I just picked up a Unitronic 1+ ECU/TCU combo and UniConnect+ from my local shop, European Motorworks in Nashville. Jerry is the owner, and super knowledgable on our platform. Got the system home, and after a quick Windows 10 driver signature enforcement disable, I was able flash them both in my garage.
I connected a trickle charger to my battery since these VW batteries are super fussy, and the ECU flash took probably 20 minutes, and DSG flash took about 5 minutes.
Drama free flashing process, start up and drive right after. Let the car warm up through normal driving awhile before giving it the beans. My car is otherwise completely stock.
Pulling out of the garage and shifting to D, I immediately noticed the DSG flash, as it says D1, D2, D3, etc, instead of D. Programming is better than stock, S mode still too spicy at holding crazy-high RPM for me, which is no biggie, as D is great.
Post warmup I got on it, and the tune is really subtle, which I like. There's not that instant smashing torque hit of overspun turbo that you feel in so many VW tunes. The best way to describe it is OEM++, a solid ~60hp or so bump per their dyno gains on site.
To that end, it's sublime. Nary a hint of drivability quirks or anything that seemed over-stressed. I feel that it would reliably run 120k plus miles and be reliable for years. The best praise I can bestow on it, would be this: If a stranger drove it, he/she would feel it was really quick, but that VW had programmed the ECU.
I think this tune is the sweet spot for these cars: Reliable, great drivability, and lots more control over parameters than an external tuning box.
Will keep the thread updated as I continue driving. Already I can feel the pull for a good downpipe and intercooler to kick this up to Stage 2.
PS: Exceptional customer service from Unitronic directly.
I connected a trickle charger to my battery since these VW batteries are super fussy, and the ECU flash took probably 20 minutes, and DSG flash took about 5 minutes.
Drama free flashing process, start up and drive right after. Let the car warm up through normal driving awhile before giving it the beans. My car is otherwise completely stock.
Pulling out of the garage and shifting to D, I immediately noticed the DSG flash, as it says D1, D2, D3, etc, instead of D. Programming is better than stock, S mode still too spicy at holding crazy-high RPM for me, which is no biggie, as D is great.
Post warmup I got on it, and the tune is really subtle, which I like. There's not that instant smashing torque hit of overspun turbo that you feel in so many VW tunes. The best way to describe it is OEM++, a solid ~60hp or so bump per their dyno gains on site.
To that end, it's sublime. Nary a hint of drivability quirks or anything that seemed over-stressed. I feel that it would reliably run 120k plus miles and be reliable for years. The best praise I can bestow on it, would be this: If a stranger drove it, he/she would feel it was really quick, but that VW had programmed the ECU.
I think this tune is the sweet spot for these cars: Reliable, great drivability, and lots more control over parameters than an external tuning box.
Will keep the thread updated as I continue driving. Already I can feel the pull for a good downpipe and intercooler to kick this up to Stage 2.
PS: Exceptional customer service from Unitronic directly.
Last edited: