Mapped my car this afternoon using Ben's STS unit and by christ its quick!

I've only driven it the 13 miles home from work, through rush-hour traffic, but the times I WAS able to give it a bit of welly it really shifted.

I ordered the STS unit from Ben on Monday, it arrived on Tuesday, I sent him the standard map on Tuesday afternoon and he emailed me the modified map (Stage 1)back this morning. Top man!

I will update this thread over the next few days when I have driven the car a bit more.

For anyone considering getting their car remapped by Ben though - do it! Do it NOW!

Now off to phone my insurance company and see what the damage is :(

Very tempted to do mine too. Also a newish car! How does the STS work? Would you mind explaining for a technical duffer?

Also be keen to know the insurance damage!

Hope you have fun testing it out!!

please let us know how badly the insurance company took the news I had my old Fabia VRS remapped and insurance wanted a report from company that did it sent to them cost me nothing as they called remaps "EcoTune" lolol I stated the output increase too lol

Edited 30 March, 201115 yr by FUBAR

Very tempted to do mine too. Also a newish car! How does the STS work? Would you mind explaining for a technical duffer?

Also be keen to know the insurance damage!

Hope you have fun testing it out!!

1. Plug the STS into the diagnostic port under the dash, right-hand-side of the steering wheel.

2. Follow the instructions on the screen to take a copy of the standard map

3. Take the STS back indoors and download the Xconsole software onto your computer from Ben's website

4. Plug the STS into your computer via the supplied USB cable.

5. Use Xconsole to take a copy of the standard map off the STS onto your computer

6. Send the standard map file to Ben

7. He then emails you back two new maps - a performance map and an imobiliser map - save these onto your computer

8. Use the xconsole to upload the maps from your computer onto the STS

9. Take the STS (which now contains 3 maps - standard, performance and imobiliser) out to your car and plug it back into the diagnostic port

10. Upload the performance map into your ECU, following the simple onscreen instructions.

If I took out the bit in the middle (i.e. waiting for Ben to email the map - which was done overnight) then the whole process would take approx. 10-15 mins and is VERY easy.

did you manage to get it at the group buy rate ??

what does ben estimate your bhp to be ?

did you manage to get it at the group buy rate ??

Unfortunately not. :(

what does ben estimate your bhp to be ?

Not sure if he said it would be 240bhp or 255bhp. I think I have the TSI engine, which says 255bhp for the Stage 1 remap on Ben's website.

Oobster, many thanks for the explanation! Sounds easy enough. I like the idea of being able to put back to normal prior to service time!

I'm presuming you paid £150 on top if the normal Stage 1 Remap cost?

I'm presuming you paid £150 on top if the normal Stage 1 Remap cost?

Correct. If i'd spotted the group buy earlier in March I would have been able to get the whole deal cheaper.

Ben did point out that if I joined Briskoda he'd take 10% off the map cost, which was approx. £50 off. The cost of becoming a Freedom member on here is £12, so that saved me £38 straight away!

Eek. Additional £72 to add the remap onto my insurance (which is due for renewal at the end of October).

Didn't think it would be that expensive! Ah well, no pockets in a shroud eh!

Many thanks! Every penny counts these days, so a Briskoda membership discount is ideal!

Loving the TSI engine mated to DSG and feel it is fast enough most of the time, but just want a little extra occasionally. I'm thinking a Stage 1 Map will turn a fantastic all round car into the perfect car!

Looking forward to your performance updates as you get a chance to test it out!

Mapped my car this afternoon using Ben's STS unit and by christ its quick!

I've only driven it the 13 miles home from work, through rush-hour traffic, but the times I WAS able to give it a bit of welly it really shifted.

It's good isn't it.

Welcome to the Shark Clan

sorry no pun intended!!

WOW £600 for a generic map!! thats pricey mate.

These are not all generic maps as Ben does alter them to suit your own needs and modifications. I know Id rather have a proven generic map over a poorly written custom map anyday! With the STS unit though that is a one off payment and you keep that to use on your next car and next Shark map. So nearly £600 isnt bad at all

In my eyes it is but thats just my opinion and extra £70 could get a cat back miltek and remap at AmD Essex.

Each to there own i suppose.

I totally agree Grizzle. I have the Shark Stage 1 and would recommend it to anyone. A lot of peole on here have had other tuners and then switched to Shark and had a load more smiles per mile RTech commmented on how good and safe the map was on their dyno.

I see your point about the Milltek exhaust but I would rather have a good remap and not the exhaust, as a cat back only adds noise rather than power to the Octy. If it was a sports down pipe for the extra £70 then that would be a different kettle of fish all together. It would tempt me but I think I would still stick to my Shark map.

Okay, so if I'm going to try to arrange a group buy, how do you guys (and girls!) recommend I should do it?

Speak to Ben first and establish no. of interested parties vs. expected discount & start a new thread?

Would it be easier to stick to one fuel type (petrol for me) or is Ben likely to offer a group Stage 1 buy for both vRS engines (or even any engine?).

Your thoughts would be appreciated!

Also, any early show of interest?

Really want to do this (+STS if I can justify the expense) but would love to collectively bring the price down!

(Oobster, sorry to hijack!)

Im booked in on the 9th Cant wait!

In my eyes it is but thats just my opinion and extra £70 could get a cat back miltek and remap at AmD Essex.

Each to there own i suppose.

But you'd have to drive there and take two days off work. Add the price of fuel (£200?) and you wouldn't be getting a Shark map (and don't get me started on generic and custom again, it's all tosh anyway).

Most customers find it good value, if they didn't I guess so many people wouldn't come onto the forums and feel the need to post up their positive experience.

Either way, glad you're happy with it oobster, and thanks for your great review!

But you'd have to drive there and take two days off work. Add the price of fuel (£200?) and you wouldn't be getting a Shark map (and don't get me started on generic and custom again, it's all tosh anyway).

Most customers find it good value, if they didn't I guess so many people wouldn't come onto the forums and feel the need to post up their positive experience.

Either way, glad you're happy with it oobster, and thanks for your great review!

All I can say is I have had the Shark Stage 1 on my car for the best part of a year now and nearly 29,000 miles and still get in it and it puts a smile on my face, smooth power delivery and car has never missed a beat!

Good to see you're still keeping up the good work Ben, hope you're well mate!

Welcome to the club buddy Very happy with my 1.8 tsi Sharked

I ordered a stage 1 remap and sts from shark on Monday as well. You must have beaten me to it lol. By the time I phoned, Ben had no sts units available till Wednesday. If I'm lucky it'll arrive today, maybe tomorrow. I'm all excited

WOW £600 for a generic map!! thats pricey mate.

Lol. Having done my research I was confident I would get good service and a reliable map, giving me a GOOD increase over standard and this is exactly what I received, without even having to drive the car 1mm in the direction of the tuner.

I also have the option, for my £600 'generic map' charge, of changing the car back to standard at any point, AND I can put an imobilser map on the car whenever I like too which I probably won't ever use but its there if I need it.

My VRS output about 265bhp after a Shark Remap on a 2.0TSI which was very quick, only gutted I had to get a diesel for work purposes, extra BHP was addictive

In my eyes it is but thats just my opinion and extra £70 could get a cat back miltek and remap at AmD Essex.

Fair enough. Like you say - each to their own. Not sure why you'd want an AmD map though? My first Fabia ran one of theirs via a OneClick, and I certainly know which company I'd go with....

Glad you're pleased anyway Mr Oobster! It'll be a TSI unit on yours, so should be running around 250 ponies. You'll have to get a RR day organised up there and find out for sure