Just traded in my 96 ES300 for a Silver 2000 1.8TAQ. The only thing that this car needs, in my opinion, is some extra horse power. I am thinking about getting a 12psi chip from
TAP, but I am concerned about loosing warranty. So, I am wondering, has any of you guys had problems getting the car serviced or repaired under the warranty because of the modified ECU?

Thanx in advance for any inputs!!!
AL G.

first....I know it was down last night, but searching the archived forums is a great way to get this type of info. Chipping has been discussed more on this board than most topics...
second...there are many chips out there...ones I can think of off the top of my head:Neuspeed p-chip, Wetterauer, MTM, TAP, APR, .....etc (the list goes on).
To quickly summarize, there are chip friendly and chip hostile dealers. Some don't mention it, some do, some only car if you fry a turbo, some don't care at all. There are no absolutes. I am a 22 year old grad student, and having to replace turbos, or the possibility of not getting work done under warranty was a major concern. I beleive, overall chipping has been proven to be very reliable, as audi even sells a computer upgraded(chipped) 1.8T in europe. There are also chips that can be removed(socketed) and replaced with the stock chip, if you were to need to take it into the dealer for some service....
The performance of chips also varies somewhat....even the most conservative(i believe neuspeed) still offers a huge increase in performance for dollars spent.
I chose to go with the neuspeed because it was the most value, and the most conservative....additionally if I ever have problems with the turbo etc...I will just switch out my ecu with a stock one before I go in..I have heard of a couple of cases where people bloew their wastegate rods on the turbos(which has also happened on non-chipped cars) and the dealer replaced the turbo, no questions asked(whether through tolerance or ignorance). I beleive the law states that the dealer must conclusively prove that the damage was a direct result of the modifications to deny warranty coverage(again there are no absolutes). My condensed advice: find a chip friendly dealer in your area(through friends or this board) and go have some fun!
alex
99.5
1.8tqms

Yes, you are voiding your warranty when you chip. Alot of people on this board buy an extra ecu, so that come service time, they pull out the chipped ecu and re-install the original ecu. Some dealers will not give you a hassle, even with the chip. It's your choice. I only have one ecu for my 1.8t, it has a Garrett 1 bar chip in it.

However, you're going to have to wait a couple of weeks for a chip. The my2000's have a drive-by-wire throttle arrangement and that calls for an entirely different chip than the 99's. Most of the chip guys are still working on their my2000 products. Look into the archives for some interesting information. That's the reference library for this site.

Al
99.5 1.8tqtsc

I think, I will probably purchase a chipped ECU box and keep the factory in case. Would it cost
me an arm and a leg to do that?

Al, I am also new to my A4 and the idea of modifying a new vehicle. I have checked in to and am expecting to have my car chipped by Scottsdale Audi as they are chip-friendly. They also seem to prefer the Neuspeed chip which is fine for my car's configuration(tiptronic and non-sports suspension.) I am going in for my 5K service soon and will have it done then. My A4 is a great car, will never see the inside of a track, and just needs alittle more power.

at the throttle pedal that tells the engine what to do, as far as gas is concerned, via a wire.

nt