Tuned SQ5's - how many are actually out there?

[fstr n u]

SQ5 owners, how many of you have actually modified the ECU's to Stage 1 or 2 levels w single pulley?

I can't find much online and i'm wondering why that is. Many first gen SQ5's would be "off-warranty" and prime for basic mods. I was hoping to find a video showing how a tuned SQ5 would compare to something like a new gen SRT Jeep (stock), Mercedes ML63AMG, Porsche Cayenne GTS/Turbo, etc....

I know the SQ5's share basic architecture with the S models in terms of powertrains so would more than readily handle the mods...just doesn't seem nearly as common as the S4/S5 group of owners. If my wife an I keep her SQ5 past her warranty i'd be looking to modify and want to see people's experience with this platform.

Ryan

[bajan01]

I’m running an EPL dual pulley setup with AMS heat exchanger. Yes she’s heavy, but for $4k in mods I’m at a similar power to weight ratio as a X5M, and $35k cheaper. Having said all of that, even a Stage 1 or 2 tune gives very good gains.

Take a look around in the B8 S4/S5 forums as well as there are lots of people there with lots of knowledge to share on tuning the 3.0L...many Q5/SQ5 people post there as well. I spend most of my time in those forums.

[BlackSVT]

There are quite a few tuned S/Q5s around here. The 3.0T Q5 and SQ5 share the same engine/tranny and put out the same power when tuned so you can learn a lot from either. There is a 0-60/1/4 mile thread if you search where single pulley stage2 SQ5s and Q5s are running low 12s high 11s with not much else done. And yes, the S4 and S5 forum is same engine as well so use that. Lots of good info

[SQive]

I have APR stage-2, dual-pulley, 93 octane tune with the CPS, 034 intake hose, and AWE non-resonated down-pipes.
I haven't been back on the dyno since going dual-pulley, but my previous stage-2, single-pulley tune dyno'd consistently at 454HP & 427 lb-ft of torque.
Now, I don't think my peak HP gained all that much. . .I'd say around 470, but now there is power everywhere on the tach.
I went stage-2 the day after that first, 5K, free included service and haven't been back to the dealership since. No regrets!

In the interest of transparency, I should advise you that if you do decide to tune it, you are likely to experience the following:
* uncanny desires to go the long way
* facial pain/cramps from excessive grinning
* less tolerance of those Hondas and Corollas in the fast lane
* plenty of power to pass them on the right when those fucknuggets won't get over
* citations for your excellent driving prowess

If you have the means to keep and tune that SQ5 and choose not to, we cannot be friends.

[ThunderDent]

I think you’ll find most on this forum have tuned their SQ5s. But we are the enthusiasts. So it’s hard to get a feel for how many tuned vs stock there actually are. I’d say way more stock than not in the real world.

I’m Stage I only. I’d probably go crazy going Stage 2 with extra cooler and dual pulley if I planned on keeping it more long term. Holding out hope for the RS6.

[VroomVroom]

...If you have the means to keep and tune that SQ5 and choose not to, we cannot be friends.

The whole post was outstanding, but I'm a little worried. Please read below and reconsider my application.

I’m Stage I only. I’d probably go crazy going Stage 2 with extra cooler and dual pulley if I planned on keeping it more long term. Holding out hope for the RS6.

This, kinda. My crystal ball is always fuzzy, but I'm seeing an RS5 Sportback in my 2020-21-ish future.

Until then, I am in stock form. I've always been fond of GIAC and have pondered their recent ads. If Uncle Sam didn't kick my butt this year, I'd probably be acting instead of pondering.

[MSq5]

I'm probably on the lower end of the Stage 2 single pulley tune spectrum. The 3.0 Q5's cooling system is not as good as that of the SQ5, although the engine and transmission are the same. We also have higher (numerically lower) final drive gearing, which hurts us a little in acceleration.

We start out with a milder tune, about 270-280 crank horsepower versus 350-360 crank horsepower for the SQ5.

But, Stage 1 and Stage 2 tunes to produce equal power, but for the better cooling you guys have.

That is all to say that I went modest on the EPL tune Stage 2 pulley ratio because of the less effective cooling and higher risk of pulling timing and heat soak.

