Integrated Engineering vs. 034 Stage 1 Tune

[stoian21]

Hi guys, I am looking for advice on which tune to choose, ideally from people who have used both and can compare. I have no prior experience with tuning. My car is a 2013 A6 C7 3.0T and basically stock. The only upgrade I have done to it is adding a 12.3 inch RSNAV S4 display to it. It has 55k miles and I’ve had it for 8 years. I am not an aggressive driver, and I have always felt that the car has plenty of power for my driving style, but i guess i have had it for too long now so I am starting to get bored and looking to spice it up a bit. I don’t push it hard or launch it, but i really enjoy powerful low RPM torque up to 3,000-3,500 RPM, which RPM band my car spends 99% of the time in. Looking at the dyno charts on their websites, it looks like IE has more aggressive torque figures in the lower RPM range, which would be more beneficial for my driving style. Those of you who have tried both, is that your observation in real life that IE has more low end torque?
I watched this guy’s video (https://youtu.be/1LEajEGRhNU) and others, he seems pretty knowledgeable and was speaking very highly of 034 and how they can actually re-program torque limit tables similar to a factory ECU tune instead of using work-arounds that other tuners he says use. He basically suggests that their tune is very competently done and better than the competition. Do you know if IE’s tune torque limits are similarly coded? He says that he is very familiar with IE, and he didn’t talk about them specifically and only referred to “competitors” but i would conclude from his statements that IE don’t have that level of programming refinement. I don’t know if that’s true or not. He also says the 034’s throttle mapping percentages would correspond very accurately to the level of pedal press, for example a 64% press would give you 64% open throttle. Is that throttle mapping valid for a stage 1 tune or is it done with a stage 2 tune? I wonder what IE’s throttle mapping looks like with stage 1.
On their website, IE advertise how they keep lower exhaust temperatures to protect the fragile cats these cars use and 034 doesn’t speak to that. Is there more of a risk of cat issues down the line with 034?
In normal driving in D mode, do both tunes behave similarly in terms of maintaining RPMs like stock? I don’t want the car to feel aggressive unless i ask for it. The stock TCU loves to keep RPMs around 1,300-1,500 for normal driving, which i like and i hope the tuned TCU would keep the transmission’s behavior similar unless I am in S mode.
I intend to only do the software upgrade unless I have to change hardware since i don’t push my car hard. I don’t see myself ever pushing it to 7,200 RPM so would i be fine and not run into overheating issues without adding a better heat exchanger and not sacrifice the car’s durability?
IE has the app to show me IAT and other parameters, which is a plus to determine if my car is running hot. So, honestly i can’d decide between the 2.
Thank you all!

[ActiveMonkey]

Hey Stoian21, my feedback may not be perfect since i'm driving a C7.5 which has a slightly different motor and ECU but my experience with APR, 034 and IE might provide you with some valuable insight.

034
EXPERIENCE: They make great products but they have horrible customer service. No phone support is a major issue for me given how much money we spend on some of their parts. When i had an issue with their tune (ECU & TCU), i had to email then, wait a week for response, reply, wait another week for response, reply again, wait another week... 3 week in and zero progress or resolution only for them to say they didn't have the ability to data log my car and the process was likely to take months. I know they offer a more developed package for the C7 so you'll probably be ok, but i hate bad customer service and in my 17 years' experience buying parts from them and going to their Fremont CA location their customer service has never been good.

TUNE - ECU & TCU: When they worked, they felt very good. I especially liked their TCU tune. IF their tunes didn't have issues on my car and IF they had been able to resolve the problem quickly then i would likely still have them on the car.

CONCLUSION / TLDR: When it worked, it felt great. When i had a problem, it felt like crap and their customer service is so bad they could not fix it. If i wanted to work with them via email for 2 months they may have been able to fix it, but that is unacceptable to me. I returned their tunes.


INTEGRATED ENGINEERING
EXPERIENCE: The moment i flashed the IE ECU and TCU tunes on to my car, all the problems i was experiencing with the 034 tunes vanished. The car just worked. They have phone support and are very helpful. Complaints on service.

TUNE - ECU & TCU: I really like the ECU tune and i am still running it. Their TCU tune felt good but it is more conservative than 034 and i wanted something more aggressive. Don't get me wrong, their TCU tune is still WAY WAY better than stock, but i can drive... hard. I switched over to the Melen TCU tune and love it. IE ECU and Melen TCU tune is fantastic.

CONCLUSION: Great ECU Tune, Good but sporty TCU tune and good customer service.

[Alabama]

I intend to only do the software upgrade unless I have to change hardware since i don’t push my car hard.

