Unitronic or Integrated Engineering stage 2

[OhDavy1]

I've done a good amount of homework on both companies, but I was hoping to get some feedback on personal experiences with both. Customer service? Data logging and custom maps? Issues, etc?

I plan on doing intake, inlet, downpipe, coils and plugs, and later on intercooler. My hope is to keep the car still daily driver friendly with a lot more juice.

With that said, what downpipe are you running for stage 2 and how loud is it?

[lastig21]

I have an IE Stage 2 tune on my 2015 S3. I'm all over the board on parts, IE CAI, APR Intercooler, Remus catback and Unitronic downpipe. I preferred the sound of the stock downpipe with the Remus cat-back system. It is still subdued with the Unitronic DP for the most part, but can get louder than I intend with a heavy foot. It sounds great in sport mode or when I want to have fun, and is quiet when I'm just putting around. It's the in-between where the new downpipe added unwanted noise. No drone at highway speeds either. As a plus for the Unitronic DP, I can flash back to stock without throwing CEL's for inspection. This last time I ran stock probably for 8 days and a couple hundred miles without issue.

As for the tune, I have enjoyed IE's flash at home system. I have a Mac laptop, and have to use bootcamp to perform the flash. Windows is required, and a VM with USB pass-thru didn't work. The car feels great at stage 2, and the TCU tune made sport mode a lot more fun than stock. My reservation with IE is that they don't support big turbo on this platform. I'm itching to upgrade the turbo, but it will mean switching tuners and losing my ECU investment in IE. Unitronic does have some stage 3 options and might get the nod from me based on that fact. When I first flashed, I thought Stage 2 would always be enough for me. My very early research into stage 3 has led me to EQT and Cobb Accessport. If I had it to do over, that is very likely the way I would go now.

[BecksA3]

I have Eurodyne, but haven’t done stage 2 yet. I liked the pay one price model to be able to try different tunes, and upgrade without additional software charges.
Cobb is a similar business model, and both support custom tuning from a variety of tuners.


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[Sv2k]

You may want to consider getting IC before DP. I was planning to run one without IC, but after getting some feedback and more research decided to hold off on DP and get IC first. I’m in FL and 90+ temps are not unusual here. My stage 1+ on stock IC, I can see intake temps anywhere from 12-20C over ambient in normal city/hwy driving with some moderate to hard acceleration here and there. This is right up to 50C limit where ECU starts to pull timing and you lose power. Stage 2 will push the boost and Intake temps higher. While it’s possible to run without IC, it’s more stress and risk for the car.

https://www.audizine.com/forum/showt...ut-Intercooler

As for the tunes, you can’t go wrong with either. I considered both and opted for Unitronic as at the time it was a better price. I think Uni has been around longer and seems to have a pretty good track record. IE gives you more options including race gas if that matters to you. I really just needed 93 tune, so end of the day it did not matter to me. I have no complaints with my ECU/TCU tunes. Overall the car feels better in all modes. D is a little better than stock and allows you to drive like a grandma or cruise, except at lower speeds when the car doesn’t know if it wants to be in 2nd or 3rd. Sport mode is much better than stock. Unitronic customer support is responsive during business hours. I’ve called a few times and was always able to get ahold of someone. They also responded to my emails within a day usually.


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[BecksA3]

S3NICK has his eurodyne cable listed in the 8v classifieds.
Then it’s only $500 for the ECU & $375 for the TCU licenses.


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[CavEsk1337]

I have an IE Stage 2 tune on my 2015 S3. I'm all over the board on parts, IE CAI, APR Intercooler, Remus catback and Unitronic downpipe. I preferred the sound of the stock downpipe with the Remus cat-back system. It is still subdued with the Unitronic DP for the most part, but can get louder than I intend with a heavy foot. It sounds great in sport mode or when I want to have fun, and is quiet when I'm just putting around. It's the in-between where the new downpipe added unwanted noise. No drone at highway speeds either. As a plus for the Unitronic DP, I can flash back to stock without throwing CEL's for inspection. This last time I ran stock probably for 8 days and a couple hundred miles without issue.

As for the tune, I have enjoyed IE's flash at home system. I have a Mac laptop, and have to use bootcamp to perform the flash. Windows is required, and a VM with USB pass-thru didn't work. The car feels great at stage 2, and the TCU tune made sport mode a lot more fun than stock. My reservation with IE is that they don't support big turbo on this platform. I'm itching to upgrade the turbo, but it will mean switching tuners and losing my ECU investment in IE. Unitronic does have some stage 3 options and might get the nod from me based on that fact. When I first flashed, I thought Stage 2 would always be enough for me. My very early research into stage 3 has led me to EQT and Cobb Accessport. If I had it to do over, that is very likely the way I would go now.

