Just to clarify, there is no direct control of timing whatsoever with an S-AFC. The only signal hookup that it directly controls is the a/f ratio - the signal wire from the MAF to the ECU is cut and the AFC is installed in-line with the MAF and ECU. There are plenty of other signal hookups but only as sense lines for data display and logging, not for direct control. The only way that timing would be adjusted via the AFC would be through the fuel mixtures you specify (ie, timing retarded due to a lean fuel mix, and the like). You don't tap into any of the timing sensors and use an adjustment control to alter them. The AFC is by no means a do-it-all controller, but you can use it to tweak what the chip gives you.

K3MP, you said you've got an a/f gauge and you mentioned wideband O2 as well - is that a true wideband installed permanently in your car, or was that one that was used only in dyno tuning, and you're running on OEM O2 sensors the rest of the time? I ask because to be honest, you don't want to trust an a/f gauge monitoring an OEM narrow-band sensor - it makes pretty lights that oscillate on your gauge panel and may give you a broad, general idea of what is going on in the combustion chambers, but to try and use that to fine-tune your engine's fueling under increased boost is like giving a bipolar five-year-old a stick of dynamite and a Bic lighter. If this is what you're doing and relying on, back the boost down a couple notches until it can all be dialed in on the dyno with proper monitoring equipment. If you don't, and you start messing with the settings, you're asking for trouble. If you're running true wide-band in the car and monitoring that via the a/f gauge, that's better, but I'd still add an EGT probe and gauge to augment it - that'll tell you more about your mixture than the a/f ratio gauge will.

 

Absolutely correct, but set up right, the AFC can help you out. I used one in my Z and even at the state of tune I was in (17psi on aggressive a/f and timing maps, with all the right supporting hardware and mods), it still only was able to free up an additional 6hp peak or thereabouts. What it did do was allow some pretty decent tuning of the torque curve in the midrange. Ultimate power production didn't increase very much but midrange power was nicely affected.

Going with an AFC-2 is even nicer because of its ability to store two separate maps and allow the driver to toggle between them. I had one set up for power and one for economy, such as cruising on the highway and minding my own business - slightly leaner a/f ratios programmed up to 4k RPM, and then protectively richened higher up (for those all-important six-car-passing maneuvers under boost).

I would never substitute an AFC for a chip but at the same time, the AFC is a nice little way to make sure you don't walk away leaving any power on the table.

 

+1 for E-manage - that's a kickass setup. It gives you some additional flexibility as well if you're really getting heavy into the boost and have some money for custom work, in that it (I believe) incorporates an additional injector control ability for a pair of extra fuel injectors, similar to what the old Rebic-III did. But it also gives the functions of the AFC as well, and if the press releases are to be believed, it does it better and more precisely.

 

i do have a true wideband on the car

and what is the cost of emanage? i hear its very close to standalone and many use it instead of chips?
but most of the people who tune cars should be able to tune a SAFC....correct?....there are many tuners around with experience so id like to know if just about anyone who knows tuning can tune an SAFC?

thanks

 

Glad to hear you have the wideband in the car. Add EGT for extra safety though. E-manage has a lot of potential but it's not extremely close to standalone - if you Google it, you'll be able to find out far more than any of us has the time to type. As for tuning the AFC, as long as someone understands what the device is intended to do, then yes they can do some rough dial-in, but if you want the most potential out of it, have it done at a shop so they can tune the entire powerband under load in a safe environment. True standalone is the ultimate and is complete overkill for your car and about 99% of the cars on this forum (although it's certainly not a bad thing). The chip is very well-suited to your car and you should get it, period. Get the chip first, and then see about the AFC. Getting the AFC before the chip is like wiping before you sh*t.

 

so what about e-manage? is it capable of working on the 1.8t's

any other similar programs/units you might recomend me looking into?

 

This'll get you started with e-manage:

http://www.greddy.com/products/displ...SubCategory=48

Honestly, this or an AFC plus a chip will be everything you want/need/desire/dream of. It makes reference to Japanese engines, but you may still be able to use it on the Audi. You can achieve very good results though, even just using the chip and the AFC and probably with quite a bit less hassle. I've had an AFC before and it's a nice little tool, and the chip is a no-brainer. The E-manage will require a decent amount more work.

 

thanks, so after chipping say i get the afc....what will i get with it?...more horse?....the capeability to run a race file? and maybe more boost?.

 

Kemp no offense, but your making this harder than it needs to be, none of this stuff is really needed for the best gains. Boost doesn't always mean more power, if its out of the turbo's efficiency range than boost is worthless. Save up for a larger turbo then get a chip/tuning to support it and you'll be set.

 

Agreed - as I said above, the AFC allows you to fine-tune what the chip gives you. It will not give you more boost, it may give you a few hp, and it won't give you the capability of running a racing profile for your car - that has to be taken care of with a chip. All the AFC does is fine-tune what you get with your other mods. Did you see my post above about my results with the AFC on my last car? That additional few hp I gained was on a 500+ hp V6. You're not gonna make noticeable power with it unless your car is possessed by the devil and doesn't follow the same laws of physics as the rest of the world.