What Stage 1 Tune for DD?

[SauerkrautPower]

I have a 2010 S4 with an intake but want more power. What's the most reliable company to go with for a stage 1 tune that won't burn the cats out prematurely?

I bought the S4 with a bad driver side cat and it cost me $1600 to replace since I had to go OEM and I live in CA. I dont want to have to go through that again with a stage 1 tune. Will I be able to pass CA smog with stage 1?

I've done my research and APR tunes supposedly have high EGT temps and Revo tunes blew engines from their tune. Spoke to a couple local shop tuners and they said Revo is good for a stock s4. With so many companies to choose from what tune did you guys go with and why and have you had any problems with it?

[S4'ed]

APR, I have 65000 miles on a Stage-1 APR tune, no problems at 80,000 miles.

[Morritse]

If you're not planning on going further than stage 1 then it honestly doesn't matter. Just go for the cheapest and most convenient one

[BEight SFour]

EPL

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[B72.0T]

GIAC sir.

[f1torrents]

034
IE
APR
Unitronic

[audigsr]

I'm very happy with my 034.

[KMPRSSD]

As Morritse noted if you plan is to stick to STG l then you can’t really go wrong with any tuner. One may offer a few hp over another but you will never be able to feel the difference anyway.
Also something to note. There is no guarantee you won’t lose the other cat eventually. Some people have blown cats on stock tune. It happened to you. Some are DP and still on stock cats. Keeping EGT’s down helps but it’s the luck of the draw really.
Also look at a flash at home option. Some people need that if they want to do updates and there tuner is far away. APR doesn’t offer a flash at home and they really aren’t developing the b8/8.5 platform anymore anyway.
Lastly customer service was very important for me and response of inquiries was key. There were a few tuners that couldn’t be bothered to respond to my questions.
Good luck


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[sacandagaD]

If you want good customer service and the ability to flash at home, check out the EPL threads out here. Just went Stage 1 ECU/TCU and very happy so far.

[Corydms7]

EPL has been fantastic for me. Not only is the performance pretty solid, but they come in under every other tuner price wise. Best bargain imo.

[BucDan]

EPL has been a favorite on here as of recent.

EPL will let you flash at home, to stage 1 and back to stock, and free updates for life.

For CA Smog, apparently in summer of 2021, they'll have tighter restrictions on ECU software that must be one of the offerings that the manufacturers list and approve with CA, else it won't pass. Until then, just about every stage 1 tune has passed thus-far.

Being able to flash stock whenever you need for smog is truly a good option in this commie state. We don't know if tuners will work with the manufacturers to get their tunes on the list. If there is one, it would likely be APR, as APR has dealt with the state before with CARB approved closed intake and back pipe products. No other tuner has done this.

[doug97gxe]

EPL

[doughboy17]

EPL has been a favorite on here as of recent.

EPL will let you flash at home, to stage 1 and back to stock, and free updates for life.

For CA Smog, apparently in summer of 2021, they'll have tighter restrictions on ECU software that must be one of the offerings that the manufacturers list and approve with CA, else it won't pass. Until then, just about every stage 1 tune has passed thus-far.

Being able to flash stock whenever you need for smog is truly a good option in this commie state. We don't know if tuners will work with the manufacturers to get their tunes on the list. If there is one, it would likely be APR, as APR has dealt with the state before with CARB approved closed intake and back pipe products. No other tuner has done this.

This, you won't regret it ... and get the TCU tune, too, if applicable. The best customer service and being able to flash back to stock will provide the best chance of passing inspections.

[kevinz]

Happy EPL customer here... love the 'flash at home', adjustable tune, service, and most of all that satisfaction of smoking that cocky STI drvier at the light

EPL has sales frequently. probably running a 'tax refund' sale right now LOL

[MrFunk]

Any.
I'm running GIAC and happy.. stage 2.... for a good 7 years now... maybe more?
If you want most "reliable" I'd say APR - they've been in the game tuning VAG cars for ever...
But - I'm not sure any one is more "reliable" thank others when it comes to a simple stage 1 flash.
BTW - the stage 1 flash is nothing much. You only really notice the improvement when winding out to redline at the top of the RPM... otherwise it's very minimal in regular daily driving.
Stage 2 is the way to go - and to me with all the vehicles out there stage 2 now it's just as "reliable" as stage 1. I wouldn't even bother with Stage 1.... save your money or go stage 2.