Spot on review about the IE Tune. Don't get me wrong, it's been great with MORE then enough for daily driving, but I would've gone another route had I realized they don't support stage 3.

[S3DUDE]

I would highly recommend the APR downpipes for your stage 2. I had it and I went from 110 mph traps speeds to 114 mph and I went from running 12.5 down to 12.2 on a 91 oct map(with 3 galons of E-85). The midrange torque is significantly improved, APR claims 20hp and 37 lb-tq gains on their stage 2 and let me tell you...it feels like an avalanche.

The midrange feels very strong, the spool up is improved, the roll acceleration is improved and off course the top end also. The reason I went with APR is because how smooth the pipe is. It took me 2 hours and 40 minutes to install at a very comfortable pace and that is including 3-4 breaks and BSing with people working on other lifts. Downpipes is a must, intercooler could improve but the stock IC is just fine. my .2c

[a4000]

Give yourself an upgrade path with great hardware and go Cobb with eqt.

[Sv2k]

S3NICK has his eurodyne cable listed in the 8v classifieds.
Then it’s only $500 for the ECU & $375 for the TCU licenses.


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Eurodyne TCU has some questionable reviews which is why I opted for more expensive tunes.

The value you get from Eurodyne is hard to beat, otherwise.


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[S3NICK]

I have Eurodyne, but haven’t done stage 2 yet. I liked the pay one price model to be able to try different tunes, and upgrade without additional software charges.
Cobb is a similar business model, and both support custom tuning from a variety of tuners.

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S3NICK has his eurodyne cable listed in the 8v classifieds.
Then it’s only $500 for the ECU & $375 for the TCU licenses.

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Thanks for the shout out!

I've had good luck with my Eurodyne Maestro files. I think regardless of what you choose, the ability to get a custom tune is very important. That's why I went with Eurodyne. Another great option is Cobb + EQT tune.

Give yourself an upgrade path with great hardware and go Cobb with eqt.

+1

Eurodyne TCU has some questionable reviews which is why I opted for more expensive tunes.

The value you get from Eurodyne is hard to beat, otherwise.

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I did APR TCU and ran a few Eurodyne ECU custom tunes. APR has a great TCU tune

In terms of the downpipe, I went with APR because of the quality of the stainless, the welds, and the cat location.

• You don't want a pipe that will crack and leave you annoyed so you cross the same bridge twice.
• You don't want a poor quality cat. APR uses GESI which is Top 2 available to our platform, IMO.
• You also don't want an aftermarket DP with a cat in the stock location because it's incredibly restrictive.

I would think about how you want the car to sound, especially if you plan to add a catback down the line. On my APR DP, which I'm selling right now, I relocated the cat 10-15"s back and placed a Vibrant Ultra Quiet resonator in its original location. This positions the resonator is as close to the initial source of drone as possible, the cat itself is a bit further downstream which nets power benefits, and you replicate the stock setup which features two sound deadening elements (2 cats, one close to the turbo and another in the mid-pipe). I'd recommend considering these things when you're ready to go Stage 2 because I didn't, and I was annoyed by how the car sounded with an APR DP and a stock catback. Imagine what it would've been like with some cobbled up mess you can get for $600 new.

[sj9ninety]

I have the Unitronic dp sitting in my garage waiting for my 9/8 install date. I can update you if you havent decided by then.

As for the build quality, the Unitronic dp is extremely well made (which explains the price tag). I also wanted to stay within the Unitronic product line as I have their ECU/TCU tunes as well.

Currently I'm running the Unitronic Stage 1+ ECU/Stage 1 TCU, and would highly recommend. I jumped ship from APR as they no longer offer their Stage 2 tune, and have discontinued their dp as well. I felt a little uneasy going with a product which is no longer in production/offered for sale from the manufacturer.


Uni Vs APR Stage 1:
-Uni seems a lot more linear.
-APR has more torque on tap, however, this also adds a bit of jerkyness at low speeds.
-APR seemed to launch harder
-In "S" APR shifts much earlier than Uni (some like this, some dont).
-Uni "D" mode is very comfortable and ideal for someone who commutes in traffic

Overall, both great and cant go wrong with either. I give the edge to Uni since you can tune yourself at home and change maps whenever you want. Obviously past Stage 1 its not even a comparison as APR has discontinued their Stage 2.

