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APR Tune on 2015 Golf R -Stg2

Beaker1

Go Kart Champion
Location
Baltimore MD
Alright, so this post is meant to be *informative* and i'm reporting from personal experience here, and posting facts.

After doing a ton of research on tuning options for the new Golf R, I finally pulled the trigger on the APR stg 1, and then once i upgraded some hardware, i went with Stg2. I was familiar with the related concerns i'd seen in assorted posts across the interwebs, related to turbo-failures, the associated serial numbers of the blown-unit-runs, etc... and ideally, i wanted a Unitronic tune, but they didn't have a local dealer to support me up here. I didn't want to have to drive 4hrs to a dealer to 'flash back to stock', should an issue arise, so reluctantly, i went with APR.

I'm also aware of the need mentioned by some engineers in the field, concerning the use of a Stg2 tune, and a DP, related to solenoid wastegate issues and the associated programming of said hardware. So Stg2 i went.

Car has 12,500mi, is a 2015, and has been burning around a qt of oil every 700mi or so, and has a strange flat-spot at between .24-.80% throttle, when rolling on, between 3250 and 3750rpm.

I took the car back to my local APR dealer, and spoke of the issue with them, after sending an email directly to APR, articulating the issue to them, to which i received a short email, stating that they couldn't talk to me, but that i had to go through my dealer (in a nutshell).

So the dealer then replied first, to my email, in which i articulate again my concerns with the car, and they forwarded my correspondence to APR.
APR advised the dealer to get the car in, log what was happening, and they would then see what the deal was.

After several hours of driving about with a tech in the car with me, to replicate the issues... we then sent the log-files to APR, and they replied with 'oh, that's a known issue, we're releasing an update with which you can flash to, to rectify the problem'.

So back i went several days later, for the re-flash, and the problem should've been solved. While in for the 're-flash' the APR server apparently crashed, and i was stranded at the dealer for 4 hours, while they attempted to reach APR's customer service, who apparently wasn't returning their VM's or answering their phone... For HOURS?

Once reached, they said they didn't know what was happening, but that this was supposed to be 'just a simple flash update'.

4hrs later, the 'update was finally installed, and away i went, in the hopes of the flat-spots being sorted, and no more boost-dumping under throttle.

No further than about 4 blocks from the dealer, i noticed that the issue was even worse now... But lacking more time to return the car to them and to sort a ride home, i opted to just go home. No CEL's at that time, so i figured i'd make it through the holiday.

Now several days-on, i have a CEL, and a few other lights on, on the dashboard, and i'm sort of dreading taking the car back to deal with whatever the issue related to this tune could be. Still have the strange boost-dump under power, without any apparent explanation from APR, other than 'it's a known issue'...

Happy to report findings as they occur here, in case anyone else is having similar issues.

My current take-away is that i'm less-than-impressed with APR's customer service, and i'm ready to flash back to stock and would like my money back, from an apparently poorly-supported product, that's seemingly not ready to be on the market.

Hope it all works out, I'm hopeful it will. The oil thing is off the charts.
 

SpeedieGTI

Go Kart Champion
Location
Kansas
Screw all the tuning... I would get the oil consumption fixed. No software tuning in the world will eliminate burning oil. Audi even tried it with the B8 A4 and it was only a band-aid. Good Luck!
This. Your car shouldn't burn any oil really.
 

SpeedieGTI

Go Kart Champion
Location
Kansas
My wife had a MKV GTi which she bought new in '08. We sold it in April last year with 105k mi on the clock. We drove it without oil for long periods (the low oil warning would go on when I enter highway onramps at high speed and then I'd forget about it later). I noticed this the first time early in 2011. She never added oil and just had it changed every 5k miles or so. The only issue we had with the car was carbon buildup on the valves. Other than that it ran flawlessly for 7 years and over 105k miles. And often without oil. The shop we had it serviced at said it was a known issue with those models. Maybe we were lucky, but that would be an insane amount of luck. Or the oil gauge was faulty. But that car was one of the most dependable cars I've ever seen. Especially considering.

I have a '15 MVII GTi now and after 11k miles I have not noticed any oil being used (I changed it at 1k, 5k and 10k miles and will at every 5k mi intervals now).
You didn't add oil when needed???...
 

Taotao

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
aspen, CO
Hope it all works out, I'm hopeful it will. The oil thing is off the charts.

Oil issue seems to be holding steady currently. Again... i can't seem to pinpoint when it burns more, or why.. I check it consistently, and the car isn't a daily-driver either... It's never into the 'danger zone' of being 'low', but it's just curious that it's been burning, and seemingly without reason.

