has anyone used one of these or something similar? what are your thoughts and results?

Thanks

 

APR 1.bar 91OCT here from 2bennett. From what Ive gathered its in the mid range as far as power as apposed to GIAC or similar chips. Heard software ver. can make a difference too. I cant complain, its been good to me for years, no problems. Do your research and you wont go wrong. Its just name brands wont like you if you upgrade other parts from there rivals, keep that in mind for future mods.

 

can you actually feel the difference in power? what other chips give a more broad power range or are they either low end or high end? Would you recommend the APR ECU or should I try a different one? I don't really have many mods in mind but thinking this would be a good start since 50 or so hp is relatively cheap. (does it really gain 50 though? or is it more like 20 or so?)

 

The first thing I did was change to K&N panel filter and straight pipes. Even this gave a noticable increase. Then after some preventive mods, like DV's and silicone hoses, I made the trip to 2Bennett for the APR ECU. Keep in mind my car drove fine until the test drive came after the reprogramming. To be concise, the power gain from flooring it would break loose the stock clutch...yeah it was noticable! Now with an RS4 clutch to resolve this, it pulls hard. It was stated by the scholors @ 2Bennett that those graphs showing power gains are from a stock S4 to 91OCT only, it does not include intake or exhaust.
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu...deoID=34942112

 

so is a new clutch necessary? i hadn't really planned on upgrading the clutch either.. do you think I should get a new filter like K&N before anything else? or is a new intake a better option?

 

oo what are DV's and silicone hoses for also? whats dv stand for?

 

APR reps said that my case of clutch slip due to upgrading was rare but does happen. I made the mistake of replacing the first time with a standard stock OEM clutch, so the clutch slippage wasnt because of an old worn part. When ever replacing parts, do the research and upgrade. It may be more $, but the benifits pay for it. Like the K&N air filter. It cost about three times as much as OEM, but gives you more power, better mpg, and you only have to buy it once. It pays for itself quickly. Whether you go with a cold air intake(cone) or panel depends on how serious you are. I dont need to be the best, so for the daily driver I went with the panel. However, cones produce more power but can cause damage if water gets through because its not covered like a panel in a box. Yes, this should be the first upgrade. I recommend reading the noob post. For instance DV stands for Diverter Valves, dont bother with BOV's(blow off valves). Stock DV's cant handle the increase in boost pressure coming from the turbos, controlled by the ECU. In my opinion I choose APR R1 DV's because they are no maintenance diaphram based.(as opposed to piston, which do require maintenance) The same goes for the hoses, stock rubber ones crack. You dont want to kill your car because the stock parts cant handle the increase in power. Note that the 2000 RS4 of the same year as the S4 is almost the same. The R stands for Renn, they simply remapped the ECU to put out more power. So in a manner of speaking, your turning your S4 into an RS4. Just remember to research all possibilities, dont rush.

 

I have an a3 not s4... is the DV necessary, as well as the silicone tubes? Can I just get the ecu upgrade and dropin filter will that be okay, or do I need everything to work together

 

I mean are there different settings on the ECU chip so I could set it lower so it doesn't blow my stock DV?

 

Regardless, yes you want to upgrade as listed. You just dont have to buy as many parts, one turbo equals one DV, one IC so less hoses. In your case of an A3, you should focus only on data for that model, it wouldnt be fair for me to say anything because I have an S4. But certain concepts can be translated.