My crank overdrive pulley is only 179mm, giving me a ratio of only about 2.8:1. Other single pulley setups are approaching 3:1 and dual pulley even higher. Cooling improvements are needed for them. There are many here that can speak to the better cooling and higher ratio options. I have no other power mods beyond a silicone tube between the intake and throttle body and a more open drop in filter with "stock airbox mod." That's it.

Q5 3.0T stock quarter mile is in the 14.0 to 14.3 second range or so, while stock SQ5 seems to be about a full second quicker at around 13.0 to 13.2, according to reports. All of this is affected by temps and track conditions.

Some here are running the neat little Dragy GPS time/speed/distance calculator which seems to reasonably replicate dragstrip runs including shallow staging roll out. It will not validate a run if slope is more than 1% per NHRA rules.

I have not taken my car to the strip yet. Will probably do so soon just out of curiosity. I have done a full validated Dragy log. It claims a 12.7 quarter at just over 106 and a 4.4 second 0-60. Don't really know if that is good or bad, frankly, but it is a huge improvement over stock. Probably translates into 410-420 crank horsepower or so.

[BG SQ5]

There have been a lot of tuned S/Q5s around here over the years. The 0-60 & 1/4 mile thread is the best indication of real word times by the different stages: https://www.audizine.com/forum/showt...1#post12353237

We also have higher (numerically lower) final drive gearing, which hurts us a little in acceleration.

Q5 has the acceleration advantage with it's 3.204 final drive vs. the SQ5's 3.076. Most stage 1 SQ5s with auto upshift disabled don't need to make the 5th gear shift in the 1/4 though.

[SQive]

Q5 has the acceleration advantage with it's 3.204 final drive vs. the SQ5's 3.076. Most stage 1 SQ5s with auto upshift disabled don't need to make the 5th gear shift in the 1/4 though.

So, what you're saying is that the Q5 is lower-geared. That contradicts what MSq5 said:

We also have higher (numerically lower) final drive gearing, which hurts us a little in acceleration.

"Two men say they're Jesus, one of them must be wrong."
--Mark Knopfler

[ThunderDent]

This, kinda. My crystal ball is always fuzzy, but I'm seeing an RS5 Sportback in my 2020-21-ish future.

Until then, I am in stock form. I've always been fond of GIAC and have pondered their recent ads. If Uncle Sam didn't kick my butt this year, I'd probably be acting instead of pondering.

Im right there with ya man. I’ve got a Q7 for my wife arriving at the end of May, and I’ve been looking at the RS5s hard (really hard) for this summer’s order time. But I can’t in good conscious pull that trigger when I have a SQ5 that is nearly the same (not quite) performance wise after the tune, and I’ve put so much into it. And knowing the RS6 May actually have a chance of being here around the corner. Just hope if they do it they won’t Americanize it in a damn sedan.



I’m with you on Uncle Sam. Between my end of year and my 1st quarter for the fed and the 2 states I have my business in, I could have paid for the new Q7 and then some.

[fstr n u]

SQive i love your reply above with the potential side effects of modifying the SQ5!

I'm also on the S4 forum as i own a 6MT B8.5 S4, but i have little experience with automatics. I've read in order to maximize the stage 2 tunes a TCU tune is needed. Does this sound correct to you all and have you had any transmission or shifting related concerns post tune?

[bajan01]

SQive i love your reply above with the potential side effects of modifying the SQ5!

I'm also on the S4 forum as i own a 6MT B8.5 S4, but i have little experience with automatics. I've read in order to maximize the stage 2 tunes a TCU tune is needed. Does this sound correct to you all and have you had any transmission or shifting related concerns post tune?

I’ve been told by EPL that they aren’t working on a TCU tune and probably won’t be. I’ve heard differently of rumors from other vendors but nothing yet. Having said that I haven’t had any issues with my tranny in either mode. There is the option to disable the auto upshift which I will be messing around with once I get my larger crank pulley installed plus a few other things.🤫

[MSq5]

There have been a lot of tuned S/Q5s around here over the years. The 0-60 & 1/4 mile thread is the best indication of real word times by the different stages: https://www.audizine.com/forum/showt...1#post12353237



Q5 has the acceleration advantage with it's 3.204 final drive vs. the SQ5's 3.076. Most stage 1 SQ5s with auto upshift disabled don't need to make the 5th gear shift in the 1/4 though.

