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Integrated Engineering 1.8t tune review?

KingNysos

New member
Location
Ontario
Car(s)
Golf Mk7 1.8 tsi
Hello all,
I'm planning on tuning and eventually going is20 on my 5mt golf 1.8t. Does anyone have experience with Integrated Engineering and their ecu tunes? I like the ability to flash at home but cant find much info on their 1.8t tune. I would appreciate any opinion on this, cheers.
 

StorableComa

Autocross Champion
Location
SoCal, USA
Car(s)
17 GSW S FWD
Currently running their Stage 1 1.8T file, and potentially their Stage 2. Liking it so far, my only complaint seems to be the MPG hit. They just released their IS20 file about a month ago, so not much review wise but what the testers have said and their dyno charts.

I've got a few logs posted up on the forum I did of 3rd gear pulls using their flash tool to have a look at how things are running.
https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/index.php?threads/ie-stage-1-91-octane-3rd-gear-pulls.381143/
 

ZuMBLe

Autocross Champion
Location
NY
Car(s)
Alltrack 6MT
Currently running their Stage 1 1.8T file, and potentially their Stage 2. Liking it so far, my only complaint seems to be the MPG hit. They just released their IS20 file about a month ago, so not much review wise but what the testers have said and their dyno charts.

I've got a few logs posted up on the forum I did of 3rd gear pulls using their flash tool to have a look at how things are running.
https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/index.php?threads/ie-stage-1-91-octane-3rd-gear-pulls.381143/

A good tune should NOT affect cruising MPG. Maybe it's just your right foot?

Your logs look fine. One thing to note, the APR tune probably hits a BUNCH harder below 4500 which is really where the IS12 shines. You can't flash at home with APR though.
 

StorableComa

Autocross Champion
Location
SoCal, USA
Car(s)
17 GSW S FWD
A good tune should NOT affect cruising MPG. Maybe it's just your right foot?

Your logs look fine. One thing to note, the APR tune probably hits a BUNCH harder below 4500 which is really where the IS12 shines. You can't flash at home with APR though.
Could be that, or more than likely it's that most trips these days barely last past getting oil up to temp. I've heard the 1.8T gets it's worst gas mileage during warmup and cold start. Gonna try and take a few longer drives next fill up and see what fuely says.
 

jimlloyd40

Autocross Champion
Location
Phoenix
Car(s)
2018 SE DSG
Could be that, or more than likely it's that most trips these days barely last past getting oil up to temp. I've heard the 1.8T gets it's worst gas mileage during warmup and cold start. Gonna try and take a few longer drives next fill up and see what fuely says.
All cars get the worst mileage during warmup.
 

StorableComa

Autocross Champion
Location
SoCal, USA
Car(s)
17 GSW S FWD
All cars get the worst mileage during warmup.
Yeah, but it seems to be really bad with the 1.8T. Fuely has me clocking in 21-23MPG. Granted, mainly around town and short trips lately and when I do take it out I longer I have some fun. The dash still says I can do 80ish at 40+mpg on a flat highway, so don't think I have an issue. 🤷‍♂️
 

jimlloyd40

Autocross Champion
Location
Phoenix
Car(s)
2018 SE DSG
Yeah, but it seems to be really bad with the 1.8T. Fuely has me clocking in 21-23MPG. Granted, mainly around town and short trips lately and when I do take it out I longer I have some fun. The dash still says I can do 80ish at 40+mpg on a flat highway, so don't think I have an issue. 🤷‍♂️
Doesn't sound like you do.
 

TwinDad

Autocross Newbie
Location
Fort Lee, NJ
@ZuMBLe take a look at the lambda values. I saw a few jb4 logs of the is20 file from them and the AFR is in the 14's up to around 4,300. I noticed on those older logs for the is12 tune it's in the 13's according to the lambda values. You think a little too lean? Also, the timing advance was awful on the is20 file I saw. It was a 91, but still awful. It did not have positive advance until around 4,500 rpms
 

ZuMBLe

Autocross Champion
Location
NY
Car(s)
Alltrack 6MT
@ZuMBLe take a look at the lambda values. I saw a few jb4 logs of the is20 file from them and the AFR is in the 14's up to around 4,300. I noticed on those older logs for the is12 tune it's in the 13's according to the lambda values. You think a little too lean? Also, the timing advance was awful on the is20 file I saw. It was a 91, but still awful. It did not have positive advance until around 4,500 rpms

I'm trying not to be the guy that hates IE tunes and bashes them all the time. :) But since we are walking through that door. I've hated IE MK7 tunes since I saw what they were doing on the 2.0 tunes. The timing curves were crazy. They released a stage 1 tune that would not pass emissions testing. I can't trust them after that.

