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EQT or UM?

The Dude

Autocross Champion
Location
PNW
Car(s)
MK7 GTI S
I'm torn between having an EQT custom tune and a United Motorsport custom tune. I'd like to hear experiences from both. Pros and cons below:

EQT Pros:
convenient af
less expensive
very reliable

EQT Cons:
No flex fuel (but ecutek is dropping map switching soon, so it would sort of mitigate that issue for the time being)

UM Pros:
Flexfuel
480 lb ft tcu flash
also reliable
adjustable LC

UM Cons:
super expensive for a big turbo, mpi, ethanol setup
Closest flash location is 63 miles away, so I'd either have to pay that shop to install everything (gross) or try to pussyfoot it 63 miles and try to not blow it up.

Build details:
As soon as Arnold releases it, the TRX30-700, Pagparts brushless, PM5, PR MPI (980cc), Ebay intercooler with LPS Alphalocs, 3.5 tbe.

Please share your thoughts, and I'd prefer if you had a negative experience that you not just talk shit. Share your experience for sure, but don't leave anything out to try and make either shop look bad. I don't want this to turn into a pissing contest, I've been going back and forth on this for damn months. I already sunk a not insubstantial sum into APR stuff, which I'm pretty happy with, but they don't do a big turbo setup that I'm even the least bit interested in.
 

JerseyDrew77

Autocross Champion
Location
Virginia & NC
Car(s)
2016 TR GTI S 6MT
Since Ed has been my tuner since the beginning, I can only talk about EQT. So, to add on to your EQT list, here are my bullets...

Pros:
Awesome customer service.
Superb tuning capabilities.
Cobb AP makes flashing new tunes simple and easy and can do it in my own garage.
Adjustable LC and No Lift Shift/Flat Foot Shifting.

Cons:
Always super busy so email responses usually take a while (I don't have FB).
No flex fuel but Cobb keeps saying they are close for the past couple of years.
 

El_bigote_AJ

Autocross Champion
Location
Las Vegas
Car(s)
2019 GTI bunny
I know someone who has first hand experience with both tuners on the same built motor and hybrid setup... switched for the flex fuel ability. Maybe he will chime in with his actually experiences of pros and cons.

Paging now...


Btw: my response... Sneeky. Lol

Also - Ed’s first handedly working on flex with Cobb right now... so it finally really “around the corner”
 
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The Dude

Autocross Champion
Location
PNW
Car(s)
MK7 GTI S
If cobb makes it work that's fine too, but Ed would be the dude smashing keys for ecutek or cobb. near as it makes no difference, since they're the same company.
 

LVGolfR

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
Las Vegas
Paging now...
I have an XL with all the supporting mods.

IMO, go EQT. Ed thought I was on a stock motor tune even though I gave him different specs in an email, but it was still good. get two maps, one for E, and one for pump. Being able to monitor and do logs is pretty cool from the AP.

In my experience, UM is hard to get on the phone, and they are short. Being over an hour away form you dealer makes it a pretty easy choice. The tune is still good, and it’s nice to not worry about my E level. Their DSG tune is ok. It often won’t shift to 7th in sport mode on the freeway which means I’m constantly putting it back to regular, and then back into sport when it goes into 7th. 3-4th also shifts at 3200 even when you’re not on it, and it seems too long.

If you have any specific questions, feel free.
 

The Dude

Autocross Champion
Location
PNW
Car(s)
MK7 GTI S
So on the DSG tune topic, the UM S2 TCU tune claims to hold 650 nm, which is right around 480 ft lbs, does the EQT TCU tune hold the same amount? I couldn't find it listed anywhere
 

Striker23

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Woodbridge, VA
I love my eqt tune but if I had it all to do again I’d really give UM a serious thought. I live very close to a dealer and Flex fuel capability is huge IMO. Cobb has been saying it’s close for awhile now. They need to get it done so I can give them my money.
 

