Golf 1.8 AT APR Stage 1 Diary

[tigeo]

Learn to use the paddles so put the car in specific gears to get more control. Not sure if your car has a sport mode, if it does, the car will be less jumpy if you do NOT use sport mode.

This. I have definately done this to handle/manage this power surge.

 

[tigeo]

There's no need for all that just for a tune. It's not you're transforming it into a Lambo or something. I'm currently rocking 16"s and snow tires on a stock GSW, its completely fine.

This. All the wheels and springs won't do nearly what a tune will do for your car beyond looks.

 

[Woody_in_MN]

I have the 87oct APR Stage 1 and it definitely wakes the car up. I find the greatest difference is at passing speeds on the highway. It used to be a dog in the 50-80mph range, now it slingshots past cars no sweat.



I have a 4Motion GSW and it can launch pretty hard as well if i get it to kick down to first gear properly. It's DSG.

Makes sense. I can see this.

 

[Woody_in_MN]

This. All the wheels and springs won't do nearly what a tune will do for your car beyond looks.

I don't think it is a bad thing to upgrade wheels/tires. For quick cornering I can really tell the difference. BUT, stage 1 tune is THE big bang for the buck mod. I am not undercutting this. When I really punch the gas BIG performance upgrade.

 

[tigeo]

I don't think it is a bad thing to upgrade wheels/tires. For quick cornering I can really tell the difference. BUT, stage 1 tune is THE big bang for the buck mod. I am not undercutting this. When I really punch the gas BIG performance upgrade.

I guess I always think "where are you driving that lowering springs/tires/wheels/etc. are helping you kill it?"...I mean...I live in suburbia and I can only drive so fast/corner so fast here. Unless you go to the track, the OEM suspension and AS tires work just fine. Power is a different story, even if you don't speed you can certainly take advantage of shaving a second of your 0-60 time with a tune.

 

[Woody_in_MN]

I guess I always think "where are you driving that lowering springs/tires/wheels/etc. are helping you kill it?"...I mean...I live in suburbia and I can only drive so fast/corner so fast here. Unless you go to the track, the OEM suspension and AS tires work just fine. Power is a different story, even if you don't speed you can certainly take advantage of shaving a second of your 0-60 time with a tune.

Well yeh, I get what you are saying, and tend to agree. If I had planned to trade the golf in a couple yeats, I would not have put money into bigger wheels/tires. The wheels/tires have the biggest benefit with drag racing, or track. Neither of which I do. I do get some benefit in snow and ice. Plus there is the cosmetic perspective. I mainly did the wheel upgrade for snow, and looks.

 

[MysticBlueX3]

OP, how do you feel your stock brakes are handling the extra power?

There's no need for all that just for a tune. It's not you're transforming it into a Lambo or something. I'm currently rocking 16"s and snow tires on a stock GSW, its completely fine.

I use to have 16"s and stock tires and I can't get the car to maintain traction when pulling hard in 1st and 2nd gear. I can't imagine what it would be like with a stage 1 tune. I figured all that extra power would be a waste if I can't even get the tires to grip the road. I do see the advantage when going highway speeds as others have mentioned.

 

[TwinDad]

I find that highly unlikely - the 93 Uni is what I run. 254hp/293 ftlbs Uni Stage 1+ (93) vs. APR Stage 1 (87) 234hp/273ftlbs...the math doesn't work.

I'm not bench racing with advertised numbers. Uni is soft and conservative. An APR 93 stage 1 is faster than a Uni 93 octane stage 2. That's facts. So I can definitely see the APR 87 octane stage 1 beating the 93 octane stage 1+ Uni tune. However, he has the 91 tune, so it's just mopping the floors with anything from Uni. APR makes the most aggressive tunes for this engine. No way around it. Take a look here for some proof.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1J8TcvS67dldIWkaT3wpYNM-FV0qthKBfRk38wj09WOA/edit#gid=0

 

[tigeo]

I'm not bench racing with advertised numbers. Uni is soft and conservative. An APR 93 stage 1 is faster than a Uni 93 octane stage 2. That's facts. So I can definitely see the APR 87 octane stage 1 beating the 93 octane stage 1+ Uni tune. However, he has the 91 tune, so it's just mopping the floors with anything from Uni. APR makes the most aggressive tunes for this engine. No way around it. Take a look here for some proof.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1J8TcvS67dldIWkaT3wpYNM-FV0qthKBfRk38wj09WOA/edit#gid=0

Cool spreadsheet, very interesting and to your point, yes seems that the Uni tunes aren't as strong...got to be the lower boost...also probably why the APR guys blow turbos (everyone relax...it's a joke). If I had the time and money, it would be fun to go get the APR 93 tune (overwrite) and compare it to my Uni.