I hope you are right. Need all the gearing help I can get! I had heard otherwise. R&T Magazine does report the s/c SQ5 they tested as having a 3.08 final drive.

[BG SQ5]

So, what you're saying is that the Q5 is lower-geared. That contradicts what MSq5 said:



"Two men say they're Jesus, one of them must be wrong."
--Mark Knopfler

Well, there’s a reason I felt the need to quote MSq5. ;)

You can find the info in a number of places pretty easily. Or, you can deduce that the vehicles with more torque don’t need as much of a mechanical advantage. Therefore, a lower ratio is used to help with gas mileage on the highway. It’s no surprise that the TDI and SQ5 share the same longer gearing while the 2.0T uses the shortest of the Q5 lineup.

Years ago Audi did misprint the TDI and SQ5 final drive at 3.76 somewhere, and that piece of info made it to the forums. Aside from the fact that it didn’t make sense, the info was contradicted in other literature at the same time, so we knew something was up. Audi corrected/removed it not too long after.

I hope you are right. Need all the gearing help I can get! I had heard otherwise. R&T Magazine does report the s/c SQ5 they tested as having a 3.08 final drive.

Only aspect of the Q5 I'm jealous of! If I was building a pure 1/4 mile car, I'd start with an older Q5 3.0T with no pano.

[bajan01]

Only aspect of the Q5 I'm jealous of! If I was building a pure 1/4 mile car, I'd start with an older Q5 3.0T with no pano.

You mean if the only two vehicles left on the planet were a Q5 and an SQ5 right?

[BG SQ5]

I've read in order to maximize the stage 2 tunes a TCU tune is needed. Does this sound correct to you all and have you had any transmission or shifting related concerns post tune?

Stage 2 tunes present no significant concerns regarding shifting on this platform. The main tweaks everyone wants are the ability to raise the auto shift point (stock is ~6400) and raise the limiter past 6900 (APR's stage 2 tune supports 7200). However, stage 2 gains are predominating in the midrange though, not up top were more engine speed is needed. Now, if you're talking about the UC, then, yes- you need a tcu tune to maximize it's benefits, especially when auto shifting. If you're using the AMAX ('launch' program) and have the auto upshift disabled, you can manually shift at 6900 with very aggressive shifts without a tcu tune. You just can't do it too many times.

APR has a few ZF 8HPs with modified tcu tunes now. They've successfully raised the shift point and AMAX counter on a number of cars now. Their complete ZF tune address a number of other things like torque limiters and launch rpm.

E-tuners has tuned a few ZFs as well. Most notably a SQ5 in Europe. They have no clue when it comes to the AMAX counter though.

[BG SQ5]

You mean if the only two vehicles left on the planet were a Q5 and an SQ5 right?

Hahaha. I certainly wouldn't say the only two though, as I toast a ton of modified, higher hp cars every time I hit the strip. But yeah- I was implying *with this platform*!

[SQive]

SQive i love your reply above with the potential side effects of modifying the SQ5!

I'm also on the S4 forum as i own a 6MT B8.5 S4, but i have little experience with automatics. I've read in order to maximize the stage 2 tunes a TCU tune is needed. Does this sound correct to you all and have you had any transmission or shifting related concerns post tune?

Nope. The only issue I have is that with the APR V.4 tune and auto-upshift disabled, you have to shift from first right at 6K on launch. If you miss it by a split second, it zips up to 7K and then goes into limp mode because of "transmission overspeed" error. I absolutely hate having to reboot my car. It's as if Microsoft had something to do with it. I need to see if APR will reinstate the rev-limiter like they did for someone else.

As stated above, although a few tuners have been experimenting with a ZF8 tune, nothing is officially available AFAIK.

