I was concerned about a limited performance improvement for a pretty high cost but I'm very pleased with the result. The raw performance increase is certainly not dramatic but the linear power band makes the car much more enjoyable to drive. I find that I use more of the rev range now without that hole at 4500 RPM. The 1st to 2nd gear upshifts seem smoother as well as the engine speed seems to hang a little less - very subtle but I find that I'm not having to concentrate so much to get a really smooth upshift.<p>It still bugs me that I had to spend $500 to fix something that the Audi engineers should have gotten right themselves, but the bottom line is that I'm enjoying the car even more than before. (the AvantGarde S wheels and SP9000s that a put on Saturday help in that regard as well - I had not seen either in person before mail ordering, but what a beautiful combination). <p>Bob H. 99 Volcano Blk Avant QMS
How do you know the Audi engineers didn't get it right? Their definition of right and yours may not be the same. In fact, I'm quite sure Audi's engineers know more than any of the chip makers.<p>It's still not known what long term effect chips have. Also, I believe all A4's qualify as TLEV cars. This may not be true with the chip.<p>I'm not anti-chip, in fact I plan on chipping my 1.8T very soon(would have sooner if I hadn't bought a house).
I was pleasantly surprised by the subtle difference it makes in drivability - slight increase in torque where it's needed the most for smooth shifting. That make the car even more enjoyable to drive.<br>
<<It's still not known what long term effect chips have. Also, I believe all A4's qualify as TLEV cars. This may not be true with the chip. I'm not anti-chip, in fact I plan on chipping my 1.8T very soon(would have sooner if I hadn't bought a house). >><p>A friend's husband works for BMW as an engineer in charge of emissions issues for the US market.<p>They have to leave in a lot of safety factor on the factory chip for bad gas, poor maintainance, insensitive drivers, hot weather, heavy ac use etc etc. And they have to have the programs work across wide temperature ranges in different parts of the country. Chips can get more performance by taking this into account among other things. It's more important to use good gas with a chipped car and maintain it properly. The better chips tend to give you the extra zip along with good or even improved driveability.<p>Stan