 

[ZuMBLe]

APR is all over that sheet, but there is probably a lot more APR out there. Is there only one UNI example because it was the only one submitted? Or was is because the rest didn't make the cut? In the GTI version of the spreadsheet, there is a UNI car pretty far up in the list.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1WE2rEVclFFQM1W979sK2mS6aMDYLx9urFuxucWolxD8


As for APR running higher boost. Unless the car is a dedicated race car, I wouldn't worry about the higher WOT boost pressures. My car probably never sees 20 psi during a normal drive. Probably not even 10 psi often during normal driving. Yes, the turbo is working harder when at WOT, but that's a very small percentage of it's life.

Cool spreadsheet, very interesting and to your point, yes seems that the Uni tunes aren't as strong...got to be the lower boost...also probably why the APR guys blow turbos (everyone relax...it's a joke). If I had the time and money, it would be fun to go get the APR 93 tune (overwrite) and compare it to my Uni.

 

[MeltedSolid]

APR is all over that sheet, but there is probably a lot more APR out there. Is there only one UNI example because it was the only one submitted? Or was is because the rest didn't make the cut? In the GTI version of the spreadsheet, there is a UNI car pretty far up in the list.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1WE2rEVclFFQM1W979sK2mS6aMDYLx9urFuxucWolxD8


As for APR running higher boost. Unless the car is a dedicated race car, I wouldn't worry about the higher WOT boost pressures. My car probably never sees 20 psi during a normal drive. Probably not even 10 psi often during normal driving. Yes, the turbo is working harder when at WOT, but that's a very small percentage of it's life.

There is no cut to make on that spreadsheet, so only one person with unitronic submitted. It's pretty common knowledge that unitronic is less aggressive than APR, and some people like that it stresses the engine less and others that it keeps a closer to stock timing curve for stacking purposes. Also, keep in mind when looking at the numbers that Unitronic and APR use very different dynoing methods. If I remember correctly, APR uses a Mustang dyno measured at the wheels (extrapolating for crank numbers), and Unitronic uses an engine dyno with the engine out of the car measuring the raw crank number. Notice the difference in the stock numbers too.

 

[ZuMBLe]

An automatic was also used for the APR 1.8 numbers.

All a UNI car needs to do to beat a APR car is run 3 back to back pulls. UNI may win the 3rd pull cuz of APR heat soak from high boost.

I have IC waiting for install, so don't try that on me, UNI MFers!!!!

There is no cut to make on that spreadsheet, so only one person with unitronic submitted. It's pretty common knowledge that unitronic is less aggressive than APR, and some people like that it stresses the engine less and others that it keeps a closer to stock timing curve for stacking purposes. Also, keep in mind when looking at the numbers that Unitronic and APR use very different dynoing methods. If I remember correctly, APR uses a Mustang dyno measured at the wheels (extrapolating for crank numbers), and Unitronic uses an engine dyno with the engine out of the car measuring the raw crank number. Notice the difference in the stock numbers too.

 

[Woody_in_MN]

I was not trying, and am not trying, to get every last once of zap out of the golf engine. If I had known more about Uni I might have gone that route. That is why I did not get the 93 tune. APR was name recognition for me, plus that was the software a tune shop (Anderson Motorsport) I had worked with before offered.

 

[ZuMBLe]

I was not trying, and am not trying, to get every last once of zap out of the golf engine. If I had known more about Uni I might have gone that route. That is why I did not get the 93 tune. APR was name recognition for me, plus that was the software a tune shop (Anderson Motorsport) I had worked with before offered.

You didn't make a wrong choice. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

 

[Woody_in_MN]

You didn't make a wrong choice. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

It's all good.