I've had my 1.8T Q B6 now for a little over 5 months and am thrilled with it. Being European and living in the US, I always had a bias towards European engineering from my days in England. The Audi still amazes me with the overall build quality and the attention to detail for every aspect of the car. Quite simply, there are very few cars I travel in that I consider to have a higher build quality that mine.

But, to the point of the thread. If Audi can really build cars as fine as they do, then why is the software / chip so restrained? Is it really that bad in comparison to the upgrade options of GIAC or APR. I am at a point where I want a little extra power. Does the chip return the car to the spec Audi first intended and they had to (for lack of a better word) de-tune the car for the US? If this power is available so simply, then why do Audi not ship the cars like this as standard? There must be a reason behind Audi's chip making the car fight with one hand tied behind its back; does anyone know the real story to this? Has anyone had bad experiences since changing the chip / DV on their car?

I hope I am making my point. Audi aren't stupid; the car is proof of this. They did not hold back on other features and they know the power is there, so why not unleash it as stock?

 

Basically audi tunes a car to last as long as possible. They do it for more fuel efficiency, cat longjevity, clutch life, governer speed,etc.... Basically the more power your car has the more maintanence it will take to keep it running. Why do you think hondas come with 103 hp? And audi actually does exactly this in the difference between the new s4 and rs4, same engine, different tune. And after getting a chip myself, yes it's worth it.

 

it's not a design for longevity. it's more a design for the purpose the car is built for..

the 1.8t A4 was never intended to be a fast car by Audi. the purpose to the small 1.8L motor with a tiny k03 turbo is to simply, create a small, effecient, moderate torque producing 4 cyllinder car. it gets great gas milage and has the torqe/power of larger 4 cyllinders in it's class.

now, is the 1.8t engine a great platform to build from? yes, as tuners and owners have been proving this for about a decade now..


just remember, this car was targeted for 40+ year old men and women looking for a nice luzury car for the family.. not some 22 year old kid that want's to race against STi's and EVO's

 

The answer is somewhat mixed between beancounter pragmatism, emissions regulations andreliability. No, Audi is not stupid, and neither are many of its competitors. But many potential owners are not as attentive and careful as they should be with their cars. They will run their car for many months and many thousands of miles without changing oil, they will put cheap gas in it, they will skip maintenance checks, they will rev to redline on a cold engine, they run it at WOT and then shut the motor off letting oil cook inside the turbo, they will drive the car with the parking brake on, they will.... well, you get the idea. Most car manufacturers that stand behind their products tend to overengineer and detune their cars because of these types of owners.

A quality chip from a reputable source, with reasonable R&D and reliability reputation will work well. But do your homework, and be sure to doincrease thefrequency of your maintenance schedule.

 

I would get the chip... I actually just did today (REVO) and I LOVE it, the car feels much more alive, but to answer your question is already the above posts... get the chip, you wont regret it...

Matt

 

ok, now this chip thing, is this somethign that i can buy, and install, or do i have to buy it at a tunning shop and have them tune it and such? can anyone give me a link to a good chip for my 97 1.8T Q?

 

you would have to go to a shop and pay for a map... I'm not sure about your model, maybe APR? APR does offer the +1 file all you need is bigger injectors and you'll be set... do a search for the best chipping program for you model..

Matt

 

yeah you can usually find a used one in the classifieds either here or on audizine or audiworld and just swap the ecu's yourself. or you can go to a dealer and have them put it in. the closest one to you is in denver...

Autobahn Premier Service
1015 West Evans Avenue, Unit D
Denver, CO 80223

they do GIAC

or you can get APR http://www.goapr.com/Audi/products/e...ade_a418t.html

 

how are you not chipped? this should be the first thing EVERY A4 owner does

 

i wanted to get the handeling out of the way first, and get better at driving it before bumping up the power, but now its clear that i need MORE lol, i posted another thread so it doesn't segway from this one.