 2 software with program switching? Switch to the stock file and drive around 50 miles to set readiness.

The visual check might be another story, but if you get a lenient, tuning friendly shop, you should be good. There are many success stories on here of passing emissions with APR stage 2.

[Spawne32]

Shouldn't you be able to pass an OBD enissi9ns with stage 2 software with program switching? Switch to the stock file and drive around 50 miles to set readiness.

The visual check might be another story, but if you get a lenient, tuning friendly shop, you should be good. There are many success stories on here of passing emissions with APR stage 2.

It took me 300 miles to set readiness on my car, getting the oxygen sensor and evap stuff to finally finish was awful. If I beat on the car too hard I wind up getting an o2 sensor bank 1 sensor 2 stuck rich code. Thought it was the sensor but it must just be the HFC.

[BrilliantHolmes]

Just throw a HFC cat on and take your car over to SCR Performance in loveland and get the stage 2 tune thrown on it.....

I am warning you, as I just spent hundreds upon hundreds of dollars. You WILL fail CO emissions with the HFC and APR stage 2.... I went back to stage 1 to pass and now my car is going back to SCR on Thursday for downpipe Re-install and stage 2 flash along with some suspension tuning as I have coilovers on my avant now.

*Also, it isn't a bad idea to replace your spark plugs and gap them per APR's recommendation. After only 50 miles on the stage 2 tune I had to replace coil packs and spark plugs on my car.

Thanks that’s good to know. Spark plugs should be good to go-just had new ones put in. Hopefully coil packs don’t go. How was your experience with SCR? That’s where I’m planning on going they seem like they know what they’re doing.


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[vdubjetta02]

Shouldn't you be able to pass an OBD enissi9ns with stage 2 software with program switching? Switch to the stock file and drive around 50 miles to set readiness.

The visual check might be another story, but if you get a lenient, tuning friendly shop, you should be good. There are many success stories on here of passing emissions with APR stage 2.

the HFC makes the car run at 3x the legal NOX limits in Colorado.... so it's not just the readiness that stage 2 deactivates. Yes you can switch to stage 1, but the HFC is the issue.

Thanks that’s good to know. Spark plugs should be good to go-just had new ones put in. Hopefully coil packs don’t go. How was your experience with SCR? That’s where I’m planning on going they seem like they know what they’re doing.


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I was friends with one of the original owners who started SCR and he died on the corner before you get to SCR in a head on collision. Mark Baer took over SCR and he is a professional racing driver and they actually have another 4-5 bays of that building that are lined with race cars that they normally don't tell customers about. All the customers see is there 6,000 sqft facility they work on customer cars with. My friend also races for SCR..... All in all, they are the best performance shop in Northern Colorado in my opinion when it comes to setting up a performance car (Suspension especially) but extremely knowledgable.

My friend owns Metrick Methodz in Fort Collins, so he typically does all my routine maintenance and installs my parts and then SCR dials my car in.

[BrilliantHolmes]

the HFC makes the car run at 3x the legal NOX limits in Colorado.... so it's not just the readiness that stage 2 deactivates. Yes you can switch to stage 1, but the HFC is the issue.



I was friends with one of the original owners who started SCR and he died on the corner before you get to SCR in a head on collision. Mark Baer took over SCR and he is a professional racing driver and they actually have another 4-5 bays of that building that are lined with race cars that they normally don't tell customers about. All the customers see is there 6,000 sqft facility they work on customer cars with. My friend also races for SCR..... All in all, they are the best performance shop in Northern Colorado in my opinion when it comes to setting up a performance car (Suspension especially) but extremely knowledgable.

My friend owns Metrick Methodz in Fort Collins, so he typically does all my routine maintenance and installs my parts and then SCR dials my car in.

Very sad story... However it is great to hear they are so reputable. No question where I will be getting all my performance mods done from now on. vdubjetta02 I can't thank you enough for all the info you have provided! now if only I can convince the guys at SCR to show me those race cars...

