So I finally got my 2018 Octavia vRS tdi 4x4 remapped by Darkside Developments and I am extremely impressed with the results!

 

Before = 192 bhp & 305 ish ft/lb torque

After = 224 bhp & 355 ish ft/lb torque 

 

ECU and DSG stage 1 remaps, plus got my Haldex serviced (well needed) and yellow stuff pads fitted and it feels like a new car!

 

 

 

Edited 20 June, 20205 yr by MTwedVRS

Is that with the charge pipe they do as well? 192 is a very impressive standard figure, mine ran nowhere near that, on another dyno ofc.

2 hours ago, SashaGrace said:

Is that with the charge pipe they do as well? 192 is a very impressive standard figure, mine ran nowhere near that, on another dyno ofc.

Nope... forgive me but whats a charge pipe?

Pipe that connects the charge cooler (what these engines use instead of an intercooler) to the turbo. They do a larger diameter metal one, wondering if you had it as that’s the best stage 1 result I’ve ever seen from an EA288 on the Darkside dyno.

43 minutes ago, SashaGrace said:

Pipe that connects the charge cooler (what these engines use instead of an intercooler) to the turbo. They do a larger diameter metal one, wondering if you had it as that’s the best stage 1 result I’ve ever seen from an EA288 on the Darkside dyno.

Ah I see, nope nothing else done to it, completely standard. Guess I got lucky and a ‘good’ engine from stock in that sense!

If you don't mind me asking what sort of cost was involved in getting the work done ?

 

Cheers

17 hours ago, SashaGrace said:

Is that with the charge pipe they do as well? 192 is a very impressive standard figure, mine ran nowhere near that, on another dyno ofc.

4th gear pull, does tend to bring the horses out

Just now, themanwithnoaim said:

4th gear pull, does tend to bring the horses out

Even then though, mine pulled 176 on another dyno and the darkside dyno is known to pull a low figure. VAG must have worked wonders on the engine firmware in recent years.

Can't beat more than 500nm of torque mine goes up steep village hills at 29mph in 5th (30mph speed limit) and 42mph in 7th (40mph limit) at 1,200rpm. And it's not even a diesel.

24 minutes ago, shyVRS245 said:

Can't beat more than 500nm of torque mine goes up steep village hills at 29mph in 5th (30mph speed limit) and 42mph in 7th (40mph limit) at 1,200rpm. And it's not even a diesel.

Im sure the gearbox wont thankyou for doing to many low down pulls 🙈 

The VAG 2 litre engine is a fantastic unit in both petrol and diesel. Miss my old 2.0 TFSi

7 hours ago, esoxecosse said:

If you don't mind me asking what sort of cost was involved in getting the work done ?

 

Cheers

Sure thing!

 

So the breakdown is as follows:

 

- Custom Dyno tune = £400

- Gearbox tune = £200 (is discounted if you get both ECU and DSG)

 

This does not include vat, so add your 20% onto that plus some labour charges. 

 

Not the cheapest, but you get what you pay for and these guys have such a good reputation and knowledge of this engine, I was of the opinion that rather safe than sorry!

Edited 21 June, 20205 yr by MTwedVRS

So I’m fortunate to have access to a small piece of private land and did a 0-60 with launch control today with the map, see vid on link below to YouTube.

 

Obviously with 224 bhp its not a rocket ship from standstill, more the torque and the 2nd/3rd/4th gear pulls is where the magic happens, but its still made a big difference on launch. 

 

 

Edited 21 June, 20205 yr by MTwedVRS

Nice one, doesn't seem too bad to me, seen a lot of the Darkside YouTube stuff and they certainly seem to know they're stuff, post again in a week or so and tell us what difference you notice in the DSG please, Cheers

On 21/06/2020 at 23:04, esoxecosse said:

Nice one, doesn't seem too bad to me, seen a lot of the Darkside YouTube stuff and they certainly seem to know they're stuff, post again in a week or so and tell us what difference you notice in the DSG please, Cheers

 

Not quite been a week, but I’ve done a few hundred miles and the difference in the DSG I notice is:

 

- Quicker shifts in auto mode (manual mode is same speed shifting)

- Optimised shifting points, for example before the map in sport mode I found it held onto the gears for way to long letting the power die before shifting, but now it shifts just after peak boost 

 

Those are the only differences I have noticed and as I went for a DSG stage 1 the biggest change is the clutch plate clamping pressure to ensure there is no clutch slip, so more ensuring the longevity of the DSG more than anything. I also like the auto change down etc as it means I can be lazy as junctions and not worry about manually changing down to 1st, this is something you loose on a stage 2 upwards I believe, so stage 1 was good for me. 

 

Also MPG is completely unaffected by the remap - 47mpg on a run (on way back from Darkside, Barnsley to Coventry) and 35 around town with a lot of heavy footed spirited driving. 

 

So all in all, totally worth it