[SauerkrautPower]

Any.
I'm running GIAC and happy.. stage 2.... for a good 7 years now... maybe more?
If you want most "reliable" I'd say APR - they've been in the game tuning VAG cars for ever...
But - I'm not sure any one is more "reliable" thank others when it comes to a simple stage 1 flash.
BTW - the stage 1 flash is nothing much. You only really notice the improvement when winding out to redline at the top of the RPM... otherwise it's very minimal in regular daily driving.
Stage 2 is the way to go - and to me with all the vehicles out there stage 2 now it's just as "reliable" as stage 1. I wouldn't even bother with Stage 1.... save your money or go stage 2.

Do I need any reliability mods to go stage 2? Possibly upgrade the heat exchanger from the super charger or better radiator?

Thanks for the suggestions! Seems like EPL is a favorite among the b8 b8.5 crowd. Ill check them out! I cant find their website with the projected hp/tq gains from their tunes though

[doughboy17]

Do I need any reliability mods to go stage 2? Possibly upgrade the heat exchanger from the super charger or better radiator?

Thanks for the suggestions! Seems like EPL is a favorite among the b8 b8.5 crowd. Ill check them out! I cant find their website with the projected hp/tq gains from their tunes though

Most of the Stage 1 tunes are similar, but I believe EPL may weight torque a bit higher in their tune vs. others and horsepower a bit lower. Frankly, I prefer it that way.

EPL does business a little bit differently, and I do not believe they have a website. You may have more success searching their Facebook page photos or the Audizine B8 S4 subforum. Feel free to reach out to them via the dedicated thread in this subforum.

[kevinz]

For casual driving I thought the step from stock to Stage 1 was as big or bigger than stage 1 to stage 2.

As far as other upgrades, the consensus I have seen here is that if you keep the SC pulley ratio under 3:1 you should not have to do cooling upgrades. So for example the EPL stage 2 kit with smaller SC pulley comes in under 3. I have been running this for over a year with zero issues. (DD , I do not track (yet))

[BucDan]

For casual driving I thought the step from stock to Stage 1 was as big or bigger than stage 1 to stage 2.

As far as other upgrades, the consensus I have seen here is that if you keep the SC pulley ratio under 3:1 you should not have to do cooling upgrades. So for example the EPL stage 2 kit with smaller SC pulley comes in under 3. I have been running this for over a year with zero issues. (DD , I do not track (yet))

Thank you for the tip. I'll look into this as well.

[Mike Literous]

I ran an APR stage 1 for 2 years and out of necessity I installed a JHM 207mm crank pulley, and ran it on stage1 tune, with upgraded heat exchanger for 12 months. The bigger pulley really helps the stage1 tunes in the bottom end which is great for a daily driver

[B72.0T]

8 years with GIAC tune with 0 issues. Cheers.

[MichaelB14]

034 just release a California Smog approved ECU tune. If you don't want to go through the hassle of flashing back to stock every time you smog that is the way to go. Also have the tune myself and love it.

[mahhdd]

I have 034 on a 6MT car and had EPL previously.

If I was staying Stage 1, I would only consider APR and EPL. APR's stage 1 tune is supposedly a little faster than the others; but, EPL is still in the game, has fast support, and has an adjustable file that I liked.

If you have a 6MT car, I'd not get 034. They had to make a Beta tune for me to dampen the pedal some, and it's still a jerky in 1st gear in stop-and-go traffic around 8-12 mph. It's definitely better than it was before. I need to reach out to them and tell them we might need a Beta 3, as I'm getting in stop-and-go more often.

[f1torrents]

I just had them add the 91 version of the beta.
I haven't checked it out but as I remember there was a file ion my portal the last time I looked and besides the betas there was one called 6MT smoothed throttle.
Almost as if its no longer a beta?

[Slvrbul8]

For casual driving I thought the step from stock to Stage 1 was as big or bigger than stage 1 to stage 2.

As far as other upgrades, the consensus I have seen here is that if you keep the SC pulley ratio under 3:1 you should not have to do cooling upgrades. So for example the EPL stage 2 kit with smaller SC pulley comes in under 3. I have been running this for over a year with zero issues. (DD , I do not track (yet))

You are correct. Biggest differences are stock to stage 1 or stage one to dual pulley ratio, which is stage 2+.
The companies that offer flash at home are the most convenient. You can't go wrong with EPL, IE or 034 imo

[SpeedyG]

Go Stage 2 to notice the difference in power

[roboto_1337]

Currently on a stage 2+ 93 tune with EPL…. Single pully upgraded heat exchanger, and couldn’t be happier with it. Daily drive is nice but LOTS of power on demand.


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[m1k3d3]

I have 034 on a 6MT car and had EPL previously.