[bajan01]

Nope. The only issue I have is that with the APR V.4 tune and auto-upshift disabled, you have to shift from first right at 6K on launch. If you miss it by a split second, it zips up to 7K and then goes into limp mode because of "transmission overspeed" error. I absolutely hate having to reboot my car.

Why don’t you just stay in S mode and then switch over to manual mode for the change from 3rd to 4th and 4th to 5th...and possibly 2nd to 3rd? I agree that 1st to 2nd is almost impossible, especially if you lose traction for a split second.

Correct me if I’m wrong but I am fairly sure that’s what Colby is doing here:

https://youtu.be/myRYbjYSk0o

[SQive]

Yes, but it appears he's letting it shift to third as well.

Another way in which it happens is when in manual, you gear down and punch it. Miscalculate, and you're going limp. Actually, that's a good analogy; they're both embarrassing.

[bajan01]

Yes, but it appears he's letting it shift to third as well.

Yes he is. After the auto shift to 3rd you can see him reach down and switch to manual mode and then use the paddles to change from that point onward.

[BG SQ5]

APR has changed the v4 tune for a number of us now, so we can bounce the limiter at 6900 in manual with auto upshift disabled. Without this, it would be a nightmare at the track. You let it auto shift into 2nd at 6400 and then use the paddles the rest of the way for 6900.

@SQive- E-tuners has a ZF tune available to the public. Here's their response to me regarding restoring AMAX shifting:

“Based on our research so far, we have been able to identify shifting problems due to the torque limitations in the gearbox software. That was a real problem on various platforms with the ZF8 gearbox and tuning it solves it. So far, no launch counter has been identified or located, either diagnostically or in the code.”

...meanwhile APR has confirmed that there is a counter and successfully restored AMAX on Heelbuff's RS7 by raising it. Basically E-tuners is asking a premium for a product that only addresses 2 (shift rpm and torque limiters) of the 4-5 things APR has addressed in the tcu, so I'm waiting it out.

[cbest13]

So, what you're saying is that the Q5 is lower-geared. That contradicts what MSq5 said:

If you were me, lol, and were just going to go single pulley for a while, would you go crank pulley over SC? My buddy and I did lots of pulls when he had a CP and I had a SCP, and he definitely had more power due to the higher ratio... That is definitely what I want, just looking for input...

"Two men say they're Jesus, one of them must be wrong."
--Mark Knopfler

..../.

- - - Updated - - -

Yes, but it appears he's letting it shift to third as well.

Another way in which it happens is when in manual, you gear down and punch it. Miscalculate, and you're going limp. Actually, that's a good analogy; they're both embarrassing.

If you were me, lol, and were just going to go single pulley for a while, would you go crank pulley over SC? My buddy and I did lots of pulls when he had a CP and I had a SCP, and he definitely had more power due to the higher ratio... That is definitely what I want, just looking for input...

[SQive]

Yes. Increasing the crank-pulley diameter is better in several ways:
* more belt surface area, rather than less
* much easier to change crank pulley (or change it back)
* many options and sizes available from JHM & FluiDamper
* if you want more, switch to a bigger one, or add the SC pulley

[BG SQ5]

Crank over s/c all day.

If you get crank bigger then 179-183 and dont live at high altitude, make sure you have a tuner that will make use of it.

[djn876]

Crank gives you more flexibility with changing ratios as people have mentioned and if I did it again that's probably what I would do. That being said, I found the SC pulley easier to do. I still had the car in service position for both (I know some can the crank without it, but for me there was no way), and there is way more accessibility up top in my opinion. I had no issues removing the old one or installing the new one, and there is a little less to remove with the SC pulley.

Just go DP with a HX and be done. I am running the APR newer version with an AWE reservoir and about 70% water. I don't know how much it matters, but too much more water and you lose the corrosion protection of the antifreeze. I have no issues with IATs even in 95+ humid days, but I don't track the car either. The 034 kit also looks really nice at a reasonable price point.

Mines a 2016 and has been EPL tuned sine 11/2017. DP about a year later now with the trans tune since they released it. I've had no issues at all and car runs great.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

[jackhelmhold]

2016 SQ5 with unitronic stage 1 here!

[mchoudhry2k]

I have a stage 1 with 034Motorsports tune.


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