[S3DUDE]

I wouldn't consider Cobb. I had Cobb products (a few Cobb APP) on a few Subarus and is a killer product but a few years ago when Cobb released the AP for the GTI and the golf r and I asked them publicly on a forum what about the S3? they said that it was costly to do the R&D again for the S3 platform and that there was no much demand, apparently the ECU had a different software challenges. Cobb would have been my first choice for many reasons(cable tuning, AP, reliability, proven company) but they turned their eyes away when it came to offer a product on a highly demanded plattform (S3).

My personal experience happened a few years ago but when I look back I considered that they abandoned the platform when the S3 was the pinnacle of sports compact car. Too late for the S3, too late for the RS3. when you offer a good product on a VW GTI and a Golf R you have to follow up on a S3. (Dodge, Chrysler, Plymouth)... Ford/Lincoln... Toyota/Lexus.. Honda/Acura..does it ring the bell?

[OhDavy1]

Appreciate everyone chiming in. Definitely a lot to digest. I don't believe I will be going the Cobb route. I ran some of the OTS maps on my Evo X and was very unimpressed with how the car ran and was forced to get a custom tune.

I'm very familiar with APR but seeing as they will no longer be providing a stage 2 tune, that eliminates them. I am however curious why IE and Unitronic would make their cats in the stock location as compared to APR who put theirs closer to the midpipe? In the end, while I believe it would perform marginally better, I really just want something that is cast and quiet...

As far as the intercooler, I'm not as concerned living in Chicago. We get plenty of cool days. And never had much problem with heat soak, as I don't do pull after pull after pull. It's in the pipeline, just think the DP will come first.

On top of all this, unitronic has their sale right now. I've had a lot of people vouch for their tunes and products and million dollar facilities. I just keep seeing IE's torque numbers and wonder if unitronics tune will leave more to be desired...

[OhDavy1]

Can you log with unitronic and have them make adjustments?

[aaronc7]

I wouldn't consider Cobb. I had Cobb products (a few Cobb APP) on a few Subarus and is a killer product but a few years ago when Cobb released the AP for the GTI and the golf r and I asked them publicly on a forum what about the S3? they said that it was costly to do the R&D again for the S3 platform and that there was no much demand, apparently the ECU had a different software challenges. Cobb would have been my first choice for many reasons(cable tuning, AP, reliability, proven company) but they turned their eyes away when it came to offer a product on a highly demanded plattform (S3).

My personal experience happened a few years ago but when I look back I considered that they abandoned the platform when the S3 was the pinnacle of sports compact car. Too late for the S3, too late for the RS3. when you offer a good product on a VW GTI and a Golf R you have to follow up on a S3. (Dodge, Chrysler, Plymouth)... Ford/Lincoln... Toyota/Lexus.. Honda/Acura..does it ring the bell?

ok

[Sv2k]

Can you log with unitronic and have them make adjustments?

I don’t know if Unitronic will custom tune, but you can’t log with their cable. The software feature is there but it’s disabled and says it’s in development.

If you compare IE to Unitronic hp/tq numbers, pay attention to IE’s stock numbers. For some reason, they overstate the stock numbers which pushes their tune numbers higher. If you adjust for these higher stock values, you’ll see that both pretty much make the same power and torque. IE low toque is Uni stage 1 and IE high torque is Uni 1+.

Nice thing about IE is they give you more options and files, eg lower octane levels and various launch points. With Unitronic you pretty much get one file per stage and stock files. I believe stage 2 gives you an option for crackle tune, in addition to normal file. If you buy Uni, get their stage 2 right away even if you won’t get there right away. It’ll save you about $100 in upgrades later.

As for DP cat location, I don’t think it makes much difference in terms of performance if at all. It’ll probably have some impact on the sound and how soon cat heats up and start working. Some of the best DPs on the market use stock cat location, besides Unitronic and IE, AWE, Milltek, 034, COBB all use stock locations.


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[S3NICK]

I don't think anyone should run a Cobb OTS map on any car.

If you're curious about learning what's possible with EQT, join the Facebook group. Some pretty crazy potential and power numbers. Cobb is just the platform.

[BecksA3]

Eurodyne TCU has some questionable reviews which is why I opted for more expensive tunes.

The value you get from Eurodyne is hard to beat, otherwise.


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Yeah, I saw those too. Mostly about their support, but luckily I haven’t had to talk to them yet. 🤞

There’s usually bad reviews for just about anything these days.