If I was staying Stage 1, I would only consider APR and EPL. APR's stage 1 tune is supposedly a little faster than the others; but, EPL is still in the game, has fast support, and has an adjustable file that I liked.

If you have a 6MT car, I'd not get 034. They had to make a Beta tune for me to dampen the pedal some, and it's still a jerky in 1st gear in stop-and-go traffic around 8-12 mph. It's definitely better than it was before. I need to reach out to them and tell them we might need a Beta 3, as I'm getting in stop-and-go more often.

Is this a known issue? I've. not heard it before.

[mahhdd]

Is this a known issue? I've. not heard it before.

Enough for them to make an alternate file, yes.

1st gear was brutal. It's still not ideal; but, much better.

[f1torrents]

Is this a known issue? I've. not heard it before.

It was driving me crazy. I did not like driving the car because of it. The beta file is much better. Not 100% but much better

[king_j]

I have 034 on a 6MT car and had EPL previously.

If I was staying Stage 1, I would only consider APR and EPL. APR's stage 1 tune is supposedly a little faster than the others; but, EPL is still in the game, has fast support, and has an adjustable file that I liked.

If you have a 6MT car, I'd not get 034. They had to make a Beta tune for me to dampen the pedal some, and it's still a jerky in 1st gear in stop-and-go traffic around 8-12 mph. It's definitely better than it was before. I need to reach out to them and tell them we might need a Beta 3, as I'm getting in stop-and-go more often.

Had issues with 034 on a 6MT.
Shifting out of 1st when driving a bit aggressive had an issue like a fuel cut.
Now on APR with no issues.

[Slvrbul8]

Go Stage 2 to notice the difference in power

This is nonsense. Huge difference from stock to stage1 tune. If you go to stage 2, skip the supercharger pulley upgrade and just get the crank pulley.

[LarryFisherman]

Is there any other viable 6MT tune that’s CARB approved?

[Chris@EPL]

Is there any other viable 6MT tune that’s CARB approved?

Our tune is not CARB approved, but we do not disable or turn off any emissions devices or sensors and you are also always able to flash back to stock as well.

[Fresh.S4]

100% APR ALL DAY!!!
the fact that you can swap octane files WITHOUT a computer should be the main reason.

[Nillious]

I wish apr had ignition cut on launch control shifts. Feeling the clutches power through the shifts makes me cringe lol. With these cars commonly being over a 100k miles makes me not want to use it. The ignition cut really seems to be easier on the clutches

[Bolivianfuego]

Had no idea about the issues with stage 1 tunes and drivability in first gear with 6 speed B8/B8.5 guys!

This is making me really think about going APR....

Does anyone have feedback on IE that has a 6 speed?

[EvolutionArmory]

I wish apr had ignition cut on launch control shifts. Feeling the clutches power through the shifts makes me cringe lol. With these cars commonly being over a 100k miles makes me not want to use it. The ignition cut really seems to be easier on the clutches

It doesn’t sound very pleasing when APR is in AMAX mode but how many people running APR have problems to complain about? And it only does that when launching.

APR stage 1 is pretty powerful. I trap 116-117 MPH on the regular and have the highest trap speed I have ever seen on a stage 1 tune. 118.95 MPH. Some dual pulley cars at higher altitudes don’t even trap that. This is my average Dragy run.
Image1651881509.053985.jpg


This is the run where I trapped 118.95
IMG_7330.jpg

People overlook APR now but they’ve been this good from the beginning.

[EvolutionArmory]

100% APR ALL DAY!!!
the fact that you can swap octane files WITHOUT a computer should be the main reason.

APR doesn’t offer program switching on B8 S4’s. You have to go to the dealer to change octane.

This is the only negative to going with APR.


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[mahhdd]

Had no idea about the issues with stage 1 tunes and drivability in first gear with 6 speed B8/B8.5 guys!

This is making me really think about going APR....

Does anyone have feedback on IE that has a 6 speed?

The 034 tune is still good on Stage 1 and 6MT... I just needed the Beta 2... And the Beta 2 definitely cleaned things up in 1st gear; but, it's still not perfect.

Let's put it this way.... I can tell the difference between EPL and 034 probably within the first 5-10 seconds of pulling off just by bringing the car to 8-12mph and then pulling off the throttle.

I'm fortunate that 034 worked with me on the issue. I ended up sticking with 034 for a multitude of reasons; but, a driving reason was because I'm going Stage 2+ and potentially port injection... I just hope they make a Port Injection/Fuel Upgrade file.