Yes, in my opinion the tune is a bit lean before it finally falls in to what is an acceptable level in my opinion (0.85 lambda). It seems like their tuning strategy is to run lean and to compensate by running no advance in timing. In my opinion, it makes no sense to me. I can tell you in my own butt dyno testing leaner at spool, and then giving it fuel, gives the best feel. To apply that to a IS12, that means lean below 2200 and then start to richen after that, to at least the mid 13s.

I only have a butt dyno and logs of my own car, so who am I to argue with the tuning strategy of IE? :) But I also wouldn't put out a stage 1 tune that won't pass emissions. ;)

For reference this is an 87 octane APR 1.8 Stage 1 tune. This tune is meant for 87 and has way more advance than the IE tune where it matters for the IS12 turbo.

https://datazap.me/u/zumble/apr-stage-1-87-3rd-gear?log=0&data=1-11-15-18-26-27-28-29

The numbers don't lie, the APR tune is gonna have more cylinder pressure because: Same turbo, same motor, same boost, but more timing.
(note: I linked to DME_BT which is the boost value the car wants the run; the actual boost value in my log is lower because my log is at a much colder temp than @StorableComa 's)

In the end, the IE tune on @StorableComa 's car is not knocking so I'll deem it safe. But for the record, that IE tune is not optimal in MY book.
 
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StorableComa

Autocross Champion
Location
SoCal, USA
Car(s)
17 GSW S FWD
Could some of this be the differences between the two stage 1 tunes? IE seems to tune more for torque vs APR. Numbers are close at the end, but the dynos are a bit different. IE starts out more torquey.
1614716823130.png
1614717000401.png

APR 218HP 267 TQ vs IE 198HP 274, both are set for wheel and not crank values.

Granted I also have the AQ250 tranny which throws a bunch of wrenches in the gears thanks to the torque limiter. Which is why i'm eyeing Reflect for my IS20 swap, current slushes using them say they can get around the torque limiter.

Edit: Looks like APR is also using AWD, IE doesn't report what drive the car used for testing was. :unsure:
 

ZuMBLe

Autocross Champion
Location
NY
Car(s)
Alltrack 6MT
Could some of this be the differences between the two stage 1 tunes? IE seems to tune more for torque vs APR. Numbers are close at the end, but the dynos are a bit different. IE starts out more torquey.
View attachment 204944View attachment 204947
APR 218HP 267 TQ vs IE 198HP 274, both are set for wheel and not crank values.

Granted I also have the AQ250 tranny which throws a bunch of wrenches in the gears thanks to the torque limiter. Which is why i'm eyeing Reflect for my IS20 swap, current slushes using them say they can get around the torque limiter.

Edit: Looks like APR is also using AWD, IE doesn't report what drive the car used for testing was. :unsure:

Tough to compare two different dynos.

Cylinder pressure makes torque. The ingredients for torque are: air, timing, fuel. The APR tune has same amount of air, but more fuel and timing. For me, the math doesn't add up for IE being torquier than the APR down low. Also keep in mind the log I posted was for the 87 octane APR tune, the 91 tune will probably be a bit spicier so the gap would widen.
 

Slick99

Ready to race!
Location
Karachi, Pak
Could some of this be the differences between the two stage 1 tunes? IE seems to tune more for torque vs APR. Numbers are close at the end, but the dynos are a bit different. IE starts out more torquey.
View attachment 204944View attachment 204947
APR 218HP 267 TQ vs IE 198HP 274, both are set for wheel and not crank values.

Granted I also have the AQ250 tranny which throws a bunch of wrenches in the gears thanks to the torque limiter. Which is why i'm eyeing Reflect for my IS20 swap, current slushes using them say they can get around the torque limiter.

Edit: Looks like APR is also using AWD, IE doesn't report what drive the car used for testing was. :unsure:

how much boost is on stage 1 95 RON compare to stock boost?
 
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