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[a4000]

ok

don't listen to him.

- - - Updated - - -

I don't think anyone should run a Cobb OTS map on any car.

If you're curious about learning what's possible with EQT, join the Facebook group. Some pretty crazy potential and power numbers. Cobb is just the platform.

you can lead a horse to water.....

[o1turbo30v]

Just a heads up, if your state requires emissions testing neither of these stage2 files will set emissions readiness so you will fail emissions.

[OhDavy1]

They do require emissions testing. However I usually find an o2 spacer and flashing back to stock will do the trick.

It looks like EQT is making some big numbers, but I'd be worried about the longevity of the DSG with that large of torque numbers. I don't have Facebook, is there anywhere else to find more information on S3 tunes done by them specifically?

[CavEsk1337]

They do require emissions testing. However I usually find an o2 spacer and flashing back to stock will do the trick.

It looks like EQT is making some big numbers, but I'd be worried about the longevity of the DSG with that large of torque numbers. I don't have Facebook, is there anywhere else to find more information on S3 tunes done by them specifically?

https://www.eqtuning.com/collections/vw-audi

I've been holding off on an IC, but the heat soak is REAL after one pull in our humidity. In my opinion, it should be done at/or immediately after stage 2.

[Spinnetti]

https://www.eqtuning.com/collections/vw-audi

I've been holding off on an IC, but the heat soak is REAL after one pull in our humidity. In my opinion, it should be done at/or immediately after stage 2.

Although I did an IC, other than adding some lag, I didn't notice anything but I don't hang out at the drag strip either. Its just a street car.. and its 100 pretty much every day here all summer. Its good to do, but not super critical.

[OhDavy1]

What stage EQT do you have? Looks like Ed makes some big numbers. I like the idea of E30 for more power, but can the DSG really hold up close to 400hp/tq? Do you have any issues running the Cobb platform... It looks like they're constantly having tweak things

[aaronc7]

Ed made 600 or close to 600 hp on his personal car, stock 6 speed DQ250 DSG (other than tune of course). It was his DD, road course events, drag events....still holding up.

DSG runs into problems when it's not tuned and the clamping pressure isn't increased. 400wtq is nothing, as long as you tune the DSG as well.

2017 S3 running Stage 2 EQT stuff here. 91 and E30 tunes. But now I'm addicted, I don't ever want to go back to the 91 tune lol. It makes noticeably more power in the whole rev range and basically makes the car knock proof, even running something like 7* more timing over 91 tune.

It's normal to expect tune tweaks and improvements over time. Even APR tunes have an extensive update history on their tunes. If someone releases a tune and never makes any updates or fixes, that tells me they are lazy and don't have a desire to make a good product.

But either way, zero issues to report on my end with the "off the shelf" tunes from EQT. I've used eurodyne and ecutek custom tune before this.

[OhDavy1]

You've definitely got my interest, I'm gonna have a chat with the people at EQT to see what's possible. We've got 93 octane readily available here but E30 would be awesome as a secondary map. Just curious you know if he runs any gas saver maps...? I had one sideloaded on my Evo X, gained about 5mpg. Which brought me to a whopping 24mpg hwy LOL. Can we sideload maps on our platform?

[aaronc7]

You can store a bunch of other tunes on the accessport, not sure what you mean by sideloaded. There's no reason to use or need a economy tune, you can drive the car easy and get good mpg.

[OhDavy1]

Sideload means you can have two maps loaded at once basically without having to reflash through your Cobb. So you could have your 91 loaded and with a click of the button switch to E30 tune. On my Evo X, I did this by simply holding a button down on my steering wheel for 5 secs until the windshield fluid warning light flashed. Pretty nice feature

[aaronc7]

map switching is a much more common term, but yeah, nothing like that for us yet. Ecutek might offer it, we'll see. On my Focus ST, i had 5 different map slots, it was pretty sweet indeed.

Would be the next best thing if we never get real flex fuel implementation.

[hpclayto]

You can store a bunch of other tunes on the accessport, not sure what you mean by sideloaded. There's no reason to use or need a economy tune, you can drive the car easy and get good mpg.

We must have different definitions of good.

[aaronc7]

yeah I don't think I've really seen above 30 yet on a long trip

but either way an "economy tune" won't magically improve mpg.

[OhDavy1]

31.5mpg highway here

[hpclayto]

I’ve never seen better than 28.