Tune-wise, flashing back to Stg2 V.1 seems to have eliminated the CEL at least, but still have the same strange 'boost dump' situation occurring at part-throttle between 3-4k rpm, that APR has now stated 'has been solved', and my 'case has been closed'. WTF?

#NotSolved.
 

Beaker1

Go Kart Champion
Location
Baltimore MD
Oil issue seems to be holding steady currently. Again... i can't seem to pinpoint when it burns more, or why.. I check it consistently, and the car isn't a daily-driver either... It's never into the 'danger zone' of being 'low', but it's just curious that it's been burning, and seemingly without reason.

Tune-wise, flashing back to Stg2 V.1 seems to have eliminated the CEL at least, but still have the same strange 'boost dump' situation occurring at part-throttle between 3-4k rpm, that APR has now stated 'has been solved', and my 'case has been closed'. WTF?

#NotSolved.

Looks like you got their attention on the other thread with Arin. Hopefully he can get everything situated and your car back into a happy driving state. So sorry you are having issues man. Sucks to have such a great car acting up like this. Keep us posted. I'm not tuned yet but no oil burning at all with my car and I'm in about 4 months. What down pipe are you running?
 

Taotao

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
aspen, CO
Looks like you got their attention on the other thread with Arin. Hopefully he can get everything situated and your car back into a happy driving state. So sorry you are having issues man. Sucks to have such a great car acting up like this. Keep us posted. I'm not tuned yet but no oil burning at all with my car and I'm in about 4 months. What down pipe are you running?

Affirmative, Beaker... Arin sailed-in and offered up a direct connection with a tech over at APR. I'll follow-on with them tomorrow, in concert with the local dealer, to see if we can get this sorted.

I fully and completely understand the complexity of the systems related to cars these days, and my hat is off to the programmers and engineers involved with the R&D of modern-day VAG vehicles. Truly magical stuff. My concern however, is more rooted in having poorly-supported products, and customer-service that leaves folks dangling sometimes, when there's rather expensive hardware involved. Certainly not beating the drum about the 'customer always being right', and this was sort of a last-ditch resort in posting on here... after this issue was seemingly unresolved for the last 3 weeks, with no end in sight... So sending a big 'thank you' to Arin at APR. Regardless of the outcome, it was great to have him step in to make a direct introduction to a tech over there, so perhaps we can resolve this issue.

Downpipe currently installed is the BullX, which was selected based on flow-design immediately downstream of the clamp.
VWR600 Intake, Neuspeed adjustable 25mm rear sway, wheel spacers, stud conversion, carbon splitter (f), tint, blah blah blah.
 

Beaker1

Go Kart Champion
Location
Baltimore MD
Affirmative, Beaker... Arin sailed-in and offered up a direct connection with a tech over at APR. I'll follow-on with them tomorrow, in concert with the local dealer, to see if we can get this sorted.

I fully and completely understand the complexity of the systems related to cars these days, and my hat is off to the programmers and engineers involved with the R&D of modern-day VAG vehicles. Truly magical stuff. My concern however, is more rooted in having poorly-supported products, and customer-service that leaves folks dangling sometimes, when there's rather expensive hardware involved. Certainly not beating the drum about the 'customer always being right', and this was sort of a last-ditch resort in posting on here... after this issue was seemingly unresolved for the last 3 weeks, with no end in sight... So sending a big 'thank you' to Arin at APR. Regardless of the outcome, it was great to have him step in to make a direct introduction to a tech over there, so perhaps we can resolve this issue.

Downpipe currently installed is the BullX, which was selected based on flow-design immediately downstream of the clamp.
VWR600 Intake, Neuspeed adjustable 25mm rear sway, wheel spacers, stud conversion, carbon splitter (f), tint, blah blah blah.

Fingers crossed it all works out for you man!! All the best.
 

Davey Jones

Ready to race!
Location
Austin, TX
OP, I've been having issues with an APR tune as well. They seem to be busy over there, as Sean (posted above) has been the only one to really go out of his way to give me any information thanks to these forums.
 

xfmrx

New member
Location
Switzerland
I'd get that oil consumption checked, not normal from what i've seen and read.

Regarding the Stage 2 tune, sounds like APR rushed release in USA. There has obviously been some issues regarding stage 2. In Aust and Europe I've heard and seen dyno showing losses over stage 1 on beta files. I believe only now tune might be finally ready for release.

Maybe once APR relase their DP then they will have to have a good stage 2 tune to match so they can seel their DP. I'm sure there is good torque gains improvement for stage 2 in USA as ROW latest getting over 420lbs so good 35lbs more than US tune.

You right. I'am From EU, and has that. Stage 1 made more power and torque as the stage 2...

But, I have see that the US motor isn't the same as eut EU. Like injector and other thing...I have contact apr for that and they just never answer.
 
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