PowerDemon

Autocross Champion
Location
Richmond, VA
Car(s)
Golf GTI, Camaro ZL1
Mmmm Flex fuel... That's pretty much the only thing that would make me consider UM over EQT. The price is just ludicrous IMO. Then again it looks like you've spared no expense so far so why start now? Also for what it’s worth most of the really fast Mk7s seem to be tuned with UM. I’m not saying EQT doesn’t also have fast cars, but UM just seems to take the cake in that regard.

In terms of getting it to the shop, if you have AAA you could always have them give you a tow. I think you get like the first 100 miles free or something like that. Just something to consider.

I've been following Pagparts’ progress on Instagram and their kits look AWESOME. Can't wait to see your build start to take shape. Good luck!
 

El_bigote_AJ

Autocross Champion
Location
Las Vegas
Car(s)
2019 GTI bunny
Mmmm Flex fuel... That's pretty much the only thing that would make me consider UM over EQT. The price is just ludicrous IMO. Then again it looks like you've spared no expense so far so why start now? Also for what it’s worth most of the really fast Mk7s seem to be tuned with UM. I’m not saying EQT doesn’t also have fast cars, but UM just seems to take the cake in that regard.

In terms of getting it to the shop, if you have AAA you could always have them give you a tow. I think you get like the first 100 miles free or something like that. Just something to consider.

I've been following Pagparts’ progress on Instagram and their kits look AWESOME. Can't wait to see your build start to take shape. Good luck!
To be fair, most fast UM cars are also big turbo cars vs hybrids.
 

aaronc7

Autocross Champion
Location
USA
Car(s)
17 S3
That turbo uses an electronic WG or pressure canister?

Ed did post the first real update on Flex last week...it's actively in testing/dev right now and expected spring/summer release. I vote EQT/Cobb. I think Ecutek will continue to be really slow for development and it will be ages before we see map switching or flex or anything else.
 

The Dude

Autocross Champion
Location
PNW
Car(s)
MK7 GTI S
That turbo uses an electronic WG or pressure canister?

Ed did post the first real update on Flex last week...it's actively in testing/dev right now and expected spring/summer release. I vote EQT/Cobb. I think Ecutek will continue to be really slow for development and it will be ages before we see map switching or flex or anything else.
The TRX uses the oem WGA.

Ecutek posted about map switching not long ago, but if Cobb drops flex before the build comes together it'll be a no brainer. Realistically if they bring some of the features from their AP3 for the GT-R, it'd be super sweet. Rolling antilag, boost on launch, flex, on the fly map switching... That'd put me in the cobb camp for sure.
 

aaronc7

Autocross Champion
Location
USA
Car(s)
17 S3
It's just a hunch....but Ecutek has been super slow for everything. Also we have no idea what features will be available with the map switching. Will you be able to switch between 93 and E85 and account correctly for the fuel mass differences, different boost, in addition to timing? We have no idea, but ecutek was late to the game and has been really slow to develop stuff ever since. I don't hardly see any cars running it, so this is probably super low on the priority list for them. I still wish they would release end-user tuning....as some way to differentiate themselves from the pack.

Even if you got separate cobb tunes now, if they release Flex down the road, in theory you could transpose that data into the new Flex fuel logic pretty easily I would think. without requiring a full retune. And honestly with a small handheld device, switching between pump and E85 tune is not nearly as cumbersome vs hauling a laptop around. In your shoes I would go Cobb/EQT.
 

The Dude

Autocross Champion
Location
PNW
Car(s)
MK7 GTI S
from Ed :
"flex fuel is not in the equation yet. Ecutek will be releasing map switching first, then launch control and rolling launch. "
 

cr_sti

Go Kart Newbie
Location
IA
With the setup you're describing, flex fuel would be the deciding factor for me. Primarily since every pump differs in overall content. While many will, rightfully, argue that the tune can adequately compensate for variances in E content, peace of mind is worth something.


My question (entirely unrelated to this thread) is, I thought you were going the G25 based route? Did my memory fail me, or why the pivot?
 
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