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Stage 1 APR tune Bogs Need help diagnosing the problem

Mknauer51

New member
Location
USA
Car(s)
Mk7 GTI SE
Hello,

I have a 2017 manual transmission MK7 GTI SE with the performance pack. I bought it used with the APR intake and Forge blow off valve already installed. I recently got it tuned by an APR dealer with the Stage 1 tune (93 octane low torque tune). The car pulls fine in 1st and 2nd gear no issues of engine rpms bogging. Third gear is where the issue starts to occur, 4th and high even more. An example of what is happening is the car will be in 3rd gear around 3500rpm and i'll floor it to either merge on to the highway or pass someone...the car will build rpms to about 4200 rpms and then loose boost or something and drop down back to 3700rpms before it starts to climb in rpms again. I notice it even more if I'm on the highway cruising in top gear and want to pass someone I'll drop it to 4th gear and the car will be around the same rpms as i mentioned before and floor it....the car will build rpms, bog down, and begin to build rpms again and then bog down again before it starts to actually stay steady...I'll attach a video of what I'm talking about. I'm starting to get super frustrated with this issue because the car isn't showing any codes or check engine lights, and the dealership that i bought it from and the mechanics that I talk to to diagnose the issue take it on test drives or let me take them and the issue wont occur for them. Please help! I want to rule out a slipping clutch because the issue doesn't occur in 1st or 2nd and the rpms bog instead of jumping in acceleration, I feel if it was a clutch the rpms would rev high and the car wouldn't be accelerating. Just a reminder in this video I am full throttle, I am not feathering the gas, the rpms are doing this on their own. Please click the youtube link below to watch. and once again thanks if you can help!

MK7 GTI APR stage 1 Bogging

-Thanks Mike
 

jimlloyd40

Autocross Champion
Location
Phoenix
Car(s)
2018 SE DSG
Show them your video if they won't go for a ride with you. Or let them drive it again with you as a passenger. If all that fails I would get the tune removed and your money back and go with Cobb and EQT or another Cobb tuner. APR is a dead end anyway if you decide ultimately that you want to go to stage 2 or higher since they aren't offering those tunes anymore.
 

Pickleahoy

Go Kart Champion
Location
Deland, FL
Car(s)
2016 Golf R
Looks like clutch slip to me. Its not slipping on 1st or 2nd cause there's less load to deal with. Bet you it will slip like a bitch if you gun it on higher gears. If you keep the throttle pinned it will spin to RPM limit.

Welcome to MK7 manual OEM clutch, hope you saved some cash on your budget to upgrade!
 

jimlloyd40

Autocross Champion
Location
Phoenix
Car(s)
2018 SE DSG
Looks like clutch slip to me. Its not slipping on 1st or 2nd cause there's less load to deal with. Bet you it will slip like a bitch if you gun it on higher gears. If you keep the throttle pinned it will spin to RPM limit.

Welcome to MK7 manual OEM clutch, hope you saved some cash on your budget to upgrade!

He did say that when he downshifted to pass he had it floored when he was doing that and the RPM didn't spin to RPM limit. I agree it's most likely the clutch but I wonder why the RPM 's didn't jump much higher since he said that he kept it floored.
 
Last edited:

Mknauer51

New member
Location
USA
Car(s)
Mk7 GTI SE
Show them your video if they won't go for a ride with you. Or let them drive it again with you as a passenger. If all that fails I would get the tune removed and your money back and go with Cobb and EQT or another Cobb tuner. APR is a dead end anyway if you decide ultimately that you want to go to stage 2 or higher since they aren't offering those tunes anymore.

I have showed the video to APR
 

StorableComa

Autocross Champion
Location
SoCal, USA
Car(s)
17 GSW S FWD
Show them your video if they won't go for a ride with you. Or let them drive it again with you as a passenger. If all that fails I would get the tune removed and your money back and go with Cobb and EQT or another Cobb tuner. APR is a dead end anyway if you decide ultimately that you want to go to stage 2 or higher since they aren't offering those tunes anymore.
Eh, APR still supports IS20 and IS38 stock turbo tunes with their "stage 3" IS20 and IS38 tune. Believe the only one they discontinued was their DP stage 2 tune, which really just removed the CELs I thought when compared to their stage 1?
 

Mknauer51

New member
Location
USA
Car(s)
Mk7 GTI SE
Looks like clutch slip to me. Its not slipping on 1st or 2nd cause there's less load to deal with. Bet you it will slip like a bitch if you gun it on higher gears. If you keep the throttle pinned it will spin to RPM limit.

Welcome to MK7 manual OEM clutch, hope you saved some cash on your budget to upgrade!


Ok thanks, yes its an oem clutch...the thing is that I still have the car under warranty, and I'm trying to get the warranty to pay for it...I know that the tune probably voids the warranty but I just wont tell them I got it tuned....The thing is that the problem started to occur only like a week after I got the car tuned! I wasn't even launching the car...just driving normal.
 

