On Tuesday, I went up to the guys at awesome to have a forge intercooler fitted and get some new software!

So, after having done about 500 miles in it, my first are initial impressions are;

Not that different! It seems happier in higher gears, maybe this is because of the increased torque. For example if I'm in 6th and slow down for a corner to about 30mph, it often will leave itself in 6th gear and then it takes a few moments for it to get back up to 40+. After the map it picks up easier without feeling the need to change down, and does seem to have a nice smooth power delivery.

I haven't really had the chance to open the taps yet and go past about 3.5k rpm to see what it's like, but it does feel faster. I'm pleased it's got the anti-theft modes and the use of the cc stick to swap through programmes, that's a great function.

As I do more miles im sure I'll get to experience it a bit more, but it's not quite the revelation I thought it might be! Nice to know the extra power and torque is there though.

Guys at Awesome were great though, highly recommend them. Great service, including taking me out in their Seat Leon K1 with a KO4 turbo conversion while I waited! Enjoyed the day, and will definitely go back.

Oh, and the power came out at just under 211bhp and about 228lb ft after the remap.

if you havent been driving above 3.5k you probably wont notice much :P Go set the tyres on fire

Yeah, I intend to!

The main bulk of the power will be at the top end so as Dave says get out there and boot it! :-)

Wow, that's an honest review I have to say. Not many people would admit they are not "thrilled-amazed-top-of-the-world etc. etc." after a remap but I totally get what you're saying and I have written about that in my own review, at least to some extent. Especially if you say you have not gone above 3.5K then it's normal that you have experienced almost none of the extra power. To put it this way, a stage 1 or even 2, will not make you feel you are driving some 350-400 bhp monster that pushes you back on your seat whenever you feather the throttle all across the rev range, this is not going to happen.

 

One thing that does happen though (at least with mine and I guess with yours as well even if numbers are not exactly the same) is how much stronger the engine seems to be able to pull past 4K, exactly when it would normally start feeling lifeless. 4K rpm in 3rd gear now is like night and day compared to stock performance and this continues all the way to the rev limit. That's where all the beauty is. BUT, I hand the car over to the wife who is driving calmly in D all the time and you can't tell if there is one bhp more than stock.

 

So, "invisible" in everyday driving but switch to manual and stay in the same gear for a little longer and I'm sure you'll get a big smile on your face.

Edited 29 January, 201511 yr by newbie69

What is the mpg your wife is gettibg whwn driving "normally" compared to your, assumed, correct driving style ?

Wow, that's an honest review I have to say. Not many people would admit they are not "thrilled-amazed-top-of-the-world etc. etc." after a remap but I totally get what you're saying and I have written about that in my own review, at least to some extent. Especially if you say you have not gone above 3.5K then it's normal that you have experienced almost none of the extra power. To put it this way, a stage 1 or even 2, will not make you feel you are driving some 350-400 bhp monster that pushes you back on your seat whenever you feather the throttle all across the rev range, this is not going to happen.

One thing that does happen though (at least with mine and I guess with yours as well even if numbers are not exactly the same) is how much stronger the engine seems to be able to pull past 4K, exactly when it would normally start feeling lifeless. 4K rpm in 3rd gear now is like night and day compared to stock performance and this continues all the way to the rev limit. That's where all the beauty is. BUT, I hand the car over to the wife who is driving calmly in D all the time and you can't tell if there is one bhp more than stock.

So, "invisible" in everyday driving but switch to manual and stay in the same gear for a little longer and I'm sure you'll get a big smile on your face.

I'm not saying I'm not pleased with it, and although I wasn't sure what to expect, I wasn't expecting it to be a Ferrari killer! I guess the way a lot of other people had talked about them I maybe thought I'd be able to notice it straight away. I certainly don't tend to drive like miss daisy, but the conditions since Tuesday haven't really allowed me to take it beyond about 3.5k rpm due to traffic, weather etc. So I'll patiently wait for the right moment to see what all the fuss is about

But like I said, it's early doors yet as I haven't opened her up yet, so I look forward to being able to report back and say how much I love it!

Did you change the Spark Plugs or at least check them when having the Remap done

& What was the ones that Awesome advised fitting?

I had a smile on my face as soon as I drove off.

I had a smile on my face as soon as I drove off.

i had a nice smile of my face when I drove yours.

I thought it would have been a little more bhp with the forge fmic being on aswell

Edited 29 January, 201511 yr by Ant-Vrs

Are you sure it's turned on?

Are you sure it's turned on?

Yeah pretty sure it is! One of the guy set it up and showed me how to go through the maps, and almost certain he left it on the new map. Don't see why he would have put it back to stock straight after he'd applied it! It does seem a bit more powerful at low revs anyway.

Did you change the Spark Plugs or at least check them when having the Remap done

& What was the ones that Awesome advised fitting?

Yeah I did. Changed them to the Denso ones you often talk about. Have used the NGK 7's before so thought I'd give the Denso's ago.

If it's producing 211 bhp you should notice it. Where is the print out?

In my car at the moment. Wasn't given a print out of the before run so don't know what the stock result was. I'll have a flick through the program's tomorrow to make sure it's on the right one.

Not so sure you would notice any difference unless you are giving it a bit, and certainly there is Little Difference with a APR Stage 1 

unless you do want to get a shift on, in D and light throttle there is no difference other than smooth maybe.

 

So if you have Switchable, i take it is on 99 ron, and Stage 1.

 

Have you watched the Video on Setting up and on?

I'd post it on here to get some opinions. However, I'm guessing it is fairly standard.

Not so sure you would notice any difference unless you are giving it a bit, and certainly there is Little Difference with a APR Stage 1

unless you do want to get a shift on, in D and light throttle there is no difference other than smooth maybe.

So if you have Switchable, i take it is on 99 ron, and Stage 1.

Have you watched the Video on Setting up and on?

Yep, watched the video before and will do so again. As i said, the guy showed me how it all worked and left it on the performance 98+ Ron map.

Btw if you don't put your foot down it'll be like any other 1.4.

http://goapr.co.uk/products/ecu_upgrade_14tsi_twin.html

NOTE Do not be fooled by claims from lesser tuners, a DSG reflash IS NOT Required to achieve the advertised power claims with an APR ECU Upgrade?

What does that mean? 200 bhp isn't that great!

210 bp stage ii rip off!

What are you looking at Stage 1 on a 160ps Twincharger?

Just under the bottom right hand corner of the first graph, say stage 1 200 hp.

I'm not saying I'm not pleased with it, and although I wasn't sure what to expect, I wasn't expecting it to be a Ferrari killer! I guess the way a lot of other people had talked about them I maybe thought I'd be able to notice it straight away. I certainly don't tend to drive like miss daisy, but the conditions since Tuesday haven't really allowed me to take it beyond about 3.5k rpm due to traffic, weather etc. So I'll patiently wait for the right moment to see what all the fuss is about

But like I said, it's early doors yet as I haven't opened her up yet, so I look forward to being able to report back and say how much I love it!

 

No worries, I didn't interpret your message as a dislike! I think what you're describing is on par with a typical stage 1 and I just wanted to stress the part that below 3K it's almost not noticeable, as opposed to some other reviews.

 

Here is a comparison I made by combining the two runs on the same chart (dyno guy was obviously too busy to do it himself  ). Notice how the Gain curve quickly climbs from 16 to 46bhp between 2600 to 4000K rpm. That's why I say it's normal it doesn't feel so different if you'r moving below 3.5K.

 

 

Edited 29 January, 201511 yr by newbie69