I wonder if you are putting the emphasis in the wrong place. You've had your car for eight years and still stock. Your plan is to only do Stage 1 ECU, and also TCU. Most folk on AZ seem to agree that every vendor's Stage 1 ECU tune yields about the same performance. Maybe as ActiveMonkey implies, support after purchase (and/or price) should be the deciding factor. If you have a good independent mechanic who supports a particular vendor, maybe that's the easy answer.

[Audibellybutton]

I wonder if you are putting the emphasis in the wrong place. You've had your car for eight years and still stock. Your plan is to only do Stage 1 ECU, and also TCU. Most folk on AZ seem to agree that every vendor's Stage 1 ECU tune yields about the same performance. Maybe as ActiveMonkey implies, support after purchase (and/or price) should be the deciding factor. If you have a good independent mechanic who supports a particular vendor, maybe that's the easy answer.

this^ and also I very very strongly recommend that you install at least a heat exchanger. These cars run hot as is, and with a tune they run even hotter. a heat exchanger is good to keep the temps down. I know you aren't looking to go crazy with the mods, but I would recommend at least that. Merc racing makes a great HX for the price

[stoian21]

Thank you all for the input!

[A665]

...I very very strongly recommend that you install at least a heat exchanger. These cars run hot as is, and with a tune they run even hotter. a heat exchanger is good to keep the temps down. I know you aren't looking to go crazy with the mods, but I would recommend at least that. Merc racing makes a great HX for the price

My car's been tuned 2 years. I drive assertively maybe 20% of the time, if that, and aggressively less than 5%. Everything else is moderate or easy driving. Never street race and will never track the car. I drive under 6K miles per year. Never detected any heat issues. Any real-world benefit of adding an aftermarket HX to a tuned but moderately-driven daily like mine?

[d.colethomas]

I?ve had IE before and it was fine. I tried buying their tune for my S4 last week and the customer service was poor.

Their Powerlink flash loader retails for $190 and mine broke after two uses - from stock to stg 1 and then back to stock on my Golf R.

They offered me a new one for $150 and I turned them down. If your hardware dies after two flashes and you hardly lift a finger to make things right it?s a red flag IMO. Then they withheld 10%, $72, of my refund as a ?restocking fee.? As if a software license needed to be repackaged and warehoused.. what a joke. Not fun doing business with these guys.

[sepheroth86]

JHM offers all stages and tcu for like $700. Might be worth looking into their offering.

[d.colethomas]

JHM offers all stages and tcu for like $700. Might be worth looking into their offering.

Ty sir. West Michigan represent.

[srb_brah]

Ty sir. West Michigan represent.

love IE stage 1 TCU & ECU tune for my s6, complete game changer and keep in mind I drive pretty conservatively

[Spitfire007]

I might go with Jackal, since they include a TCU tune, and have great reviews about their customer service.


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[srb_brah]

I might go with Jackal, since they include a TCU tune, and have great reviews about their customer service.


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buddy has it on his 2012 S5 and loves it!

[STXA7]

I might go with Jackal, since they include a TCU tune, and have great reviews about their customer service.


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Might I suggest you try 034 ecu+tcu first with their SPI app, and if you’re not happy just ask for the refund within their 30 day window if you don’t like it.

Then you can go flash jackal and pocket the few hundred bucks leftover.

If money isn’t tight you could even buy both tunes and flash them back to back within the 30 days for comparison and get refund from the one you don’t want to keep. I’m pretty sure jackal has a 30 day refund rule.

If you were to share your opinions / experience as a review that would be sick especially with video or dragy data.

My vote is for 034 tune, I used my EPL switchover discount rate and won’t ever leave 034 after experiencing their APP smooth flash process, and getting my data logs reviewed by their team for vehicle health. Specifically they were able to confirm that the injectors and catalytic converters were within operating norms which is a big deal in the 100k mileage range. They have even answered some questions related to my vehicle that are not tune specific by email and on their live stream.

If you end up no loving it as much as others do, you could probably even get jackal to give you a switchover discount rate before you refund the 034 tune. I say it’s possible knowing you very likely wont do it because 034 is just that damn good.


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[Spitfire007]

Good ideas


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[choward]

I've had the 034 stage 1 93 octane ECU/TCU on my C7.5 for almost 40,000 miles over 18 months. Flashed it myself. I've had zero issues with it and I'm getting their S34 carbon intake next week. I plan to reflash/update the ECU tune as the new version is rated at 464 hp and it supposedly saves your auto start/stop preference so you don't have to turn it off every time you start the car.

[dspl1236]

In my experience every car is a bit unique...like people. One car may love a tune, and the next will fight it. Some tunes need just the right conditions to make the most and some are broader. I love the idea of 30 day return for tunes, sure beats the old days of 6 hours

If you do plan on testing and returns, make sure todo it direct with the tuner. It's harder on the 3rd party shops.


$.02