[RCnik]

Here’s my experience with the upgrade to Stage 2.

I had done the air filter upgrade right after getting the car as it was due. I got the afe pro dry s filter and paired it with ecs’s silicone turbo intake hose. I noticed a slightly louder turbo spool when I wouldn’t really mash the pedal from low rpms. And when I say slightly it means I was able to make out the turbo spool sound as I wasn’t able when it was stock.

Next I upgraded the Diverter valve to forge’s Diverter valve as it upgrades the internals of the oem Diverter valve to handle the increased boost of a tune and keeps the same functionality as the oem one.

Next I did Stage 2. I chose APR and paired the tune with their cast high-flow cat as I didn’t want any cel codes and read their hfc didn’t cause any... as it didn’t.

I fell in love with car all over again! The power was great.

2 days later I felt a huge loss in power and started getting misfire codes in different cylinders. I replaced the spark plugs and no change. Next I replaced and upgraded to the Bosch R8 coil packs and the problem was solved and I haven’t had a problem since.

I also added a Diverter valve spacer “fake blow-off” as I couldn’t pass up the chance to have my first forced induction car not have a blow off. I know people say our cars don’t like these spacers as our air is metered and the downside is it might increase turbo lag but I haven’t noticed any difference plus I don’t drag my car so it doesn’t really bother me and the sound is amazing. I also like the fact that i could control when I wants to make the sound and when I don’t. If I drive “normal” and don’t cause the turbo to spool up really fast, it won’t make the blow-off sound. So if I’m driving with old family or around people I don’t want to draw attention from, ie police, I don’t have to. So win-win in my book.


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[Nano909]

How are you liking the Eurocode HFC? I literally just ordered the 034 motorsports one and am a little nervous haha.


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I love it. I love the smell too. Lol

[YotoWerks]

So stage one and stage 2 you can see that the difference is more on the top end and hardly down low!

I’m getting stage 2 as we speak!


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[YotoWerks]

So it’s tuned, and all is well pulls hard, impossible to keep your foot out of it! Only thing I noticed a few times is on high ROM acceleration the DSG is slow to shift almost like its slipping. In manual mode it’s fast but on its own it’s acting confused. Is that something you folks have seen???

It’s got a tank of 91 in it now once we burn that we will try the E85 and see how it goes with that.


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[Nano909]

So it’s tuned, and all is well pulls hard, impossible to keep your foot out of it! Only thing I noticed a few times is on high ROM acceleration the DSG is slow to shift almost like its slipping. In manual mode it’s fast but on its own it’s acting confused. Is that something you folks have seen???

It’s got a tank of 91 in it now once we burn that we will try the E85 and see how it goes with that.


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You're lucky to have DSG. Best we got for the B8 was the 8 speed. Maybe talk to APR and see if they have a tune for the A4 with DSG.

[YotoWerks]

All done on mine’ the sound is terrific! The wife loves it too!

I think it’s neat that it looks bone stock on first look!


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[BrilliantHolmes]

So it’s tuned, and all is well pulls hard, impossible to keep your foot out of it! Only thing I noticed a few times is on high ROM acceleration the DSG is slow to shift almost like its slipping. In manual mode it’s fast but on its own it’s acting confused. Is that something you folks have seen???

It’s got a tank of 91 in it now once we burn that we will try the E85 and see how it goes with that.


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I have noticed this actually. Was wondering if audi has a tune for the 2.0 tcu and I was missing out on it but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Hopefully over time it will adapt more and more and figure itself out. Or maybe I need to change my transmission fluid haha

[YotoWerks]

I have noticed this actually. Was wondering if audi has a tune for the 2.0 tcu and I was missing out on it but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Hopefully over time it will adapt more and more and figure itself out. Or maybe I need to change my transmission fluid haha

I’d try the trans adaptation reset! I haven’t done mine but it seems to be doing better with every day it’s learning that the engine is producing more and more power. It’s still most fun when shifting manually and early otherwise it wants to go all the way up to 6500rpm. I usually shift before 5000.


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