Review: APR SCU (DSC Controller)

[G4ndalf]

I wonder if those issues are tied to that specific controller? I never had any errors with my DSC controller and I have flashed dozens of files and reset the ride height multiple times.

We'll have to see. So far, DSC doesn't feel it's the controller and that it might be my shocks. In the coming weeks, I'll be fitting brand new OEM shocks and will send them logs and see what the outcome is which I'll share with the forum.

 

[Cuzoe]

That can be ruled out rather easily though. Do you have any of the faults when you're OEM controller is installed?

That's not to say that all of the faults you're seeing with DSC are normal. If you have faults that others do not It's quite possible, likely even, the something is wrong with that specific DSC controller.

But it's also crazy for them to blame the shocks. The shocks are "end of the line" for lack of better description. They are the final output. Nothing else in the car is dependent on the shocks operating properly.

 

[2019 Golf R]

Driving more and more on this controller and i'm 95% sure it's using all 3 modes.

Will be snagging a PC soon to log and verify this.

 

[G4ndalf]

That can be ruled out rather easily though. Do you have any of the faults when you're OEM controller is installed?

That's not to say that all of the faults you're seeing with DSC are normal. If you have faults that others do not It's quite possible, likely even, the something is wrong with that specific DSC controller.

But it's also crazy for them to blame the shocks. The shocks are "end of the line" for lack of better description. They are the final output. Nothing else in the car is dependent on the shocks operating properly.

No faults with the OEM controller. When first using the DSC, it was intermittent. Sometimes I'd start the car and have no faults. I could switch the car off and start it again a few times, and the faults would not come up on the dash. I also did not see where I could customize all driving modes. DSC also said there would be a charge if there was an issue.

 

[Cuzoe]

No faults with the OEM controller. When first using the DSC, it was intermittent. Sometimes I'd start the car and have no faults. I could switch the car off and start it again a few times, and the faults would not come up on the dash. I also did not see where I could customize all driving modes. DSC also said there would be a charge if there was an issue.

No faults with the OEM controller means the DSC is the problem. The question is what faults are normal with the DSC controller and which are faults with your specific controller.
The problem then becomes what (if anything) does DSC acknowledge as a known problem?

If (as it seems) they acknowledge nothing I'd be concerned about being charged for their "bench check" services and getting back a unit with issues.
On the other hand, hopefully something fails their bench check and they make it right, giving a unit that works as it did out of the box (even if not exactly how it is advertised).

 

[yakboyslim]

I can't say for sure, but I think it is something with the way the controller is on CANbus, not the specific controller itself. Though that is mostly a hunch.

I base that on being able to "fix" the errors by doing stuff with an obd11. I forget the exact order I did, but a certain order of basic settings resetting, and clearing faults I could get the errors to go away. They would then stay away for a few hours, or maybe a few days, then come back. Also if I swapped to OEM, drove for a few, then put the DSC back in the errors would stay away for awhile, but eventually came back. I blamed it on my new headunit being a bridge too far for non-standard stuff on the CANbus.

If it is a "bad" controller, then there is a root issue, since there was a facebook thread where there are at least 4 controllers with similar issues out there. Not a huge number, but seems like more than a few people are having the same issue.

 

[G4ndalf]

No faults with the OEM controller means the DSC is the problem. The question is what faults are normal with the DSC controller and which are faults with your specific controller.
The problem then becomes what (if anything) does DSC acknowledge as a known problem?

If (as it seems) they acknowledge nothing I'd be concerned about being charged for their "bench check" services and getting back a unit with issues.
On the other hand, hopefully something fails their bench check and they make it right, giving a unit that works as it did out of the box (even if not exactly how it is advertised).

Agreed. I still haven’t logged and sent the info to them yet as I’m prioritizing other things. I need also get a Windows based laptop as I’m a Mac User. In the next two weeks I’ll have one.

 

[G4ndalf]

I can't say for sure, but I think it is something with the way the controller is on CANbus, not the specific controller itself. Though that is mostly a hunch.

I base that on being able to "fix" the errors by doing stuff with an obd11. I forget the exact order I did, but a certain order of basic settings resetting, and clearing faults I could get the errors to go away. They would then stay away for a few hours, or maybe a few days, then come back. Also if I swapped to OEM, drove for a few, then put the DSC back in the errors would stay away for awhile, but eventually came back. I blamed it on my new headunit being a bridge too far for non-standard stuff on the CANbus.