StorableComa

Autocross Champion
Location
SoCal, USA
Car(s)
17 GSW S FWD
Ok thanks, yes its an oem clutch...the thing is that I still have the car under warranty, and I'm trying to get the warranty to pay for it...I know that the tune probably voids the warranty but I just wont tell them I got it tuned....The thing is that the problem started to occur only like a week after I got the car tuned! I wasn't even launching the car...just driving normal.
Careful with that. If a dealer plugs in with their ODIS ODBII scanner I believe they'll automatically check the ECU flash and potentially flag you TD1. I could be wrong, but I believe the scan is automatic if you're hooked up to their server connected diagnostics. APR and other non "in-between" tunes like JB4 increase the ECU flash count, which as far as I know cannot be reset when flashed back to stock.

Given it's a 2017, how many miles? May have been coming up on a clutch replacement anyhow and the tune just gave it the extra push to fail under load.
 

Dog Dad Wagon

Autocross Champion
Location
Go Birds
Car(s)
16 Touareg TDI
Ok thanks, yes its an oem clutch...the thing is that I still have the car under warranty, and I'm trying to get the warranty to pay for it...I know that the tune probably voids the warranty but I just wont tell them I got it tuned....The thing is that the problem started to occur only like a week after I got the car tuned! I wasn't even launching the car...just driving normal.

unfortunately, VW is smarter than you and doesn’t leave it to the customer’s good-will to “let them know” whether their car is tuned when requesting warranty work. They check themselves. They will find that you are tuned, and you will be denied.

Regardless, clutches aren’t covered past 1 year/12K unless the cause can be determined to be from an auxiliary part in the trans like a failed TOB. So even if you were stock it likely wouldn’t have been covered.
 

jimlloyd40

Autocross Champion
Location
Phoenix
Car(s)
2018 SE DSG
Eh, APR still supports IS20 and IS38 stock turbo tunes with their "stage 3" IS20 and IS38 tune. Believe the only one they discontinued was their DP stage 2 tune, which really just removed the CELs I thought when compared to their stage 1?

Would there much of a point getting a stage 2 or 3 tune without a DP?
 

StorableComa

Autocross Champion
Location
SoCal, USA
Car(s)
17 GSW S FWD
Would there much of a point getting a stage 2 or 3 tune without a DP?
Depends on the platform. The 1.8T with an IS20 and stock DP still makes more power than the IS12. If you're 2.0 with an IS20 already, maybe not. I haven't gotten all the details, but I believe their Stage 3 IS38 is with a DP still. Or at least they still have the Dyno charts for it on their site. IS20 1.8T I believe still has a DP option, could just be the charts though.

Off topic, but i'm 1.8T, so Cobb is out for me. Debating between UM and APR right now, with leaning toward UM because they do offer "Big/hybrid" turbo tuning and fueling.
 

Mknauer51

New member
Location
USA
Car(s)
Mk7 GTI SE
Careful with that. If a dealer plugs in with their ODIS ODBII scanner I believe they'll automatically check the ECU flash and potentially flag you TD1. I could be wrong, but I believe the scan is automatic if you're hooked up to their server connected diagnostics. APR and other non "in-between" tunes like JB4 increase the ECU flash count, which as far as I know cannot be reset when flashed back to stock.

Given it's a 2017, how many miles? May have been coming up on a clutch replacement anyhow and the tune just gave it the extra push to fail under load.
50,000 miles almost
 

StorableComa

Autocross Champion
Location
SoCal, USA
Car(s)
17 GSW S FWD
50,000 miles almost
Look into installing an upgraded clutch, dont need a stage 3 if you're going OTS and staying stage 1 for a bit, but upgraded will last longer while tuned. Dont think itd be worth trying to warranty, dealer will deny and potentially TD1 flag your car.
 

Mknauer51

New member
Location
USA
Car(s)
Mk7 GTI SE
unfortunately, VW is smarter than you and doesn’t leave it to the customer’s good-will to “let them know” whether their car is tuned when requesting warranty work. They check themselves. They will find that you are tuned, and you will be denied.

Regardless, clutches aren’t covered past 1 year/12K unless the cause can be determined to be from an auxiliary part in the trans like a failed TOB. So even if you were stock it likely wouldn’t have been covered.
Look into installing an upgraded clutch, dont need a stage 3 if you're going OTS and staying stage 1 for a bit, but upgraded will last longer while tuned. Dont think itd be worth trying to warranty, dealer will deny and potentially TD1 flag your car.
Ok, so what clutch does everyone recommend? Ecs seems to have affordable ones but I like quality over quantity and I've been hearing mixed opinions on ecs tuning products.
 
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