[hev702]

even on the freeway I get like 24... I once got 33 for a 10 mile drive but I was going 70 the entire time and it was the highest I’ve ever seen

[MarcMiller]

Another post where I read it and wish I went with EQT


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[Kevin quattro]

I have IE on my FL S3. It's stage 2 full bolt on. I love it. 0-60 3.5 sec 1/4 mi high 11s.
I have their downpipe and v2 intercooler. Their products and tunes are very high quality. Love everything. With that being said, I'm switching to EQT. If you haven't looked into them I'd highly recommend it. After reading through the thread, I see I'm not the first to recommend them. Sounds like you're stock right now, so here's what I'd do.

034 cai and turbo inlet first and foremost. If you want to go stage 2 right away you'll need a downpipe. I find a lot of people like to split it up due to cost, so maybe do stage 1 first and the intake. If you go stage 2 right away great! It's worth it. I saw someone recommended an IC before anything. You live in Illinois right? Don't bother right now. Especially going into the colder season. If you live in florida or texas, yes, it's a must. I live in michigan and ran without one for exactly a year. The car ran great. I noticed maybe a teeny tiny power gain from the IC but i would focus on intake and dp for now.

I can hook you up on any parts and tune. PM me. And I'm always happy to answer any questions or give recommendations too.

[MarcMiller]

I have IE on my FL S3. It's stage 2 full bolt on. I love it. 0-60 3.5 sec 1/4 mi high 11s.
I have their downpipe and v2 intercooler. Their products and tunes are very high quality. Love everything. With that being said, I'm switching to EQT. If you haven't looked into them I'd highly recommend it. After reading through the thread, I see I'm not the first to recommend them. Sounds like you're stock right now, so here's what I'd do.

034 cai and turbo inlet first and foremost. If you want to go stage 2 right away you'll need a downpipe. I find a lot of people like to split it up due to cost, so maybe do stage 1 first and the intake. If you go stage 2 right away great! It's worth it. I saw someone recommended an IC before anything. You live in Illinois right? Don't bother right now. Especially going into the colder season. If you live in florida or texas, yes, it's a must. I live in michigan and ran without one for exactly a year. The car ran great. I noticed maybe a teeny tiny power gain from the IC but i would focus on intake and dp for now.

I can hook you up on any parts and tune. PM me. And I'm always happy to answer any questions or give recommendations too.

I’m also probably going to switch to EQT stage 2. Does it bother you losing the money from the IE tune? I’ve been trying to find reasons to not get so mad over it lol.

My IE stage 2 93oct 2016 S3 ran a 12.1 on a hot day with IAT around 140-150 starting off.


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[CavEsk1337]

I’m also probably going to switch to EQT stage 2. Does it bother you losing the money from the IE tune? I’ve been trying to find reasons to not get so mad over it lol.

My IE stage 2 93oct 2016 S3 ran a 12.1 on a hot day with IAT around 140-150 starting off.


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I'm glad we're on the FB page and here on the same topic having the same issues! Hah! I'm ready to go all out and go Vortex XL Turbo, but the fact that I'm practically taking 1,400 bucks and lighting it on fire for a tune I had for 1 1/2 months is killing me!

[OhDavy1]

After joining the FB group, and speaking with a lot of EQT members, I'm all in on EQT. It's a huge plus that you have a community of members willing to help ya out. I'm going to do the EQT 93 octane stage 2 tune and dsg. As well as the E30 map. Could be a minute before I get everything done. But I will definitely do a full write up.

[Spinnetti]

I have IE on my FL S3. It's stage 2 full bolt on. I love it. 0-60 3.5 sec 1/4 mi high 11s.
I have their downpipe and v2 intercooler. Their products and tunes are very high quality. Love everything. With that being said, I'm switching to EQT. If you haven't looked into them I'd highly recommend it. After reading through the thread, I see I'm not the first to recommend them. Sounds like you're stock right now, so here's what I'd do.

034 cai and turbo inlet first and foremost. If you want to go stage 2 right away you'll need a downpipe. I find a lot of people like to split it up due to cost, so maybe do stage 1 first and the intake. If you go stage 2 right away great! It's worth it. I saw someone recommended an IC before anything. You live in Illinois right? Don't bother right now. Especially going into the colder season. If you live in florida or texas, yes, it's a must. I live in michigan and ran without one for exactly a year. The car ran great. I noticed maybe a teeny tiny power gain from the IC but i would focus on intake and dp for now.

I can hook you up on any parts and tune. PM me. And I'm always happy to answer any questions or give recommendations too.

Rockford... You ever run Grattan in your S3? I used to race there quite a bit (originally from East Lansing)