Hi all,

I am getting a quote from a local shop on an ECU upgrade that will provide 315hp and 330lbft of torque compared to my 265hp and 280lbft stock performance. The software is from Upsolute and will have a switch. Basically, the car start with stock programming and a press of a button on a key fob will activate the Upsolute programming. So the car will mostly still be driven in stock mode. The power from the Upsolute software is fairly conservative compared to GIAC or APR. I have read that upgrading the DV and TBB is recommended, especially with a GIAC chip. The Upsolute site claims that there will be no reduction in engine life but I am still concerned about blowing my KO3 turbos. My question is, should I take the preventative steps of upgrading my DV and TBB or does the 2004 A6 S-Line already have upgraded DB and TBB from factory due to the additional power that comes stock? I am leaning towards upgrading them as a preventative measure but won't if it’s not necessary. Thoughts?

Thanks!

 

So I just read that for the 2004 year, the oil lines were updated in the A6 S-line in order to extend turbo life so blown turbos in 2004 models should not be as much of an issue. Not sure if thats factual or not but one thing my local shop just told me is that the Diverter Valve is definatly something that I will want to replace...recommended it even if I did not upgrade the ECU. So I guess the only thing left to ponder is the Throttle Body Boot. Not a pricey item but is it worth it?

 

I believe (hope) the oil feed lines were increased in 2003. Replacing the DV and TBB will not protect your turbos as much as prevent the extra boost from blowing out the stock DV/TBB. You can run without heavy duty upgrades, but if they blow you will notice the loss of power. I replaced mine on the recommendation of my indie shop which did the GIAC work, and that was 81k miles ago.

 

Thanks ppgoal, I'm going to go ahead and have the shop replace the DV and TBB...could not hurt I guess!