engine knock

[YamR1rider]

FWIW I have found the ecu tune on its own cleans throttle response up a good bit, although the 09G auto box in the 1.8TSI will never be as slick as the DSG equipped cars like the GTI (especially if it's had a good TCU tune). It's been said many times before, but I wish there was a TCU tune also available for the 09G, but I don't think there ever will be. That being the case, as mentioned above a pedal box sounds to be the best workaround available.

 

[plastermaster]

I finally got the Stage 1 tune about 10 days ago. I'm happy with it. I really notice it in the mid range. 1st and 2nd go buy to fast to tell much of a difference as to where the increase is, but the 30-70 MPH time has quite noticeably improved. Around 4000RPM in 3rd you can really feel it come on. I can't say MPGs increased like for some people. I checked it on a trip I do every other week, exact same route and conditions. both before and after tune I drove the route like a prius and got 42.6MPG. The best I ever got was 43.3 before the tune, usually around 39.5. About 1/2 of the drive is the N. CA coast line with hills and curves, averaging about 35-40 MPH, and the other 1/2 is freeway averaging 65-70. Another experiment, just playing around, 1500 rpm in 6th with the AT locked in manual mode, floor it and nothing happens, but that's to be expected in such a tall gear. In 6th you can't really get it into its power band without risking a serious ticket.

 

[YamR1rider]

I finally got the Stage 1 tune about 10 days ago. I'm happy with it. I really notice it in the mid range. 1st and 2nd go buy to fast to tell much of a difference as to where the increase is, but the 30-70 MPH time has quite noticeably improved. Around 4000RPM in 3rd you can really feel it come on. I can't say MPGs increased like for some people. I checked it on a trip I do every other week, exact same route and conditions. both before and after tune I drove the route like a prius and got 42.6MPG. The best I ever got was 43.3 before the tune, usually around 39.5. About 1/2 of the drive is the N. CA coast line with hills and curves, averaging about 35-40 MPH, and the other 1/2 is freeway averaging 65-70. Another experiment, just playing around, 1500 rpm in 6th with the AT locked in manual mode, floor it and nothing happens, but that's to be expected in such a tall gear. In 6th you can't really get it into its power band without risking a serious ticket.

You'll only notice a hit to MPGs if you go around flooring it everywhere and utilizing the extra boost. Do you feel the tune has helped with pedal response any?

 

[plastermaster]

Nothing stands out as far as a change in how linear the pedal travel is. For normal driving the RPM stays below 3000 with the AT. If I am getting on it, that slight stock delay is still there, plus there is a slight delay for the downshift. I think that is just the nature of the triptonic. I hear DSG is more responsive.

 

[YamR1rider]

Yes, a DSG (especially one with a good tune) is leagues ahead of the 09G auto in the 1.8TSi; the difference between how both smooth and positive my own GTI is compared to daughters TSi is really apparent (probably even more so being as my car is only at 45k miles versus her 150k miler which will have a bit of wear on the trans).

Nonetheless, when I got her car tuned I found the 'response' had improved some....though perhaps more from the perspective of not needing to press it so far to get the same output as before.

 

[odessa.filez]

Not to mention the possibility of LSD for the DSG but not the 09g.

That said, still not ready to ditch my wagon. Too many great attributes for daily driving.

 

[plastermaster]

After driving some today, I would say with easy driving, (wife in the car) everything feels just a little smoother/better since the tune. Probably not enough to notice if I wasn't looking for it. I don't know really when the turbo starts spooling up, but even below 2500 rpm there is more torque for the same pedal travel as before the tune. I notice it more on hills.

As for flooring it, before the tune I was never able to lose traction, but now the tires chirp a bit on a rolling start in 2nd because the engine revs before the AT knows to drop down into 1st. Then it chirps again when going back into 2nd. My current tires aren't known for being sticky though. Cintaro P7s. Another 10K and I will likely be going with the latest version of Continental DWS 06s