If it is a "bad" controller, then there is a root issue, since there was a facebook thread where there are at least 4 controllers with similar issues out there. Not a huge number, but seems like more than a few people are having the same issue.

Where my car is a later model, a 2018 it looks like a strong possibility your headlights and head-unit may not have been the issue. It would also make sense for a manufacturer of performance parts to test and eradicate any issues before release. Suspension tuning on cars is one of the most difficult tasks as we all know. As we know, it’s only in recent years, the last 15 or so where manufacturers now have bigger budgets to spend on fine-tuning suspension.

I’m a big fan of Ohlins and had road & track coilovers on my MK5 GTI. When Ohlins announced their semi-active suspension (CES), I immediately got excited and emailed them. I asked if they had a timeline of when and if they would have a kit for the MQB cars. They told me they had no timeline and nothing specific. They stressed the fact that electronic suspension is extremely difficult to do, and the Dual Flow Valve technology is still their best. I could be wrong, but I’ve heard Ohlin's research and development on any particular car takes a minimum of six months. Ohlins are said to be the creators of this technology. If they haven’t released it yet, I feel that says something.

 

[Klrider44]

I have the B6’s, the base map is extremely too stiff and unruly for the street. It is very flat in the corners though I will say. I will be trying a few more adjustments to see if I can get it right with the B6’s. I recently popped the OEM controller back in to refresh my memory. Car rides way better with the OEM controller and the modes are much more distinctive, which I like.

I will have more impressions when I make some adjustments this weekend. I am going to leave the shock calibration table as is. I previously had lowered the values a bit because I had heard that the bilsteins operated at a different mA range than the OEM dampers, but I spoke with DSC yesterday and they said the bilsteins operate at the same mA than OEM. So I will be zeroing out the velocity and acceleration table and see how things are from there.

So I popped the DSC controller back in with the accel table zeroed and the velocity table zeroed. Car felt pretty good but bouncy. I ended up taking out some low speed rebound and adding a little high speed rebound, everything else zero on the velocity table. Car feels pretty damn good right now. I will be keeping it in and enjoying it now. Maybe a little more tweaking but I am liking things right now. If anyone wants my file let me know. I am on VWR springs and bilstein B6 damptronics.

 

[HuntR]

So I popped the DSC controller back in with the accel table zeroed and the velocity table zeroed. Car felt pretty good but bouncy. I ended up taking out some low speed rebound and adding a little high speed rebound, everything else zero on the velocity table. Car feels pretty damn good right now. I will be keeping it in and enjoying it now. Maybe a little more tweaking but I am liking things right now. If anyone wants my file let me know. I am on VWR springs and bilstein B6 damptronics.

Better now than OEM controller? Do you have to remove the controller from the car to make adjustments to the file?

 

[Klrider44]

Better now than OEM controller? Do you have to remove the controller from the car to make adjustments to the file?

Handling wise, it is definitely an improvement. Turn in is greatly improved and the car pushes less in the corners. Comfort wise, it’s close. I think I need to take a little more low speed rebound out and it’s there. No need to remove the controller, when you put it in plug the cable in and run it out of the tail light cut out in the felt. If you get a long enough cord you can even run it up to the driver seat so you can modify from there.

 

[HuntR]

Handling wise, it is definitely an improvement. Turn in is greatly improved and the car pushes less in the corners. Comfort wise, it’s close. I think I need to take a little more low speed rebound out and it’s there. No need to remove the controller, when you put it in plug the cable in and run it out of the tail light cut out in the felt. If you get a long enough cord you can even run it up to the driver seat so you can modify from there.

Do you have the option to adjust compression damping or rebounds only?

 

[Klrider44]

Do you have the option to adjust compression damping or rebounds only?

You can adjust compression and rebound

 

[HuntR]

Oh wow-so hi/Lo speed comp &rebound? That’s pretty deep.
Does the DSC/APR controller have a live output-real-time data?

 

[Klrider44]

Oh wow-so hi/Lo speed comp &rebound? That’s pretty deep.
Does the DSC/APR controller have a live output-real-time data?

You can data log it and see it real time but I have yet to dive into that. I wouldn’t know what I’m looking at anyway haha. I am strictly going off of feel at the moment. I think I am actually going to remove a bit of the high speed rebound since I have been driving the car a bit. I upped the default rates in all 3 modes a bit as well. I’m still working on tuning but I am liking things so far.