rocktown61201

I am here seeking advice on a "Stage 1" flash, either APR GAIC, etc. My car is bone stock as far as I know with no other add-ons/replacements.

My car has approximately 78,000 miles and has not yet had the timing belt changed, which I will hopefully get to fairly soon (next 1-2 months). I would assume (and was given advice by one knowledgable person) that I would want to do this before I did any performance mods. I assume this is a universal opinion? I see the water pump is also located in the same general area and should be done @ this time as well?

Questions:
-What flash company do you recommend?
-Do you recommend an installer do this or myself?
-Is there any other things that need to be done @ the same time as the flash?

My simple goal is to have a daily driver that's a bit quicker than stock (which is still pretty quick in my opinion). Possibly an exhaust upgrade some day, but not for a while anyway. The car is pretty great as it is, and, after all it's an A6, not a S4 orS6.

As sidenote, I can turn a wrench and follow directions pretty well, but am a complete rookie when it comes to German cars. My previous/current experience comes from American (Ford) cars/trucks and British cars (late 80's Jags and 60's MGB's). Thanks in advance for any replies.

Brad

http://s1088.photobucket.com/albums/i327/rocktown61201/

2.7Lturbo

APR or REVO

(lol pretty much the same )


any flash will have to be done by an installer or the company

(they make you send out the ECU)


do the timing belt. replace EVERYTHING while your there blauparts is a good kit

E-Swift

I have revo software, stage 2. it's pretty good. Also Unitronic's is really good! Get a replacement TBB. They tend to rip.A pair of DV ( I have Forge ) I have custom made DP's, but you can get piggies or Labree's. Also I have AWE S-flo intake. This is a good start.

rocktown61201

Thanks for the great responses guys, its very much appreciated.

2.7Lturbo's was extra helpful because I didn't know that you had to send out the ECU. How long does this process take? I see that there is a APR dealer about 80 miles away. Maybe I will do this at the same time as the timing belt/water pump since the car must be out of commision.

Any other imput is welcome and appreciated, thanks again for the replies.

TheSilverBullet

Just to clarify, if there is an APR dealer/authorized installer close enough for you to drive to then you don't have to remove and send out the ECU. You can just drive to their shop and they will flash the ECU on-site in about 5-10 minutes. Supposedly, they will even let you "test drive" (pun intended) the software before you buy.

Other than that, I agree with everything else everyone has said, but I would stress that you should focus on the TB job before doing any mods. Like 2.7L said, get a good kit that includes ALL the related seals.

RTnDL

I have driven the APR, GIAC, and MTM. GIAC was the smoothest chip but it did not pull as hard as the others in my opinion. APR seemed to have a slightly harder boost onset and accelerated quicker than GIAC or so it felt. APR was not as smooth to me as the other two yet it was still very drivable. The MTM chip I have been running for the last 2 years is their stage 3 software for the stock K03 turbos but it does require a catback and 5Bar FPR. This chip is in the middle as smoothness goes but it definitely pulls better and longer than the others. To be fare though, the GIAC car had stock exhaust. APR and MTM were both on my A6 with piggies and a catback. I would definitely call the APR dealer and try the free flash. It will only last until you turn the car off. Regardless of what chip you choose this will give you an idea of what to expect. However as other have mentioned, do the TB first. You are overdue and a 2.7t top end can be very expensive.

rocktown61201

Thanks again to the others who commented as well, it is very much appreciated! I found out 2 new things today that made me feel pretty darn good:

1.) In a few weeks my closest APR dealer will be having a great sale: You get all tunes: stock, 91,93 & 100 octane for the same price, $599.00. You folks can tell me otherwise, but that sounds like a fantastic deal and after reading up a bit more on APR, I think I would like to do it. He also mentioned upgrading to a better Divertor Valve at some point but I don't have to. Do you folks reccomend this mod as well? What is the price/advantage of a new DV?

2.) I also checked in with the shop that does the tune about the TB, water pump, etc...here was his reply: "We do timing belt service here which includes belt, tensioner/roller, waterpump, thermostat and housing, and cam seals for $1200 including parts and labor." This seems pretty in line w/ other quotes I've heard about from my area. I have 3 other independents I'm going to check out pricing and reputation-wise this week as well. I have another question in to him about the brand of the parts as well. I live in the Midwest so prices aren't crazy for service, but how does this sound compared to your services?

Thanks again!

-Brad

TheSilverBullet

I'm glad to hear that APR is running that $599 special again. They seem to do this at least once or twice a year, and I've been waiting for another shot at the deal myself. Did they give you specific dates as to when the special will be running?

As far as the DV's go, I know most folks choose to do this along with the chip, to protect the turbos from the extra boost pressure they will be generating. There's plenty of detailed info about this in other posts if you search for it, but I would definitely recommend it.

Another mod you might want to look at along with the DV's and chip is the APR Bi-pipe. This eliminates the throttle body boot which can tear and cause trouble down the road. I believe ECS even sells a kit that includes the bi-pipe and DV's together.

Personally, I plan to do both of these along with the chip when the time comes, just to be safe.

Also, $1200 sounds about right for the full TB job with parts and labor. My indy charged me about $1400, but I'd expect that labor is a bit more expensive here in the DC area than in the midwest.

2.7Lturbo

dv is a waste of money get the upgraded OEM ones at 50 a pop.

TheSilverBullet

Good point that the 710N's are about $100 cheaper (each -- and you need two) than the Forge or APR DV's.

Just wondering, are you saying that the 710N's perform just as well as the Forge DV's or just that the Forges are overkill for a Stage 1 setup?